Beach, Bags, Bubbly & More

We're heading out this weekend for a short sejour at the sea. My husband's boss said "Take the days or you'll lose them" and who was he to protest? I won't be taking any orders until 20 April so if you try to get in touch, know there may be some delay in my reply.

Before I go, I want to tell you about a private shopping event I will be participating in from 6-8 May called Shopping & Bubbles being organized by MARIEluvPINK. I met Marie last week and I can't wait to see the group of designers she has rounded up for this sale; she is a true fashionista and has excellent taste. She tells me there will be bags, shoes, vintage accessories, etc. for sale at a beauty salon in the Marais she is taking over for 3 days. Did I mention there will be champagne? And cupcakes of course on opening night! Watch this space for more details as they come.



I was in a bit of a fog today as I prepared the cupcakes shown thanks to my son and his first sleepover date last night. We hosted and though I did my best to get the boys in bed at 8:30 promptly, there were several hours of giggling, footsteps through the house, bathroom visits, requests for food, water and much more that went on til the wee hours of the night. It wasn't until I got the bright idea of separating them in different bedrooms that we are all able to finally get some shut-eye. Lesson learned though I think it will be a while before we try that again.



These are some cupcakes made for a customer's godson. His name is Martin and he just turned 5. They are Cookies & Cream cupcakes (chocolate cake and Oreo buttercream drizzled with melted white chocolate) and I Love You Honey Bunny (carrot cake) cupcakes. I decorated them with melted white chocolate covered in rainbow non-pareils and formed into hearts, number 5's and the letters of Martin's name.
For Every Occasion A Cupcake. These are my sweet way of bidding adieu to you all while we take off for some R&R.

A Week of Firsts

First word, first tooth, first day of school, first sleepover, first crush, first kiss and so on - there are so many firsts each of us will experience. Precious moments and milestones that leave their mark on us as we travel through this amazing journey called life.

I witnessed two firsts this week. First was my daughter's first steps. She's 18 months old and so a little behind compared to her older brother's progress. For weeks, she's been practicing standing up and sitting down; many of her "peers" have graduated to running at this point though I'd just figured she'd get there in her own sweet time. So, when she finally stood up, looked around and took those first tentative steps, it was a heart-warming moment and I actually did tear up. She was so proud of herself, as I was, though convincing her to do it again so her Papa and big brother can see has been a lost cause.



On Thursday, my son came bounding out of school and told me to close my eyes as he handed me something in a paper envelope. I flipped it over and written across the front was "Tres Important - la Dent de S" (Very Important - S's Tooth). His first baby tooth had finally fallen out and he was so excited, he ran around the entire playground showing the envelope to anyone who gave him even the slightest hint of attention. That night, the "petite souris" or "little mouse" as it is known here paid a visit (though I'll always call her the tooth fairy), leaving some euro behind.



(Here's a question for your parents out there, just how much does the tooth fairy leave in your house? Husband and I had a lengthy debate about this with the conversation finishing with the conclusion that I am cheap!!!). Anyway, my son was pleased as punch with the tooth fairy's offering as it meant he could buy some Bakugan, which is all the rage now, supplanting the Gormiti, of which we have amassed quite a collection. Ebay anyone?



Which brings me to this post which celebrates another first. Today's cupcake occasion is Owen's first birthday. Owen is a friend's son and one of the cutest munchkins I've seen with these big chipmunk cheeks you just want to give a little squeeze to. I figured something with duckies and elephants were in order as well as these cute lion cupcakes I saw in my new-favorite cupcake cookbook: Hello Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. Happy Birthday, Owen!



RELATED POSTS: Cupcakes Take The Cake

Haagen Dazs Aint Got Nothing on Me!

Okay Batman, riddle me this....
Is the picture you are looking at:

a) A Haagen Dazs ice cream bar
b) Little Miss Cupcake's third entry in Iron Cupcake:Earth Nuts & Seeds
c) A cupcake
d) None of the above

If you answered "b" or "c," you are correct. This is in fact a cupcake...pop. Everyone else, thank you for playing. You'll find some lovely parting gifts waiting for you at the door.

So, here it is, my third entry in IC:E for the March challenge. The Macadamia Nut Brittle Cupcake pop - vanilla cupcakes mashed with lots of caramel, vanilla buttercream and big morsels of Macadamia nuts. Dipped in bittersweet chocolate and drizzled with more chopped Macadamia nuts. When I first heard of the challenge ingredient, my mind immediately went to the Haagen Dazs ice cream bars my husband used to eat like they were going out of style...you know the Macadamia Nut Brittle ones. I just wasn't sure how to execute this in cupcake form. But I put my thinking cap on (and borrowed a page from the book of Bakerella) and well, here you have it.

Let me walk you through the steps.....

Take about a dozen cupcakes and put them in a large bowl(I used my standard recipe which if I told you how I made them, I'd have to kill you so here is an easy vanilla cupcake recipe from Amy Sedaris) and crumble them.



Mix in 1/2 cup - 1 cup vanilla buttercream (and here's an easy one from Amy Sedaris again!).



And then 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts.



Add in about 6 tbsps. caramel (so easy to make yourself, click here for a recipe. I use the stovetop method.) and mix together.



Using your hands, shape mixture into ice cream shaped bars and stick a popsicle stick in one end.



Place on a greased sheet of wax paper and freeze overnight.

Melt 2 bars of chocolate.



Coat bars and sprinkle with nuts. Voilà!



EAT!



Here are the details again of what I am competing for in this month's Iron Cupcake. Voting will begin no later than Sunday, March 29 at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, and will be open through Friday, April 3 at 12 noon.

You Say Pistachio, I Say Pistache

The last NYC apartment my husband and I lived in was on the corner of Jane Street & Hudson. In an area known as the Meatpacking District. When we first moved down there, we practically were giving out maps to friends and family showing our exact location cause so many of them never ventured below 14th Street, much less even knew that there were actually unnumbered streets in NYC. "Jane Street? Where the heck is Jane Street? Are you still in Manhattan or did you guys move out to Brooklyn?"



I haven't been back to the old 'hood in about 4 years now, but the last time I did, boy, had it changed. High-end designer fashion; hip boutiquey hotels; a Starbuck's where one of the local bodegas used to be and even a celebrity chef had opened a joint where there used to exist a popular um, uh, "gentleman's club," to put it politely. Ever see that Sex & the City episode where Samantha is arguing with the tranny hookers out her window? Well, we lived that...honest!

We thrived on the local flavor, not to mention the awesome dessert places we had to choose from. Brownies from the Fat Witch Bakery and beautifully decorated sugar cookies from Eleni's in Chelsea Market. On 14th, the Little Pie Company for some of the best New York Cheesecake and Sour Cream Apple Walnut pies around. Of course, Magnolia Bakery, grand-daddy of all the cupcake shops, was just around the corner -- and in those days, you could just walk right in and take a cupcake or two. No 30 minute waits and no 15$ order minimum.



One of our favorite eating holes back then was Keith McNally's French-style brasserie Pastis which thanks to my husband's French roots, was where we could be found 2-3 nights a week. They made some great bistro favorites and their desserts - crepes suzette, a molten chocolate cake, creme brulée - one better than the other. Our all-time favorite though was their ice cream. Now I know what you are thinking -- why ice cream when you have all those delicious choices? Well, they got their ice cream from none other than il laboratorio del gelato which is IMHO, the best gelato you will eat outside of Italy. Period. We were addicted to this stuff, especially the heavenly pistachio and could easily finish off a bowl of said pistachio, chocolate and vanilla in minutes. Both of us jockeying our spoons for the last creamy morsel. I am actually salivating while I write this.



Suffice it to say, I came across a surplus of pistachios in my kitchen cabinet the other day and it made me think of this to-die-for gelato. I used them to bake up some vanilla cupcakes (next time I will make lemon) with pistachio buttercream and a dollop of pistachio-infused white chocolate ganache on the top. They are a very, very humble tribute to my long-lost pistachio gelato. It has been too long since I tasted this stuff! I don't know if Pastis still gets their gelato from il laboratorio di gelato but if they do, and you happen to be in NYC while reading this, trust me....run down there ASAP to Little W. 12th Street and order up a bowl. It's the best!



By the way, since I am totally this loving pistachio buttercream -- I honestly think it is one of the better toppings to come out of my home kitchen -- I wanted to share. I'll soon be adding it to the Little Miss Cupcake menu. Enjoy!

Pistachio Buttercream:

4 ozs. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
2-3 cups powdered sugar
6 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 Tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup shelled pistachios

1) Place pistachios in a ziploc bag and beat with a rolling pin until they are well pulverized. Alternatively, you can put them in a food processor but I find the rolling pin method easier to clean up after and a great way to let off some steam!
2) Beat butter until creamy.
3) Add sugar a 1/2 cup at a time. As the mixture stiffens, add the cream and vanilla. You want it to reach a spreading consistency. I don't like my buttercream to have an overly buttery taste, so I usually add all the sugar called for but you may not want to add all.
4) Whip in powdered pistachios and mix until well-incorporated. If the mixture is too stiff, add a little more cream. If too soft, add some more sugar.

I topped these with a dollop of ganache made from white chocolate, cream and powdered pistachio.

Truly, Madly, Deeply

How do I love thee, sweet cupcake? Let me count the ways.....From 1 - 16 February, Little Miss Cupcake will be serving up some enchanting new flavor combinations to treat your sweet (tooth or heart) for Valentine's Day.



Looking to put some sizzle back in your true love's step? Try our Kiss Kiss Bang Bang cupcake: a red velvet cupcake topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting and a red white chocolate heart. For extra bang, ask for your icing "red hot" -- kicked up a notch with cinnamon.



When you are in love, you see life through rose-colored lenses. Make your St. Valentine's more rosy with our La Vie en Rose cupcake: a pink champagne cupcake topped with swirled white chocolate and raspberry buttercream. A sweet red strawberry is baked in at its center.



Heart racing? Butterflies in your tummy? No worries, sounds like you just got a taste of our Cupid's Arrow: A chocolate-swirled vanilla cupcake topped with a layer of chocolate glaze and cherry buttercream. Chocolate candy hearts on top add some sweetness to Cupid's sting.

For sale in boxes of 12 (4 of each flavor), available on a first call, first serve basis for 30,00 euro. Limited delivery available in Western Paris. All others, pick-up only.

For Every Occasion, A Cupcake. This one tagged a romantic night for sweet lovers on St. Valentine's Day!

Yours Truly,
Little Miss Cupcake

Related Post: Cupcakes Take the Cake Valentine's Day Round-Up

IC:E Wine: UltraViolette Kir Royale Cupcakes

When I heard the challenge this month was "wine," I figured it was a happy coincidence as I happen to live in the wine capital of the world! My immediate thoughts turned to champagne as we have several bottles on-hand leftover from New Year's. A classic champagne cocktail, the Kir Royale, mixes champagne and Creme de Cassis. Fairly straight-forward, though I know flavor-pairings are key in this contest. So, to make it a little more exotic, I added the secret ingredient of confit de violette to the cupcakes, and I gotta tell you these are out of this world delicious!

I've recently been seeing and smelling a lot of violet; our latest discovery is Hediard's Raspberry Jelly with Violet, and last week Sephora on the Champs Elysees gave me samples of Van Cleef & Arpel's Féerie perfume which they say is a "bright, woody-floral fragrance sparkling with violet, iris and rose accents." Perhaps it's this season's new black! :)

Here are my UltraViolette Kir Royale Cupcakes: a pink champagne cupcake infused with violet, topped with a kir royale buttercream, fresh raspberries and served in a white chocolate cup. This is more than decadent...it's a champagne lovers' sweet dream! (BTW, I love this ad for Piper Heidsick's Rosé Sauvage that I snapped at my local Monoprix. It says "I am pink and I sparkle").


Makes about 16 cupcakes
For white chocolate cups:
4 bars white chocolate
2 tbsp. shortening
16 cupcake liners

For pink champagne cupcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps. baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 ozs. unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
¾ cup pink champagne
6 egg whites
2 tbsps. Confit de Violette (or you could use a syrup like Monin), optional
Pinch salt

Kir Royale Frosting:
4 ozs. unsalted butter, softened
4-6 cups powdered sugar
2 tsps. Sirop de Grenadine (or for extra punch, you could use Crème de Cassis or Chambord)
2 tsps. champagne

Garnish:
Raspberries sprinkled with powdered sugar

To make chocolate cups: Melt chocolate and shortening in a double boiler. Stir until smooth. Slowly pour about 1 tbsp. chocolate into cupcake liners and swirl around so that chocolate coats bottom and 2/3 sides of the liner. Place on flat surface and allow to cool. To speed the cooling process, place in fridge. Once cups have hardened, repeat process to coat with a second layer of chocolate. Once the chocolate has hardened, peel off paper wrapper. Keep cool until you are ready to assemble cupcakes.

1) Pre-heat oven to 350/180 degrees. Grease 1 12-cup cupcake tin and 4 cups of second tin.

2) Sift baking powder, salt and flour in medium-sized bowl and set aside

3) Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Alternately beat in flour mixture and champagne, blending well after each addition. Briefly warm confit de violette in microwave to get it to a thick liquid consistency and stir in to combine.

4) Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff and fold into batter, mixing just to combine.

5) Fill cupcake tins 2/3 full. Do not overfill as the batter really rises - must be the champagne! Fill unused cup molds halfway full with water. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Once cool, remove cupcakes from tin and continue to cool on a wire rack.

6) For the frosting, beat 4 cups butter and sugar until creamy and soft. Slowly add champagne and sirop de grenadine and continue beating until frosting is of good spreading consistency. If too thin, progressively add more sugar. If too thick, add more champagne.

7) Frost cooled cupcakes and place in individual chocolate cups. Top with raspberries.

Tchin tchin, mes amis, a votre santé!

Here's more about this month's challenge:
The IronCupcake:Earth challenge for January is Wine! Red or White, Sweet or Dry, Bubbly or Still. What can you do with a bottle of wine and a sweet little cupcake?

I am competing to win the January ETSY PRIZE-PACK from artists:

* DOGBONE ART - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=22042
* as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.
* PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

As an added bonus for January, our friend at SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY will be tossing in another treat as well, http://www.acupcakery.com/index.html.

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; the CUPCAKE COURIER http://www.cupcakecourier.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com. NEW, BEGINNING IN JANUARY; our new friends at UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/ will be providing our winner with one of their cute cupcake attitue t's! Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com.

Voting will begin no later than Thursday, January 29 at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER and will be open through Wednesday, February 4 at 12 noon.