Think Pink

I am a not ashamed to say that I am a girly girl.

I loved Barbies. And the Spice Girls.

I love pink lip gloss. And pink nail polish. And sparkly pink stilettos.

Pink roses. Pink Balloons. Cupcakes with swirly pink frosting topped with pink sprinkles. Giant tufts of soft pink cotton candy. LOVE. IT. ALL.

Now, I don’t indulge the Barbie doll in me on a daily basis. My apartment is not explosion of pink satin and sequins. And I don’t dress like Elle Woods. I do have some taste, after all.

But in February? When everywhere you look its red-pink-hearts-hugging teddy bears-chocolate kisses –I love you-pink-pink-PINK-XOXO!!!!

Well, why not embrace it? That’s all I’m saying.

My boyfriend and I have never made a huge deal out of Valentines day. I mean, we love each other everyday, right? Besides, after Christmas and my birthday in January, our wallets have generally had enough of gift giving. We do try to spend the evening together though, going out for a nice meal, or cooking one at home together. 

These SWEET treats would not be a bad way to end the night with your sweetheart. 


Emphasis on the sweet.

As you can see, they are PINK and coated in sprinkles and so very very cute. 

This was my first attempt at making cake pops and I would really like to tell you all that this was like, SO totally easy! I could make cake pops in my sleep! Hah! But sadly, it just isn’t so.

Sure, making a cake is simple enough.

Whip up some frosting? No problem.

Mush em together? Done!

Roll it into balls? Tricky, but I thiiiink I can manage that.

Now, take those balls and plunge a lollipop stick into them.Then hold them by the stick and dip them into a bowl of melted candy. And whatever you do, DON’T LET THE CAKE FALL OFF THE STICK OR THE CANDY WILL BE RUINED!!!

Did you manage that without having an aneurism? Almost? Ok, good. Now, you don’t want a bunch of lumpy candy coating on those balls, do you? So take the stick and TAP AND TURN TAP AND TURN TAP AND TURN. Not too hard, not too fast. Gently, I said gently!

Whew! Got it? If so, then you’re doing better that I did the first time around.

I swear, so many explatives were coming from my kitchen, Henry actually forbid my from ever making cake pops again. FORBID ME. 

But then he tasted them.

Pretty sure I’ll be making cake pops again.

Red Velvet Cake

Whenever possible, to save on time and clean up, I like to make my cake recipes into 1 bowl cake recipes. This one comes close - I place a small handheld sieve (you can use a sifter if you have one) over the bowl of wet ingredients, and sift directly into the bowl. But the wet ingredients still need to be combined seperately and incorporated slowly.

Ingredients

1 ½ Cups sugar

1 Cup vegetable or sunflower oil

2 Eggs, room temperature

1 ½ Cups AP flour

3 Tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa powder

1 Teaspoon baking powder

1 Teaspoon baking soda

½ Teaspoon salt

1 Cup buttermilk

1 ½ Tablespoons red food colouring (or an equal amount of water with 1 Teaspoon gel food colouring mixed in)

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease and flour a 9X13" pan (or 2 - 9" round pans).

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or use a large bowl with a hand mixer), combine butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low speed, add eggs 1 at a time, followed by the vanilla.

3. In a large liquid measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, vinegar, and red food colouring. Remove mixer bowl from stand (if you are using one) and sift dry ingredients directly into the bowl. Return the bowl to its stand and gradually pour in the wet ingredients, while mixing on low speed. Continue to mix until batter is smooth (it will be liquidy).

4. Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Rotate the pan halfway through to bake evenly. Cool in pan for a few minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting

You will only need about half of this frosting (around 2 cups). There is of course the option of cutting the recipe in half, or you can do like I did and stick the rest in your freezer for a frosting emergency :)

Ingredients

1 (500 gram) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 Cup butter, room temperature
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 Cups icing sugar, sifted

1. Cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla.
2. With mixer on low, add the icing sugar 1 cup at a time. Beat until smooth.

Making the Cake Pops 

You will need:

* Lollipop Sticks (mine were 6 inch)
* 2 - 12 oz. bags of Candy Melts (I used Wilton)


1. Once the cake has cooled completely, crumble it into a large bowl. Mix in the frosting in until evenly distributed. I began doing this with a spatula, but resorted to using my hands in the end. I got a bit messy, but it was quite fun!


2. Line a large cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper. Roll spoonfuls of cake between the palms of your hands to form balls, mine were a little smaller than golf ball sized. Stick a lollipop stick into each ball, about two thirds of the way through. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes to set. 


3. Melt the candy melts in the microwave according to package directions (be sure to use a microwave safe bowl). Stir well to get a smooth consistency. 


4. Once the cake balls have set well, begin to coat them in the candy. The trick seems to be to hold them by the sticks and dip them straight in and out of candy, without swirling or turning them at all. Then to hold the stick against the edge of the bowl and (as I said) gently tap and turn to get rid of any excess candy. You might find this video from Bakerella helpful.

5. Place the finished cake pops on a stirofoam stand or a box with holes cut in it to dry. Then serve and enjoy :)


Have a very happy, love filled, sparkly pink Valentine's day everyone!

XO,

Maia

It's My Birthday and I'll Bake If I Want To

I am a liar. 

It is not my Birthday.

However, it was my Birthday...  about 2 weeks ago now. Oops! Time flies!  BUT I kinda maybe really wanted to use this title.  So I am gonna just go ahead and do as I please. It is my Birthday after all. 

I mean, it's really not. But it was. And was it ever a great Birthday! One of my best.

 

It wasn't hard to beat, considering last year I spent the day at home with a recurring case of bronchitis. Pretty much anything would have been better than that. But it really was a great weekend. Old friends, new friends, a decadent brunch, a fabulous dinner here (so good I forgot to take pictures!), and oodles of presents! This girl was spoiled. Thank you to all my wonderful friends for making my day so special. You know who you are ;) Love love love you all.

Okay enough with the warm fuzzies. Let's get to the cake! I know that's why you're all here.

I actually whipped up this cake the day after my Birthday, when my girlfriends and I gathered at my house for a lil' slumber party. It was just like in the good old days: Movies, junk food, prancing around my bedroom in hair curlers and nightgowns, singing into hair brushes about boys we met on summer nights a la Sandy & crew in Grease...

Okay, maybe that last part didn't really happen.

Ahem... moving on. I was a teensy bit distracted when I made this cake, which resulted in a few... hiccups. FULL DISCLOSURE: This cake was SALTY. And not intentionally so. 

While making my much beloved Swiss Meringue Buttercream, I mistakenly grabbed salted butter from the fridge instead of unsalted. And I failed to notice until it was all almost mixed in. Now I wouldn't say this ruined the frosting, but it certainly made it more... interesting. After the first couple bites the salt was unnoticeable, and you just wanted more More MORE cake! Sodium will do that I guess. Anyway, it wasn't inedible (far from!), but I wouldn't recommend you try it on purpose. It can't be good for you.

The other problem I found was that the layers didn't rise quite as much as I would have liked. I am not sure if this was a cocoa/ leavener issue (hmm apparently leavener is not a word. good to know), or perhaps my oven temperature? Either way, they were a bit flat. For this reason, I didn't level them off as I normally would have, not wanting to lose any precious cake. Regardless, I really do like this cake recipe. It is nice and rich and moist, and is so easy to throw together. It would be nice if it were thick enough to split into four decent sized layers though. I will probably give it a shot again with some modifications, I'll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, you can check out the original recipes. If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know how it works for you. Or if you have a dark chocolate cake recipe you love, send it my way!

One Bowl Dark Chocolate Cake from Sweetapolita

Swiss Meringue Buttercream from Martha Stewart

Chocolate Glaze From Martha Stewart

Enjoy the rest of your week. I'll be back with some Valentine's treats very soon!

XO,

Maia

A Cure for the January Blues: Tomato Basil Risotto with Bite Sized Sausage Meatballs

There is snow on the ground. Not slush. Not sleet or hail. Real Snow. And you know what, I actually don’t mind. Sure, it makes commuting a bit of a pain.  But it’s only a couple of inches so far, and it’s a nice change from the usual months-long-rain-storm we get here in Vancouver. And it is kind of cozy to sit by the "fire" and look out the window at the snow covered hills.  It makes me slightly nostalgic for my small-town childhood. But only slightly. The snow here should melt within the week, where as then it would last for at least four months.

* I say "fire" because I will not try to fool you (or myself) into believing that my apartment sized electric fireplace is any excuse for a real fire. Oh, what I would do to be able to warm my hands over a real live flame flickering away in my own living room.

Also, tonight I will be trying out skiing for the first time in, oh I don’t know, ten or twelve  years? I am excited and nervous at the same time, wish me luck!

This dish will serve to fill my belly and hopefully sustain me for the multitude of falls I’ll be taking.  It is surprisingly simple and quick to whip up, and is seriously delicious.

Tomato Basil Risotto with Bite Sized Sausage Meatballs

I used whole foods Lemon Herb Turkey Sausages, because of the lemon herb flavour, and also the leanness of turkey. I find whole foods chicken and turkey sausages really nice and moist compared to the average. But any sausage will really work here. For the tomato sauce, I used leftovers of some homemade marinara. Your favourite jarred tomato sauce will work great, and even plain old canned tomatoes will do, but they may need some extra seasoning. I am also loving the way a touch of lemon zest can brighten up a tomato based sauce, you really must give it a try!

Ingredients  

2 Tbsp oil

1-2 Tbsp butter

1 Small onion, diced small

2 Cloves garlic

Salt and pepper

1 Cup arborio rice

1 Cup tomato sauce

3 Cups vegetable or chicken stock – brought to a simmer and kept warm in a small pot

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Small bunch fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

A handful of fresh cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (about ½ - ¾ cup)

Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

4-5 Large uncooked sausages

1. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a heavy pot or dutch oven over med-high heat. When oil is hot, add 1 Tbsp of butter and let it foam. Add the onions and garlic and reduce heat to medium. Sautee, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent. Careful not to let them brown.

2. Add the Arborio rice to the pot and continue to stir often, until the rice begins to toast lightly.

3. Add the tomato sauce, lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and stir until the rice has absorbed most of the sauce.

4. Keep the heat at medium-low. Add the warm stock about ½ cup at a time – stirring often and letting the liquid absorb fully before each addition. If the rice begins to stick, don’t be afraid to add more butter, about a teaspoon at a time. It will make your dish wonderfully creamy.

5. While the rice is cooking, start to form your sausages into little balls. Make sure you remove all of the sausage casing first, then divide each one into about 6-1 inch balls (Mine may be a little smaller, as I wanted truly bite sized). Shape the balls by rolling them between the palms of your hands.

6. After the last addition of stock add in the cherry tomatoes, about half of the basil, and a handful of Parmesan. Taste the seasoning and adjust if needed. Stir over low heat a little longer, the rice should be thick and creamy, and all of the liquid should be absorbed.

7. Heat more olive oil in a pan over med-high heat. Add half of the meatballs and cook, turning when needed, until browned on all sides. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon over the meatballs to de-glaze the pan; you can also use red or white wine for this. Once the juice has cooked off, remove the meatballs to a dish and repeat with the remaining ones.

Top each dish of risotto with meatballs, more basil and Parmesan, and dig in!

Serves 2 huge portions (with leftovers), or 4 normal people.

All Wrapped Up

Here’s a little peek at what my nearest and dearest will be receiving this Christmas.

 Two types of Cookies done up in cute little bundles.

I used little paper bags, folded over and tied with twine, and adorned with these adorable gift tags I downloaded from Eat Drink Chic (thanks Pinterest!). I also decorated the bags with a bit of coordinating Washi Tape. LOVE this stuff. Must get more.

For Friends.

For Co-workers.

For Me!

 

We are having a little get together at our house tonight and I am very excited to celebrate the Holidays with good friends. And for even more so for the Christmas fun in the days to come. Merry Christmas Eve-Eve everyone! I hope you have a very happy holiday full of love and presents and delicious food!

See ya in the New Year!

XO,

Maia

Can I offer you a Cookie?

In the beginning of december my holiday baking list looked something like this:

Caramels

Toffee

2 Kinds of Fudge

2 Kinds of Truffles

3 Kinds of cookies

2 Kinds of bars

3 Cakes

When I realized that I had gone ABSOLUTELY INSANE, the list got paired down to:

Toffee

1 Kind of Fudge

3 Kinds of Cookies

1 Kind of bars

2 Cakes

And finally:

2 Kinds of Cookies

1 Kind of bars

2 Cakes

This plan yielded less than the jaw-dropping results I was going for. But it allowed for me to sleep some nights, which is nice. The cakes are non-negotiable, as they are for parties we are invited to. The bars – this blueberry bar recipe but with cranberry and orange instead – for a company function. Delish! And the cookies to gift to family and friends over the holidays.

Deciding on which cookie recipe to make is usually the hard part, but this year it was decided for me. In my oppinion, peanut butter cookies are probably the least Christmas-y of the cookie family. In fact these guys, with their orange and yellow spots, are perfect Halloween cookies to me. But… all my boyfriend wanted for Christmas was Peanut Butter Cookies. And I kinda like him. And see, all I want for Christmas is a puppy.

Sooo… Peanut Butter Cookies it will be. And here's to hoping there is a furry friend under the tree for me on Christmas morning!

Peanut Butter Reese’s Pieces Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/4 Cups all purpose flour

3/4 Teaspoon baking soda

1/2 Teaspoon baking powder

1/4 Teaspoon salt

1/2 Cup unsalted butter, softened

1 Cup peanut butter, at room temperature

3/4 Cup granulated sugar

1/2 Cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 Large egg

1 Tablespoon milk

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 Cup Reese’s Pieces candies

1/2 Cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2. Combine the butter and the peanut butter and beat together until fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix until combined, followed by the milk and the vanilla extract.

3. Add the flour mixture ½ cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Stir in the Reese’s Pieces candies and the chocolate chips.

4. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, placing cookies about 2 inches apart. Use the back of a spoon to gently press down on the centre of each cookie, but do not overly flatten the cookies.

5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Recipe Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies

I am way behind on the holiday baking this year! I know most food bloggers have had cookie and cake recipes coming out of their ears since the second week of December. While I had planned my baking for earlier this month, I just finally got started this past weekend. And I’m actually kind of glad. I personally don’t need a whole month with my apartment overflowing with sweets everywhere I turn. As it stands, the loads of cookies I’ve churned out over the past couple of days are going to have to be gifted ASAP if I want to avoid eating them all. 

This one is gonna be short and sweet. I love love love chocolate and peppermint. They are a match made in heaven. If you also love the combination, you simply must make these cookies. The cookies themselves really are like homemade Oreos, but with a stronger chocolate flavour (which I love). And the peppermint cream filling? I am speechless. It is too good for words.

Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies

Adapted from Joy the Baker

I was a little worried these cookies wouldn’t turn out, as I had never made a cookie dough with this technique before. The dough really is quite sandy and dry. But you just have to push the crumbly bits together really well before rolling out the dough and they will turn out perfectly. It’s like a sand castle.

The only change I made to the original recipe (aside from doubling it) was to the levening. I only had Dutch processed cocoa left in my cupboard, so I swapped the baking soda for baking powder. If you have regular un-dutched cocoa, you can change it back to baking soda. I don’t know if this change really affected the end result, as the cookies don’t rise that much to begin with, but better safe than sorry. I also really like the deeper chocolaty flavour I got from the dutched cocoa.

Ingredients – Peppermint Filling

1/2 Cup heavy cream
8 Ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 Teaspoon pure peppermint extract

1. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to boil over medium heat.  Remove from the heat and add the finely chopped white chocolate and peppermint extract.  Let the mixture stand for 1 minute (this is important), then whisk the white chocolate until completely melted.

2.Transfer the filling to a small bowl and let stand until room temperature.  The filling will need to be thicker to assemble the cookies, so cover and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour, until a thick consistency is reached.  If the filling hardens too much, it can be warmed in the microwave for a few seconds.  It’s best if left at room temperature until the proper consistency is achieved.  I actually sat mine out on out chilly balcony for about an hour, where it was cold but not as cold as the fridge.

Ingredients - Cookies

3/4 Cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
3/4 c+Cup unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder
1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 Teaspoons salt
15 Tablespoons (7 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, but into 3/4-inch cubes, at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed.  With the mixer running, add the butter a few pieces at a time.  The mixture will have a sandy texture at first and then will begin to form pebble sized pieces.  As soon as the dough starts to come together, stop the mixer.  Make sure all the butter is well incorporated.  If there are large butter pockets, mix for a few seconds more.

3. Form and roll the dough straight from the mixer.  The dough becomes hard to work with if chilled. Transfer the dough to a board and use the heel of your hand or a pastry scraper to shape the dough into a block about 5 by 7 inches.  Cut the block into two pieces.

4. Roll each block of dough between two pieces of lightly floured parchment paper until about 1/8-1/4 inch thick.  Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into 2 inch rounds.  Place about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.  You can form and roll the dough scraps once after the first roll.

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through baking.  Remove from the oven and cool on the sheets for 2 to 5 minutes.  They will be too soft to move straight from the oven.  Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

To assemble the cookies

1. Place half of the cookies upside down on a work surface.  Stir the filling lightly to loosen it, but don’t over mix or it will separate.  It will lighten in color and fluff up a bit.

2. Dollop a teaspoon of filling in the center of each upside down cookie.  Place another cookie on top and press down gently. I found it helped to twist slightly as you press, to distribute the filling evenly.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. My double batch made about 4 dozen cookies. I had a few cookies left over when I ran out of filling, but I like a lot of filling in mine.

Are you all enjoying the holidays? I hope you are able to find some time to enjoy the season amidst all the craziness. I finished up my shopping this afternoon (thank god that is over!), and I am looking forward to sipping hot cocoa while I wrap my gifts by the fireplace tonight.

It might be an electric fire, but I make the best of things. Happy holidays!

XO,

Maia

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream and Candied Pears

Oops! I seem to have taken an impromptu break from blogging. Sorry friends. I thought when classes ended and I only had work to deal with that I would be all over this blogger thing. But I just could not get with the program! As much as I wanted to want to whip up decadent sweet treats, and photograph them, and write about them here for you all. I guess I wanted more to spend my few free hours on the couch, in my pyjamas, eating cereal from the box for dinner and tending to my overflowing PVR. 

So I did. And it was wonderful.

Anywho, I seem to have gotten my motivation back. Here I am and suddenly the Holidays are in full swing! I think I must have slept through the first week of December because there are now only 12 days until Christmas. That's right. TWELVE. Holy moly, have I a lot to do! And I have lots of recipes I want to share with you. So lets start with cupcakes, shall we?

I cannot believe I have yet to post a cupcake recipe here. The summer before I started the blog, I was in cupcake overdrive. I was a one woman cupcake making machine. I baked cupcakes for every baby shower, bridal shower, birthday, barbeque, potluck, and picnic (hooray for accidental alliteration!). My clothes were permanently coated in flour and sugar, my fingers stained with a rainbow of food colouring and sticky with fondant. I’m pretty sure my kitchen walls are still spackled with ganache and marshmallow fluff in some places. Sorry, Henry.

But then something awful happened… I got sick of cupcakes. 

Shocking, I know. But I think I just got bored. Making cupcakes had become something I could do in my sleep... 

Wet ingredients.Dry ingredients.Measure.Mix.Scoop.Bake.Whisk egg whites.Add butter.Beat butter cream. Piping bag. Swirly frosting. Sprinkles. Wash dishes. Wash frosting out of hair. Sleep. Repeat.

My love for cupcakes had died. The passion was gone. The flame extinguished.

So I took a hiatus from the cupcake thing. I tried out some pies, some cookies, some cakes. For a while I even stopped eating (or making) baked goods completely. It was gluten free August. I may have been thinner, but there was a void in my heart that could only be filled by Swiss buttercream.

And then recently, friends of mine held a party, and when I asked what I could bring there was an enthusiastic request for cupcakes. There is something you should know about me and it is that I am a people pleaser. I like giving people what they want. I like to see my friends smile. And not much can bring on a smile like the combination of moist cake and sweet, fluffy frosting, all in a cute little portable bundle. A cake. In a cup. It's as simple as that.

 

They want cupcakes? Cupcakes they will get. But still, I wanted these cupcakes to be different. I wanted to create a mature, elegant, grown up cupcake. Not too sweet. Not covered in rainbow sprinkles. But still rich, sweet, and indulgent. So this is my interpretation of a grown up cupcake. I combined this light molassas cake, studded with candied ginger, with a creamy subtly maple flavoured Swiss meringue buttercream. Then I topped each little gem off with a candied pear slice, shards of glowing crystalized sugar, and more of the sparkly candied ginger.

 Now, thats one classy cupcake, if I do say so myself. But I'll let you be the judge. What do you think?!

I think the flame is rekindled.

I'll apologize now for the crazy amount of photos. I think these cupcakes are all so uniquely beautiful that I have to show you each and every one of them. 

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Candied Ginger

Ingredients

3 Cups all purpose flour

2 Teaspoons baking soda

1 Teaspoon salt

1 1/2 Teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or combine cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and all spice to make your own)

1 Teaspoon ground ginger

1 Cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 Cup dark brown sugar

3 Eggs

3/4 Cup molasses

1/2 Cup warm water

1 Cup candied or crystallized ginger, chopped into small pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. 

2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a large bowl and have a hand mixer ready), beat the butter and brown sugar together. Add the molasses and mix well. Beat in the eggs one at a time. 

4. With mixer on low, add half of the dry ingredients, then the water, followed by the rest of the flour mixture. Use a spatula to gently fold in the candied ginger. 

5. With an ice cream scoop or large spoon, fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full. Careful not to over fill your cups, or your cupcakes will end up with an unsightly muffin top. And no one likes a muffin top.

6. Bake for about 20 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cupcakes are done with a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for a few minutes, then transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Maple Swiss Meringue Buttercream

This is my all time favourite frosting for cakes and cupcakes. It is so perfectly smooth and heavenly, and isn't nearly as sweet as American buttercream. You can swap the maple for pretty much any extract or flavouring you'd like.

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups liquid egg whites (375 grams, or about 12 egg whites)

3 Cups granulated sugar

4 Cups (2 pounds) unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes

2 Tablespoons maple extract

Pinch of salt

1. Wipe the bowl of an electrical mixer, whisk attachment, and wire whisk with a paper towel and lemon juice to remove any trace of grease. Bring a pot of water to a boil, reduce to low and let simmer. 

2. Combine the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of your mixer and set over top of the simmering water. Make sure the water does not come to a boil. Whisk constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are warm (feel a drop between your finger tips to make sure there are no sugar granules).

3. Remove the bowl from the heat and place it back on your electric mixer. Whip the mixture with the whisk attachment until it is thick, glossy, and cool. 

4. Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter one cube at a time. Increase the speed and continue to mix the buttercream until it is smooth. If it curdles, just keep mixing. Add the maple extract and salt and continue to mix until it is smooth and fluffy.

Swiss buttercream can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks or frozen for 6-8 weeks. Leave at room temperature before using.

Candied Pears

3 Small pears (these were labeled as "fragrant pears" and were quite miniature)

1 Cup granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour sugar into a shallow dish. 

2. Slice the pears from root to tip, as thinly as you can. Or use a mandolin if you have one. Dip each pear slice in the sugar, coating each side well, and place on the parchment.

3. Bake for about 40 minutes, flipping after 20 minutes, until pear slices are golden and caramelized. Carefuly transfer each slice to a wire cooling rack to harden. 

Transfer the icing into a piping bag and give each cupcake a generous swirl of buttercream. Top with a candied pear and sprinkle with candied ginger. I also scraped some of the sugar from the pear pan and threw this on top too.

Cupcake and Buttercream recipes are adapted from Marth Stewart.