Monday mashup: cuddles and comforts

It was a gray and dreary weekend in Boston -- perfect for resting with Peggy Sue, baking this month's alcohol-infused cupcakes (recipe post tomorrow!) and indulging in this mac and cheese. I did have to leave the house for a few hours Sunday to take some photos for work, and while it was chilly and blah out, Alex and I managed to have some fun walking the streets of Beacon Hill, lusting after brownstones, and taking pictures of the ducklings in St. Patrick's Day hats.

Not pictured but I also retired my rainbow New Balance sneakers after a 10 mile run in the rain Saturday. I'm sad to see these babies go as they were my marathon shoe but it was time. And my new sneaks are pretty awesome. Yes. That was random. It's Monday.

October cupcake: pumpkin cheesecake with "whipped cream" frosting

For this month's cupcake, instead of following a recipe created by a trained culinary professional -- or by someone with at least a decent amount of kitchen skills -- I decided I'd just tweak my favorite pumpkin cheesecake recipe.*

Don't ask me why I thought I could successfully transform a cheesecake into a cupcake -- must be all the Cupcake Wars and Chopped episodes I watch -- but I was extremely determined.

And so I woke up Sunday morning, threw on my black Northeastern University sweatshirt (lesson 1: wearing black while working with flour is a big mistake -- though I do love to show my school spirit in the kitchen. HUSKIES.), and went to work mixing and measuring like a mad kitchen scientist. I created four different versions of a pumpkin cheesecake cupcake, and shockingly all were edible.

Actually they were more than edible -- they all were good!

But the version I present to you today is beyond good. In fact, boyfriend Jack declared it the greatest cupcake he's ever eaten in his entire life.

And boyfriend Jack knows his cupcake shiz.

This recipe produces super moist cupcakes that taste just like pumpkin cheesecake. I mixed shortbread cookies -- used for the crust in the original recipe -- into the batter, which created a cake-like consistency -- and made me feel like the smartest woman in the world.

Oh and the frosting?

Oh. My. God.

I can't take credit for inventing it -- that honor belongs to MissyDew. I was searching for a frosting that resembled whipped cream in taste but had a thicker consistency when I came across a recipe called "the greatest frosting I ever tasted". And boy oh boy it really is the greatest frosting ever. (Apparently so good that it makes me say "boy oh boy".) Though it uses two sticks of butter and flour (say what?!), it's somehow light, fluffy, and tastes way better than any whipped cream I've ever had.

Clearly with this recipe I'm ready for Cupcake Wars -- as long as the surprise ingredient is this guy:

September cupcake: apple cake with caramel frosting

This cupcake concoction is a less messy, more grown-up version of a caramel apple (i.e., it's not awkward to eat in public). There are chunks of Fuji and Granny Smith apples in every single cake bite and the thick caramel frosting adds just the right amount of sweetness to the fruit.

For the batter, I used this recipe from a winning Cupcake Wars trio.

 

The frosting recipe is from another TV show -- TLC's Cake Boss. (I did not plan to mix TV shows in this recipe though I'm quite happy that I did.)

I'm not quite sure why but my frosting wasn't spreadable -- it had a fondant-like consistency. (Coincidentally, I learned about fondant from Buddy.) So instead of piping it on, I simply rolled a little bit of frosting into a ball, flattened it out, and pressed it onto the cupcake.

Worked like a charm.

I also chopped up some roasted peanuts for the topping. Boyfriend thinks they're completely unnecessary; I think they're cute and delicious.

To each their own cupcake, I guess.

Like this post? You're in luck! Since cupcakes are phenomenal, I'll be posting a seasonal cupcake recipe at the start of every month (and probably some holiday specials). If you have any requests, please let me know.

Labor Day mashup

As may be evident by the photos above, my Labor Day weekend was filled with random -- yet completely awesome -- things. I survived my first ever 20 mile run (I'm not crazy -- I'm training for the NYC marathon), got all dolled up for drinks with fantastic friends, relaxed on the beach, and tackled some much needed cleaning. Combine that with a lot of silliness and a little baking and you get a great way to end the summer -- and to kick off the fall.