Barbie Boudoir

I am taking a new photography class and this was my subject study. I loved this shoot... What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday, On Thursday!

Wordless Wednesday

My Elvis Cupcakes

My triad of Joy

(don't you love the way the wrapper ended up in a heart shape, it's a sign that I should eat more)

I love bananas, peanut butter, and chocolate. Who doesn't. I feel so very sad for people who are allergic to peanuts; not because of the peanuts but they can't have peanut butter. What a sad thing to not be allowed to have! My biggest treat is a grilled peanut butter banana sandwich. I have on a REAL occasion added chocolate but I have to be a super good girl for that one. I had some bananas that were too ugly to be eaten independently so this is what I came up with.

Elvis' Cupcake (if I had the chance to feed him, this would be it)

2 cups flour

3/4 cups sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

3 small ripe bananas, mashed

1 tsp vanilla extract

13 Hershey's Kisses

Peanut Butter Frosting (WARNING: this is super sweet!)

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3-4 Tbsp milk

Mix sour cream, bananas, and vanilla until combined. Combine all dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients mixing until just combined.

Spoon 1 Tbsp of batter into lined muffin tins or about 1/2 full.

Add the Kisses upside down into each cupcake

Top the kiss with additional batter until just covered.

Bake at 350 for 20-22 min.

Cool 10 min in pan before removing.

For the frosting mix all ingredients until spreading consistency. Add more milk if you need it to be thinner.

Frost the cupcakes and add chocolate chips if you want to take it up a notch.

The last kiss is for the cook of course!

Wordless Wednesday

Mall Pretzels

I love Aunt Annie, I wished she wasn't so determined to make me gain weight. I have yet to find a good warm mall pretzel that I didn't love. My breadmaker has a wonderful recipe booklet in it and I think they are some of the best breads I make. Last night we were all wanting a treat and this was the result. While my pretzel twisting skills need practice for sure, they tasted amazing. I also thought the resulting heart shape would be cool for Valentine's Day coming up. It's close to making bagels because you boil the bread before you bake it to ensure the "rubbery" outside and tender inside. These babies were awesome. The nutritional value wasn't too shabby either if you are looking for a treat. I think if you used whole wheat flour mixed in instead of all white flour you would have even better for you results. Here is the recipe and the pics... wished you could get the smell that accompanied them, yummy!

Soft Pretzels

3/4 cup water 80-90 degrees

1 1/2 tsps salt

2 1/2 firmly packed brown sugar

2 cups plus 6 Tbsp bread flour

2 tsps yeast, active dry, instant or bread machine

Place ingredients in bread machine in order given. Select dough/pizza dough setting and small loaf size. Allow to mix, knead, and rise. When cycle is completed, removed dough from machine and transfer to floured surface. Divide dough into eight equal pieces. Roll each piece into a thin rope and twist into pretzel shape. Put on parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic and allow to rest 20 to 30 min. Place 2 inches of water in a saute pan, bring to a boil. Preheat oven to 425. In separate bowl add 2 cups of water and 2 Tbsp of baking soda, stir and reserve. Once pretzels have rested and water is at a boil, carefully slide each pretzel in one by one boiling for 1.5 min on each side. Transfer to cooling rack to drain. Dip each pretzel into the stirred baking soda solution and place back on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in oven until dark and golden, about 10 to 15 min. I added kosher salt before baking and it added a nice "bakery" touch.

Each 2 oz pretzel:

Cal 141

Fat 1

Carb 28

Pro 5

Fib 1

Angel Food Cake Explosion

A cake gone crazy.... it was so good. I made it with Splenda and actually got good reviews from the crew. Needless to say it wasn't so pretty. I love the shot of all the spillover in the oven. This is the first homemade dessert that my family has eaten in two nights in a long time.