Thursday, October 22, 2009

Halloween Cupcakes Recipe

It’s almost Halloween and I couldn’t resist posting this great idea. Lucky my colleague Paola suggested it! You can find this and more Halloween recipe on Country Living or on Delish web site.



First of all, to make this luscious dessert, use the Classic Chocolate Cake recipe (see below for the complete recipe). You can also try substituting your favourite cake recipe, or if you're short on time, a boxed mix — one box yields 12 Mini Pumpkin Cakes.

To get the look of these single-serving pumpkin treats, trim the bottoms of cakes baked in mini Bundt pans. Join two cakes so that the fluted tops are at either end, then drizzle with Chocolate Glaze or Vanilla Glaze and sprinkle with coarse colored sugar or nonpareils before the glaze sets. Top with a marzipan stem. After the recipe there is a picture on how to make it.

Classic Chocolate Cake recipe
Ingredients
• 2 cup(s) flour
• 1/2 cup(s) cocoa
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1 teaspoon(s) salt
• 3/4 cup(s) butter, softened
• 2/3 cup(s) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup(s) dark brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup(s) sour cream
• 2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup(s) milk


Directions


1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour three 6-cup muffin pans (for filled cakes), two 8-inch-round cake pans (for layer cake; pictured), or 2 mini Bundt pans (for Mini Pumpkin Cakes). Set aside. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.
2. Beat the butter and sugars together in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium-high speed. Beat in the eggs. Reduce speed to medium-low. Stir the sour cream, vanilla, and milk together and add it in thirds, alternating with the flour mixture. Beat until batter is smooth, about 3 more minutes.
3. Divide the batter equally between the prepared pans and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center tests clean. For layer cake, it should take about 25 minutes; filled cakes, 20 minutes; and Mini Pumpkin Cakes, 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
4. Trim cooled cake layers, if necessary, to make level and frost and decorate as desired.
Tips & Techniques

Mix ingredients at room temperature. To quickly take the chill off eggs, run them under warm water.


Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients
• 9 ounce(s) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoon(s) butter
• 1/2 cup(s) heavy cream

Directions


1. Place the chocolate and butter together in a heat-proof bowl; set aside. Heat the heavy cream until it just begins to boil and immediately pour over the chocolate. Stir gently until smooth. Let sit until slightly thickened before using to glaze cakes, about 3 minutes. Place the cake in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes to set the chocolate.
2. For filled cakes: Pour chocolate on each filled cake and smooth over the cake to completely coat. Place the cakes in the freezer until chocolate sets. Remove and store in a cool area.


Tips & Techniques


Place cakes on a wire rack set over a baking pan to catch any glaze drips.

Marzipan stems: from a ball of marzipan make a snake and twist it as shown in picture

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Printable Mailing Labels

Hi, just a summery looking labels and mini note cards for you to enjoy in this rainy day created by Oh Smile.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

DIY Ice-Cream Parlour "Make your own Sundaes" Buffet Concept for a Wedding or Party

Here's a great idea from Eat Drink Chic. She designed it for a wedding but I'd use it anytime for a summer party. That's absolutely amazing! Thanks Amy for sharing! Below links to download each part.


Thursday, October 8, 2009

Modern Homes: Lulu Guinnes

Take a tour around the designer's flirty, quirky home...
Lulu Guinness's white stucco house, with its narrow staircases and high ceilings, has undergone several style shifts in its time. When Lulu and her ex-husband, Valentine Guinness, bought the property, it was a series of smelly, run-down bedsits. However, using a mix of treasured antiques, vintage prints and junk-shop finds, Lulu worked a little decorative miracle. While she built up her handbag business in the basement office, upstairs a glamorous haven slowly emerged. Although she's one of Britain's fashion elite, Lulu's attitude to life is fun, friendly and down-to-earth. She loves an Ikea bargain, she is driven up the wall by the clutter that comes with living with two teenagers and a dog. Now, with 20 years under her fashion belt, she is not just queen of handbags, but has designed vintage-inspired homeware, too – bed linen decorated with witticisms and antique roses, sugared almond-coloured cushions and throws that are instant heirlooms. Lulu draws on a range of influences to achieve the confident mix of chichi Parisian glamour and fun-loving personality evident in her home.
Take a room-by-room photo tour around Lulu Guinness' London home to see how the designer mixes Parisian chic with English eccentric-glamour. Lulu is inspiration to anyone with something to renovate or restore, whether it's a whole house or just an old dressing table. 'We can learn so much from the past. All our second-hand finds, old photos and vintage treasures have real depth and heart,' says Lulu. 'The idea of reinvention is such fun.' (www.livingetc.com)






Sunday, October 4, 2009

Life is Pink after all






























Hello, after hearing bad news all week end.. I decided to find a way to cheer me up. Look at these beautiful pics from various sites... one of them is Peacock Feather.
Also, I finally bought the travel trunk... keep reading, renovations and restorations on their way.

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