Homemade Strawberry Tarts



 June is strawberry season so here is a strawberry dessert!

 

 



Happy Valentine's Day Cupcakes

I made these Valentine's Day cupcakes for a charity event my aunt was putting on. It was a great cause so I was glad to help. These are chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream. They are topped with a variety of Valentine's Day candy. I picked up the adorable boxes at Dollarama (it's all about presentation!). Here are some photos:

Horrible Cupcakes: Light Angel Food Cupcakes with Meringue Icing

Sometimes you have to blog the good, the bad, and the ugly!

 

 

 

So I started back on Weight Watchers last week. It is always torture for me to diet. Especially when I am a cupcake creator, pastry perfectionist, cake connoisseur, and dessert diva. Its killing me slowly, but Weight Watchers works and I can attest to it after losing 25lbs last year on the program. Lately, I have been slipping back into my bad habits though I haven't seen any weight gain because of my workouts. But I know that just because it doesn't show on the outside, it will catch up to me on the inside. So with a vacation in five weeks and standing up in a wedding in a few months, I decided to get back on track.

So why am I making these cupcakes? Well these cupcakes are 3 points on the Weight Watchers' program. Now before I begin my rant, it should be noted that this isn't a Weight Watchers' recipe nor will I list the site that I got the recipe from. So tip of the day: if a cupcake with icing is only 3 points, it is absolutely too good to be true! These cupcakes were horrible! And such a disappointment since I was looking forward to them all week. I was trying to make the situation better by not depriving myself of dessert, but now I'm hesitant to try another low point recipe. I knew that they wouldn't be as good as cupcakes filled with heavy cream and loads of sugar, but these were not even a little tasty! I can't describe the smell. Well I can describe it, but it would be slightly childish! Even my mother, who is a big fan of meringue, couldn't finish her cupcake. However, my dog loved them and was disappointed to see so many go into the garbage. So readers beware and try at your own risk!

 

At least the pictures turned out pretty :)

 

 

Cake Recipe:

 

Yields 16 cupcakes

 

1/2 cup icing sugar

2/3 cup flour

1/4 tsp. salt

8 egg whites from large eggs

1/4 cup water

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

 

 

Directions:

 

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

 

2. Mix icing sugar, flour, and salt in a medium bowl.

 

3. Blend egg whites, water, vanilla, and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until foamy. Add sugar slowly to the foamy mixture. Beat for 3-5 minutes on high speed.

 

4. Add dry ingredients to the foamy mixture. Fold together with a wooden spoon.

 

5. Scoop batter into the cupcake liners. Bake for 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Icing Recipe:

 

2 egg whites from large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

pink food colouring

 

(I doubled the recipe to top all the cupcakes)

 

Directions:

 

1. Bring water and sugar to a boil in a sauce pan. Boil for 5-8 minutes.

 

2. While boiling the sugar, beat egg whites and vanilla in a bowl until foamy. Once the boiled sugar is ready, slowly pour the sugar mixture into the egg whites. Continue to beat with mixer.

 

3. Add salt and food colouring and beat until colour is even. Fill piping bag and frost cupcakes.

 

 

1 cupcake without icing - 87 calories or 2 points

 

1 cupcake with icing - 122 calories or 3 points

 

 

Coral Rose Petal Cupcakes

 

 

 

 

 

These cupcakes were made for a 60th birthday. They are fabulous, elegant, and classy! These are a great change from your typical birthday decorations. They could also be used for showers or weddings. These are made from rose petals, but there are a few types of flowers that are also edible. Your guests will think you went to a lot of trouble creating these cupcakes, but truthfully, they are easier than making rose petals from sugar or gum paste.

Recipe:

Yields 14 large cupcakes

2 eggs
1/2 cup water or milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
1 French Vanilla cake mix

Toppings:

Buttercream Icing

Roses
Egg Whites
Sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix eggs, oil, water, sour cream, and the box mix. Pour into large cupcake papers.

3. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

4. Remove rose petals from stems and spread out flat onto a cutting board. Using a brush, coat the petals with egg whites and sprinkle sugar generously. Allow the petals to dry and harden for at least an hour.

5. Use your choice of buttercream icing to top cupcakes. Pipe icing using a 1M tip. Optional: Use a few drops of dye for colour.

6. Stick three petals into each cupcake (The rule of three: Everything looks better in design in groups of three!).

 

 

 

Hide-n-Seek Chocolate Cupcakes

 

 

My brother LOVES chocolate and I LOVE cupcakes so I decided to compromise. Using a Wilton chocolate mould, I was able to shape the melted chocolate into these cute little cupcakes. The mould creates cavities that allow you to fill the inside with different types of candies.

You will need:

- milk chocolates
- coloured melting chocolates
- Wilton's Chocolate Cupcake Mould
- bowls and spoons
- candy for filling (optional)


Directions:

1. Separate the chocolates into bowls.

2. Microwave chocolates until completely melted and smooth.

3. Pour chocolate into the cavities and press sides firmly to be sure all chocolate is evenly distributed.

4. Place in the refrigerator for approximately 10 minutes or until the mould looks frosty.

5. Carefully pop out harden chocolate.

6. Fill with treats.

They are very simple to make, but they are time consuming and the chocolate cracks easily. The chocolate needs time to properly harden and cool. I probably made ten, but only five turned out.

North Pole Christmas Cupcakes!

Christmas is coming and there are a lot of holiday parties and holiday desserts that need to made and tasted! My dad needed cupcakes for his volunteer party at Habitat for Humanity ReStore. I saw this idea on Pinterest, but I just didn't like the photos I was seeing. Then my Crossfit friend posted a similar design online and I decided to give it a try. They turned out amazing. I appreciate the inspiration and check out her site, 3 Girls and A Cupcake for the most beautiful cupcakes!

Simple White Cake

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 3/4 tsps baking powder
1/2 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and fill cupcake tins with baking liners.

2. Cream together butter and sugar.

3. Beat in one egg at a time. Add vanilla.

4. Combine flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Mix into cream mixture.

5. Finally, beat in milk until smooth.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cupcake Papers

Once the cupcakes were cooled, I inserted a cream cheese filling into the centre of the cupcake. I then topped the cupcakes with my vanilla buttercream icing and sprinkles.

Cream Cheese Filling

Icing and Sprinkles

The North Pole toppers are easy to construct.

You will need:

- candy canes
- gumballs
- icing
- paper
- pen

Break the top off a cherry or peppermint candy cane and remove the plastic. Stick the candy canes into the cupcakes. Take the gumballs and add a dab of icing. Attach the gumball to the top of the candy cane (royal icing would work better for this if you have it available). For the sign, I actually purchased Wilton's Food Writers and flat mini white chocolate wafers. However, the Writers didn't show up dark enough on the white chocolate (which was very upsetting). So I had to improvise at 1 am. I simply used scrapbook paper and a pen to write North Pole. I then attached it to the candy cane with icing. This sign wasn't ideal since the icing left a stain, but sometimes your choices are limited. They still turned out beautiful and more importantly, they were delicious.

Filling

Very sad to say that my little helper, Buddy passed away a couple weeks ago. So this guy, Onyx has been staying up late with me to help clean up spills and trying to look cute for an extra cupcake :)

Study Drinks: Vodka Slushies

 

Need a drink to get through a long study session? I found the solution: Vodka Slushies. I got this recipe from The Food Network but I changed it significantly and didn't bother measuring.

 So it was a little of this and a little of that...basically whatever we could find in the fridge.

My Recipe (roughly):

1 pitcher of cranberry juice
1 can of concentrated orange juice
2 cups of raspberry lemonade
1 cup of vodka
1 cup of cherry brandy
1 cup of frozen raspberries

1. Mix all ingredients in a shallow pan (will freeze faster).
2. Place in the freezer for 2 hours. It will have a slushie consistency because of the alcohol.
3. Serve up in glasses and enjoy!

Gardening 101: Orchids

Orchids are some of the most beautiful flowers. They make great indoor plants and they are easy to maintain if you know the basics. Many people are unsure of how to properly care for these plants and therefore stay away from growing them. With a few key growing instructions, orchids can look amazing in your home too.

All orchids featured in this post are from Martha's Greenhouse in Windsor. You can also find Martha's Greenhouse on Facebook!

Watering

The number one problem with orchids is overwatering. If the soil is constantly moist, it can result in root rot. Root rot destroys the orchid's roots and there is no way for the plant to take in nourishment. This will eventually kill the orchid.

Many people fear they will kill the plant if they don't water. It is actually very unlikely that an orchid will suffer from underwatering.

Experts recommend using a wooden toothpick and skewer to check moisture levels. The wood will darken if the soil is wet. If you are still unsure, wait one more day to water. At Martha's, we typically water our orchids once a week. So pick a day you'll remember.

Water your orchid in the morning to make sure any excess water on the plant evaporates by evening. Watering also depends on the heat and humidity levels in your home. These factors could result in more frequent waterings.

If watering in the sink, use lukewarm water. Water for 10-15 seconds. Allow the plant to drain out into the sink for a few minutes. If using a plastic saucer to catch excess water, be sure not to allow the container to sit in water.

Feeding

Orchids should be fed regularly with a balanced fertilizer combination of 20/20/20. This combination should be sufficient for your plant. Fertilize plant every two weeks in the Spring/Summer and once a month in the Fall/Winter.

Light

Orchids need plenty of light. Windows facing East and South are best for orchids. West light is often too hot in the afternoon while North windows are too shady. Too much direct light can cause the leaves to burn. Insufficient light is the main reason an orchid doesn't rebloom. So move around the plant if necessary.

Repotting

There are a couple reasons to repot an orchid. The main reason is if the plant out grows the pot. This shouldn't be determined by the size of the plant, but by their roots. If the roots are compacted then it is time to repot. Roots will begin to grow out of the drainage holes leaving the plant stunted in its growth. During this process, plants can be split if necessary, but be careful. Typically, most orchids don't need to be repotted during their first year.