"Gotta make it!"

You know the recipes. The ones that you find, say out loud, "Oh my goodness, I have to try that!" If your like me, you'll print it off and add it to the other hundred "gotta make it" recipe pile. My pile is on top of the microwave. I have occasionally hole punched it and organized it nice and neat in a three ring binder, but the pile still gets away from me. Here's a recipe that I WILL make, on July 15th. Why July 15th you ask? That's the date the very last installment of Harry Potter movies come out.

This 'butterbeer' that we hear so much about in the movies is apparently as easy as mixing 1-2 liter cream soda and 1 c. butterscotch schnapps. Now, that's not the recipe I am wanting to try, it that cupcake up above, I found a recipe for it from another blogger who actually went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure park. She had the butterbeer and made up her own recipe. Because she posted her own recipe I will just share it with you.

Butterbeer Cupcakes

Makes 18.

For the cupcakes:.

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon butter flavoring

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup cream soda.

For the ganache:.

1 11-oz. package butterscotch chips

1 cup heavy cream.

For the butter cream frosting:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup butterscotch ganache

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon butter flavoring

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 16-oz. package powdered sugar

Splash of milk or cream (as needed).

For the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine your flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, cream your butter until light and fluffy. Add your sugars and beat until well-combined. Beat in your eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then beat in your vanilla and butter flavoring..Alternate adding your buttermilk, cream soda, and dry ingredients in batches until all are well incorporated.

Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full, then bake for 15 to 17 minutes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and cake springs back to the touch. Cool completely on wire racks..

For butterscotch filling:

In a double boiler (heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water on the stove), combine butterscotch chips and heavy cream and stir until completely combined and smooth. Cool to room temperature. Fill a squeeze bottle with ganache and insert into the center of each cupcake, squeezing until filling begins to overflow..

For butter cream frosting:

Cream butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add in ganache, vanilla, butter flavoring, and salt and mix until well combined. Beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until reaching desired consistency. Add milk or cream by the Tablespoon as needed. Frost cupcakes and top with a drizzle of butterscotch ganache.

Recipe compliments of: http://amybites.com/?p=623

There you have it! That's my GOTTA MAKE IT and WILL MAKE IT recipe.

Yep, I'm pretty proud of these!

I was out for a half an hour the other day after our a thunderstorm and was taking picutres of the lightening from the storm that just passed. I should have been out before because it was dying down quite a bit by the time I got out there but this is what I got.

Again, I was quite pleased with myself and my new found abilities with my camera.

Ribbon Cake

Okay, so it's not quite what I had in mind but I love how it turned out. She wanted pink and I gave it to her!

Update on Will

Will had his 15 month check up on Monday and he weighed 28 ½ lbs and is 32 inches long. Big boy, but we all knew that. If you remember, he started walking back in January, so naturally, he is running and climbing onto EVERYTHING! Truly, everything. The other day, we were hanging outside and while I was attempting to weed the flowers a bit, Will decided he wanted to ride the four- wheeler. It was just a few feet behind me so I let him play by it and when I turned back around not but a minute later, he was on top of the dang thing, straddling it and playing with all the knobs and gadgets. Afraid of him falling off, I stand right by him as he gets off of it as if he had done this a hundred times.

Every time we go outside, he runs straight for the lawn mower that is broken down by the garden. He loves to sit on it and pretend to run it. We can just tell that he is a natural farmer. On Sundays, when Dennis has to watch him while I’m either at work or sleeping , he is Dads little helper. They will fix fence together, check cows, just do the farm chores that have to be done.

He is also a wonderful sharer. Just last night, we were sitting in front of the TV eating watermelon and grapes when Will turned around and started shoving grapes in my mouth. It was so funny. I guess I looked hungry or just that he enjoyed making me laugh.

I could go on forever about this little kid. He is such a joy to hang out with. His personality grows every day. We are still working on following directions and things like not hitting. Will has just started the hitting stage. He thinks it is funny even when I get the stern face telling him NO. It will all resolve in time. Until then, we will enjoy every second with this little man and try our best at raising a true gentleman.

Rose swirl

After seeing this swirl tha looks like a rose, I just had to figure it out. It is so beautiful and... easy to make! I had to try a couple of different types of decorating tips to finally figure out what one works but boy I was so excited when I found the one!

I look forward to having an order for these, wouldnt they be georgous for a wedding? This also gives me an idea
for how to make a cake look like a bouquet of roses.

If you are looking to making this swirl, you have to use a tip that is compleatly closed. You simply start the swirl on the inside of the cupcake and work your way out. Ending by putlling the tip away and seal it with some kind of embelishment. No, you dont have to but it adds that finishing touch!

Amazing cupcakes!

Peaches and Cream cupcakes! Yes, they are as amazing as they sound. The reason they are not as beautiful as they should be, my monster of a child, decided he wanted one. Or twelve. He decided to take matters into his own hands since Mom was not doing anything about his little wants. He dumped the entire container of Peaches and Cream cupcakes upside down. A little love and I salvaged all but one.

Red Velvet is a favorite to most people. It's a classic cupcake that will
always be a request. I needed to find a recipe that was the most moist red velvet cake. That is after all, the most important job of a baker, make moist cakes.

I'm not sure if this will be the recipe but it was delicious.

Twizzler cupcake is one that I will keep around for a very long time. If you love twizzlers, you will love this cupcake. Nope, I'm not going to give this recipe out either. The cupcake part is a vanilla cupcake with a twizzler filling and in this case, a cream cheese frosting. I haven't decided if I like butter cream or cream cheese better on this cupcake. Talk about unique. And that's what I want to be known for, unique.



Key Lime is even refreshing to say! Doesn't it scream summer? This is a heavy cupcake so, I think I need to figure out a way to make it lighter. I'll have to mess around with it a bit to find the perfect consistency. Even a thick cupcake, it is delish!

Memorial Day Weekend

We had such a great weekend full of BBQ's and family fun. Before the BBQ on Monday, we met up with a friend and her daughter, you know her, I've talked about the ever so adorable Jaelynn, and took some 15 month pictures of the two. Of coarse, Will is not quite 15 months and Jaelynn has been for two weeks but it works out well.

We actually ended up having four, that's right FOUR barbeque's over the entire weekend. Friday night, we just had another couple come over to our house for some yummy ribs.

Saturday night, we went over to another friends house, she just so happens to be my boss. More great food, and even better company.

Monday after my parent's barbecue, we went to the couple who came over on Friday night house. Again, way too much food with wonderful friends.

For all these barbeque's, I made moscato cupcakes. They were oh so moist!

Now, I'll keep my recipe a secret, but if you want to attempt to make your own kind, this is what you can try.

You may use a basic cake recipe, whatever is your favorite of choice. I used chocolate. When the recipe calls for water or milk or whatever kind of liquid in the cake, you simply substitute that with the mascato. Easy peasy right?!

Now, for the frosting, you take the left over wine and boil it down until you have about 2-3 tablespoons left. You will use this instead of the liquid you have for that recipe, so milk, any extracts, and so on.

Good luck and enjoy!