Sweet Saturday: Pumpkin Brown Butter Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Happy Saturday, my dear friends! After making the Christmas card I shared yesterday, I was craving a seasonal treat. Are you ready for the first Autumn-inspired confection of the season? :o) If you're ready to fully embrace all things pumpkin, I'm also including links to my favorite pumpkin recipes that I shared last year. :o)

My love of cupcakes has certainly been well-documented. I recently realized with amazement that I didn't make regular pumpkin cupcakes last year... or ever. How is this possible?! I zipped to my favorite baker's blog, knowing that if she had one it would be perfection. Sure enough, my family and I love everything about these Pumpkin Brown Butter Cupcakes. My only change was to pair it with a family favorite frosting, which is Cinnamon Cream Cheese.

Since half of the double batch is going to my mom's coworkers for a Saturday surprise (mere hours from now!), I decided to play with my piping and use festive sprinkles. With my normal 1M pastry tip swirls (on the right), I simply let the Autumn sprinkles flutter down to the ridiculously delicious frosting. The center cupcake was frosted with a French tip, which was my first time using it. I love the tight spiral and gave it a border of sprinkles. On the left is my first time creating the super basic rose swirl. (A view from above was better, but the picture was crazy blurry.) It's so cute! :o)

Frosting playtime aside, I bet you're curious about the cake! It is Autumn in cupcake form. The cake is moist, delicate, and fluffy, as it envelopes the warm spices. The pumpkin and spices harmoniously blend together and are taken up a notch with the inclusion of brown butter. Have you baked with brown butter? I hadn't until yesterday! It is so popular that I decided it was time to give it a whirl. Browning the butter gives it a nutty aroma and taste. I can see why it is often paired with seasonal flavors. :o)

As for the frosting, it continues to be a dream. I first paired it with Snickerdoodle Cupcakes and knew it would be marvelous with this pumpkin perfection. My sweetheart and I do not like buttercream frostings, so I used it in place of the cinnamon buttercream. We couldn't have been more pleased with the results. :o)

Other pumpkin favorites that I previously posted:
 * Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
 * Pumpkin Muffins with Vanilla Cream Cheese Filling (Like Starbucks, only better!)
 * Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
 * Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling

Thank you for twirling on by! I hope you're all enjoying a gorgeous weekend of love and blessings. :o) (And pumpkin treats!)

* Recipe note: The frosting recipe creator only uses clear/imitation vanilla extract for her cream cheese frostings, noting that it holds its shape better and yields a brighter white result. I did not have any on hand, so I used pure vanilla extract. I may test her theory one day, so I'm posting the recipe as written.

Pumpkin Brown Butter Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Yield: Approximately 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
¾ cup unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon allspice
1½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1½ cups pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
½ cup sour cream

For the frosting:
10 ounces cream cheese, chilled
6½ tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3¼ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2-2.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons clear vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line standard cupcake tins with paper liners.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter turns golden brown. Pour the browned butter into a small bowl and let stand until cool but not solidified.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and allspice. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin puree with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and sour cream until well-combined. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Whisk in the browned butter until well-blended.

Divide the batter evenly between cupcake liners, filling them approximately half full. Bake cupcakes for 20-25 minutes or until they spring back when pressed in the middle.

To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add in the confectioners' sugar and cinnamon, mixing just until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat an additional 2-3 minutes. Blend in the vanilla. Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired!

Sources: Cupcakes: Sprinkle Bakes; Frosting: Slightly adapted from Annie's Eats

May Your Days be Merry and Bright!

Happy Friday, my sparkly friends! I hope you've had a lovely week! :o)

I'm super excited because I had a little time to make a card just for fun! With a slew of challenges in mind, my heart gravitated to Christmas. :o)

A closer peek at the sentiment, snowy flowers, and jingly bells:

Isn't she precious? She is Lili of the Valley's Christmas Star and I love her to pieces. She is colored up with my favorite red and green Copics (R35-37-39 and YG61-63-67). The trim on her sweet jacket is Polar White Flower Soft, which I also scattered along the ground and Wild Orchid Crafts roses. I am smitten with this stuff. I dotted the sky with three sizes of pearls and sparklified the stars with Star Dust. I planned on using my new Pearl Pen which was finally in stock, but sadly I am not a natural with it. ;) I need a wee bit of practice first. The tree is accented with garnet rhinestones, which are a bit washed out in the pictures.

The festive papers are from Best Creation's Merry Christmas pack, which I adore. The fluttering ornaments are sparkly, which of course makes me swoon. I trimmed the middle layer mat with my Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch. The image and sentiment stamp bases are Spellbinders Classic Circles atop Lacey Circles. The red crinkle ribbon is from My Craft Spot, to which I attached red and green jingle bells. I jingled all the way!

I couldn't resist using some beloved Wild Orchid Crafts goodies to go along with their flowers. The cream Guipure lace is one of my favorites. A scallop flat-back pearl flutters in the corner and a few pearl sprays were added to the larger flower arrangement, hopefully reminiscent of snowflakes.

One of my favorite parts of this little card was inspired by the sentiment, which is from Lili of the Valley's Christmas Circular Sentiments set. To bring the bright greeting to the card, I lightly sponged Mustard Seed distress ink along the embossed trim of the image and the sentiment to exude a heavenly glow. Beautiful divine warmth in the middle of a snowy winter wonderland. :o) I had such fun making this card and I hope the recipient loves it. :o)

Challenges entered:
 * Crafty Catz~ Lace and Ribbon
 * The Crafty Pad~ Inspired by a Song (White Christmas)
 * Docerela Creations~ Border Using Punch or Cricut
 * Fab 'n' Funky~ Starts with an F (Flowers, Flower Soft)
 * Fashionista~ Anything Goes Christmas
 * Jingle Belles~ Dashing Through the Snow
 * Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 * Moving Along with the Times~ Seeing RED
 * PaperPlay~ Flowers and Lace
 * Simon Says Stamp~ Anything Goes
 * Sparkles Christmas Challenge~ Sparkles and Bling
 * Stampin' for the Weekend~ Feeling Floral

Thank you for twirling on by! I hope your weekend is filled with blessings and pumpkin treats. :o)

Pumpkin Love: I Feel the Love

Happy Monday, my crafty friends! Such busy times, but I'm thankful to have been a wee bit crafty this weekend. :o)

As you know, I especially love creating when it serves a special purpose. As soon as I finished my cards for cancer patients last weekend, I started thinking on my contribution to this month's I Feel the Love Project. Each month, the lovely Madison of Funky Cards highlights a particular person, family, or organization in need of an extra burst of sunshine. In turn, we have the honor of creating cards for the recipients to show them how much we care. It's a truly beautiful endeavor.

This month, IFTL is blessing Casa Pacifica, which serves abused and neglected children and adolescents, and those with severe emotional, social, behavioral, and mental health challenges. We are providing cute and cheery Halloween cards for their yearly festive celebration.

I made three shaped cards for three sweet kiddos. :o)

Using my Gypsy, I welded together a Create a Critter pumpkin and critter for each card. I cut out sparkling lollipops from a DCWV patterned paper and "stuffed" the pumpkins, cutting off the tops and placing them on their heads for little hats. ;) Each critter is holding two lollipops in their cute little hands. The sparkly penguin has a Peachy Keen face, while the raccoon has a glittery mask.

For final touches, I accented the shimmery pumpkins with orange rhinestones and made tiny bows for the glittery pumpkin stems. I hope these deliver sweet pumpkin love to their very special recipients. :o) There are still a few days left in this month's collection if you'd like to join us! :o)

Challenges entered:

 * Cute Card Thursday~ A Different Shape

 * DL. ART~ Halloween/Fall Colors or Owl

 * I Feel the Love~ Cute Halloween

 * Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

Thank you for fluttering on by! I hope you have a beautiful and blessed day. :o)

Spinner Cards of Encouragement

Happy Tuesday, my crafty pals! I hope you're having a sparkly week. :o)

Last Friday I posted a couple of cards for a sweet friend who asked me to make encouragement cards for cancer patients in her area. It is truly an honor! Thankfully I had some crafty time to make two more simple designs. Despite the time crunch, I wanted to make something interactive to entice even bigger smiles from the battling recipients. :o)

A peek at both, with the sentiments withdrawn from the corner pockets. :o) (Is this like reading the end of a book first? I should have taken it with them tucked in!)

The pink and yellow version, created with sparkly papers from First Edition Love Letters:

The brown and pink version, designed with ultra sparkly papers from First Edition Isabelle:

Originally these were just going to have fun little pockets of blessings, but then I decided a fluttering butterfly would be fun for the patients. :o) To make the spinner tracks as hidden as possible, I made the backing paper with the identical sections of the designs. For the same reason, I cut an Art Philosophy flower for the butterfly base using the same patterns. That way it looks more like the butterflies are twirling amongst the flowers without a track glaring at you in the face. :o)

The pockets are trimmed with the first fancy punch I ever owned, which is a Fiskars border punch. (Unsure of the name.) The hearts are the large and medium dies from the Spellbinders Nested Hearts set. The Cheery Lynn Designs butterflies are from the Exotic Butterflies Small #2 set, which are cut with sparkly Core Couture paper and accented with rhinestones, coordinating with the sparkly flowers they're fluttering upon.

Victorian Velvet and Mustard Seed distress inks were used on the embossed areas of the first set of hearts, while the second set used Victorian Velvet and Walnut Stain. I only accented with three rhinestones on each since they will be going in and out of the pockets. I didn't have time to sew the perimeters, but a simple trim of white satin ribbon adds a touch of delicacy to the cards.

The K Andrew Designs sentiments are from her Scripture Sayings set, which I pray deliver strength and hope. I used hearts for the sentiment base to give them a piece of my sappy heart, too. :o) Maybe they'll even feel my and God's love with every twinkling butterfly pirouette. :o)

Challenges entered:

 * Craft Your Passion~ Bingo! (Emboss-Bling-Yellow and Pink-Ribbon-Border Punch)

 * Little Scrap Pieces~ Action

 * Lollipop Crafts~ Break Out Your Punch (Use two different punches or dies: Hearts, butterfly, border punch)

 * Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 * Paper Playtime~ Punches and a Sentiment

 * Word Art Wednesday~ Encouraging/Uplifting

Thank you for fluttering on by! I wish you all a gorgeous day, filled with love, light, and cupcakes. :o)

Sweet Saturday: Oatmeal Carmelita Bars

Happy Saturday, my crafty friends! Feeling snacky? :o)

Yesterday I made a treat for my sweetheart who loves oatmeal, chocolate, and caramel. I showed him the recipe months ago and instantly knew I would surprise him with it eventually. I'm happy to say he loved it as much as anticipated! And yes, it does taste as good as it looks...

Gooey chocolate and caramel beneath a marvelous oatmeal crumb topping makes for one tasty bar cookie! (And it starts with an oatmeal shortbread crust. Yum.) The recipe is simple, but the result is quite rich. Every flavor shines individually, while collectively they make any chocolate-caramel lover swoon. :o) My family and I don't particularly love nuts in desserts, so I omitted them and added extra chocolate chips. You can never have too much chocolate. ;) I sent most of these home with my sweetheart, which gives me warm fuzzies. It's no fun only seeing him on his days off, but it helps when I can supply him with sweet confections baked with love. :o) A seasonal delight is up next!

Thank you for twirling on by! I wish you a weekend sparkling with all things beautiful. :o)

Oatmeal Carmelita Bars
Yield: 24 bars

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar
2 cups quick-cooking oats
14 ounces caramel candies, unwrapped
½ cup evaporated milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until combined and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until fully incorporated. Add the oats and mix on low speed briefly just to combine.

Transfer approximately half of the dough mixture to the baking dish. Spread and press the dough into the baking dish until you have an even layer with no cracks or crumbles. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven.

While the dough is baking, combine the evaporated milk and caramels in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir the mixture constantly until all the caramels are melted and you have a thick sauce. Allow to cool until the cookie base comes out of the oven.

Once out of the oven, sprinkle the cookie base evenly with chocolate chips and pecans. Carefully pour the caramel sauce over the cookie base, chocolate, and nuts. Use an offset spatula to spread the caramel sauce into an even layer.

Sprinkle the remaining cookie dough over the top of the caramel-chocolate-nut mixture a handful at a time, making sure to get an even coating over the entire dish.

Return the dish to the oven, baking until the topping is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Once out of the oven, cool the dish to room temperature and then refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Source: Brown Eyed Baker

Encouragement Card Set

Happy Friday, my sweet friends! I hope you've had a blessed week! :o)

A dear friend asked if I would make a set of cards to give cancer patients in her area, to which I readily agreed. I treasure every opportunity to use this passion for a higher purpose. Due to time constraints, I need to keep them fairly streamlined (which you know is so hard for me!)... I'm quickly sharing the first two today and hope to get another two designed over the weekend.

First, a peek at both:

"For with God, nothing is impossible"

I often gravitate to nature themes when Scripture is the focal point and that is the case once again. The beautiful papers are from the Kaisercraft English Rose collection, which I paired with a few of my favorite things. The K Andrew Designs sentiment stamps for both cards are from her Scripture Sayings set. This one is nestled within a pearl-accented Spellbinders Nested Heart, inked up with Victorian Velvet distress ink as it radiates with the love of the Lord. I positioned the hearts between a "chain" of pearls, as if hanging from the bow. The Raspberry Truffle crinkle ribbon is from My Craft Spot, which I centered with a Wild Orchid Crafts pink scallop pearl.

The middle panel is trimmed with my Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch, accented with tiny pearls. The dark green paper is designed with script, purposely chosen to symbolize the memories yet to made. The recipient of this card will persevere and be healed.. of this I am sure. The filigree metal corner is from Wild Orchid Crafts, which I am in love with and can't think of a better purpose for its first use! I sewed around the card layers with my sewing machine and lightly inked the paper edges with Walnut Stain.

"Do not fear, for I am with you"

This lovely paper is from DCWV, which I've been waiting to use! It's so pretty I wanted a fair amount left open, so it was perfect for this cause. I love the peaceful white birds and the striking red blooms. Spellbinders Floral Ovals frame the Scripture, which I accented with pearls. The middle layer is embossed with the Swiss Dots folder. I added portions of a Cheery Lynn Designs Mini Fanciful Flourish and a Wild Orchid Crafts rose to the top for some extra texture and layers. I thought the battling patient might like a sweet birdie, so I used one of my favorite cuts from Art Philosophy, gave her a black pearl eye, and set her atop a leafy flourish. 

To finish the card, I combined My Craft Spot Vanilla Bean crinkle ribbon with a few more WOC favorites: white scallop pearl, cream guipure lace, and a flat-back pearl in the corner. When fears try to quell the voice of Truth, I hope this little scene brings peace as she is reminded that God is always with her.  I hope with all of my heart that both of these cards fill the recipients with hope, assured that there are prayer warriors lifting them up.

Challenges entered: 

 * Craft Your Passion~ Blast from the Past (Challenge 106: Die-Cuts and Punches)

 * Cupcake Craft~ In Stitches (First card)

 * Make It Monday~ Anything Goes

 * Word Art Wednesday~ Encouragement/Uplifting Sentiment

Thank you for visiting me! Have a blessed day, remembering how much you're loved! :o)

Teapot Card

Happy Sunday, my lovely friends! I hope your day is filled with blessings. :o)

I had such fun making this card this weekend! I am a wee bit rushed, so forgive the blurry photograph. Grr. I may try to retake it before I deliver it.

I was feeling girly! (Nothing new, I know...hehe.)

The sweetie pie is an Elisabeth Bell stamp (Tea Time), which I've been anxious to color up with my Copics. She is absolutely precious with her tea and cookies! I thought it would be fun to make a shaped card for her base. :o) The teapot is from Once Upon a Princess, which I welded together with my Gypsy. I used one of my favorite My Mind's Eye Blush papers for the background because it kind of reminds me of a china pattern... and it looks like she's in a field of flowers. :o) The rosy wine base is embossed with the Victoria embossing folder for a touch of elegance. The lid is decorated with cream lace, flowers, a flat-back pearl strand, and a scalloped flowery pearl, which are all from Wild Orchid Crafts. The gorgeous scalloped pearl and the pearl strand are recent gifts from a friend. I love them! :o)

The grass is cut from Create a Critter, with parts of it popped up for dimension. The scrolling vine is Cheery Lynn Designs Mini Fanciful Flourish, accented with a couple of WOC flowers. It was fate to see that pretty textured green cardstock in my scraps! Two fluttering butterflies are keeping her company, which I centered with tiny pearls. At the last minute I decided you can never have too many pearls, so I set down my camera and added a few along the handle. I just cannot help myself! :o) I hope it brings a smile to my loved one's heart. :o)

Challenges entered:
 * Bitten By the Bug 2~ All Shaped Up (Once Upon a Princess)
 * The Crafty Pad~ It's Scraptastic! (green and wine papers from scrap pile)
 * Cut It Up~  Anything Goes
 * DL. Art~ Thankful Thursday.. watch the video to see!
 * Elphine House Australia~ Dog Days of Summer
 * In the Pink~ Anything but Square
 * Make It Monday~ Anything Goes
 * The Ribbon Girls~ Add Pearls
 * Simon Says Stamp~ Put a Stamp on It!
 * Tuesday Alchemy~ Anything Goes


Thank you for visiting! You make my days sparkle so brightly. Have a gorgeous rest of the weekend, my friends! :o)

Sweet Saturday: Lemon Sugar Cookies!

Happy Saturday, my dear friends! I hope everyone is doing well! :o)

What a week it has been. My sweet dad had surgery yesterday and not the greatest of days leading up to it. But he is always a brave little toaster and I am so proud of him! I positively needed to bake him a quick treat to end the day on a sweet note. A burst of sunshiny love, courtesy of beautiful lemons: Lemon Sugar Cookies!

We all loved them! The lemon zest and lemon juice are such bright, refreshing flavors... and although treats are turning to beloved Autumn favorites, I couldn't resist going the summery route for the occasion. Much of his summer has been spent in pain, so before I spoil him silly with pumpkin, apple, and all sorts of harvesty desserts, I wanted to give him some sunshine on a plate. :o) These cookies have soft and chewy interiors with delicate crisp edges. And you know what makes them even better? They sparkle with my love. :o) Okay, maybe technically the sugar they were rolled in is what's sparkling... but still. ;)

I inadvertently rolled mine larger than intended, but no one seemed to mind. They were a lovely ending to a tough day. :o) Sparkly cookies are magical.

Thank you for zipping on by! I wish you a day sparkling with love and light. :o) Hopefully I'll be playing with Copics and making a fun little card today. It can be so soothing. :o)

Lemon Sugar Cookies
Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Zest of 2 large lemons
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Extra granulated sugar for rolling cookies

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth. Add lemon zest, egg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Mix until combined. With the mixer on low speed, gradually blend in the dry ingredients.

Roll rounded tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets, about 1½ inches apart.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are slightly brown around the edges and set. Let cookies sit on the baking sheets for two minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

* To keep cookies soft, store with a slice of bread in an airtight container.

Source: Two Peas & Their Pod

Christmas card :)

Happy Saturday, my sparkly friends! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. :o) (Sweet Saturday returns next week!)

I've been anxious to create a Christmas card. It was getting painful. So when some free crafty time presented itself, I dove for this Lili of the Valley stamp like it was Christmas morning! It warms my sappy heart. :o)

Isn't she adorable? She is LOTV's Christmas Dance and I fell in love with her immediately. Dancing on Christmas goes beyond magical. :o) After stamping her on a Spellbinders Labels Four base, I colored her with Copics and created a wintry wonderland with my Polar White Flower Soft. It looks so pretty in person.. so soft and textural, with beautiful twinkles throughout. After using it for the trims of her pretty jacket and the ground, I decided to adhere some sporadically to the Wild Orchid Crafts flowers.

The papers are from K and Company, with the burgundy piece possessing a musical score that doesn't show up all that well in the picture. It's the music she's dancing to. :o) The green layer is edged with my Martha Stewart Lace Heart punch, creating hearts of gold. The gorgeous trim on top is a Wild Orchid Crafts flat-back pearl strand, which I adore. I liked it for this project because it made me think of little pearly snowflakes.

I couldn't resist using some beloved Cheery Lynn dies. The mini fanciful flourish is cut with pearlescent white cardstock to replicate a snowy vine. And oh how I love that heart! It is from the Two of Hearts set. The piercing in the center is so beautiful, but not well captured in the picture. I used a heart instead of a snowflake because as I was designing this card to celebrate Christmas, I kept thinking about one of my favorite Scriptures... about the Lord guiding our hearts into the love of God. :o)

The Whimsical Designs "Merry Christmas" sentiment is from the Snow Much Fun set, which I heat-embossed with gold embossing powder. The tag is from Art Philosophy, which I accented with tiny pearls. All of the card's sparkle is missing in the picture, but it's there! Star Dust covers the stars, part of her outfit, and an icy dusting outlines her body. I stitched around the base with my sewing machine and centered the largest snowflakes with pearls to finish it off. :o)

Challenges entered:
 * Craft Your Passion~ Emboss It (Heat-embossed sentiment)
 * Cute Card Thursday~ A Stitch in Time
 * The Cutie Pie Challenge Blog~ Borders and Frames
 * Jingle Belles~ Holiday B-I-N-G-O (Bling-Flowers-Heat embossing)
 * Krafty Girls~ Anything Goes
 * Make it Monday~ Anything Goes
 * Simon Says Stamp~ Anything Goes
 * Winter Wonderland~ Walking in a Winter Wonderland (I hope dancing is okay!)

Thank you for pirouetting on by today! I hope you all have a beautiful holiday weekend! :o)