Kid at Heart

One of my good friends recently celebrated a birthday, and although he is married to my former roommate and currently expecting his firstborn, he is still very much a kid at heart.  When I was younger I used to think that the boys in my class would eventually grow out of their childish and mischievous ways.  But as I've gotten older, I've realized that in many ways, men will always have the heart of a ten year old boy.  And you know what... that's one of the things I've come to love the most about the men in my life! : )  Whereas my mom and I tend to be more serious and practical, it always seems to be my guy friends and family who make me laugh and learn not to take life so seriously.  It's a wonderful quality and I'm glad that in some ways, little boys never grow up!

That being said, for this boy's birthday, his only request was that the cupcakes be almond and that they be covered with lots and lots of sprinkles.  I had to laugh when his wife shared his wishes with me... so simple.  But that's exactly what I gave him.  A moist almond cake with a traditional buttercream frosting... doused with sprinkles.  I've always been a sprinkles fan myself, so I was more than happy to oblige his boy-like whim.  These cupcakes were a hit at his birthday party, and they all quickly disappeared!  I've learned that in baking - and in life - it's sometimes the simple things that matter most.

Blessings-
LC

Fudge-i-ful

Here's a little something different for your Thursday morning - homemade fudge!  This is a treat I usually only make around Christmas time (and truth be told, that's when I shot this photo!).  But I hadn't had an opportunity to share it with you yet, and I thought it'd be a nice break from the usual cakes and such that I post on here.

Now, I'm not much of a "nut" girl... especially in desserts.  So I don't put nuts in  my fudge, though you certainly could.  My mom usually puts nuts in hers, but I'm kind of a purist like that and don't like other stuff messing with it.  This fudge is so rich, and creamy - it just melts in your mouth.  For realz.  That's why I cut the squares so small... if the pieces were any bigger, you might go into a sugar shock!  But boy is it delicious.

Blessings-
LC

Bites of Heaven

Remember how I told you I also did cake pops for the cocktail hour at my last wedding?  Well here they are!  They were my first attempt at the newest baking trend, and I think they turned out pretty cute.  The only downer is they are kind of time consuming, and there are several steps to them... lots of hand-rolling, chilling, etc.  But I'm sure I could get faster if I practiced a little more at it.

For the cocktail hour, I made lemon cake pops, and buttermilk white cake pops that had a hint of strawberry in them.  After I dipped them in white chocolate, I dipped them in purple and red sugar to match the main colors of the wedding.  These are the perfect treat for a party, summer get together, cocktail hour, you name it!  Because the cocktail hour was outside, they did melt a bit in the sun, but I popped the leftovers in the fridge and they were good as new.  Enjoy!

My beautiful models!  (aka girlfriends - love 'em!)

Blessings-
LC

Fun Flags

I've spent the last three July 4ths here in DC.  So this year, I decided to switch it up and go back home to the Midwest.  And I must say... Independence Day in the Capitol is definitely awesome, but it was wonderful to be home with family and friends!  My time was filled with lots of cookouts, beautiful weather, and of course a little bit of baking. : )

Since I was on vacation, I didn't have all the usual tools I use for baking and decorating, but I made due with what I had.  So while the cake I'm about to show you isn't anything special on the outside, it's the inside that will blow your mind.  I must admit that I did not come up with this on my own... I got the idea from one of my favorite blogs.  So I made my own red velvet and buttermilk white cakes, and used the assembly idea I saw in the blog.  Look at how awesome this turned out!!!

Blessings-
LC

Happy Fourth!

As I've gotten older, I've grown to appreciate and respect the Fourth of July even more.  The service and sacrifice of our service men and women - many of whom are now friends of mine - never ceases to amaze me.  And I am just so thankful for the freedoms we enjoy in this country - cuz it wasn't free!

Anyways... I've gotten into the habit of making my special sugar cookies every year to celebrate Independence Day, so thought I'd share them with you all as we head into the holiday weekend.  Enjoy and don't forget to thank a veteran!

Blessings-
LC

Strawberry Shortcake

Continuing the theme of stuffed treats from my most recent post, I wanted to share these special surprise cupcakes I made for a friend of mine.  I've already professed my love of cake, and that I like it plain and simple without lots of extra bells and whistles.  Well, in an attempt to please my strawberry-shortcake-loving-friend, I decided to use that as an inspiration for these cupcakes.

These moist vanilla cupcakes are stuffed with chunky strawberry preserves, and topped with a light and fluffy buttercream (made with plenty of whipping cream!).  I have to admit, I really liked them... even though they were more glitzy than the kind of cake I usually like.  And perfect for summer!

Blessings-
LC

Stuffed with Tastiness

I believe I've mentioned before that I'm not a big fan of the peanut butter/chocolate combo.  But I realize that I'm kind of a freak like that, and that most people LOVE it... so once in a while I'll bust out a treat with those flavors - behold, the stuffed cookie.

These chocolate treasures are filled with a sweet peanut butter filling, similar to the filling I make for my buckeyes.  So if you like those, I'm sure you'd like these little treasures!

Blessings-
LC