Posts filed under 'Candy'
Ebony and Ivory Cupcakes v.2 - two-toned cupcakes, vanilla and chocolate, frosted with a swirl of slightly sweetened whipped cream and decorated with a two-toned chocolate button. Price available upon request.
new and improved
Some of those who inquire about my cupcakes ask about swirled fluffy toppings with sprinkles on top. There is indeed something seductive about a swirl of frosting. And ain’t it sweet when someone bites into an iced cupcake and reveals a frosting mustache after?
This cupcake is a rework of my Ebony and Ivory cupcake. To improve the vanilla flavor, I used my homemade vanilla sugar and pure Madagascar bourbon vanilla extract by Lorann Gourmet. I also used low-fat milk that has a very vanilla flavor. I accidentally added a bit more milk but fortunately the cupcake turned out fluffier. Since I cannot find my favorite chocolate bar (Frey) that has 72% cocoa solids, I used the one with 55% and it worked better for this cupcake.
I must say that this version of the cupcake really has an improved flavor and texture. There is a nice balance of flavors and you can taste both the very vanilla and dark chocolate notes each without overpowering the other. Using real Madagascar vanilla extract and vanilla sugar really makes a difference—see the nice specks of the vanilla bean seeds throughout the cupcake!
I frosted each cupcake with a rosette of slightly sweetened whipped cream to appease those who love fluffy swirled frostings. My other version of this cupcake has a ganache frosting. Although I am partial to ganache, the whipped cream topping is also great and lets the two cupcake flavors be the stars.
The two-toned chocolate button atop the frosting is actually just a white chocolate disc. I dipped half of it on melted dark chocolate to complete the two-toned theme of the cupcakes. Looks like the black and white cookies New York is famous for, right?
These are among my favorite cupcakes. Although making them are still fiddly (no overlapping of different batters, please!), the taste and look are worth the effort. Yum!
July 20th, 2010
Good Golly Miss Holly Cupcake - fudgy brownie cupcake frosted with shiny chocolate glaze and decorated with chocolate candy gift box and silver and gold dragees. Price available upon request.
inspired by Tiffany; necklace not included!
I was making some chocolate truffle gift box candies when I noticed the similarity of the candy box to the famed Tiffany jewelry box. I thought it would make a great cupcake topper. I call this cupcake “Good Golly Miss Holly” after the character Holly Golightly from the book and film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. I haven’t read the book nor seen the movie but I know that the opening scene of the film shows Holly (as played by Audrey Hepburn) alighting from a cab in front of Tiffany and Co. jewelry store in Manhattan’s 5th Ave. Holly eats a pastry and drinks coffee while looking through the window display. Is this the title’s explanation?
My cake base is actually a brownie in cupcake form, crusty on the sides and soft and very fudgy in the middle. More chocolate, less flour. I am very partial to ganache and chocolate on chocolate is always a winning combination so I frosted the cupcake with ganache. I also sprinkled some silver and gold dragees to represent the “jewels.”
This cupcake is perfect for bridal showers, debuts, or for girls who adore jewelry. For men out there who want to impress, a box of these cupcakes and a box of Tiffany jewelry will surely endear you to your lady love.
As for the Loving Heart Tiffany necklace in the above photo, it is one of my cherished possessions and therefore does not come with the cupcake! 
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bring on the (cupcake) war!
Who knew that the term “cupcake wars” will be taken so seriously by two Utah cupcakeries? The cupcake in dispute is a Breakfast at Tiffany’s-inspired cupcake. One baker accused another of trade dress infringement (translation: copycatting). You can read the details here. Reminds me of the lawsuit filed years ago by San Miguel Corp. against Asia Brewery regarding the “suspicious” similarities between one established beer and a market newcomer.
So much for the idea that cupcakes bring happiness!
July 5th, 2010
a bonafide runner, finally!
I recently completed my first 5K race during the National Geographic Channel Earth Day Run 2010 last April 18 at the SM Mall of Asia. Out of 1754 racers, I placed 317th with a PR (personal record) of 34:17 mins. Not bad for a first-timer! My runner friend R._ who is racing for his first full marathon this May suggested indulging on a cake to celebrate my accomplishment.
As I was surfing the net for ideas, I came across this intriguing cupcake created to celebrate the 2010 Boston Marathon. This cupcake has Gatorade Jello in it. Hmm. I was thinking more of something with cocoa, milk, bananas—natural food that can refuel tired muscles after a tough workout.
When I came across this chocolate banana cupcake recipe, I thought it fit the post exercise snack perfectly. Carbs? Check. Protein? Check. Sodium? Check. Flavor and texture? Check. Ok, so this also has sugar but some elite runners have been known to indulge in pizza and french fries as post race fuel so I guess a cupcake can not be that bad!
Anyway, right out of the oven, my nephew P._ gobbled two. My 16-year-old niece K._ who ran the 3K in the NatGeo Run with her mom and placed 258th out of 1466 runners— I am mighty proud of her!—got one piece, reached for the peanut butter and slathered it on her cupcake. Taking a cue from her, I made chocolate peanut butter (another protein source!) ganache to frost the cupcake. The ganache tasted great but I felt it was a bit overwhelming. I might try a plain ganache next time. I promised my good friend R._ that as soon as I get some chocolate candy molds of running shoes to make my cupcake toppers, I will bake him some of these goodies so he can reward himself after a long run.
I will be improving on this cupcake and I will post the final version when I get everything right—frosting, topper, photo and all. And I hope I get to shave some time from my PR on my next race on May 2!
April 21st, 2010
Have you ever eaten one of those gourmet chocolates which have some sort of printed designs on their tops? I found out that they are done using magnetic chocolate molds and chocolate transfer sheets. Magnetic molds have two pieces, bottom and sides, that are held together by magnets. The transfer sheet is an acetate sheet that has a design on one side This is placed in between the molds which are then locked and when the chocolate has set, you pull apart the mold, peel the sheet and voila, the design (made of cocoa butter) is transferred to the chocolate and you have sophisticated chocolate bonbons ready to be savored. Here is an easy tutorial on how they are done.
I don’t have any magnetic molds on hand and I don’t want to splurge on them yet (price starts at $45), so I just used a 1″x 1″x 1/2″ petit four chocolate candy mold that has been gathering dust somewhere in our kitchen shelf. I cut the transfer sheet to fit each cavity and proceeded to make truffle-filled chocolate confections.
Don’t you agree that the chocolates look awesome? The green and black chocolates didn’t require any transfer sheet but they are spectacular as well. Now if I can only get my hands on that chocolate tempering machine that I so covet …
February 22nd, 2010
Safari Cupcakes - cupcakes decorated with jungle animals made of molded chocolate. Flavors include Devil’s Food, Chocolate Banana and Chocolate Chip, all topped with bittersweet chocolate glaze. Price available upon request.
in the jungle
These cupcakes are perfect for a safari-themed children’s party. Colorful elephants, lions, horses, hippos and rhinos made of luscious chocolate will surely delight kids of all ages.
The photo below shows an order by my friend H._ who said that the adults in the party were also taken by the cupcakes. The cake base used was Chocolate Chip.
August 25th, 2008
