Sugar Flower... Cookies?

I felt like making cookies last week. My chocolate chip came out well before so I thought I'd offer a batch to one of my sugar addict friends. To my surprise she had a a special request for Oreos. I had never made them before but I remembered seeing a recipe in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food (April 2009). Find it online: Chocolate 'n' Cream Sandwich Cookies.

My two cents: I would suggest reading the comments after the recipe. I didn't have any problems with the batter being dry or crumbly; it was fine. I used a rubber spatula to mix the dough and a KitchenAid mixer (wire whisk attachment) for the filling. The rolling part could require two people yet putting a towel under the parchment kept it from sliding. Also, if you prefer the crisp nature of an Oreo I would make sure that the dough is rolled out thinner than 1/4 inch as instructed. Otherwise the cookie remains soft after baking.

Here's what resulted:

Yes, I do know "O"reos to be round but the only cookie cutter I had close to the size was square. They're Faux-reos anyway...

I used extra-fine granulated sugar yet it still remained a tad bit gritty. I wonder if the sugar dissolved first in a little water then added to the butter would work...

I stamped baby feet in some just to see how it would work.

The biggest issue was that they kinda came out tasting coffee-ish. I'm sure it had to do with the vanilla extract that I used. I ran out of my usual: Sonoma Syrup Co.'s No. 4. All in all, I'd say the trial was successful. My friend gave me an "A" for effort. We ate them. Nothing goes to waste 'round these parts.

Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Icing

Here are the results of having to satisfy a sweet tooth at 10pm when you have no eggs. My dad, the vegetarian, claimed them as his own. We all loved them. The icing was rich and smooth-- very good. I could've eaten it without the cake. Now I understand frosting shots!

I found the cake recipe on RecipeZaar.com. I used organic cane sugar and apple cider vinegar. The icing recipe is from Crazy About Cupcakes.

Making the icing...

This was my first time making this type of icing. I wasn't sure I would either do it correctly or if it would taste edible so I halved the recipe and two cupcakes missed out...

Sittin' pretty...

He Actually Won Something!

As some of you may know, during the opening weeks and thereafter of Coraline the movie there was quite a buzz about a special Coraline edition of the Nike Dunk. "Those in the know" stuck around until after the credits where a secret code was given to enter on the Coraline website. Thus you were entered into a drawing to win a pair of Coraline Dunks... Long story short, my husband won a pair! Check 'em out:

Oh, snap! They glow in the dark on the bottom!

Cupcakes Take the Cake featured some awesome Coraline cupcakes from death by cupcake on Flickr. How this was her first attempt at fondant? I have no idea. But alas, some people just got it like that.

UPDATE: We've Got Boxes!

Our cupcake boxes and inserts arrived as anticipated; shipping was fast... Now, if only I had some cupcakes to put in them.

Chocolate Cupcake with White Chocolate Frosting

I got a kick outta this pic, remembering those days back in October when my family and I first started our cupcake trials. I thought I was a genius with a decorating tip... Making white chocolate "roses". Now that frosting "technique" just looks like the top of a spool of string. Ha.

But you gotta love my frosting madness in the background!

Cupcake and Pie Selections

Classic Flavors

• Vanilla: Classic, moist yellow cake topped with Chocolate Fudge Frosting or Vanilla Buttercream
• Lemon: Lemon cake topped with your choice of Lemon Buttercream or Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
• Red Velvet: Traditional Red Velvet cake topped with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting; Candied or Toasted Pecan topping optional
• Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate: Dark Chocolate cake made with just a hint of coffee dipped in Dark Chocolate Ganache embellished with a sweet message

Premium Selections

• Almond: Almond cake mixed with chopped almonds topped with smooth Vanilla Buttercream
• Black Bottom Banana: Banana cake sits on an Oreo, then topped with smooth Vanilla Buttercream
• Coconut: Coconut cake topped with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting or Vanilla Buttercream sprinkled with Toasted Coconut flakes
• Peanut Butter: Rich Peanut Butter cake topped with decadent Peanut Butter Fudge Frosting
• Triple Chocolate: Moist and decadent cake mixed with Chocolate Chips, dipped in Dark Chocolate Ganache topped with Chocolate Fudge Frosting or Chocolate Buttercream
• Chai Tea: Indian Chai Spices and Honey cake topped with Cinnamon Cream Cheese or Buttercream. Our Signature Fan Favorite!
• Hummingbird: A mouthwatering tropical blend of Pineapple, Banana, and Coconut cake, mixed with Pecans and topped with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
• Sweet Potato: Sweet Potato cake topped with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

"Sweetie Pies"

• Sweet Potato: Smooth and creamy Sweet Potato filling baked in a buttery crust
• Apple: Sweet and tangy apples tossed in cinnamon, baked in a golden pocket of buttery crust
  

We Ordered Cupcake Boxes!

My husband and I ordered cupcake boxes from Big River Packaging last night. I would recommend them already! They responded promtly to our inquiry and advertise fast shipping (we shall see how they live up to that promise). We should have them by Thursday allowing plenty of time for a possible order of graduation cupcakes this weekend. I can't wait to be able to put some cupcakes in them like a real cupcakery! I plan to spice it up a notch with some ribbon I have left over from our wedding favors.

I will definitely take pics this time. I can't believe that I forgot to take some of the sweet potato and chai cupcakes I made for my aunt last week. We ate all the "extries" before I thought about it. I'm gonna get the hang of this blogging thing one of these days!

Hello, From Sugar Flower Cupcakes

Our 1st attempt at chocolate ganache-"Faux-stess" cupcakes

Good day everyone! Sugar Flower Cupcakes (SFC) is looking forward to providing a better glimpse into who this mother-daughter owned (and soon-to-be operated) small business is.
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My husband and I moved from New Jersey to Florida towards the end of October 2008 and thought about how to make a living. After several discussions my mother suggested getting back into her wedding cakes. Long story short, our plan was tweeked and revised down to beginning with cupcakes: uniquely designed and well, DELICIOUS.
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So here we are trying to figure out how to go about it. We've created a buzz amongst our family and new friends down here. So our next steps are finalizing our business plan and really figuring out how we will stand out from the various cupcake businesses in the Tampa Bay area. Please stay tuned.