Salted Caramel: Sooo 2012

Today was Andy's birthday.  Yaaay!  I told the guy at Starbucks, but he did not have the same enthusiasm. . .nor did he give Andy a free birthday drink-that two strikes, Starbies, two strikes.

Birthday time may not be an indication of anything special to the coffee mermaid, but here in the Hlushak household, it's time for a kitchen experiment!!  

Since Andy is a huge caramel fan (and requested it) I thought I'd make:  Salted "Party in my Mouth" Caramel Cupcakes

Birthday Treats.

Yeah, I guess "salted caramel" is all the rage, but if you're at Pink Berry, skip it.  But if you're here, I hope you have a few stick of butter because this is worth staying up till midnight to make.

Let me save you the pain of googling "homemade caramel cupcake" because I have found for you the unhealthiest, most deliciously satisfying recipe with easy shmeasy to follow instructions including the simplest way to make caramel (are there several?? probably).

Go get the butter out of the fridge before you read on, because, Yes you will want this.

Easy Shmeasy Vanilla Cupcakes:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees (Why do we insist on pre-heating so early?  I'm still searching for the stupid teaspoon in the drawer when the oven hits the correct temp.  So, if I was a part of Team Cpt Planet, I'd be pre-heating around step 5).

1 cup butter (or 1 stick butter and 1/2 cup unsweatened applesauce-my one healthy contribution)

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking power

1 tsp baking soda (I made this step up on the fly-you may have a better handle on Baking Science 101)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup milk

Step 1:  Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until yummy.

Step 2:  Add the applesauce if you're using it as an oil substitute.  Watch your batter looked curdled.  Don't worry, all's well in the end.

Step 3:  Add eggs.  Mix

Step 4: Spend the next 5 minutes searching for the teaspoon.  Then, in a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder and soda. 

Step 5:  Combine and mix.  (Now would be a good time to pre-heat the oven)

Step 6:  Add milk and watch the magic happen.  Mix well.

Step 7:  Line cupcake tins with papers and fill with mixture over 3/4 full.  Not good with fractions in-between 3/4 and whole.  So, feel free to express yo'self.

Step 8:  Pop in oven.  Check at 25 minutes.  May need up to 30 minutes.  Take out when, well, when it feels right in your heart.

Step 9:  Let cool.

I am adventurous when it comes to the kitchen.  Recipes are suggestions and I like to add twists that, in my mind, seem so wonderful I can't believe someone else hasn't tried it; or maybe it's because I'm not on Pinterest.

For my first try I loosely followed some blog lady's recipe and added my own idea of vanilla pudding and yogurt. There were some rising issues.  That, and the center was like vanilla lava.  Ew.  

This is NOT a Salted "Party in my Mouth" Caramel Cupcake-please don't be confused.

Like I said, there were some issues.

Round two went better and thus, an easy shmeasy vanilla cupcake recipe.  Oh, by the way, it makes 12 huge (well, ok, normal) sized cupcakes.  

Ready for the fun part!!  Today I learned how to make caramel.  All my stay at home mom friends are probably rolling their eyes and saying, "Oh sweet Lauren, homemade caramel was sooo 2011."  In that case moms, I bet you've never put it in icing!!  Or maybe you have.  Hmm.  Well, regardless, this icing is a winner and really easy.

Salted Caramel "This is so 2012" Icing

2 tbsp water

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup whipping cream

Boil water and sugar on medium high.  Stir sugar until dissolved and then let boil.  Once boiling, let it continue until a nice amber brown (or in my case it started to smell like burning; I figure that's a good indication that it's time for the next step).  Remove from heat and add whipping cream and stir.  Stir until nice and caramelly.  Let stand until cool (30 minutes or maybe 10 in the fridge).

Meanwhile, back at the kitchen aide,

1 cup of butter

2 cups powered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt (don't get over zealous on the salt, this is dessert after all)

Whip butter into a frenzy-5 minutes on high. Add vanilla and whip some more.

Slowly add powdered sugar (note:  leaving whisk on high setting will cause Christmas all over your counter. . .choose speed settings wisely).  When caramel sauce is cool, add slowly to icing and mix. If caramel is not cool, it will melt the butter.  First hand experience, people.

When all is said and done, ice away and lick the bowl into oblivion.  It's a good good night.

Birthday cupcake never tasted so good.

Happy Birthday, Andy!

Pre-Game Warm Ups

It's Pre-Game day, people!  That's right, with Valentine's Day right around the corner the Ruffled Heart Headquarters has been buzzing with activity.  

Author's Note:  I love Valentine's Day.  I always have.  And not because when the 14th of February rolls around I have some hot boyfriend.  Nope.  In fact there's been only ONE HOT boyfriend on Valentine's Day (who happens to be my now HOT husband) and that didn't happen until I was 27.  I love it because I love hearts, candy, little notes, chocolate, flowers, and chocolate, and sweets, and all the other little pretty touches Valentine's Day affords the female.  I personally think Valentine's Day is the day I get to be as girly as possible and use pink and purple in great excess all the while eating a heart shaped candy bar.  I also love that it's a day devoted to giving small little tokens of love and friendship to people.  AH!  It's like first grade again!  

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and since Andy and I have lived in our apartment for almost a year and I have seen our neighbors less than the amount of coupons I cut (that's not very many), I thought I'd make them some cupcakes to celebrate the day.

 To help you with your pre-game warm-ups, I'm here to share some icing goodness.  I like to make healthy and tasty things.  This is not healthy.  It is tasty.  I'm not great at them simultaneously.

VALENTINE CUPCAKES

STEP ONE

Ask your husband to take you to King Soopers.  Buy boxed cake mix.  You can get creative and get some mix-ins.  I like to use 1 box of chocolate pudding, 8 oz of plain yogurt, and substitute the oil with natural applesauce.  This made the cupcakes very light and fluffy.

STEP TWO

Make cupcakes.  Test them.  Test a lot of them.  Watch Valentine's Day and see how many celebrities you know without looking their names up on IMBD.

STEP THREE

Go to sleep.  

Since it is now the day before Valentine's Day, you may not have this luxury.  

Skip to step four.

STEP FOUR

Make ICING!!!

I love making icing.

I like making baked goods just because I like making the icing.  

ICING

WHIPPED BUTTERCREAM

(hands down, delicious and very sweet)

1/2 cup butter no-salt added, room temp

Put in mixing bowl and beat 5 minutes on medium-hi.  If you have a whisk attachment, you are in for a treat.

Gradually add in powdered sugar on low setting.  Once mixed, turn to higher speed.

Add a little vanilla extract or your favorite flavoring (pumpkin spice, almond, coconut?!)

Continue to add powdered sugar until thick (maybe 2-3 cups).

Add a little milk or cream to get icing fluffier.  Beat on high, of course.

CHOCOLATE WHIPPED BUTTERCREAM

(make whipped buttercream)

Melt 6 oz of unsweetened chocolate baking squares (or dark chocolate) in a double boiler.

Add gradually to whipped buttercream and continue to beat on high.

YUM!

DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

(this is extreme dark chocolate flavor-not for the faint of heart)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

12 oz of chocolate (I used baking squares, and a little bit of a dark chocolate candy bar) chopped into small pieces and placed in pyrex

Bring cream to boil and pour slowly over chocolate.

Stir until chocolate melts

The DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE is pretty strong.  I iced the cupcakes with the WHIPPED BUTTERCREAM icing first and then dipped it into the GANACHE.  What match made in heaven.

I suppose you could use milk chocolate.

Cupcake.  Iced with Whipped Buttercream.  Dipped in Ganache.

DECORATIONS

Now I don't have any type of cake decorating tools.  Nothing but a spatula.  So for those of you who do not own much of that, here are some of my ideas for DECORATIONS.

Ganache, sprinkles, pearl drops, shredded coconut, dusted powdered sugar, a piece of Valentine's day candy, chocolate chips, toothpicks with notes glued to them, and you can always put icing in a ziplock baggie, cut off the tip and pipe it on the cupcake. 

The plan is to give these to our neighbors, right?  Well who wants to put all the work into delicious icing only to have it smushed by plastic wrap (yeah, I use plastic wrap).  I have an idea.

HOW TO MAKE HEART STOPPING CUPCAKE PROTECTORS

STEP ONE

Take the Fourth of July toothpicks your husband bought for $.50 last August and strip them of the flags.  I don't hate America, I promise.  I just need toothpicks, and well, go figure the Hlushaks only have one's with American Flags on them.

STEP TWO

Punch out little hearts (I got a heart punch on Black Friday at JoAnn's last season.  I guess you could cut out hearts too).  

STEP THREE

Paste the little hearts to the non-pointy ends of the toothpick.

STEP FOUR

Stick HEART STOPPING toothpicks into cupcakes (the tallest ones) and wrap with plastic wrap (or whatever non-toxic, hypo allergenic thing you use).

It's heart-stopping, I know.

One more pre-game thing you can do-find verses in the Bible that speak of God's amazing love for us.  After all, he is the greatest lover and greatest year-round Valentine.

"It was not by their sword that they won the land, 

nor did their arm bring them victory;

it was your hand, your arm,

and the light of your face, for you loved them."

Psalm 44:3

"Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed.  

His mercies never fail;

they are new every morning.

Great is your faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:22-23