Making Whoopie... Pies!

Whoopie Pies
Cookies adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies (page 207), Filling adapted from Emeril Lagasse
Makes about 3 dozen (or 1 dozen large pies)

Cookie:
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Filling:
2 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups shortening
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup whole milk
3 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Make cookies: Line two rimmed baking sheets with nonstick baking mats (such as Silpats), or with parchment. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat until well combined. On low speed, slowly add dry ingredients; mix until well combined.

2. Drop 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until set, about 8 minutes, rotating halfway through. (When the top of the cookie is gently touched, it should feel soft but not wet.) Cool completely on a wire rack.

3. Make filling: In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff. Add the shortening and 1 tablespoon of vanilla, and mix well. Add the milk and sugar, and beat until smooth.

4. Assemble cookies: Spread 1 heaping tablespoon filling on the flat side of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies can be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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After what seems like a never-ending streak of cupcakes, I think I am finally cupcaked out! I don't think I've made cookies (which is my favorite thing to bake) in months—since my St. Patrick’s Day disaster! It’s time to finally get back to my baking roots. Flipping through my Martha Cookies book, I came across a recipe for Whoopie Pies. Hmm.. They’re on my baking list, and they sound pretty good, so why not? The recipe was for chocolate cookies and a peanut butter filling, but I’ve already done a chocolate/peanut butter combination. Boyfriend suggested chocolate mint, but I’ve done that too. Maybe I’d just stick with traditional chocolate and vanilla whoopie pies. You can’t really go wrong with that, right?

Mixing all the ingredients together, I realized this recipe seemed to have the potential to make a whole lot of cookies. 3 and a half cups of flour, and a cup and a half of cocoa powder? One batch pretty much wiped out my cocoa supply I thought I was pretty well stocked on. It also wiped out my both my pure vanilla extract and my clear vanilla for the filling. Guess I’ll have to stock up again.

The recipe said to drop about 1 and a half tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheets, but I’m terrible at making my cookies even with just spoonfuls. I always use cookie scoops. The only problem is, I have three small scoops, and a large ice cream scoop, but nothing in between. The last time one of my Martha recipes called for a scoop larger than I had, I used the small scoop as a substitute, and ended up with miniature cookies! I didn’t want a repeat of that, so I went with the big scoop this time. Big mistake.

Pulling the first batch out of the oven, my first thought was that they looked less like Whoopie Pies, and more like “cow pies” (aka cow poop). They were really dark, and HUGE!! And not fully cooked. Apparently I was going to have to adjust my baking time for my insanely large cookies. What had the potential to make a lot of cookies, ended up making only about a dozen filled and assembled cookies. I almost halved the filling recipe, thinking it would be way too much for the amount of cookies I had, but I was literally scraping the bowl by the end of filling them, so I’m glad I didn’t!

I heard someone once say something to the effect of bakers never being able to eat the best of their creations. It’s so true! I picked out the ugly, misshapen ones for Boyfriend and I to sample, leaving the pretty ones for me to take to work to share. Man! Eating these monsters took 2 hands! It was like eating a hamburger—they were SO big! Neither one of us could finish a whole one. The outer “cookie” layers are actually more cake-like than a cookie. They were incredibly tender—almost too much. They kind of fall apart when you eat them. I swear I had to either eat over the sink, or vacuum the floor where I was standing after eating these! (Although, to be completely honest, most of the crumbs managed to find their way down the front of my shirt as I ate, so maybe I needed a bib as well.) The filling, despite having 3 cups of confectioners’ sugar and an entire tablespoon of vanilla in it, has a very light, subtle flavor. I was pleasantly surprised.

Other than being humongous and crumbly, these were pretty good. I’d make them again (but just a bit smaller next time…), and I’ll definitely test different flavors of filling inside. I’d say it was an almost-success, and another thing to check off my list!

Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream

Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream
Adapted from Deliciously Golden
Makes 11 ½-cup servings

2 cups sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon sugar
2 ½ cups low-fat buttermilk½ cup strawberry puree
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest of 1 lemon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice

*Note: This actually made too much to fit into my ice cream maker, so next time, I might cut the buttermilk down to possibly 1 to 1 1/2 cups, and maybe add a bit more sweetened condensed milk (bring it up to a cup, maybe more) to give it a sweeter taste. (It was a bit too tangy for my liking.) I also didn't have a lemon to zest, so I did without, and just used bottled lemon juice.

1. Combine sliced berries and sugar in a small bowl and let sit, stirring occasionally until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the fruit is juicy.

2. Meanwhile, whisk buttermilk and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour into the canister of an ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. During the last 5 minutes of freezing, add the sliced berries. If necessary, place the ice cream in the freezer to firm up before serving.

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It's starting to feel more and more like summer. Everywhere you look things are vibrant and colorful, from green leaves to the splash of bright flowers being planted in gardens. The weather is getting warmer as the days get longer. Pools are filled and open, and soon the smell of suntan lotion will mingle with the aromas of fresh cut grass and barbecue in the air. It's summertime that always makes me yearn for a porch swing, a good book, and a tall glass of ice cold lemonade. It makes me nostalgic for childhood: playing baseball in the backyard, running carefree through the sprinklers, and riding my bike through the neighborhood. I love almost everything about summer. The only thing I can't stand--the heat. That's why you usually won't find me lounging around the pool. (And the fact that I fry like bacon in the sun, I hate swimming, and I don't want to subject innocent people to the sight of me in a bathing suit... but mostly the heat.) I'm usually the one hanging out in the shade, with my SPF 50 sunblock, enjoying the best part of summer--a great big bowl of ice cream.

This past weekend was Memorial Day Weekend: the unofficial start of summer. I think it's finally safe to put away my winter coat! (Although this is Ohio--a state known for her schizophrenic weather patterns. When an Ohioan says "wait five minutes, and it'll change," we're not joking.) To celebrate, I'm sure most of us fired up the grill. Boyfriend and I? We went to the Utica Ice Cream Festival about 40 minutes outside of town. Utica is home to the Velvet Ice Cream Factory. Mmm.. Both of us were off for the holiday, so we packed up, slathered on sunscreen, and hit the road for some tasty frozen treats! Honestly, other than the factory and a couple booths selling ice cream cones, a fantastic hot fudge sundae cake, and root beer floats, there really wasn't a lot of ice cream related things at the festival. But the whole festival/fair atmosphere, combined with the beautiful sunny day, screamed "SUMMER!" to me, so I was content. I was even inspired to present to you my first frozen dessert of the season! Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream!

I actually made this a few weeks ago, with what was left of my strawberries and strawberry puree from my Neapolitan Cupcakes, but I kept putting off writing about it. Between posts about Cupcake Camp and it's creations, and my IronCupcake: Earth entry, it kept getting pushed back. But finally! With summer so close at hand, it seems like the perfect time to share this incredibly easy treat! It took all of 35 minutes from start to finish to create this perfect refreshing snack--15 minutes of prep time, and 20 to churn! (And a good 8-10 minutes of that prep time was devoted to slicing strawberries and wrestling my ice cream maker off the top shelf. So really--5 minutes to put things together.)

It's really just a one bowl recipe. Whisk together buttermilk, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, lemon juice, and strawberry puree, and there you have it. Pour right into an ice cream maker, and you're on your way! Within the last 5 minutes of mixing, throw in your sliced strawberries, let it mix, and you're ready to serve! It'll still be sort of soft, so if you like your ice cream a little more frozen, or you're not serving it immediately, pack it into a bowl with a tight fitting lid and pop it into the freezer to firm up. I press plastic wrap right onto the top of the ice cream, so it doesn't get those nasty freezer burn ice crystals on top.

I fell in love with this flavor combination at a local ice cream shop. If you're anywhere near Columbus, you've GOT to try Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. It's amazing. I don't think I've ever tried a flavor that I didn't think was good. When I thought about how I was going to use up my leftover strawberries and puree from my cupcakes, the first thing I thought of was Jeni's Strawberry Buttermilk. I knew I probably couldn't find the actual recipe, but as long as I got the essence of it, I would be happy. I think this one did an alright job. My only complaint about this recipe was that it was too tangy from the buttermilk. It almost overpowered the strawberry flavor. It made too much to fit the whole batch into my ice cream maker at once, so I did half of it at a time. I'm glad I did, because after tasting the first batch, I was able to add more sweetened condensed milk to the 2nd batch to even out the flavors. That batch came out tasting really good!

This was so easy to make, and turned out to be really good! Not quite Jeni's, but then again, nothing ever will be. The standard is set too high. But it's definitely worth making. So if you find yourself in need of a cool, refreshing treat this summer, grab a bowl and come join me under the shade tree.

Chipotle Mexicorn "Cupcakes"

Chipotle Mexicorn "Cupcakes"
Adapted from Chicago Sun Times and The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2009
Makes 1 dozen

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese (I used a Colby/MJ mix)
1/2 can (11oz) Mexicorn (Green Giant Brand), drained, or 1/2 can of corn kernels, drained, and 1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper)
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely minced

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Spread cornmeal on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in center rack of oven. Toast until color deepens and becomes fragrant, about 5 minutes.

3. Mix cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the cheese.

4. In a small saucepan or skillet, heat oil and butter. Swirl to mix until butter is completely melted. Remove from heat.

5. In another bowl whisk buttermilk and eggs. Slowly pour about 1/4 of oil mixture into buttermilk mixture, stirring constantly to temper. Slowly pour in remaining oil mixture and whisk to combine. Add chipotle chile and corn mixture, stirring to mix. Add to flour mixture, and stir only until it comes together.

6. Pour batter into well oiled cupcake tins. Bake until tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Turn out on a rack to cool.

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Chile Lime Butter
Makes 1/2 cup

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 to 1 teaspoon lime zest (about 1/2 to 1 lime)
1 tablespoon lime juice (about 1/2 a lime)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
Pinch of salt

1. Stir ingredients together until combined. Chill until ready to use.

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My second IronCupcake: Earth entry! This month's challenge was creating a savory cupcake. Ah! I don't do savory! #1-- I can't cook! (Okay that's not entirely true. I can. I'm just not very skilled at it.) #2--My insatiable sweet tooth doesn't understand the concept of savory. Even things I do cook have a sweet element to it! (That chili over there in the picture? Totally has brown sugar and chocolate in it..) What could I make that would pass as a savory cupcake?! The only thing I could think of was some kind of cornbread. Better make it spicy and full of corn to resist any temptation to lead it to the sweet side.

I found a recipe for cornbread in the Best of America's Test Kitchen 2009 magazine I bought for Boyfriend a couple months ago. It sounded pretty good, so I "borrowed" the magazine from him. (It's not like he was really using it anyway. *hint hint Boyfriend: make me dinner!*) As good as it sounded, it didn't have many savory elements to it. With a little more searching, I turned up a recipe for Chipotle Cornbread, chock full of red bell peppers and chipotle peppers. Score! Now let's throw a bit of corn in there too, for good measure.

While I was out shopping for my ingredients, I came across a can of Mexicorn--a mix of corn, and red and green bell peppers--from Green Giant. Absolutely perfect! Now I don't have to worry about what to do with the rest of the red bell pepper I was going to buy. (Eating it is completely out of the question. Yuck!)

I took some of the methods from the ATK recipe, like toasting the corn meal first to enhance the flavor, as well as the addition of melted butter to the oil. Honestly, I don't know that either of these really added to the flavor, so don't feel like you have to do these. (If you're not using the butter, don't worry about heating the oil. This was just to combine the butter and the oil together.) Both recipes called for making one large cornbread loaf in a cast iron skillet. Well that wouldn't be very cupcake like, would it? (Plus I don't have a cast iron skillet..) I poured the batter into well greased cupcake tins instead. I also adjusted the cooking time. I wasn't sure how long to put them on for, so I started with 15 minutes on the timer. That ended up being the magical number; they were done perfectly when I checked on them.

Sure, they were perfect little cupcake shapes, but they still didn't scream "cupcake" to me. They were missing something very important. Something that distinguishes a cupcake from it's muffin cousin. Frosting. What could I possibly put on a spicy, savory cupcake? I decided on a Chile Lime Butter "frosting". I absolutely love the combination on grilled corn. Mmm the sweet kernels of corn, dripping with buttery goodness, mixed with a bit of a tartness from the lime and a kick from the cayenne pepper. Since corn is the star of this show, I thought it would pair well. (Just go easy on it. The amount I slathered on the top were for photos only. No way could I ever eat that! I'm not Paula Deen y'all.)


Overall, it's an alright cupcake (*cough* muffin..). Not the best I've ever had, but not completely inedible. It's got a very strong chipotle flavor to it. It pretty much overpowers everything else. Maybe next time I'll just use ground chipotle powder instead of the chopped chiles. And I don't really like eating it with the Chile Lime Butter, even after I scraped the majority of it off after taking pictures. Maybe on plain cornbread? There's just too competing flavors. Honestly, I'd take a Jiffy corn muffin over these any day.. Slather a little jam on top.. Mmm.. But maybe that's just my sweet tooth talking again.

Even though they weren't the greatest creation on Earth, thanks for showing your Busty Baker love by voting for my Chiptole Mexicorn Cupcakes! Here's the awesomeness I could've won!

Our May ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:

• A sweet cupcake ID bracelet by INSANEJELLYFISH, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5021935
• something sweet and dangly from CHERRYCREEKCHARMS at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6686445.
• a sweet surprise from Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Cupcakery, http://www.acupcakery.com/
  
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

In hindsight, I wish I would have made these awesome Corn on the Cob Cupcakes from Hello Cupcake by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson (which I could win!), instead. How much cuter would these have been? And certainly yummier too! But I guess not really "savory"..

Picture from Hello, Cupcake! Book, page 25

French Toast and Bacon Cupcakes

French Toast Cupcakes
Adapted from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes by Julie Hasson
Makes 14

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and then cooled
2 eggs
1 tsp maple extract
1/2 cup milk
10-12 slices bacon


1. Preheat oven to 350F and line baking pan with paper liners.

2. Cook bacon in batches by prefered method until browned, but still slightly flexible. Soak up any extra oil on paper towels and set aside to cool. Once bacon is cooled enough to handle, cut a couple slices of bacon into inch-long pieces. This will be the decoration on top of the cupcake, so make as many as you think you'll need. Set aside. Chop or tear the remaining bacon into tiny pieces. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Whisk in maple extract. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and milk, making three additions of flour mix and two of milk, beating until smooth. Fold in small bacon pieces. Mix until evenly distributed throughout batter.

5. Scoop batter into prepared pan and bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and tops spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.

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Maple Buttercream
Adapted from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes by Julie Hasson
Makes enough to frost 2 dozen cupcakes

2 cups confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (I used some pure Maple syrup made right here in Ohio!)
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
Pinch of salt

1. In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add maple syrup, maple extract, and salt, and beat until well combined. Add confectioner's sugar, half cup at a time, and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

2. Frost or pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Top with inch-long bacon pieces.

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Baking with Bacon? Who thought that was a good idea? Really. Who came up with it? Who sat there and thought, you know what? Bacon would be amazing in this dessert. I'd love to know who it was, because I totally want to shake their hand and give them a great big pat on the back. I never thought I'd make bacon with anything other than eggs and toast, or maybe pancakes or waffles. I certainly didn't think I'd ever mix bacon with cupcakes. But thanks to the genius that came up with the Best Use of Bacon category at Cupcake Camp (not sure if it was Kiesha, Carmen, or another brilliant mind), I gave it a shot. And it was amazing. Seriously. Amazing. Okay, maybe not like mind-blowing, I-have-to-sit-down kind of amazing. But still pretty awesome. And apparently I wasn't the only one that thought so.

When Kiesha first talked about organizing Cupcake Camp, I was really excited. I totally wanted to be a part of it. Then she told me the categories I could compete in if I so chose. Most Creative Decoration, Best Vegan, Best Use of Alcohol, and Best Use of Bacon. Crap. What was I going to do with those?? After deciding at first to try the Decoration category, I changed my mind. If I'm going to enter into a competition, I'm going to pick the one that's going to make me work the hardest to get it right. I went for Bacon because, honestly, what the hell can I do with bacon and a cupcake?

I was so excited to tell Boyfriend about the Bacon category. I thought he, of all people, would be the most excited about it! Sadly, he didn't show as much enthusiasm as I thought he would.. He was intrigued, but not the "OMG That's AWESOME!" that I thought he would be.. Maybe my delivery was off. But he was still up to helping me figure out what to do. His initial suggestion was to bake the cupcake into a bacon cup. Like a slab on Canadian Bacon stuffed into a cupcake pan, with the cupcake poured into it and baked. Interesting concept, and done very well with eggs on the cover of Gale Gand's Brunch book, but logistically I don't know that cupcakes would work. (Plus the idea of it slightly disgusts me. Sorry!) So onto more brainstorming. I started thinking, what do I like to eat bacon with? Eggs. Scrambled Egg Cupcake? Ew. That's out. What else? I eat it with pancakes and waffles.. and French Toast. With lots of syrup. Wait a minute. French Toast and Syrup... I could make a cupcake that tastes like French Toast and top it with a frosting that tastes like syrup. And I could throw bacon in it! I think I'm onto something here!

My first test run of the cupcakes was a raving success! The only complaint? Needs more bacon! The cupcake I thought I would agonize over, reworking and refining the recipe to find the perfect balance of flavors came out nearly perfect on the first try. Now to figure out the frosting; I had 2 maple buttercream recipes to decide between. The first was a Martha Stewart recipe. I've never gone wrong with Martha, so I figured it would be okay. Looking at the recipe, I immediately spotted a slight problem. It takes 6 egg yolks. And the only thing that cooks these yolks is the 2 cups of maple syrup you boil and mix in. And that's it. Other than the butter, there's no other ingredients. I worried about making these to take to a cupcake event where they'll sit out for a couple hours. What if the syrup didn't cook the yolks? What if I make everyone sick!? I decided against Martha's recipe and went with the recipe I found in the the same book I found my French Toast Cupcake recipe in. No eggs, and no boiling involved. And it came out fantastic. I had my combination!

When baking day came, I had to triple the recipe to make the 3 dozen I was required to bring. This meant cooking an entire package of bacon! (And using an entire roll of paper towels while cooking them.. and now my microwave smells like bacon every time I use it.) It wasn't until after I cooked and chopped up all the bacon that I realized I hadn't left any to top my cupcakes with. That meant another grocery store run later for a whole new package of bacon. Story of my life. I had originally thought to make candied bacon as my topper, but after wasting 4 pieces in a bubbling, sticky mess the morning of the Camp, I decided to forgo the candied bacon and stick with regular. There just wasn't enough time to mess with potential disasters. I was already sort of freaking out about the frosting after running out of Strawberry Buttercream for my Neapolitans. I was worried I'd have to whip up some more, and I was running out of time. Luckily, the double batch I'd made was more than enough, so I could relax a little.

Bringing the cupcakes to Camp, I noticed I wasn't the only one who thought to try Bacon cupcakes. I was up against 4 other bakers in the category! Who knew bacon was so popular! With flavors like Pretentious Pork and The Elvis, I was in trouble. And another Maple Bacon flavor?? I'd never stand a chance in the competition! They all looked so good! After eating my way through 15 of the flavors featured at Cupcake Camp, it was time to hand out the prizes. I held my breath as the winner of the Best Use of Bacon was announced. (You'd think I was up for an Oscar with how nervous I was!) And the winner is... Me! I won! Yay! I couldn't believe it! The judges picked me! (I really don't think I've ever won anything in my life, so it's still amazing to me!) I was so excited to claim my $50 gift certificate to Sassafras Bakery that I forgot I had promised Boyfriend I'd yell "Yay Bacon!" if I won. Oh well. Maybe next time.

So Bacon in a cupcake actually works! One of the judges--the owner of Sassafras Bakery!--told me after the event that she voted for me because my cupcakes hit all the senses. I have to say I kind of agree. Maybe I'm just a little biased, but I thought they looked pretty! And smelled really good. Very maple-y. The taste was pretty awesome too! Sweet maple flavor with a hint of spice from the cinnamon, and a blast of saltiness from the bacon. Mmm. But I guess that's not really all the senses.. Maybe the wrapper felt nice and soft when you held it in your hand? And if you listen closely, you might be able to hear the bacon sizzling in the pan (or microwave..)? Ah, who cares about touch and hearing! They're not important!

The moral of the story? Always push yourself to try something new. Who would have thought I'd ever make a Bacon flavored cupcake? And who would have thought other people would like it? Enough to award me a prize. I certainly didn't know. But I gave it a shot, and worked hard to make it the best I could, and look where it got me! So, challenge yourself. Everyday. You never know when or how you'll be rewarded.

See more about Cupcake Camp and get the recipe for my Neapolitans!

Getting to Know The Busty Baker

I've seen this on 2 blogs (How to Eat A Cupcake and 52 Weeks of Baking) within the last 6 hours, so I'm doing it too. It's totally one of those Facebook/MySpace surveys for Food Blogs! You know. Those surveys that one person does, because they saw someone else do it, and within a day, you now know more about everyone on your friend list than you ever cared to learn. Oh, how I do love surveys! Although, I don't feel this one's nearly long enough. Gimme 150 questions about whether or not I have any tattoos, if I have a crush, or who sits behind me in Math class* and I could entertain myself for hours! But.. this is the one I'm given. So this is the one I'll fill out. Besides--I doubt any of you care if I have tattoos.** Have fun learning more about The Busty Baker!

Metal or non-stick? I think most of my baking pans are non-stick. I use silicon liners for my cookie sheets though.

Cast iron or stainless? I just bought myself my first set of Stainless Steel pots and pans last year for my birthday. I lust after All-Clad and Calphalon, but I settled for Cuisinart. But I'd love to add a cast iron to the mix too.

Cutting board: silicone or wood? I've got a small wooden cutting board, which I would love to use, but don't really know how to take care of.. so it just sits there. I use the 2 plastic ones (a big one and a small one) I have instead.. I can just throw those in the dishwasher.

Knife: carbon steel or stainless? Right now, cheap. I would kill for a beautiful set of Wusthofs though..

KitchenAid or hand mixer? KitchenAid. All the way. Although I would like a new handmixer for those rare occasions I need it. Like making Meringue for Hi-Hats. I'd love to have one that mixes at a consistent speed. But I love, love, love my KitchenAid.

Cooktop: gas, electric, induction? I've only ever had electric, but I'd love to have gas someday.

Side-by-side, freezer on top, fridge on top? Right now, Freezer on top is what I have. I'd love to have a Freezer on the bottom one though. Someday... when I have my own home.. and win the lottery. I'll have so many pretty kitchen things..

Apron or whoops? I have 3 aprons and a pink Chef's jacket hanging on the wall in my kitchen. They each serve a specific purpose. I wear my chef's jacket when I'm baking, and especially when I'm decorating. It makes me feel all professional (plus I'm super messy with royal icing.) I wear the pink Williams and Sonoma apron while I'm baking too, if the chef's coat is in the laundry (I'm not actually wearing it with the chef's coat), or I just need to throw it on really quickly. I wear my striped Everyday Food apron if I'm cooking dinner. And the blue Walmart special.. That gets worn when I'm doing dishes. I tend to end up with more water on my shirt than in the sink when I'm done handwashing things. So I gotta cover up.

Mashed potatoes: by hand, ricer, or mixer? Used the mixer for years. Now I do it by hand because I'm too lazy to get the mixer out. Plus I hate my hand mixer. I have a ricer that I acquired in one of Boyfriend's moves, but I've never bothered to use it.

Sandwich or wrap? Depends. Sometimes I'm okay with wraps. But most of the time I'm more okay with a sandwich.

PB & _________ ? Jelly. Or jam rather. Not actual jelly. Usually Smucker's of some sort. Either Strawberry, Blackberry, or Concord Grape. Although I have taken a liking to the Welch's squeeze bottle Grape Jam.

Pancakes: syrup or applesauce? Syrup. Lots and lots of syrup. We were just discussing this at work the other day. It must be fully saturated in syrup. I want it to squish syrup out when I cut into it. And then I have to have a little puddle of syrup on my plate to drag it through before I eat it.

Cake: scratch or mix? Making? Scratch. Unless its for Cakepops. Eating? I'm ok with Mix. I prefer scratch, but I won't turn mix down.

Chili: beans or no? No. Never. I hate beans.

Napkin: cloth or paper? Cloth makes me feel fancy. But I don't use them at home. I use paper.

BBQ: takes the whole weekend to make or take out? What about made at home, but not taking the whole weekend? I'm okay with bottled BBQ sauce.

Chicken: white or dark? Depends. If I'm eating baked chicken or chicken in my food, I like white. But I love drumsticks if I'm eating fried chicken. Mmm.. chicken.

Ice cream: cone or dish? Dish. I eat too slow to eat a cone. I end up with a melted mess before I'm even halfway done. So I have to have something to catch all my drips.

There you have it. Now you know The Busty Baker! At least a little bit. Anything else you want to know? Just drop me a line! the.mistress [at] bustybaker [dot] com!

*Trick question. I haven't had a math class in about 7 years. And with 90 people in my stats class, I couldn't have told you any of their names..

**I don't.

Neapolitan Cupcakes

Neapolitan Cupcakes
From How To Eat a Cupcake and Martha Stewart

Vanilla Cupcakes
Makes 12

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk

Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 12

Follow instructions for Vanilla Cupcakes below, but reduce flour to 1 1/4 cups, and add 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Whisk into dry ingredients.


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2 standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla, and mix until combined. On low speed, beat in half the flour mixture, followed by milk; end with remaining flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated (do not overmix).

3. Fill muffin cups with 3 tablespoons of each batter, side by side. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Strawberry Buttercream
Adapted from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes by Julie Hasson
Makes enough to frost about 16 cupcakes

2 cups confectioner's sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup strawberry puree
1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract
Pinch of Salt
8-12 fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced, for decoration

1. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter until it is light and fluffy. Add strawberry puree, strawberry extract, and salt until well combined. Add sugar, a half cup at a time, and beat until frosting comes together and is light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes.

2. Spread or pipe frosting over cooled cupcakes. Top each with a sliced strawberry.

*Note: This only made enough to frost about 2/3 of my 2 dozen cupcakes. I had to make a batch and a half to frost them all.

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When I started thinking about recipes for Cupcake Camp, I was stumped. This wasn't just about me wanting to bake on a whim like I usually do. This involved planning and testing for perfect execution. The French Toast and Bacon Cupcake idea came rather quickly, so right away I had one of my two flavors down. What could I do for the other? Since I was taking myself completely out of my comfort zone with the bacon, I wanted something simple, yet unique for my other flavor. Something that I could just throw together and not have to really think about, so I could put all of my concentration into my over-the-top flavor. But not too simple, to the point of being boring and amateur. I was taking these to give to real bakers and cupcake lovers. I wanted to be taken seriously. I kicked around ideas with Boyfriend, but nothing stuck. I asked around on Twitter. Got a few really good ideas for things to make later, but nothing struck me as the one. So I asked around at work. As one of my coworkers was headed up the escalator, he shouted "Neapolitan!" Neapolitan? Hmm. Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry. Simple flavors. Good combination. Safe, yet unique. This could work. I think I've got my flavor! Now to figure out how to put it together..

Searching the web for the perfect combination of Strawberry, Chocolate, and Vanilla, I came across a recipe for Neapolitan Cupcakes on How to Eat a Cupcake. I love this blog! I think she's awesome, and I'm totally ready to live vicariously through her as she works on opening her own bakery. And her recipe for Neapolitans? From Martha Stewart. This has to be the best recipe EVER! I made sure to bookmark it and continued my search. I wanted to do a layered cupcake rather than a split because they were possibly going to cut the cupcakes at the Camp, as small as quarters. That meant possibly leaving out a whole flavor! So I set my sights on the best recipes of each flavor I could find. I decided to try to be ambitious and do a triple layered cupcake. It would be so pretty!

With recipes in hand, I set out for my first test. I was going to do a layer of chocolate across the bottom, vanilla in the middle, and strawberry on top! I crossed my fingers as they went into the oven. First attempt = the most spectacular baking fail I've ever had. The middle vanilla layer was now the top layer. The top strawberry layer had sunken into the middle, and was a disgusting brownish pink color. When I finally bit into it to taste test it--HORRIBLE! The strawberry layer wasn't even cooked, and the whole thing was completely inedible. So much for Round 1. Maybe three layers is too many. Maybe I'll just stick with 2.

Round 2 didn't go a whole lot better. The bottom layer, again, baked up over my top layer. I wasn't getting that beautiful, perfect division I was longing for. Maybe I'd just give up and try the split after all. Round 3: Trying for the split, and trying out a new recipe. What I did taste of the Round 2 mess was dry and crumbly. I wanted a soft, moist cake, so Round 3 was tested with a recipe using sour cream for both the Vanilla and the Chocolate flavors. Crossing my fingers again. And again--fail. The batters were too soft, and flavors bled into each other. This was supposed to be my safe, thoughtless flavor so I could concentrate on Bacon! The Bacon test went perfectly, and here I am, 3 Neapolitan tries later, and still not even close to something worth showing off to anyone but the trash can. I needed a thick batter that would hold up, in the split format for the perfect look.

So here I am. Back to the very first recipe I found when searching for Neapolitans: How to Eat a Cupcake's Martha recipe. And Round 4? Came out exactly how I wanted. Why did I not try this recipe first? How could I have possibly ignored both HTEAC and Martha?? I'm so ashamed. But at least I had my recipe finally. I decided to throw together a Strawberry Buttercream really quickly just to taste the combination together. I adapted the Maple Buttercream I was using for my Bacon Cupcakes, adding strawberry puree and extract instead of the maple flavoring.. and whaddya know? It's pretty good! Score! Got my frosting on the first try at least! My simple, thoughtless, throw-together recipe was finally in order, weeks later.

I baked my cupcakes the night before the Camp (they came out perfectly!) and frosted the morning of. I sliced up fresh strawberries to go on top, and packed them up to head off to the event. Time to put my baking to the test, and hand them over to the cupcake loving masses. Everyone there seemed to enjoy them! By the end of the event, they had vanished, so I'm assuming that's a good thing. Looking at the pictures from other attendees of the Camp on Flickr, I noticed a few of the to-go boxes had 1 or more Neapolitans in it, so I'm feeling pretty confident that at least a couple people liked them! Yay!

I've learned my lesson. If you find a recipe you think is the best recipe in the world, try that one first. Don't just save it and forget about it, because more than likely, that is the best recipe in the world. Could have saved myself weeks of trouble.. And entire boxes of butter. Well now that I know, I'll totally be making these again!

See how the rest of Cupcake Camp went, and check out the French Toast and Bacon Cupcakes!

It's a Major Award!

A few months ago I'd never even heard of Cupcake Camp. I had no idea there was such a thing until I saw Kiesha (52 Weeks of Baking) post on her Facebook page about organizing an event here in town. Cupcake Camp? Is that some kind of amazing, sugary, delicious summer camp? Sign me up! Immediately! Sadly, it's not that kind of camp. But who cares? It's cupcakes! All you can eat cupcakes! And most importantly, it's a chance to share my baking with an audience other than Boyfriend, my friends, my family, and my coworkers. While they all seem to enjoy my baking, maybe it's time to test the waters outside my circle. See what people who don't actually know me think of my baking. See if I'm actually cut out for this, or if everyone I know is just humoring my silly obsession. There's even categories to compete in! I could win prizes for my baking! I signed up to attend almost immediately. I'm in. My first real baking event with other real bakers. People who know what they're doing. And my first chance to show the world what I can do. What did I get myself into?

(Oh. And who am I kidding? All you can eat cupcakes is the most important part.)

So if it's not the most awesome summer camp on Earth, then what is Cupcake Camp? According to the website set up by the original founders of the very first Cupcake Camp, "CupcakeCamp is an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and eat cupcakes in an open environment." Okay. Only slightly vague. Looking into it, I realized it's based on the BarCamp events that have taken place around the world, only with cupcakes, not computers. Never heard of BarCamp either? Yeah. You're not alone. I had to consult Wikipedia and Boyfriend to have that one explained to me. Basically, from what I gathered, it's people with common interests (such as computers and programming, or baking and cupcakes) coming together to show off what they've done and what they know with others in a public setting (such as a conference center, a hotel, or an awesome restaurant/bar), usually "camping out" all day and even overnight. Hence the "camp" part. It's basically a big nerd party! (And I mean "nerd" in the kindest way, because I consider myself one too.) So coming together to eat cupcakes with other cupcake bakers and connoisseurs? Bring. It. On!

For this particular Cupcake Camp, bakers were allowed to submit 2 unique flavors of cupcakes. They were also able to enter their flavors into categories for judging. You could enter in Most Creative Decoration, Best Vegan, Best Use of Alcohol, and my personal favorite, for the sheer absurdity of it, Best Use of Bacon. At first, I was hesitant to enter in the judging. Although it would be fun, I didn't know what on Earth I could possibly make that would fit in the categories. I don't drink so I don't even know what alcohol would work well in baking, I've never tried vegan baking, and what in the world could I do with bacon?? I resigned myself to entering in the decoration category even though it's not my strongest skill. But the more I thought about it, and the more I tossed around ideas with Boyfriend the Muse, I decided, if I'm going to put myself out there and let complete strangers eat and judge my cupcakes, I'm going to put myself WAY out there, and go with something that will take me so far out of my comfort zone that I have no choice but to step up my game and make something truly amazing. That's right. I entered cupcakes into the Best Use of Bacon category.

Weeks of testing recipes for cupcakes and frostings, I had my two entries. French Toast and Bacon Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream for judging, and Neapolitan Cupcakes for just eating! Things were touch and go for awhile leading up to the event. Between recipes not living up to the concepts I had in mind, to struggling to find someone to cover my shift at work, I had doubts I would even make it to the Camp. But, in the end, everything started falling into place. A coworker offered to cover part of my shift, even though it meant working close to 11 hours straight, and that's not including the opening shift she was working at her other job. I'm eternally grateful for that!! You have no idea! The managers even let me take the remaining hours I had that day completely off so I was able to finish everything up and not have to rush around like crazy the morning of the event. Even my recipes came together beautifully in the end. I don't know how or why, but the stars finally aligned in my favor, and I'm so glad! I was seriously stressing out for awhile!

Saturday afternoon, I packed up the cupcakes, and Boyfriend and I loaded up the car and headed out. We even got there like 20 minutes early and had to wait in the car until it was time to go in! Amazing! I'm NEVER early to anything. I'll be late to my own funeral when the time comes. And somehow we also scored the best parking spot possible, mere feet from the door of the Surly Girl Saloon, where the Camp was held. Apparently, Fate had smiled upon me, making it a truly miraculous day. Meanwhile, Mother Nature was smiting me with her wind. I swear, and my mother will attest to it, we've never tried to do anything even remotely important in my family that it hasn't been completely blustery with gale force winds wreaking havoc on whatever it is we are trying to do. I attempted to make myself presentable in public by taking the time to actually do my hair. The wind immediately un-did it for me, and I ended up in a ponytail, like always. The wind threatened to slam car doors shut as we were loading cupcakes. It even threatened to upturn boxes as we were walking. At one point, the lid of the top box I was carrying flew open and smacked me straight in the face. Me = Not a happy Camper. Boyfriend joked that it was about to turn into a slo-mo movie sequence: with the lid obscuring my view, I stumble blindly into the path of the oncoming jogger who slams into me. Cupcakes fly through the air, and rain down upon me in a shower of frosting. I stand dumbfounded, coated in frosting, with bacon in my hair, mere feet from the door of the party, while the restaurant patrons all point and laugh as silent tears streak down my sugary face. Luckily, that didn't happen, and we arrived unharmed, cupcakes intact.

Mad props to Surly Girl. The set-up was awesome! The parlor where it was held looked so cool. Once all the cupcakes were set out after the bakers arrived, it looked even more amazing! The event was split into 2 identical sessions to accommodate more people, since there was limited space, and turn outs from both sessions seemed really good. I attended the first session with Boyfriend. We ended up trying about 15 of the 21 cupcakes that were presented. Not whole ones. We split them. And even splitting them, we didn't eat all of what we had on some of them. There were just too many. But they were tasty! There were some really amazing ones. I loved the Crepes Suzette and the Chocolate Stout with Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting. (Mmm. How I love you Irish Cream. That's why I don't drink. I think I would love some of it a little too much.) After testing 15 cupcakes, I had the biggest sugar buzz ever! And I was afraid Boyfriend was going to have to roll me to the car later. There was no way I could try the other 6 during the second round that we missed the first time, so Boyfriend and I skipped Round 2 and walked around the Short North area of town for about an hour, and made it back in time for the winners of the judging to be announced.


It was a landslide victory for the Green Tea and Lavender cupcakes in the Best Vegan category--they were the only entry. (I have to confess, I didn't try these because Green Tea makes me gag, but they looked beautiful.) The Most Creatively Decorated went to The Homer Cupcakes-- topped with delicious TimBits donut holes. The Best Use of Alcohol went to the Irish Car Bombs. Incredibly tasty. And the Best Use of Bacon? Guess who won that one. That's right. Me! I won! I actually won! (I'm still in shock..) There were 5 cupcakes within the category. I was up against Maple Bacon, Dark Chocolate Bacon with Salted Buttercream, Pretentious Pork, and The Elvis, a peanut butter/bacon combination. I still can't believe I won. I really, honestly, didn't think I would. I thought the other bakers would have combinations and recipes that were so much better than what I was haphazardly throwing together. I still think some of them did. But for whatever reason, the judges liked mine, so I'm really excited! I won a $50 gift certificate to Sassafras Bakery in town, and I've already seen so many things I want just perusing the website! I also won a t-shirt with the Cupcake Camp logo on it, with "Bacon is the New Black" under it. And it's pink! The t-shirt is still being printed, so I don't have it yet, but it's going to be really cool when I get it! I did get a really cool brown t-shirt with the logo on it just for being a baker though!

As for my Neapolitan Cupcakes.. I guess they went over pretty well too. At the end of each session, we were allowed to take home whatever we could fit in to-go boxes. By the time each session was over, the Neapolitan platter was empty. I'll take that as a good sign! Overall, I had a great time. Thanks for Kiesha and Carmen for organizing it! The event was successful enough that the planning of another in the fall has started already, so I'm looking forward to that! I have 4 to 5 months to start coming up with the best recipes I can find! I know one will be some sort of chocolate inspired flavor, but I haven't quite figure out what yet. The other flavor is up in the air right now, but I'm sure I'll have narrowed it down by the time the next one rolls around. I just hope there's not another Bacon category. After 3 packages of bacon, I never want to cook another piece again. And it'll be a long while before I can even think about looking at another piece! Plus, I'm not sure I can come up with anything else to defend my title of Reigning Bacon Champ. So let's let this one go down in the record books, and all marvel in my Major Award, shall we?

It's a Major Award! I won it!
"You say you won it?"
Yeah, mind power, Swede; mind power.

Check out the recipes for Neapolitan Cupcakes and French Toast and Bacon Cupcakes!

*Picture of ticket courtesy of the Cupcake Camp Facebook Event page and be sure to check out the Cupcake Camp Flickr Page for some really great photos of the event and all the beautiful tasty cupcakes! There's even a candid shot of me and Boyfriend in there!

My Baking Top 100(ish)

So I stole this idea from How To Eat A Cupcake. She posted her Top 100 Things to Bake yesterday, and I was inspired to start a list of my own. There are times when I have certain things in mind to bake, but more likely than not, I'm at a loss of what to do next. The baking bug bites, and I spend precious baking time scouring cookbooks and websites trying to come up with the perfect thing to make. So why not come up with a list of things I know I want to make and save myself the trouble? I started immediately last night compiling my list. After scouring every book that has dessert in it, I finally made it to 100.

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

Cinnamon Rolls
From Better Homes and Gardens: The New Cookbook, page 144
Makes 24 rolls

4 3/4 to 5 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
1 tablespoon half and half or light cream

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups of the flour and the yeast. In a saucepan heat and stir milk, 1/3 cup butter, granulated sugar, and salt just until warm (120 to 130F) and butter almost melts; add to flour mixture along with eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Place in a greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour).

3. Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile lightly grease two baking sheets; set aside. For filling, stir together brown sugar, the 1/4 cup flour, and cinnamon; cut in 1/3 cup butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

4. Roll each half of dough into 12x8-inch rectangle. Sprinkle filling over dough rectangles. If desired, sprinkle with raisings and/or pecans. Roll up each rectangle starting from a long side. Seal seams. Slice each roll into 12 pieces. Place cut sides down on prepared baking sheets.

5. Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap, leaving room for rolls to rise. Chill for 2 to 24 hours. Uncover; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. (Or, to bake rolls right away, don't chill the dough. Instead, cover loosely; let dough rise in a warm place until nearly double, about 30 minutes.)

6. Break any surface bubbles with a greased toothpick. Brush dough with half-and-half. Bake in a 375F oven for 20-25 minutes or until light brown (if necessary, cover rolls with foil the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning). Remove from oven. Brush again with half-and-half. Cool for 1 minute. Carefully invert rolls onto a wire rack. Cool slightly. Invert again onto a serving platter. Ice with frosting or drizzle with glaze.

Cream Cheese Frosting
From Recipezaar

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon milk

1. Stir together all ingredients until smooth.

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I decided last week to embark on a journey into new baking frontier. It was completely foreign
territory--one I had never experienced before in my years of recreational baking-- and I was absolutely terrified of the exotic, temperamental beast I was about to wrestle with. Knowing others who have ventured into this land, I've heard the stories of triumph and also those of tragedy. I felt it was time to experience it for myself. I finally took on the challenge of baking with yeast for the first time--I made homemade cinnamon rolls.

The week before, Boyfriend and I hit the mall to catch a movie (Seth Rogen's Observe and Report. Odd movie, but I love Seth Rogen). I had just gotten off of work and was kind of hungry but not completely starving, so we decided to grab a quick snack. Right next to the box office is the most glorious place on Earth--Cinnabon. Mmm. Savoring each bite of those warm gooey pieces of heaven, I thought to myself, I need to make these. It took about a week for me to work up the nerve to attempt it, but I finally made myself some cinnamon rolls!

Yeast scares me. I don't know why. Maybe it's the idea of playing the part of a mad scientist, ready to scream "IT'S ALIVE!!" at my foaming, growing, crazy little creature in my bowl.. Or the fact that you have to treat it just right or you'll either not bring it to life at all, or kill it immediately. I'm not the greatest at keeping things alive.. (Except my cat. He seems to be fine. But plant life--I'm the Black Widow of houseplants.) So I was a little hesitant to try my hand at a yeasted baked good. Would it rise? Or would I kill it? I was glad to find that yeast comes in packages of three at the grocery store, because I had already told myself I was getting more than one, just in case. I've made too many trips BACK to the grocery store when something has gone wrong--I've learned to prepare for the worst the first time around. With enough yeast for 3 attempts, I felt a bit more at ease, and ready to take on the beast.

My first worry came as I was kneading my dough. It was sticky and wasn't looking like the smooth elastic ball it was supposed to. I had already used all the flour I was supposed to use, and it still didn't feel right. So the "lightly floured surface" turned into a heavily floured surface, and I kneaded away. Finally it came together and went into the oven with a bowl of warm water for its first proof. I held my breath waiting to check on it. I finally peeked at about an hour--success! It was double in size and pushing up on the plastic wrap I had covering it! Time to roll it out and sprinkle the cinnamon! Rolling it was really easy.. It was the sprinkling that I had trouble with. The recipe calls for cutting butter into the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture. I'm sure this would have worked well if I had done it on any other day.. But the day I chose to bake was the most beautiful day of the year so far. It was sunny and in the 80s, so I took the rare opportunity to open up the doors and windows and enjoy the sun! The only problem--it made cutting my butter next to impossible. It was too warm in the house and my well chilled butter started to soften up almost immediately. The coarse crumbs it was supposed to make ended up as a paste instead. Sprinkling wasn't an option anymore, so I scattered the chunks around the dough and spread it with a knife instead. Next time I might just spread softened butter by itself on the dough and sprinkle the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture on top, rather than trying to mix them.

After rolling up and cutting the dough, they went into the oven for the 2nd proof before baking. Again--Success! I brushed them with the heavy cream I had left over from the Vanilla Bean Scones and put them in the oven. The recipe says to bake them for 20-25 minutes. I strongly suggest checking them starting at about 10 minutes. When I went to rotate them at the 10 minute mark, they already looked well on their way to being done. I reset the timer for another 5 minutes to check on them again, but decided to take a look a little early. 14 minutes and they were overbrowned. I think they were probably about done at 12 minutes. So definitely check them early! If I had left them the full 20 minutes it suggested I would have had burnt little hockey pucks!

The recipe suggests coating the rolls in a Vanilla Glaze. It sounded alright, but I really wanted something that tasted more like my beloved Cinnabon. Searching the web, I found recipes for Cinnabon's Cream Cheese Frosting. Mmm. I love cream cheese frosting so much. The one I ended up using was very yummy, but not quite as fluffy and light as Cinnabon's. It was still pretty good though! I definitely suggest making these to serve a crowd. I made a whole batch and gave half to Boyfriend and kept the other half for myself. I ended up eating the entire half a batch, and in the process gained about 5 lbs. (That also could have been from my diet-disaster weekend in Cleveland to see the Indians play the Red Sox on my birthday! I think it's the rule of Grandparents to make sure you're well fed. Dinners of fried chicken and breakfasts full of pancakes, eggs, and more bacon than you can shake a stick at were the theme of the weekend. Not to mention the entire tote bag full of snacks we took to the game. And I completely broke my no-soda rule and had a Cherry Dr. Pepper.. Then I finished off the Cherry Coke from my Hi-Hats that was still hanging out in my fridge when I got home! Time to hit the gym. Hard.)



My first baking experience with yeast is complete! It actually wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. It ended up being somewhat pleasant. Except for my house smelling like yeast for about a week. They were good, but didn't quite live up to my hopes for them. They were a little dry--not quite the soft, fluffy, melt in your mouth rolls I had dreamed of. I'm not sure if that was because of the overbaking or the recipe itself. I guess I'll have to try again someday, and try for a better frosting recipe too. I liked you Cinnamon Rolls, but Cinnabon definitely has you beat.