Happiest Little Baker Giveaway!

I am not a very crafty person.  Some moms have the most pinterest-worthy art projects up their sleeves, but when it comes to doing something creative with my kids, I've always preferred baking.  Which is why I was THRILLED to discover the Happiest Little Baker - a subscription based monthly kit that comes equipped with pre-measured, non-perishable ingredients and simple-to-follow, adorable recipes!  It was created by a woman named Linsdey and her husband Mike - parents who love baking with their own two children.  Their kid-friendly approach is obvious in every detail - they even include an activity sheet to kill time while your treat bakes.  After our 'Witch Hat Cupcakes' were done, my son proclaimed, "this is SO MUCH FUN, please sign up for every month!!"    

So for the giveaway, HLB is going to give one winner a 3-month subscription for FREE!  To qualify to win, you must officially follow this blog, as well as follow HLB on Twitter, Instagram and like them on Facebook.  Please leave a comment below to enter the giveaway, letting us know what you like to bake with kids.  A winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday at 9am EST.  Good luck!  

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Homemade Treats for Dad

I always find Father's Day hard to shop for.  Most of the cool, techy toys I know Carson would LOVE are like, stupid expensive (I'm talking to you, drones).  I've found homemade gifts are the most meaningful, whether that's a customized beer bottle label from this site, or a baked treat from MY site!  Here are some ideas!  Exclamation points!  (Or is it marks?)

Corn on the Cob Cupcakes

Golf Cupcakes

Brown Butter Banana BBQ Cake

Transformers Red Velvet Cake

Southern Caramel Cake

Mini Cherry Pies

S'Mores Cookies

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Funfetti Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream

Carson is Irish.  Therefore, so is my son and daughter.  Therefore, I am obligated to celebrate.  Remember how in college, every drunk girl somehow dug up a fraction of Irish descent in their ancestry?  Oh, youth.  Well, I am mostly Dutch, but like I said before my son is Irish, and he was also born two days before St. Patrick's Day.  So for a little preschool celebration today, I made these cupcakes (in regular size) and added shamrock sprinkles to the batter to make them "Funfetti Cupcakes" (by the way, shamrock sprinkles: easy to find, shamrock cookie cutter: not easy).  

To give them an Irish flair, I added a small amount of mint extract to the buttercream frosting:

Mint Buttercream

1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter

2 cups of powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp mint extract

1 T cream (or milk)  

Mix all ingredients together with an electric mixer until soft and creamy.

For more St. Patrick's Day ideas... enjoy your green beer!

Corned Beef & Cabbage

Andes Mint Brownies

Guinness Floats

Traditional Irish Cake

Chocolate Stout Cake

Beef & Guinness Pie

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Gender Reveal Cupcakes

Are you familiar with 'Gender Reveal Parties'??  They are all the rage these days, and remind me never to say "all the rage" again because it makes me sound ancient.  Anyhoo (ancient-er), if you are not hip to the Gender Reveal (oh dear god), then let me give you the 411 (make it stop): it's a party where an expecting couple reveal the sex of their baby to friends and family (and many times themselves) in a fun manner, like cutting into a cake or biting into a cupcake that's pink or blue inside.  Well, I was not only recently invited to one for my dear friends, Beth and Brad, but they asked me to bake the cupcakes!  And in this instance, they didn't know the sex either.  Their doctor wrote it down, sealed it in an envelope and gave it to me!  Talk about your head exploding with knowledge that you can't share with anyone, oy.  In full disclosure, I told my four-year-old son, Jack.  And he probably told a couple of buddies at school.  And they were like, "meh."  

    But, I was able to keep the secret, and I didn't even play a prank and swap genders like Carson wanted me to.  I had never baked stuffed cupcakes before, and decided to go for a homemade Hostess Cupcake following this recipe.  Every part of it was perfect.  Super moist, chocolaty cake, a sweet and fluffy marshmallow cream center and topped with a rich, chocolate ganache.  My kind of dessert.  I used a paring knife to core out the cupcakes, which was time-consuming but very easy.  And I used a freezer bag with the end snipped off to fill the centers wiiiiith... BLUE icing : )   

The happy couple...

Congrats Beth and Brad!  I can't wait to meet this sweet baby boy.  

(All images by Katy at Chasing You Photo)

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Mascarpone Chocolate Chip Cookies

Some of you have been asking when you'll get to see our newly remodeled kitchen.  The answer is, in a few days plus three months.  You heard me, autumn time!!  We're nowhere near done!!  So be patient, and when I say that I'm talking to myself.  In the meantime, you'll just have to wonder how I'm still managing to bake delightful treats like these cupcakes.  Or are they muffins?  Do cupcakes technically need frosting?  Or does one single (large) chocolate chip qualify as a cupcake topper?  I think so.  Especially when you take a perfectly sweet recipe, like these mascarpone cupcakes, and add mini chocolate chips.  These fluffy bite-size treats do not need a moundful of icing.  Instead, when you take them out of the oven, place one large chocolate chip atop each cupcake.  They are perfect, just like that.  And they would be even more perfect for a Black and White Party.  Do those still exist?  Or do they just occur if you're me and you're 22?  

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Corn on the Cob Cupcakes

Can you even handle how much these look like corn??  I couldn't handle it as I started spotting them online (here and here for example), and you know I will attempt any sort of baked good that blows my mind.  They seemed perfect for Memorial Day weekend, but would also be appropriate at any summer BBQ sooooo... off you go, to your local candy store for jelly beans.  Buy some coke bottle gummies while you're there.  Run don't walk, trip don't fall, what?     

I made Mascarpone Cupcakes with a Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting (1 cup unsalted room temp butter, 1 lb. powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp vanilla paste, 2 T milk) and then lightly colored the frosting pale yellow.  For the jelly beans, I used yellow (pina colada), white (french vanilla) and a darker, speckled gold (banana).  The pats of butter are lemon Starbursts that I flattened with my fingers.  Finally, on the top I sprinkled some white and green sanding sugar to reflect salt and Italian herbs.  As they began to take shape, I could feel the stupid grin creep up my face and my body started twitching into a happy dance.  I don't like the term "foodie" but I do like to call myself a FOOD GEEK.      

GAH!!  FOOD NERD CAN'T HANDLE!!

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Margarita Cupcakes

Cinco de Mayo is still a month away, but I say any day works as an occasion for Margarita Cupcakes.  You know those moments when you're like, man, I wish I could have tequila at 1pm?  Well, go for it.  In the form of a cupcake.  No one will judge!  They might judge a little.  But who needs those people!! I like to surround myself with those who will gladly eat a cupcake baked with tequila, soaked with tequila and topped with tequila frosting.  Ole!  These were wonderful - not overly sweet, fresh lime juice and zest, moist and delicious.  I used a regular old freezer bag with a 1/2-inch piping tip for the frosting and sprinkled lime zest and a pinch of salt on top.  Recipe here.  Ole!    

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