Thursday, December 23, 2010

Progressive Dinner

Every year the night before Christmas Eve, my husband's side of the family does a progressive dinner. We rotate every year between the three houses - one family does appetizers, one does the main course and the final house does desserts. Guess who got desserts this year? Thank goodness because this rounds out my New Year's resolution quota of one cake a month to enhance my baking and decorating skills. Yes folks the Year of Baking has come full circle. It is the first resolution I think I have ever kept! My husband designed a lovely holly cake for me to create. It turned out lovely - homemade butter cake covered in buttercream frosting and embellished with MMF decorations. Props to my sister for the creative colorful border! Of course I couldn't just have a cake though! I also made Molasses Snickerdoodles (tasted like a cross between a gingerbread and snickerdoodle cookie) which have become my husband's favorite cookie of all time and some Raspberry Chocolate Bark which my sister claimed after the festivities. It was all very yummy and there was enough to take to my parent's Christmas dinner and share with them as well. Merry Christmas everyone - who knows what bakery creations are in store for next year?

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Fancy Red Velvet Cupcakes

Christmas is almost here and that means it's my Mom's birthday! She had mentioned a few months ago that she wanted Red Velvet Cupcakes for her birthday. She thought I had forgot but I baked up these little jewels and surprised her with them on her birthday! I made the Red Velvet Cupcakes from scratch (compliments of a cupcake recipe book given to me by my grandmother for my birthday this year!), whipped up some cream cheese frosting, tinted it a cool blue and then topped them with pearlized sprinkles. They turned out so elegant - perfect for my Mom's birthday!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Brownie Cupcake "Hugs"

My husband's younger brother was involved in a pretty nasty car wreck this week. Thankfully he is okay but he did end up with a badly broken wrist. I asked my mother-in-law if I could bake him something to cheer him up and she told me she thought it was a fantastic idea. So I decided to make brownie cupcakes (easier for a one-armed man to eat) and topped them with a Hershey's "Hug" to let him know we care and were thinking about him. Hope you get better soon Matt!