Sometimes, There's Cake

This is a very short fictional piece I wrote based off a daily writing prompt from Sarah Selecky.  The assignment was two parts over two days.  First, make a list of 10 unrelated sentences.  Second, each sentence became the first sentence of a scene.  Then you write for 10 minutes. Here's what I came up with:

Sometimes, there's cake.

A rich chocolate.  A moist carrot with tangy cream cheese frosting.  Or maybe something decadent: a red velvet or a black forest cake.

Sadly, today is not one of those days.

Cupcakes.  I'm so tired of cupcakes.  Tiny little pre-portioned nuggets of cake.  When what I really want today is a big slice of overindulgence.

I make a face at the cupcakes as I pick one up for a closer look.  White cake.  Vanilla frosting.  With Sprinkles.  Sprinkles?  Are we a bunch of eight-year-olds gathered for a birthday party?

With that image in mind, I stick a finger into the mound of fluffy frosting and swipe it into my mouth.  The sugar hits my taste buds and clings there.  Immediately I begin to concede my former opinion.  Cupcakes might not be so bad after all.

I peel back the paper and take a bite. Cupcakes are technically cakes.  Just smaller.  Mini cakes.  But cakes all the same.  Another bite melts the last of my resolve, and my grumpiness.  

The cupcakes win.  For today. Tomorrow, there might be cake.

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For The Love of Peppermint Patty

I love a peppermint patty as much as anyone.  Maybe even a little more.  So, it seemed only fitting to create a cupcake in their honor. 

We began with a simple devil's food cake batter.  Filled each cupcake paper 2/3 full.  Baked at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. 

While they cooled we created a cream cheese frosting, replacing the vanilla for peppermint extract.  Frosted the cupcakes with the peppermint cream cheese frosting and topping each one with a few pieces of chopped peppermint patty candies. 

Delicious!!!

Please Sir.. May I Have S'more?

It all started with a dream.  A delicious dream.  A dream of cupcakes.  This evening, the dream took shape.

S'more Cupcakes 

It began with turning graham crackers into crumbs in the food processor.  Measuring out 2 cups and setting the rest aside for later.

The measured 2 cups were mixed with 1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 stick melted butter.  1 teaspoon of mixture was pressed gently into the bottom of each cupcake cup to make a crust of sorts and baked on 350 degrees for 4 minutes. 

In the meantime we made a chocolate cake batter.  Once the graham cracker crusts had slightly cooled, each cupcake cup was filled 2/3 full with the cake batter.   We sprinkled a bit of the leftover crust mixture on top of each one and then the cupcakes then went back in the oven for 18 minutes at 350 degrees.  After baking the cupcakes,  we allowed them to cool for 10 minutes.

Then, while still slightly warm, we frosted each one with marshmallow cream (slightly warm so the marshmallow cream would melt a bit, giving it the right ooey, gooey feel).  The finishing touch was sprinkling each with the graham cracker crumbs previously set aside and grating a Hershey bar over top. 

Creativity and Cupcakes - Part 2

The decision is made and provision are in.  The winners are:

S'more cupcakes and Peppermint Patty cupcakes. 

Stay tuned!!

Same Beck time...  Same Beck channel.

Creativity and Cupcakes

As you read this, there is a trip to the grocery store in my very very near future.

For baking supplies.

Because for whatever reason, the Princess and I are in a creative mood today. 

Perhaps it's the sun shining, the breeze blowing the warm wind through the open windows, the sound of the birds chirping, and the sense of spring in the air that has our creative spirits soaring.  Maybe it's that we have watched one too many episodes of Cupcake Wars or Cake Boss recently.  Maybe it's hormones.  Maybe it's a driving need to use up some of the almost 5 dozen eggs sitting in the fridge; complements of The Girls.  Whatever the reason, we have been talking cupcakes all morning and are now ready to get down to baking.

The timing is perfect.  The Man of the House and the Little Man have "man plans" this evening.  (A navy seal-shoot 'em up- testosteroney movie they have been wanting to see)  .  And we have company coming into town this weekend to sample the goods and assure they all get eaten. 

So, we give in to the urge.  We make our plans.   We make our list.  And - we wait for the Little Guy to finish eating so we can go to the store.

The Big 4-0

This past weekend The Man of the House arrived in a new decade of life.  The world has experienced 40 years of kindness, generosity, and joy. 

I made the butterscotch cupcakes with butterscotch-maple frosting he requested.  I took him out to dinner Saturday night.  And arranged for some family and friends to join him for pizza and watching the football games on Sunday.  And just generally tried to let him know how much I love and appreciate him.

Happy Birthday to my handsome hero!