A non-baking thought

Since our last few posts have been about goodies, I thought I'd write a bit about paper and cards for a bit. I was shopping tonight (I bought a new laptop) and after I finished buying all my goodies from the Apple Store I decided to go across the mall to a smaller store called Papyrus that specializes in unique paper, cards and custom invitations. There was some really pretty paper in there, although I thought there could have been a lot more. They had a lot of funny cards, but they seemed relatively generic and I know we could do better. I wasn't at the store very long because they were getting ready to close the mall, but I think my favorite part of the store was the custom invitations area. They didn't have many samples and I know our friends are much more talented designers than the work they were showing, but the idea was right. I love the idea of doing custom stationary/cards/invitations, etc. This has always been my favorite part of most paper stores (like Pure Paper in DSM). I think invitations and cards can be so personal and how better to express that than having them custom made? Thus, I think this is something we should really think about for B&C. I know we've talked about doing cards, but I think other custom work could be great too (and a good way to possibly establish ourselves first). I know Pure Paper has cut their actual store in size, but they have expanded their custom printing because there is a high demand for the work they do. Mull this over the next time you are baking and let me know what you think.

Speaking of cheesecake ...

This was the recipe I saw on Paula Dean the other day that I promised I would find. It is for cheesecake cookies, though they are really more of a bar. Again, super simple and they look really good ... I'm looking forward to making them.

Savannah Cheesecake Cookies

Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 stick butter, melted
Filling:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla or almond extract
Fresh berries and mint leaves, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine flour, brown sugar, pecans, and butter in bowl. Press dough into an ungreased 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

For filling, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar together in a bowl until smooth, using a handheld electric mixer; add eggs and extract; beat well. Pour over crust. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool completely. Cut into squares before serving. Decorate tops with berries and mint leaves.

She also put powdered sugar on top of hers and I bet almost any fresh fruit would be delicious (I'm thinking peaches or mangos, but that is mostly because I just bought some and I'm trying to think of what they would be good with).

Easy Cheesecake Cupcakes

Though I didn't make this delectable and ridiculously easy cupcakes this evening (I had only one package of cream cheese), I promised an eager baker I would post this recipe for future reference. So here it is, easily the simplest cupcake recipe ever.


Cheesecake Cupcakes

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
box of 'Nilla wafers

Preheat the oven to 350. Cream the cheese and sugar together in a medium bowl, adding the eggs one at a time and beating until smooth. Line a muffin tin with paper cupcake cups and place a wafer in the bottom of each cup. Fill the cups 1/2-3/4 full with cheesecake mixture and bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool for a half an hour or until cheesecake sets.

Topping ideas:
fruit pie filling
flaked pecans
chocolate curls/chocolate chips
coconut
drizzled caramel
drunken raspberries (raspberries soaked in Bailey's)

It's just meant to be

What are the odds? Seriously? Of all of the cupcakes in the whole world what are the chances we would be sharing almost the same recipe at almost the same time? I haven't made any cupcakes since I've been home and I'm going crazy. Today I'm making chocolate dipped pretzels, but it just isn't as much fun. Did your boss like the cupcakes?

serendipitous cupcake

Just wanted to let you know that I was working on the Lemony Sweet post as a draft just before you published yours.

Strawberry Lime Stuffed Cupcakes

I'm currently obsessed with the Food Network (the shows, the books, the Web site, everything), mostly because there isn't a whole lot to do around here and everyone goes to bed at 9 p.m. So I've been watching the shows and browsing the site for some recipe ideas that might be appropriate for Books and Crannies. Today I stumbled across this one and I think it sounds delicious. I'm still looking for another one that Paula Dean made, so I will be sure to post that when I find it.

Strawberry-Lime Stuffed Cupcakes From Food Network Kitchens

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
Icing:
1 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 drop green food coloring
6 large ripe strawberries, hulled
Green sanding sugar
Fresh mint leaves or candied leaves

Equipment: 6-cup jumbo muffin tin

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

In another medium bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 2 minutes. While beating, gradually pour in the butter and then the vanilla.

While mixing slowly, add half the dry ingredients, then add all the milk, and follow with the rest of the dry ingredients. Take care not to over mix the batter. Divide the batter evenly in the prepared tin.

Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove. Cool on the rack completely.

For icing: Mix the confectioners' sugar and lime zest in a medium bowl. Add the lime juice and mix with an electric mixer to make a firm but pourable icing. (If needed, add up to 1 teaspoon more juice, but take care if the icing is too loose it doesn't set properly.) Add food color to make a pale pastel green icing.

To assemble: Remove cupcake from its liner. Cut and remove a strawberry (coned) shaped portion of cupcake from the top of each cupcake, leaving about 1/2 to 1-inch of cake in the bottom. Stuff each cake with a strawberry and cover with a little bit of cake. Spoon and spread icing over the top of the cupcakes. Sprinkle with green sanding sugar. Top with small mint leaves or candied leaves.

Copyright 2007 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

Lemony Sweet

What are the odds that we were thinking of nearly the same exact cupcake at the same time?

I recently discovered that my boss loves coconut. So I decided to try a simple cupcake recipe with a coconut frosting. Well, I saw this recipe online (okay, so it's "borrowed"). I thought they looked amazing with the strawberry just jammed right in the center. I put so much effort into these babies (handmixing is a pain. Note to self: before opening B&C, get an electric mixer.) But they turned out amazing with the coconut frosting.

Erin, I think the fact that we thought of the same recipe at the exact same time is a sign. Call me crazy, but I think maybe, just maybe, this whole cupcake thing is meant to be.


Lemon Cupcakes with Strawberries and a coconut creme icing

juice of 1 lemon, approximately 1/2 cup
zest of 1 lemon, or 1 Tbsp of lemon peel
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
fresh strawberries with tops cut off


Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, cream the butter, grated lemon peel and sugar. Add the lemon juice. Then add eggs one at a time, beating continuously for creamy texture. Add soy milk. Slowly add in flour at intervals of 1/2 cup, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Pour into muffin tin, filling approximately 3/4 full. In the middle of each cupcake, gently, insert a strawberry, point side down. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted outside of the strawberry comes out clean. Cool in pan before removing; cool completely on a wire rack.

Icing:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners sugar
2-3 cups shredded coconut
milk, as needed

In a medium bowl, cream the cream cheese and butter, gradually adding confectioners sugar one cup at a time. Add a couple Tablespoons of milk for extra creaminess, or extra powdered sugar if mixture is too moist. Spread generously on tops after cupcakes have fully cooled.

Mocha Strawberry Almond Cookies

Yeah, I want to take a class from this lady, but I don't know when I'm going to have time. I'm driving out to Denver this Friday, camping and backpacking with my mom and her family and with my dad and his girlfriend, going to a wedding, then flying out to Seattle to scope out apartments before driving back to DeMo then driving with the Emerald City as my final destination. Turns out I'm driving it alone. Sara can't come out just yet, so I'm forging the frontier with no place to live (yet) and no job (yet). But I'm optimistic, excited, slightly nervous but I really think this Books and Crannies will work out. Who knows, maybe I'm a fool, but I really think we can do this. I've been thinking about it a lot this summer and, I know you're busy thinking about China, as you should be, but I'm going to work in Seattle for a while and keep B&C in my sights. I've always wanted to own a bookstore and coffee shop. I think that would work into B&C's business really well.

In the meanwhile, chew on this:


Mocha Strawberry Almond Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, (reserve 1 1/2cups)
1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped
1 cup slivered almonds
2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) boiling water
2 Tbsp instant coffee powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoons (tsp) baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips in microwave or in double boiler. Cool to room temperature. In a small bowl dissolve instant coffee with the 2Tbsp of water. In a large bowl, cream butter and white sugar until smooth. Add strawberries, remaining chocolate chips. Beat in egg, coffee and melted chocolate. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Mix into strawberry and chocolate batter. Add almonds. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes, allowing 2-3 minutes to cool on the cookie sheet before transferring to wire rack.

B&C cards

I'm really excited you started this KShaw! I'm not as eloquent a writer as you, but I promise to post anything I think might be helpful for Books and Crannies. This will be a great way for us to bounce ideas off each other (and whoever else decides to join us) especially since we will soon be separated by an ocean. I'm thinking of taking a stamping and card making class with my mom at the scrapbook store in town. I thought it might help to give me some new ideas. Are you going to take lessons from the woman at the Farmer's Market?

B&C Initiation

I met a woman at the farmer’s market who runs a little card store from her basement. She sat shaded from the heat in her tent, the walls lined with eye-popping cards. At a small worktable she chatted with another woman while casually filling in the white meat of a stamped heart with swirls of watercolors. I asked if she teaches classes on how to create the delicious-looking cards. “Yes,” a brief pause, then, “You’re not allergic to rabbits are you? I have a rabbit at home where I usually hold my classes. I hold them at home because it's easier; I have 10,000 different stamps.” I wondered how someone could accumulate that many rubber stamps, how many stamps she had before starting her business and how a business like hers could thrive.

Books and Crannies’ ingredients are a still wisps of smoke, a vague notion as was THiNK Magazine before we started digging into the magazine like rabid gardeners itching to till a new patch of dirt.

This is our opportunity for conversation just to get the creative juices flowing. A place to keep B&C alive. I wanted to create a forum for card ideas, recipe ideas, business ideas, etc. Anyone invested in B&C can, and should, post their suggestions and thoughts here. B&C is not an idea that I want to gnaw on for awhile and eventually forget about, like a teething baby and its pacifier. I’m excited to start B&C. I’m excited to see Books and Crannies grow like THiNK Magazine grew from a much-deliberated and confusing idea, to a refreshing and innovative publication from a bunch of college students.