Sunday, February 23, 2014

What a wild Saturday night

Guess what I did for 6 hours straight on a Saturday night...
...I baked!

It was for a friend's birthday so I went all out. I made funfetti cupcakes, mini red velvet cheesecakes, and cheesecake cupcakes.


Saturday, February 22, 2014

My love for salmon!


If I could, I would eat salmon every day. But you know, it's probably not a good idea since moderation is key and all. 

Like most fish, salmon is packed with Omega-3 fatty acids that are responsible for giving you shiny hair, bright eyes, and healthy skin. With other nutrients such as Vitamins A, D, E, B26, and B12, they also help lower the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Other health benefits include: 

✰ Improves memory
✰ Lowers cholesterol 
✰ Speeds up your metabolism 
✰ Reduces the risk of having strokes & heart attacks 

I thought I would share a simple recipe for baked salmon because it's not every day where you find something that tastes good and is also extremely beneficial to your health. 

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Lemon Cupcakes

My first attempt at making lemon cupcakes and they turned out so wonderfully moist and fluffy! I wish I could go over there and feed you my cupcakes just to show you how good they are-I'm being serious! And if you enjoy lemon-flavored things, then you have to make these cupcakes, you MUST! Okay, I'm getting way too excited over this. 

Makes 6-7 of these lemon-flavored goodness 

Prep time: 15 minutes
Oven time: 18 minutes at 350º F 
Cool time: 40 minutes 

Ingredients:

Cupcakes
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk (cow, almond, soy)
zest + fresh juice of 1 medium-sized lemon 

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 
1-2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
lemon zest for decoration (optional)

Directions:

1. Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and vanilla. Set aside.

2. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in another bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring with a spatula as you go. Add the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix until everything is combined. Do not over mix.

3. Pour batter a little more than 2/3 of the way into cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350º F.

4. For the frosting, beat softened butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.
Adjust the thickness of the mixture by adding more powdered sugar/milk. Frost cooled cupcakes and top with lemon zest before serving. 

If you make these, share your pictures of your lovely creations and we can bond over our love for lemon-flavored things :)

Thursday, February 6, 2014

My baking journal #1

As you can probably tell, I like to bake sweet things and take pictures of them. I also like playing around with filters to make the desserts look as yummy as they taste. Here is the very first mini compilation of my baking adventures so far!


Sunday, February 2, 2014

Chocolate Chip Muffins


Makes 12 muffins

Prep time: 15 minutes
Oven time: 28 minutes at 325º F

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/4 cup whole milk 
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and add in milk and melted butter. Mix well.
2. In a big mixing bowl, toss together flour, sugar, backing powder, and salt.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring occasionally. Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way and bake for 28 minutes at 325º F or until golden.