Don't eat too much sweets! :)
BY THE WAY!!!!
I saw Mr. Cupcake at the mall today !! :)
Wordless Wednesday
Today makes 6 years that my father has been in heaven. My mom joined him 3 years ago this same month.
May they both rest in peace. I love and miss you both so much..
Some of my go to items!
I can't bake without these items!
COOKIE SCOOPS!
Oxo Cookie Scoops at Bed Bath and Beyond $11.99-12.99
Not only are they great for cookies but they are perfect for scooping up batter for your cupcakes!
No more measuring or fussing with making them all even. Great tool!
DISPOSABLE DECORATING BAGS
I have tried using the reusable bags and honestly.. such a mess.
I actually love that you can see through these. I love to do swirl colors with my frosting and being able to see the colors is great! :)
VANILLA EXTRACT
GOOD Vanilla Extract. I myself recommend Sonoma Syrup Co. Special Blend "Vanilla Bean Extract 'Crush'"
Made with Madagascar Bourbon, infused with Tahitian Vanilla. It even has the vanilla bean seeds.
Retails for approx $20, I buy mine at TJ-Maxx/Marshalls for only $12.99. But that's when I can find it! :)
*TIP* A little of this goes a long way, if a recipe calls for 1tsp, make it half! :)
CLEAR VANILLA EXTRACT
When making icing that you want white or don't want the seeds from the Vanilla crush I always turn to Wilton's Clear Vanilla Extract. It has the flavor, but no color.
Which means it won't discolor your frosting/cake.
Wooden Dowels
Okay so you could use these for cakes to keep them sturdy right?
Well I also use them to streak my piping bags!!
Flower Nail
Flower nails are typically used to make buttercream flowers.
Have you ever made a huge cake? How do you ever get that to cook evenly.. Yes they sell
cone inserts but then you have a huge hole in your cake until you insert the middle.
I always have 5 flower nails handy to insert into my cake. The metal gets hot and helps cook the cake around the nail. Make sure to spray them with some nonstick spray. :)
BAKER'S JOY
I used to smear butter then do the whole flour the pan trick.
But since I've been using Baker's Joy, I've had perfect results.
My cakes literally fall out, great stuff!
VINEGAR
I never buy buttermilk because I rarely use it.
But for instance I do need it, this is a great alternative! :)
All you need is vinegar and milk!
Take a cup of milk + 1TBS Vinegar
Let stand 5 minutes.
Ta-da, you have buttermilk :)
*TIP* If you don't have vinegar you could use lemon!
Then of course there's the tins, the trays, the pans, and even the cooling rack!
But above is the things I use most often, and couldn't bake without! :)
What are some of your must haves?
I was not sponsored by any of the above, these are items I purchased and use regularly :)
Cupcake Courier
It is the best thing that any baker could want! I used to use throw away boxes but not anymore!!
Now I have the Cupcake Courier and whenever I bake I just bring it along. It's see-through so I can see inside and it also has plenty of space for cupcakes with a lot of icing! :) It holds up to 36 Standard size cupcakes.
One thing I do wish is that they would make inserts for Mini Cupcakes!
I still have to use throw away boxes for those.
They come in four different colors: white, yellow, blue, and pink.
I have a yellow and a white. They are really great, definitely recommend! :)
Each Cupcake nestle in it's own little spot, no tipping or falling.
Here's the bottom base each tray locks into each other.
No more frosting worries, it will always be picture perfect!
All packed up and ready to go,
latches on the cover snap into the bottom.
I was not sponsored by any of the above, these are items I purchased and use regularly :)
Today is....
One note about the Hershey's Cake is that when they mention it will be thin they really do mean thin.
It was like a thick chocolate milk consistency. At first I was nervous that it wasn't going to turn out.
But it came out fine :)
Review - Starfrit Apple Pro Peeler
I bought the Starfrit Apple Pro Peeler from QVC and honestly I was nervous how it was going to work and I was pleasantly surprised! Not only is it a great time saver for prep but also gives me more time for baking/cleaning :)
Extremely easy to use as well as clean. Comes with three blades and I'm still on my first.
This is a definite must if you bake/cook with apples or even just enjoy a perfectly peeled apple :)
I was not sponsored by any of the above, these are items I purchased and use regularly :)
Changes to come :)
I really feel like I have neglected this blog for too long.
I finally made it my own. Today I purchased my domain name! I'm offically a DOT COM! no more blogspot :)
I plan to redo a few things on the blog.. I am not sure when I'll get the final makeover but it will happen.
Thanks for following my baking adventures! Hope you are enjoying.
--
Courtney
Caramel Apple Streusel Muffins
Okay so I found a recipe on the internet that was "okay" but needed some work.
I liked it overall texture wise but it needed.. more. :)
I haven't perfected it yet but I will, no worries!
Caramel Apple Streusel Muffins
Yield: 1 Dozen
Streusel Topping:
1/8 cup rolled oats (optional) if you like the crunch/texture :)
1/3 cup of white sugar
3/4 tsp of powdered cinnamon
1/3 cup of all purpose flour
1/4 cup of cold unsalted butter, diced into cubes
Cupcake Ingredients:
2 cups of all purpose flour
2 Tsp of baking powder
1/4 Tsp of salt
1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup of white sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup of low-fat milk
2 Granny Smith Apple, diced -save half for topping-
1/2 Tsp Real Vanilla Extract
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp of Pumpkin Pie Seasoning
Final Touch 1/2 Container of T Marzetti Apple Dip
Directions:
Lightly fold one of the diced apples into the batter. Take an ice cream scoop and divide into muffin tins about 3/4 full Place remaining diced apple on top of cupcakes. Mix all ingredients for streusel topping by hand until lightly crumbly. You want a coarse texture.
Cupcake before putting in the oven :)
Top cupcakes with Streusel Topping Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick test comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool on wire rack for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile heat some T Marzetti Caramel Apple Dip and place into a piping bag (you can use a ziplock with the end snipped) and drizzle over your cupcakes. I also like to fill my cupcakes with the caramel. it's up to you :) Enjoy!
I decided to name them muffins now, they are more dense than airy like a cupcake.. :)
