For my brothers 40th birthday

He has requested banana pudding, so I decided to make them in cupcake form, after I told him I would do this I decided it sounds kind of hard, keep your fingers crossed it works haha@

My new favorite song

Azalea Festival Cake Challenge 2011

Check out these awesome cakes from the Azalea Festival Cake Challenge.

Easter Cake

Can't wait until Easter so I can make this!

The Chewy Brownie Cookie

I was going through one of my Granny's recipe books and found a recipe that sounded like two of my favorite things browines and cookies!!! I happened to have all the ingredients which never happens, especially on a Monday. Let me just say I can make almost any cake, but I am the worst at making cookies. They always come out flat and burnt its just not my thing. Finally I found a cookie that I can get to rise, doesnt burn and it really taste like a brownie and a cookie! Enjoy!!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup shortening
• 1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup Cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Chocolate Chips

Directions

1. 1 Heat oven to 375°F.
2. 2 Beat shortening, brown sugar, water and vanilla in large bowl on medium speed of mixer until well blended. Add eggs; beat well.
3.  Stir together flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating on low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. 
4.  Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are set. Cookies will appear soft and moist. Do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

This is so true and what I learned in Italy on my honeymoon

Divine 8 minute frosting with spice cupcakes

Divine 8 minute frosting with spice cupcakes

One of my favorite cooks is Paula Deen tonight I renovated one of her recipes to make it my own.  She has a recipe called 7 minute frosting, since I didn’t have all the ingredients called for I used what I had and tried to make it a little healthier.  Note- make sure you use real maple syrup it has many health benefits http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20464527,00.html. This is a gooey frosting that goes great with pumpkin, spice or even cinnamon rolls.

Divine 8 minute frosting

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups raw sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon of maple syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Place  raw sugar, maple syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler.(Note if you don’t know what double boiler means watch this video you don’t need anything special just put a glass bowl over a boiling pot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oErvsmSxWU) Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. (If this happens, it could cause your frosting to become grainy). Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 8 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

For the cupcakes I found this recipe on http://www.astheforestegrows.com/

Ingredients

1 box of Spice cake mix

15 oz can of pumpkin

Directions

Mix with spatula use an ice cream scooper to fill up paper liners bake for18-22 minutes at 350 degrees. This makes 18 cupcakes.