Katie's Cupcakes

Katie's Cupcakes is a cupcake shop in Bellingham, WA. I remember the first time I visited Katie's Cupcakes and saying to myself that one day I will work there. Though that hasn't happened, I have always had this interesting relationship with Katie. On the one hand, I look up to her and I find her and her story so inspiring. On the other hand, I want to own my own bakery too, meaning that she is my competition. 

In October 2012, the episode of Cupcake Wars: Big Time Rush aired on television. Katie's Cupcakes was one of the four bakeries competing. No surprise, Katie won! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJtZGrIufKQ) It was such a great victory for her and her business. Instead of expanding her business to other locations with her winnings, Katie and her husband started to do merchandise. She writes and sells children book about her cupcakes, she sells kids t-shirts with the cupcake characters from the books on them, and she sells cupcake kits. Her characters are unique and the books adorable (after all, I have read them to my school-agers), but her products for me sometime vary. One day I could have a cupcake moist and delicious, the next time the cupcake is dry and not what I expected. I know not every single cupcake comes out perfect, and I should not be so harsh. 

So this week I am going to do something different. I am going to review one of Katie's Cupcakes, give tips on what she or her baker did well, and one of her recipes. I think that it is important to learn form the people you look up to. I hope you will be looking forward to seeing my week of Katie's Cupcakes. 

Kirsten

Apple Cider Spiced Maple Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:
• 1 spice cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1-2/3 cups apple cider
For the Frosting:
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions 

For the Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a cupcake tin with 24 cupcake wrappers.
3. In a mixing bowl mix together the cake mix, eggs and apple cider.
4. Mix until smooth.
5. Fill cupcake wells two-thirds full and bake 19 to 24 minutes or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Cool on a wire cooling rack.


 For the Frosting:
7. Cream together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
8. Add the syrup, extract, pumpkin spice and sugar.
9. Mix on low for a minute and then on high until creamy.
10. Pipe or spread onto cupcakes.
11. NOTE: If your frosting is too thick you may add water but only a teaspoon at a time. (I didn't have to but it was thick)
12. DOUBLE FROSTING: THIS FROSTING RECIPE IS ONLY FOR 12 CUPCAKES. (I didn't and it was plenty)

I got this recipe from: http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/apple-cider-maple-spice-cupcakes/ 

Kirsten

5 Tips When Working with Kids

Dear Readers,

Though I do not have kids, I work a lot with them and I love to bake with them. Here are my five tips for when working with kids in the kitchen.

1) Don't underestimate how much they can do. You may not think a two year old can do very much to help you in the kitchen, and it is alway easier to work with one kid, but even when working with a group of little kids, they can still stir, pour, smash, etc., and they will have fun doing it. If working with more than one kid, delegate who does what.

2) Use your senses. Even adults love to taste test. So allow kids to do the same. When working with a large group of kids, tasting the dough may not necessarily be sanitary. I allow my kids to taste the sugar, and flour by putting a little bit of the ingretants on a paper towel. Have them smell the vanilla and the spices. I have even had my kids put glove on so the could feel, and knead the dough.

3) Be willing to adjust your game plan. Your expectations on the experience may not line up with reality. Be prepared to adjust the recipe if the kid puts more of one item.

4) Be Prepared. Make sure you have all the ingredients out and ready, as well as measuring cups and spoons. It makes the process easier. I remember my grandma always doing this before we baked together when I was a kid.

5) Have Fun!

I hope these tips help you on your next adventure when cooking, or baking with a kid. I encourage you to allow the kid(s) in your life learn the fun of messing around in the kitchen and eating something they made. I found it to be very rewarding for me as a kid.

Kirsten

Holiday Life as We Know it

I am one who hates unanswered promises, and I know that I am a hypocrite for being the person making such promises. I want to genuinely apologize to all my readers for not making this blog as much of a priority in my life as it should be. I know that is what I need to work on, while I juggle the other aspects of my life. However, I would appreciate grace for when I come up short, like the last couple of weeks.

Okay with that aside let's get to the real reason why you follow me, the food!

Since my disappearance, I made chocolate chip cookies, spiced apple caramel cupcakes, and homemade bread (thanks to my bread machine that makes the process of making the bread a lot easier).

The cookies were something that I just whipped up one night, so they are not blog worthy.

The cupcakes were really good. I might have gone overboard with the frosting, which made the cupcakes really sweet. Even with this factor, my husband and brother-in-law ate them up.

Now I don't know how much credit I can take for the bread. I did make it from "scratch," meaning I put all the ingredients in the bread maker. But it looks so good! I made it last night, so I haven't been able to see if my $4 yard sell find was worth it. I'll keep you posted.

Once the holidays are over, I will try to be more consistent, and though my creations for Christmas presents may not be dessert, or food for that matter, I would still love to share a little tangent post about it!

Kirsten

My Husband's Pecan Pie

Hello everyone!

Nothing to worry about. I am still here. I haven't died, or given up on my dream. I just have been really sick lately. I've had a cold for the last three weeks, and I thought that I should give myself a well deserved break to rest and try to regain my health. But did you think a little thing like a cold would keep me from baking? No, sir. It was my husband's birthday and I surely didn't want to disappoint. I made him a pecan pie.

The funny thing about my husband and I is that we have completely different tastes when it comes to desserts. I love the classics such as chocolate chip cookies, apple pie, etc. He on the other hand loves the things I can't stand in baked goods, such as nuts and coconut. His favorite cake: German Chocolate, his favorite cookie: white chocolate macadamia nut, his favorite pie: pecan pie. It has really help me expand baking things that I don't like, but every October I know that whatever he wants, I probably won't eat.

As I was making the pecan pie, it didn't look like the classic ones I have seen. This could be the fact that I used crush pecans instead of whole. Even with this one little hiccup, my husband said it tasted like a pecan pie. He really loved it!

Being a baker, I have to try everything I make. So I tried my pecan pie and I actually liked it. I have been noticing that the things I use to dislike, such as pineapple, and nuts with sweets, I have been growing to like. Still I am not a big fan of coconut. The only thing with coconut I have tried and like are these hay stack cookies my mom makes. The other ingredients in the cookies masks the texture of the coconut.

As I continue on an other tangent, I just want to say that in my near future (starting today) I will be baking something everyday to prepare for my church's women's day event. I am making all the desserts. Please send my your encouraging thoughts, because I know I will be freaking out some days. This is my first big order and I want to make it perfect as possible. This means that I will not have any new blog post for Tuesday Tips or Wednesday Recipes until after the 2nd of November. I know it's a bummer, but not all hope is lost. I will be posting picture and possible small tidbits about the items I will be making, so stay tuned.

Kirsten

Single Serving Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

• 1 small apple
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of oats
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon of butter
  

Directions:

1. Slice the apples and place in a mixing bowl. 
2. Add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of flour, and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon.
3. Coat the apples with the dry ingredients and place in a baking dish.
4. Mix together the rest of the dry ingredients and the butter. Put on top of the apples.
5. Microwave for 60 to 90 seconds. (I baked mine for 20 minutes at 350 degrees). 

Took this recipe from http://lacreativitedelafille.blogspot.com/2012/05/single-serving-apple-crisp.html

Kirsten

Bite of Bellingham

First off, I apologize for not posting anything last week. For some reason, I was really tired and my work was really difficult. 

Now that that is behind us, let us start this week. To make up for last week, I went to the Bite of Bellingham, where local restaurants come together in a farmers market-like manor and give out "bites" or samples of food that they serve. Having a passion for baking and critiquing desserts, this was the perfect opportunity to try the local talent. I tried a total of seven different desserts and boy, did my stomach hurt after having one dessert after the other. 

Destination 1: Bellingham Flat Bread

Dessert: Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcake

Critique: This was a very good cupcake. I really liked the frosting because it was cream cheese (I love cream cheese frosting) and it wasn't too sweet. The cake was good for being gluten free, but I found it to be grainy. 

Score: 4 out of 5

Destination 2: Alice's Pies 

Dessert: Mix Berry Pie

Critique: I did not really like this pie. I thought I could make it better. The crust and mix was not sweet enough for me. The crust was also not flaky enough. I thought that the whipped cream on top was too milky and not whipped enough. 

Score: 2 out of 5

Destination 3: Pure Bliss Dessert 

Dessert: Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcake

Critique: I was excited to try this cupcake because of two reasons, I have made this type of cupcake before, and this restaurant is one of the best bakeries in Bellingham. 

I came out disappointed. The chocolate cake was too bitter and the frosting was too sweet. You would think combining it together would even the two out, but the frosting was too sweet; it overpowered the whole cupcake. 

Score: 3 out of 5

Destination 4: Goat Mountain Pizza

Dessert: Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie

Critique: I know that this is not a bakery, but if you are going to be serving desserts at your restaurant, it should be just as good as the food you are serving. This cookie was BAD. I liked the idea of the sea salt because salt brings out flavor. This cookie was TOO salty. 

Score: 1 out of 5

Destination 5: The Table by Bellingham Pasta Co

Dessert: Chocolate Mousse 

Critique: This mousse was okay. It had a grainy texture at the beginning that then smoothed out while you ate it. My friend said she thought that they whipped it too much, but I do not know. If it did not have that grainy texture I would have been really pleased.

Score: 3 out of 5

Destination 6: The Mount Bakery Cafe

Dessert: Caramelized Lemon Custard Tartlet 

Critique: This restaurant is an other bakery that is one of the best bakeries in Bellingham. I have actually applied to work here, but God had other plans of me. 

The Lemon Custard was good, but the crust was too flaky. Together they didn't fit that well. There was one saving factor: the blueberry. When you took the bite with the blueberry, the juice of the fruit helped hold everything together. I wish the whole top was covered with blueberries. 

Score: 3 out of 5

Destination 7: Mrs. B's Pies

Dessert: Harvest Pumpkin Pie

Critique: By this time in my venture, I was going to die. I needed to eat something other then desserts, but I wasn't about to give up. 

First off, the lady (I am guessing Mrs. B) was really nice. I asked her what she suggested and she said it depends on what I like. She ended up suggesting the pumpkin pie. I was VERY pleased. The crusted was a crumbed gram cracker crust that had spices in it that really help balance the pumpkin. My friend gave me the taste of the raspberry pie, which was amazing and tangy. 

Score: 5 out of 5

Kirsten