1st Place Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

Last year, I won 3rd place in the Decadent Dreams Chocolate Festival's Cupcake Wars with a Raspberry and Chocolate cupcake, and this year, I won 1st place! I entered a Strawberry Chocolate cupcake made with local winter strawberries from the Bush N Vine. They were FANTASTIC!! One of the judges came up to me afterwards, and he was like, "How did you get it so moist??!" I have no idea how it ended up so moist, I guess the recipe was just perfect!

These strawberries were so perfect. If I had been unable to get local strawberries, I would've made a completely different cupcake because the supermarket strawberries just don't compare.

German Chocolate Cupcakes

This is one of the MOST DELICIOUS cupcakes I have ever eaten. And I have eaten far too many cupcakes to count. The light, airy cupcake is decadently balanced by the rich, creamy coconut and pecan filling. This past summer, I interned for 100 hours with a dietitian in my hometown for one of my nutrition classes. I interned at a nursing home, and I was able to learn so much about gerontology and the diets of the elderly. So anyways, when my internship was coming to a close, I asked Ken (the dietitian) what his favorite desserts were, and the first thing he said was "German Chocolate Cake"! So I decided to turn it into a cupcake (way less messy and more share-able). 

Well, he loved the cupcakes and so did everyone else! I am definitely filing this recipe away for my future cupcake making business. Also, in the photo above, is a mixture of milk (I used 2%) and lemon juice. Buttermilk is so expensive and usually goes to waste at my house, so I just decided to make my own. Much cheaper and better for me!

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

This is a copy of my first ever guest post from yesterday on Coupon Savings in the South:

Hey everyone! I'm Kara from A Dessert a Week, and this post marks a very special milestone in my blogging life! It is my first guest post and this is also my blogiversary post! I knew I had to make something super special for it, and after searching through countless desserts online and in cook books, I found the perfect, easy recipe. These lemon blueberry cupcakes are the perfect way to welcome a celebration, whether it is a blogiversary, a graduation, or the beginning of summer. The frosting has the perfect tang of lemon without being overwhelming, and the juicy blueberries offer the ideal sweet contrast. They were so perfect, in fact, that I actually ate two within the first five minutes. Trying to stay fit is difficult when I am always around so many delicious desserts!

Lately, I’ve been getting into the local food movement. I am a Human Nutrition major, and much emphasis is placed on eating fresh, locally-sourced produce. A fantastic place to go if you are in upstate South Carolina is the Bush-N-Vine. It is located in Filbert, South Carolina and is run by the Hall family. For the past several weeks, I have been picking up buckets of their delicious strawberries to use in recipes such as strawberry lemonade, strawberry soup, and double-crusted strawberry pie. I will have a recipe for the strawberry lemonade up very soon, so be sure to check back. They were fresh out of blueberries, but I did manage to pick up some reasonably priced lemons.

Cupcakes are generally very easy to make, and this recipe was no exception. I beat the sugar, butter, and lemon zest, then added the eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice. I alternated the milk and flour mixture, and then gently folded in the flour-dusted blueberries. I used a standard ice cream scoop to place the batter in the cupcake papers and into the oven they went.

Also, if anyone has any summertime favorites they’d like to see featured on A Dessert a Week, please don’t hesitate to let me know via my Facebook page or through e-mail (kelowman@gmail.com). I love to test out new recipes!

I used to skip the step about flouring fruit before I placed it into cakes or cupcakes, but after having one too many desserts come out where all of the fruit sank to the bottom, I decided to pay attention to that part of the recipe. It works so well!

 The eggs in the above photograph are pale blue/green in color. They came from my nana, which has several different breeds of chicken on her farm, and some lay blue eggs. They are absolutely beautiful in person, and the yolks are a deep orangey yellow hue from their diet. I also have three white Chinese Silkies at my house, but their eggs are way too small to use in baking recipes.

I normally don’t work with cream cheese frosting, so icing these cupcakes was a bit of a challenge for me. Also, I couldn’t find my favorite large star tip, so I had to use a plain tip. Cream cheese frosting doesn’t hold up as well as buttercream frosting, but I got the hang of it. However, you may want to refrigerate the cupcakes as quickly as possible if you are working on an extremely hot day because they may melt just a little bit.

These are my second favorite cupcakes I have ever made, the first being myGanache-Filled Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes. I actually just ate another one while writing this post ;)

Thank you to Shannon for letting me guest post this week on Coupon Savings in the South! If you would like to see more recipes weekly, please check out my Facebook page, A Dessert a Week, and my website, www.adessertaweek.blogspot.com. Enjoy!

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Barely adapted from Annie’s Eats

Yield: about 16 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

For the cupcakes:

• ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided
• ¾ cup cake flour
• 1½ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• Zest of  1 lemon
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• ½ cup plus 2 tbsp. milk, at room temperature
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

For the frosting: 

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• Additional fresh blueberries, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the ¾ cup all-purpose flour, the cake flour, baking powder and salt; whisk together and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, sugar and lemon zest. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and lemon juice. With the mixer on lowspeed, mix in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Blend in the milk. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated.
• In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Using a spatula gently fold the berries into the cake batter. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners, filling each about ¾ full. Bake 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. (I used a large plain tip to frost these cupcakes.) Garnish with fresh blueberries.

Strawberry Lemonade

Here is a quick and easy recipe for restaurant-quality strawberry lemonade! Simple syrup and club soda add complexity, and fresh local strawberries and lemon juice add sweetness with a kick. Feel free to substitute lime juice to make Strawberry Limeade! I halved this recipe, and it was the perfect amount for me and my best friend.

Strawberry Lemonade

From Food Network

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, halved
• 2 cups cold club soda
• Ice
• Mint sprigs, garnish
• Whole strawberries, garnish

Directions

• In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon peel and lemon juice, stir, and remove from the heat. Let cool completely, then strain into a clean pitcher.
• In a blender, puree the pint of strawberries and add to the pitcher with the lemon juice. Stir well to combine and refrigerate until well chilled.
• Add the sparkling water and stir well. Pour over glasses filled with ice and serve, garnished with mint and strawberries.

Mocha Cupcakes

And so begins the Valentine's Day desserts. 

I absolutely LOVE Valentine's Day. It's a win-win. I get presents, flowers, chocolates, AND dinner! Sorry to all guys out there, although I am low-maintenance most days of the year, Valentine's Day is definitely not one of them. Luckily, I have a wonderful boyfriend that coooompletely understands ;) These cupcakes are perfect: the icing is fluffy and light and mimics the coffee undertones in the cupcake. Plus, sprinkles make everything more amazing.

Oh, by the way, about a week ago, I applied for a research assistant position offered by the one and only Tucker Max. He's a comedy writer who has written titles such as I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell and Assholes Finish First. He is absolutely HYSTERICAL, and I jumped at this wonderful opportunity to work for him. I made it to the second cut, and I will hear back (or not) by January 30th. I'll be sure to keep y'all updated!

I didn't have espresso powder or a small sieve, so I used a larger sieve and filtered the coffee-infused milk through 5 times before adding to the sugar mixture. As you can see, there were still coffee granules in the batter, but it didn't make a difference in the end product. This recipe makes 12 perfectly sized cupcakes, but if I made it again, I would definitely double it. 

Crustless Cranberry Walnut Pie

I bought three days of cranberries the other day, (hey, they were on sale for 99 cents apiece, what was I supposed to do?) so I knew I needed to get a hold of some great cranberry-involving recipes as soon as possible. This recipe was really, really good. The cranberries were just tart enough to counteract the sweetness of the cake/pie. It's called a pie, but it's basically a thin cake to me. My brother happened to be home this weekend, so this dessert was gone within 12 hours! 

I had some cranberries left over, so I froze them in the bag to use in future recipes. Does anyone know what a raw cranberry tastes like? I thought about trying to eat one, but I couldn't get up the nerve! Homework and classwork has pretty much been taking over my life for the past week- two tests, two oral presentations, a portfolio due, and a paper- BUT I got it all done, and I have all As in my classes going into finals, which start this Wednesday. I can't wait for winter break! I'll have so much more time for baking and planning products for my Etsy store. I already know I'm going to sell vintage kitchen items, recipe cards, and dinner menus, but beyond that, I have no clue.

Thanksgiving Bundt Cake

It's the day before Thanksgiving, and I am in the middle of baking five desserts. Yes, five. I kind of went crazy and bought way too many cranberries and sweet potatoes in the spirit of the season. I am making a sweet potato pie for Grandmama's, a red wine chocolate cake (not very Thanksgiving-y I know, but Jeremy's mom really likes red wine) for Jeremy's, a cranberry pie for Nana's, random lemon cranberry muffins and sweet potato cupcakes, and a Thanksgiving bundt cake (above) for my mom's best friend. Although I will have full posts on all desserts I'm making, here are the links to what I am baking for Thanksgiving! What is your go-to Thanksgiving dessert?


Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Cream Cheese and Brown Butter Frosting
Thanksgiving Bundt Cake (All I did was change the colors: I didn't dye the chocolate cake black, I dyed the yellow cake yellow and orange, and I dyed the icing yellow and orange)
Nantucket Cranberry Pie
Red Wine Chocolate Cake

Pumpkin Bread

Get ready for tons of pumpkin recipes because I have 10 cans of pumpkin puree. TEN. I got freaked out a few months ago when I decided to make some pumpkin dog treats for my loves and I couldn't find any pumpkin. ANYWHERE. It was as if canned pumpkin had completely disappeared from South Carolina. Which is basically what happened: due to a pumpkin disease/shortage/something in 2010, Libby's had less pumpkin than usual. So, rationally, when I saw pumpkin back on the shelf a few weeks ago, I grabbed as many as I could. Now I'm paying the price. P.S. Pumpkin isn't my favorite. I have no idea what I was thinking! This was a delicious loaf bread though, the taste of pumpkin wasn't overwhelming and it was extremely moist. This recipe makes three loaves: enough to freeze, give as gifts, or hoard all winter long.

Halloween Blondies

Tomorrow is Halloween! I'm so excited, although I still don't have an entire costume yet. If anyone wants to donate one before tomorrow, please feel free! As of right now, I'm a cross between a dark angel and a vampire. Anyways, I am not a huge fan of blondies, but my blondie-loving friends declared this recipe a huge success. I thought they used to have blondie mixes at the store, so I went to check for y'all, but I couldn't find any. Also, if you wanted, you could alter the design of the Reese's Pieces to show a pumpkin, ghost, or anything Halloween-themed.

I mixed everything together in the saucepan to avoid piling up unecessary dirty dishes, and it worked fantastic! I'd suggest using a slightly deeper pan than I did though because I had to very carefully mix to avoid getting flour everywhere.

Candy Corn Gelatin with Grand Marnier

IT'S ALMOST HALLOWEEN! Well, kind of. Halloween is two weeks and two days away! I have already changed my Halloween costume plans four times: Alice in Wonderland, Ke$ha, vampire, dark angel. Who knows. My family throws a HUGE Halloween party, so I'll be sure to post some adorable craft ideas in the next few days as well. And as y'all all know, candy corn is the epitome of  Halloween. I had so many ideas involving candy corn, but I didn't want to get too carried away, so I picked the best one. The orange layer has Grand Marnier, but feel free to take it out. The Grand Marnier gave the dessert a deeper, more complex citrus flavor. This recipe is best made in adorable 8 oz glasses (which neither I or Wal-mart had), so I had to use slightly larger glasses and larger quantities.  

This recipe was so easy. You simply layer the jello one layer at a time, and chill in the refrigerator for about twenty minutes each time. And if you leave it in there longer, it's okay! After the layers had set, I whipped up some whipped cream (I whipped about half a cup of heavy cream, a tablespoon or two of powdered sugar, and a dash of vanilla extract). I like my whipped cream very sweet, so edit it to your tastes. 

For the photographs, I piped my whipped cream onto the gelatin, but it looks equally pretty if you dollop a spoonful on top. Just throw on some candy corn, and you're good to go!

Espresso Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

These cookies are. so. addicting. I ate one nonchalantly and before I knew it, I had eaten 6. SIX. In less than ten minutes. Thank goodness I had a lot left to take to my family reunion that day. They are buttery, melt-in-your mouth, chocolately delicious. Perfect for parties, potlucks, hoarding, whatever. Oh, and be on the lookout for Halloween specials! I will post at least 5 Halloween-themed desserts! What would you like to see?

I didn't have any espresso powder on hand, so I used instant coffee. If you're looking for a deeper intense coffee flavor, use the instant espresso powder and toss in some Kahlua.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Since it's been so dreary outside these past few days, I figured everyone could use a comfort food post. Zucchini bread is one of those things that you eat while curled up watching the rain fall (at least that's how it was in my house), and this transition into fall is the PERFECT time to make it! This recipe makes two loaves- perfect for sharing or freezing.

My garden produced copious amounts of zucchini this year, so I had plenty to work with.