Sweet Saturday: Homemade Hostess Cupcakes

Happy Saturday, my dear friends! Thank you for the bloggie love for my little owl project. It was a favorite of mine and I'm so happy you liked it, too! Are you ready for a sweet treat? :o)

Growing up, a favorite treat of mine was Hostess Cupcakes. I was always excited when my parents bought them and my heart danced with glee with each bite. These days, I most enjoy homemade versions of my favorite confections because I know exactly what's in them and everything just tastes better freshly made. To my delight, the nostalgia was still there as my family and I shared this homemade rendition of a childhood favorite. :o)

Note: In my rush to finish these before my mom arrived, I did not let the glaze thoroughly set before piping the trademark swirls. Thus, melty swirls. (I like to consider them HUGGING swirls.)

I had such a fun time baking up these cupcakes! The chocolate cake batter is made in a way that renders it the fluffiest cake I've ever made. They're so tender and airy, you can simply insert a pastry tip in the top to fill it with the fluffy marshmallow filling. Regrettably, due to my haste I didn't get an interior photograph. They're topped with a smooth and satiny chocolate glaze, with the final touch being the swirls of marshmallow delight. You can never go wrong with the chocolate-marshmallow combination and this was a hit, sure to be made time and again. I did make one change this time, which was to use semi-sweet chocolate for the glaze because that's my mom's favorite. I'm sure they're just as scrumptious with the called-for bittersweet chocolate.

There are a handful of bakers who I whole-heartedly trust and will make any of their desserts with unwavering confidence. This recipe is from one, and ironically the day after I baked these, another favorite food blogger posted her own version. I may try the other recipe the next time we're craving chocolate and marshmallow cupcakes... if I happen to love the other one even more, I'll be sure to re-post. :o) However, these were so loved and enjoyed by all that I'm in no hurry to do a recipe comparison. :o)

Make these and feel like a kid again. :o)

Thank you for visiting! I hope your weekend is filled with love, crafting, and sweet confections. :o)

Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
Yield: About 26 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cake:
1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
6 large eggs at room temperature, separated
1 cup canola oil
1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
6 tablespoons water

For the filling and frosting swirl:
2 cups marshmallow cream/fluff
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon cream or milk

For the chocolate glaze:
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, canola oil, 1½ cups of the sugar, and the water. Whisk to blend well. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Continue beating, gradually adding in the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar, until stiff, glossy peaks form. Add a quarter of the egg white mixture to the bowl with the batter to lighten. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites until the batter is smooth and no streaks remain.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed, about 16-18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Allow to cool in the pan about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the filling, combine the marshmallow cream and butter in a mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed until smooth. Blend in the confectioners' sugar and salt and whip until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes more. Transfer the majority of the filling mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip, reserving ½ cup in the mixing bowl. (The opening of the recommended tip is just under ½-inch in diameter.) Blend in the cream to the reserved filling mixture to make it smooth for piping the swirl on top of the cupcake. Transfer this to another pastry bag fitted with a small round tip (Wilton #3 is recommended). Chill until ready to use.

Fill the cupcakes by inserting the pastry tip directly into the center of each cupcake and squeezing in a dollop of the marshmallow mixture. (See this post for a visual-- an injector tip will not work for this recipe because the filling is too thick.) If excess filling comes out of the top, scrape it off with a knife so the top of the cupcake is essentially smooth.

Make the chocolate glaze by placing the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan or the microwave. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes. Whisk together until a smooth ganache forms. Let cool briefly, about 5 minutes.

Take the cupcakes one at a time and invert them, dipping the tops into the chocolate glaze. Transfer them to a wire rack or baking sheet to let the glaze set. (You can speed up this process by chilling in the refrigerator.) Once the glaze is set, use the reserved portion of marshmallow frosting to pipe a uniform swirl across the top of each cupcake. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Source: Annie's Eats

Owl Tote Box: My First CAMEO Project!

Hello, my sweet friends! I hope everyone is having a sparkly day. :o)

I received a belated Christmas blessing that set my heart aflutter. My incredible sweetheart blessed me with a Silhouette Cameo and I remain a bit stunned. :o) I (of all people) don't have the words to express how much I love this machine! The possibilities are endless and it cuts to perfection. I certainly have a ton to learn and am excited to discover all that it entails and the creativity it sparks within me. :o)

My first Cameo project needed to be sappy, sweet, and bursting with love... and I wanted it to be for this month's I Feel the Love two-part collection. It is in loving memory of Vicki Soto, the heroic first grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School who gave her life to save some of her students. On part is to create Valentine's/Hearts goodies for those precious children her selfless actions saved.

I happened upon a Lori Whitlock file for a precious 3D Owl Tote Box and had to make it for those kids to hold some sweet creations. But I couldn't make it a regular owl... I wanted to celebrate all things LOVE by transforming her into a Valentine's Owl! :o)

Isn't she sweet?

I used a combination of papers from Doodlebug, Imaginisce, and Martha Stewart to bring her heart to life. All of the edges are lightly inked in Victorian Velvet for some depth.. and I think she's blushing from wearing her heart on her sleeve. Or feathers. :o) Tiny rhinestones accent her eyes, reminiscent of their beloved teacher. How beautiful is a soul that sparkles so brilliantly it is seen through the eyes... just like Vicki's. With as much love as I want to deliver the children who endured that nightmare, I needed to make something extra special. Sure, it's merely a box... but it is made with a love so strong that I'm hopeful it will saturate their hearts.

A little closer view of the papers. That middle layer of feathers is not dotted, as it may appear.

If enlarged, you'll notice a couple of my favorite details. The darkest paper consists of a plethora of tiny hearts... tiny heartfelt sunbeams to bring comfort and joy. The bottom layer was sparklified, but it's hard to see in the smaller image. As I mentioned with my last card, I am incorporating green into everything I make for this collection because it was Vicki's favorite color. The flowers in this paper are centered with green, pink, and white rhinestones. The other green accent is the scallop detail around the ribbon-closure circles. I used sparkly and bubbly ribbon from Hobby Lobby, topped with a Little Yellow Bicycle stiched-heart button and Blossom twine from My Craft Spot.

Additional love graces each side...

I tweaked the heart die from the Spellbinder's Fanciful Holiday set to embrace the loving sentiment. I masked off most of a sentiment from My Craft Spot's Joy to the World stamp set, stamping only the 'Love.' A few red rhinestones were added because love is always sparkly. :o)

Challenges Entered:

 *2 Sisters~ Celebrations

 *Craft Us Crazy~ Celebrate Love or Red

 *Craft-Room Challenge~ Valentines

 *Cupcake Craft Challenge~ Anything but a Card

 *Decorate to Celebrate~ Any Theme Party

 *Divas By Design~ Make It Girlie

 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 *My Craft Spot~ Anything Goes

 *Paper Playtime~ Pets/Animals

 *Scrappy Moms Stamps~ Out of the Box (Make a box!)

Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you a sparkling day of love. :o)

Sprinkled with Love

Happy Saturday, my treasured friends! I pray everyone is having a blessed and beautiful weekend. :o)

In lieu of a new Sweet Saturday confection, I'm sharing a new card that serves a far sweeter purpose. :o) As I mentioned in my last post, this month's I Feel the Love collection is in loving memory of first grade teacher Vicki Soto... a beautiful soul who gave her life to save six or seven of her students at Sandy Hook Elementary. The sweet and talented Madison (of Funky Cards) highlights someone in need of extra love every month and we have the absolute privilege of crafting for a cause. We are currently creating Valentine's cards for those children Vicki saved, as well as thinking of you/sympathy cards for her grieving family. I hope you'll create a card with us and say extra prayers for all involved in the tragedy.

My second card for the kiddos... Sprinkled with Love:

I made a happy little forest scene, complete with deer sweethearts. The deer are from Create a Critter and Cindy Loo, which I set upon stumps made of pink wood-patterned paper. (What can I say, even the trees are filled with extra love this time of year!) The interior of the stump is glitter paper because their endearing love has sparklified it... just like our heartfelt creations will deliver healing love to those who are hurting. The boy deer is wearing a sparkly green collar because Vicki's favorite color was green. Every card I create for this collection will have green for that reason. I used pearls for the pretty doe's spots. :o)

The bottom border is my new Memory Box die that I am over-the-moon in love with, called Spring Border. It's so sprightly and I thought the little recipient would enjoy it. :o) I cut it with sparkling Core Couture paper and used red and purple Stickles for the flowers.

The gorgeous nested hearts in the center are Cheery Lynn dies (Two of Hearts), which are inked in Victorian Velvet. I nearly only used one, but a double dose of love is always better. :o) The papers have pretty little sketched-floral patterns on them, and both layers are pop-dotted for dimension. All of the patterned papers on the card are from Heidi Grace's Daydream collection. I love how foresty and naturally beautiful they are. :o)

The Whimsical Designs sentiment is from the With Love stamp set, chosen because the paper is reminiscent of a shower of love. :o) (And because my sappy love is sprinkled all over the place.) The tag is popped-up, lightly inked with Victorian Velvet, and has a sweet Recollections heart button. Lastly, a sparkly white butterfly fluttered onto the card, centered with a pearl, eager to bring hope and comfort.

And there's more love tucked inside, where the Spellbinders Lattice Rectangle will hold a message about how I love the recipient so dearly!

I hope this brings a smile to the precious child's heart. :o)

The inspiring hero whose memory we are honoring this month:

Challenges entered:
 *Cut It Up~ In With the New (Memory Box Spring Border die, heart button)
 *Cute Card Thursday~ Beat the Blues (with LOVE!)
 *Divas By Design~ Anything Goes
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *My Paper Crafting/Crafting With Cutters~ Card Outreach
 *Paper Playtime~ Pets/Animals
 *Papertake Weekly~ Happy New... (Memory Box Spring Border die, heart button)

Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you a sparkling weekend of love, hugs, and blessings. :o)

Love Bug Shaker Card: I Feel the Love

Happy Tuesday, my dear friends! I hope everyone is having a beautiful week! :o)

As I always do on the 1st of the month, I zipped to the I Feel the Love blog last week, eager to discover the new recipient of Madison's beautiful cause. Each month she highlights a particular person, family, or organization in need of extra love. In turn, we have the honor of using our crafty passion for a far higher purpose. We have the privilege of reaching out to people who are struggling mightily. This month I was stunned when I saw the recipient... a story already very well known. A story so huge that it is a two-part collection... as multiple people are in need.

In loving memory, we are paying tribute to Vicki Leigh Soto, a first grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary. She lost her life on December 14th, but due to her selfless actions and beautiful heart, six or seven of her students survived that tragic day. One part of the collection is for those survivors... those precious 6 and 7 year olds who went through unimaginable trauma in that classroom. They suffered tremendous loss and are not to be forgotten. We are creating Valentine's cards/ cards with hearts to shower them with the outpouring of love they need.

Even before the fresh tears subsided after reading about our mission this month, ideas mounted... there is so much I want to do for them, and I know God will help me. Will it be emotionally difficult this month? Absolutely. But I am so thankful for the opportunity to give them a piece of my heart...

.... via a Valentine's shaker card, for starters!

Before beginning my work for this collection, I spent some time reading about Vicki. It hurt, but I felt compelled to fill my heart with stories of her love... and maybe it'll help make her love sparkle through my creations for her surviving students and family, too.

I made a garden of love blossoms on an Elegant Edges base, with a sweet sparkling love bug to deliver my hugs. :o) The heart shaker (cut from Gypsy Wanderings) isn't as full of iridescent microbeads as I intended, but there's still a nice amount to dance around in there. (A mistake never to be repeated!) The heart is accented with rhinestones and I used ruffly American Crafts ribbon for the stem. Love rises and blossoms above all... especially when ruffled with a love so strong that it heals and protects.

The smaller hearts are from the Spellbinders Fanciful Holiday set. The sparkling Core Couture cardstock stems are Cheery Lynn Designs Mini Fanciful Flourishes. The little hearts are safely nestled beneath the larger one... much like Vicki sheltered her students that day.

The ladybug is from Create a Critter and since she has the vital task of sharing my and God's love with all who see this card, I used heart rhinestones for her antennae and heart. She is popped up with foam tape for dimension, reaching ever closer to the sweet child who receives this. The Whimsical Designs sentiment is from the With Love stamp set, which I stamped upon a Spellbinders Labels Four base and secured with a Bella Blvd flower button.

The Doodlebug and Imaginisce patterned papers are all new, courtesy of my sweetheart as an after-Christmas gift. I showed him Madison's post right after I read it, and after he helped me through the wave of tears, we headed to the craft store for heartfelt supplies. (Turns out Archiver's closed early on New Years Day... but we zoomed back there first thing the next morning!) The papers are so pretty in person.

The interior, engulfed in a circle of sunshine:

The second part of this month's IFTL drive is cards for Vicki's family... anything uplifting that one would send to a family member after a loss. I'll be starting that phase after a couple more blessings for the children she adored. I hope you will consider joining us for this very special collection in loving memory of Vicki.

Challenges entered:
 *Craft Us Crazy~ Inspiration Photo (The hearts and 'made with love' inspired me)
 *Crafty Catz~ Anything Goes
 *Cute Card Thursday~ Something New (Patterned papers)
 *Fantabulous Cricut~ Incorporate a Tag (Used CAC, Elegant Edges, and Gypsy Wanderings cartridges)
 *Little Miss Muffet~ Anything Goes
 *Little Scrap Pieces Fun Friday~ Anything Goes
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Pause, Dream, Enjoy~ Use Ribbon
 *Really Reasonable Ribbon~ Something New, plus ribbon (Patterned papers)
 *The Pink Elephant~ Celebrate (Celebrating life, love, and Vicki)
 *Word Art Wednesday~ Encouraging/Uplifting

Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you a day of love, blessings, and sparkles. :o)

Sweet Saturday: Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

Happy Saturday, my sweet friends! A card yesterday and a treat today... I'm so happy to be posting! :o)

Despite the lack of sugary posts, I had a few fun baking adventures over the holiday season. The weekend before Christmas I finally faced a baking fear: royal icing! I've admired it for years, but stayed away from it partially due to rants of how impossible it can be, how it takes eons to get a good result, and how bad it can taste.  Thankfully I decided to stop listening to negative commentary and dive right in! You never know until you try, right?

So try I did... and they tasted amazing. While the designs aren't perfect, I was beyond ecstatic with my first attempt at decorating cookies!

Aren't they adorable? I used my favorite sugar cookie recipe, which I've neglected to post until now. I wanted to keep the shapes simple and colors to a minimum for my first try, so I opted for pink and pale blue snowflakes and sweet peppermint candies. :o) (I saw the peppermint candy idea at Bake at 350.) My icing is tinted in varying shades of AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste food coloring.

For the candies, some had marbled royal icing for a swirling peppermint effect while others are happy little polka dots. (Oh the joy when the colors didn't bleed together!) The snowflakes are simple designs while I practiced piping straight lines and fun little loops, and were given a touch of holiday cheer with sparkling cake sprinkles in the centers. :o) I cannot tell you how much fun I had making these. I am eager to play with royal icing again soon to improve! I need to be ready for some fun summer cookie decorating. :o)

I did a LOT of reading on tips, tricks, and tutorials on royal icing before cookie day, which I will always recommend to anyone who wants to try. Perhaps it was my commitment to that research that made my first attempt so much more successful than I expected. The recipe is below, after the sugar cookies.

The cookies themselves are a family favorite! Technically they appear to be a cross between a sugar cookie and shortbread, which we happen to love. I've used this recipe for all my cut-outs since finding it a few years ago. The almond is perfectly suited for the holidays and the lack of leavening agents permits the cookies to retain their shapes while baking. (There are tweaked flavor alterations for other seasons that I'll be trying this year, such as Vanilla Bean-Lemon for Easter!)

Thank you for visiting! I hope your weekend is filled with blessings, love, and sparkly sweet confections. :o)

Ella's White Sugar Cookies
Yield: Depends upon cookie cutter sizes... I prefer doubling for a nice big batch

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 large egg
1½ teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
2½ cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar on medium-high speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Beat in the egg, almond, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour and salt on low speed just until incorporated. Form the dough into a ball and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 1-2 hours.

When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 375º F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out the dough on a well-floured work surface to about ¼-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters as desired and transfer to the prepared baking sheets.

Bake 8-10 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through baking, until fully cooked but not at all browned. Allow to cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate as desired.

Source: Annie's Eats
***

Royal Icing
The amount needed will vary based on cookie sizes and how many colors you need. I halved this recipe since it was my first try, but will not do that again since I know this recipe is flawless and want to do a lot of cookies. (If you halve it, I'll save you some hassle by telling you half of 1 kilogram was about 4 cups plus 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of confectioners' sugar)

Ingredients:
6 ounces (¾ cup) warm water
5 tablespoons Meringue Powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar (I eliminated this since my MP has cream of tartar in it)
1 kilogram (2.25 lbs) confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon CLEAR vanilla if your meringue powder has no vanilla/vanillin powder

Directions:
In a mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand until it is frothy and thickened, about 30 seconds.

Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds more.

Pour in all of the confectioners' sugar at once and place the bowl on the stand mixer.

Using the paddle attachment on the LOWEST speed, mix slowly for a full 10 minutes. Icing will get thick and creamy.

Cover the bowl with a dampened tea-towel to prevent crusting and drying.

Tint with food colorings or thin the icing with small amounts of warm water to reach the desired consistency.

Source: Sweetopia

Warm Winter Wishes

Happy January, my dear friends! I pray your new year is filled with heavenly light and joy unspeakable. :o) I am so thankful to have met some incredible crafters last year and I look forward to sharing in our continued crafty journeys. :o)

My sparkly little blog has been quiet over the busy holidays, but I'm happy to be back! Since I fell far short of my Christmas card goal, my first card of 2013 was made for someone who didn't get a handmade festive creation... my sweetheart! I was so disappointed I ran out of time. As it turns out, surprising him with this 'just because' card was equally special. (The unexpected ones can be the most exciting!)

"Warm Winter Wishes"

For my sweetheart, a pretty winter scene. :o) He appreciates nature as much as I, with its majestic beauty from our Creator. The snowflake paper is from a K and Company Christmas collection. The church is from the Noel cartridge, to which I embossed the snowy rooftop with Swiss Dots and added Star Dust to the windows for a sparkling glow. The tree is a Recollections stamp, which I heat-embossed in silver and sprinkled with rhinestones for extra twinkles of joy.

A tiny peek inside (and a better view of the tree), which is lined with the same paper and a Spellbinders Fleur de Lis square.

The snowy ground is embossed with a folder from the Winter Wonderland set. The top border die is one of my favorite new things! It is the Memory Box Frostyville border die, which was high on my wish list for eons. I am thrilled for this new blessing and love that my first use is for his card. :o) (You will probably see a lot of this border! Hehe.) Graduating sizes of rhinestones are sprinkled throughout it for extra winter sparkle.

The Whimsical Designs sentiment is from Stephanie's Snow Much Fun set, which is stamped upon a Spellbinders Labels Four die. It is adhered by a three-layer snowflake from Gypsy Wanderings, with each layer popped up for dimension. I wanted to wish him a winter that is warmed by God's love. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Card Mania~ Winter Wonderland
 *Craft with Cutters~ Snowflakes
 *Little Scrap Pieces Fun Friday~ Winter
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Papertake Weekly~ Anything Goes
 *Simon Says Stamp~ New (Memory Box Frostyville border die)
 *Word Art Wednesday~ Encouraging/Uplifting

Thank you for fluttering on by! I hope your day sparkles with blessings. You are loved! :o)

Christmas card!

Hello, my sweet friends! I hope you're all enjoying this beautiful season of love and hope. :o)

It's been a little while! The days just fly by, don't they? I'm excited to have a card to share today that I made for my sweet parents. :o) (Envision lots of sparkle.. much of it didn't show up in the picture.)

A peek at the red and white interior:

I thought they'd enjoy a cute and sparkly scene atop one of my favorite card shapes from Elegant Edges. The glimmering Christmas tree is cut with Core Couture paper for extra sparkle and adorned with red rhinestones. I made a wreath to put around the sweet reindeer, which I turned into a holly wreath with rhinestone 'berries' and made a bow with twine from My Craft Spot. All of the cuts are from the marvelous Noel cartridge. The reindeer's antlers and hooves are shimmering with Star Dust, courtesy of the swirling snow and his radiant heart. :o)

The pop-dotted snowflakes are from Art Philosophy and the snowy ground is embossed with a Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland folder. Instead of a snowy sky, I opted for this beautiful festive paper from Best Creation's Merry Christmas collection. A few months ago when I showed my mom my holiday papers, she adored these fluttering, sparkly holly and berries. She'll be excited I used it for their card. :o) The interior paper is from My Mind's Eye, topped with a Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Square.

The sentiment is from My Craft Spot's Joy to the World set. I stamped it upon a Spellbinders Labels Four die, trimmed it in star dust to make it icy, and adhered it with a Wild Orchid Crafts scallop pearl. The greeting is simple, but when you wish someone a Merry Christmas from your heart, a gorgeous light appears in their eyes. So much love, joy, and hope wrapped into that one simple phrase. I always get warm fuzzies when I say it. :o)

Challenges entered:
 *Cupcake Inspirations~ Photo Inspiration
 *Jingle Belles~ Anything Goes (Holiday)
 *Little Miss Muffet~ It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Christmas
 *Little Scrap Pieces Fun Friday~ Holiday
 *Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 *Paper Playtime~ Winter Fun
 *Simon Says Stamp~ Favorites! (Embossing, Bling, Noel cartridge)
 *Sparkles Christmas~ Button or Bow
 *Winter Wonderland~ Oh Christmas Tree!
 *Word Art Wednesday~ Uplifting/Encouraging

Thank you for visiting me! I hope your week is filled with love and blessings. :o)