Polkadot Cupcakes

I wanted to eat something good, and that would go great with a tall glass of milk, so I made these just-becuase-cupcakes.

I made these vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting and red polka dot sprinkles. The thing that makes these special is the strawberry and mascarpone cheese filling in the center. Now people that know me well know that I’m not the greatest fan of cheese, but mascarpone cheese is not really ‘cheesy’ at all. Its a very very light, creamy, milky, soft cheese spread. I think it tastes incredibly light and delicate and classy (like something you would have during afternoon tea or something)…definitely nothing CHEESY about it! :)

Cute pink heart cupcakes!

These cute pink heart cupcakes are flavored with Knotts Strawberry Jelly! Lovely for a tea party, valentines day, or baby shower

Chocolate Lava Cake

Chocolate Lava Cake

I served this lava cake as the dessert to a valentines day dinner. I think I was pretty lucky to get the lava flowing on my first attempt at this. The dessert was wonderfully warm, chocolatey, and delicious!

After a few times baking this, I have a few suggestions for those of you trying this for the first time:
1. Every oven is different, make sure you practice once before you serve it for an important occasion!
2. Make sure you record the EXACT time it took for your oven to produce the warmest flowy lava
3. Use the tooth-pick test
4. Most recipes call for semi-bitter chocolate because milk chocolate or even semi sweet chocolate is too sweet. Do not use milk chocolate but semi sweet chocolate was actually pretty perfect.
5. Some recipes say to use the 'warm-bath' method where you put the ramekins in water. I just threw those babies in the oven like I normally do with any cake.

happy baking!

Christmas Cookies 08

Christmas Cookies 08

Made everything from scratch. I cant wait for Christmas season again! I hope to add a little something different to my Christmas goodies every year, and I think I'll include some cupcakes this year :)

Melty buttery tea cakes in powered white sugar
Icebox cookies
Gingerbread Men
Green Christmas Sugar Cookie Trees dipped in White Chocolate
Improvised Rich Chocolate Snowflakes
Sugar Cookies with White Cookie Frosting and Minty Chocolate Kisses