Merry Xmas Eve!!!

today is an awesome day!!
only one more day til christmas but i do believe that i got the best present ever today that every baketress needs and wants! =D
ooooh yes!! that's exactly what i'm talking about!!!!
I FINALLY OWN A KITCHENAID MIXER!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! =D can you tell how excited i am?!!?!?!!?
best part ................................ IT'S GREEN!!!!! =D
look!!!

isn't she GORGEOUS?!?!
i'll admit it ... i hugged it. =) haha! yup ... i did! hehe ...
i love my family! =)
they definitely surprised me with this one! i LOVE it!!

aaaaaaaaahhhhh! =) hahah!
making Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes today to take over to my Gramma's house in a little bit ... i know i've already told you guys about this recipe but i hadn't shared it yet ...
these cupcakes are amazing!!
definitely as yummy as the cinnamon rolls from the fair!
maybe better ......... but that's just me ... lol

mmmmmmmmmm .... lol.

nice and swirled with brown sugar and cinnamon ... =)

goes PERFECT with Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting! =) lol.

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

2/3 cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
2 ½ cup flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 ¼ cups milk

1. In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl stir together brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer for
30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating on medium speed until combined. Beat
until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour and
milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until combined.
3. Spoon about one tablespoon of the batter into each of the prepared cups.
Sprinkle about one teaspoon of the brown sugar mixture over batter in cups.
Spoon the remaining batter evenly over brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle remaining
brown sugar on top.
4. Bake about 18-20 minutes and cool on wire racks.

hope you all have a wonderful christmas!! =D

Cooooooooooooooookies!! =)

did i mention that i LOVE cookies?! lol.
especially chocolate chip??
and double chocolate chip cookies?!
hehe ...
i give all the thanks for me wanting cookies to one of my best friends ... yup ... all her fault. lol.
she's the one that brought me a GINORMO bag of chocolate chips!!!
it's not my fault at all!!!
bwahahaha ... <--- (evil laugh and evil smile to match) =}
just got done whipping up the dough for these yummy delicious cookies while i was watching Aladdin ... MY ABSOLUTE FAVE! ahh!

i dunno why this is my fave ... i think its the magic and the love and the FLYING CARPET!! lmfao! hello?! you can't tell me that you wouldn't wanna ride a flying carpet if you had the chance!? I WOULD! in a heartbeat! lol ... i will admit that i always want a pet tiger after watching this movie ... lol. never fails ... Rajah is flipping AWESOME! lol. =)
oookaaay ... onto the cookies!!
FOOOOCCCUUUUSSS!!! ha! Peanut ... I love him.

if you've never watched Jeff Dunham's stand-up comedy ... do it ... you're life will be changed forever ... =) hehe ...
ok ok ... cookies ...
DOUBLE Chocolate Chip Cookies ... need i say more??? lol

these puppies are sooo yuummy ...

mmmmmmmmmmm ...... drool ......................... =)

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks of margarine, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth.
3. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in separate bowl.
4. Add flour mixture to butter/sugar mixture and mix well. Add chocolate chips.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
6. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolatey goooeeyness ... yuuuuuummmmmm ... ugh ... do i have to share?!

Happy Holidays Friends!! =)
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look! its snowing! lmfao! jk jk ... =) couldn't help myself ...

Homemade Candy

... well ... kinda. lol. it doesn't actually taste the same. the original will always be better. my favorite candy bar is 3 Musketeers. always has been. lol.

i came across a recipe yesterday morning to make them homemade and i decided to try it. so i got dressed and hit the store.
after the store i came home and got started ...

cut them into squares after they were in the freezer for a bit ...
i do believe that taking something and having to cover it completely in chocolate is kinda hard. have yet to find an easier way to do it. lol.

kinda messy looking ... lol. but yummy looking at the same time.

mmmmmmmmmmmmm .....

Homemade 3 Musketeers Bites
recipe adapted from Beantown Baker

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (8oz) container of whipped topping, thawed
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups milk chocolate chips

1. Line an 8 or 9-inch square pan with wax paper.
2. In a medium bowl, melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave at fifty percent power, or use a double boiler.
3. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat melted chocolate for about 30 seconds.
4. Add whipped topping to melted chocolate and beat until well combined and fluffy, 30-60 seconds more.
5. Spread chocolate mixture evenly into prepared pan (if mixture is too stiff, press into pan with lightly dampened hands). Place in freezer for 30 minutes.
6. Remove pan from freezer and turn chocolate mixture onto a cutting board; cut into one-inch squares. Return squares to freezer for another 15-20 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, melt milk chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and stir until well combined. Dip frozen chocolate squares into melted chocolate to coat. Place on wax paper to set. Keep chocolates in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

 they sure look like the candy bar ... however ... they don't taste exactly the same. don't get me wrong ... they're delicious! lol. but you just can't get any better than the real thing. haha!
=)

It's National Cupcake Day!!

...... and i'm making cookies. ha! i didn't learn that it was National Cupcake Day until after i made the cookie dough ... oh well ... haha! i was on Pinterest last night when i came across a picture of Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies. and naturally ... i decided that i'm gonna try them. haha!
found this tattoo on there and absolutely fell in love with it!

and this .........

this saying could not be any more perfect for the week i've had. holy moly. but only one more day!!!! lol.
aaaaaannnnnnnnnnnd this .... haha ... thought it was sooooo cuuute! haha ...

can't help but say "awwwwwwwww!!" haha ... cuz that's exactly what i said last night when i saw it ... lol. i do believe that i'm on my way to getting addicted to Pinterest. i haven't started pinning anything yet ... but i have a feeling i will shortly be there. lol.
i had left over semi-sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips so i decided to try these cookies. i even colored the dough green to make them look mint. haha!

mmmmmmmmmm .....

haha ... they kinda look disgusting ....
god my kittie cat is sooooo weird .... i swear he thinks he was a people in his past life ... lol. i've never seen a cat sleep on his back sooo much ... but he's too CUUUTE! =) i love hims!

i'm gonna say it ... only 10 more days til christmas!!! aaahhh! lol. DUCK AND COVER!!!!!
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i'm waiting for the bombs to fall on my house ... lol ....
..............................................
nothing ... phew ... i'm safe! haha! still alive ...
with only 10 days away i still have yet to figure out what i'm gonna be baking for my family for christmas ... soo many decisions! lol.

so the cookies didn't really stay green but they sure do look delicious still ... lol.

and they taste ammmaaaazzzing! haha ... mmmm.

Double Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies

2 sticks butter, softened (i used margarine)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp mint extract
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
green food coloring

1. combine butter, both sugars, vanilla and mint extract in a large bowl. add eggs one at a time. beat well after each addition. add in food coloring.
2. in a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt and mix together.
3. dump half of the flour mixture in the butter and sugar mixture and mix well. then add the other half of the flour mixture.
4. fold in chocolate chips and refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. preheat oven to 350 and drop spoonfuls of dough on pan. bake for 9-13 minutes.
6. enjoy!!

=)

Peppermint or Hot Chocolate????

how about both?? haha ... but not together ... tho they probably would taste good together in a cup ... but not in a cupcake. lol. i ended up making 2 kinds cuz i didn't have enough York Peppermint Patties for the whole batch of Devil's Food batter ... so i made as many as i could with peppermint patties and added hot chocolate mix to the rest of the batter. lol.

i personally don't think it made much of a difference in the taste ... but who knows ... i only tried the batter. hahaha!
i do believe this is my favorite ornament that i own ... =)

it's a CUPCAKE!! AAAHHH! =D
lol
the first batch of cupcakes i made have a York Peppermint Patty baked in the middle ... =) need i say more??? ha!

ooooooohh yeeesss ... haha! pure amazingness .... =)
all i gotta say is that whipped cream frosting takes FOOOORRREVVER to make! lol. but it tastes sooo good. lol.

look ... look at the middle! omg! i do believe these are on my list of favorite cupcakes ... =)

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes ... with some sprinkled hot chocolate powder on top and candy cane garnish =)

all packed away to take to work tomorrow =)
now ... i'd put the recipe for the actual cupcakes on here but i already have before in a previous post. these were Devil's Food Cupcakes stuffed with the York Peppermint Patties ... however ... this was the first time making Whipped Cream Frosting ... so here's the recipe i used ... 

Whipped Cream Frosting 

16 oz. heavy whipping cream
6 tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla

1. Pour cream in bowl and beat with mixer until thick
2. Add sugar and vanilla
3. Beat until stiff

Happy Holidays!! =)

118 PIECES?! Yup! 118!!!!!

you heard that right ... 118 ... 118 pieces of chocolate fudge are currently taking over my fridge. haha ... and my back is killing me from standing there filling each individual mini cupcake liner with fudge ... lol ...
however ... i'm glad i made it ... one more thing i can scratch off my Baking Bucket List ... =)
one more thing i'm suuuper excited about tonight .... a new episode of 2 Broke Girls!

these girls are HIL-AR-I-OUS!! haha! love them ...
i almost had a melt down earlier when the piece of the recipe that goes on the stove almost OVERFLOWED all over my kitchen floor! It was bad ... well almost ... i managed to simmer it down some ... did i mention this is my first time making fudge??? well ... it's my first time making fudge. lol.
oh ... by the way ... still gotta make dinner and i reeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllly don't feel like it ... but if i don't then i wont have anything to eat at work tomorrow. nooo bueno!! haha! Chicken Alfredo sounds amazing right now anyways. lol.
Bought a new travel mug today cuz i somehow managed to lose 2 STARBUCKS travel mugs ... yup ... don't know how! lmao! buuut i did ... now i can take hot chocolate to work in the morning!! yay! cuz it's been Antarctica coold in the mornings lately ... don't get me wrong ... i looove the cold weather ... i even hit the beach yesterday and it was gorgeous!! see!

i love living on the Central Coast =) and yes ... i did go to the beach in December ... and guuueeesss what?! i even put my feets in the water! hehe! =) and today it rained ... bahahaha!
ooh ... isn't this the most ADOOOORABLE puppy ever?!?!

i looove her! =)
ok ok ... onto the fudge ...

Chocolate Fudge

1 1/2 bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 jars of marshmallow cream
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
2 sticks of butter (i used margarine)
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 can evaporated milk

1. Combine chocolate chips, marshmallow cream, vanilla, salt and butter in a very large bowl.
2. Melt butter into a deep pot and coat the entire bottom and about half way up sides of pot.
3. Combine evaporated milk and sugar.
4. Bring milk and sugar to a boil and boil for 9 minutes (this is where mine almost overflowed ... keep heat on LOW), stir mixture constantly.
5. Pour over ingredients in bowl and whisk until completely combined.
6. Pour into pan or into mini cupcake liners and refrigerate until set.

ENJOY!!
Happy Holidays! =)

It's Beginning to look a lot like .............

.... CHRISTMAS!! haha ... i know i haven't posted anything new lately but i've had many ideas believe me. haha. kinda just takes this little thing called money ... lol. my first project this month was supposed to be  White Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheese Cookies but i can't find the main ingredient anywhere ... but then again ... i haven't checked EVERY store in my town. lol. so i moved onto my next project ... ready for it ...
WHITE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CUPCAKES! ahhhh!!
I know right?! lol. i had to bold the font to make it more dramatic. hehe. =)
and to top it off ... i found some of the cuuutest cupcake liners!!
oooo ... see ... seee!!!

i love them! lol.
ooh! i have to share this with you ... all of you know that one day i will eventually own a bakery ... i bought this book the other day and read it in about a day and a half ... from cover to cover. lol.

these girls are AWESOME!! i love how they explained how they got to where they are now. you know how people always ask what you wanna be when you grow up?? here's my answer! lol. i wanna be just like these girls!
anyways ... back to baking ... lol. my house smells like peppermint right now ... it's amazing. lol

soft peppermint candies ....

my little christmas tree ... that's only like a foot and a half tall. ha! but it's perfect for me and my tiny house ... lol

this is my rotten kittie cat's stocking ... puuuurrrty sure he's getting coal from Santa. lol.
onto the cupcakes!!!

i love the tiny present decorations ... lol. Pier 1 ... =)

Cupcake Tooowweer!!

White Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
recipe adapted from The Baking Pan

2 oz. white chocolate, melted
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg white

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Melt white chocolate and set aside to cool
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. sift together and set aside
4. In a small bowl, combine milk, vanilla extract and peppermint extract
5. In a large bowl, cream butter and mix in sugar until creamy. add egg and egg white, beat well in between each addition.
6. Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk mixture, finish with flour.
7. Fold in white chocolate with a rubber spatula. fill liners 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes. rotate cupcakes half way thru. cool completely and frost with desired frosting.
8. Enjoy!!

<3 happy holidays friends!!