Best Christmas Ever!

Christmas Eve at my house, I can't believe I wrapped all of those presents.

Happy Holidays! As many of you know, I received the best gift ever this year from my fantastic boyfriend...a KitchenAid stand mixer! (girly scream)


I love that it's red. I love that it's mine. Sayonara, hand mixer!

Lately I've been so focused on baking, that I've been neglecting knitting big time, as well as neglecting my vintage item hunting, but I don't even care. When trying to decide between photographing my new vintage pieces for the shop and baking a new dessert - baking wins, every time.

I christened my new mixer yesterday with Russian Tea Cakes. They were such a hit, that I figured I'd share the recipe on here. This was a recipe that I got from my grandma's 1977 version of the "Betty Crocker Cooky Book". (If you don't own this, buy it immediately).

This is what it looks like.

Anyway, here is the recipe. Let me know how it works out for you!

Russian Tea Cakes


a peek at mine, after I boxed them up for work!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar

Directions:

Heat oven to 400ºF.

* Mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla in large bowl. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together.

* Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

* Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly on wire rack.

* Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar; cool on wire rack. Roll in powdered sugar again.



My suggestions:

I used finely chopped walnuts this time. But another fun thing to do would be to use almond extract instead of vanilla and use finely chopped almonds. Macadamia nuts are also fun! Use your own preference to be creative and let me know how it works out!

My favorite Christmas cookie yet

As most of you know, Martha Stewart is pretty much my idol. Her recipes inspire me to make most of my creations in the kitchen. This year, I was looking for a recipe for the perfect christmas cookie, and I found it on her site. I wanted to share it with you and give you my notes on what I did and show you pictures of my work. Feel free to give it a try and share your results with me too!

Peppermint Meringue Cups with Chocolate Ganache
recipe from Martha Stewart Living, December 2010 issue

Here's how mine turned out:



Ingredients

For the meringue cups:

Vegetable oil cooking spray
3 large egg whites, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
Red gel-paste food coloring (you can find this at any craft store, make sure to get the non-flavored kind though!)

For the ganache:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
Garnish: 1 large candy cane, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 175 degrees.

Trace 16 circles onto each of 2 pieces of parchment using a 1 3/4-inch round cookie cutter, spacing about 2 inches apart. (I didn't do this, I just made them whatever size I felt like)

Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray, and top each with a sheet of parchment, traced side down.

Make the meringue cups:

Heat egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl of a mixer set over a pan of simmering water, stirring, until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm to the touch, about 3 minutes. Transfer bowl to mixer. Whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Beat in peppermint extract.

Using a small food-safe paintbrush, paint 3 stripes of red food coloring up the inside of a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain round tip. Transfer egg-white mixture to pastry bag; pipe coils to fill each traced circle. Pipe up sides of each to create 3/4-inch- to 1-inch-high cups.

Bake until meringue cups are crisp but not browned and lift off parchment easily, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer meringue cups to a wire rack, and let cool completely.

While those are baking, make the ganache:

Transfer chocolate to a heatproof bowl. Bring cream to a gentle simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour over chocolate, and let stand for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and cut a small slit in the top. Refrigerate until firm, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.
Stir ganache, and transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch open-star tip.

Pipe ganache into the center of each meringue cup.


And for fun, I also made these plain peppermint meringues, following the recipe for the meringues from this, and piping them onto the parchment paper from a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4 inch open-star tip:

Bacon on a Cupcake?

I've been spending an obscene amount of time baking lately. And since that has been taking off, I've decided to occassionally post recipes on here so that I can share!

Last weekend my roommate's boyfriend came into town, and he's a huge bacon fan. She knows I am the cupcake queen, so she asked me if I could incorporate bacon into a cupcake for him. I researched a few recipes online, and came up with this. Enjoy!

French Toast Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream and Bacon!



Ingredients:
• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ½ cups cake flour, sifted
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon fine salt
• ½ cup milk, at room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line the muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.

* Using a hand mixer or standing mixer (use paddle attachment for stand mixer), combine the butter and sugar and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Change speed to high and mix until light and fluffy.

* Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and vanilla, and also set aside.

* Add the egg yolks to the creamed butter one at time, waiting for each one to be fully incorporated before adding the next.

* Reduce speed of mixer to low. Alternately, add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, waiting for each to be fully incorporated before adding the next. Raise the speed to medium and mix briefly until a smooth batter is formed.

* In another bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed, (use the whisk attachment if you’re using the stand mixer) until stiff peaks are formed.

* Working in 3 batches, using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter, until just incorporated. Divide the batter evenly among the cups in the muffin pan.

Bake about 30 minutes, rotating the pan once, until a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from over and cool completely


Maple Buttercream

Yields: enough for about 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
• 2 Sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 ¾ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons heavy cream, at room temperature
• ¾ teaspoon maple extract

Directions:

* In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

* Reduce the speed of mixer to low. Add the heavy cream and maple extract.. Raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy.

Frost the cooled cupcakes and top with a chopped up pieces of crisp bacon!


Buttercream frosting can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

My Entry for the Manly Cupcake Contest!

I was excited when I saw that C&C Cakery was holding a Manly Cupcake Contest to help raise awareness for Movember!



In case you weren't aware of what Movember is, here's a little blurb from the Movember Website:
"During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world. With their Mo’s, these men raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.
Once registered at www.movember.com, men start Movember 1st clean shaven. For the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Movember Mo Bros raise funds by seeking out sponsorship for their Mo-growing efforts.
Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November. Through their actions and words they raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health."

This year's theme was "Mos of the Movies" and I thought it would only be fitting for my cupcakes to be based on Clark Gable's character, Rhett Butler, in Gone With the Wind. So without futher adieu, I present to you:

Rhett Velvet Cupcakes

Is eating more than one bad? Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.




These bad boys are rich and smooth, with a bit of a bite. Just how I like my men, haha.


Be sure to vote for my babies on the C&C Cakery front page November 21-25!



The Manly Cupcake Contest Prize Sponsor's Include:

• Kriskrop Memories- One dozen cupcake toppers



• The Lunch Box Project - A set of Cupcake Cards



• Cake Wrecks - A personalized copy of Cake Wrecks and a pin pack


• Vanilla Food Company - 1lb of Madagascar vanilla beans for the Grand Prize winner, and a quarter pound for the two runners up



• Bella Cupcake Couture - one pack of Cupcake Wrappers for each of our Finalists



• Drama Llama - a handmade woven and mustachioed pouch



• Freaky Fleece - a drawstring Mustache bag



• Petite Pastries - a handmade cupcake charm


• Miss Kitty Creations - a special edition Tuxedo Cupcake Charm


• Scoop-n-Save - A Manly Movember Prize pack, including sprinkles, disco dust, cupcake liners, cookie cutter, and chocolate molds



• Whodini Handmade - A mustachioed vinyl wallet
  

Also, it would be great if you could make a donation this month to a men's charity and spread the word to your friends! Here are some links:

C&C Cakery Movember Page
Movember Page for my friend Bill
Prostate Cancer Foundation

Now, who wants the recipe?



The batter and frosting were both made from scratch (honestly, is there any other way?) and I'm happy to provide you the recipe!

I adapted my batter recipe from Lucy Baker's Southern Comfort Red Velvet Cake, published in the Boozy Baker: 75 Receipes for Spirited Sweets but since it is only an adaptation of her recipe, I will show you what I did:


Ingredients

Cupcake Batter:

3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1/8 cup Southern Comfort (or a Tennessee whiskey if you'd like a stronger flavor)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 bottle of red food coloring (1oz size)

Icing:

4 - 6 cups of confectioners sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk
1/8 cup Southern Comfort (or a Tennessee whiskey if you'd like a stronger flavor)
2 sticks of butter, softened






Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Line muffin pan with cupcake liners

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt together.

In a medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, vinegar, food coloring, Southern Comfort and vanilla together.

In another large bowl, beat together butter and sugar, using an electric mixer until well mixed and fluffy (about 3 minutes).

Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each one.

Add half of flour mixture, beat well.

Add all of buttermilk mixture, beat well.

Add remaining half of flour mixture, beat well.

Fill cupcake liners to about 2/3 full.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until soft and springy to the touch/toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Keep an eye on them, every oven is different, and I've noticed that people tend to overcook red velet and it becomes grainy. We want these to be moist and firm, but not dense.

Let cool in muffin pan for a few minutes and then take out and let cool completely.

Makes about 28 cupackes. (because it's never guaranteed that you will have 24 perfect cupackes, I always make enough for a few extras as a bit of insurance)

While cooling, you can make the icing.

Combine butter, milk, Southern Comfort and 3 cups of the confectioners sugar in a large bowl, using an electric mixer. Keep adding more confectioners sugar until the icing is as thick as you'd prefer. I used about 4 cups, and it was light and airy.

Ice the cupcakes using a frosting gun, pasty bag or spatula.

Voila!

Interview with Horribell Originals and a Discount!!

Sweet Sangria interviews Danielle Yanchuck of Horribell Originals!!



I've been a loyal customer for several years to Horribell Originals and have gotten to know it's owner/creator Danielle Yanchuck pretty well over that time. When I decided to start publishing interviews on this blog, the first person I thought of was her. She has a great store, a very original style and hundreds of loyal customers that keep coming back! I can't think of anyone else that I would like to have as my first interview! So enjoy the read, and take a peek at her store, Horribell Originals on Etsy. She has some excellent items, especially for October! Check at the bottom of the article of a preview of some of her items, as well as a coupon code for 20% off!

S: What is your inspiration for your pieces?

Danielle: My designs are mostly inspired by vintage and new school tattoo art, kustom kulture, pin ups, aggressive music, and my unrelenting love for horror. I'm a big fan of chunky, attention-getting pieces that make a statement, and that's what you'll find in my shop.

S: What made you decide you wanted to open an Etsy shop?

Danielle: My Etsy shop emerged by pure accident... probably in the same manner many other etsy businesses evolve. I found some cool supplies that inspired some fun ideas, put them together and threw the line out to see if anyone would bite. When they did, I threw a mini party, and everything snowballed from there. A positive response was all the motivation I needed to grow from that point on.

S: What is your hottest selling item right now?

Danielle: Skeleton Goddess Cameos. I have them in probably a dozen different colors and they remain a shop staple.

S: What is an accessory that you can't live without?

Danielle: I don't think I've gone a day since age 12 without black eyeliner.

S: What inspired you to make your Boxer Rescue necklaces?

Danielle: I started making the "Luv for Nubs" necklaces in an effort to give something back to the breed that has brought me so much happiness. I've had an obsession with boxers since I was a little girl, despite growing up with Labs, and ever since my husband and I got our first back in 2005, I've never turned back. We lost our beloved Tuff last Christmas, and have since brought a new wiggly, kissy, smoosh-face into our lives, but Tuff definitely set the standard. The breed has completely and irrevocably stolen my heart.

All profits from my "Luv for Nubs" necklaces are donated to Adopt A Boxer Rescue, a non-profit, all-volunteer rescue that operates throughout the northeast United States. You can visit their website at http://www.adoptaboxerrescue.com/.

S: What tricks or tips do you give fellow Etsy shop owners to helping get their store to the level of popularity that you store has reached?

Danielle: Advertise Advertise Advertise. I don't do nearly as much as I should, but every little bit helps. Etsy has exploded in the last year and honestly, the moment you list an item it gets buried under 100 other items. If you don't advertise your product, no one will know it exists, period.

Secondly, be kind to your customers. Excellent customer service is a necessity for any business to succeed and etsy is no exception. If you treat your shoppers poorly or sit on their purchase for 2 weeks before you ship it, don't expect any repeat business.

Lastly, don't sell crap. I shouldn't have to elaborate here, but if your product is going to fall apart the second your buyer touches it (assuming it's meant to be touched), you're just setting yourself up for failure.




I would like to thank Danielle for taking the time to do this interview with me, as well as ask you all to go to her shop and check out all of the awesome items she has listed in her shop!

and here's a coupon code for 20% off your purchase at Horribell Originals!


Some of the items you may find:

20% off!

To celebrate the launch of the Sweet Sangria Twitter, I've created a coupon code that is good until Friday Oct 21 at 5pm. This is for 20% off anything in the store! In the future, I will only post discounts to the Twitter page, so make sure you are following @TweetSangria to stay in the loop on any discounts that may come in the future!

the Sweet Sangria Etsy shop is back open for business!

I'm excited to announce that the Sweet Sangria Etsy shop is back open for business! I'm sure many of you received the email that the shop is no longer on vacation and I hope you are excited for what I have in store! Last night, I listed a few items, and you can expect me to list new things each week!

I am waiting on listing a few things until I release some specials in the coming days, so I hope you are excited and I hope you keep checking back every few days to see if something strikes your fancy. You can hear about specials by following Sweet Sangria on Twitter or by liking the Sweet Sangria Facebook Page. Last night I listed a few handknit goodies as well as some vintage handbags. When it comes to vintage, I am very particular about what I list, so expect what you see to be special.

The handbags I have listed I have searched everywhere on the web for and have not found another. Get your hands on some one of a kind knits and classic retro handbags while they last. I have some funky jewelry and household items coming soon!

Check it out!