New Year's Resolution: Bake More

Owen and Auntie Katie decorating the "Happy Birthday Jesus" cake - he loved it!

I'm not a big baker.  In general, I usually fail miserably at it.  For example, this morning I attempted to make crepes for the first time in a crepe pan my husband got me two Christmases ago.  Yes, I've had it for two years and never busted it out of the box.  Anyfood, I finally decided to try it out.  After four failed attempts with each crepe sticking to my well buttered pan, I finally gave up.  Now, I don't know if crepes count as baking, but they made me feel like a miserable failure in the kitchen. 

Now arts and crafts, yes please.  I love, love, love being crafty.  I made these little tissue paper poofers for Jeremy's cousin's wife's shower (mouthful, jeez) while we were in Detroit.  They take a little time, but how stinking cute??  I found the tutorial here if you want to make some of your own!

Here are the Stephens ladies!  Alas, Amy, the most adorable prego lady ever, is in the middle, hiding her belly!  Isn't her dress just the cutest?

 

The theme for her shower was Strawberry Shortcake (thus the hot pink, light pink, and red poofers!).  So I made strawberry cupcakes that were TOO.DIE.FOR.  Seriously, they were amazing!!  I chalk it up to the fresh strawberries and cake flour.  You MUST make these!!!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 34 ~ adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cake flour, (not self-rising)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 1/4 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 large egg white

1 cup whole milk

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups finely chopped strawberries, plus small strawberries for garnish

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.

2.  Reduce speed to low. Mix any remaining wet ingredients in a bowl if needed. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with wet ingredients and ending with dry. Scrape sides of bowl. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.

3.  Bake cupcakes until testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks. Cupcakes will keep, covered, for up to 3 days, unless otherwise noted.

Cream Cheese Frosting 

(BTW the original recipe calls for strawberry buttercream frosting.  I do not like buttercream frosting at all - I don't know what it is.  maybe I have just been spoiled by cream cheese frosting?)

Instructions

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1 stick of butter, salted, softened (I made it with unsalted butter once and it just wasn't as good, so if you only have unsalted, add some kosher salt to compensate)

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened.

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Blend together in your mixer and DONE.  Save extra for topping boring old graham crackers, or animal crackers that you have purchased for your toddler...also delish on nilla wafers!