Week 12: Vanilla Cupcake with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting & Pistachio Topping!

So being in between holidays I wasn’t sure what to make.  This cupcake however has been on mind since the beginning and just sounded so yummy!  This week I decided to make Vanilla cupcakes with a Honey Cream Cheese Frosting with Pistachio topping.  The Pistachio was what caught my eye!  These are so far my favorite cupcake, topping the Andes Mint cupcake on my list! Also I took more pictures, like I have been promising! :)

I got the original idea/recipe from: http://www.sprinklebakes.com/2011/02/lucky-vanilla-cupcakes.html  I altered the recipe a little!

My recipe yields 24 cupcakes-

Vanilla Cupcakes:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 stick & 4 tbsp butter, softened

1 ½ cups sugar

4 large eggs

3 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup plus 4 tbsp milk

Heat oven to 350 and line cupcake pan with papers.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until lightened in color and fluffy.  

Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between additions.  Beat  vanilla extract.

Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour.  

When completely incorporated, divide batter evenly amongst liners, filling them 2/3 full.  *Please note that is a thick cake batter!  

Bake for 15-20 minutes (check at 15).  Cool completely before frosting.

Honey Cream Cheese Frosting:

2- 8oz package cream cheese, room temperature

2 stick of butter, softened

1/2 cup clover honey

6-8 cups confectioners' sugar

Place cream cheese, butter and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer; beat until combined. Gradually add in confectioners' sugar, mixing until it is spreading consistency.  If frosting is loose, place in refrigerator until firm enough to spread.

Pistachio Topping:

1 cup pistachios

Shell pistachios. Please note, if you love pistachios like I do its hard to shell them all knowing you can't them all.  I may have eaten a few! :)

Place in a blender or food processor.  Ground Pistachios. Sprinkle on top of frosting. 

 Love always, aloterella :)

Updates on .. the Broken Knee & My Life!

The Broken Knee 

So I finally gave in and got the injections in my knee.   I had enough with physical therapy and this was basically the next option.  First off, I want to thank Lindsay for all her help during the past week, being my chauffer and everything!!

Here’s how the appointment went. The nurse asked me the general questions he asks me every time I go.  Once those were answered the nurse set up everything and the doctor came in.  They took an ultra sound of my knee, which I thought was so cool, never had one and it kept my mind off the whole injection part.  They showed me what was bothering me which was basically this white blob aka the bad scar tissue.  I then had to lay back and let the worse part I was dreading happen.  The doctor basically said 1, 2, 3 and gave me the first injection of the Novocain, he did two doses which was the most painful thing I have ever and I of course jumped both times. Once I was numb, it was an ease.  The doctor then injected a fluid to get rid of the bad scar tissue and then with the needle scraped to get some blood flowing.  If you don’t know, blood helps heels things.  And then I was done.  Doctor answered all my questions, told me basically not to do anything but rest the next two days and then take it easy for a week.  He also gave me a prescription for pain pills, which I was very thankful for.  Now the best part, was me trying to talk.  My knee was numb; I was in a little bit of pain and just had no idea how to walk.

I now know what my grandma go through with getting in and out of the cars.  My great grandma can’t bend her knee when she gets in and out, which I couldn’t either because my knee was full of fluids and it was painful.  All I have to say is it is not easy to get the angle, and I have short legs!  I also now know what it feels like to be the slow person in the store that everyone is trying to get around.  I felt so bad but I couldn’t move any faster.  I did however not enjoy the looks people gave me, as if I am young and should not be limping or slow.  I’m sorry but I am and can’t help it, get over it!

I definitely would have been in a lot more pain if it wasn’t for those pain pills, as even on the pills I was still in pain. Lindsay helped me get where I need to go and helped me get the things I needed to survive my weekend!  I owe her big time! :)

A week later it still bothers me occasionally, basically only if I am walking on it for too long.  It was not a fan of Foxwoods and all the walking you have to do to get involved.   This upcoming week I have to try the bike out and physical therapy one day.  So hopefully this injection worked.  If it doesn’t, I can do another injection in 6 weeks from the first injection.  But we will see.

My Life!

Things have been super crazy.  Dealing with the knee takes up time, I have two part-time jobs, babysitting and o yeah two grad classes.  I was starting to stress, as class end in June and I wasn’t sure 100% about what I was doing after.  All I knew was I had my job at SNHU till the last week day in June and my rent was up the last day in June. 

Well during my weekend of nothing, my boss came over from my other job for a one-on-one and some lunch.  We talked about how things were going, which was all good.  I then had to ask the question that was sitting on mind for a while, am I going to be offered a full time job.  His answer was: YES!  I was so happy and had this huge relief off my shoulders!  I have to become a big girl now and have to now make some changes in my life.

One of these changes, is officially becoming a NH resident and get a NH license.  This is probably going to be one of the harder parts of this becoming an adult changes.  I am a born and raised Jersey girl, which is part of identity and who I am, but I have to give up part of that, my NJ license.  However on the flip side, I have been living majority in NH for 6 years now, so yes NH is part of me.  I do love NH and it has really grown on me for the past 6 years.  If you asked me 6 years ago, if I would be staying in NH I would have said Hell NO and now look where I am. 

Emily and I will be on the lookout for a new apartment, preferably a townhouse.  We have some options to look at and will be looking starting in April when we are both around together.  I am excited for a new place, as I will be starting a new chapter in my life and maybe this new place will help me feel more comfortable with the whole settling in NH! If you compare our two rooms now, Emily is clearly settled with pictures up on her walls and shelving and then look in mine I have maybe 4 things up on my wall! I promise in a new place that I will try and put more things up!  :)

Can’t really think of much more to update on, beside my official job offer!

Love always, aloterella :)

Week 11: Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes!

So since St. Patty’s Day was on Saturday and I make my cupcakes on Sunday, I had to make a true St. Patty’s day cupcake .. an Irish Car Bomb!  I don’t think you could get more St. Patty’s minus maybe a corn beef and cabbage cupcake, but who would really want to eat that! J  I did have to alter a few of the recipes due to what I had in the liquor cabinet, but it still worked out amazingly! 

I got the original recipe idea from: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/03/14/irish-car-bomb-cupcakes/

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes
For the Cupcakes:
1 cup Guinness stout
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoons salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners.

2.    Bring the Guinness and butter to a simmer in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

3.    Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl to combine.

4.    Using an electric mixer beat the eggs and sour cream on medium speed until combined. Add the Guinness-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat briefly. Using a rubber spatula, fold the batter until completely combined. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners. Bake until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on a rack.

For the Baileys Ganache Filling:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons Bailey’s Irish Cream

1.    Finely chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then, using a rubber spatula, stir it from the center outward until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped.

2.    Using the cupcake center removal tool, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes, going about two-thirds of the way down. Transfer the ganache to a piping back with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

For the Baileys Frosting:
2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream

1.    Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar until all of it is incorporated. Add the Baileys, increase the speed to medium-high and whip for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is light and fluffy.

2.    Using your favorite decorating tip, frost the cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container.

 PS.  I will try to take more picture during the entire recipe next week!

Love always, aloterella :)