rose cake and salted caramel cupcakes...kinda. and stuff

First attempt at a rose cake. Next time I'll make a heavier frosting so the  roses will hold better. 

Hello! Anybody still here?

So I got into a blog reading mood this morning and signed onto my blog for the first time in a while--I hadn't updated in A YEAR according to the last post date I saw.

That's crazy.

This time last year I had a lot going on (traveling, moving, holidays) so I stopped posting with all intentions to resume blogging in the new year.

Well, the new year came and it didn't happen. Up until February 2012 I kept telling  myself that I would do it the next week...and then the next week. But, it didn't happen. I essentially just stopped baking for the year.

Yea.

Wish I could tell you that I was off doing fabulous things with my time, but I wasn't. Things have been normal and uneventful for me. Working, hanging out, taking little trips here and there and just trying to enjoy my life is all I've been up to. Like this trip with some of my girlfriends to Cape May, NJ in April 2012.
                     

Cape May Getaway <3 br="">

The only big thing this year is that I, of course, got a year older. I turned 26 on September 26, 2012 so it was my Golden Birthday!

My BFFs came to visit me in DC for the weekend and it was a blast. I was celebrated pretty well. :)

 

What else?

Umm, I was Miss Cleo for Halloween! LOL. My Sammie was a Smurf. :O)

                                           

That's pretty much all the updates. I have nothing else to add. :/

That rose cake pictured above is the only major thing I baked this year besides these salted caramel cupcakes that I baked for my birthday.

                         

Yummmm! Salted Caramel Cupcakes

The rose cake was for Sammie's birthday party last night. I baked her a chocolate peanut butter cake and it was pretty tasty.
                               

     

Well, this is the end of my quick update and hello. I'm going to commit to updating my beloved Sinful Sundays on a more frequent basis. I've missed chatting and talking to you all as well, so I'm excited to start "hanging out" again!

 'Til next time. Ciao! :))

better-than-crack brownies

For those days when you a need a strong pick me up, but aren't allowed to do crack because it's illegal, MAKE THESE BROWNIES!

Apparently, they are better than crack. 

I wholly agree.

I mean, they're fudgy brownies that are layered with peanut butter cups, peanuts, chocolate chips, and rice krispies cereal.

That HAS to be better than crack, no?

I have never had crack or anything related to it, (crack is whack, yo) but I am convinced that these are in fact better.

Yea! Proud D.A.R.E. graduate. =)

I saw these on Jessica's site a while back and have been DYING to try them. I'm glad I did because they really do taste incredible---a peanut butter lovers dream.

Make them!

Better Than Crack Brownies--From How Sweet it Is

• 1 batch of brownies
• 1/2 cup salted peanuts (if you don’t have salted, add sea salt)
• 1 cup chopped peanut butter cups
• 1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

Mix brownies according to directions, and bake for 20-25 minutes in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Remove and top them with peanuts and peanut butter cups and bake for an additional  4-6 more minutes.

While they are finishing baking, melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Stir in cereal.
Remove brownies from oven and evenly pour chocolate mixture over top.

Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

**I had them both room  temperature and cold from the fridge---they are DEF better cold**

First Place St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes!

Dark Chocolate Cupcake with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting--Homemade Sugar Candy Crystal on top

Dark Chocolate Cupcake with Whipped Peanut Butter Frosting

Cupcake decorating/best tasting competition at work for St. Patrick's Day.

Didn't think many people would  enter  and I would be the only fool with cupcakes---I was wrong. Many many submissions.

Some were really pretty---others, not so much.

Some tasted good---most, not so much. Just sayin'...

Didn't think I would win because as the judging was going on most people seemed to be raving about all the cupcakes that were made using boxed  mixes. I honestly think majority of people like the taste of those more because it's what everybody grows up with.

That's cool.

I sat around the conference room joking with some of my colleagues, went back to  my desk to get some work done, walked back  to the conference room because I realized I forgot my favorite pen, and everybody started clapping and saying congratulations.

I did win!

It was kind of exciting.

Wasn't going to put these cupcakes up because I already have similar recipes here, but since they DID win (cupcake carrier caddy was the prize) I decided to put up some pictures.

By some,  I mean the 2 that are at the beginning of this post.

That's all I have.   :)


Recipes:

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes from How Sweet Eats

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting from Chaos in the Kitchen 

Peanut Butter Frosting from All Recipes


 

Fudgy Brownies with Whipped Peanut Butter Frosting

So decadent!

My little brother loves brownies. 

Brownies with Twix bars baked in, brownies with Heath bars, brownies with plain chocolate.

He loves them all, and I always get suckered into making a batch for him whenever I’m visiting Miami.

I was missing his cute little face this week, so I decided that I’d make brownies in his honor.

Oh, by the way---my “little” brother is 22 years old.

I just thought I should mention it. People tend to get mad at me when they either meet or see a picture of him.

They expect to see an adorable 6 year old with untied shoelaces dangling his feet from a chair while playing a Game Boy.

But, no. He’s a grown man.

I just don’t see it yet. He will forever be my little brother. But, I digress.

Ahh. That shiny crunchy top is the BEST part of a brownie.

Anyways, he loves brownies. So, I made them this week using the recipe from the back of the King Arthur flour bag.

Wanna know a secret?

Although these brownies were all kinds of yummy, chocolaty, and fudgy, I ALWAYS prefer a brownie box mix to those prepared from scratch.

Yea.

I just think they taste as good and are less fuss than measuring flour and butter. Perhaps I’m a sellout? 

Whatever.

So, these are the brownies I made in honor of my little brother. I added my FAVORITE peanut butter frosting to them, and that only made it taste that much better.  =)

Glass of milk and an episode of "Mad Men" goes perfect with these.

**Brownie recipe HERE 

**Peanut Butter Frosting recipe from Food Network HERE

Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes

This past Sunday I made cupcakes for no particular reason.

I just wanted them.

I made flourless chocolate cupcakes.



Super duper rich, smooth, and intense cupcakes they were.


I made 3 different types of frosting to go with them as well.

Peanut Butter, Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese, and Chocolate Fudge.

Just ‘cause.


I stuck the chocolate frosting in the fridge for too long and it went bad.

It got all hard and junk.


I don’t know why I forgot it in there.

So, I only frosted with the other two .


I ate one cupcake. Then another. And then one more…on Sunday.

Today is Tuesday.

You figure it out.

They were really good. Like, for real.

They got even better as the days went by…well, the 2 days.


You should make these if you want to impress someone.

Or if you just feel like it.

I then went back into my bed and watched a marathon of “Snapped” on Oxygen.

It was a gluttonous and sloth filled day.


I judged myself a little.

But then I had another cupcake and felt a lot better.



Flourless Cupcake Recipe
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 oz) bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted (I used a Dutch blend)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Place 12 paper baking cups in a muffin pan. Put the chocolate and butter in a double boiler, or medium bowl over a pan of simmering water, and stir until completely melted. Set aside to cool. In large bowl, cream the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and thick. Gently fold in the melted chocolate and remaining ingredients.

Spoon the batter into the cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack.

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

8 oz cream cheese, room temp
8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean pod
3-4 cups powdered sugar

Slit your vanilla bean in half and use the tip of your knife to scrape the vanilla bean paste from each side of the pod.

Whip cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth.

Add butter and beat to combine.

Add vanilla and vanilla bean paste.

Beat in powdered sugar a little at a time until frosting is as thick and sweet as you’d like.

Peanut Butter Frosting Recipe

**The chocolate fudge frosting was a fail.