Monday, February 28, 2011

Mini Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

These mini chocolate raspberry cupcakes from Java Cupcake look and sound delicious! I love to bake and cook, but for some reason I have never tried making cupcakes from scratch, I'm usually more of a Funfetti kind of girl. Anyhow, I am excited to give it a go and see how they turn out. Here is the recipe in case anyone else wants to try them. 


Mini Moist Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes


Ingredients:
Makes 36 minis and 12 regular cupcakes
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs at room temperature
1  ¾ cup all purpose flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup boiling water
Fresh raspberries (enough for each cupcake) 

Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line pans with foil or paper liners.
1. Mix oil, sugars, cream and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
2. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each.
3. Beat on medium for about 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl.
4. Sift dry ingredients together.
5. Sift them again.  Make sure all the flour and cocoa are thoroughly combined and all clumps are gone and   the mixture is very fine.
6. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in three parts, scraping the sides of the bowl and thoroughly mixing after each.
7. Beat for about 2 minutes on medium-high speed.
8. Add the boiling water and mix until just blended.  DO NOT BE ALARMED, mixture will be thin.
9. Fill cupcake liners no more than 1/2 full.
10. Add a raspberry to the center of each cup, push in until almost covered.
11. Bake 8 minutes, rotate pan 180 degrees, and bake an additional 2-3 minutes.
12. Do not over bake! Cupcakes will be done when there are air bubbles in the center and it springs back to the touch.
13. Leave in the pan 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.


Vanilla Buttercream
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 lb bag of confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tbsp corn syrup
1. In an electric mixer on medium-high, cream butter until smooth.
2. Mix the vanilla and cream together in a measuring cup and set aside.
3. Add sifted sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until smooth after each cup.  Between each cup of sugar, add the cream/vanilla, beginning and ending with sugar.
4. Slowly pour in corn syrup and mix well.
5. Add more cream, if necessary, to obtain desired consistency.
5. Beat on high for 5 minutes.

You can also view Java Cupcakes blog Cupcakes Take the Cake for more recipe and cupcake ideas 

Enjoy!

Sunday, February 27, 2011

In Love With This Outfit

T by Alexander Wang asymmetric top
$128 - lagarconne.com

Jean
259 EUR - unger-fashion.com

Christian louboutin shoes
550 GBP - brownsfashion.com

TopShop black tote bag
$125 - topshop.com

Betsey Johnson bow jewelry
$65 - betseyjohnson.com

Alex and Chloe pyramid jewelry
$180 - alexandchloe.com

Saturday, February 26, 2011

For Our Fabulous Little Friends

FabDog, Inc. was created with one simple goal in mind: to produce the most fabulous pet accessories, and in my opinion, they do just that. From American classics to punk, prep, luxe and rasta, Fabdog has the perfect collection for any style pet.

Personally, I love the Fab Prep collection. My favorites are the lime crab embroidery and the alligator embroidery collars. They will go perfectly with my long hair Chihuahua Riley's preppy polos.

Fabdog also sells super cute raincoats, toys, bowls and an adorable fraternity style hoodie, which displays the greek letters spelling out D-O-G. No matter what style you and your dog are into and whatever the occcasion, Fabdog features the perfect look.

Have some fun with it, your pup deserves to look just as fabulous as you do!

Friday, February 25, 2011

A Chocoholics Dream

Last week I literally thought I had died and gone to heaven. I walked into Dylan's Candy Bar in New York City and was surrounded by an overwhelming array of sweets. While oogling over the world's largest gummy bear (I'm not kidding, it was $40.00 and weighed like 5 lbs) I spotted my latest obsession- an enormous chocolate fountain.

Although we all love traditional chocolate fondue, chocolate fountains take a fun new twist on dousing treats into delicious chocolate. These are great for any party or event as both adults and kids alike will be excited by the idea of mouth-watering flowing chocolate. The fountain makes an excellent centerpiece and can be complimented by any assortment of sweet or savory snacks to be used as dippers.

If you aren't crazy about the idea of featuring a chocolate fountain at your next party, consider giving one as a gift. Trust me, it's every chocoholics dream! I'm not sure yet what I will be celebrating, but I will definitely find some way to feature a chocolate fountain at my next get together. How could anyone resist a little pure chocolate indulgence?

Hungry for Daily Tips and Tricks?

I stumbled upon this site yesterday while searching for "Skinnygirl" recipes. I instantly fell in love and knew that I had to share it.

Hungry Girl, founded by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Lillien, is a "free daily email service that entertains and informs hungry people everywhere." On this site you can find news and info on recent diet trends, delicious recipes and cooking tips along with polls, reviews and my personal favorite- a weekend survival guide for dining out.

I have also found the HG's Totally Updated Starbucks Survival Guide to be rather informative. I think that everyone should give it a quick read before continuing with their morning coffee routine. Say hello to my new favorite drink, the Skinny Caramel Macchiato, with just 140 calories in a Grande you sure can't beat it!

Head over to Hungry Girl for your own tips and tricks for staying healthy without going hungry!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

A Whole Lot of Fun For Less

Less calories that is! 


If any of you are as obsessed with Bethenny Frankel as I am then you have probably heard a thing or two about her Skinnygirl Margaritas. I for one am dying to try these! At only 100 calories per serving you get all fun and flavor of a classic margarita, minus all of the guilt. 


Gather your friends and try the original recipe yourself using silver tequila, the juice from 3 limes and a tiny splash of Triple Sec. Or hit your local liquor store (like I plan on doing this weekend) to buy Skinnygirl Margaritas! Bethenny says it best herself, "relationships are about compromise, my margaritas aren't."


Anyone tried these guilt-free cocktails already?

Monday, February 21, 2011

Welcome!

WELCOME! Be Yourself. Who else is better qualified... is a place where I can share all the things I love!

I am so excited to start using this blog as a tool to dish on all the fun things I come across including quotes, recipes, products, DIY projects, and much much more.

I hope you all enjoy :)