Heartbreak with a Strawberry on Top

Alright...kicking off my summer project with some delish Strawberry cupcakes! (Notice the clever name for the cupcake...the author of the book, The Icing on the Cupcake has a fun title for each one, so you'll be seeing some interesting names of cupcakes!) This cupcake is almost like a little strawberry shortcake. White cake with fresh strawberries baked in and then a sweet strawberry buttercream frosting! Mmm mmm good. Take a gander at the recipe if you're in the mood for strawberry! Ingredients: For the cupcake: - 1/2 c. sugar - 1/4 c. unsalted butter, room temp. - 1 egg, room temp. - 6 ounces vanilla yogurt - 1 tsp. vanilla extract - 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour - 2 Tbsp. potato starch - 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder - 1/4 tsp. fine ground salt - 1/4 tsp. baking soda - 1/2 c. diced fresh strawberries To Make the Cupcakes: 1. Place mixing bowl in freezer for 5 minutes. 2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. 3. Cream the sugar and butter together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3-5 mins. 4. Add the egg and beat for 2 mins. 5. Add the yogurt and vanilla. Beat until smooth. 6. Whisk the flour, potato starch, baking powder, salt and baking soda together. 7. Add the flour mixture to the batter. Mix until just blended.

8. Fold in the diced strawberries using a rubber spatula. 9. Pour the batter into the paper-lined cupcake holders. Fill 3/4 of the way to the top. 10. Turn heat down to 350. Bake for 20 mins. or until a toothpick comes out clean after it is placed in the middle of a cupcake. 11. Cool for 5 mins. Place on baking racks.

For the frosting: - 2 Tbsp. butter, room temp. - 1 c. powdered sugar - 2 fresh strawberries, about 2 Tbsp. mashed To Make the Frosting: 1. Cream the butter, powdered sugar and mashed strawberries with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth, about 3-5 mins.

2. Chill frosting for 15 mins. or until thick. 3. Frost cooled cupcakes. **Yield: 12 cupcakes --The frosting recipe makes just enough to spread on the cupcakes. If you want to pipe it on, try doubling the recipe.

**I apologize for the jumbled look. Ever since blogger changed format, this is how it always publishes :( I really dislike it...no spaces!!!

New summer project!!

Attention all readers!! (and those of you who are new too!) Natasha's Creative Confections is taking on a fun project for the summer, so be on the lookout for some great recipes! I am reading this cute book called The Icing on the Cupcake by: Jennifer Ross and it's this darling book filled with cupcake recipes a young woman creates and bakes. Some of the recipes are interesting and different, some are traditional and classic. I have decided to go through the recipes and bake a new cupcake each week and then share the results right here on my blog. It will be a fun little summer project for me to do (yet hopefully won't overheat from the weather...and pregnancy haha) and I'm looking forward to tasting all these new cupcakes! Be on the lookout later this week for the first entry! I'm working on them as I type now... :)

Rainbow Chip Cupcakes

Just for fun :) These are a favorite around our house. Yummy and simple (and yes, straight from the box) Funfetti cake with rainbow chip frosting! I have made both from scratch before, but no need too...it tastes just as good, if not better, right from the box--and it's a lot easier as well! These, I'm sure, will be a favorite of our kids :)

Mud Pie

It was just Chad's birthday and I decided to do something a little different and make his favorite dessert: Mud Pie!

I know it's not baking...but you have to make someone their favorite dessert on their bday, right? :) This was quite a simple recipe (but it does freeze your fingers a little!) Ingredients: -1 1/2 c. cream filled chocolate cookie crumbs (such as Oreos) -1 1/2 tsp. sugar -1/4 c. butter, melted -4 c. coffee ice cream, softened -1/4 c. chocolate syrup, divided -Additional cream-filled cookies *optional whipped cream for topping 1. In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and sugar. Stir in butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. pie plate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Spoon 2 c. ice cream into crust.

Drizzle with half of the chocolate syrup. Swirl with a knife. Carefully top with the remaining ice cream. Drizzle with remaining syrup; swirl with knife.

Cover and freeze until firm. 3. Remove from the freezer 10-15 minutes before serving. Garnish with whole cookies and whipped cream, if desired.

Mango Bread

Been MIA for awhile...

but I shall be back soon!!

Here's some mango bread I made a few weeks ago. It was different! Kinda sweet and refreshing made from fresh mangoes.

Be on the lookout for new recipes soon :)

Chocolate Mousse Cake

I LOVE chocolate mousse! I wanted to make a cake version out of it because it's pretty awesome, so I found this super easy recipe. I can't take all the credit--it is store bought cake, and very simple instructions, but it was easy and quick and had a really great flavor.

Check it out if you're looking for something different :)

Ingredients:

-1 package chocolate cake mix
-1 can sweetened condensed milk
-2 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
-1/2 c. cold water
-1 package (3.9 oz.) instant chocolate pudding mix
-1 c. heavy cream, whipped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions for two 9-inch layers. Cool and remove from pans.


2. In a large bowl, mix together sweetened condensed milk and melted chocolate. Gradually stir in water, then instant pudding. Mix until smooth.


Chill for at least 30 minutes.

3. Remove the chocolate mixture from refrigerator and stir to loosen. Beat whipped cream until fluffy (if haven't already) and then fold into chocolate mixture.

Return to the refrigerator for at least another hour.

4. Place one layer of cake onto a serving plate.


Top with 1 1/2 c. of the mousse, then cover with the second cake layer. Frost with remaining mousse and refrigerate until serving. Garnish with fresh fruit & chocolate shavings, if desired.

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

So, I know chicken pot pie isn't the type of recipe I usually post on my blog, but I haven't been baking a whole lot lately. I don't know if it's been my hectic work schedule or my new obsession with the TV show Gossip Girl haha, but the only thing that I've baked recently was a batch of red velvet cupcakes, which I've already posted about.

However, I did make a scrumptious chicken pot pie last night for dinner, and since you do bake the pot pie, I thought it would be appropriate to share! (Plus, after trying a bite of this dish, you'll be happy I shared it!)

I am honestly not a big fan of CPP, but after trying this homemade recipe, I am changing my colors and I definitely will be making this again--and soon too! This recipe is from the March 2012 issue of Everyday Food.

Ingredients:

For the crust:
-1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for workspace
-1 tsp. sugar
-1/4 tsp. fine salt
-1/2 c. cold, unsalted butter
-3-5 Tbsp. ice water

For the filling:
-5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
-1 med. yellow onion, diced small
-4 med. carrots, diced small
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
-4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
-1 c. frozen peas
-coarse salt and black pepper
-3 c. shredded cooked chicken
-a little dried parsley

1. Make crust: In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 3 Tbsp. ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 2 Tbsp. ice water); do not overmix. Form dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour or overnight (or freeze, up to 1 month.)

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Make filling: In a large pot, melt butter over med-high heat. Add onion and carrots and cook until softened, 5-8 mins. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add flour and stir to coat vegetables.


Slowly add broth, whisking constantly until sauce is smooth. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thickened, 5-7 mins.
Stir in peas. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in chicken and parsley.


Pour filling into 2-qt. baking dish.

3. On a floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8 in. thickness. Place dough over dish and fold overhang inward while pinching to crimp edge. Cut vents in dough.

Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling around edge, 40-50 mins. Let cool 15 mins. before serving.