[Food + Drink Wednesdays] Cupcakes and Cookies, Oh My!

It's funny because the minute I attempt to eat healthier, I start craving the most deliciously fatty and indulgent things. I just have to do everything in moderation... so I'll have just one of everything, please.

Chocolate Coconut Bars from Martha Stewart

Source: marthastewart.com via Amber on Pinterest

Champagne Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream Frosting (perfect to celebrate the end of finals!) from The Curvy Carrot

Source: thecurvycarrot.com via Amber on Pinterest

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stuffed Cupcakes from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Amber on Pinterest

And the motherlode: Snickers Caramel Cheesecake Cookies from Picky Palate

Source: picky-palate.com via Amber on Pinterest

[Friday Link Round-Up] Father's Day, Blog Marketing, Japanese Cheesecake, Kris Atomic

1. Such a cute little Father's Day idea. I, for one, am making my dad sugar-free chocolate chip cookies.

2. I'm loving the "21 Days to a Better Business Blog" Challenge on Blogging for Branding. 

3. I've never heard of Japanese cheesecake before, but you better believe I'm going to try it now. It looks so much lighter than American cheesecake, which I find cloyingly sweet and dense. Cheers to Green Cilantro for the recipe. 

4. I found a new favorite blogger and illustrator this week, Kris Atomic. Her work is so adorable and relatable. If I ever wrote a children's book, you better BELIEVE I'd be contacting her to illustrate it. Hmmm, new life plan? Hahah, I'm scatterbrained enough as it is without a book on my plate...

[Food + Drink Wednesdays] Dessert to Die For

Source: spain-in-a-cupcake.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

Sangria Cupcakes from Spain in a Cupcake
Ingredients (for 6 cupcakes):
100 gr flour
100 gr sugar
100 gr glazed fruits (orange and lemon)
100 gr butter
1/2 tsp baking powder
100 ml red wine
1 egg
Mix all the ingredients as you’d do in any cupcake recipe. Add the red wine and the glazed fruits at the end.

You’ll notice that the mix is brownish, not red. If you’d like to recreate the red wine colour also in the batter, use red food colouring. I don’t like the idea of deep red cupcakes, so I decided to keep the natural colour, as I knew I would have to use red food colouring for the icing.
Oh! The alcohol disappears whilst the batter is in the oven, so even kids can eat this.
These are the results after 20 mins in the oven (180ºC):

For the Buttercream I used 75gr vegetable shortening, 40gr butter, 175gr icing sugar and 2 tbsp of red wine. (DON’T ADD WINE to the Buttercream if any children are going to eat these cupcakes). Then I added red food colouring, as the result without it was pink.

Then, I used a piping bag with a Wilton Sakura Tip (L) to decorate them, and added a couple more glazed fruits.

Source: tamiskitchentabletalk.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

Cheesecake Filled Chocolate Covered Strawberries from Tami's Kitchen Table Talk

What You Need:
Whole Strawberries
Philadelphia Ready-To-Eat Cheesecake filling
Good Quality Dipping Chocolate

What You Do:
Carefully wash strawberries and pat dry with paper towels. Remove the stems from the berries.

Using a small paring knife, core the center of each berry being careful to leave the bottom in tact.Fill a plastic baggie with the cheesecake filling. Fill each berry with cheesecake continuing on top of berry with a pretty design.

Line a small baking sheet with wax paper.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt dipping chocolate at 30-second intervals until chocolate is smooth and creamy. Dip each strawberry into chocolate, covering 3/4 of the berry. Lay on baking sheet. Fill a second plastic baggie with chocolate and drizzle over the berries in a pretty design. Chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Store in a sealed plastic container in the refrigerator.