Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Cupcakes!

For months my sister Jen has been posting pictures of the most amazing looking cupcakes. She'd make them for any random holiday and they looked amazing. Teacher Appreciation Week? Every teacher gets a fancy-schmancy swirly-topped chocolate filled cupcake. Church potluck? Here are some fresh-from-the-oven cinnamon roll cupcakes. Grandpa is turning 80? Oh I'll just bring 100 cupcakes in my favorite five flavors. Seriously, if it weren't for the delicious confections, the family might have staged an intervention.

But then MY birthday came around. Jen did not make me gourmet cupcakes, but instead gave me a copy of her beloved go-to cupcake recipe book, complete with her personal opinions and tips. (Why she couldn't have made me cupcakes along with giving me the book is still a mystery. I like to eat decadent confections too sweet sister.) This book, (and the companion blog) Your Cup of Cake, had all the cupcakes I'd seen in Jen's facebook posts as well as dozens of others she hadn't made yet. The hubs and I drooled over each page and wondered what to make first. Dan shook us out of our indecision and chose these, cookies and cream filled cupcakes.


The recipe wasn't difficult at all. This particular one had several steps but none required an advanced culinary degree or chef's training, so we were good to go. This recipe (and it appears others in the book are this way too) was actually super easy to get my little "helper" involved. Lana Jean was so excited to make these fancy cupcakes the dear girl could hardly keep her skin on. Including her in the process was mandatory (seriously, she was begging to make cupcakes at 7 am, on a Saturday). She did a great job whisking ingredients, putting papers in the cupcake pan, separating (and eating) the cookies, and later decorating the finished product with drizzles (and drizzles and drizzles) of white melting chocolate.

They turned out so gooooood! It was well worth the early wake-up call to get these beauties made. I'd definitely make these again. The cake part itself is so moist and melty with a rich chocolate flavor. The filling is cookies and cream perfection without being too sugar-sweet or grainy, and the chocolate ganache topping is simply divine.

Obviously Lana and I enjoyed them, as did the harvest crew we surprised with a mid-day treat. Now, what cupcake recipe should we tackle next?


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Don't forget when your mum's birthday is, and your dads and, mama' s day and papa's day, and Christmas, and thanksgiving, and 4th of July. And any other excuse to share with your parents. Yum, yum. Luv mum.