Mickey And Minnie Mummy Cupcakes

Boo….Are you ready for Halloween?  Honestly, I wasn’t ready at all until my Mother-in-law took the kids out for Halloween costumes shopping last weekend.  Many of the more popular costumes were either sold out or didn’t have the size for my kids.  I didn’t know people get ready so early when there were more than 3 weeks before Halloween arrives.  With that said, I guess I better get ready and swing into Halloween mood earlier this year as well.  I was planning to dress my kids as Mickey and Minnie Mouse since they are big fans of the mouse.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get those outfits this year.  So, here are some Mickey and Minnie Mummy Cupcakes for the kiddos.  These mummy cupcakes are so much fun to make and for sure will get you into Halloween mood.  Here’s what you need:



1) Prepare some Chocolate cupcakes, of course.  I used this recipe here.  You can use your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe or even boxed cake mix for these.
2) Chocolate Nonpareil Candies for Mickey and Minnie’s ears.
3) Light color Buttercream or frosting.  I used my favorite Meyer Lemon Buttercream recipe here.
4) Chocolate Covered Raisins for Mickey and Minnie’s eyes.
5) Marshmallows
6) Powdered sugar for rolling the marshmallows
7) Heart Shaped Confetti for Minnie’s Bowtie



Here are the steps:

1) Lightly dust a clean surface and your rolling pin with powdered sugar.  With a dusted rolling pin, flatten the marshmallows.  You’ll need about 3 marshmallows for each cupcake.
2) With a kitchen scissors, cut the rolled marshmallows into strips.
3) Frost the cupcakes with a thin layer of Buttercream or frosting. The frosting acts as adhesive for the marshmallow strips and chocolate candies.
4) Place a pair of the chocolate covered raisins on the upper one third of the cupcakes as eyes.
5) Press a pair of chocolate nonpareil candies, white side down, onto the top of the cupcakes as ears.  Refrain myself yourself from eating all the chocolate candies before your project is done. 
6) Place the marshmallow strips at an angle over the frosted cupcakes, leaving the eyes exposed.  Gently press the marshmallow strips so they’ll stick onto the frosting.  Trip off excess marshmallow strips around the cupcakes.



See how simple and easy that was?  I really love this mummy cupcake project.  Fun factor: 80 out of 100.  Spooky factor: 60 out of 100.  60 is pretty much my kids’ standard.  They were wondering why Mickey and Minnie were all bundled up!  After a brief explanation (not too sure if my kids were really listening), the cupcakes mysteriously disappeared.    Spooky, huh?



Cute factor: 100 out of 100.  I’m not a fan for the mouse (guess that’s because I see them too often around the house), but I have to say, these mummy cupcakes are super adorable.  Hope you like them too and maybe make some with your kids this Halloween.  My little girl sure enjoyed the time with me in the kitchen today.  She indulged a few Minnie's ears and Mickey's eyes here and there while having fun rolling out marshmallows with me.




Printable Project




This project is shared with:

Foodie Friday
Friday Favorite
I'm Lovin' It
Anything Goes
Full Plate Thursday
Friday Potluck
Wickedly Creative Halloween Idea
Fat Camp Friday
Sweet Treats Thursday
Sweets for Saturday
Mingle Monday
Tuesday Talent Show
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Success U
Melt In Your Mouth Monday
These Chicks Cooked
On the Menu Monday

Very Berry White Chocolate Muffins—Using Thrive Products—And a Giveaway!

When Misty from Shelf Reliance asked me to give the Thrive products a try, I was a bit skeptical about the concept/approach.  However, after reading her blog "Your Own Home Store," and Shelf Reliance's website, I became convinced that the concept behind the Thrive products is sound and I decided to give it a try.

The concept is rather simple.  1) Flash Freeze the food/fruit.  2) Vaporize.  3) Package and Store.

The primary benefit of applying this methodology to food items is an Extended shelf life.  And as I read Misty’s story, while holding this concept in mind, I was so touched by Misty's story and it’s a reality check for all of us, especially with today’s economy (click here to read her full story).  I’m happy that I had the opportunity to try these awesome products.

Thrive Foods offers many variety/types of products, including grains, veggies, fruits, dairy, meat and beans.  Can you imagine using freeze dried ground beef and powder sour cream in your recipes?  I was fascinated by the wide ranch of products they offered.  Don’t worry, I’ll show you a few recipes on how to incorporate Thrive products into an everyday recipes, both savory and sweet.



I love how easy it was to open the packages on the canned products.  There’s a plastic lid to reclose the can so the unused portion stayed nice and fresh.  The picture below was the freeze dried Strawberry Yogurt Bites.  My kids love eating them as snacks.  These yogurt bits are also wonderful to eat with cereals.  Another way to enjoy them is to reconstitute them by adding water.  (All instructions were printed on the packages and were very easy to follow.) 



Products in pouches were re-sealable.  I loved the freeze dried fruit.  It was very versatile and easy to use.  In my Very Berry White Chocolate Muffins, I added the freeze dried raspberries in the batter as the way they were (without reconstitute).  Also, I added some crushed freeze dried strawberries in the batter to create the beautiful pink color naturally.  Not only do the muffins turned out beautifully, the freeze dried fruit added a wonderful berry flavor as well.  The freeze dried fruit in the muffins tasted just like fresh berries, if not better.  The freeze dry process really concentrated the flavors of the ingredients and the aroma popped once you open the packages.



Have you ever ran out of fresh eggs in the fridge while you need a few to whip up some goodies in a recipe?  That happened to me more than once!  It’s frustrating because it’s not always convenience for me to drive down to the store with the kids, especially when that happened in the middle of the night.  Yeah, my nick name is “midnight baker”!  LOL…Anyway, no more knocking on your neighbor’s door to borrow an egg!  Keep a package of the Thrive Whole Egg Powder in your pantry and you’ll always have the eggs you needed!  That’s truly awesome, don’t you agree? 



These Very Berry White Chocolate Muffins turned out soft, fluffy and moist!  I loved the bursting of berry flavors from each bite.  The tartness from the berries balanced well with the sweetness from the white chocolate.  You’ve got to try this wonderful recipe.  On my next post, I’ll share with you a savory recipe using other Thrive products.  And maybe a bonus sweet recipe after that.  For now, here’s your chance to win some Thrive products and make a batch of these berries goodness in your own kitchen.  Misty was very generous and offered one of the lucky uTry.it readers up to $50 in Thrive products (retail price). 


This Giveaway is now Closed.

Rules for the giveaway:
This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only (or with a valid U.S. shipping address).  Deadline to enter is June 8th by midnight PST.   

Mandatory entry:
Visit Shelf Reliance’s site, leave a comment and tell me which Thrive product you would like to try the most.

Extra entries: do all or any of the following (please leave a separate comment for each additional entry).

1) Visit Misty’s blog and subscribe to her blog by email or reader, leave a comment to tell me that you did
2) Like uTry.it’s Facebook page (Here’s the link)
3) Subscribe to uTry.it’s blog as a Follower on Google Friend Connect (see right hand side bar)
4) Share this giveaway with your Facebook friends
5) Share this giveaway on Twitter

 

One lucky winner will be selected using Random.org.  Winner will be announced shortly after the deadline of the giveaway.


Good Luck!


**Update**
A Friendly Reminder from Misty: I notice some of you shown interest in purchasing Thrive products.  Please make sure you place the order through Misty's site here (http://yourownhomestore.shelfreliance.com/yourownhomestore) and you'll save 5%-45% off retail price, courtesy of Misty.  Isn't it cool?  If you go straight to http://shelfreliance.com you will end up paying full retail price.  Thank you for the great tip and savings, Misty!


*Disclaimer: I received the free samples for the purpose of this review and I am not compensated in any way to write this post.  All comments and opinions are 100% my own.











Very Berry White Chocolate Muffins (with Thrive ingredients)

Makes 14

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Strawberry
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup Thrive Sour Cream Powder
2 tablespoons Thrive Whole Egg Powder
1 cup warm milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Raspberry
1/2 cup white chocolate chips, plus more to melt and drizzle on baked muffins


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 14 paper liners in muffin pans.

In a plastic zip log/sandwich bag, crush freeze dried strawberries with a rolling pin until they turn into powder.

In a large bowl, slightly whisk together sugar, cake flour, strawberry powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sour cream powder, and egg powder until well combined. In a measuring cup, combine warm milk, melted butter and vanilla. Slowly add into the dry ingredients while whisking. Whisk/beat until all ingredients are incorporated, about 2 to 3 minutes. Gentle fold in the raspberries and chocolate chips with a spatula and make sure the batter is completely mixed.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.

This recipe is linked to:
Sweets for Saturday
Foodie Friday
A Themed Bakers Sunday
Friday Porluck
Sweet Tooth Friday
Seasonal Saturday
Food Trip Friday
Fun with Food Friday
Just Another Meatless Monday
Midnight Maniac Meatless Mondays
So Sweet Sunday
Muffin Monday
Meatless Mondays
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Full Plate Thursday
Savory Sunday

Mocha Tiramisu Cupcakes

I’ve been craving for some Tiramisu lately.  It’s one of my favorite desserts.  Hm…guess I really have a long list of favorites.  Anyhow, I can’t seem to find ladyfingers anywhere, which is one of the main ingredients in making Tiramisu.  I’ve tried to bake the ladyfingers but unfortunately, they weren’t that successful.  (Yeah, not everything came out of my kitchen are perfect.  Let’s be real.)  The homemade ladyfingers were not good enough for me to use them in my Tiramisu!  Fortunately, I came across the idea of Tiramisu Cupcakes (before I had a chance to drive down to a bakery to get my Tiramisu fix)!  What a genius idea, right?!   So, in the kitchen I went….



Instead of just regular Tiramisu cupcakes, I kicked it up a notch with a little more flavor, my favorite MOCHA!  Chocolate and coffee/espresso were just perfect for each other.  Since I filled up my inventory in Valrhona Cocoa Powder on my last trip to Whole Foods, I just couldn’t resist not to add it to my recipe!  :P  They were really chocolaty and addictive!   After you’ve tried Valhona’s Cocoa Powder, you’ll not go back to any other brand.  At least, that’s the case for me.  It’s a little bit more pricey, but totally worth every penny.  (By the way, I’m not compensated in anyway for saying these—although I wished they would pay me in chocolate/cocoa powder.  hahaha….These are just my own opinions.)



With Tiramisu in cupcake forms, it’s a perfect way to portion control!   Yes, I needed serious controls over these Mocha Tiramisu Cupcakes.  The cake itself was moist, with a lovely mocha flavor and a hint of Kahlua.  The syrup really did wonders to the cupcakes.  The Mascarpone frosting was light, creamy, smooth and fluffy.  Just like eating clouds….clouds that were packed with Tiramisu flavor.  If you love Tiramisu, you’ve got to try this recipe out.  It’s much easier than making the traditional Tiramisu.  At least I didn’t have to drive around to find the ladyfingers.  There’s no dipping or layering involved.  But the end results were as stunning and delicious as the traditional ones. 



Hm…nom nom nom….



Heavenly…..



Need I say more?
















Mocha Tiramisu Cupcakes:  (inspired by Martha Stewart’s Tiramisu Cupcakes)
Makes 14 cupcakes

Ingredients for the Chocolate cupcakes: 
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoons brewed coffee
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup good cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt


Ingredients for the Espresso-Kahlua Syrup:

1/4 plus 2 tablespoons cup freshly brewed espresso
3 tablespoons Kahlua
3 tablespoons sugar

Ingredients for the Mascarpone Frosting:1 1/2 cup heavy cream
12 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons Espresso-Kahlua Syrup (see above recipe)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

For the Chocolate cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs, 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended.

Divide the batter among the cupcake pans, around 1 rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the Espresso-Kahlua Syrup:

Stir together, espresso, Kahlua and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Let cool. (Reserve 3 tablespoons of the Syrup for the frosting.)

For the Mascarpone Frosting:

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Then beat in 2 tablespoons of the reserved espresso syrup and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated.

To Assemble:
Brush tops of cupcakes evenly with the remaining coffee-Kahlua syrup; repeat until all syrup has been used. Allow cupcakes to completely absorb liquid. Place frosting into a pastry bag with large round tip. Generously pipe frosting on cupcakes. Dust with cocoa powder just before serving.

This recipe is linked to:
Foodie Friday
Sweets For Saturday
Sweet Tooth Friday
Seasonal Saturday
Everyday Sister Sharing Sunday

Birthday Cupcakes for a Little Princess

My niece’s 5th Birthday is approaching and my brother asked me to bake some cupcakes for her school’s birthday celebration.  Of course, how can I pass on any opportunity to bake some cupcakes.  Plus, they are for my lovely niece.  Of course, I happily said yes.  



Looking at the cupcakes from another angle…ah….I wanted to dive right in!  hahaha….I made vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate cupcakes and topped them off with swirls of vanilla bean buttercream and fresh strawberry buttercream.  Then, sprinkled some of them with a little sugar pearls and heart shaped sprinkles.  I guess most kids love sprinkles, including me.  :P  These buttercreams are to die for.  They are creamy, smooth and fluffy with the right amount of sweetness.  I love the little tangy flavor from the fresh strawberry buttercream.  And the one with vanilla bean buttercream, it’s fragrant and sweet.  The vanilla bean makes such a difference on the taste.  



Here’s a special one for the little princess!  I hope she’ll like it.




I ended up with 2 full boxes and some, for my 2 little cupcake monsters at home.  I’m waving these cupcakes goodbye….before I seal off the boxes.



One last peek….



Happy Birthday, Princess Belle!  Wish you good health, joy and happiness for the coming year and more.  :) 


I’m submitting this to the Mystery Box Cupcake Challenge: Birthdays!  The winner of this challenge will receive prizes from:

• Angela’s Images; a selection of handmade crafts
  
• Bake It Pretty; a $5 online gift card
  
• Beanilla; a $7 online gift card
  
• Miss Kitty Creations; a handmade cupcake charm of your choice
  
• Simply Caked; 600 brown greaseproof cupcake liners
  
• Sweet Cuppin Cakes; a $5 online gift card
  
• Tundra Books; a selection 3 birthday-themed children’s books

Thank you to all the prize sponsors!

This post is linked to:
Sweets for Saturday

Baked Alaska—First attempt

The blow torch is one of my favorite kitchen tools that I love to play with use.  Yeah, better don’t play with fire.  I was thinking, beside crème brûlée, what else can I use my blow torch with?  First thing that came in mind was Baked Alaska!  I was thinking to myself... “Really?  Do I have to go that far just to play with use the blow torch?”  Yes, really. And here we go... even though I was rather hesitatant. 

Since I already have some cupcakes baked-up, I sliced them up into 1/2 inch disks to fit into my bowls.  This way, I was already a step ahead and didn’t need to bake a whole sheet of cake just to try out this dessert.  That was a huge “motivation” for me.  Yeah, I get lazy sometimes, even in the kitchen.   :P  And you can definitely use the in-store chiffon cakes or any cakes you have on hand for the cake layer.  Guess we all love a little short cuts in the kitchen every once in a while.



So, for my very first attempt of Baked Alaska, I used previously baked chocolate cupcakes, then layered them with our favorite coffee ice cream.  It came out so perfect, so delicious, and just the flavor we love.  It’s to die for and so beautiful to look at as well.  When I make this Baked Alaska again in the future, I will have no problem baking a sheet of cake just for this.  It’s totally worth it.  Plus, it’s much easier to make than it looks.  You’ve got to give it a try and you’ll agree with me.




The meringue layer was warm, foamy, smooth and crunchy from the slightly browned tips.  Inside were layers of soft and spongy chocolate cakes and strong coffee flavor of creamy, icy-cold ice cream.  Every bite was interesting and delicious.  Hm…I couldn’t wait to make this again.  Now, here’s a small issue.  Since I used the cupcakes that I already have on hand, I just scooped out whatever last bit of ice cream I had in that tub to make this Baked Alaska, and I didn’t have the exact measurement for these 2 ingredients.  I know!  I know. What a mistake.  Anyhow, I will put the approximate amount as a guildline.  I do have the recipe for the meringue layer and that’s really the key to this dessert.  I used a bowl as my mold for the cake and ice cream layers and that bowl measured 5 1/2-inch in diameter and 3 1/2-inch in height.  I’ll provide the recipe below to make an 1-inch thick meringue layer to cover this cake.  I promise I’ll measure everything and write them down when I make this dessert again.  Guess I was too excited knowing that I can get my hands on the blow torch again!  Yeah, what a lame excuse, but so true.  :P 

Last but not least, just be very careful when you use the blow torch.  I know it’s sounds like fun (in fact, it is) to use.  But after all, it could be dangerous and definitely not a toy.  I always make sure my kids are not around when I use it (you know how kids like to copy everything we do) and store it away in a secured place that they can’t reach.  :)  Better be safe than sorry.









Baked Alaska: Printable Recipe
Servings: 4


Approximately 5 to 6 Chocolate cupcakes, cut into 1/2-inch disks
Approximately 1/2 pint of your favorite ice cream (I used coffee here)
1/2 cup sugar
2 large pasteurized egg whites
A dash of vanilla extract

Line a small bowl, 5 1/2-inch in diameter and 3 1/2-inch in height with plastic wrap.  Leaving extra plastic wrap hanging over the sides of the bowl.  Put a layer of the cupcake to cover the bottom of the bowl.  Spoon  1/3 of the ice cream onto the cake layer (about 1/2-inch thick).  Smooth the top of the ice cream and top with another layer of cupcake disks.  Break the cakes to fit into the bowl if necessary.  Top with remaining ice cream and smooth the top.  Cover with the final layer of cupcake disks, again, break the cakes to fit the surface if necessary.  Fold the plastic wrap over the cake and place in freezer for at least 45 minutes to harden.

Put the sugar and egg whites in the bowl of the stand mixer over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and secure the mixer bowl to the stand mixer, beat the egg whites mixture with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes.  The meringue should be very thick and shiny.  Mix in vanilla extract.  Place meringue into a pastry bad with a large star tip.  Take the prepared ice cream cake out from the freezer, lift the cake out by pulling the sides of the plastic wrap.  Invert the cake and place it onto an oven safe plate, discard the plastic wrap.  Pipe the meringue onto the cake, starting from the bottom.  The meringue layer should be around 1-inch thick.   Follow manufacturer’s instruction of the blow torch and brown the tips of the meringue.  Let cake stand for 5 to 8 minutes before cutting into it.  Enjoy!

**Note: If you don’t have a blow torch, you can preheat oven to 500F before you take the cake out from the freezer to pipe.  Brown the piped cake for 4 minutes or until the meringue tips are golden brown.

This recipe is linked to :
Full Plate Thursday
Foodie Friday

Paper Wrapped Cakes (紙包蛋糕)

It’s so hot out there these few days makes people want to be lazy and stay home;  Turn on the AC and just relaxed.  We seldom turn on the AC (I say less than 10 days a year) since we are cheap live just 10 miles from the ocean and the temperature here is usually lower than other cities in L.A.  Normally, I rather get the fresh air than having the AC on.  However, today is one of those 10 days of the year.  Excessive Heat Warnings was issued for Southern California!  Click here for the news if you care!

 
Since the news advised us to stay out of the sun, so we did.  Plus, the kids are already a bit under the weather for a few days, I don’t want them to get any worse.  So, we all stayed home with the AC on, baking up a batch of these scrumptious “Paper Wrapped Sponge Cakes” (紙包蛋糕)"!  My son calls them “軟林林蛋糕, literally means super soft cakes.  And you bet they are, super soft and fluffy.



These Paper Wrapped Sponge Cakes are very popular in Hong Kong style bakery stores.  My kids adore them.  Unfortunately, we don’t live closed-by to a HKG style bakery.  So, I learned how to make them to ensure we have fresh cakes on hand any day of the week, whenever we crave one.  Plus, you know what goes into the cake when you bake your own.  :)  If you like cakes and desserts that are not too sweet, you’ll love this cake.  Plus, they are so light and fluffy, you might (I always) think they are zero calories!








Paper Wrapped Cakes:  Printable Recipe
Makes 10

5 egg whites
7 egg yolks
3 oz butter
6 oz heavy cream
1/2 cup cake flour
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
pinch of kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 345F. Melt butter in the microwave oven. Separate the egg yolks and the egg whites.
Use an electrical mixer to beat egg whites and salt, add cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks. Pour in about half of the sugar in the egg whites and beat until stiff peaks, set aside.

In another bowl, beat egg yolks and rest of the sugar until pale yellow. Then add heavy cream and vanilla extract, beat until well combined. Add melted butter and continue to beat mixture. Turn mixer to low speed and sift in cake flour until just combined, do not over mix.

Fold egg whites into the flour mixture gently with a rubber spatula just until all ingredients are incorporated. Do not stir or beat. For a better result, fold in egg whites in 3 batches.

Pour batter into cup cake molds lined with baking paper. Bake at 345F for 30 to 35 minutes on lower rack in the oven. Check with a toothpick to see if the cakes are done. If the toothpick comes out of the cake clean, then they’re ready. Transfer cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.

This recipe is linked to:
Sweets for Saturday