Easy Vanilla Cupcakes

This cupcake recipe published by Cooks' Illustrated is the best cupcake recipe I've ever made. Perfect for birthday parties. Great flavor. Tender texture. Very vanilla-y. I made their Yellow Cupcakes with Easy Vanilla Bean Buttercream. The sprinkles are green and blue dolphins from our local Amish store. Oh, and by the way, my husband has a new camera. It has "food" mode for taking pictures of my baking creations. Doesn't it look fabulous?

Ooo! Cake!

The doctor informed me a few months ago that I had high cholesterol. Very high cholesterol. No cheese. No butter. No eggs. Lots of oatmeal. That is supposed to be my diet. But as you can tell by my posts . . . I haven't been that successful. I have been searching for recipes that use olive oil instead of butter so that I can satisfy my sweet tooth with a little less guilt. So, when I saw the recipe for Olive Oil Bundt Cake with Tangerine Glaze in my Cooking Light magazine, I tore it out and put it in my recipe file. This week, I finally got around to making it. Since tangerines didn't seem available at my market, I substituted fresh-squeezed orange juice in the recipe. And, since I thought it would boost the flavor, I added the zest of one orange to the cake AND the zest of another orange to the glaze. The cake received mixed reviews in our house. At first bite, my four-year-old pronounced it disgusting. But then in the ensuing days he ate four pieces. My husband thought the extra-virgin olive oil was a little strong. I thought it's flavor was very delicate and not too sweet, more like a quick-bread than cake really. The glaze was the best part (which, by the way, I had doubled because I LOVE icing). Not sure I'll make it again, but it was tasty and healthier than most cakes!

Football Krispy Treats

I needed an easy, kid-friendly dessert for Super Bowl Sunday. Rice Krispy treats always seem to go quickly, so I did two regular batches and one chocolate by adding 1/4 cup of cocoa powder to the melted butter and marshmallow goo. I didn't have a football cookie cutter, so I improvised with a tin can by bending it into the shape needed. After cooling, I coated the tops with melted chocolate chips and then piped laces with melted white chocolate. Yummy! (If you are wondering, that IS a Terrible Towel in the background.)