Busy, busy, busy...

Isn't this a crazy busy time of year?  As one season comes to a close and another is beginning, I find myself almost running in circles some days.  There's so much to do and so much to see.

I love taking my dog for a walk in the morning.  Lately there's been the tiniest hint of cool air, teasing me into thinking that fall is near.  Going past my neighbors' yards there are shrubs being cut back, new pine straw on the ground and beautiful crab apples and rose hips in the place of forsythia and blossoms.  Tiny birds are eating the bounty of dried black-eyed susan and sunflower seeds.  The honeysuckle is gone and soon brilliant fall mums and pumpkins will be on every doorstep.

Truth be told, I've been far busier in the kitchen than in my yard.  Cupcake orders are picking up and I continue to get special requests.  I've had so much fun trying new things, that I wanted to share some of my successes and "secrets" with you!

City Girl Cupcakes is catering a wedding in September and a friend suggested that I work on some monogrammed cookies.  These were my first attempt and I think they turned out well.  Here are some tips I discovered that will help when you make them:

1.  Find a basic cookie cutter shape, one that doesn't detract from the monogram.

2.  Use a simple sugar cookie dough.  You need one that is crisp and sweet.

3.  Make a thin royal icing.  It needs to spread easily without leaving lines behind.  I use Wilton Meringue Powder to make my royal icing.  It's perfect every time and you can add a drop or two of your favorite extract flavor (lemon is my choice).  The ingredients for the icing?  Meringue Powder, confectioner's sugar, warm water and extract.  That's it!  I wait until the base coat is almost dry and then pipe on the initials.

4.  Choose a decorative piping tip for the monogram.  The "line" I liked the most was using a Wilton #5 tip.  A small pastry bag for the icing will allow you greater control and will almost act like a pen.

Not bad for a first effort.  The cookies look a little "flat", so for my next attempt I'm going to add some sand sugar for a little sparkle.  I have to say though, I love the white on white monogram.

The next kitchen experiment was to enter the land of vegan baking!  A friend of mine became vegan in the last few months.  She is dedicated to living a healthier, kinder lifestyle, so I decided to support her efforts and create something yummy that would fit into her new diet.

I didn't really know where to start, so I say "thank heaven for Google".  I looked up tons of vegan cupcake recipes and decided to try ones that had been reviewed with the most positive feedback.  After baking a chocolate and vanilla option, I am happiest with the chocolate one.  The cake is super-moist and the frosting almost has the texture of marshmallows.  Give it a try, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup soy milk (I used vanilla soy milk)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350.  Prepare the cupcake pan with liners.

Whisk together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a bowl.  Leave it in the bowl for several minutes. The soy milk will curdle.  This is a good thing!

Add the sugar, oil and vanilla to the curdled soy milk and beat until a little frothy.

Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 2 batches.  Mix until no large lumps remain.

Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to a cooling rack.  Cool completely before frosting.

Vegan Cake Decorators' Frosting

1 cup vegetable shortening
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 oz. soy milk (I use vanilla soy milk)

Beat shortening until creamy.
Add one cup of sugar.  Add the second cup of sugar and the remaining dry ingredients.
Pour in half of the soy milk.
Add the remaining two cups of sugar and vanilla extract.
Pour in the remaining soy milk.
Mix until you achieve a desired frosting consistency.  Add more sugar to thicken or soy milk to thin frosting.

I'll let you know when I find a vanilla vegan cupcake that I love!!

In the meantime, I'm of to take my morning walk with Kasey.  I think I'll bring my camera along and snap some shots of those crab apples and rose hips.

Have a beautiful Sunday.





 

Another Sunday Breakfast

Yesterday I was looking through my baking binder trying to find my favorite recipe for rolled sugar cookies.  The well-worn page was exactly as I remembered...a black and white sheet printed from a magazine, small hand-written notes in the margin and the mandatory butter stains from being handled with buttery fingers.

After I got out the ingredients for the cookies, I flipped through other pages in the binder and found a recipe I had forgotten!  Baked eggs.  My senses instantly took over and I knew I would be making baked eggs for Sunday breakfast.

I should mention here that I am not a big breakfast eater.  This seems contrary to the fact that I am a morning person, but I've never been much of a breakfast "fan".  I'm sure all the nutritionists/fitness enthusiasts out there are cringing.  But, I bring it up only to point out that on a Saturday night, I was actually craving breakfast...and wanted to share this particular Sunday morning with you.

The recipe is so easy and totally delicious.  It is a basic, 5-ingredient recipe (and that's including salt and pepper!) that you will want to make again and again.  Baked eggs are the perfect companion to a loaf of crusty french bread and strawberry jam and fruit salad.  If you choose to bake the eggs in white ramekins, they make a beautiful presentation...looking far more difficult than they are.  I'm sure you could add veggies or meat to the cup, but I'm a purist so today you get the eggs-only version!!

Baked Eggs

Ingredients:  eggs, salt & pepper to taste, half & half, butter

Directions:  Butter each ramekin.  Break 2 eggs into the greased egg cup.  Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper.  Top with 1 Tablespoon half & half and 1 teaspoon butter.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until the whites are set.  Bake a little longer if you want a solid yolk.


Here are the baked eggs out of the ramekin.  I'm sure you could plop them on an English muffin or croissant for an on-the-go sandwich.  It's quick and easy enough for every day, not just Sunday.

Enjoy!  And let me know if you try this recipe and especially if you modify it and have success.

As for me, I think I'll move the baked eggs recipe to the front of my binder so I won't forget them again.

Out On The Town

Last night, city girl cupcakes was part of a wonderful evening sponsored by a local theatre company, Actor's Express.  Held at The Solarium in Decatur, AE hosted an evening of food and entertainment for their loyal patrons.  How lucky that we were invited!

It was difficult deciding which cupcake flavors to take, but after some deliberation the cupcake artists agreed on orange carrot cake, caramel, triple chocolate and key lime.  As actors and their "groupies" love a sense of drama, we knew that vanilla-vanilla would not get the desired response!

Our cupcakes arrived in their trademark pink and white wrappers and were a total hit!  The caramel cupcakes were topped with a chocolate "AE" monogram to the delight of the crowd.

Throughout the evening we had a great time talking with patrons and especially enjoyed those that confessed they had eaten one of each flavor!  Everyone had a favorite, though I think the key lime was the most refreshing on a hot Atlanta night.  The triple chocolate found favor with the late night crowd accompanied by a glass of wine!

Actor's Express did a fantastic job in creating an intimate evening for those that mean so much to their success.  Thanks to them for letting us be a part of a truly wonderful evening.




All of us at city girl cupcakes are having a great time as we learn the ins and outs of the biz!  It's all about fun for us...and we hope our cupcakes bring a smile to all who sample them!

5 Dollar Check-In

So how are you doing?  I hope your 5-dollar bill collection is growing and growing!

I had made some progress this week, but my husband raided the jar this morning on his way out the door.  He was running late for an appointment and didn't have time to stop at the ATM.  I wanted to give you an update on my progress, but now I don't know my total!  I'll just add it all up on the 31st when I award the prize for the challenge!  I have to admit that I've "spent" (in my mind) my collection over and over.

Three more days until our give-away!  Add up your $5 bills and remember to comment on the 31st and let all our followers know what you're saving for!  If you win the prize, you'll have a great place to continue to store your $5 bills!!

You will love, love, love the next give-away, so tell your friends to become followers too.  The next one is all about friends...things that go well together.  I can't wait to tell you all about it!

The 5 Dollar Challenge Prize

Everyone needs a pretty cookie jar or box or piggy bank to store their 5 dollar bills for the challenge.  Here are the details for our new contest:

From July 21 to July 31, save all the $5 bills you can.  On the 31st, comment on your total dollars saved and the reason you're saving.  I won't judge based on the total or the reason, I just thought everyone would like to hear your success and your story!  Your comment will be your entry, and once again, there will be a blind drawing for the prize.

This beautiful blue jar was a gift from a dear friend.  Over the years it has held everything from cotton balls to candy bars.  I decided to use it as my container for the $5 challenge.  Each time I see it and drop money inside I think of my friend and my ultimate goal!

Over the next 10 days I will be saving right along with you.  But I will also be on the lookout for a special container that will be the prize on the 31st.  I'm not sure exactly what it will be, but it will be functional and pretty.  This gives me a good reason to duck into antique shops along with other favorite stores...maybe HomeGoods or Pottery Barn...I'm going to have a great time looking for something wonderful just for you!!

So, keep saving and let me know how you're doing!  The prize will be awarded on July 31st.

By the way, I put another $5 in the jar today!

The 5 Dollar Challenge

A friend of mine has dreams of traveling to Australia.  She is a world traveler and is adding Australia to her long list of places to see.  In order to "pad" her wallet for the journey, she invented a little game to help her save...not pennies...but five dollar bills!!

Here's how it goes...

Each time you have a five dollar bill, remove it from your purse or pocket.  Find a place to keep the money, one you will not be tempted to raid, and tuck the money away.  It's that simple!  I've been playing the game for 2 weeks and have banked $45 so far.  I never ask for five dollar bills when I get change back from a purchase, but it's kinda' fun now when I get one because I know where it's going!

Last week I was eating dinner out with friends and got THREE five dollar bills back with my change.  (I think my server was looking for a big tip!  Sorry random waiter-guy, my check was less than twelve bucks!)  Even though I could have used an extra ten dollars in my wallet, I stuck with the challenge and saved all three fives.  I guess I never really paid that much attention to five dollar bills, but when you're saving them, the money adds up quickly!!

Your goal might not be to go to Australia but I'll bet there's something else you're saving for.  I'm going to use mine to finance my Christmas shopping this year.  I've already told you how much I love Christmas and since I have a tendency to go a little overboard, my five dollar stash will be a big help.

You probably have something planned that's far more glamorous and I can't wait to hear about it.  So, why not play The 5 Dollar Challenge with me?  Who knows?  There might be a PRIZE (hint, hint) involved in accepting the challenge.  Think about it today and check back with me tomorrow!

Favorites

Although I love cupcakes and have started a cupcake business, city girl cupcakes, I truly love to bake.  Anything with a combination of sugar, butter and flour is fair game.  Add coconut, chocolate chips, nuts and fruit and watch out...I'm probably in the kitchen with my mixer whirring!!

I also enjoy writing, so this blog is a great opportunity for me to share my favorite things with you.  Today's entry is about chocolate chip cookies!

Over my lifetime of baking, I have tried many, many chocolate chip cookie recipes.  The cookies that get the highest "rating" for me must have a mix of sweet and salt, crunch and chew.  My daughter and I judge our cupcakes on guessing how many glasses of milk you would need with each one.  I believe a good chocolate chip cookie needs at least one glass of cold, cold milk by its side.

My favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe comes from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.  She is a wonderful cook and an equally wonderful baker and I am totally in love with her chocolate chip cookies.

Two basic differences in her recipes over others are the following.  One, she always uses extra large eggs.  On a recent Barefoot Contessa TV episode (you can catch her on the Food Network), I heard her say that she became a better baker when she started using extra large eggs.  Mmmm...I may have to try that one!  And two, she uses kosher salt.  This one little change adds the hit of salt that I look for in something sweet.  It's fantastic.

So, here is her recipe and at the bottom is a link for her cookbook containing the original.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Makes 36 to 40 Cookies

1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 1/4 pounds semisweet chocolate chunks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and two sugars until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix well.  Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the butter with the mixer on low speed, mixing only until combined.  Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chunks.

Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using a 1 3/4-inch-diameter ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon.  Dampen your hands and flatten the dough slightly.  Bake for exactly 15 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone).  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

This recipe comes from Ina Garten's book, Barefoot Contessa Parties!  Be sure to try the chocolate batter version.  I use chocolate chunks instead of white chocolate and add walnuts.  It tastes just like a brownie...so yummy.

I hope you find things in your life that make you happy and are easy to accomplish.  Making chocolate chip cookies is one of those things for me.  It fills my kitchen with activity and my house with wonderful, warm aromas.  What could be better?

Have a great Sunday!  I'm off to have coffee with family visiting me from Florida.  Because Ina loves all things French, I think I'm going to indulge in a chocolate croissant.  I'll have to channel her energy and bake something later this afternoon!