The Quest for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ahhhh....the chocolate chip cookie.

The chocolate chip cookie is a staple in many bakers' arsenal of easy recipes one can whip up in a seconds notice.

It would seem that a seasoned baker like myself (kidding) would be able to make a simple chocolate chip cookie...it would seem.

Looks tasty doesnt it!  Yeah...not so much. 

I have attempted multiple chocolate chip cookie recipes in the past (and no, I do not have any photographical (not really sure if that is a word) evidence of these attempts...yes it was that bad!) and they have all fallen flat (quite literally).

So here we go.  I am on the quest to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie.  Well what is the perfect chocolate chip cookie? I personally like cookies that are chewy in the middle but nice and crispy on the outside.  I have tried Martha Stewart's cookies and other popular blog sites cookies but they all fail me. 

Until I found a recipe for a Puffy Peanut Butter Cookie with Chocolate Chips.  What?!  There is peanut butter in it?  Well yes, but I just omitted that part and look what I got?!

Impressed?  You should be.

Now go and eat some cookies!!!

Love and Frosting,

Cup-e-Cake Gang

Happy Gobble Gobble Day!!!

HELLO EVERYONE!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

This year I decided that we needed to do something fun, for the children.  What can we do I thought? 

When Sparky was like five I traced her hand to make a hand turkey (like you do in elementary) and we decorated it and then I used that to tell my friends and family Happy Turkey Day.

Well...we can do that...but with a cookie!

The first step was getting me some hand prints.  I took from Sparky (wow is her hand big!) Thing 1 and Thing 2.  Thing 2 was easy.  Trap her and trace...Thing 1 on the other hand was a little hesitant, until she saw me trace her sisters hand then she was all in.

Thing 1 hand (after I traced it lol)

Thing 2 (up close and personal picture)

Thing 1 (LOVE HER!!!)

cute little hands

So I was flipping through the Costco magazine (did you know they make magazines?) and found a recipe for a Skippy Holiday Peanut Butter Cutout.  WHAT!!?!?  I didn't know you could make a cut out cookie peanut butter flavored.

Step One:  Make some cookies

sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter and butter

creamed

egg and vanilla

flour mixture + cream mixture = this

template

be careful...fingers can break off

Next (after they cooled off) get ready for decorating.  If your kid is old enough they can do it themselves (Sparky decorated her own hand, SO adorable!).

preparing to stir

Turkey Colors!!!!!

lets get ready!

awww my babies :)

And that is that.  I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.  I will see you on the other side.  Apparently this is the year I learn how to make a Turkey, I named him Merlin.  Hopefully that makes him magical :)

Love and Frosting,

Cup-e-Cake Gang

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Hello Everyone,

So the holiday season is in full swing.  Halloween has come and gone.  Thanksgiving is almost here and before you know it the best holiday will be upon us.  MY BIRTHDAY!!!!  Not till January but it is pretty close.

I was thinking the other day..what holiday would I hate being.  My first and final thought is Thanksgiving.  All people care about is Black Friday (which I personally think is stupid...but hey if you want to do it have fun).  No one cares about Thanksgiving.  Yeah they get turkeys and have a nice dinner everyone is just getting ready for Christmas.  Christmas is the Godfather of the holidays and Thanksgiving is...the Jan Brady of the holiday season.  

On that note, my favorite thing about Thanksgiving is pumpkin!  I love it.  Last year I made a Pumpkin Roll (which will be making an appearance this year). This year I made these:

The recipe was taken from the Brown Eyed Baker (love her stuff!).  

Lets begin.

YAY!!!!  THESE WERE SO YUMMY THAT I MUST YELL AT YOU!!!

GO MAKE THEM NOW

LOVE AND FROSTING,

CUP-E-CAKE GANG

How To Eat A Cupcake

Hello Everyone,

Welcome.  Have you "liked" me on Facebook yet?  You haven't?  You should.  If I get 500 likers by Christmas I will be doing a giveaway.  I think this year I am going to giveaway my favorite things (a la Oprah...minus "YOU GET A CAR!!!"). 

I know.  I know.  You are SO excited to read this post because the title captivated you.  You are sitting there thinking "have I been doing it wrong?"  Well guess what...I am sure you have been doing it wrong.  

Do not fret for I will be taking you through a step-by-step illustrated guide to how to eat that yummy cupcake you just baked.  There is a certain cupcake etiquette that I think you all have forgotten about.  The fork.  

Get ready because the teaching is about to being.  But first, go grab yourself a fork.

And there you have it.  The *right way to eat a cupcake. 

My fork was plastic.  I am just that classy, what can I say?!

Love and Frosting,

Cup-e-Cake Gang

*by right, I mean for me.  totally just a joke...if you were offended. 

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Hello Everyone,

So when I eat a cupcake I like to save the frosting for last (and I took pictures so that is a post to look forward to!).  There is a place that I LOVE getting cupcakes from and their frosting for their red velvet is AMAZING!

I could never place my finger on what kind of frosting it was.  I mean traditionally when you make red velvet you top it off with some cream cheese...but this stuff is so light and fluffy that it just could not be cream cheese.

THEN I realized something.  Perhaps it was WHIPPED cream cheese frosting?!?!?! 

Light bulb!

To the Internet I ran and boy did I find a lot of options!  I picked this one. 

Look at that naughty cupcake!  More to come about them.

Until then my cyberfriends.  Be nice to one another and eat a cupcake (or two).

Love and Frosting,

Cup-e-Cake Gang