Carolyn Braden's Wholesome Chow Organic/Gluten Free Cupcakes

These were truly the best cupcakes from a mix! They may be gluten free and organic but you could fool anyone into thinking otherwise. I used Wholesome Chow's organic and gluten free chocolate cake mix and their vanilla icing mix. I purchased the mixes at a local T.J. Maxx. I was able to get 10 large cupcakes from the mix. I kept them in the refrigerator. To add my own element, I added organic chocolate pudding. I scooped some mix into the cupcake liner, then some pudding and topped it off with more mix. It really made the cupcakes extra moist.

Carolyn Braden: Completed Anniversary Cookies

Thanks to the website http://sweetopia.net/ I completed Project Anniversary Cookie. It has been a very long time since I've made decorated cookies. I needed these to be perfect so Sweetopia gave me all I needed to be successful. I used the shortbread cookie and royal icing recipe from her site. I love the taste of the shortbread. The only drawback was how delicate they were. Good thing I made extra! Next time I will attempt the sugar cookie recipe. I truly enjoyed making cookies. I love cakes and cupcakes but cookies may become my new baking adventure.

Carolyn Braden: Interested in Voodoo Doughnuts

This donut shop makes me want to go to Oregon for my first time ever. What a great donut store concept! Coco Puffs or Captain Crunch doughnuts? Yes, please! It tops any of the cupcake shops that keep multiplying.

Visit their website. Though you know they are sinful in calorie content, your mouth will still water.

www.voodoodoughnut.com


Carolyn J. Braden
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Carolyn Braden says "Yummy Black Bottom Muffin/Cupcake Recipe"

Here's a great dessert/muffin recipe I just tried. It's from Woman's Day magazine. If I made these again, I may try using a brownie base under the cheesecake layer. The cake part was really good, but I love brownies and by adding a brownie base, it would make these more of a dessert.

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat Philly)
1 large egg
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup mini-chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup canola oil (I only had vegetable oil and it worked just fine as a substitute)
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini-muffin tins with paper liners. (I also sprayed the liners with Baker's cooking spray).
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, egg, 1/3 cup of the sugar and 1/4 tsp of the salt in a large bowl until creamy; stir in the chocolate chips.

In a second large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, remaining cup of sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Add the oil, vinegar, vanilla, and 1 cup water, and mix until fully incorporated.

Spoon enough of the chocolate batter into each cup so that they are filled halfway (about 2 tsp each). Top each with a rounded tsp of the cream cheese mixture, gently spreading it over the chocolate layer.

Bake until the cupcakes are puffed and barely golden, 15-20 minutes.










- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone