A NEW CHAPTER

Gosh, so little time so much to do! but I am very thankful!! A new chapter of my life has just begun, I am a college student again! LOL, After never finishing my degree I am back in school taking 4 classes while still working full time! It's going to be a challenge but I am so excited (mostly excited to be done!! haha ) but I am so much more focused now than I was then, (thanks to God!) It just seems like tho the older I get the busier I get, work, church, school, husbands's softball! LOL, friends, family, going to the gym, being a wife, cooking dinner, working on the house....the list goes on and on, but I couldn't imagine what life would be like if i wasn't blessed with those things!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God "- Phil 4:6

Ya know my mama always said that the older you get the faster time flies, and boy do i see what she means! I feel like it was just yestarday I took my christmas tree down and now it's almost time to put it up agian!!! hahah (AND I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT!) i'm so excited for fall too! It's the best time of the year in my opinion! Being all snug, watching football....kinda..;), going to craft festivals eating funnel cakes!! just wonderful!

Last night I had the oppurtunity to hang out with one of my 10th grade girls from Long Hollow, and we just went to the dollar store, then she came to my house and we made dinner and ate icecream and looked at puppies on the computer! LOL and it was so fun! I am so excited to be building relationships with these girls! and pray God uses me to make an impact on their lives! and help them see God has a plan for them and when things do not work out sometimes....maybe that's a God thing! and all apart of HIS PLAN! (oh if i'd only clung to that when I was in highschool! hahaha)

okay so i'm pretty much really really hungry and these cupcakes look amazing!!!

NUTELLA CUPCAKES

Nutella Frosted Cupcakes


10 tbsp butter, softened (THAT'S ALOT OF BUTTER!!!)

3/4 cup white sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

Nutella, 12 teaspoons. (1 teaspoon for each cupcakes)

Preheat oven to 325F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy,about 2 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated. Don’t worry if the batter doesn’t look smooth. Add vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and baking powder until batter is uniform and no flour remains.

Using an ice cream scoop or spoon , fill each muffin liner with batter. They should be 3/4 full, if you’re not using a scoop. Top each cake with 1 heaping teaspoon of Nutella. Swirl Nutella in with a toothpick, making sure to fold a bit of batter up over the nutella.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 delicious cupcakes.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE..........

A verse I loved yestarday in Lamentations, and for those of you who do not know, Lamentations is a book written by probaly Jeremiah from a stand point of being inside the captivity in the old testament. Lament means to cry or weep, be sorrowed. Jeremiah showed grief not for the people in captivity but for God, b/c it broke Gods heart how the people kept disobeying after he forgave and forgave over and over, he finally handed them over, bc they clearly thought their way was best. but of course we know he ways comes back to redeem us!! anyways.......even though this is old testament stuff this very much can apply to today!!! The sin in our own lives and in the the lives of others should break our heart for God, b/c he cares so much for us, but after a while of constant disobeying he will let you live how you want to and remove his hand from you! (i've sooo been there! and it's the scariest place ever to be!!, you either WAKE up after that happens or you keep going down the crooked path to destruction!) wow i get off on sooo many tangents!!! this verse sums it up.

ch 1 vs: 5- Her adversaries have become her masters, her enemies prosper; for the Lord has caused her grief b.c of the multitude of her transgression her children have gone into exile, captive before the foe.


and this VERSE I JUST LOVED!!!!!

Lamentations 3:22-28 (New International Version)


22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.


OK LAST night, we (the bible study class im in on wednesday nights) had the oppurtunity to visit the womens shelter up in Gallatin and even though we were not there that long it was definitley an eye opening expierience! I mean most of us live in this "little bubble" of suburban life and it's like we honestly never consider the people, the women who literally have no where else to go other than a shelter!  Thank God for places like the shelters that really do help the people who need it.  It made me realize how much I take for granted! the stupid things that really don't even matter like shampoo, curtians, flooring!..........I mean...i catch myself all the time saying stuff like " I need new make up, or i need this or i need, that and I have been really trying to stop and say "no brittany you WANT those things".......b/c in reality we do not need half the stuff we really "want".......... makes me wanna give away all my stuff.......


speaking of stuff i want......i want a CUPCAKE!! HAHAH  THE CUPCAKE FOR TODAY IS.........kinda of end of summer tribute!!!

                               RAINBOW CUPCAKES!!!

1 white cake mix


2 eggs

1 C sour cream

1/2 C milk

1/3 C vegetable oil

5 GEL FOOD COLORS- You'll want gel food colors for this, not the little bottles of liquid. Gel color adds a ton of color with a small amount of dye. You can find gel colors at craft stores like Michaels and Roberts, and in the cake decorating isle of Walmart. If using red, make sure to get the one that says "No Taste"



Combine all ingredients until incorporated (about 30 seconds). Scrape sides of bowl and then beat on med-high speed for 3 minutes.

Divide batter according to how many colors you are using. I used 5 colors and it worked out to a little over 1 cup for each color.

Use food coloring to color batter to desired intensity. I used a 1/4 t and they were very bright! You could easily make pastel rainbows using a little less.

To get a layered stripe like I used, you'll want to put a spoonful of each color in the cupcake one at a time. The batter is thick, so it won't spread on it's own. A great tip is to set out a little bowl of water where you're working. Dip your finger in the water and then gently spread the batter out. The water will make it so the batter doesn't stick to your fingers.


Another tip is to use a measuring spoon and some water to measure out how many teaspoons/tablespoons are going to fit in your cupcake. Then divide that by how many colors you have so you know how much of each color to use for each cupcake. For my 5 colors, it worked out perfectly with 2 t of each color in each cupcake. So I put in 2 t of blue in the bottom of each cupcake and spread it out with my finger. Then I put in 2 t of green on top of that, then yellow, etc.

Bake them according to the package directions, until a toothpick comes out dry. I love how you can see the rainbow through the papers. If you want blue on top, just reverse the order (duh, right?)


ps. I USED TO LOVE RAINBOW BRIGHT!! SHE WAS AWESOME!!!
 

C'MON ON JOIN IN!!!!

Ok so as most of you know this year i've been reading through the bible in chronilogical order (the best way to do it i think, b/c you see how everything is connected!!!) Well we currently just read about the captivity (where Babylon takes over Judah after being warned over and over to change their ways, and just surrender) anyways, well the COOLEST part to me about all this is there is a remnant of jews left over that the babylonians take as servants and GUESS WHAT???!!! from that small remnant of servents comes JESUS!!! Ya know that covenant that God made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!! Well he always stands on his word! it's all so fasincating to me!!! I love it!!!!!! and that's why i really wanna invite you to jump in!! OR jump in when we start the NEW testament in October!! Im in a class on wednesday nights and we follow a blog that one of the most awesome ladies in our church does, (she does like a recap everyday of what the reading was, she provided charts, timelines, maps! everything to help it easier to understand what's going on) the blog is readingthebible365in2010.wordpress.com just click on the schedule and decided when you wanna jump, in and like i said we start the New testament in October so it'd be a perfect time to jump in! anyway SOOOO C'Mon and Join in!!   I promise it is life changing and you start seeing God in a whole different way!! (sorry im going so overboard with my excitment i just can't help it!) It cranks my tractor as my Uncle would say!!!! (you can always come join our wednesday night class as well, it's at Long Hollow Hendersonville).


The Cupcake for today

So this is a cupcake i've been dreaming about all week and i can't wait to make it!!!! It would be perfect for breakfast! yes a cupcake for breakfast! perfectly normal in my world!! hahaha

                    BUTTERMILK PANCAKE CUPCAKES!!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees


Cupcakes2 C pancake mix

1/2 Teaspoon baking powder

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 C buttermilk or sour cream

1/4 C organic maple syrup

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 teaspoons cinnamon


Maple Frosting

2 C powdered sugar

1 Teaspoon vanilla or orange flavoring

3 Tablespoons organic maple syrup (OR regular)

2 Tablespoons organic butter at room temp or regular

1 Tablespoon water

Bacon bits to sprinkle on top

In a large bowl, blend pancake mix, baking powder, egg, buttermilk, syrup, vanilla and cinnamon together until moistened.  In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, vanilla, syrup and butter together into a thick, but spreadable frosting and set aside. You may need to thin with a little water if the frosting is not easy to spread.

After 10 minutes, spoon batter into cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. When golden, pull from oven and let cool. While cupcakes are slightly warm, spoon the maple frosting on, sprinkle with bacon bits and serve.

A Verse I Really Enjoyed Yestarday

So just a verse that i really enjoyed yestarday. 

"They shall be my people and i will be their God and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good, and for the good of their children after them." Jeremiah 32:38-39

A song that has been in my head for the past several days is "Rejoice in the Lord Always, and agian i say, again i sayyyyyyyy REJOICE!!" hahah just pretend i'm singing it to you.....lol

I have really been fighting sleep the past couple days during the day! i promise if i laid down i'd be out in like 1 min!!! seriously.  Anyways the words can't describe how excited I am about getting to do a 10th girls small group.  I seriously already love them and i've only had small group twice!! We are going to have lots of fun and hopefully build strong bonds!! They all have such good hearts and it's so sweet to see that in young girls these days! :)


OKKKKKK cupcake time!!!!! This one would be good if you have kids! kind of an end of summer activity i guess. 

BUTTERFLY CUPCAKE or DRAGON FLY CUPCAKE (WHICHEVER)

You can use any colors you want to, just make some cupcakes of choice and use icing of choice, pretzels (obviously) for the wings, m and m for the head, licorish (spellcheck) for the antenas, and piped dots for the body color of choice (cut a small hole in corner of ziplock bag and pipe the dots on there). 

I would personally want to do  pink icing with white chocaolate pretzels for the wings and purple for the body! that'd be cuteeeeeee!!!

So much has been going on but we are BLESSED!

Wow! I haven't blogged in a couple days, so much has been going on this week, just haven't had the time. My Uncle had open heart surgery this week, and he's in recovery now, we are very thankful he even was able to have surgery, and made it thru ok.  We are so thankful to have had so many praying, there is definate power in prayer!!! and all Glory belongs to God! This whole thing has kinda been a wake up call to my family, we all need to eat better and take better care of our selves.  (as i have a cupcake blog! LOL)   You can go visit Caringbridge.org/visit/tracystuffle and see Tracy's(my uncle) info about everything that's happened, and updates and also read comments that have been posted (prayers from tons and tons of people!), it's amazing to see the love of Christ that so many people have shown to my family.  PLEASE pray for all families out there who are going thru things, espicially for the ones who don't know Christ! I can't imagine having to deal with everyday life without Jesus by my side, much less a big tragedy ect!!

Also, my next door neighbors who are elderly in their 80's, the husband passed away on thursday night! :( So pray for his wife b/c after the funeral is over I have feeling their kids will go and she will be left alone! I hope I can be a light for her!


Im sitting here with my sister and cousin Jared watching Zombieland and yes im thinking the same question as you are.....WHY???? hahhahahahah



ok so in honor of my Uncle having diabetes now and everything i decided to post a
SUGAR FREE CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE!!!

SUGAR-FREE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH SUGAR-FREE FROSTING
Although candy is a traditional Valentine's Day gift, sugar is not an aphrodisiac, so these sugar-free chocolate cupcakes really are a food of love. 

For the cupcakes:
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup boiling water
1-1/2 cups sifted cake flour (sift, then measure)
1 cup granulated Splenda (you can substitute Splenda for Baking, which is 50% sugar)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 Tbsp Splenda (6 small packets)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp chocolate extract or strong prepared coffee

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake tin with paper liners.

In a small measuring cup, combine cocoa and boiling water. Whisk and blend until smooth, and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle beater, combine flour, Splenda, baking soda and salt. Add butter and mix until the mixture is crumbly.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, cocoa mixture and vanilla. Add 1/3 of this wet mixture to the mixer bowl. Beat on low speed until every thing is combined, then increase to medium speed and beat for an additional 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl, and add another 1/3 of the wet mixture to the mixer bowl. Repeat, until all of the wet mixture has been added and the batter is smooth.

Using an ice cream scoop with a release (called a "disher"), or a large spoon, scoop the batter into the cupcake tin.

Bake 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The cupcakes will not be smooth on top, but that's okay. Remove the cupcakes from the pan onto a wire rack, and let them cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting:

In a glass measuring cup, heat the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments until it's almost completely melted (this took three 30-second zaps), then stir until it is smooth, and pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer to cool for a couple of minutes.

Using the whisk beater on your mixer, slowly whisk the cream into the cooled chocolate. Beat on medium speed and add the butter, Splenda, cocoa, vanilla and chocolate extract or coffee. Beat until smooth and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.

If you want to spread the frosting with a palette knife, you can do it now. If you want to pipe it through a pastry bag (or in a zip-loc bag with one corner snipped off), fill your pastry bag. If it doesn't pipe easily, put the pastry bag into the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes so the icing can stiffen up a bit. (I found it easy to pipe right away, without chilling it.)

These cupcakes don't keep well, so serve them the same day you make them.

I COULDN'T RESIST!

So i couldn't resist posting this cupcake!!! seriously it looks so yummy!!! with a big ole glass of milk!!!

CHOCOLATE MOLTEN CUPCAKE

1/2 cup(s) (semisweet) chocolate chips


1/2 cup(s) (1 stick unsalted) butter or margarine

1/2 cup(s) (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

1 box(es) (22-and-1/2-oz.) brownie mix, with chocolate syrup pouch

1/2 cup(s) sprinkles, such as stars or confetti, optional

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 12 muffin cups (11/4″ x 23/4″) with butter or cooking spray. In a medium microwaveable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and butter, uncovered, on high, 45 to 60 seconds, or until they melt and mixture can be stirred smooth.



In large bowl, beat eggs and egg yolks with wire whisk or electric mixer until foamy. Reserve chocolate syrup pouch from brownie mix. Gradually beat dry brownie mix into egg mixture until well blended. Gently stir in melted chocolate mixture. Fill muffin cups halfway with brownie batter; top each with 1/2 tsp. sprinkles, if desired, then finish off with remaining brownie mixture.



Bake 11 to 14 minutes, or until edges are set. Do not overbake the centers should be soft. Cool 2 minutes in pan.



Loosen each cupcake with knife and invert onto heatproof tray or cookie sheet.

today...............

ok so in my reading for today, we are currently in Jeremiah, and God is constantly begging the people to repent and turn their hearts towards him and he will deliver them.  He's been doing this since the beginning! Giving second chances and thirds and fourths and so ons.  It's just so sad and i myself am very guilty!  IF God didn't love us, he would have wiped us off the face of the earth long before now. I mean if God tells us he will deliver us if we just turn to him, turn our lives completly over to him, i know he will. God doesn't lie!  our prayer should be that God reveal to us what we need to remove from our lives, it could be the what we would "rate" as the "smallest" sin, al sins are equal tho...and partial disobedience is full disobedience.  (but also this doesn't mean we aren't going to mess up! no one can be perfect, no one, only Jesus was the only spotless lamb, that's where Grace comes in and we are redeemed forgiven!) :) 

Sooo since it's been so hot out side i am going to change it up a little and todays recipe is

ICECREAM CUPCAKES! 

you can make this as one big cake or individual cupcakes. 

3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups unsalted butter
2 1/3 cups sugar
5 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups milk
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened

Have all the ingredients (except the ice cream) at room temperature.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325°F. Grease and flour a great cupcake pan; tap out excess flour.

Over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla just until incorporated, about 1 minute.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, filling the wells to within 1/2 inch of the rim and spreading the batter so the sides are higher than the center. Bake until the cupcake halves begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center of each half comes out clean, 70 to 80 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cupcake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.

Gently tap the pan on the counter to loosen the cake. Set the rack over the cupcake, invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan. Let the cupcake cool completely, at least 2 hours. Reserve the cupcake top to decorate and enjoy on its own. Using a serrated knife, level the cupcake base by gently sawing off the domed portion.

Meanwhile, wash and dry the pan, and make sure it has cooled completely. Using a spatula, pack the ice cream into the well that forms the cupcake top. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.

Set the cupcake base, cut side up, on a plate. Remove the pan from the freezer and invert it onto a cutting board. Using a handheld kitchen torch, heat the exterior of the pan, moving the flame around the cupcake top in a slow, continuous motion, until the ice cream releases easily from the pan when the pan is tapped against the cutting board. Alternatively, dip the pan into a bowl of warm water to loosen the ice cream. Remove the pan from the water, invert a plate on top of the pan and flip the pan onto the plate, releasing the ice cream onto the plate.

Using a large, flat spatula, transfer the ice cream top onto the cupcake base. Freeze until the ice cream has hardened and is fused onto the cake, about 1 hour. Remove the cake from the freezer and decorate as desired. Serves 12.

EARLY AM STILL AWAKE

Tonight in our community there was a car wreck involving some teenagers from Beech highschool, one died on impact his name was Damon Hunter, and another was in critical condition, and one was fine. I ask anyone who is reading this to just stop where they are and pray for these families and for the boy in the hospital and the one who is ok.  Pray God will comfort them! and give them hope! I pray something great comes out of this terrible tragedy.  I Honestly can't imagine what kind of pain these people are in! 

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

• 
  

  From Psalm 34:18

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit

• 
  

  From Psalm 48:14

  
  

So tonight was Midnight Train at Long Hollow our church< 6PM-12 AM(midnight train is training for all church volunteers), and needless to say I am sooo excited for this coming up year I can hardly contain myself!!  OUr church year is August to August so we will be getting a whole new 10th grade small group on Sunday (me and one of my best gal pals Ciji).  I   feel so BLESSED to even have the opportunity to be apart of these girls lives I will be with on Sunday, for we are the very people who can make an impact on these youth at their age in their life.  Can't wait to see what all God has in store for our youth this year!!  I see him working in every life around me and it's so awesome!  I praise him for all of it!! b/c the changes that have happened to me and are still happening and the changes to people around me, I know it can only be from God!  He is so good!
 

• 
  
  OKAY CUPCAKE FOR TODAY-
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • 
    
    
    

    PEACH CUPCAKES WITH BROWN SUGAR FROSTING

    Yields: 12 - 14 cupcakes

    Original recipe here.

    
    

    For the cake:

    1 1/2 cups cake flour

    3/4 tsp. baking powder

    3/4 tsp. baking soda

    1/2 tsp. salt

    pinch of nutmeg

    6 tbsn. unsalted butter, room temperature

    1/4 + 1/8 cup sugar

    1/4 + 1/8 cup light brown sugar, packed

    1 large egg, lightly beaten

    1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

    3/4 cups buttermilk, sour cream or full-fat yogurt

    2 medium peaches, peeled, cored, and chopped small-sh

    
    

    For the frosting:

    3/4 cups light brown sugar

    1/8 cup cornstarch

    1/4 cup powdered sugar

    1 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, room temperature

    1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

    1/4 tsp. vanilla

    
    

    
    

    Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake pan with liners and set aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg, set aside. Cream the butter and sugar together, beating until fluffy. Add the eggs, scraping down the sides and bottom after added. Then add the vanilla, and gently mix in the buttermilk/ sour cream/ yogurt. Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the peach chunks. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tin, about 2/3 full. Bake for 18 - 22 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

    
    

    
    

    To make the frosting, in a small bowl whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch and powdered sugar. In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add the sugar-cornstarch mixture and vanilla, beat until frosting is smooth and light. Chill the bowl in the refrigerator until it thickens up a bit, about 30 minutes, then spread or dollop onto the cooled cupcakes.

    
    

IN AWE

So as I sat at the Bowling Family benefit concert the other night just watching video clips of them being interviewed after their bus accidient. (for those who don't know THe Bowling family is a southern gospel group and friends of my family that were almost killed in a bus accident about a month ago) all the family kept saying were how blessed they were, and how they praise God, and God is so good, it was so humbling!  Their world was totally turned upside down with all the medical issues, plus not being able to work for about 3 months and yet they still sat back to consider their blessings and give God all the glory remembering everything works for his Glory! No matter what we are going through or where we are at this point in our life we should always (myself included) when something goes wrong, Praise God!, when something goes right, Praise God!, when nothing is going on Praise God! and wait for something! I know all this is easier said than done, trust me i know. but anyways.....PRaise God! :) lol

So we went to lifeway bookstore last night and they have some really cute wall art decal type things,( i don't know what they are called though )once i decide where i'm gonna put them i may take a picture and post, (hah this could take a while b/c it takes me forever to make a decision! haha) I get "overwhelmed" as my family likes to joke. Speaking of family I love them so much!  I've truley been blessed with an awesome tight knit family. love you guys!

ON to the CUPCAKE FOR TODAY.....this one is for my aunt Libbi b/c she loves LEMON CELLO cake from Nana Rosa (one of our fave restuarants in Hendersonville!)

LEMON CELLO CUPCAKES

Yield: 1 dozen

For the cupcakes:

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons limoncello

½ cup buttermilk

¼ cup lemon juice

Zest of one lemon



For the lemon curd:

Zest of 2 lemons

½ cup lemon juice

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 egg + 1 egg yolk



For the cream cheese limoncello frosting:

2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 tablespoon limoncello

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted



1. Prepare the cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the center. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until light and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the limoncello and beat an additional minute. On low speed, add flour mixture and buttermilk alternatively, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Divide the batter between 12 muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely.



2. Prepare the lemon curd. In a heavy medium saucepan, stir together the lemon zest, juice and sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and egg yolk. Whisk the lemon mixture into the eggs to temper them. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat, whisking constantly until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let cool completely.



3. Prepare the cream cheese limoncello frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the limoncello and beat for an additional minute. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat until fully incorporated and smooth.



4. Assemble the cupcakes. Cut a hole into each cupcake with the large end of a melon baller or the back end of a large pastry tip. Fill each cavity with the lemon curd. Fill a pastry bag with a star tip with the cream cheese limoncello frosting and pipe onto each cupcake. Decorate with lemon and berries, if desired.




I HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GREAT DAY!! :)

My First Time Blogging

So....this is my first time blogging! ah kinda exciting! If you are wondering why my blog is called the Daily Cupcake, WELL i'm not really sure other than the fact that cake is my favorite food of all time, plus i thought that maybe thru this blog i could help encourage some people or help them see how Jesus can be our life long cupcake (if that makes any sense at all).  hah i know this is so cheesy and I'm not comparing Jesus to a cupcake because he is SOOOO much better than that, i'm just making an analogy i guess..???.  I know after i post this i will be like talking to myself saying "really brittany, you said Jesus could be your life long cupcake".  For me I want God to be my daily cupcake, the thing that fills my cup!  Now being a christian, this doesn't mean it's all give me give me give me from God, we are to live our life to the fullest through salvation in Jesus Christ, we are to walk in "his" ways and keep "his" commands, and through that his blessing will be new everyday.  I mean the least we could do is try to life a life for him right???, after all he sent his son to die for us!

"My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, declares the Lord, as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts" Isaiah 55:8-9

"Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all of their heart" Psalms 119:2

OK...so I PROMISE every day will not be a bible lesson! I am still growing and learning and trying to better myself everyday just like the rest of us.

So I am definitley blogging at work! VIOLATION as we here in the office joke. hahah. I think every day (or everyday that i blog at least) also I will post the Recipe for a different kind of Cupcake, i guess to along with the theme here. (oh this is fun!) 

Lets Start with.........the STRAWBERRYS AND CREAM CUPCAKE!

Bake these gorgeous summer berry cupcakes

The fruit purée in the icing gives a fab yogurty flavour and makes them seem less sinful.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Makes 12 cupcakes

for the cakes:

175g (6oz) unsalted butter, softened

175g (6oz) caster sugar

3 large free-range eggs, beaten

175g (6oz) self-raising flour, sifted

1tsp vanilla extract

for the frosting:

400g (14oz) full-fat Philadelphia cheese

300g (10oz) icing sugar, sifted

250g (9oz) strawberries, blended to a purée



1 Preheat the oven to 180 C, 160 C fan, 350 F, gas 4 and line a 12-tin muffin tray with cupcake cases. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little of the flour if the mixture looks like it’s about to split.

2 When the eggs have been incorporated, add the vanilla and fold in the flour. Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases and cook on the middle shelf of the oven for about 20 minutes, until they are risen and golden. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.

3 Meanwhile, make the icing. Beat the cream cheese, icing sugar and strawberry purée together to form a shiny icing. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe in swirls on to the cooled cakes, then top each with a strawberry segment. Keep cool until you are ready to serve. These cakes should not be kept waiting longer than an hour. The cupcakes can be frozen un-iced for up to a month.

Per cupcake: 500 calories, 30g fat (18g saturated), 54g carbohydrate