Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes

If you're going to make one batch of pumpkin cupcakes this season (and you ARE making pumpkin cupcakes, aren't you?!?), I hope you'll bake a batch of these.

Pumpkin cupcakes are always a hit in my book, but these, THESE, have a cinnamon swirl tucked inside the batter.  That little hit of brown sugary, buttery, cinnamon-y goodness takes them to the next level.

Oh!  The frosting!  Oh, the frosting.

I used this little guy to swirl the plain buttercream with the cinnamon-spiced buttercream.

I think I bought this at Sur La Table, but you can also find it on Amazon.

If you don't have a fancy divided pastry bag, feel free to frost the cupcakes half and half.


I'm sharing the recipe over on Imperial Sugar's site.  Come and get it! ;)

PS: Can pumpkin season last forever?!?

Cutest. Macarons. Ever.

I'm about to show you something that is going to elicit a "squeee" from you. Get ready.

Y'all.  Seriously?!?  Those are MACARONS!!!  I'm so in love with them. 

Let me introduce you to a little book called Gourmet French Macarons by Mindy Cone.  I mean, as if round macarons aren't cute enough, Mindy includes over 75 flavors and shaped macarons in her book.  75!!!

The beginning of the book is filled with very detailed how-to's...along with tips and ingredients needed to decorate them.

The book even comes with a CD of templates for shaping macarons.

Let me show you a few:

....hamburgers!!!

....engagement rings!!!

....Christmas!!!

Don't even get me started over the recipes for fillings.  Ok, get me started.  Here's a sampling: peanut butter whipped buttercream, coconut swiss meringue, mango curd, eggnog filling, cookies and cream...you get the idea.

The book is just BEYOND cute.  Beyond.  So cute that I brought it along to our carpool pick-up and another mom and I stood around and squealed over every turn of the page. 
(I'm sure it was not at all embarrassing to our teenagers.)

I cannot wait to make each and every variation.  Buy it, put it on your Christmas list, search it out at your local bookshop.  Check it out.

Gourmet French Macarons by Mindy Cone.  I think it belongs in your kitchen.

Don't look now, but that candy corn is totally staring at you.

Two things:

1. Cookies with faces always = cute.
2. Anything on a stick tastes 10x better. (Seriously, you can't tell me a corn dog tastes as good OFF the stick.)

See what I mean? Don't you just want to grab one? 

I'll miss you, my imaginary friends!

This Friday (tomorrow) will be a sad day in my life.   

What Not to Wear will air its final episode.

After ten years, the show is ending...and my dream never came true.  What dream?  Oh, to be on an UNTELEVISED version of WNTW, complete with drinks out every night with Stacy and Clinton.
{I swear, I was really holding out hope that it would happen.}

Since drinks with S & C never happened, we're going to make one.  Not quite as fun.  More on this later...

...I even broke out my vintage cocktail glasses.  Side note: maraschino cherries in the bottom of a glass?  The best. 

A. Stacy and Clinton.  I love them.  Love.  When people have been your imaginary best friends for 10 years, it's hard to capture it in one bullet point.  From Stacy's "Shut the front door" and Clinton's "Turtle Lady" song, what can I say?  They complete me.

B.  Ted. Oh my GOSH!  Ted!!!  I want Ted to be my next-door neighbor and maybe I could trade him baked goods for hair advice.  Ted has this amazing eye for what color and cut will really flatter.  He has a gift. (And, hello, he's from Texas!)

C. Carmindy. You know the part when Carmindy says, "take a look at you..." or something similar?  That's where the water works start.  I don't even have to see the person.  Tears. On Cue.  Plus, love the "Carmindized" face...and how she brings out people's natural beauty! 

Despite the fact that I still own a few too many pairs of capri pants, here's what I've learned from Stacy and Clinton over the years...

• COLOR, TEXTURE, PATTERN, and SHINE
• completer pieces make an outfit,
• you can mix metallics (this was HUGE for me!),
• fit trumps pattern,
• outfits and accessories should "go," not match (ah...so can I go back and re-do the 80s?),
• emphasize the smallest part,
• saturated tones (no oatmeal),
• dress for the size you are, not the size you were or want to be,
• your clothes should make you happy!

Still, I need Stacy & Clinton's help.  Still, I need a major closet intervention.  But, I do hear their voices in my head as I'm shopping.  And this kind of hearing voices, I think (?), is a good thing.

 
The WNTW Manhattan
{serves 2, adapted from Clinton Kelly's Stinton}

3 ounces bourbon
1 ounce port
4 dashes bitters
maraschino cherries
seltzer


In a shaker filled with ice, combine the bourbon, port, and bitters.  Shake well.  Strain into glasses over a few maraschino cherries.  Top with seltzer.

Cheers to 10 seasons of What Not to Wear!  Cheers to Stacy, Clinton, Ted, and Carmindy!  Friday nights won't be the same without you!!!

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In case you're needing more Stacy and Clinton (like me), I really enjoyed Stacy's latest book, The Truth about Style. It's a great read. Clinton has a new book out, too!  It's called Freakin' Fabulous on a Budget.  It's brand new, so I haven't read it....but feel sure that it's, well, fabulous!  Cheers!

Monogrammed Pumpkin Cookies

What's better than a polka dot, monogrammed pumpkin cookie?

How about a DOUBLE-DECKER, polka dot, monogrammed pumpkin cookie?

What if I told you that this is the simplest design to recreate?  I'm not sure if you guys have noticed, but I LOVE a simple cookie. They're my favorite.  Easier to make = quicker getting to my tummy.

If you've never made a double-decker cookie before, it's time.  What are you waiting for?!?  Two cookies in one!!! 

Let me show you how to make them.  They're perfect for class parties or sharing with the neighbors!

 

To make monogrammed pumpkins, you'll need:

• cut-out cookies cut with a pumpkin cookie cutter and alphabet cookie cutters (I used chocolate cut-out cookies, but you could use any of the cut-out recipes listed here.)
• royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Orange, Leaf Green and Bright White
• disposable icing bags
• coupler and tips: #2
• squeeze bottles 
• toothpicks
• small ramekin

Use #2 tips to outline both the pumpkin (in orange) and the letters (in green).  Add the stem of the pumpkin with the green icing.

Thin the orange, green and white with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.  (Reserve some of the piping consistency green icing for attaching the cookies later.) You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin.  Count of 2-3 is good.  Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed.  Pour into squeeze bottles as needed.  

Fill in the outlines with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles.

For the letters, work about 3-6 cookies at a time, filling with the green icing. Small filled areas are susceptible to cratering, so take care not to overfill and run a toothpick through the icing to dislodge air bubbles. Go back to the first cookie filled and add small dots of the thinned white icing with a toothpick. (This is a trick I learned from my friend, Lupita.)

Let the cookies dry uncovered, 6-8 hours, or overnight.

Here are the letters drying in the dehydrator...

Aren't they cute??!

(I think I bought these cookie cutters at Hobby Lobby, but I just bought a 100-piece set of cutters...because I *needed* 100 more cutters...at Home Goods that has letters as well.)

Apply piping consistency icing to the back of the letter cookies...just a few dots will do, we don't want oozing.  Actually, a little oozing is fine, but you don't need a lot of icing to make the letter cookies stick.

Gently press in place on the pumpkin cookie.  Let dry for 30 minutes or more to set.

These were so much fun to make.  I hope you'll try them at home, too.

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On Chef Crushes, Best Buy, and KitchenAid Mixers...

I'm going to admit something to you.  I sometimes get crushes on chefs.  Not like the crush I had on C. Thomas Howell in junior high, but "oh my gosh, how did they come up with that deliciousness" crushes.  Please tell me I'm not alone....I watch Top Chef or Iron Chef and *BOOM*, crush.

more on this baby in a minute. STAY TUNED. (that's called a teaser.)

So, I had the opportunity to go to an event at Best Buy featuring chef Monica Pope.  If you've ever read about good food in Houston, You've read about Monica Pope.  And, she was on Top Chef Masters.  And, when she was on Top Chef, she made me cry.  Basically, LOVE her.

{But do you think I was brave enough to introduce myself at the event?  Nooooo.  I tweeted her when I got home.  Yes, I'm a total dork.}

Best Buy was showcasing their small appliances.  I'll be honest, Best Buy is one of those places where I used to send the boys while I was in Ulta.  "Used to" being the key words.  Have you *been* in Best Buy lately?  Their kitchen and small appliance sections have been updated and, yeah, I could happily spend a few hours there.

Chef Pope used some of the small appliances to make some amazing food.  A Ninja blender to make watermelon gazpacho (I don't even like watermelon, and I LOVED this), a KitchenAid mixer to make the simplest dressing for a massaged kale salad...

...this little boy tried to eat all of the kale salad.  Cute as a button, but I managed to wrestle some away from him.  Y'all.  Life changing.  I said "life changing" about a vegetable.  I know.  I never would have thought to mash up avocados and make a dressing with my KitchenAid!

Can I tell you a story?  I can home so utterly smitten with Chef Pope that I told my husband all I wanted for my birthday later that week was to go to her restaurant, Sparrow.  Oh my gosh...if you live in the Houston area, GO!

The food was so good that I forgot to take pictures of it.  But, I *did* meet Monica.  And, my chef crush continues.

Here's what you need to remember:

• Best Buy: go in.  check out the small appliance section.  I think you'll be happy.
• KitchenAid mixer to smash avocados?  Brilliant. 
• Monica Pope = awesome (Houstonians: Sparrow. Go.)

The mixer.  Want one?  Yes, yes you do.

Best Buy is giving one of you a KitchenAid Artisan Series Tilt-Head Stand Mixer in Metallic Chrome. 
How gorgeous is that mixer?!?

***Giveaway closed! Congrats to Jaime!!!***  

To enter, visit the Best Buy small appliance page and leave a comment on this post telling me one item that strikes your fancy.

For an extra entry, tell me a chef you have a crush on...TV, local, whatever.

{Please, please leave a way I can easily reach you!}

Entries accepted through 11:59 CST, October 14th.

*These chef events are going on in cities across the US, so be sure to check with your local Best Buy!*

This post is sponsored by Best Buy, but my love of KitchenAid mixers and my crush on Chef Pope are my own.

Sometimes you just need a little buttercream...

Much to the detriment of my hip measurement, I've fallen in love with buttercream frosted cookies.

Buttercream doesn't lend itself to decorating the way that royal icing does, but it can still be pretty...and takes about one tenth of the time.

There is just *something* about biting into a buttercream frosted cookie that makes me happy. Last night, I tried eating just half of one.  Is there any doubt in your mind as to whether I went back for that second half? ;)

I so, so love buttercream roses, but we are coming up on Halloween after all.  I used this recipe from Imperial Sugar.  It's an all-butter buttercream, so it stays nice and soft. 

For the pumpkins, I used #15 and #16 star tips to decorate and then and #2 tip for the stem. 

For the spiderwebs, I spread on a base coat of frosting with an offset spatula, then piped a spiderweb shape for the outer black outline using a #2 tip.  I piped two circles inside that, then used a toothpick to drag the circles toward each outer point. I added the spider with the same tip.

It's not as crisp looking as a royal icing decorated cookie (here's an example of a royal icing spiderweb), but still cute.

PS...I use Americolor food coloring with buttercream just like I do with royal icing.  For these cookies, I used Orange (tinting it two shades), Super Black, and Leaf Green.

Buttercream frosted cookies.  Tell me you love them, too!

Noonday...come find out more (and win)!

I've been a reader and fan of Kristan's blog for years, and am lucky enough to count her as a friend.  Kristan writes the hilarious Confessions of a Cookbook Queen.  She is the queen of cupcakes and sweets...and I know that I cannot read her posts in public because they usually result in a full-on, out-loud belly laugh. {Which doesn't go over all that well when you're sitting alone in Starbucks.  Go figure.}

Kristan is now a Noonday ambassador.  If you've never heard of Noonday, please click here for the story of how they started and their mission.  Simply, Noonday creates economic opportunity for the poor and vulnerable. 

{I love this graphic.  source: Noonday}

Here's an excerpt from Kristan's blog.  This really hit home with me...maybe it will for you, too.

"Helping others is NOT AN ALL OR NOTHING THING. World changer does not mean martyr. There is not some secret “good people” club that screens you on your knowledge of politics and does an inventory of how many items in your home are not Fair Trade. World changers start with a baby step. And that is okay."

Here are a few of my Noonday pieces.....

Noonday artisans craft everything from jewelry to paper products to linens.

That ♥ journal is never far from my reach.

Noonday has a new line of products for fall, and it's beautiful.  I love being able to read about where the products are coming from and the artisans who make them.

So, to celebrate the new line, and to introduce you to Noonday, Kristan is offering one $100 gift voucher to one of you!  Yay!

To enter, visit Kristan's Noonday site, and tell me what piece or product you love. (Maybe this laptop case, or drop earrings, or this scarf!)

Enter up to three times, stating 3 different pieces (leave a separate comment for each).

***Giveaway closed!  Congrats to the Cooking Actress! ***

Entries will be accepted through 11:59 CST, Friday, October 11th.

Now, go be a world changer...you can start by shopping!

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Nailed it.

Have you seen the "Nailed it" memes?  My favorite is the Cookie Monster Cupcake.  
{Please keep this in mind in a minute.}

Let's start at the beginning.  I had a moment of inspiration.  Peanut butter blossom cookies, but with mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in the middle and chocolate covered pretzels for legs to look like spiders.

But, as with most things...this was not an original idea.  As I was walking through the grocery store to buy my peanut butter cups, the image of the cutest cookies by Kristan popped into my head.  Same idea, but with licorice legs.  I *pinned* them last year!  Duh.  I decided to make them anyway, using the pretzels.

This was going to be something quick and easy that I could make after picking kiddo up from school and before dinner. 

Well, I had my own "Nailed it" moment. (Kristan's cookies are on top.)  Behold:

Yeah. 

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Try 1: peanut butter blossoms scooped in 2 teaspoon scoops.  The cookie was too small, pretzels too big, and peanut butter cups are really melty.  Not pretty.

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Try 2: peanut butter blossoms scooped in 2 TBSP scoops.  Now the cookie is big enough to hold the pretzels, but the peanut butter cup looks too small. (Hint: wait a few minutes before adding the PB cup to reduce the excessive melting like the first batch.)

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Try 3: peanut butter blossoms scooped in 2 TBSP scoops. Peanut butter cups plus melted chocolate for the legs.  Passable.

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Try 4: peanut butter blossoms scooped in 2 teaspoon scoops.  Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips (these are nice, big chips) pressed into the middle, legs piped with melted chocolate.  Better.
Maybe even cute...

...until you look at the cookies with two chips.  Creepy doll eyes.  I guess it *is* Halloween season after all.

I'm working on eating all of the evidence. 

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