straight up now tell me...

how crazy is paula abdul????

this woman is batshit crazy. whether she was crying after each performance on american idol or falling asleep mid business meeting, this woman if off her rocker. whatever she is on, (or off of) i want some. so needless to say when i came across her recipe for vanilla cupcakes i had to try it. i was a bit disappointed when the recipe didn't call for a tablespoon of xanax or 5 oz. of vodka, but i have to say these turned out pretty good. not $3.50 a cupcake worthy, but slathered with some frosting i would say they were edible. i do however think this lady should stick to self medicating and emotional breakdowns on national television because i am still in search of my perfect yellow cake recipe. i posted the recipe below for any of you nutballs that are in the market for a subpar yellow cake recipe...

paula abdul's very vanilla cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
2. in another bowl, beat butter with a mixer on high until fluffy.  gradually beat in sugar.  reduce speed to medium, beat in eggs one at a time, then add the egg yolk and vanilla.  reduce speed to low and alternate beating in flour misture and milk until blended.
3. fill muffin tins with paper liners.  spoon batter into tins, about 3/4 full each.
4. bake 20 minutes until cupcakes tops are lightly golden.  cool 15 minutes in the tins on a wire rack.  add frosting as desired.

enjoy!

the way to a man's heart is through his stomach...

is that why i haven't gotten laid in a while? well whoever believes that load clearly hasn't tried to seduce my boyfriend's stomach. his palate is about as refined as a two year old's and i'm actually surprised his mother isn't still feeding him pureed baby food. how a grown man avoids any fruits and vegetables is beyond me, but unless it's white, soft, or covered in BBQ sauce or ketchup, he won't touch it. nonetheless, i love this kid and anxiously await his late onset adult diabetes diagnosis. until then, i will keep trying to win over his tastebuds (and heart) with deliciously unhealthy treats. i was in desperate need of some inspiration and while perusing through a couple blogs i stumbled across this little gem http://picky-palate.com/. bingo! looks like this chola found the perfect recipe to her guy's heart...

 

cinnamon toast crunch white chocolate chip cookies

2 sticks softened butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cinnamon toast crunch cereal, slightly crushed up
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350 degrees.  in a stand or electric mixer beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  slowly beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined. in a large bowl combine the flour, cinnamon toast crunch cereal, baking powder and salt. slowly add to wet ingredients along with the white chips until just combined.

with a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough and place onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet 1 1/2 inches apart.  bake for 9-12 minutes or until edges just start to turn golden brown.

let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling. 

makes 3 dozen cookies

turns out i have a social life...

guess there is a fine line between binge drinking and blogging and i have yet to find it. nonetheless, it has been a while since my last post and i have been busy celebrating, creating, icing, taste testing, and rehydrating. so for my two followers out there this one's for you.

i have recently come up with a one in a million idea and decided that i want a cupcake store. i figure if i get a few really great recipes nailed i'll have the market cornered. i saw this recipe for champagne cupcakes and thought to myself that this would be a no brainer...turned out to be a huge FAIL. how i managed to mess up two of my favorite passtimes i'll never know, but at least the recipe only called for 3/4 of a cup of champagne so i was able to drink my "sorrows" away.

Recipe to follow (once perfected)

lobster fest!!

this weekend was one of the best i've had in a while. it was filled with great weather, amazing food and even better friends. it felt just like summer and i even managed to catch a few rays while nursing those brutal hangovers

 lobster cupcake recipe...(don't worry they aren't lobster flavor)

chocolate cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup  cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1. heat oven to 350°F. place paper liners in cupcake baking sheet.
   
2. stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). pour batter into prepared pans.
   
3. bake 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. cool completely. frost with vanilla buttercream frosting. makes 24 cupcakes.

vanilla buttercream frosting

• 2 sticks of butter (at room temperature)
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 8 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes to allow the whipping cream to become light and fluffy. makes enough frosting for 24 cupcakes.

palm springs

those of you who know me, know that my idea of heaven is palm springs circa 1965. there is something so unique about this desert city which seems to be stuck in a time warp. maybe it's because i'm a borderline alcoholic or crave uv rays like whitney houston craves crack and fried chicken, but palm springs has always been my fave. while it might not be plausible at the moment (seeing that i am unemployed and live with my parents), i do plan on buying a mid century dump in the heart of palm springs and transforming it into the white modern abode fit for bob hope himself. 

here is a little of my inspiration...

 

 

 

snickerdoodle cupcakes...

here's a little peek inside the working of my fat kid brain...

being the middle aged stay at home mom (sans kids or husband) that i am,  i was watching food network the other day when the show "best thing i ever ate" came on. the owner (my idol) of sprinkles cupcakery, candace nelson was talking about her favorite cinnamon sugar donut muffin. at which point i thought yummm...cinnamon sugar donut muffin...cinnamon sugar donut cookie...snickerdoodles...snickerdoodle cupcake!!! considering that i don't like cupcakes myself,  i knew these were keegan's favorite cookies so there was a 100% possibility he would take them off my hands. with a little tweeking to my favorite yellow cake recipe and some cinnamon sugar these snickerdoodle cupcakes were born.

it offically happened...

whelp, it's finally happened. i've turned into one of those narcissistic twenty somethings who post pictures of the organic rack of lamb they roasted, and talk about the plans they have for painting their apartments that perfect shade of grey to match the mid century coffee table they just picked up at west elm. i have no idea what i could possibly have to blog about, but i suggest you stay tuned because who knows what this chola in paradise might get herself into.