The logo!

So I've been working on a few options for a logo. For now I think I'm gonna go with the coffee up logo. I drew the actualy cup outline on my phone and did some editing and added the wording on the computer. I like it. What do you think about the logo?

Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies

So it's been quite a busy week! It was my "roller coaster" week. The price I have to pay for having a weekend off. All that aside, I thought I wanted to just relax on my day off, but couldn't. Well I did relax but I had to bake something. I wanted to keep it simple, very simple. I decided to skim through The Art & Soul of Baking to see what I could find. I decided to do a cookie. Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Caramel Frappulicious Cupcakes

I wanted to try something new with a cupcake so I got a recipe and made it my own. I wanted to do a coffee flavored cupcake. I LOVE coffee! lol So I got this coffee cupcake recipe and decided to go with a caramel flavor. I changed the recipe a bit to make it a little richer in flavor. I do however still need to do some work on the recipe. It did turn out decent but I want it to be better! I made some homemade whipped cream and caramel for the topping. The coffee flavor, I think, needs to be a little stronger and I don't think I'll use coffee grinds as the recipe calls for. I would also like to infuse more caramel flavor. Have caramel more present than just on the top. Maybe a caramel filling? I'll post next time I make them and I will post the recipe once I get it completed!

Also, I happened to take some of these to dinner last night. They were well liked. But than can be even better with a lil more work! The Vanilla Bean Cupcakes were a sure HIT! They were all gone! They are just too good to leave sit! hehe Thanks to all who tried them both last night!

Here are a few pics...

Grammie's Strawberry Filled Cupcakes

So I tried something that I've not done before...Filling cupcakes.

Having read through the begining of my new cookbook I thought I'd try a cake recipe from it. However, I didn't want to just make a cupcake. So, I thought that I'd make them extra special and use some of my Grandma's (hence the name) homemade strawberry jam. Was a good idea and the cupcakes did taste decent but not great, to no fault of the jam. I'm still trying to work up my baking supplies and ingredients. I have yet to get a scale and all that jazz to measure properly. The way most recipes were made in the cookbook were by weight. Now they do give you the cup amount to add, but it's important to follow the "dip n scoop" method. I think that's where I failed in this cupcake. The recipe used cake flour which I had to purchase, don't keep it in the cabinet. So, I took the bag out and dumped into the measuring cup rather than doing "dip n scoop". BAD IDEA! It doesn't help that I, still don't know why, I don't have a sifter and the flour was to be sifted. In the end, the cupcakes look AWESOME! Unfortunately, they were a little dry. Even after the filling and frosting, they didn't get much better. I will try this recipe again, but I will make sure to do it properly. Anywho, here are some pictures!

The cupcakes shortly after the oven. They look SO good!

Filled and iced with a very good Cream Cheese Frosting!

And a look inside. Kinda looks like a face sticking out it's tongue. lol

My baking adventure...

So I've been inspired to start a little baking adventure. There are a few places my inspiration came from. It started while I was in Chicago in June. We walked by a bakery named Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique. It's a cute little bakery that mainly sells cupcakes. Check out their site but clicking on the name above. They had something called an Icing Shot, which got me and my partner thinking of a way to make icing a candy that you could just pop in your mouth. Here's one form of what I've come up with...

Icing Bites. Candy filled with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese icing.

Another source of my inspiration was a cupcake blog I came across. Cupcake Bake Shop They focus on trying recipes and creating their own. Blogging and photographing along the way. This was what gave me the idea to start doing research and testing recipes. Along with the blog it's my goal to have baked goods tasting (kinda like wine tasting). So far I've only managed to make one new recipe from scratch which I got from the Cupcake Bake Shop blog. Vanilla Bean Cupcakes. They were YUMMO! It has made me want to NEVER make a cake/cupcakes from a box again. I also made, from my own recipe, a Vanilla Banana Buttercream. Amazing!

My last source of serious inspiration was from the movie Julie & Julia. I FINALLY got to watch it. It was the perfect time to watch it. I went out and bought a new cookbook last night because of the movie and just being ready to start this adventure. I got the book The Art & Soul of Baking. It's a very thick and heavy piece of book. The recipes seem simple enough but delicious. I've started reading all of the information before I get into the recipes. I want to learn all I can before I start getting into breads and trying to make my own cake recipes. It was my goal to just try new cake recipes but this book has made me want to bake all kinds of things. I think I will start with cupcakes because I have some great ideas thanks to family and friends and I brainstorming. More updates will come has I learn and start baking. Thanks!

Here's a picture of the book. If you are or want to be a great baker, I think this book should definitely be in your collection.

Nice and simple

My best friend Stephanie's wedding cake from 2007. I think this was my first wedding cake with fondant. Love it. Nice and simple.

surprise Birthday cakes

Made this for my Aunt Mona's friend. Bought the figurine at Earth Magic.

Made this for my Grandma. We added a cat figurine after I took this pic but didn't get a photo of it.

Hamburger cupcakes

These are my cupcake hamburgers. I made these for my uncles b-day. He loves to grill. These are all cupcake and icing. Well there are real sesame seeds on the top.

The Quilt Cookies

This was a surprise b-day "quilt" for my aunt. It's made of sugar cookies, 9 separate cookies, and royal icing. Each piece of the "quilt" is an symbol of something that describes her.

Happy Valentine's!

Here are some new Valentine's Cupcake Critters...Nothing to special, but I had to make ALOT of them!