(Two weeks ago was super busy with school, so my dinner for my roommates was just some BLT's - one of my favorite easy meals. Again, I love sandwiches! I am exploring the joys of my new cast iron skillet, which involves learning how to clean it, or not. I'm sure all elaborate more on that later. All I know is the smell of bacon did not leave our apartment for several days. Sorry roomz.)
I was put in charge of a baking committee for the Ignite semi-formal this past week. I had a lot of fun getting to delegate out 400 baked goods to some very sweet (pun intended!) friends and also making quite a few of my own!
My challenges were yellow cupcakes (CI) with chocolate frosting (MS), snickerdoodle cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream frosting, and cakeballs! YUM!
I loved "As the Cookie Crumbles" comparisons and just used her favorites, and I got the recommendation of the snickerdoodle recipes from one of my roommates! Also, sidenote: I am still learning the art of taking pictures as I cook/bake. I get so caught up in it and then miss really pretty parts of the process. Hopefully I will learn!
I kept adding more and more cinnamon to the dry ingredient mix... and the combined ingredients... and the icing. I just really love cinnamon.
creamy butter and sugar.
They are such a lovely tan color. I let them sit for a day (cupcakes on Wednesday, icing on Thursday, the day of the event) and it was so hard to not eat them for all meals.
Tah-dah! Pretty little cupcakes! (Not my best icing work, but I'm learning!)
Just being real happy! cupcakes have that effect!
Of the two, I think these were my favorite. They are just so different from any cupcake I had ever had and snickerdoodles are one of my top 3 favorite cookies! The yellow ones were pretty delicious though, too!
Egg whites are so fun. There is something so therapeutic about the whole process - making them all light and airy, having to be gentle when folding them in, I don't know... it's fun!
In they go!
Melted bittersweet chocolate (58% ish) in my makeshift double boiler. I am salivating.
I personally loved this icing as is, but as far as appealing to as many taste buds as possible, I added about 3/4 - 1 cup more powdered sugar and about a teaspoon more of vanilla. This made so much - I have a tupperware of it in my fridge and I am not complaining. This icing rocks!
They really are so pretty!
I wish I had taken a picture of all of them all set out, but I was running around like crazy trying to make sure the cupcakes got to the event location and that I got to my lab on time. Last, but certainly not least, cakeballs. I have been making cakeballs for 7 years now after being introduced to them by my sister. I made them for friends' birthdays all through high school, sold them for fundraisers and charity, etc. Cakeballs and Liz were sort of synonymous. Anyway, these were a simple butter cake with buttercream icing and chocolate almond bark coating with big fun sprinkles!
Roll, dip, sprinkle, and set: This is usually my set-up for cakeball dipping, sometimes reversed. I am such a creature of habit.
The whole event was a success, baked goods being such a minuscule part of it. Everyone had a grand ol' time dancing, taking pictures, and just enjoying each others' company. And I got to take a few cupcakes home for my own personal enjoyment. :O)
For dinner this week, I just got some gnocchi from central market and combined it with zucchini, cherry tomatoes, shallots, nutmeg, salt, pepper and parmesean. Easy, delicious, and really quick!
Vegetables are so pretty!!
Next week is spring break so I'm sure that will bring about a baking adventure or two. My current interest is making macarons after having some lovely lemon and lavender flavored ones at La Patisserie.
Inspiration! We will see how that adventure unfolds!
Happy Spring and beautiful weather! There is so much of life to be enjoyed!
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