Hot Fudge Sauce

Some moms are great with crafts, some are great letting their kids go crazy outdoors, some will read for hours, my specialty lies in the kitchen.

My kids have been breaking eggs since age 2 and dumping and mixing like pros. My oldest (6) is both knowledgeable enough and safe enough to stand at the stove and stir something for me if need be. He's even starting in on some very basic knife skills.

The last week of summer we came up with all kinds of fun stuff we wanted to make in the kitchen together. Homemade bread, handshaken butter, homemade drumsticks (cone and all!) and some of their dinner favorites.

One night that week we had planned a night out for special treats but something came up and we were unable to head out. I needed something fun, easy and fast. In stepped in this handy go to recipe for hot fudge sauce. Seriously, it took 5 minutes or less and we were able to use it in a couple different ways. It even stays good in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli dark), 1 can sweetened condensed milk and 4 tablespoons butter

Throw it all in a pan and heat while stirring until....

it looks like this

Couldn't resist a pic of my sweetest helper

The boys wanted theirs in milkshake form. Hot fudge, couple scoops of ice cream and milk

I went more classic with a sundae and started by adding a little salty, just crushed salted peanuts.

The the husband in all his brilliance kicked it up by adding sliced bananas. It may not sound amazing, but I promise it was divine. Not that the pictures would show it. I do most of my cooking in the evening which does not lend itself to good food photos. I promise you thought it was delish.

This would also be an easy gift thrown in a mason jar and topped with some cute fabric and rafia or ribbon.

I got voted into awesome mom status with this. Hopefully you will be equally adored by whomever you choose to bestow this on.

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

Finally, after much delay....I'm sharing my chocolate cupcake recipe.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it can be easily halved, so at the end I'll give you the recipe which usually puts out about 28-30 cupcakes or the one that does about 14. Because all those extra cupcakes sitting around can be bad for a girl.

My ingredients of choice. Sorry midwesterners but the White Lily flour may be inaccessible to you. Although you're getting more and more restaurants who serve sweet tea, so who knows...maybe you'll get lucky. In case not, I would go for King Arthur all purpose flour. It does make a difference.

The rest of the characters are easily interchangeable except the vanilla. I really like Trader Joe's Pure Bourbon Vanilla, mainly because I think they have the best price on a great product. Whatever you do don't get the imitation vanilla. It's not good. And you will thank me later when I eventually post my buttercream recipe in which quality products is key.

Everyone simmering. When I say heaping, I mean as much as you can possibly fit on the spoon.

Then add it to the flour and sugar mixture waiting for you in your mixer. I usually measure it out while waiting for the water to simmer.

The whole shebang all mixed and waiting for it's cupcake liner home.

The final product waiting for some buttercream. Pardon my well used muffin tins. They've been around.

These are some of my favorite substitutions. This particular batch actually had the Guinness substituted for the water as they went on to be Chocolate Guinness cupcakes with Bailey's buttercream. I will often sub the coffee or Guinness for the water (using equal measurements).

The Reese's and the Oreos I add to the cupcakes once in the liners. I usually use a miniature peanut butter cup, or cut a full one in half. For both the peanut butter cups and Oreos I fill the cupcake liners half full, add either then add just enough batter to cover. If you're being less lazy than I usually am and want your peanut butter cup precisely in the middle of your cupcake you can bake the cupcakes about 4 minutes then add the cup pushing down lightly then continuing to bake. Sometimes the filled cupcakes require an additional minute or two of baking time.

I usually tell when my cupcakes are perfectly done by lightly pressing on the tops. If they spring back (and don't sink in) they are done. In my oven 12 minutes at 2/3 full liners is perfect, but keep an eye out and check at 11 minutes. The quickest and easiest way to kill a good cake or cupcake is by over-baking.

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe (about 30):

Amounts for half batch (about 14) in parenthesis.

2 cups flour (1 cup flour)

2 cups sugar (1 cup sugar)

1/2 teaspoon salt (1/4 tsp salt)

2 sticks butter (1 stick butter)

4 heaping tablespoons cocoa (2 TBS cocoa)

1 cup boiling water (1/2 cup water)

1/2 cup sour cream (1/4 cup sour cream)

2 eggs (1 egg)

1 teaspoon baking soda (1/2 tsp baking soda)

1 teaspoon vanilla (1/2 tsp vanilla)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place water (or other liquid substitutions) in a small saucepan and bring to a light boil. Add butter and cocoa to water and stir to combine. While still stirring bring back to a light boil then remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. With the mixer on slowly add water and cocoa mixture. Mix until combined.

While still mixing add sour cream, when fully incorporated add eggs one at a time. Add baking soda and vanilla and mix until just combined.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 12 minutes.

So there ya go. Chocolate cupcakes, how I make them, and the tips I've learned along the way. I feel like I have a lot of good tips I've learned from baking and cooking. Especially as a mom of 3 who has the impossible task of both making something my kids will eat and exposing them to new cuisine, tastes, and flavors.

It's hard work to figure out the cooking and baking world on your own, and I've spent about 10 years doing just that. So I'm going to try to add a new element to this blog, and my "work". If you have a question, post it. I don't always catch every post on here, so feel free to email me or post on CupKates facebook page (where I get email updates on postings) and I'll get back to you. I might not know all the answers, but I'd love to try and help.

I'm also going to start trying to post some of the recipes I make for dinner, and my meal plans for the week. Sometimes it will be something I just threw together, and others it will be recipes I tried and tweaked (which lets be honest is most of where "new" recipes come from now days anyways. There is nothing new under the sun...). I also have lots of shortcuts I'll share that I have found make my life easier while trying to make things that are as healthy and natural as possible.

So that's where we're headed on here. Thanks for coming along for the ride!

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Of course I've been making cupcakes. But I also have some other desserts I've been making and playing with that I look forward to sharing with you soon. For now here is a glimpse at what I've been up to:

My sons bubble themed three year old birthday party

They were double vanilla bubblegum cupcakes

Baby shower cupcakes. Sorry for the horrible pics, the lighting was impossible

These were coconut cream (with pink tinted coconut) and raspberry almond with chocolate frosting

More baby shower goodness, and a new flavor. The ones with chocolate frosting and pink dots are the raspberry almond (one of the most popular flavor in case you haven't noticed), the yellow dotted ones are double lemon and the ones in the cute little cups with black stuff sprinkled on top are....earl grey cupcakes with honey buttercream.

Mind you I'm a tea person. Not just that, I'm an earl grey person. A cup about every morning, even in the summer. So I do have a bit of partiality, but seriously...these were so. stinking. good. Like I would eat them for breakfast without shame.

So I recently put up a post on my facebook site (become a fan if you aren't...I do giveaways, more pictures and interaction there) asking if anyone would be interested in my recipes for making their own CupKates. There were quite a few interested and with my lightening up on orders (although I'm itching for a few more for fall...I will have two boys in school and will need a distraction!) and many fans in other parts of the country (mainly STL, woot woot!) I thought I would aid in your own cupcake creations.

Almost all of my cupcakes are either vanilla based or chocolate based. Meaning if you have a strong basic recipe for either of those all you have to do is get creative to come up with new cupcakes. So for example my Guinness and Bailey's cupcake (chocolate cupcake made with Guinness topped with Bailey's buttercream) is a chocolate cupcake with the Guinness beer substituted for the water it typically calls for. To make my snickerdoodle cupcake all I do is add cinnamon to my vanilla cupcake recipe. Make sense?

Great. So I'm going to get together the recipe basics and their deviations. Now the only question is which to start with, chocolate or vanilla?

Update and CakePops

Well I've been busy making cupcakes and keeping up with three kiddos. It's been so nice to have more time with the kidders and not feel so stressed. I love summer schedules!

I have lots of cupcakes to update on with more to come, so here is a just a glimpse at what I've been up to.

Rede Velvet popcorn themed cupcakes for a "She's about to pop" themed shower. So cute. Sorry for the poor iPhone pic

Cupcakes gift box. Can be made with any flavor, but these were double vanilla. These were made as end of the year teachers gifts.

Cupcakes favors in vanilla with chocolate cream cheese frosting. Made to match wedding/shower colors.

So there is a quick glimpse with more to come.

If you are interested in ordering, don't forget to defer to the previous post for what I am/am not doing right now. I think I'm open for accepting larger orders again come September.

I've been asked a couple of times about cakepops. I wanted to explain why I prefer not to do those.

The main reason I started CupKates was because I was tired of having mediocre cake that I knew was made with ingredients that were really bad for me. If i do say so myself I think my cupcakes are some of the best I've tasted (and yes I do check out the "competition" from time to time : ). Not only that, but I don't put hydrogenated oils, or high fructose corn syrup in anything I make. Even when it comes to toppings or additions I try to use something I would be ok with my kids eating . I won't go so far as to say my cupcakes are healthy, but if you're going to eat a cupcake, mine are on the healthier side. I make all organic cupcakes for an additional charge, and am starting to experiment with different sweeteners like agave and sucanet.

That said, cakepops are dipped in a "candy coating" which is made up mostly of hydrogenated oils and food coloring. It's not something I'm ok with giving to my family, so I would prefer not to sell it to the masses as well.

That said, they are cute, I just don't make them.

Silly that the cupcake girl is taking a stance for health, but that's how I roll. Thanks for understanding!

What I've Been Up To

In the past few months we've been consumed by all things baby. First we got her room done:

Which was quite the process as we decided to redo all the furniture, meaning it all was repainted by my wonderful husband. I worked on the things I could (namely not that with lots of fumes-the painting) like the artwork, and reupholstering the rocking chair and making the pillow. As well as making sure our daughter had a plethora of bows ready to go (see below).

And for the last few weeks we've got to enjoy of the girly sweet wonderfulness that her arrival has brought.

EvaKate Liana was born on February 15 and weighed 7 pounds 4 oz and was 19 inches long.

Now that we've gotten a taste for what being a family of 5 is like, and her temperament, I feel like I'm in a better place to determine what I want to do with CupKates.

Admittedly, (and maybe this is the post baby hormones talking) I've wanted to do nothing but spend a ton of time with my kids feeling extra sensitive to how quickly this parenting little ones is passing by.

That combined with baseball season (the highlight of my oldests year) and being heavily involved with our church and I've seriously questioned shutting the business down.

As much as I love doing this, I know I will never regret giving more time to parenting well. That said, I know in a few years when all of my kids are in school and I have more time on my hands, I think I would regret that decision. So I've been trying to come up with a happy compromise where I get to spend more time with the family and am not as busy as I was before the baby and get to keep the business going.

And here is where I think I'm at, and what I'm going to try at least through the summer:

-I'll take orders that are 100 or less

-Cupcakes only, for now no more cookies or pies

-I'll probably only take one or two orders per weekend (depending on the size)

-All orders must be picked up Friday (this will allow us to have one family day a week on Saturday, which is very important to us)

-No weddings through August at the least

That's where I'm starting. Some of this may change as I still figure out what will work best for me and my family, thanks for being co-operative and understanding!

I've been asked about March availability, and I'm going to not take any orders until April.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Final 2010 Wedding and Maternity Leave

I finished my last wedding of the season, and am officially putting myself on maternity leave. As much as I love my job I'm breathing a bit of a sigh of relief.

I think it's the fact that we decided to refinish all the nursery furniture (on top of painting the room and making the curtains and bed skirt and recovering a chair) and the amount of time that is taking combined with the lack of weather co-operation. And the fact that standing on my feet more than two hours at a time makes them start to go numb that is helping breathe a bit easier being able to focus on her room and Christmas.

So here are the pictures of the last wedding I did.

120 key lime pies

120 mini chocolate guinness cupcakes with Bailey's frosting

120 mini pumpkin spice with cinnamon cream cheese frosting

A few details as far as future booking goes:

• I will be on maternity leave until at the least the end of March
• I won't be taking any bookings until then (since I won't really know the temperament of my new child so I won't be able to anticipate how much I can handle with her addition). As big of an inconvenience as it may be, this includes weddings.
• I will post on the blog and on facebook as soon as I am open to booking again.
• Even though I won't be making bookings, I am happy to respond to emails and phone calls providing you with all the information you may need in order to make a decision.

I plan on occasionally updating the blog and facebook during this time and will respond to all correspondence, just more than likely at a slower pace than usual.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to email.

Sugar Cookies

So I really was thinking through how I was going to do a step by step video post for y'all on how to decorate christmas cookies, then after checking several of my favorite blogs as the cookie season rolled around, I realized it would be a bit of a waste.

These tutorials are probably better than anything I would have done (being new at it), so I figured I would give you my recipes and tricks and then direct you to their sites for more guidance.

Here is the biggest tip I can give you ahead of time...I make sugar cookies in at least a two day process, some times three. Not only does this make it less stressful, but I feel the process produces more fool proof cookies. So before you decide to jump head first, consider instead of making it a whole one day process taking an hour or so over three days to make these cookies.

Here is what my timeline usually looks like:

Day 1- make cookie dough, refrigerate

Days 2- roll out and cut out cookie dough, refrigerate

Day 3- bake and frost (admittedly if I'm doing 200+ cookies these get split up into separate days as well)

Sugar Cookie Recipe

• ¾ cups Butter
• 1 cup White Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1-½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
• 2-½ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine room temperature butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and combine.

In a separate bowl, blend together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Slowly add dry ingredients into wet batter until fully incorporated.

Drop dough onto a large piece (or two) of saran wrap and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to roll out the cookies, generously flour a flat surface and roll out the dough to desired thickness (I like mine on the thicker side). You can use as much flour as you need! Side note: with other recipes I used powdered sugar to roll out on, but with this one I find the flour works best.

For best results, bake on silpat or parchment paper or well oiled cookie sheet.

Bake at 325 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes. You want to remove from the oven before the edges brown at all. Let sit about a minute or two before taking up from the cookie sheet, if they start to break, let them sit longer. I recommend using a metal spatula.

After I roll out the cookie dough and cut it out into the shapes I want I place them in a tupperware container lined with parchment or waxed paper and stack them in the container and refrigerate as long as I need to, usually over night. When ready to bake I simply place on the cookie sheet. If you're producing lots of cookies, or doing it with kids this usually make life much more simple.

After the cookies have cooled and you've gotten the flour off your shirt, apron, pants, floor, cabinets and sink you are ready to make the frosting. What, am I the only one that cooks messy?

I'll be straight with y'all, if you're going for taste (and most baking with kids is usually more about that) I would stay away from the royal icing and go with buttercream. One of the tastiest and easiest Christmas cookies I'll make is to make small sugar cookie circles, take buttercream and place it in the middle of two, slightly squeeze together and roll the edges of icing peeking out in Christmas sprinkles (sometimes I just mix red and green sanding sugar together for this). These will transport fairly well.

The other option is to just spread buttercream on top and cover with sprinkles. These will get messed up if touched so they are a bit more precarious for travel.

If you are interested here is a very general vanilla buttercream recipe (general because I can't give away my exact secrets!): 2 sticks room temperature butter, powdered sugar (2-4 cups depending on how sweet you like it), vanilla and salt. Blend butter and sugar first and then add other ingredients.

Now that I've given you the tasty easy way let's move on to the more involved but oh so pretty method:

Royal Icing:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon powdered egg whites (also called meringue powder, can be found at places like Hobby Lobby and Michael's, but take you 40% off coupon as the smaller containers will run you about $8 before hand. While it may be an upfront investment it lasts forever and really is the secret to safe, well made royal icing)
• 3 tablespoons warm water (guesstimate, may need more or less depending on humidity)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring

Lightly blend sugar and meringue powder together. With mixer on slowly add vanilla and almond flavorings, then slowly add warm water.

Remember the more you mix the wetter the mixture will become so always start with less liquid and add more. Also remember if you plan on adding food coloring (even gel ones) those will add moisture to the frosting later on that will make it more liquid.

Once you think you are close to the desired consistency crank up your mixer and whip away. For at least 5 minutes. You can add more water at this point if you think it needs it, then mix some more.

This is a great blog for showing you the proper consistency the frosting needs to be.

I typically make the thicker outlining frosting first because I can always add more water to that and use it to flood the cookies. I love getting away with only using one large bowl. I then divide up the amount I think I'll need into smaller bowls and mix in the coloring I want. When I'm ready to make it into flooding icing I just add a little bit of warm water at a time.

A few more tips:

• Don't forget royal icing dries VERY quickly! Always keep it covered (even your frosting tips, a damp paper towel works well for this). I even rinse my beaters off right after I'm done making it so I don't have cement on my hands later. If you forget, a long soak in hot water usually does the trick.
• This requires a steady hand which is typically learned over time. While you are in the learning process a damp (not wet or it will mess up the icing) finger tip can smooth out quite a bit.
• Keep your tip clean. This helps to make those clean lines.

If y'all have any questions before hand, or while you are in the process of making these, feel free to post them on the facebook wall or in the comments section and I will answer them as quickly as possible. Good luck!