Baseball Cookie Favors

My friend and I made these baseball cookies as favors for her baby shower. Now that the little cutie is 4 months I'm finally getting around to posting them.

Is he not the cutest baby you have ever seen!?

-amanda

Green & Yellow Dessert Table

I love doing dessert tables! Not only do I get to bake, but I get a chance to do a little bit of party planning at the same time. Before I wanted to do pastries I wanted to be an event planner so I love any chance I get to plan and make things pretty! Last weekend I had the pleasure of creating a dessert table for my friend Michelle's wedding shower. I had a great time putting this together for her and thought I'd share some pictures with you! (Forgive the bad pictures...this was my first time using my new camera!)

Congratulations to Michelle and Dave!

-amanda

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are my favorite. I especially love the holiday versions, such as the Christmas tree, the Easter egg, the pumpkin, etc. I am assuming you know why and agree with me...because of all the extra delicious PB inside, and the chocolate is softer and it's this whole big thing...anyways!

I decided peanut butter cupcakes were something I needed to make, and why not? Afterall, Reese's PB Cups were on sale! These turned out very yummy, and I would definitely make them again. So cure your PB craving and bake some of these little yummies! This recipe made 36 mini cupcakes and 12 regular cupcakes.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cupcakes

• 1 box dark chocolate fudge cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 24 regular Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - chopped (16 for mix, 8 for topping)
• 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup peanut butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place mini baking cups in mini cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Fold in the 16 chopped peanut butter cups.
3. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to spoon batter into cups. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
4. Cool completely.
5. Place semi-sweet morsels in a medium bowl. Bring the cream just to a boil and then pour over chocolate. Whisk chocolate until it melts, then add the peanut butter and whisk until smooth.
6. Dip the tops of the cupcakes in the peanut butter/chocolate frosting.
7. Sprinkle remaining chopped peanut butter cups over each cupcake.
8. Refrigerate to set the the frosting.

Enjoy!!

Flower Wedding Cake

Before I show you the cake, I have something to say:

Dear Fondant,

You and I will never be friends. You have caused me heartache over and over and over again. Friends don't make one another cry, like you have made me. I know I have tried to stretch you too thin at times and that is why you tear, leaving my buttercream to show through. What I don't understand is why you refuse to be smooth. Why must you always crease when I try to smooth you out, no matter how hard I try? It exhausting and humiliating! I can't take it anymore. I have been patient with you and you have failed me again. They say "third times the charm" but they are wrong. I am sure we will meet again in the future, but it will not be my choice. I hope when the day comes, we can be decent enough to one another. And if not, "there is always a backside to every cake" and plenty of royal icing flowers to cover up the boo-boos.

Sincerely,
Amanda


Now on with the cake!!



I completed my first wedding cake and overall I am pretty proud of it. I did have some fondant issues as you already know. ;o) But I was able to cover up most of my mistakes with flowers. I am not going to lie, it was stressful making this cake. I dreamt about icing cakes for like 3 nights straight! lol Anyways, it is based on a cake by Peggy Porschen. It is buttercream covered in fondant. The flowers are royal icing and the topper is made from pastillage. I hope you enjoy it!



-amanda

Birthday Cake

It's been a long time!

Sorry I have been gone so long. It is very hard to find time nowadays to bake, but I will be done with school in no time and spring is in the air!

Today I would like to share with you the first cake that I have decorated in school. It is yellow chiffon cake, covered in buttercream and decorated with roses and lilies.


I will be making my very first wedding cake this week! Stay tuned for a picture!

-amanda

Valentine Message Cookies

Photo from Williams-Sonoma.com

I recently bought these Message in a Cookie cookie cutters from Williams-Sonoma. I was very excited to use these, and I was pretty excited with the way mine turned out. The cookie on the right is supposed to say "sweetheart" but unfortunately you can't really read it. Next time I make them I will make sure to press a little harder and also not let my cookies puff up too much. Other than that, these were a lot of fun to make and you can write pretty much whatever you want! The set also comes with a scalloped rectangle and a star. You can purchase the Message in a Cookie set in the store or at Williams-Sonoma.com


No-Fail Sugar Cookies
Adapted from CakeCentral

• 6 cups flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 2 cups unsalted butter
• 2 cups sugar
  
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  
• 1 tsp. salt

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Mix dry ingredients and add a little at a time to butter mixture. Mix until flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes together.
2. Chill for about an hour
   
3. Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake on baking sheet with parchment at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges.

Royal Icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp cream of tarter

Combine powdered sugar and cream of tarter in mixing bowl. Gradually add the egg whites and mix on medium speed for 4 minutes. Add a little bit of water to make icing more runny, or a little powdered sugar to stiffen the icing.

Tip: If you plan to flood your cookies you will probably need to double the icing recipe.

-amanda

Creme Brulee

Creme Brulee
Makes 4 - 4oz ramekins

1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs. plus additional 1/3 cup sugar
2 extra large or jumbo egg yolks
½ tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 300ºF. Prepare some boiling water.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cream and 2 Tbs sugar; cook, stirring occasionally until small bubbles appear around edges of pan, 5-6 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, beat egg yolks and vanilla until smooth and light. Pour hot cream mixture into egg yolks, a little at a time, beating continuously until well blended. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Divide mixture among four 4 oz. ramekins.
4. Arrange ramekins in a baking pan and place on middle shelf of preheated oven. Fill pan with boiling water to halfway up sides of ramekins. Cover pan loosely with aluminum foil. Bake until custard is just set, about 25 minutes (use caution when removing ramekins from oven as they will be very hot!). Chill 2-3 hours.
5. Sprinkle remaining sugar evenly over top of cooled custards. With the kitchen torch, move the flame continuously over the surface of the ramekins, in a circular motion until sugar melts and becomes golden brown and bubbly. (You may need to use more sugar for the top if you are getting burnt spots). Serve immediately topped with fresh fruit or refrigerate for later use (if saving for later use, wait to torch the sugar until ready to serve).

-amanda