Cupcakes, Cookies, Cupcakes, Cookies........

Bonjour Bakersnaps,


I have a lot to tell you fellas! Last week, I went to visit my grandma again, in Oregon! We went to the Oregon Coast, and to one of the baked good centers...
SEATTLE! 
Which also has the best place ever in the whole entirety of the universe...
Cakespy! Which as you know is the shop of Jessie Oleson, my favorite blogger and rolemodel! Her blog has the same name of her shop, Cakespy! DUH!
Here is the link to
CAKESPY CAKESPPPPYYY CAAAKKEEEESSSPPPPPYYYY 
I got a cute original painting by Jessie, of baked goods buying baked goods at a bakery (ha) and another picture by a different woman who's name escapes me... of three jars of jelly rolling down a hill, one with its cap off and all of it's jelly pouring out. It is colorful and cute! (I am a fan of art along with cupcakes)
Anyways, I also went to Trophy Cupcakes, a cute cupcake shop and boutique in Seattle with yummy cupcakes- Trophy Cupcakes! 
The cake was moist and fluffy on the chocolate cupcake with salted caramel buttercream. The frosting was wonderful, a little salty but sweet too. There was a little too much frosting for the cupcake, and as I have said before, I like a frosting ratio of approx. 2/3 cake 1/3 frosting!
I purchased another cupcake, chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream, which had great moist cake, but the frosting was a little too sweet and was a little too much on there. (Remember my ratio rule)
I will return about the other cupcake bakeries and pictures... stay tuned!
XO!
Sweetly Yours,
Rosie

A Not-So-Disasterous Disastrous Cupcake Disaster

Bakerettes,
Hello, my dear friends! Today, I made some cupcakes. Chocolate cupcakes, with DELICIOUS vanilla buttercream.......
The cupcakes were not so good...
AND HERE IS WHY.
I have a theory. I used a recipe book, called The Hummingbird Bakery Cupcakes and Muffins. This bakery, in London, makes cupcakes that seem to be popular. They most likely want to keep their recipe secret, as do most bakeries. In their book, they most likely change their recipe a little so no one can get the  flavor and consistency that their cupcakes have. Bakers who try the recipes will think it is their fault that the cupcakes aren't coming out well, but it is really the recipe. This way, people will have to continue to purchase cupcakes from the bakery, because they can't make them as good at home.
Not to say I haven't made some delicious cupcakes from recipe books in my day... 
Anyways...
Today I made chocolate cupcakes from this book, and they were dry and VERY unflavorful.

In my opinion, the recipe should have called for more chocolate, to make the cupcakes have delicious flavor and milk and butter to make the cupcakes softer and fluffier.

These cupcakes were nice to look at and the frosting was delicious! The frosting is my own recipe which is still being perfected... so I will share the recipe with you when it is absolutely amazing!

Here are some pictures of the gorgeous, but not so good cupcakes.

Good looking cupcakes but not so very tasty.


Sweetly Yours,
Rosie

Salted Caramels!

Bakerzillas!

   

   I am so sorry it has been so long, I have been busy.... and a little lazy :P.... a few weeks ago, I made DELICIOUS SALTED CARAMELS! They are melt-in-your-mouth scrumptious bites of goodness.

From a wonderful book, Sugarbaby, by Gesine Bullock-Prado, these caramels are a perfect treat to give to your friends at school, and to make you even a little more popular...

Salted Caramels!

*Note- these caramels are tough to chew. They are delicious when left to sit in your mouth and melt. 

Well since your begging.... heres the recipe...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (I prefer to be organic) heavy cream

2 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cups butter (cut into small pieces)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 teaspoons fleur de sel sea salt, divided

(I found this type of salt at William-Sonoma....)

Prepare an 8-by-8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the heavy cream, sugar and corn syrup. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has melted. Raise the heat to medium and continue to stir the mixture until it begins to boil. Stop stirring and cook the mixture until it reaches 257 degrees F or 125 degrees C on a candy thermometer. Immediately remove the mixture from the heat and stir until evenly distributed in the small pieces of butter, 2 teaspoons of the salt and the vanilla. The butter should be melted in the caramel. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and immediately sprinkle on 1 teaspoon of the salt. Let it sit until the caramel is firm enough to cut. Cut the caramels in small strips with a chef's knife. Wrap each individually in wax paper. They stay fresh for up to a week in a cool and dry place. 

I had a great experience making them and they were delicious! I hope you try them!

Sweetly yours,

Rosie