ONE IN A MILLION

A very special little girl came to visit!  Morgan has not been to Tallahassee for more than a year.  I remember the playful, talkative, out-going little girl tagging behind her sister and asking a million questions.  For the short time we were able to spend with her, it was clear that the baby-faced little girl is growing up into a beautiful young woman.

 

When I heard she was coming and that we'd get the chance to visit with her in an informal gathering, I knew I wanted to make cupcakes for the party.  I queried what would be her favorite cupcake.  After some back and forth, she decided on either Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or Lemon Meringue Pie.

 

It was going to be exciting.  I had not made a Lemon Meringue Pie Cupcake, but I knew that I would not have time to make the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes.  So, I committed to trying something new and hoping it worked out!

 

I searched online for good recipes.  I confirmed what I knew that all lemon meringue pies have two core elements: lemon curd and meringue.  I found recipes for each that looked like they would be flavorful.  For the cupcake I decided on a variation of the Vanilla Pudding Cupcakes using lemon pudding with a graham cracker crust.  The pudding cupcake recipe is so moist and flavorful, you just cannot go wrong.  With some fresh lemons for zest and juice, these would surely be perfect.

 

The party was to be on Friday night, so I set to work on Thursday evening.  I started with the Lemon Curd, since it would need to chill.  I have to admit that this curd did not turn out like I wanted.  I think the steam bath was not warm enough, which means it did not thicken enough.  I thought chilling would help, but with having to make the curd and use it the same night, there was no time to see if the curd would indeed thicken.  My advice on this recipe is don't rush it.  I was clearly in a hurry and curds cannot be rushed.

 

Despite the lack of thickness, I still used the curd and poured it into the center of the cupcakes for extra flavor and moisture.  I cored the cupcakes and used about 1 - 2 teaspoons per cupcake.  After re-inserting the core, I moved to frosting the cupcakes with the meringue.

 

This meringue recipe was very easy and produced beautiful, shiny, glossy meringue.  It could not have been more perfect.  After it was done, I topped the cupcakes and put the sweet treats back into the oven. 

 

 

It was so hard to put them BACK into the oven, but I got over the anxiety after they started to brown and transform.  Amazing.  Just amazing.

  

We all had a great time at the party.  There were more kids than adults!!  The weather was perfect with a million stars in the sky.  The best part was the company and conversation.  Morgan enjoyed being the special guest and she loved the cupcakes!!!

The kids in our lives, whether our biological offspring, nieces or nephews, God Daughters and God Sons, or neighbors, are to be treasured.  They are not only the future and the next generation, they are the culmination of the generations before.  We look at them and see the past, the future, and if we're lucky some of ourselves.  Morgan, your family and friends love you and hope you never stop asking questions and that you shoot for the stars.

 

Angie

Now for the recipe...

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

1. Graham Cracker Crust
2. Lemon Curd (recipe below)
3. Lemon Pudding Cupcakes (recipe below)
4. Meringue (recipe below)

 

Lemon Meringue Pie Cupcakes

Ingredients:

 

Lemon Curd:

·         6 egg yolks

·         1 c. sugar

·         1/3 c. fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons)

·         2 tbsp. grated lemon zest

·         1/2 c. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/8 in. slices

  

Lemon Pudding Cupcakes:

·         2 & 1/2 c. cake flour

·         2 & 1/2 tsp. baking powder

·         1 tsp. baking soda

·         1 tsp. salt

·         1 small box of Lemon Instant Pudding

·         4 eggs

·         1 & 1/2 c. sugar

·         1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract

·         1 c. vegetable oil

·         1 c. buttermilk

 

 Directions:

Lemon Curd:

·         Add a small amount of water to medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. 

·         In a metal bowl whisk the egg yolks and sugar for about 2 minutes until smooth.  Whisk in the lemon juice and zest until combined.

·         Place the mixing bowl on top of saucepan, being sure the metal bowl does not touch the water. 

·         Stir the mixture constantly with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as you stir, until it beings to thicken, and will coat the back of the spoon.  This takes approximately 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.

·         Whisk in the butter, one slice at a time until each piece almost disappears before adding the next. 

·         Place curd into a container(s) and allow to cool with a piece of plastic wrap laid on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.

·         Refrigerate until needed.

  

Lemon Pudding Cupcakes:

·         Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

·         Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total).

·         In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pudding.  Stir together with whisk, and set aside.

·         In the bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs and beat 10-20 seconds.

·         Add sugar and continue to beat on medium speed about 30 seconds.

·         Add vanilla and oil, beat.

·         Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture and milk alternating until all is incorporated.

·         Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with the cupcake batter.

·         Bake for 12-14 mins. or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

·         Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

·         Core and fill with Lemon Curd.

·         Top with Meringue.·         Garnish with lemon zest.

 

 Makes 24 cupcakes.

  

Meringue

 

 Ingredients:

·         6 eggs

·         1 tsp. cream of tartar

·         1 c. sugar

  

Directions:

·         Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

·         In the bowl of a stand or electric mixer, add eggs and cream of tartar.  Whip on medium to medium-high speed until foamy.

·         Slowly add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and continue whipping until egg whites hold stiff peaks when beaters are lifted.

·         Frost cupcakes immediately.

·         Bake frosted cupcakes until the tops of the meringues brown (5 – 8 minutes).

  

Frosts 24 – 28 cupcakes.

BABY LOVE

I was so excited to hear that my friend Rebecca was pregnant with her second child.  She's such a great Mom and a wonderful person.  We met through church and became closer when we both volunteered to man the crafts table at Vacation Bible School.  We had a lot of fun gluing, taping, painting...generally getting messy. 

Not long after we met, we realized we both had first-born with the same name for the same reason!!  Her McKenzie and my Mackenzie were both named after our Mom's family: the same family!  My Grandfather and her Grandfather were cousins!  What a small, small world.

This week the ladies of the church held a shower in her honor.  When I heard about the big event, I knew that I wanted to make cupcakes.  Right away I started thinking about the flavors and how I would decorate them.  Instead of trying a new flavor, I went for tried and true: Banana Pudding Cupcakes and Sour Cream Pound Cake Cupcakes.

I went to the internet for inspiration on decorations and saw so many cute cupcakes.  Baby booties.  Pacifiers.  Blocks.  All so cute.  The ones that had little round baby faces seemed to speak to me the most.  The cute little cherub faces that "you could just eat".  Literally!

I've never made fondant and this was not the time to start experimenting.  So I hit Michael's for the right supplies.  The Wilton fondants have good flavor and a variety of colors so I went with those again.

I started "making babies" on Saturday afternoon.  The little round heads and ears without faces is sort of creepy, but you can see the cuteness emerging..

I whipped up the cupcakes on Sunday morning before church and finished up the decorating afterwards.  What absolutely adorable cupcakes.  Rebecca and McKenzie were going to love them!

The shower was such a great success.  Rebecca got quite a few things on her registry (especially blankets) and we all got to wish her well in the next chapter of her family journey.  She loved the cupcakes and will have very special memories for a lifetime.  I look forward to meeting Brandon and watching him grow.

Congratulations, my friend!!

Angie

TEE (TEA) TIME

 The Noles play so many rivals from the South, that inspiration for new and unique cupcakes is a little hard to come by from time to time.  When the Noles played Clemson, I knew I wanted to find a special cupcake to make for the Game of the Week.  There was such anticipation and such palpable excitement, the flavor needed to be special.

I have made cupcakes with inspiration from Sour Cream Pound Cake, Angel Food Cake, and Red Velvet, but what else is a staple of the South?  SWEET TEA!  That would be great! 

I set out to find the right recipe.  My search found some that called for instant tea, some with lemon or peach, but the one I chose was one with black tea and called for steeping the tea bags in milk.  The recipe sounded simple, but flavorful.  I hoped.  Using new ingredients and baking techniques is a gamble that sometimes pays off big.

As I searched for recipes, I came across several versions of sweet tea and lemon combinations.  Not all southerners like lemon with their tea, but it is a combination of flavors that can work if done well.  During my search, I learned that a drink of sweet tea and lemonade is called an "Arnold Palmer".  Never knew that!  An Arnold Palmer-like cupcake would be good: two distinct and independent flavors coming together into one tasty treat. 

The recipes I was finding for lemon frosting were not exciting me.  Nothing seems to impress me like the Vanilla Pudding Frosting I had found a few months ago, so I wondered how that would be with a lemon twist.  Instead of french vanilla pudding, I could use lemon pudding.  Instead of vanilla flavoring, I could use lemon flavoring.  It could work!

Now, I grew up a tea drinker, but as an adult, I do not have much to do with tea, except for when I'm at family reunions and it's the only drink available.  Needless to say, I don't keep tea in the house, so I needed to pick up a box.  The trip to Publix and the sheer vastness of the choices in the tea aisle was overwhelming!  So many flavors and choices.  I just needed black tea.  Simple black tea.  That does not exist.  After 10 minutes staring at the intricately decorated and oftentimes colorful tea boxes, I landed on the Lipton Black Pearl variety.

On Friday evening, I found myself baking again.  (I'm not complaining.)  This weekend was going to be another busy one with duel football games and an 8pm kick-off.  Long day indeed.  I look forward to Fridays and see them as the time to release the stresses of the work week and ready the mind for the short, sweet weekend ahead.

I quickly discovered that this cupcake batter is thick, with the recipe forming almost a dough base to which the steeped milk and tea is added.  This would be a thick and dense cupcake.  As a twist on the recipe, not only did I steep the black tea bags in the milk, I added one bag of leaves to the batter for extra flavor.  In raw form, it's a bit grainy, but after they bake the leaves are just little pops of flavor.

After the cupcakes baked, I topped them with a drizzle of steeped milk and tea (Milk Drizzle) for extra moisture and flavor.  I let the golden beauties rest in the fridge overnight and on Saturday morning, I finished the project and topped the cupcakes with the frosting and decorations.  The fresh lemon zest and sugar crystals were not only beautiful but added an extra special touch.  Just lovely.

At tailgate, the cupcakes were a hit.  The gamble with the new recipes paid off.  They were gone long before game time.  The combination of flavors and the light frosting were a refreshing treat for the hot September Saturday.  I think this recipe is another strong one for the repertoire.

I hope my inspiration for creating new cupcakes never ceases.  When creativity is slow, I draw from the people and the experiences around me.  Their inspiration and influence is never ending. 

Angie

Now for the recipe...

Sweet Tea Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

·         1 c. hot milk

·         6 black tea bags

·         4 eggs, room temperature

·         2 tsp. vanilla

·         3 c. cake flour

·         1 & 1/2 c. sugar

·         1 Tbsp. baking powder

·         1/2 tsp. salt

·         1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 16 pieces

For the Milk Drizzle:

·         1/2 c. milk

·         3 black tea bags

Directions:

·         Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

·         Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total).

·         In a small bowl or large mug, steep tea bags in hot milk.  Allow the milk mixture to cool to room temperature. 

·         In a small bowl, whisk milk, eggs and vanilla until combined and set aside.

·         In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  With the mixer on low, add the butter pieces one at a time. 

·         Increase speed to medium low.  Once the butter is fully incorporated, increase speed to medium and beat until well combined.  (Batter will be thick.)

·         Add half of milk mixture and mix on low speed.  Mix until combined, then increase speed to medium high for 30 seconds.  Repeat with remaining milk mixture.

·         Fold in extra black tea leaves, if desired. (I added the leaves of 1 tea bag.)

·         Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with the cupcake batter.

·         Bake for 18-20 mins. or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

·         While the cupcakes are baking, mix Milk Drizzle by heating milk and steeping tea bags.  Let cool.

·         Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes.

·         Brush tops of cupcakes with 1-2 tsp. of Milk Drizzle.

·         Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

·         Frost with Lemon Pudding Frosting.

·         Garnish with lemon zest and sugar crystals.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Lemon Pudding Frosting

Ingredients:

·         1 & 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

·         1 c. sugar

·         1/2 tsp. vanilla

·         1/2 tsp. lemon flavoring

·         1 c. cold milk

·         1 small box Lemon Instant Pudding

·         1/3 c. powdered sugar

·         1 tsp. salt

·         4 oz. whipped cream cheese

Directions:

·         In the bowl of a stand or electric mixer, add heavy cream, sugar, lemon flavoring and vanilla.  Mix on medium to medium-high speed until thick.

·         Place whipped cream into the refrigerator to chill as the remaining ingredients are mixed.

·         In a large bowl, whisk together milk, pudding, and powdered sugar until thick and smooth.  (You do not need to use the mixer for this.)

·         Whisk in cream cheese until fully blended.

·         Fold in whipped cream.

·         Place in the refrigerator for an hour to firm prior to use.

Frosts 24 cupcakes.

IF YOU ARE NOT HAVING FUN...WALK THE PLANK!

Aaahhhrrr!!  How much did the Pirate pay for his earrings?  A "buck an ear" (buccaneer). 

Until this year, I had not realized that there was a day set aside to honor pirates.  It's apparently a big deal world wide.  Krispy Kreme would give a free dougnut to anyone that talked like a pirate and a whole dozen if you were dressed like a priate!!  Locally, I know of two offices that celebrated with goodies and silly jokes.

My alert to the big day was when I was "commissioned" to make pirate themed cupcakes in honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day (TLPD) for one of the two offices.  My friend Julian's boss Shelley requested Red Velvet cupcakes with adult-themed pirate decorations.  With it being close to Halloween, pirate decorations should not be a problem. 

I found fun Jolly Roger flags for the top of cupcakes.  With the black and white papers and the red sprinkles, the blood red cupcakes looked amazing.  Not too over the top, but still festive.

Not realizing that my boss was planning to decorate and put out snacks for the day, I was quite pleasantly surprised when I stopped in to see her that day.  She had snacks like jerky and goldfish, wore a scull and cross bones scarf, and fired off a dozen pirate jokes to anyone who entered.  What fun!  I committed to her that I'd make some for our office next year and agreed to dress up if she would!

These cupcakes were fun to make and added to the light-hearted theme of the day.  I think it's great that there are still grown-ups who enjoy letting their hair down and creating memories at work.

Angie

COMPETING PRIORITIES

Savannah State was our second opponent this year.  It was also the second week of juggling a busy Saturday schedule, fitting in pee wee football and FSU football.  On top of the football overload, we were hosting  my Dad and Stepmother.  They were excited to come watch Mack on Saturday then head to our family reunion on Sunday.  Busy weekend, but it should be fun.

In honor of our southern opponents, I decided on Pecan Pie Cupcakes.  I found a good, new recipe for the cupcakes and went back to a frosting recipe I had tried last year.  The cupcakes had a 'filling' that was baked and then dropped into the batter.  Sounded interesting.

I mixed up and baked the cupcakes and prepared the frosting on Friday evening.  The frosting was a recipe that required a lot of stirring and cooking.  Lots of sugar, butter, and sweetness.  The frosting needed to set up overnight, so I got up early on Saturday to finish.  I must not have cooked it long enough.  It did not thicken to frosting consistency.  It was a runny, gooey mess.  A sweet mess, but a mess nonetheless.  The same problem happened last time.  I won't give up, but for the third try, I really need to do some homework.  More chemistry with this one.

The filling on the top.

The frosting cooking on the stove.

This week's tailgate was going to be the 'C Team'.  T and J were not coming.  Big Dave and Kathi were not coming.  As the day dawned, it also became clear that the weather was not going to cooperate.  Rain, rain, rain.

Mack's game was at 1pm and the Noles were set to kick off at 6pm.  I agreed to pick up Susan and take her to the tailgate and home afterwards.   I picked her up and safely delivered her, the tables and tents, and of course the cupcakes.  It had not started raining yet.  We hoped it may hold off.  We hoped.

I was on my way to Mack's game and more drama.  My car started overheating.  The temperature went up, the A/C went weak, and the MPG was dropping sitting still.  Absolutely still and the MPG was moving.  Either I had gremlins or it was overheating.

I made it to the game and made arrangements to borrow Bill's truck.  I could still make it to the tailgate for a bit.  I thought...

As I was pulling in to Mack's game, it started to rain.  As the game progressed, it would rain and stop, rain harder, then stop.  The wind was wicked.  We had to hold down the tent to keep it from blowing away.  The boys kept playing.  They did not mind the rain at all.  Mid way through the 3rd quarter, the lightening came and the game stopped.

The day was was not turning out to be a day to be outside.  With the rain and car problems, we wound up not going back to tailgate and not going to the game.  We dried off and decided to enjoy a meal out.  The Noles managed to run up the score 55 to 0, with their game being called because of lightening in the 3rd
quarter.  What a coincidence.

Some of the cupcakes were enjoyed at the tailgate, but the majority made it to the family reunion on Sunday.  None made it back home from there.  We enjoyed visiting with family members we had not seen in years and others we had never met, and paid our respects to those we've lost.  We drove the back roads of Grady and Decatur counties.  Dad had literally a drive down memory lane.

Sometimes the best laid plans do not come to pass.  You make arrangements and prepare and something more powerful than you corrects your course.  Go with the flow, take the back roads, and enjoy the ride.

Angie

Now for the recipes...

Pecan Pie Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the Pecan Pie Filling

·         1/4 c. sugar

·         2 Tbsp. all purpose flour

·         1/3 c. light corn syrup

·         1 Tbsp. honey

·         1 egg

·         3 Tbsp. melted butter, unsalted

·         1 Tbsp. bourbon (optional)

·         1/2 tsp. vanilla

·         1/3 c. chopped pecans

For the Cupcakes:

·         1 & 1/3 c. all purpose flour

·         1 tsp. baking powder

·         1/4 tsp. salt

·         1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar

·         1/2 c. sugar

·         1 stick unsalted butter, softened

·         2 large eggs, room temperature

·         1 tsp. vanilla

·         1/2 c. milk

Directions:

·         Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

·         Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total).

For the Pecan Pie Filling:

·         In a medium bowl, mix together the liquid ingredients with a spoon.

·         Stir in sugar and flour.

·         Stir in pecans.

·         Pour into a small baking dish.

·         Bake for 15 minutes, stirring gently half way through.  The filling will be thick but still fluid.

For the cupcakes:

·         In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

·         In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugars and butter together on medium-high for 2-3 minutes.

·         Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.

·         Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk in 1 addition, beating on low speed until just combined.

·         Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full with the cupcake batter.

·         Place a scoop of Pecan Pie Filling into each cupcake.

·         Bake for 18-20 mins. or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

·         Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

·         Frost with Pecan Pie Frosting.

·         Garnish with whole or chopped pecans.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Pecan Pie Frosting

Ingredients:

·         1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar

·         1 c. dark corn syrup

·         1/2 c. cornstarch

·         4 egg yolks

·         1 c. heavy whipping cream

·         1/4 tsp. salt

·         4 Tbsp. butter

·         1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

·         Whisk together first six (6) ingredients in a heavy saucepan.

·         Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.

·         Boil, whisking constantly, 1 minute or until thickened.

·         Remove pan from heat and stir in butter and vanilla, whisking until butter melts.

·         Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on surface of mixture to prevent film from forming.

·         Chill about 3 hours or until thick.

Makes 4 cups.