Chocolate Bunnies

Where has April gone?! I’m a little behind on both making and then posting about my Easter crafts and baking so I’m giving you a heads up that all my posts for the next week will likely consist only of such.  

A few months ago Mister Mister’s mom bought me this cute bunny shaped pan.At first I thought I would make little bunny cakes for Easter but since then I have changed my mind and have a  whole new game plan for what I am making for after Easter dinner.

Of course I did not want such cute little bunny faces to go to waste so I decided to make chocolate bunnies.

  I made half traditional milk chocolate and the other half cookies and cream by adding in ground cookie crumbs to white chocolate before I poured it into the mold.

Then I wrapped each one up in a square of this festive gift wrap and tied with a curling ribbon!

~*Cupcake Lovely*~ Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

I thought I would end the year on a chocolate note.

So December’s cupcakes are triple chocolate!!! 

Moist chocolate cake with fudge frosting and garnished with a little shaved milk chocolate.

Spumoni Cookies

I may not be Italian but I love Italian Spumoni ice cream!

So when I found this Spumoni cookie recipe I knew I had to give it a try!

Spumoni ice cream is a lot like Neapolitan ice cream except instead of chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla it consists of chocolate, Cherry and Pistachio.

It really is soo good!

The recipe calls for choclate chips, Marischino Cherries and Pictachios.I made the cookie dough and folded it all in along with a box of instant pistachio pudding.Bake at 350 for ten minutes. They come out with a slight green tint and paired with the red bursts of cherry they make a festive cookie for the holidays.

Potluck Cake

Mister  Mister’s Mom had a potluck at her work today and she asked me to bake her a cake to take.

I made a bunt cake and added a little pudding to the batter to make it extra moist and drizzled chocolate frosting over it and finely grated a little chocolate over the top.

Hopefully she saved me a piece!  

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

My best friend back home bakes these from time to time and I always think they look so delicious.

So I decided to make some and try them out myself and I was right, they certainly are!   

Chocolate Cherry Nut Cookies

Around my house every year at christmas time we look forward to when the holiday flavored Hershey’s Kisses hit the shelves at the grocery store.

In particular, the ones that taste like chocolate covered cherries.

This year I wanted to try to incorporate them into some baking.

So I made chocolate cookie dough and folded in a cup of finely chopped pecans.

Then as I formed each cookie I placed a cherry Kiss in the center.

They baked for about ten minutes, just untill the Kiss is melted and the cookies are  still nice and soft because that is how I like my cookies!

 

I am very pleased how they turned out.

You can really taste the cherry Kiss in each bite of the cookie.

They are their tastiest fresh out of the oven.

Then again, every cookie fresh out of the oven is!

Mister Mister went as far as to say that these are the best thing I have ever baked.

Chocolate Covered Glazed Pecan Clusters

I made these to send to my Mama for her Birthday next week.

First I coated the pecans in butter, brown sugar and maple syrup and put them in the oven until golden brown.

 Then I melted down squares of chocolate and dipped the pecans in it.

I transferred them to wax paper and formed clusters topped with a single glazed pecan to add a little visual.

They turned out very decadent.

The semi sweet choclate balanced out the sweetness of the brown sugar and maple syrup.

While the glaze added a unique texture.

If you are a pecan lover then these are definitely for you!

~*Cupcake Lovely*~ Cinnamon Sugar Graham Cupcakes

November’s cupcakes are

Cinnamon Sugar Graham Cracker Recipe at Food Network site via. Dollhouse Bake Shoppe

 

• 3 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 1 cup or 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 5 large egg, separated into 5 yolks and reserving only 3 egg whites, room temperature

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

• 1 1/3 cups whole milk, room temperature

• Cinnamon Sugar Graham Cream Cheese Icing, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line mini cupcake pans with 72 mini cupcake liners or line a regular-size cupcake or muffin pan with 24 cupcake liners.

Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl, and set aside.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar in a small bowl and pour in the melted butter. Stir until combined, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat about 3 minutes more, or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Reduce the speed to low and add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla extract and cinnamon. On low speed, mix in 1/3 flour mixture and 1/2 the milk, repeat alternating between the flour and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until the flour is incorporated. Do not over beat once the flour mixture is added. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

With an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites until medium-stiff peaks form and fold into the batter. Fold in the graham cracker-brown sugar mixture. Scoop the batter into the lined mini cupcake pan or regular-size cupcake pan. Bake 22 minutes for mini cupcakes or 27 minutes for regular-size cupcakes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting

Cinnamon Sugar Graham Cream Cheese Icing:

• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

• Graham cracker crumbs, for garnish

• Cinnamon sugar graham crackers, for garnish

• Ground cinnamon, for garnish

Combine the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar in a small bowl and pour in the melted butter. Stir until combined and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. Reduce the speed to low, and add the confectioners’ sugar until well blended. Increase the speed to high and beat about 3 minutes more, or until light and creamy. Fold in the graham cracker-brown sugar mixture. Place the icing in pastry bag fitted with a pastry tip. Pipe the icing on the cooled cupcakes. Garnish the cupcakes with graham cracker crumbs, a piece of cinnamon sugar graham cracker, and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

~*Cupcake Lovely*~ Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

October’s cupcakes are Chocolate Orange!

 ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• Orange juice (instead of water in cake mix)
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup diced candied orange peel (about 8 ounces)

 

Frosting: 

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened (1/2 stick)
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 orange, zested
• Special equipment: cupcake liners, 2 muffin pans

 

Directions:

 

To make the cupcakes: mix the chocolate cake mix according to package instructions, substituting orange juice for the water. Toss the chocolate chips with the flour. Fold the chocolate chips into the chocolate mixture. Line the muffin pan with the cupcake liners. Fill and bake the cupcakes according to package instructions. Let the cupcakes cool for 1 hour on a wire rack before frosting.

To make the frosting combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Using a small spatula place about 1 tablespoon of frosting on top of each cupcake.

 

Seamstress In The Making

A girl can dream right?!

At least I’m on my way in that general direction with my new sewing machine!

Woo-hoo!!

Technically it’s not mine, I borrowed it from a family member of Mister Mister’s  but I’m going to use it until I get my own one day.

I’ve never used a sewing machine before, remember I’m the girl who can’t even sew a button on by hand. So I’m definitely a complete novice to the sewing scene!

But what I may lack in know how at this point I make up for with utter enthusiasm!

That does make up for it right?!

My first attempts to use it started out a little tremendously rocky. Resulting in a bent needle at first and then it completely snapped in half, scary!

I don’t remember seeing the need for safety goggles in the manual!

After a quick trip to Michael’s for replacement needles and some help from Mister Mister, who has patience to actually read the instruction manual,  I’m getting the hang of it.

I can’t wait to get started on some the many projects I have planned! So stay tuned!