Halloween Cupcakes!

My sister has halloween concert tonight. Of course, i said i'd bake. So here I am, trying to finish an english project and make 24 (although only 22 survived) cupcakes.

And I used my Halloween cupcake stencils!

Owls!

They aren't the prettiest, but they are really chocolaty and the fluffiest cupcakes i've ever made.

Super Fluffy Chocolate Cupcakes

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

I used my fabulous buttercream recipe, tinted orange, which you can find here.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla. Stir in boiling water. Now this is halloween, so it will spook you. It is supposed to be like soup. The batter is thin. Fill liners 2/3 full, not over, and bake for 20-22 minutes. Let cool, and frost any way you want. Enjoy, and 

Happy Halloween!

My New Kitchen!

It's done. It's finally done. And I'm jumping up and down. well, not right now. i'm sitting on my new granite countertop,  writing to all you lovely people on the internet. My sister is organizing the cabinets, and right now is putting away all my baking supplies (with my help, of course). So, in celebration, i'm willing to give a little tour.

But first, birthday stuff.

I got some pretty cool things.

i've been using an apple corer. but now i can be all fancy.

halloween cupcakes are in our near future, my friends.

and a macaron mat. excitingness.

so now i think it's time for your tour. let's get started.

here is a view of the whole thing.

fridge area

sink area

new TV. playing the food network of course.

and, THE OVEN!!!!

ahhh. 

well, i hope you enjoyed this little tour. see you soon!

Chocolate chip cookie in a mug for 1-Microwave recipe!

I'm sick with a cold, my kitchen is under construction, and all i want to do is bake.

So, after geometry homework, and while enjoying the first episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, i found won of the most exciting things of my life. 

30. Whole. Microwavable. Dessert. Recipes. 

Yes.

30 microwave dessert recipes

I hear the angels singing in the background.

Hallelujah. 

Now it's just me, Andy Samberg, the microwave (that we're loaning since our old one broke), and half a bag of nestle tollhouse chocolate chips.

also, my birthday is on sunday, so expect microwave birthday cake in a mug to come!

Happy belated to me.

Om nom nom, cookie dough

and my only tools were a mug

a tablespoon

a plastic fork and knife

and, of course,

a microwave. 

Oooooh, that sounds like a survival show. exciting.

But not as exciting as this.

oh yeah.

Microwave Chocolate Chip Cookie for 1 in a Mug (wow that's long)

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 tablespoons flour
• about tablespoons chocolate chips give or take a tablespoon

Microwave the butter in the mug for 30-40 seconds. Stir in the sugars, vanilla and salt. add egg yolk. add flour, making sure to incorporate all of it. fold in chocolate chips. microwave 40-60 seconds, not over a minute. let cool, and enjoy!

sorry about the beginning of that last post. i meant crushed tomatoes instead of sauce, and soft slices of mozzarella cheese. have fun making pizza!

Grilled Pizza!

I know, it's savory. but i hope you'll forgive me for doing something savory from time to time. After all who doesn't like pizza? especially margherita pizza, made with crushed tomatoes instead of soft, slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, and little, home grown basil leaves. Yum!

trader joe's. om nom nom.

cheeeeeese

mug shot!

sweet, chunky and better than any sauce!

deeeeeeeeelicious.

Pizza:

• 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1 blob fresh mozzarella
• 8-10 fresh basil leaves (optional)
• 2 of your favorite pizza crusts

spread half the tomatoes on 1 crust, repeat with the other crust. slice the mozzarella, and cut the slices in half. place half on one pizza, half on the other. sprinkle basil leaves on top of both. grill or bake in oven on a pizza pan. enjoy!

Kitchen renovation

Hey everyone!

I'm getting my kitchen renovated on tuesday, so I may not have any posts for 3 weeks. i will try to do some no bake recipes, and i will also hopefully have my birthday cake up when the kitchen's done! And perhaps i'll feature an rosh shashana inspired cupcake! can't wait!

Bye for now,
Rhode Island Red

Banana Cream Pie!

Who doesn't love a good old fashioned banana cream pie? It's always been one of my mom's favorites. With a sweet creamy filling, crunchy graham cracker crust, and smooth, airy whipped cream, it's an easy one to love. Especially this recipe, which has a special ingredient added for the slightest tang.

Lots, and LOTS, of whipped cream,

and the cinnamon-y, sweet, crunchy crust,

and thin, sweet banana coins,

and all that pudding-y filling.

Why, yes, i'll have some. Sure.

Banana Cream Pie

Crust

• 14 graham crackers
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2-4 tablespoons water

Filling

• 1 pint heavy  cream
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 package (3.4 oz.) vanilla pudding mix
• 1  cup milk
• 1 cup (8 oz.) cream cheese (<-- secret ingredient) 
• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk 
• 1-2 ripe bananas

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. place graham crackers in a gallon sized plastic bag, seal, and crush with a hard flattish object (i use a soap dispenser). in a medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs with the rest of the ingredients, adding more water if necessary. when crumbs stick slightly, press into bottom and sides of a pie pan. bake for 8-10 minutes, let cool completely. to make filling, mix together pudding mix and milk (it should be thick and radio active yellow in color). With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until really creamy. with the beater(s) still on, add sweetened condensed milk and pudding. transfer to another bowl, and beat heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract until thick and creamy (a.k.a. whipped cream). fold half of the whip cream into the pudding mixture. set the rest aside.

slice banana(s) into coins. spread a thin layer of filling on the pie crust, and press slices into filling. dump filling into crust and top with remaining whip cream. enjoy!