Giant Cupcake Love

I'm not sure why I love cupcakes so much, I really don't like cake, but there is something about a cupcake that is so cute and charming. So what could be better than a really big cupcake!

I confess that I bought my giant cupcake pan almost a year ago and had never used it! I got one after seeing the beautiful cupcake that Cindy, at My Romantic Home made. Her cupcake was really amazing, she even made little chocolate sea shells to decorate the cupcake with. Recently Kim, at Cheap Chic Home made a giant cupcake and gave her review of the pan so I decided it was time to break mine out and give it a try, and since my daughter was having a birthday it was time.

The pan doesn't really come with great instructions and after looking on the Internet for advice it was clear that lots of people had experimented to see what worked for them.  I decided to use a strawberry cake mix and make butter cream frosting from scratch. The giant cupcake took 2 cake mixes but I had enough batter left to make 5 regular size cupcakes.

One critical detail is that each compartment of the pan is a different size so one side takes longer to bake than the other. After greasing and flouring the pan, I  filled the bottom half  3/4 full of batter and baked for 10 minutes at 325 degrees. After 10 minutes I filled the top part of the pan 3/4 full and baked the entire cupcake for about 45 minutes longer. I kept a close eye on the cake towards the end and tested for doneness with a wooden kabob skewer. Using those tips the cake turned out perfect for me.

After the cupcake had cooled I cut the top off the bottom and the bottom off the top so they would fit together nicely. I also put a thin layer of frosting between the top and bottom to hold the cake together.

I don't like cake but I do love butter cream frosting and ended up eating quite a bit, actually, quite alot of it while frosting the cake! Do you ever eat too much frosting or cookie dough and start to feel a little sick?

Cake decorating is definitely not my strong suit but I had fun making it. I think it turned out cute and more importantly, the birthday girl liked it!

Jodie

Peaches, a taste of summer in the winter!

I don't know what kind of weather you have been having but here in Kansas we had ice, sleet and rain over the weekend, so I thought you might enjoy a little something to remind you of warmer days. Back in June my sister in-law, Tina, and I went out to Pome on the Range, an orchard in Homewood, KS to buy fresh peaches. We each came home with a big box full and prepared them to freeze so we could enjoy a taste of summer all winter long. For those of you who have never tried this you must! You don't have to be a farm woman or an expert cook to tackle this since it doesn't involve canning, and your family will thank you every time you pull a bag out of the freezer.

We chose the sugar pack method.

1. Choose good quality, ripe peaches while in season. In Kansas the peaches are ready in June.

2. Wash and peel the peaches, then slice.

3. Mix 1 T. of Fruit-Fresh and 1 cup of sugar with each quart of sliced 

    fruit, stirring gently so all the peaches get coated.              

   Fruit-Fresh prevents the peaches from turning

   brown and can be found at your local grocery store.

    

  

4. Divide the peaches into quart sized freezer bags. I  put in however much I think we will use in one sitting,   usually 2-3 cups.

   

5. Freeze. I lay the packages down in a foil pan to

    freeze, that way they stay corralled and take up less space in the freezer.

6. Thaw in the refrigerator and enjoy. They taste

     fabulous over ice cream!

For more information on canning and freezing you can contact your local extension office. They are a wealth of information on pretty much anything that has to do with the home and garden.

 

I made a fresh peach pie the day I put the peaches up. Peach is my favorite pie!!!!

I had to get a little fancy with the crust and express my creative side. My good friend, DeLynn, taught me how to make the perfect pie crust several years ago. It is light and flaky and is much better than store bought crust. I will share the recipe with you in a future post.

You will have to put freezing peaches on your list of things to do this summer!

                                                                                                              Jodie

I am joining in on Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop at Deborah Jean's Dandelion House

A Favorite Cookie Recipe to Share

This oatmeal cookie recipe is one of my favorites. It is actually a recipe from Crisco but I added my own little twist. It is a yummy moist cookie and always comes out perfect. It is one of the cookie recipes my guys always ask me to make for them to take on their hunting trips, and who knows cookies better than hungry men!

Here is the twist. Instead of using raisins, like the recipe calls for, I substitute dried cranberries. I use 1 Cup and soak them in orange juice for about 20 minutes. Be sure to drain them well before adding to your dough.

I also substituted pecans for the walnuts.

 One tip for making your cookies all the same size is to use an ice cream scoop to measure out the dough.

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 cup Butter Flavor Crisco Shortening
1-1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups quick oats, uncooked
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup raisins,  I substitute dried cranberries soaked in orange juice, be sure to drain well before adding to the
    dough.
1 cup chopped walnuts,  I substitute pecans

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease baking sheets. Place sheets of foil on counter top for cooling cookies.
2. Combine Butter Flavor Crisco, brown sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed
    until well blended.
3. Combine oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed just until     
    blended. Stir in cranberries and nuts.
4. Drop rounded tablespoons ( I use an ice cream scoop with dough leveled off) of dough onto baking sheet.
5. Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool 2
    minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to foil to cool completely.
Makes about 2-1/2 dozen.

Recipe from Crisco and adapted by me. Enjoy!
                     
                                                              Jodie