Have You Had Nightmares From A Trophy?

Late at night, long after the unsuspecting cupcake baker had crawled into bed, her baking trophy jumped off of its stand and made its way to the bedroom. Sure, it was short, and his chef knife had not been sharpened, but he was mad. "Tomatoes and pinto beans are not cupcake ingredients!" he screamed out as he approached the baker.

The trophy winner thought she heard something, but assumed it was just the cupcake photographer gently breathing beside her.


She noticed nothing until the plastic knife was at her throat. She called out for mercy and the trophy responded with, "Only if you present me to someone with a better tomato recipe!" She then realized the problem - he hadn't tasted the cupcakes.

"Once you try them, you'll understand why they won," she assured him.

"I hope," she thought to herself.

She let him know that the baked bean and tomato cupcake post would be up on Cupcake Project soon. Should he try them and not like them, she would be happy to give the title to someone else.

The trophy, however, stood firm. This time, he pointed his two pronged fork (what is that supposed to be?) at her eyes.

Then, our cupcake baker pulled out her secret weapon: "Did you happen to know that you have a typo on yourself?"

It was true. She had won the prize at "Tomato Fest" and the trophy read "Tomato Feast". The trophy turned tomato red with shame. He decided that he'd best keep his mouth shut except to try the baked bean and tomato cupcakes as soon as the recipe was posted.

The cupcake baker and the cupcake photographer went on with no need to fear the trophy sneaking into their bed at night. The baker held the trophy high and rejoiced.

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Tomato Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Tomato cream cheese frosting is sweet. You might not even know that the tomato frosting has tomato in it until the aftertaste hits you - then, you'll know for sure. If you doubt that it could be good, I'll give you brief preview of my next post: this tomato frosting topped first prize winner cupcakes! Details on that cupcake and my first ever baking trophy are coming soon!!

The Tomato Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

• ¼ C butter, room temperature
• 8 oz package of cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 C powdered sugar
• 2 T tomato paste (I used extra-concentrated tomato paste to keep the frosting from getting too moist and runny)
• ½ t vanilla extract

1. Mix butter and cream cheese until smooth.
2. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Add more or less to make it as stiff as you like.
3. Mix in the tomato paste and vanilla extract.

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TCHO Fruity is Fruitastic

When I got a beta sample of TCHO Chocolatey through Blake Makes, I thought I was done with TCHO until I purchased some on my own. I was shocked to get an email from TCHO apologizing that they had taken so long to get me my next sample. Obviously, I was not upset about it. I was quite excited to find out that I would be getting more!

Then, the sample arrived. It was addressed to the wrong name, but clearly it was for me. There are no other food bloggers on my block (as far as I know). I didn't worry about the name thing at all. However, apparently TCHO realized it and they were concerned. I got a few calls apologizing and assuring me that I would get future samples sent to the correct name. Future samples? Wow!

Were the Samples Good?

Good is not the right word. I LOVED TCHO Fruity. Fruity in a quality chocolate does not mean added artificial fruit flavor. It means that the fruity taste of the cacao shines. As the bar lingers in your mouth, all kinds of citrusy notes come through. It almost makes your mouth pucker.

They also sent me the latest version of Chocolatey. This is the bar that I previously described as tasting like brownie batter. I wish I had the one I tasted before to do a side-by-side comparison with, but this one didn't taste like brownie batter. Although that was still the initial taste, as it sat it your mouth different spicy flavors came out. Jonathan thought it tasted tobaccoey.

Try them both and see for yourself. You will not regret it. I can't wait for the next flavor.

Speaking of Trying Things

Many of you know that I don't do memes. However, with surprise free chocolate, it's just that kind of day. I decided that I would respond to some memes.

I've been tagged by some amazing bloggers. I've kept a running list that includes:

• Tart Reform
• Tempered Woman
• Airy Fairy
• Little Ivy Cakes
  
• Take the Cannoli
• Sweet Stilettos

Most recently, I was tagged by The Cupcakery (a fab cupcake blog) for a six random things about me meme. Since I've got 7 blogs on the blogs that have tagged me list, I am going to write a list with 7 things, one that relates to each blog on the list.

1. Tart Reform hasn't blogged for almost year. My random fact is that I miss her. Hello? Are you out there?
2. Tempered Woman is pregnant. My random fact is that I have only changed a diaper once in my life and it was with the help of a friend who also had no idea how to change a diaper.
3. Airy Fairy is the only other food blogger I know who has dressed up in a fairy costume. If you missed it, I was the green fairy for my absinthe cupcakes. Random fact is that that is one of the few times I have let Jonathan do a photoshoot of me.
4. Little Ivy Cakes is someone that I want to give a big hug to even though I have never met her. Then, I read that that Sweeney Todd is one of her favorite movies and I'm a bit scared. That movie creeped me out. Perhaps after the hug, I'd have to find out why she liked it.
5. Take the Cannoli is a knitter. Knitting and baking seem to go together and I think knitting is an awesome hobby. I, however, found that knitting was not for me. It requires a certain degree of perfectionism that I just don't possess.
6. Sweet Stilettos loves shoes. My random fact here is that I can't wear flip flops. I hate them! I don't like the thing that goes between my toes.
   
7. The Cupcakery talks about how she has a huge cookbook collection. I actually have a very small collection of cookbooks. I get most of my recipes off of the Web. The only cupcake cookbook that I've used more than once is Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Got another one that you think I must own?

I'm going to go ahead and tag 6 food bloggers for this one. These are people who have commented on this blog who I have never mentioned in a post before. I want to give them some link love. If I tag you, feel free to ignore it or just say thanks. I don't want anybody to feel obligated to do anything.

1. Sophie from Flour Arrangements
2. Kamaile from Simple Food
3. Deborah from Taste and Tell
4. Jen from A Lovely Baker
5. Andreea from On Food and Wine
6. Anonymous from I Have No idea. Anonymous is a regular commenter on this blog who often makes me smile. Thanks!
   

The other person who tagged me recently was a non-food blogger: Stike. Match. A Fashion Explosion. She gave me the Arte y Pico award: “This award is given based on creativity, design, interesting material, and overall contribution to the blogging community.” I was so honored to be the only food blog on her list! I'll share the love by listing a few of my favorite non-food blogs.

1. Mix Mingle Glow
2. Better Living Through Design
3. Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories
4. Haha.nu
5. ProBlogger
6. Awesomology
   

Final Note

I may never respond to a meme again, or I may have turned over a whole new leaf. We shall see. Either way, please don't take it personally if it takes a long time for me to get back to you.

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Plum Cupcakes: Almost Like Plum Tarts

Plum cupcakes were a definite bake this summer. The farmers' market plums were too tempting to resist! Before the plum cupcakes were baked, they didn't match the color of the wrappers at all. However, I was excited to see that after baking the plum cupcakes, the plum and wrapper completely matched!

How Were the Plum Cupcakes?


I made these plum cupcakes using Dorie Greenspan's Dimply Plum Cake recipe. Although I was familiar with Dorie from all of Dorie's blogger fans out there, this was actually the first Dorie recipe I've tried. I found it on The Wednesday Chef. You should definitely check out the picture of her plum cake. It's gorgeous!

The plum cupcakes were delicious. However, they turned out much drier and heavier than I would have imagined. They almost tasted like a plum tart - which is not a bad thing! Because they were so dry, they went perfectly with the super-moist plum jello that I ended up frosting them with. You could, of course, also frost them with any of your favorite frostings or not frost them at all and just top them with a little bit of powdered sugar.

The Plum Cupcake Recipe

Like I said above, the plum cupcake recipe is Dorie Greenspan's Dimply Plum Cake converted to cupcake form. Here is the recipe, with my notes:

Makes 12 cupcakes

• 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t ground cardamom
• 5 T unsalted butter
• 3/4 C packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 C canola oil
• Grated zest of one lemon (I used 1/2 t lemon extract instead)
• 1 1/2 t pure vanilla extract
• 8 purple or red plums, halved and pitted

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and ground cardamom.
2. Cream the butter with the brown sugar.
   
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
   
4. Beat in the oil, lemon zest and vanilla. Reduce the speed and add the flour mixture.
5. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full or higher (they don't rise very much) and place some cut slices of plum on each one. Another fun option would be to fill the liners halfway, add some plum slices, then fill the rest and add some more plum.
   
6. Bake for about 20 minutes or until they bounce back when touched lightly.
7. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before frosting.

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Jello Frosting: A Cool and Refreshing Way to Top Cupcakes

Jello frosting is cool, refreshing, and a perfect topping for a summer cupcake!

What is Jello Frosting?

Jello frosting is just jello! I used cookie cutters to make various-sized circles of jello and placed them on the cupcake.

The Problem with Jello Frosting

There is only one small problem with jello frosting: cupcakes are best at room temperature and jello is best really cold. I ended up eating the cupcakes slightly colder than normal and the jello slightly warmer than normal - at the point where it almost got a little runny, but not quite.

Why Jello Frosting?

I had the chance to interview Janice and Liz, The Meal Makeover Moms. They take unhealthy recipes and try to remake them as something healthy that kids will still love. One of the recipes in their book, The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers, is for jello. I decided to do a makeover of my own and use their jello as a healthy alternative to frosting.

BTW - On Food Interviews, I am giving away 2 copies of the book!! Enter before Tuesday, August 19th.

The Jello Recipe

Sure, you could use Jell-O from a box. However, I made plum jello using fresh plums and the recipe inspired by The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers:

• 1 1/2 C plum juice (I made this juice by peeling fresh, farmers' market plums, cutting them up, and blending them. It was not 100% smooth and it was somewhat thick. But, it was super yummy! I'd tell you how many plums I used, but I actually forgot to write it down. Bad, bad.)
• 1 packet unflavored gelatin (1 T)
• 1/2 C boiling water
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1/8 t salt

1. Combine the gelatin with 1/4 C cold water in a medium bowl and let soften, 3 minutes.
2. Add the boiling water, sugar, and salt, and stir until the sugar dissolves.
3. Add the plum juice to the gelatin mixture and stir.
4. Pour into a 9 x 13 glass dish and chill.
5. When cool, cut out shapes with cookie cutters. While I used circles, you could use any fun shape you like!

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Spice Cupcakes with a Candy Center: Meet the Barrister

These spice cupcakes were inspired by Chris Reed (no, this cupcake is not designed to look like him). I interviewed Chris about his Reed's natural sodas and he mentioned that one of his favorite party drinks was a float with his Spiced Apple Brew and some vanilla ice cream (he's clearly a party animal).

I decided to make spiced cupcakes that contain Reed's Spiced Apple Brew and to perch some vanilla bean buttercream frosting on top (I got the word "perch" from a comment left here by [Eating Club] Vancouver - I think it sounds so cute!).

I was originally planning on using my sticky candy as a topper for the spice cupcakes. However, the cupcakes were a wee bit on the dry side and using the candy as a filling instead of a topper completely solved that problem.

The cupcake itself was not exceptional. However, everyone loved the filling. As taster Ran (my single friend who I have dubbed Groom 2.5) noted, "It was definitely a happy ending when you reached that surprise in the center."

The Spice Cupcake Recipe

Makes 12 cupcakes

• 1 C Reed’s Spiced Apple Brew (if you can’t find this product, you could use a Ginger Ale)
• 1 t apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 C sugar
• 1/3 C applesauce
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 1 t lemon juice
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 t fresh ginger, chopped very finely
• 1 1/3 C flour
• 3/4 t baking soda
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 12 sticky candies (make them yourself or use a store-bought sticky caramel candy)

1. Combine the soda and the vinegar.
2. Add in the sugar and the applesauce and mix well.
3. Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice.
4. Add in the ginger, flour, baking soda, and baking powder and mix until just incorporated.
5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
6. Drop a candy into each liner.
7. Bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when touched.

The Frosting

I frosted the spice cupcakes with vanilla bean buttercream frosting. This frosting tastes just like vanilla ice cream. I love it!

I frosted some spice cupcakes completely like you see above. However, I chose to frost other cupcakes (where I had used bigger pieces of sticky candy) like barristers (as you see at the very top of this post). I’m not going to explain what the barrister cupcake is sitting on. See if you can figure it out.

Where Have I Been?

I just returned from a wedding in Jackson Hole. Guess what? There were cupcakes! I didn’t make them, but I definitely ate some!

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Really Sticky Candy with Applesauce

My really sticky candy with applesauce is like no other candy I've encountered before - which isn't necessarily a good thing. It's REALLY STICKY. It's so sticky, in fact, that unless it's fresh out of the refrigerator, you can't pick the candy up - it just sticks to your fingers.

Jonathan loved the sticky candy. I did not. Although I did enjoy the subtle apple flavor, I found it to be way too messy and somewhat too sweet for regular eating.

What I did love, however, is what I did with the sticky candy. I baked it right plop in the center of cupcakes to give them a sweet and chewy middle. You'll see that soon and by soon, I mean some time next week. Sorry to make you wait more than the normal couple of days. I'll explain why later.

The Sticky Candy with Applesauce Recipe

I based the sticky candy with applesauce recipe on the pineapple candy that I made a while back. Despite the recipes being very similar, swapping applesauce for pineapple gave me a completely different type of candy. This shouldn't be surprising since pineapple actually has a texture.

Makes one cookie sheet of candies the size you see in the picture.

• 1 C granulated white sugar
• 1/2 C packed brown sugar
• 1/4 C heavy cream
• 8 oz applesauce
• 1 T butter
• 1 t pure vanilla extract

1. Place white sugar, brown sugar, heavy cream, and applesauce in a heavy saucepan.
2. Stir and bring to a gentle boil.
3. Cook, without stirring, until the temperature reaches 242 F on a candy thermometer.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Stir in butter and vanilla.
6. Beat until creamy and thick.
7. Drop by the teaspoonful onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
8. Let cool.
9. Refrigerate right on the baking sheet.
10. Once they are cold, you can pull them off the sheet and store them in a different container in the refrigerator or use them in cupcakes!

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Knit Cupcake and More Vere Reviews

Nupur made me this cute knit cupcake!

I interviewed Nupur (One Hot Stove) for Food Interviews at my house. I love doing phone interviews with people across the country, but nothing beats face-to-face encounters. Not only did Jonathan (he's now STLPhoto on Twitter) and I share a lovely dinner with Nupur and her husband, but Nupur actually brought me a knit cupcake! Is it no