Cupcake Camp Canada

YAY! I thought it would be months before the next Canadian cupcake camp would take place. Luckily the good people at cupcakecamp.ca have organized cupcake Capital in Ottawa for the end of March. 

You can sign up as a baker, or better yet, come as a taster! (The proceeds go to a great cause, and  $1300 was raised in Toronto for the Toronto Humane Society.)

Mark your calendars, get your cuppies (or appetites) and head over to the Capital. Here are the details:

Sunday, March 29th, 2009

2 to 5 pm 

Jack Purcell Community Center

320 Jack Purcell Lane

Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2J5

www.cupcakecamp.ca

And of course Duh-licious will be there with cuppies (maybe I'll get more stickers for everyone this time!!) Can't wait. xoxox

Fat Tuesday Pancakes

Happy Mardi Gras!

That is 'Fat Tuesday' for the uni-lingual:) These are basic Canadian pancakes shaped into a heart for some added flair. So why not indulge in some decadent goodness?? (assuming that you broke your New Years Resolution) 

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, stirred or sifted before measuring
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions
1. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
2.In a separate bowl, combine egg and milk; add to flour mixture, stirring only until smooth. Blend in melted butter.
3. Cook on a hot, greased griddle, using about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. I used the my Valentine's Day cookie cutter to make the heart shape cupcake. All you do is lightly grease the cookie cutter, and place it in the center of the pan or griddle, and pour your batter in the middle. Cook until brown on one side and around edge; turn and brown the other side.
Enjoy!

Blogcation; Black Bottom Cupcakes

I AM GOING ON VACATION! Wow, it feels so great to say that:) My bags are packed, and I'm ready to head south for 10 days. Toronto has been averaging temperatures below -10'C over the last few weeks, so it's going to feel really nice to lay on the beach! Sorry for rubbing it in, but I'm going to leave you with an AWESOME recipe from David Lebovitz's book The Great Book of Chocolate. Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day to all the love birds (and single ladies too!)
xoxo

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup (80 ml) unflavored vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350'F; and line a cupcake tray with paper liners

2. Cream the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until creamy and smooth. Set aside while you make the Chocolate Cupcake batter.

3. In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl mix the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Stir the ingredients together, and mix until blended. Evenly divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups.

4. Spoon a tablespoon of the cream cheese filling into the center of each cupcake.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until the cream cheese filling is lightly browned.

6. Remove, and allow to cool on a wire rack

Chewbacca Cake

I finally attempted to make my *first* decorated cake this week. I made a Chewbacca bust for my friends Birthday (.. and yes, he's a Star Wars fan). It's a little off, but I had so much fun trying to put it together.

Oh, and if you are wondering, Wookies are a lot harder to make than one would think.

Valentine's Day Cookies.. with a twist!

I feel like Valentine's Day is one of those holidays that I should be totally against... But I just can't be. There is something about the pink, red and white that always gets to me (plus it helps to have that significant other:) What better way to show that someone special that you care by making them their present? Nothing says I love you like chocolate and cookies. 

His and Hers Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

1  3/4  Cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 Cup unsalted butter

3/4 Cup sugar

1 Egg

1/2 Tsp baking powder

1 Tsp vanilla extract

1/8 Tsp salt

1/2 Cup White Candy Melts

1/2 Cup Red Candy Melts

1/2 Cup Semisweet Chocolate

Directions

1. Cream butter and sugar

2.Add egg and vanilla extract, and mix until combined

3. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough.

4. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap with cling wrap, and place in the fridge for 20 minutes. 

5. Preheat oven to 350'F

6. Remove dough from fridge, and roll it to a 1/4" thickness

7. Use a heart shape cookie cutter, and transfer cutouts to a parchment lined cookie sheet

8. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Recipe makes about 15 cookies

 While the cookies are baking, melt the chocolate over three separate double-boilers. Start by dipping the cookie in white chocolate, and then diagonally in either the chocolate (tuxedo cookie) or pink (sweater and pearls) candy melts, allowing the chocolate to set in between each colour. Tip: use parchment triangles to add details such as a bow tie, or pearls:)

*If you don't have the time or patience to make His and Hers cookies, just go nuts like I did below. Happy Valentine's Day

Vanilla Crescents with Marmalade Filling - Cornulete Fragede

I got this recipe from my mom. They are a traditional Romanian dessert called 'cornulete fragede'! We made these around Christmas, and they were such a big hit with everyone that we've made them a few times since!

250 g butter

200 ml milk

500 g powdered sugar

1/2 kg marmalade (I used rose hip)

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp yeast

1 package of vanilla sugar

flour - the recipe calls for as much flour as the dough will absorb - I'll explain this later

Directions

1. Soften butter on a medium setting

2. In a separate glass, heat milk in a microwave until warm. Stir in yeast, and allow to sit for 4 minutes. 

3. Stir in yeast and milk mixture into the butter. Add Vinegar and mix well

4. Slowly add flour. The recipe calls for enough flour so the dough can be kneaded. I usually stop adding the flour when the dough is no longer sticky, and no more flour will mix in (about 2 cups)

5. Knead the dough; you may need to add more flour so the dough is manageable and not 'sticky'. Pay special care at this step; you need a well kneaded dough (hehe)

6. Once you have kneaded the dough; place in a bowl and cover it with cling wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

7. Roll out the dough 1/4" thick. You may find it easier to separate the dough if you separate it into about 4 sections.

8. Cut the dough into even squares (relatively)
9. Place about a tsp of marmalade in the center

10. Roll it diagonally to get the crescent shape

11. Bake at 350'F until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. 

12. In a separate bowl, mix powdered sugar and vanilla sugar. As soon as the crescents are out of the oven, allow them to cool for a quick minute, and roll them in the sugar individually. Place them on a rack to cool.