Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

So, last week I was laid off from my new job. I had been there one day under two weeks, and needless to say I was devastated. I like to keep busy, and I like to be creative. My job was working for a newspaper and doing some graphic design *heaven*. So when the next day came and I sat at home all day it was hard to be creative with this disappointment in my mind. But by day two I was on a mission to be positive. And with that enthusiasm came my desire to cook and bake again. I made Stir Fry, Pizza, Beer & Cheese Soup, Cheese Biscuits, and these fabulous cupcakes. So, be prepared for a delicious summer treat!

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 egg

1/2 cup lemon juice*

6 large strawberries, chopped up find

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake tin; recipe should make 12.

2. In large bowl, mix together the butter and egg, then add the sugar, lemon juice and strawberries.

3. Add the milk, flour, and baking powder. Be sure to mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

4. Using muffin scoop (or large spoon if muffin scoop is not available), distribute batter among cupcake liners. The recipe should yield 12 cupcakes.

5. Bake cupcakes in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Because of the moisture from the fresh fruit, it may need a minute or two more. Once they're done, let them cool on wire wrack for at least an hour until you frost them. P.S. these taste delicious without frosting too!

Strawberry Lemonade Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup (or more) icing sugar

4 strawberries, finely chopped or pureed

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. heavy cream

Directions:

1. Using an electric hand mixer, mix together the butter and icing sugar.

2. Add the strawberries and lemon juice, mix on low.

3. Add the cream and and any extra icing sugar needed to get the right consistency. Mix well.

4. If piping the frosting, I suggest using a larger star tip, this way the strawberries won't clog up your piping bag.

5. Frost your cupcakes and enjoy! 

Wedding Cake #2

Yesterday I had the opportunity to make my second wedding cake! I was super excited, and slightly nervous. I had never made a tiered cake in the past, so this was a new experience for me. It was nice and simple, vanilla for the first tier, and chocolate for the second, frosted in vanilla buttercream. And, it turned out! So here's the photos of the wedding cake.

I love weddings!

So, today I got to bake my first ever wedding cake! I was so excited when I was asked to do this, but so nervous at the same time, my hands were literally shaking when I was putting the cupcakes onto the tower, because I didn't want anything to fall. But we made it! It's all standing, all decorated, and beautiful!

Thank you Stephen & Breanne for having me do this for you, and all the best in your new life together!

Please excuse the bad quality, all I had with my was my phone.

Lemon Cupcakes

So on Thursday night this week it was our last jr. youth small groups night. It's been such an awesome year with these beautiful ladies and getting to know them, and I had a great time at our last night together. Unfortunately, most girls couldn't make it due to baseball season.

But, the two girls that did come got to eat these cupcakes and we had a tea party in the park!


Lemon Cupcakes
Ingredients:
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In large bowl, combine sugar and margarine. Whip until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.
3. Gradually add the milk and lemon juice, mix well.
4. In small bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add to wet ingredients, mix until fully blended.
5. Scoop batter into mini cupcake liners and bake 8-10 minutes. Top with frosting of choice!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups butter, softened
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
coarsely chopped milk chocolate
coarsely chopped semi sweet chocolate
Smuckers Caramel Sauce
salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
2. In separate bowl using hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mix well. Stir in vanilla.
3. Gently stir in dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.
4. Fold in chopped chocolate.
5. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheets, press into each cookie with index finger lightly. Add small amount of caramel sauce to each cookie. Sprinkle with salt and bake for 8 minutes.

Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes

It's been a while since I posted an update, or a recipe, so here's what I've been up to! It's late, but none-the-less it's here. A couple weeks ago the bible study group I attend (Revolution) had a beach party! And since here in Canada it gets kind of cold, it was a great reason to dress up (or down) in our beach wear, play some games, and eat awesome food! So, here is my recipe for these delicious cupcakes.

Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh strawberries, cored*
2 1/3 cups flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 1/2 tsps baking powder
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
4 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Using a food processor (or in my case, a blender if you don't have one), puree the strawberries. Keep 3/4 cup of the strawberries for the cupcakes, reserve 1/4 cup for the buttercream frosting (recipe below).
3. In small bowl whip egg whites and vanilla until light and fluffy.
4. In large bowl mix together the strawberry puree, butter, sugar, and baking powder. Once well blended, add the flour and mix well.
5. Gently fold in the egg white mixture until fully incorporated.
6. Using a muffin scoop, distribute the batter among muffin liners. Bake for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven. From this recipe it made about 12 regular sized cupcakes, and 8 mini's, if that helps.
7. Decorate with frosting once cooled and enjoy!


Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients:
1/4 cup strawberry puree
4 1/2 cups icing sugar (or less, if desired consistancy is met)
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
1. Whip together butter, strawberry puree, and vanilla until well blended.
2. Gradually add the icing sugar and mix until smooth.
3. Pipe or frost cupcakes as desired and take a million photos (like me, haha) and enjoy!

Baking in Africa

So, for those of you who don't know, on November 8th I left with 9 others from my church to go to Zambia, Africa for 2.5 weeks. Our church sponsors a home through the orphanage Seeds of Hope Childrens Ministries and they sent a team down there to go and volunteer for a while and get to know the area/community.

So after we arrived late November 10th, we got settled and experienced things you only really witness on TV...until you're in those situations. It was such a God time and I will forever be thankful for having the opportunity to go.

One day while we were there, we decided to have a party with our sponsor kids. So we started planning a party. We made fondue, cut up fruit, and I was asked to bake! I was so excited. So during the day I went to the office kitchen (this way our dorm wouldn't be over-heating with the oven on, seeing as it was already in the high +30, celsius that is). I mixed my batter, poured it in the pan, and slid it into the tiny oven that only had Fahrenheit temperature numbers. I was so confused, but thank goodness for the only metric conversion chart in the back of an old cookbook in one of the cupboards.

The party went so well, we gave our sponsor kids some gifts, ate some good food, all while the power was out. It was candle-light, and it was such a beautiful time with the kids. I will never forget this experience.

It was an interesting experience to get to bake in Africa. I wasn't expecting it, but it was so much fun. And for those of you wondering what I made, I decided on my Luscious Buttermilk Brownies, and they were a hit!

So for your viewing pleasure, here are a few photos from my time in Africa!