Adventure #3

Today was another sweet tooth adventure. I was on location at Clearwater, FL for the super boat races. Tonight they had the boats on display with music, food and sweets of course.

I had to get a funnel cake! There is just something about the crunchy fried dough generously dusted with powdered sugar. 

It's finger liking good!

I hope your Saturday was sweet. I will be back in the kitchen next week...well maybe, if you can pull me away from beautiful Clearwater.

Classy Chocolatey Goodness

Sorry for the late post but today was a very special Sweet Tooth Saturday. Today we celebrated my mom's birthday with dinner and of course a lovely dessert. Again I didn't want to do the traditional cake & cupcakes. I had to think...I would describe my mom as a very classy lady who has the biggest sweet tooth I know. She seriously would have been content with candy for dinner...and breakfast and lunch the next day. She does have a love for chocolate. So lets see we have Classy & Chocolate. I thought lets put the dessert in some classy, fun glasses. Next I layered them with some chocolatey goodness. Follow the steps below...

1. Crumble chocolate cake in the bottom of the glasses.

2. Top with a whipped chocolate ganache. To achieve this boil 1 cup heavy whipping cream and pour over 12oz semi sweet chocolate. Let chill and then whip with an electric mixer.

3. Top ganache with marshmallow fluff.
4. Sprinkle a little more chocolate cake on top.
5. Finish with whipped cream.
6. Add sprinkles to the birthday girl's.
7. Try not to eat too fast...mmmmmmmm!

Happy Sweet Tooth Saturday & Happy Birthday Mom!

Chocolate Cupcakes...Buckeye Style

I don't know about you but I am a huge college football fan. Most importantly a Buckeye fanatic. I think maybe it was instilled in me from birth, what do you think?...

My mom was gracious enough to share this with me from our family photo archives. She did ask if my blog post was about how to make homemade sausage. I said no no. Even though I am sweetly stuffed into this Ohio State outfit today's post is a subtle ode to a buckeye fan. 

Today's game day line up:

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes

Peanut Butter Filling

Chocolate Ganache

The game plan:

First bake mini chocolate cupcakes of your choice. I used a boxed mix and baked them for 10 mins at 350.

Next make your peanut butter filling.  In a mixer beat a 1/2 cup of softened butter and 1 cup creamy peanut butter. When smooth add in a Tbs of vanilla extract. Then alternately add in 2 cups confectioners sugar and 3 Tbs of milk. You want the filing to be light and fluffy. 

Once the cupcakes are cooled cut out the center and fill with the peanut butter filling. Press the part of the cupcake you cut out back on top.

Now for the the final play. The chocolate ganache topping.

Bring 1 cup heavy cream to a boil. Once boiling pour onto 12oz of chocolate and stir until smooth. Put the ganache in the refrigerator to cool.

Once the chocolate is cooled spread over cupcakes and adorn with a few "scarlet" sprinkles. 

I feel this sneaky play on a "buckeye candy" is sure to be a game day winner!

Happy Sweet Tooth Saturday & Go Bucks!!!

Strawberry Cake

This weekend I had an order to make a birthday cake. It was 1/2 white cake and 1/2 strawberry. I just have to share my strawberry cake recipe with you. It is sooooo yummy, if I do say so myself :). I wish someone would invent smell vision so you could take in the amazing aromas of this cake while viewing the pictures. I guess the pictures will have to do for now. I recommend making it asap though.

Ingredients:
2 cups white sugar
1 (3oz) package of strawberry flavored gelatin
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs (room temperature)
2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 whole cup milk, room temperature
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup strawberry puree made from frozen sweetened strawberriers

Preheat oven to 350 and grease and flour your pan.

In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar and dry strawberry gelatin until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.  Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the batter alternately with the milk.

Blend in the vanilla and the strawberry puree.

Add to pan and bake for 25-30 mins.

Then decorate your cake. The little girl wanted strawberry short cake on her cake. How fitting! I secretly wanted to cut a piece of the cake and fill the spot with paper towels and ice over it. HeHe...don't worry I didn't.

Happy Sweet Strawberry Saturday :) 

Cream Puffs

Happy Sweet Tooth Saturday everyone! Today we were having my boyfriends parents over for dinner to celebrate his mom's birthday and we needed a birthday treat. I was at a loss for what to make. I didn't want to do the typical cake, cupcakes and cookies because I have already done that for them. So I had to ask what her all time favorite dessert was...Cream Puffs. This worked out great for me because I always like to try something new. I did not have a recipe so I searched online and All Recipes had great reviews of one.

I mixed the above ingredients and then placed it in a ziplock bag so the cream puffs would be easy to fill later.

Put the ziplock bag in the refrigerator to chill.

Bring the water, butter and salt to a boil as shown above. Then stir in the flour.

Its ok if you get it everywhere :)

Add the dough to the stand mixture and immediately add the eggs and mix on medium speed until the dough sticks to the sides. I decided to add a tsp of vanilla to the dough so it didn't have such and eggy taste.

Place the mixture by the spoonful on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 mins at 425 degrees.

When they are done take out and poke with a tooth pick.

Once cooled cut a slit in the bottom and fill with filling. Drizzle with chocolate for a finishing touch.

MMMMMMMMMMMM!

Check out the link for the full recipe.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cream-puffs/