No-drip Ice Cream Cones

Check out these no-drip icecream cones I made for my cousin's housewarming/kids birthday party...

How are they no drip, you ask?

The secret is that they're not icecream. Awwww!

But, they're still quite delicious if I may say so myself. These are cucakes!!

I'll update this post with the icing recipe when I have a chance. But here's the rest of the deal:

- mix a box of cake mix by recipe on box... whatever flavor you choose (I picked a white cake)

- place cupcake papers in cupcake pan

- pour batter into cupcake papers

- place an inverted icecream cone on batter in cupcake pan (press enough that it doesn't fall over when you release)

- bake as instructed for cupcakes

- make icing

- cool

- remove papers from cupcakes

- ice cupcakes to look like icecream (sprinkles optional)

- ENJOY!!

Birthday Treats... grade-school style

I decided to make a birthday treat to take to work to share on my birthday. While contemplating the contents of my kitchen, I arrived at the decision to make Mojito Cuppy-Cakes!


Since I apparently don't have two cupcake pans, I made a batch of regular sized cupcakes and a batch of mini-cupcakes. Conveniently I had the right size papers for each. Once they were baked and cooled, I pulled them out of the pan (I baked them without the papers) and set them upside-down on cupcake papers which I had semi-flattened. Each one was topped... or bottomed if you will, with glaze and then finished with a swirl of frosting. They seemed to go over well at the office as I only brought a few of my 24 mini, 10 full size cuppycakes home with me.

For those of you who asked for the recipe, here it is. I'll note which options I used as there are a few alternatives (and one recipe reading error in my version).

Mojito Cake
1 box white cake mix
1 cup club soda
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rum
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 tsp grated lime zest
3 egg whites

Mix together. Bake as instructed on box for pan size.

GLAZE:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup rum

Heat to boiling, stir for 3 minutes.

ALTERNATE GLAZE: (I used this one, but next time I'd probably try the other)
3 tbsp rum
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp chopped mint

GARNISH:
1 cup whipped cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar
lime zest & mint leaves to finish

ALTERNATE GARNISH (frosting): (I used this one, but read the wrong recipe)
3 tbsp butter
1-1/2 cup powdered sugar
shot of rum
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp lime zest
chopped mint as desired
(I used 3 tbsp of rum... then realized the error (that was from the last glaze recipe). So to compensate, I left out the lime juice, doubled the butter and powdered sugar. This yielded much more frosting than I actually needed.)

Make sure cuppycakes are cool before topping with frosting or it will become a melted runny mess! I used a pastry bag with a star tip to put the frosting on the "bottoms" of the cuppycakes. I used the remaining mint leaves to decorate the tray by sticking individual leaves between the cuppycakes and the papers.

Baking Bonanza!

A bunch of aging bananas and a box of strawberries...
(recipes to follow at a later date)

Buttermilk Banana Bundts and banana chocolate chip mini-muffins version 1.0.
I'm not particularly fond of the texture of these muffins, although Ted seemed to like them.



Baked oatmeal with strawberries, anyone?

This one (well, actually the blueberry version) seemed to be quite a hit up on the mountain. I've modified this recipe to be non-dairy recipe. Recipes will be posted later. Ted came to the rescue on this dish as I had half of the ingredients mixed when I realized that I only had half of the oats I needed to finish. Luckily, Ted was willing to stop at Acme and drop off a carton of oats. Reward = Banana Chocolate Chip mini-muffin version 1


I've got a lovely bunch of mini-muffins

Banana chocolate chip mini-muffins version 2.0.
These had more of a muffin texture to them. (or at least more like what I expected)

Only the good die young... or those in a bundt pan

Apparently the bundt pans and I had a little bit of a falling out tonight. Rather, we the bundt pans and the muffins did not have a falling out. Not only would they not fall out, they would not be shaken out. Bundt muffin extraction was not pretty (see above) but they were still some tasty morsels.

All cooking, all the time...

While my original blog sits somewhat neglected, I've concluded that I need one just for my kitchen adventures. I enjoy cooking. Not only do I enjoy it, but it often serves as a stress outlet. My co-workers often reap the benefits of my anxiety in the form of cakes and such. This weekend, it will be the retreat folks... and my family.

Tonight's apron adventures included banana muffins, strawberry baked oatmeal, and banana bread.