Brain cupcakes

Happy Halloween!!

Brains!! Brains!!

For all hallows eve try some tasty meat,

Brains, brains a  sweet delicious treat....

 

 

How these creepies are Made:

3 cups of Pumpkin guts

1 scoop of candy corn poo

2 small pops of green witches drops

4 big balls of spider crawls

Topping:

8 drains of zombie brains

A few toddies of live spider bodies

 

Mix together in a witches cauldron until smooth and bubbly.

Poor batter into 12 shrunken head skulls. Bake in a body oven til nice and golden.

Top with zombie brains and live spider bodies.

 

Info:

The frosting you can make with a very small drop of red food colouring to turn it pink.

You pipe a line down the middle then squiggle a line down the side. Repeat in the opposite direction. 

This was actually a regular yellow cake (boxed) that I added raspberry preserves into. Then just added the frosting as usual.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apple Pie

The First Pie Of The Season!

 "Autumn is a second Spring when every leaf is a flower."

Autumn is my fave part of year. Scarfs come out, warm drinks are enjoyed, and cuddling feels extra cozy. This Pie is made for all of the Autumn cuddlers. 

How it's made:

1 Box of Gluten Free Pantry pie crust

2 cans of Libby's  Apple Pie Filling

Allspice

Cinnamon

Sugar

Cream

This time I cheated! I used not one thing from scratch. I used the boxed Gluten Free Pantry pie crust and followed directions. I used allot less shortening then it asked for and it turned out just fine. My friend Elvia and I cut out the pie "crust" with little leaf cookie cutters and layered them on the top making sure to seal the edges. I added cream to the top . Cream will give a medium golden look to the top (Will not shine but gluten free doesn't anyways). I then sprinkled a little sugar on the top.

I used 2 of Libby's canned apples and just added a bit of Allspice and Cinnamon.

Put them together and baked it at 425 degrees for about 45 mins. 

Information:

Gluten free crust is pretty much like dealing with really thick mashed potatoes. That's why I cut the top into little leafs. Its allot easier then trying to roll it out and magically place it on top.

Was it yummy?

Yes it was but never as good as anything made from scratch.

The first of many pies this year.

"Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn."

Lemon Raspberry (Lemon curd filled) Cupcakes

Made for:

Spring has sprung. The sunshine pops out and the fresh fruit pops up. This is what this spring taste like... Fresh Meyer lemon, and raspberries.

How it's made:

1 Cup (2sticks) unsalted butter, room temp, plus more for pans

2 1/2 cups Gluten free Bisquick (or all purpose flour for non celiacs),plus more for pans

1/2 Tsp baking powder

1/2 Tsp baking soda

1tsp salt

1 tbl lemon zest

2 cups of sugar

2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks

1/4 cup plus 2 tbls fresh lemon juice (I used Meyer)

1 Cup low-fat buttermilk

1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded

Pre-heat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined.

Lemon Curd:

3 Large eggs

3/4 Of granulated sugar

1/3 Cup of fresh lemon juice

1 tbls of room temp butter cubes

1 tbls of lemon zest

Add 3 large eggs to a bowl (glass or metal it"s going to be used as a double boiler) whisk together. Add sugar whisk together. Add lemon juice whisk together. Put bowl over sauce pan of simmering water.Whisk constantly until it becomes really thick like a soft sour cream or 160c on a candy thermometer. It takes about ten minutes or so. when its ready remove from heat add 4 tbls of cut up, room temp butter and 1 tbls of lemon zest.. Stir together until well mixed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap until it touches the curd and place in the refrigerator. When it has thickened pipe into cupcakes.

Frosting:

3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

1/2 cup ( 1 stick) of unsalted butter, room temp

1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

3 1/2-4 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

pinch of salt

handful of crushed raspberries

Mix together ingredients then spoon a little onto the middle of the cupcake. It will spread. This recipe is quite runny. Top cupcake with a slice of Meyer lemon and a raspberry and you have yourself a taste of spring!

Information:

Meyer lemons taste a little different from a regular lemon. A Meyer lemon is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin. They aren't as sour. They are a little more spendy then a regular lemon. Make sure to fully cook your Meyer lemon curd or it can taste metallicy. Make sure to store left overs in the fridge.

How they taste:

They taste a bit sweet and fruity! I love the lemon curd in the middle. It was my fave part. But if I had to change it I would make the frosting a little thicker only because it's harder to store leftovers with runny frosting. These were yumminess.

Deviled Eggs (Peepers)

 Made for:

Peeeeepers! What a great way to change up the traditional deviled eggs on Easter. These are made for my family for Easter dinner. I wanted to so something just a little different.

How it's made:

These are mixed up just like you were making regular Deviled eggs:

Mayo

Mustard

Pickle relish (optional)

Salt

Pepper

Eggs

A Few olives

a carrot

Boil Eggs. Cut tips of eggs off. Then carefully scoop out yolk into a bowl. Mix mayo,mustard, relish, salt, and pepper together to taste and until pretty smooth then set aside.  Cut out small eyes from the olives (pieces). Cut out Tiny thin carrot shaped noses from the carrot.

Put yolk mixture into a plastic baggie then cut a small hole into the corner. Big enough to pipe yolk mixture. Pipe yolk mixture into the eggs until over flowing (making the chicks head). Add the olive eyes and carrot nose. Place the tops of the egg crooked on top to make it look as though they are peeking out.  I would add some romaine lettuce leaves (or something along those lines) to the plate to help them stand up. Vwa-La! you have peepers.

Information:

I saw this picture on Pinterest and thought it so cute I had to try. I should have sculpted there faces a bit better but all was well in the end.

How they taste:

Just like a baby chicken... Just kidding. Just like a deviled egg :-). Yummy in my tummy.

Gluten free Huckleberry Beer!

Made for:

HELLO FUN TIMES!

This was made for my Lance and I by fantastic Adam and his beautiful wife.

How it's made:

I don't have an actual recipe but

The main ingredient is sorghum syrup (7lb). Then they added some hops and yeast, and huckleberries for flavour.

Information:

 In its most simple form, beer is made of four basic ingredients: Water, yeast, Malt and hops. Celiacs can not have the hops or malt.

All who are forced to be gluten free have come to the realization that beer will never taste the same again *tears*. Big props to all those working on making a delicious batch!

Thank you Adam and Kyoko for taking time out to make us our gluten free beer!

Double Chocolate Strawberry yummies (Filled with bits of ganache)

Happy Valentine's Day

Everyone knows this is what Valentine's Day taste like! Double dark chocolate strawberry with a hint of chocolate strawberry ganache inside. These are made not just  for all the lovers around the world but for all who are loved.

How they're made:

Cakes:

1/4 cup of hot coffee

1 cup of milk

1 cup of a quality powdered chocolate (I used Ghirardelli)

2 1/2 cups of gluten free bisquick (cake flour for regular cakes)

1/2 Teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of baking soda

3 sticks of unsalted butter, room temp( I used Tillamook sweet cream)

2 cups of sugar

3 tablespoons of pure vanilla extract

4 eggs, room temp

1 package of Ghirardelli chocolate chips

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Mix together the hot coffee, milk, and cocoa powder. In different bowl mix flour,. salt, and baking soda. Mix butter in large bowl by hand using a rubber spatula until light and fluffy. About three minutes or so. Slowly mix in sugar and vanilla. Slowly add one egg at a time mixing well in between each. Pour in the cooled cocoa mixture until mixed well and fluffy. Slowly mix in the flour mixture until just blended. Add chocolate chips. Pour in to muffin tin and bake until tooth pick comes out clean.

Chocolate Strawberry Ganache:

one pound of Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate (16 oz.)

One cup of heavy cream

Six strawberries and sugar

1.Thinly slice all chocolate and set aside in a large bowl that can withstand heat. Cut tops off of strawberries and puree them with sugar (how ever much you want) until completely blended. In a sauce pan whisk together cream and strawberry mixture until boils. Pour hot Strawberries and cream into the bowl of chocolate. Set aside until thick enough to add to the middle of cake.

Frosting:

Three cups of powdered sugar

One cup and a half cups of cocoa powder (dark chocolate)

two sticks of butter (room temp)

a splash of cream

1. Mix sugar and cocoa together, add the rest of it and blend together until smooth.

Add the strawberry on top.

Fun Information:

It took me 7 1/2 hours to make these and worth all of the time I put in. My favorite part of cooking/baking is the beauty which unfolds while making every little thing you add come together just so. It's truly a work of art. Every time I'm baking my favourite part is the very moment the butter and sugar become creamy and fluffy. I love the colour, the taste, the smell. I can do anything with creamed butter and sugar.

How they taste:

they are very, very yummy! They have a crumbly texture. you can taste a creamy chocolate when you bite into them. Goes fantastic with the strawberry, creamy, chocolate ganache (my fave part). The frosting was a lighter fluffier chocolate with the bit of strawberry. This was fantastic!!! I will make these again

Irish Cream Espresso Cakes (with whiskey cream filling)

Who they are made for:

What a better way to have Irish cream then in an espresso cake at work! A friends office is the inspiration for these yummy cakes. I love to bake for other people and these folks are a great bunch.

How it's made:

Makes Aprox. 15

The cupcake

2 Cups of flour (Gluten free Bisquick) (or reg flour for others)

1 Tsp of baking powder

1/4 Teaspoons of baking soda

1/4 Teaspoon of salt

1/2 Cup of boiling water

2Tablespoons of instant espresso powder

1/4 Cup of whole milk

1/2 cup of unsalted butter (1stick)

1/2 Cup of granulated sugar

1/2 Cup of packed brown sugar

2 Large Eggs

Filling

1 Cup of heavy cream

5Tablespoons of confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon of whiskey

Butter Cream/ Irish cream Frosting

1 Cup of butter (2sticks), at room temp.

3 Cups of powder

4 Tablespoons of Baileys Irish Cream

2 Teaspoons of vanilla extract

Espresso powder for sprikles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cupcakes: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour water over espresso powder then combine milk; let cool.  Beat butter and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with espresso-milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour.

                 2.Fill muffin tins three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool; turn out cupcakes from tins. Cool cakes.

Filling:

            Make the filling: Whisk together (with beaters that have been in the freezer) cream and confectioners' sugar (in a bowl that has been in the freezer) until medium peaks form. Add whiskey; whisk until slightly stiff peaks form. Fill already cooled cakes.

Frosting:

Place all ingredients together and use electric mixer to blend together. Mix until smooth and creamy. After placed on frosting sprinkle with espresso powder.

Info.:
 Is Whiskey gluten free? It depends on whom you ask.
Most experts in celiac disease have concluded that distilled alcoholic beverages made from gluten grains — including whiskey, commonly made from barley — are gluten-free to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's proposed standard of 20 parts per million, because distillation removes the harmful gluten proteins.

                                                                     How they Taste:

When you bite into them you can taste the sweet and irishcreamy frosting then you get the flavour of the espresso coffee in the cake blended together in the bite. You then get the yummy taste of the whipped slightly sweet whiskey filling. These are yummy. If you ask me they taste better the second day.

Babycake Testers day:

Yummy! Add more whisky ;-)

These are fun cakes.

Happy Dough lucky cookies (butterscotch, walnut, oatmeal)

Who it's made for:

These delicious soft and chewy cookies are made for my cousin Bradley and Sarah's children Kylie and Cody. Big Cuties!! This is something I would make for them at a family get together.

How It's Made:

1 Cup of white sugar

1 cup of packed brown sugar

1 cup of butter (2 sticks)

4 Teaspoons of vanilla

2 Beaten eggs

2 tablespoons of milk

2 cups of gluten free Bisquick's flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

2 cups of organic oatmeal

1 package of butterscotch chips (12oz)

1 1/2 cups of walnuts (slightly chopped)

1. Cream together butter and sugars. Add vanilla, milk, and eggs. Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir dry ingredients into the batter, mix together well. Add the oatmeal, butterscotch chips, and nuts. Stir well. Put in the fridge (trust me ALLOT better this way) to keep it fluffy and from coming out to flat.

2. Roll into balls and bake on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until slightly golden brown.

I like to keep the dough in the fridge and bake only a few cookies at a time, so that every time you have a cookie it's warm and fresh. The dough should stay fresh in the refrigerator for about a week, or in the freezer for several months. 

Information:

Some celiacs can not handle oats. They do sell gluten free oatmeal. Even though they are gluten free some celiacs continue to have a sensitivity to oats. If you are a new celiac I would make sure you are not sensitive before making these cookies.

How do they taste:

They are some of the best cookies I have ever tasted (even if they were gluteness). When you bite into the cookie you get the sweet, buttery, slightly salty flavour of the  butterscotch that blends well with the chewy oatmeal taste. Very soft, fluffy, and chewy. I'll be making these again for sure.

babycake testers say:

Their favorite cookie ever.

I give these a 10 out of 10

 

Homemade Chicken soup (gluten free)

Chicken Noodle soup for your soul

Who it's made for:

Normally I'd make something sweet that pleases the palate but today my post is about making something that soothes the delicate body and soul. This is made for our grandpa Dal-Gallo whose body and soul is very delicate at this moment.

How it's made:

*1 (approx three pound) whole chicken (left over)

* Two large carrots halved and cut in chunks

* Four stalks of celery sliced about an inch or so thick (chunkier)

*One onion sliced into chunks

* approx.1 Cup (or a little less) of rice elbow noodles (I like the purple package)

*Salt and pepper to taste

1. I put my left over whole chicken in a dutch oven and add just enough water to cover.

I add a bit of salt and all the veggies.

I place a lid over and bring to a boil.

I then turn it to a simmer for a few hours (about 3).  

2. I taste the broth to see if it has the strong enough flavour I'm looking for. 

If not you can continue to cook or just add two tablespoons of Better Then Broth: Chicken Broth.

In a separate pot I start boiling the noodles. 

I then carefully take the chicken out of the pot with a large slotted spoon and onto a Pyrex (careful its very hot).

I take all of the chicken off of the bone making sure it's somewhat shredded and none of the bone gets into the soup.

I drain and rinse the noodles (otherwise rice noodles have too much starch) then add to soup.

Mix all together.

Give it the ole taste test (enough salt, right flavours) and if all is well  I serve.

Information about chicken noodle soup:

They say chicken noodle soup is not only good for comforting the soul but a great soup for colds and flu's. First, it acts as an anti-inflammatory by inhibiting the movement of neutrophils — immune system cells that participate in the body's inflammatory response. Second, it temporarily speeds up the movement of mucus through the nose, helping relieve congestion and limiting the amount of time viruses are in contact with the nose lining.

As Ella would say:

Moustacherifics (Mustash-er-ifics)

Ahh the ever loved Charlie Chaplin and his famed Stache!

Happy New Year

Who they were made for:

These Moustacherifics were made for me! I have always wanted to have a moustache party and with the help of my friend Charlene (Candybarcupcakes.blogspot.com) we made it happen. We all added a fun stache to our dillied up hairdos and laughed the night away into the new year. Sick and all.

The cake was made:

 By Charlene -yeah she did all the actual hard work :-). She used the boxed white cake mix (followed instructions) then topped it off with a white whipped frosting. These are actually not gluten free but can easily be made Gluten free with just a regular cake of your favourite flavour. I would recommend a white frosting to make the moustaches stand out.

The topping:

Then I got to do the fun part and add the moustaches with black glitter gel that we picked up at our local Safeway. I tried my best to make them look like all sorts of cartoon moustaches.

Supplies needed for a moustache party:

*Black plates and napkins

*Moustache decorated cupcakes

*Fake stick on Mustaches (got ours at Urban outfitters)

*you can make paper staches tape or glue them to a stick and hold it up.

*We decorated white cups with a black felt tip marker

and drew on a few staches

*Any decor in black and white

To help give it a vintage feel:

you can dress as an old barber

dress as a vintage carnie

Add red stripes to your black and white decor

make sure your mustaches are vintage in shape (handle bar, Chaplin, etc.)