Cupcakes inspired by favorite candy!

I LOVE York Peppermint Patty's and Junior Mints!  In my opinion, they are one of the best sweet treats out there (except for my cupcakes).  So of course, let's just take a moment and ponder, "what if I could make a cupcake that tasted like a peppermint patty......." Are you with me on this?  Well, I bet you can guess that I did more than ponder this, I created this. 
Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce Mr. Peppermint Patty O'Cuptail.

He's a rich dark chocolate cupcake with a hint of peppermint  topped with a peppermint buttercream and wearing a slice of peppermint patty.  I would recommend him for every social gathering - yes, he's that guy!

Next in our line up of cupcake candy is the oh so popular "chocolate and peanut butter" combination.  A co-worker suggested this one and it has quickly become a fan favorite!  Remember that commercial from years ago (yes, I'm dating myself), where the guy and the girl turn the corner and one's chocolate bar end's up in the other's peanut butter jar and voila - the Reeses Peanut Butter cup is born. Well something similar happened in my kitchen, my chocolate batter ran into some hunky chunky peanut butter - they got baked, smothered themselves in chocolate then polished themselves off with a peanut butter buttercream!



Looks like my photographer got hungry :)



Lastly in my candy inspired cupcakes (for today that is), would be a candy bar combination, yes, that's right, not just one candy but a trifecta of goodness that when all brought together is a little slice of camp fire heaven, THE S'MORE cupcake.

Perhaps you'll recall this little vignette from "The Sandlot".

Ham Porter: Hey, Smalls, you wanna s'more?
Smalls: Some more of what?
Ham Porter: No, do you wanna s'more?
Smalls: I haven't had anything yet, so how can I have some more of nothing?
Ham Porter: You're killing me Smalls! These are s'more's stuff! Ok, pay attention. First you take the graham, you stick the chocolate on the graham. Then you roast the 'mallow. When the 'mallows flaming... you stick it on the chocolate. Then cover with the other end. Then you scarf. Kind of messy, but good! Try some!
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  This is not your ordinary cupcake much like the s'more is not your ordinary dessert - this cupcake, in my opinion, takes the cake!  A graham cracker cupcake, with chocolate chips baked in, a boiled icing topped with graham cracker crumbles and grated chocolate - I mean  can  you think of anything better?  Seriously, can you?

Some Like it HOT!!!

When I started this whole thing, I really thought that all my cupcakes would be fashioned after drinks; Pina Colada, Lime Margarita, Kahlua and coffee, Bailey's, etc.  But then my step son stopped by and suggested something different.  He was telling me about this vanilla ice cream he had that had a spice to it, like a jalapeno......hmmm - I don't know about that.  First of all, there isn't a drink that I know of that is vanilla and spicy, secondly what would I call it? 

I spent a little time thinking about it and discovered that there is this Whipped Cream Vodka that is wonderful! So, I thought a little more and came up with my "Spicy Whipped Cream Vanilla Cuptail".  I use the whipped cream vodka and vanilla beans and cayenne for the kick and they come out of the oven smelling like Heaven!  I use a vanilla bean butter cream and well, you'll have to try them for yourself, they are Heavenly!

So to continue on in my "Spicy" line of cupcakes comes my next creation but first a back story.

My husband loves spicy......I mean LOVES spicy.  He loves the Spicy Vanilla but would love it more if it were spicier.  I cannot use him as a gauge for what is spicy and what isn't because if it were up to him he would put habaneros, jalapenos and Serrano's on everything - yes, even his cupcakes!  So if you've read my blogs before, you would know that I have already blogged about my Strawberry Habanero Cupcake but I figured that I wouldn't stop there, my next attempt at the spicy side of baking would be a Lemon Serrano Cupcake.

I know, who would think to combine such things but I would because I love my hubby and I want him to enjoy my cupcakes!  So a lemon Serrano cupcake topped with lemon butter cream, lemon curd, and a candied Serrano pinwheel and voila - a cupcake with a kick, and I mean KICK! 



I let my hubby take my creation to his work and according to him - a few people have a new favorite!  Who would have thought?

Strawberry Habanero Cupcakes

I never want to be the cupcake baker that bakes the usual cupcakes - I started with the idea that all my cupcakes would be fashioned after drinks but I just can't be put into that small of a box and I have continued to try new things and for the most part, have been quite successful. 

My latest attempt at being creative is the Strawberry Habanero cupcake.  When trying out a new recipe, I have to bake a batch - when I did this one I wasn't totally thrilled but my husband LOVED it and so I let him take the batch to work.  To my surprise, he wasn't the only one who LOVED my creation - he said that everyone balked at first but then when they tried it, they loved it. 

It's a fairly simple cupcake - strawberry habanero cupcake, topped with chocolate ganache and a candied habanero slice. 

That's it folks. Don't believe you would like one, perhaps you should order a batch from me and make an informed decision on your own: www.happyhourcuptails.com
Sorry Seattle area only at this point.

Root Beer Floats Anyone

Well, I was wondering through the grocery store last summer and was thinking about my next cupcake recipe and root beer floats came to mind.  It's kind of funny how thoughts of new recipes are constantly rolling through my mind these days and the next thing you know, I have ingredients, a recipe and the oven is pre-heating.

These are one of those recipes that worked on try number 1!  I love it when that happens and not only that, it has been a big hit with young and old.  I even had a friend that told me, she doesn't like root beer but these are her favorite cupcakes now. 

Yes, it does make a difference as to what root beer you use.

The other thing about this recipe is I can modify it to make other similar float cupcakes like

Cream Soda and Orange - all equally delicious!!!!

We go together like a caramel dipped, chocolate covered pretzel

You know that moment when you see something in a display case that looks amazingly delicious and so you buy it and it is delicious! That happened to me one day in Starbucks.  Sitting in a display case was this pretzel rod dipped in caramel, then dipped in chocolate.  Such a simple concept and yet so tasty.  When I started baking I thought to myself, this needs to be a cupcake and so I made one!

Pretzels!

The Batter

Going in the oven

TA-DA

Now what?

Now what?

Ah the dreaded question for the empty nester to be.  Yes, it's true, the youngest is about to fly the coop and begin living life as an adult and with that transition comes the dreaded question for the "stay at home" mom - now what?  Now that your job title no longer carries a job description?  Now that you no longer have booster meetings to attend, or concerts or football games........NOW WHAT?  Your life was so full and now it's so empty, right?  Not really - just because a lot of what I did was directly related to my son's schooling, doesn't mean everything in my life is now going to change.  Yes, it's true that my son will be 100's of miles away at college and I won't be able to hear him call out for me when he needs something (like a towel because he forgot to grab one before showering), his dirty dishes will stay dirty until HE cleans them, and imagine his surprise when he discovers that socks come out of the dryer as individuals.  True, I'm turning in my title as Music Booster President for the unknown but I know that when God closes one door, He opens another.  In this case, I'm hoping the door He opens has a cupcake shop on the other side...........

A Very Special Cupcake for a Very Special Person

I've written about where my inspiration comes from when creating new recipes, usually it's from drinks or cookies and candy, etc. but this one has a very special meaning because even though it is a drink, the real inspiration was my best friend Erica!

Erica was one of those rare finds, the kind of person that people were drawn to; beautiful, funny, caring, loyal, a true friend through and through and I was lucky enough to get to call her my best friend.

Erica's story - Shortly after she was married, she was diagnosed with Melanoma, stage 3 possibly 4 - if you know much about Melanoma you know this is not good.  She fought for 2 years, went through painful treatments and experimental drugs, etc.  She lost her fight in April of 2004.  I miss her very much but more than that, I really don't ever want to see anyone else suffer the way she did, so I decided to create a cuptail in her honor and part of the proceeds will go to Melanoma research.

Why Goldschlager? - well the story behind that is a bit personal but let's just say that we enjoyed the liquor and I really think she loved the idea of the gold flakes being part of the experience. The other thing about it, well, I found some edible gold stars to decorate the cupcake with and she was born in the late 60's to some young kids and therefore her middle name was Star. It all comes together - well at least it does for me.

The Cuptail

For more information about melanoma go to www.melanoma.com
If you want information on how to order Goldschlager cuptails (Seattle area), go to www.happyhourcuptails.com

I miss her very much and I think about how happy she would be for me as I start this adventure in the world of baking and selling cupcakes. I also think she would have been the perfect person to partner with me in this adventure but God had other plans for her, so I'm on my own here but I'm sure she looks down on me from Heaven and is thrilled with my success!