Super Easy Crème Brûlée

     Crème brûlée is a classic French dessert, and is easier to make than most people think. When I made this for the first time, I expected it to be extremely time-consuming and difficult. But there are only five ingredients, and almost all of the time is...waiting. Waiting was the hardest part for me, because I just wanted to eat it!
     For this, you will need a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar. I tried to do it with a plastic lighter, but it did not work at ALL. I know that BonJour is a pretty decent brand, and you can get a BonJour kitchen torch at Bed Bath and Beyond, Target or Kohl's, and I'm sure other places as well.
     Here I have a classic vanilla custard, but there are many different flavors you could experiment with such as chocolate, strawberry, and caramel. I got this amazingly simple recipe from Betty Crocker, but I also have it below:

Super Easy Crème Brûlée

(I think we got 6 custards from this recipe)

Ingredients:

- 6 egg yolks

- 2 cups whipping cream

- 1/3 cup granulated sugar

- 1 teaspoon vanilla

- boiling water

- sugar for caramelization

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In 13x9-inch baking sheet, place 4-6 (6-oz) ceramic ramekins.* In a small bowl, slightly beat egg yolks with wire whisk. In a large bowl, stir whipping cream, 1/3 cup granulated sugar and the vanilla until well mixed. Add egg yolks; beat with wire whisk until evenly colored and well blended. Pour cream mixture evenly into ramekins.

2. Carefully place the pan with ramekins in oven. Pour enough boiling water into the pan, being careful not to splash water into ramekins, until water covers two-thirds of the height of the ramekins.

3. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until top is light golden brown and sides are set (centers will be jiggly). NOTE: If you aren't sure how to tell when the custards are done, look it up on YouTube. This is important!

4. Using tongs or grasping tops of ramekins with a pot holder, carefully transfer ramekins to cooling rack. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours but no longer than 48 hours.

5. Uncover ramekins; gently blot any liquid from tops of custards with a paper towel. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons granulated sugar over each chilled custard. Holding kitchen torch 3 to 4 inches from custard, caramelize sugar on each custard by heating with torch about 2 minutes, moving flame continuously over sugar in circular motion, until sugar is melted and light golden brown. Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 8 hours before serving.

Carrot Cake

This was my first time making carrot cake, and it turned out really well. It was extremely moist and easy to make, and I also added nuts. You can add any kind of nuts you want, but we used walnuts. I got the recipe from Everyday Dishes, but I also have it for you here:

Moist Carrot Cake

INGREDIENTS:

• carrot cake
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 lb package baby carrots, finely grated
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• frosting
• 12 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, 1½ sticks
• 2 8 oz packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 8 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees then line the bottom of two 9" cake pans with parchment paper. Spray the pans and paper with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, oil and eggs together until completely blended then set aside.

Add the carrots to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the carrots are very finely chopped and resemble the texture of wet sand. Then, add them to the sugar, oil and egg mixture, stirring to combine.

Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon on top of the wet ingredients and carefully fold the wet and dry ingredients until completely blended. If you’d like to add nuts or raisins, now is the time to fold them into the batter 

Divide the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans and bake 45−50 minutes—the cakes will be firm in the center and just beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Remove the cakes from the oven and cool them on a rack for about 10 minutes.

When the cakes have rested but are still quite warm, invert the layers onto a sheet of waxed paper. Remove the pan, peel the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake then replace the pan back over the cake to cover it and seal in the moisture. Leave the cakes covered until they are completely cooled (at least 2 hours).

While the cakes are cooling, get started on the cream cheese frosting. Add the softened butter and cream cheese to a medium-sized mixing bowl and cream together until completely combined and no lumps remain.Then, sift in the powdered sugar, stirring until perfectly smooth.

Add the vanilla and stir once more to combine. If the frosting’s too thick, add a few drops of milk until the consistency’s correct. Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature until you are ready to frost the cake.

When the cakes are cool and the frosting has been made, remove the pans to uncover the cakes. Place the first layer on a serving plate and evenly coat the top of the cake with frosting. Place the next layer upside down on top of first layer and press gently but firmly into place. Coat the top and all sides of the cake evenly with the remainder of the frosting.

Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.

NOTE: For leftover cake, cover the exposed inside cake with plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out!

Snicker-Doodle Cupcakes

          Hey everyone! My best friend made these cupcakes, and they are delicious. They smell and taste like a snickerdoodle cookie (one of my favorites, though I have lots), with a yummy cream cheese frosting to go with it. I got this recipe from Real House Moms, but I also have it for you here:

Snicker-Doodle Cupcakes:

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cupcakes:

• 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (or whole milk)
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Frosting:

• 4 ounces (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners (12 regular, 24 mini, or a combo of 6 regular and 12 minis).
2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another bowl, melt butter and whisk in the sugar, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. Set aside.
4. With an electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into the batter until combined.
5. Spoon batter into cupcake liners (I like to use an ice cream scoop).
6. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon on the top of batter. Reserve remaining.
7. Bake for 15-18 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. (If you are baking mini and regular cupcakes, bake the mini ones first and then the regular.) Leave in tin for a couple minutes until able to remove onto a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting:

1. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time and beat until smooth and creamy. Mix in the vanilla extract.
2. Place frosting in a piping bag fitted with a 1M star tip. Swirl frosting on top of each cupcake and then sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture on top.

Lemon Cupcakes with Blackberry Frosting

In October my sister turned 16, and I made these cupcakes for her party. They were incredible! They tangy-ness of the lemon pairs well with the blackberry, and they look pretty, too! I found the recipe at The Gracious Wife, but I also have it below. Happy baking!

Lemon Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 lemons freshly zested (at least/about 2-3 tablespoons)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large egg whites

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add lemon zest and sugar. Combine them by rubbing it together between your fingers. The sugar will look slightly fluffy when you're done, and you shouldn't see any large chunks of lemon zest.
2. Add the melted butter to the sugar mixture. Cream mixture until fluffy and combined.
3. Sift together flour and baking powder, and add to the sugar mixture, beating until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, add milk, sour cream, vanilla, and egg whites. Whisk together.
5. Add the milk mixture to the flour and sugar mixture, and beat at medium speed, just until combined. Mixing too much will cause the cupcakes to be too firm.
6. Line a greased muffin tin with cupcake liners. Divide the cupcake batter evenly between 12 molds. (I probably used a quarter to a third cup of batter per cupcake). Bake in a 350° oven for 15-19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the top comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
   
   
   
   
   Lemon Blackberry Frosting
   
   
   (Makes enough frosting for 24 cupcakes)
   INGREDIENTS:
   
   

   
   

   • 1 cup blackberries
   • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
   • 1 cup 2 sticks butter, room temperature
   • 4 cups powdered sugar
   • 1 teaspoon vanilla
   • 1 tablespoon milk or cream

   
   

   Instructions:

   
   

   1. Add blackberries and lemon juice to a small saucepan. Over medium heat, bring mixture to a simmer, stirring often. Your blackberries will become soft enough that they will basically mash themselves while you're mixing. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until you have about 1/3 cup of blackberry puree mixture.
   2. If you don't want seeds or skins in your buttercream, strain the blackberry puree through a fine mesh strainer at this point. (I did not strain mine, but did run it through a food processor to make sure it was extra smooth) Allow to cool to room temperature
   3. In a large mixing bowl, add butter and blackberry puree. Beat together with a mixer until mixture is smooth.
   4. Add in the powdered sugar, and beat on medium-high until mixture is smooth and creamy.
   5. Add your milk or cream and vanilla and beat again to combine. Test your buttercream now. If it's still too thick, continue adding milk or cream, 1 tablespoon at a time until buttercream reaches desired consistency.
   6. You can frost your cupcakes with the blackberry buttercream as soon as they are completely cooled. You can spread or pipe it on. For the picture above, I used my Wilton 2D tip.

Simple Knit Hat

Image from Mama's Stitchery Projects

Simple Knit Hat (for babies!)

     Hey again! Knitting is a hobby that I took up about one year ago, and I absolutely love it. It keeps my hands busy, and I can knit while I am playing a game or watching a movie. I found this pattern on Ravelry (which is a website for where you can find knitting and crocheting patterns) from Mama's Stitchery Projects. On her website she has four different sizes for this hat (preemie, newborn, 12 month, toddler, and teen), but I'm only going to give you the preemie and newborn patterns. If you need the other sizes, you can find them on her website!

Sizes:

Preemie - 11" circumference, 5.5" high

Newborn - 13" circumference,  6" high

Gauge:

22 stitches and 30 rows = 4 inches in stockinette

Materials:

0.5 to 1 oz (40 to 80 yds) of DK weight baby yarn

Size 6 (4 mm) 40" circular needles

Yarn Needle

Pattern:

Preemie - Cast on 60

Newborn - Cast on 72

Ribbing (6 rounds for preemie size, 8 rounds for other sizes): k2, p2 repeated across round

Knit until the hat measures the desired height for size including the ribbing:

Preemie – 4.25″ high
Newborn – 4.75″ high
12 month – 5.75″ high
Toddler – 6.25″ high
Teen – 6.75″ high

Before starting the crown, there are 60 (72, 84, 96, 108) stitches

Crown Shaping:

If you don't know how to perform a ssk (slip slip knit) stitch, here is a tutorial:

shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGwcYW3GG3M

If you don't know how to perform a k2tog (knit two together) stitch, here is a tutorial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBpbLmgwHFA

Repeat across the round:

Rnd 1: k4, k2tog, ssk, k4 – 50 (60, 70, 80, 90) stitches

Rnd 2: k
Rnd 3: k3, k2tog, ssk, k3 – 40 (48, 56, 64, 72) stitches
Rnd 4: k
Rnd 5: k2, k2tog, ssk, k2 – 30 (36, 42, 48, 54) stitches
Rnd 6: k
Rnd 7: k1, k2tog, ssk, k1 – 20 (24, 28, 32, 36) stitches
Rnd 8: k
Rnd 9: k2tog, ssk – 10 (12, 14, 16, 18) stitches

Cut the yarn with several inches to work with. With a yarn needle, pull the yarn through all the remaining loops, secure and weave in end.

Enjoy!

Oreo Buttercream

    This Oreo Buttercream is absolutely amazing, and one of our faves. It doesn't take long, and truly tastes like an oreo! I got the recipe from Nums the Word, but of course I'll also have it for you here (and I made a few tiny changes!):

Oreo Buttercream

Ingredients:

• 10-20 Oreo Cookies
• 2 sticks of salted butter, softened
• 3 cups of powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream (milk works, too)

Directions: 

    1. In a food processor or blender, pulverize Oreo's into a powder. Set aside. 

    2. Mix butter together with powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, until all blended. 

    3. Add vanilla and heavy cream and mix well. 

    4. Add crushed Oreo's and blend well.

    5. If needed, you can add a little more powdered sugar, or a little more cream for the right consistency.

Tip: Use a large piping tip, because chunks of oreo might get stuck inside the tip!

Brown Sugar Buttercream

 
    This frosting is by far one of my favorites. Even though they sound similar, this frosting is way different than my Brown Sugar Caramel Frosting. The caramel is very rich and sweet, and although this one is also sweet, it is light and not as heavy. And it takes less than 2 minutes to make! I got this recipe from Two Sisters Crafting, but I also have it for you right here:

Brown Sugar Buttercream

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) of Butter (Softened)
• 1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar (Light or Dark)
• 4 Cups of Powdered Sugar
• 2 tsp. Vanilla
• Milk as needed

Directions:
    1. In a mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar.
    2. Add vanilla and mix until it is combined. 
    3. Add the powdered sugar and mix. Slowly at first until the powdered is combined into the butter and sugar mixture. Then mix on medium until creamy. 
    4. Add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until you have the frosting at the desired consistency.

I Love Cupcakes!

    Hey Guys! As you have probably realized, most of my posts are recipes. And mostly cupcake recipes! I love baking, and would love to have my own little bakery someday. But I must confess, I don't think I've ever made anything other than chocolate cake! The next time that I'm in the kitchen, I want to try a new recipe for lemon cupcakes with raspberry frosting! It sounds like heaven, and if it works out I will be sure to share it with you. Hope that you're enjoying my recipes!

Brown Sugar Caramel Frosting

Brown Sugar Caramel Frosting! This recipe is super easy, and I even made a caramel out of part of it. It is also very rich, so I wouldn't pile it on too high, but still great. I used my  go-to chocolate cake recipe from my Andes Mint Cupcakes, and it fit perfect. I got the recipe off of Our Best Bites, but I will also give it to you here:

Brown Sugar Caramel Frosting

Ingredients:

•   1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
•   3/4 cup brown sugar
•   4 tablespoons cream (or milk)
•   1/4 teaspoon table salt
•   1 teaspoon vanilla
•   2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

    1.  Heat the butter, brown sugar, cream, and salt in a pot until melted and combined.                                  Bring it all to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer for 3 minutes.
    2.  Remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl.
    3.  Let it cool for about 10 minutes and then beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.
    4.  If needed, you can adjust the thickness by beating in either more powdered sugar or more cream.

Tip: Pipe quickly, because the frosting will thicken upon standing!

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread! This bread was BOMB, and it turned out perfectly. It does take a couple of hours, but there's a lot of waiting time. So you can go and do some laundry or take a nap while it is rising/cooking, because there is a lot of time for that! You can find the recipe at Recipe Snobs, and I'll write it out for you here:

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

Dough Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (1 packet)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 4 Tbsp. butter, melted

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix 2 cups of flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Set aside.


2. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and milk. 

3. Once the butter is completely melted take off the burner and add the water and vanilla. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.


4. Pour the milk mixture into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well. Whisk together the eggs and add to the batter. Keep mixing. Add 3/4 cup of flour and mix well. The mixture will be very sticky which means it’s perfect. Place the dough in a medium greased bowl. Cover with wrap and let it sit in a warm place to rise for about 30-45 minutes. 

5. Once the dough has doubled its size, knead in 2 tablespoons of flour. Cover the dough again for 5-10 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, start on the filling. In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl. Set aside.


7. Once the dough is ready, roll it out on a floured surface. Brush the melted butter on the dough and add the sugar mixture. Make sure everything is covered. Using a shape knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into equal sized strips (about 2 to 2 1/2 inches wide). Then cut the strips into equal sized squares. Stack the squares on top of each other to make 3 to 4 piles and place them in a bread pan. Take any sugar that fell off squares and sprinkle over the top and around the sides of dough. Cover the dough for another 10-15 minutes to rise.


8. While dough is rising, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place a cookie sheet under bread pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until outside of bread is golden brown.