Gingerbread Cupcakes with a Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

There are many smells associated with Christmas--pine trees, craneberry, hot chocolate... But I think the most frequented memory for what Christmas smells like, are whenever someone bakes or decorates gingerbread. The flavor combination of the nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and of course mollasses (which surprisingly smells disgusting in the jar--no worries, the flavor bakes down) is pure genius! Whoever came up with this years ago should be given a medal of something.

Ever since I started baking cupcakes, I knew the minute the Christmas holiday rolled around, I'd try my first batch of Gingerbread Cupcakes. My mom wanted me to make my Red Velvet, but I knew I was going to need to pull a fast one and get these in somehow.  The challenge though was which recipe I'd tweak...

For the gingerbread I used the a recipe I found online. The main thing I changed is replacing water with a special and more delicious liquid I shall keep as my little secret. For you experienced bakers out there, I'm sure it won't take you too long to think of the replacment liquid I used.

Gingerbread Cupcakes
Recipe: Taste of Home

I liked the way this recipe had a mayple cream cheese frosting because most recipes I've found always ask for a cinnamon; which would be absolutely delicious as well. But in the name of experimentation, I decided to go with the mayple. Instead of using the recipe at the bottom, I used my own brown sugar cream cheese recipe I've used a number of times and new would be a perfect match. All that needed tweaking was a to add a 1/4 cup of good mayple syrup.

I must say, finally getting the opportunity to make something new and classic was such a great experience for me this Christmas season. I definitely know I have a winner for next year!

ps: I added the small touch of little sugar cookie men on top, but you can do anything from sugared ginger or simply sprinkling some cinnamon over them! It's up to you.

Happy baking,
Lauren

Cupcake blurp...

First of all, can I explain the excitement and slight frustration over these new blogger features and images?! Sheesh, awesome and obnoxious at the same time...

ANYWAYS...

So I'm reading this book called Water, Stone, Heart by Will North (loved his first... I think I blogged about it?) and it is set in Ireland. The only cupcake that comes to mind to back is a chocolate irish creme cake with a mocha cream cheese frosting. My mouth just slightly watered thinking about... But I'm curious, got any better ideas?

Mmmmm, I think I'm going to go read before I drift off to sleep and start teaching my lovely students again tomorrow. I kind of want to make these cupcakes ASAP! They sound delish!

Happy reading and sweet dreams,
Lauren

Peach Cobbler Cupcakes

Ladies and Gentlemen, Hi! Hello! What's up? What's happening? I know it's been a while and for that, I grovel at the ground with apologies. In my defense, I've been "hard at work" finishing a book which took me far too long to finish... Slow start? Complicated pronunciations? New author? I don't know WHAT it was, but I'm sure one or two or all had something to do with this prolonged absence of mine.

Not that any of the above mentioned "issues" had any effect on the overall enjoyment of this book. I truly did enjoy it... once I got the hang of it. Sometimes that happens, ya know?!

By Mary Kay Andrews

In honor of the setting of said book (birth state and all around favorite city in the States: Savannah, Georgia) I made Peach Cobbler Cupcakes.

Peach Cobbler Cupcakes with a Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

I'll admit, I've never even made a peach cobbler before. Have had my share a time or a dozen, but never made. So making this was a true test of faith and personal baking talents! But thanks to the watchful Baking Angels above, they came out delish. Now, if only I could have had them WHILE I was reading Savannah Blues -- that would have been southern perfection.


Happy reading, baking or both,
Lauren

A Southern Girls Destiny

I finally did it. I made red velvet cupcakes and... wait for it... they were good! They were better than good, they were a divine gift sent from God Himself! I shouldn't sound so shocked, really. Without sounding too boastful or arrogant with my skills in the kitchen, I'm a good baker (I get that from my Mom). But I have never... never ever ever ever, made red velvet before.

Red Velvet Cupcakes (Paula Dean)
with a Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting (Baked Perfection)

As a southern girl, I knew this was a slight crime to have never at least attempted it. Red velvet is a staple in any southern person's baking archives and I've certainly tasted my fair share of other's. I know I originally said I was going to make the red velvet recipe from Baked Perfection, but there was something very important missing from her recipe: cocoa. YUP, she had not one teaspoon of cocoa; I thought that was strange. So, my Mom sent me Paula Dean's (you may have heard of her? southern woman with excellent baking credentials) and as I scrolled down her list of ingredients, boom, I found the cocoa... but only 1 teaspoon? Again, I found that to be strange.

Happy Easter!

But with my faith in all things Paula Dean, I continued to mix and add, mix and add until finally! they were done. Oh, and did I mention I did a little remix and still used Baked Perfection's BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING?! Nope, I'm not kidding--they are out of this world.... If I do say so myself.

Happy baking,
Lauren

Easter is For Jesus.... and Baking!

I've had the itch to bake for weeks now! Check that, months! Maybe it's because with my new life style (aka gym 4 days a week + a trainer + massive amounts of protein and goodforya body stuff) I don't/can't eat all the yummy yum yums I want. So to supplement this urge - this need - I've been researching new cupcake recipes to try and new decorating skills to perfect. And yes, I'll even admit I've been increasingly inspired by how Georgetown Cupcakes DECORATES (I didn't say taste juuust yet) their cupcakes; so simple, so cute and just my speed.


Georgetown Cupcakes



My Mom, knowing how much of a cupcake fanatic I am, sent me this link to an amazing blog and the red velvet cupcakes she made (see link below). Since, not only am I in the serious mood to bake, but I have to make red velvet cupcakes for a friends Bridal Shower, I figure this coming week of spring break for me (HAIL YES!) will be the perfect time to hunker down and get 'ta bakin'!

Red Velvet Cupcakes



Wish me luck! Although I don't really believe in luck... soooo, wish me good baking! I'll post pictures once they've been made.

Happy baking,

Lauren

Cupcake Blurp...

Sitting here on a Friday night and I'm watching DC Cupcakes. All I have to say is that, "I'm trying!" I'm really REALLY trying to like GDubbs. They are so friggin' cute and they "rep for ma citaaayy!" But they're just.... they're just.... okay, all good things....

 I wonder if their red velvet (pictured below) is any good....



GTC Red Velvet



I will say, there is a golden rule of thumb - or shall I say, cupcake - that goes something like this (I'm paraphrasing):

"Thou frosting mustn't be sweeter than thou cake. Tis nobler if frosting and cake doth have a harmonious balance in flavor... art thou."

Miracle on the 17th Green by James Patterson

"I put such a pure sweet roll on it, the ball traveled over the grass like a bead of mercury rolls across the floor after you break a thermometer. The beginning of a miracle. A harbinger. A sign. The little white ball dropped into the little white cup for eagle... I must tell you right now, however, that this isn't the so called Miracle on 17. Not even close."

- Travis McKinley

I don't know golf. I can't play it. I don't know the lingo or specifics on how to play other than hitting a tiny ball with a metal stick all so that it can reach a tiny hole. And I think the least amount of hits it takes you to reach the hole, the better? And I'm pretty sure there are birds involved? I don't know.

So when I picked this book while in line at Borders with 4 others in my arms, I was skeptical. Not that it would be good, but that I'd like it and/or understand it. But I had faith in James; he's proven me wrong a time before.

I can't say I was thrilled and engaged the entire time I read it, however. For a book that is half the size of books I normally read, it should have taken me only a week to read it. But instead, it took me a month or so. The problem was that when I started reading it I had this idea of what it was going to be about and when it became pretty clear that it wasn't entirely what I'd imagined, it was a lot easier to leave it on my night stand and "save it for another night."

But miracles do happen...

Half way through it, in fact, just yesterday, I sat and something was different. By golly the book got good! I sat for a couple of hours and devoured it; finished the whole thing in the blink of an eye. I knew it wasn't exactly what I thought but it was good. It IS good!

Doesn't matter if you know a thing about golf. Doesn't even matter if you like it. James explores the reevaluation and rediscovery of a character we all can relate to. So I say go for it! Couldn't hurt.

Happy reading.

What is The Literary Cupcake?

I know what you're thinking. "Literary Cupcake? What the?" But as I thought and thought and thought and thought, it was the most logical choice for a name of my new and most certainly improved blog.

You see, there are many layers, similiar to a cake, that make up who I am. Some have been known to say I'm complex and/or intricate (I'm pretty sure they mean basically the same thing). But to know me well is to know two things: 1. I love books and 2. I love cupcakes. See, not too complex!..

So I thought, "Why not just smoosh 'em both together?" Combine two of my favorite things into one blog. And before you start, I get it. Finding any areas of symmetry between books and cupcakes will be far fetched and difficult at best. But that's not what I'm trying to do here, people! I'm trying to LIVE! I'm trying to SPEAK MY MIND! I'm trying to... ahhh, who am I kidding? It ain't that serious. I like reading and I love eatting cupcakes so that's exactly what you're gonna get.

Without further delay, ladies and gentle-bloggers, I present... The Literary Cupcake.

“What is patriotism but the love of the Cupcakes one ate as a child?"  - Anonymous

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

Wow! Has it really been 3 months since my last post?! Sheesh, I'm sorry. There's no good excuse that I can even think of to explain this absence.

I've had plenty of free time. I've read a few books. And I've even sat on my computer long enough to pump out some kind of post.... buuuuuut, I just didn't. I don't know, I think it's time for a change?

Don't get me wrong, I love this blog. Talking Books has been a great outlet and I love having a way to talk about the one thing I absolutely love but... I'm getting bored. I will still talk about books and I will still give my two cents. However, it'll be a little different...

Oh, and I might talk about a cupcake here and there. Mhmmm, gotcha interested?? I hope so.

Stay tuned!

Happy reading,

Lauren