Saturday, March 28, 2009

Mini Faux Cupcakes Fo-cakes? Fo sho!

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It is only funny to me and the six other people on the face of the planet who share my sense of humor. I hope I meet one of them some day. I'm lame, I know it. It's one of my endearing qualities. Right?

Moving on. I read about cupcake balls a few places on the internet and was mildly interested. Then I was reading The Pioneer Woman one day and saw the mini cupcake looking cupcake ball treats and thought "OHMYGOSH! I can actually do this!" So I commenced to doin'. I made these last night and I had a lot of fun. They're cute, too. For once I didn't worry about being perfect, maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much. I know these pictures are not the best. They were snapped in haste by a volunteer, and I'm grateful. I will make more soon and I hope to post better pictures. This recipe was on The Pioneer Woman, with better pictures. She had Bakerella over to give a demonstration. Bakerella makes all kinds of cute varieties and shows them on her site.

Here's how simple it was:
1. Bake a 9x13 cake. Even from a box. Whatever flavor you like. I did chocolate.
2. Let the cake cool completely. I cooled mine overnight.
3. In a large bowl, completely crumble up the cake.
4. Add 2 cups frosting and mush it all together until it is completely mixed. Use your hands. It feels like quicksand when you're done. Not that I have ever felt quicksand. But it does. (2 cups is exactly the amount in a tub of frosting from the grocery store!)
5. put the mixture in the fridge and get it nice and cold. I put mine in for at least a couple of hours, but Bakerella says an hour should be good.
6. Take it out and roll it into balls. I used a Tupperware coffee scoop to sort of measure it. Just so all the balls would be of equal sizes. You can just use your hands, or use a cookie scoop, or whatever else you want. This is supposed to make about 50. The scoop I used made 48. Next time I'm going to make them a bit smaller. Just my preference.
7. Put the rolled balls in the fridge for about an hour. I ran to the store to buy chocolate while mine were in the fridge. The bags of milk chocolate I thought I had were nowhere to be found.
8. Take the balls out of the fridge.
9. Fill candy cups (the kind you would use for a peanut butter cup) about a third way full to half full. You'll sort of get the hang of it after you do a couple.
10. Put a cake ball down into each chocolate filled spot.
11. Put the tray in the fridge for a few minutes. By the time I did the next tray, the first one was ready to come out.
12. Turn the tray upside down and gently push the bottom of each piece of candy in the mold. They will pop right out.
13. Dip the part of the cake ball which is still exposed into a different color of melted chocolate.
14. Sprinkle with whatever kind of decorative stuff you want.
15. Wait two seconds then eat!
16. You can wait longer than two seconds, if you want.

Bakerella says these can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks with no problem and no refrigeration. Although you can put them in the fridge if you would like.

*I say airtight is too much. As an old Tupperware lady I say never keep cake in an airtight container. This is why Tupperware ladies never tell you to burp your cake taker. It promotes fast mold. Also, as an experiment I put some in an airtight container and some were not in an airtight container. After a few days (Bakerella says they can be kept up to two weeks) the ones in an airtight container were sweating. I say give them some air. The ones getting air are still in perfect condition.

They really do taste better the second day. According to Bakerella they get better every day. We shall see! I'm taking some to my granparents tomorrow. I'll be making them again for Easter.



SUPER BIG HINTS: If your cupcake balls are too cold and the chocolate very hot suction starts to play a part. If the chocolate gets low in the dipping dish = suction. And I had TOTAL suction when I tried her spoon tap trick. Little suckers would not release from the spoon. This is why I made two cupcake balls and 46 with the chocolate molds. Definitely do the chocolate molds. Cuter and way easier.

Oh yeah, you will need:
A homemade 9x13 cake or 1 cake mix baked in a 9x13 inch pan.
16 oz, 2 cups, or one tub of frosting from the grocery store.
Sprinkles or whatever you want to decorate the tops.
1 bag of milk chocolate (or whatever color/s you want) for the bottoms.
1 bag of whatever color/s chocolate you want for the tops.

(You will have leftover chocolate) I got my chocolate at Michael's and JoAnn Fabrics. I know they even sell it at WalMart. I used Wilton's candy melts because I have worked with them a lot in the past and am very comfortable with them. I think they are super easy to use. You could also use chocolate bark (aka almond bark)

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Migas, My Way

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I know it looks like I cook something about once a month. Eh, close enough to the truth.

So I do not have pictures (again) because the battery in my camera is dead. I've known for a week, but I'm lazy. I did make some delicious migas this morning, which made my husband happier than a charged battery ever could.

Here's what I used this morning:
Eggs (this morning I used 6)
Whipping cream (or half & half if you're a sissy) (or milk if you have lost the will to live)
Corn tortillas (this morning I used 3)
Vegetable oil (enough to put about a quarter inch in a small pan)
Olive oil ( I poured in about enough)
Butter (I used a glob)
One Roma tomato
About half a good-sized onion
A handful of leftover french fries
A jalepeno
About 25 twigs of cilantro
A handful of shredded co-jack (use whatever cheese makes you happy)

That was it this morning.

Heat the oil in the small pan and start your tortillas. I fry mine until they have a little bit of standyness. (It should be a word) They don't flop over and fold up if you try to stand them up. Who tries to stand up tortillas? Weirdos. I do. To see if they are fried the way I want. I use an 8" skillet for these.

Crack the eggs and pour in some of your whipping cream. (trust me, whipping cream makes the texture ahhhhmazing. Whisk those up and let them set. I don't know why, this is just the order I do things.

Pour some olive oil in a large skillet. I used a 10" skillet this morning. Add your glob of butter. Set it to medium heat and melt them together.

Cut up your onion. I semi-dice. I like to have small pieces and a few larger pieces of onion. This is just my preference. Toss onion in the 10" skillet. (hey, don't forget about those tortillas you are frying!)

Cut up the french fries into bite-sized bits. Toss them in the 10" skillet.

Let the fries and the onion cook together for a couple of minutes.

Cut up the jalepeno. I do like to dice this fairly small. Although not tiny. I love the textures. Toss the jalepeno into the 10" skillet. This. smells. so. good.

Cut up the tomato and toss it in the skillet. That sizzle was a beautiful sound, wasn't it? Once these are incorporated into the rest of the yummy stuff turn the heat down and give it a minute. You don't want the eggs to cook too fast.

Keep tending to those corn tortillas!

Add your whisked eggs and cream. I use a rubber spatula to gently move my eggs in the pan. You don't want to chop them up and stir them around. Be gentle, these are nice eggs.

Chop up the cilantro. I use a good part of the stems, too.

Take the fried tortillas and cut them, like a little pizza, into 8 pieces. I just stack mine on top of each other and use a pizza wheel.

When the eggs are only going to be folded one more time I toss in the tortillas, cheese, and cilantro.

Fold the eggs for the final time and turn off the heat, leaving the pan on the skillet. Leave the pan on the skillet? What was I thinking? I mean leave the skillet/pan on the burner. You are so lucky to have me.

Add a little bit of salt, and start eating! If you have enough patience to get a plate, more power to you.

You will want to eat these three times a week. I could almost give up chocolate for these. Almost.

*I forgot the garlic today, which I usually add right before I add the tomato.
 
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