October Photos

Hi All!

Today is November 1^st and I absolutely cannot believe that October has come and gone already!! I hope all of you had a ridiculously sweet Halloween last night, I know I did!

Today I am going to do a different post than I normally do. I have a lot of blog friends that do a weekly posting called “My week in photos”. I always love looking at their picture posts, so instead of sharing a recipe today, I’d like to share some photos with you. Don’t worry though, I’ll be back later this week with some great Thanksgiving Cupcake ideas.

Here are some photos from the past month ~~ Enjoy! xoxo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet Gifts

Valentine's Day is 11 days away!

After looking around the blog world, I realized that I better hurry up and jump on the Valentine’s Day bandwagon! Everyone has great posts about Valentine treats, gifts, date ideas, and reservation tips! I haven’t really had much time to think about Valentine ’s Day, but no more excuses – today is a VDay post!

Need some sweet ideas for that special someone? I am here to help!

Sweets for your friends.

 

 

So Sweet!

 

Cupcake Love, Cupcake kits are perfect gifts to give to your girlfriend of any age. My customizable kits are fun to decorate and even more fun to eat. Each kit comes with 6 unfrosted cupcakes, a piping bag full of homemade frosting, and a container of custom sprinkles. Just cut the tip off the piping bag, frost your cupcake, top with sprinkles, and enjoy!

Better yet, get a bottle of wine, turn on a chick-flick, and have a girls night decorating cupcakes with your closest gal pals.

A Gift for Cupcake Lovers!

 

 

Delivered straight to you door!

 

Try the gift that keeps giving (for 3 or 6 months atleast)!

StayCalmCupcake Club is the perfect gift for the cupcake lover in your life. Get a cupcake kit delivered right to your doorstep once a month for 3 or 6 months! Join the club and get exclusive coupon codes for the whole year – up to 50% off coupon codes, buy one get one deals, and so much more. This is a much cheaper way than buying cupcake kits individually. Each membership is 100% customizable, from date of delivery, to months you want them delivered, to flavor, and recipients! Stop by and take a look!

Looking for a sweet treat your man will love?

 

 

Cupcake Jars - Easy and Delish!

 

 

Cupcake Jars do the trick every time. 2 moist cupcakes topped with fluffy frosting, neatly baked into a mason jar. Ladies, we all know men don’t want the hassle of decorating their own cupcakes, so give them what they really want…a cupcake treat that they can eat mess free sitting in front of the tv! Each order comes with 3 jars and is decorated with fabric and ribbon. Does your guy have a favorite football team, hobby, or TV show? Let me know and I will decorate each cupcake jar according to his favorite things! Cupcake jars can be eaten right out of the jar, or can be warmed in the microwave and added to a bowl of ice-cream. What man could say no to that?

What about treats for the Single Ladies out there!

 

 

Single Girls Need Sweets Too!

 

I have some girlfriends who really dread the day of love! So for you Miss Independent, I have the Single Girls Survival Kit! A pack of cupcakes just for you, no need to share! This kit comes with 6 Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes filled with chocolate mousse, your choice of frosting, and a container of sprinkles! You will also receive 4 chocolate dipped Oreos…because no girl can have enough chocolate 🙂

Have Kids? Want an easy treat for them to take to school?

Cupcake's Individually Wrapped - Perfect for class parties!

My individually wrapped cupcakes are perfect for school parties, or Valentine treat exchanges. Not to mention you’ll look like a super mom who “baked all those cupcakes”. Each cupcake (order as many as you like!) is individually wrapped in a pink heart cellophane bag and tied with a ribbon. For each cupcake valentine you order you will receive a miniature bag of icing, and a small bag of sprinkles. Kids will love decorating their own cupcakes! It’s a fun way to trade Valentines. All orders can be customized with name tags if you would like.

Don’t forget to use code SCCS10 FOR 10% off your purchase. And if you spend more than $10 you get 4 free mini cupcakes added to your order.

~*~Check back tomorrow for a Spicy Hot Cupcake Recipe!~*~

Stay Sweet, xoxo

Jill

Fresh Berry Frosting

25 days til Valentine's Day !

Can you believe it is already the end of January?!? I do not enjoy how fast time is flying. Seems the older I get, the more I find myself questioning where the heck the time went!! It doesn’t help that many stores had Valentine’s decorations and candy on sale before Christmas was even over. I LOVE Valentine’s day – but they started pushing it a little early this year!

Speaking of , there are officially 25 days left until Valentine’s Day. Which means we all still have a decent amount of time to think about what we are going to get that special someone on the day that celebrates love! It also means that for the next 25 days, I have an awesome excuse to bake, decorate, and eat tons of girly pink cupcakes!

Today I want to share some Valentine Inspiration with you. Hopefully this will help you start thinking about the many SWEET ways we can celebrate Valeninte’s Day – starting with fresh Strawberry Frosting!

**The frosting in the pictures is my Strawberry Buttercream. Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of my Fresh Strawberry Frosting. **

Fresh Strawberry Frosting

This yummy strawberry frosting is perfect for any chocolate, vanilla, or lemon cupcake. It is fresh, elegant, and taste amazing! The pink color and the fresh strawberries make it the perfect Valentine’s treat. This frosting is different from my Strawberry Buttercream, but just as easy and just as yummy! 

 Ingredients

1.    4 cups of fresh strawberries (frozen will work just as well, make sure you thaw them though)

2.    1 stick of room temperature butter

3.    8 oz of low-fat cream cheese

4.    ½ tsp of vanilla extract

5.    4 cups of powdered sugar

6.     1 cup of white sugar

7.     2 tbs of water Pink food coloring (optional)

Directions

• In a mixer on medium high speed with your paddle attachment, cream together the butter and cream cheese

• Slowly add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, making sure it is fully combined before adding the next one.

• Add the vanilla and mix on high for 3-5 minutes

• Dice up the strawberries in small cubes, put in a medium sauce pan

• Add 1 cup of white sugar and 2 tbs of water to the strawberries

• With a potato masher, mash the strawberries together with the sugar

• Heat on medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.

• Let cool in the fridge until mixture thickens

• Add the cooled strawberry compote to the mixer and combine with the frosting (make sure your strawberries are completely cooled or you will ruin your frosting) Mix for 2 minutes.

• Add pink food coloring for a pinker frosting (optional)

XOXO

There you have it, yummy strawberry frosting! I like this frosting best on top of a chocolate cupcake- it’s a fun take on chocolate covered strawberries 🙂 After all, who doesn’t love strawberries and chocolate!

Enjoy the recipe and keep an eye out for a Valentine’s Giveaway – coming soon!!!

Xoxo Jill

*All photos are property of Stay Calm, Have a Cupcake. Photos by ABYoung Photography**

Candy-Cane Cupcakes!

Chocolate Candy Cane Cupcake

Can  you believe that Thanksgiving is next week?!?! I can’t!

I feel like just last month I was working on a summer inspired  strawberry lemonade cupcake recipe . Boy how time flies! Today my post is another Holiday inspired recipe. It’s a yummy recipe to top your favorite  chocolate, vanilla, or white cake cupcakes with. Peppermint Twist! Yum!

Peppermint Twist butter-cream is a different type of mint then  my Green Mint Frosting (Recipe Here ) Peppermint Twist tastes just like candy canes!!

Enjoy the recipe. Stay Sweet xoxo

Peppermint Twist Buttercream

 

Peppermint Twist Cupcakes

• 1 stick unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 stick salted butter (softened)
• 1/2 pkg. french vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. peppermint extract (maybe a little bit more depending on how much mint flavor you like..I like a lot)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Red food coloring

Set your mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until smooth and silky. Turn the speed to low and add the pudding mix, when it is all incorporated, slowly add the cream, a little at a time. When fully incorporated bring speed up to high and beat for 5-7 minutes. Turn speed back down to low and add peppermint extract and powdered sugar by Tbsp.  Beat again at high speed for a good 5 minutes to ensure creaminess.

If you don’t want red stripes, crunch up some candy canes and sprinkle them on the top of your cupcake!

To get the red stripes in your frosting, draw three (3) red food coloring lines inside your piping bag. Put the frosting in the piping bag and begin to pipe onto your cupcakes. Voila…red and white frosting that is as delicious as it is beautiful!!

Marshmallow Monday!

Homemade Marshmallows

 

“Marshmallows? Why would you make marshmallows?”

“I think marshmallows from the bag already taste good enough”

“Good luck being better than Jet-Puff”

“It’s going to be a sticky, messy disaster”

“Good- Luck!”

Well, everyone, EAT YOUR WORDS, and my marshmallows!! My attempt at homemade marshmallows, while anticipated by most as an over ambitious and highly unnecessary activity, turned out great! They taste, look, and feel just like store-bought marshmallows. Maybe a little better 🙂

I have to be honest though, my first attempt at homemade marshmallows was nothing short of a “sticky, messy, disaster”. But I blame the recipe – lesson learned: Just because a blog looks cute and credible, does not mean it is. People can post anything they want, even if it a fake recipe! So be careful…Anyways, I was so determined to prove my marshmallows nay-sayers wrong that I searched for a new recipe and tried again. The second recipe was much more consistent and had far more reviews and success stories. The second time around was a piece of cake – my marshmallows were a success!

I used the following recipe to make the marshmallows. I then dipped them in melted semi-sweet baker’s chocolate. I topped some with sprinkles, and some with crushed up Nilla Wafers……I seriously could not stop eating them!! They were so good!My family and friends enjoyed them too. The best part is, with the right recipe, these little guys were relatively easy, not to mention how impressive it is to “make your own marshmallows”!

Ready for dipping...

Gooey Goodness!

Enjoy the recipe – and take note of my suggestions within the recipe! Til next time, stay sweet! Xoxo

Homemade Marshmallows

.75-oz unflavored gelatin (3 envelopes of Knox gelatin)
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cups light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Spray a 9 x 9-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray – coat the pan with powdered sugar. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Soak for about 10 minutes. (Don’t touch the gelatin, resist the urge to stir it into the water – let it soak for the FULL 10 minutes! Trust me 🙂)

 
Meanwhile, combine sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil and boil hard for 1 minute. (Let boil for 7 minutes after it starts boiling)

 
Pour the boiling syrup into soaked gelatin and turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, to high speed. Add the salt and beat for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, add in the vanilla extract beat to incorporate. (Be patient, and beat for the full 12 minutes, this ensures your marshmallows  get nice and fluffy)

 
Scrape marshmallow into the prepared pan and spread evenly (Lightly greasing your hands and the spatula helps a lot here). Let mixture sit for a few hours, or overnight, until cooled and firmly set. (They turn out better if they have a whole night to set, but 2 hours will work in a crunch…only if you have to though!)

 
Remove marshmallow from pan and cut into equal pieces with scissors (the best tool for the job) or a chef’s knife. Dredge each piece of marshmallow in powder sugar.
Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 40 large marshmallows, depending on the size you choose to cut them.

This recipe was found on http://www.slashfood.com/2006/10/24/how-to-make-homemade-marshmallows/

Cupcake “Must – Haves”

One of the reason’s I started this blog, aside from sharing my passion for baking (and all things cupcakes!) was to create a venue wherein ideas are shared, passions are explored, and resources are given often. Over the past couple days I have contemplated deleting my ranting and raving Mel Gibson blog – It just doesn’t seem to fit into my overall goal of what I envisioned my blog to be about. But since I think it might hold some validity for someone (even if it’s only one woman) out there, I am going to leave it.

In order to redeem myself though – I have come up with a fun list of cupcake products (they are all pretty reasonably priced too!!) for you to enjoy. Have fun  “shopping” 🙂

Cupcake Liners! A huge collection of the most adorable cupcake liners ever. They are pretty cheap too, ranging from $3-$4 for 45 liners. http://www.layercakeshop.com/index.php/Shop/Baking/Baking-Cups/View-all-products.html

Sprinkles! All organized by color, these sprinkle options are fabulous. Prices range from $2-$3. I can’t seem to decide which ones I want to buy! http://www.layercakeshop.com/index.php/Shop/Decorating/Sprinkles/View-all-products.html

Bakery Labels! Don’t forget to label your box of cupcakes..these labels are on sale for only $2 (a roll of 25 labels) http://www.bakeitpretty.com/item_33/Bakery-Labels.htm

Cupcake Key Cover! I need one of these for sure 🙂 $8 for a pack of 6 – that means you can share with your friends too. http://www.fredflare.com//customer/product.php?productid=5643&cat=254

Cupcake T-shirts! Some really cute designs and lots of different styles. Price range from $12-$25 http://t-shirts.cafepress.com/Cupcake?cmp=knc–g–us–lib–apparel–search-e–Cupcake_t-shirts&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=lib–apparel&utm_content=search-e&utm_term=cupcake_t-shirts&gclid=COCdmr7j7aICFRrXnAod9UjYdg

Mini Cupcake Maker! Makes batches of 5 mini cupcakes (or muffins) in under 5 minutes – I’m impressed. At only $16 bucks,  I might need to try this thing out. http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=cupcake&cid=4994642654940599221&ei=9iA_TN_LH4zywAX0ubWKDg&sa=title&ved=0CDoQ8wIwBjgA#p

Cup-a-Cake! The cutest, individual cupcake holders. Great for lunches, picnics, little surprises, shoot… I might even put one in my purse. These hold a single cupcake in place so well that you can tumble it or even drop it and the cupcake will not move. Prices range from $2-$6. http://www.cupacake.com/

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Well that’s all for now. If you have purchased or tried any of these products and have reviews, please let me know. I’m always interested in what works and what doesn’t.

Til next time, stay sweet! xoxo