Red Velvet Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

So firstly I want to say happy Family day to my Canadian readers.  I hope there are a few of you.  Not sure what our plans are today, but I hope it involves lots of sleep.  That would be my kind of family day.  Either way we both have the whole day off, so maybe some skating, or X box connect bowling, or sleeping.  I could do either.  Anyway that is that.

This looks like a small amount of butter, I just have a big mixing bowl.  Just in case you were wondering.

So last week I posted about the Chocolate Cream Cheese I tried, and how it was amazing.   Anyway, I loved it.  I got a few comments from some people who said they loved it, or they had not tried it and even a few saying they were not fans.  I can get that.  I really would have hated it too if I used it as a spread for toast.  Honestly I do think that is what they were going for, but I was having none of it.  Anyway I made some yummy frosting with it, and used it two ways.  This is the first way, and by far the best of the two.

My favorite spatula, it may be for Halloween, but I use it all year round.  I am a rebel that way.

And this picture is just kind of gross, but it's in focus so you have to see it.  Sorry.

I had promised Pork Chop some red velvet cupcakes during the week, and when there were none at the store I said I would make some.  I found a great recipe I love on My Baking Addiction  I first posted it here.  And have since made it many times.  So I set to work, I doubled the recipe I have listed.  I wanted enough for cupcakes and a cake to make cake balls.

I made 48, Pork Chop ate 2 I think.

Pork Chop complained the whole time about wanting one right now, and then when they were all done he said he didn't want one but he said I should frost 10 for him and leave 10 plain for him.  I made mini ones, and he hates frosting, so I compromised and put 7 plain ones in a container.  He ate one after it was all said and done.  Sigh.

Are they not pretty?  I tried to do a rose with the icing, but then I got lazy and just did swirls, but whatever, there are sprinkles so they are totally fancy!

So the frosting, oh my gosh the frosting was awesome!  I know that classically red velvet is meant to be a cream cheese icing combo.  So in that vain I made my frosting with the new chocolate cream cheese.  I have to say, I actually liked it better than plain cream cheese icing.  And my friends loved it, they were sneaking back to the break room every so often to eat another one.  I cannot blame them, I did the same thing.

So this icing was a little different as the cream cheese is a spread and much more watery.  So I just sort of winged it and it was not too hard.

I saved these take out containers they are the perfect size, and they didn't cost me anything.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing
based on me tossing stuff in a bowl

(keep in mind this made lots, enough for 40 minis cupcakes and a bunch of cake pops, I still have some left over, I am going to use it soon, don't you worry!)

-1 1/2 tubs chocolate cream cheese spread
-1 cup butter
-1 TBSP vanilla bean paste
-5-8 cups of icing sugar
-milk if you need to thin it out

So start by creaming your butter, you want it smooth with no lumps.  Then beat in the cream cheese spread and beat until it comes together.  At one point it looked like it was just going to be a huge failure, but I kept mixing and it was fine.  Add your icing sugar 1 cup at a time, and mix well to make sure you don't add too much.  Now at this point I tried it and I felt it needed vanilla, so you can add it now, or before the sugar, either way.  I didn't need any milk as I found that I used so much icing sugar, but whatever you have to do, you do it.

So then I just piped a little swirl on my cupcake and sprinkled on heart sprinkles, because I had them out and was way too lazy to get different ones.  Then I ate a few, and then packed them up for work.

I have to say I am really impressed with this picture, try not to think about the fact I really cropped out a lot, focus on the yummy!

It really was a nice frosting, not overly chocolaty and you could tell it was cream cheese but it was not too cheesy if you get what I mean.  So yum, this is going to be a favorite for sure.

I also want to share a funny story about Pork Chop and these cupcakes.  A few days after I made them we were hitting the grocery store after Costco, I suggested sushi and he was all over it.  He likes the veggie ones.  Anyway we are walking in and I ask if he wants a cupcake, he tells me  yes, a red velvet one.  I told him sure, but why won't he eat the ones I made?

"yours aren't very good actually."

Said with a straight face.  My own Pork Chop, said that, to me!  I just laughed because dude has his issues, and if one of them is that my cupcakes are not the best, well I can deal.

Then we are at the bakery and he saw a chocolate mousse cake.

"OMG that is gross, a chocolate mouse cake!!!!"

I told him it was a mousse cake, no one would bake a mouse in a cake.

"That is still gross, moose in a cake is gross."

I just didn't know how to answer that really.  The guy at the bakery was laughing a little, and Pork Chop was looking at him like he was crazy, as we walked away he says "I bet he doesn't like moose in his cake either."

I told him he was probably right.  Things like that make having kids worth while, they are so funny and they don't even know it.

Easy Valentines Day Marshmallow Pops

 These are super easy to make, and they are tasty and they are cute.  Three really good things in a treat.  I first saw something like this when my friend Staci made them.  She showed me and I was all, "seriously, chocolate and sprinkles, why did I not think of that?"  

 Then she gave me a smug smile, and think she was all "I am Martha Stewart! Don't be hating!" Or she was just smiling, because I told her how smart she was, either way.  

 So I have not been doing much baking the last few weeks, burn out and my dad in the hospital just left me not wanting to make anything.  But I felt it was about time I send in a treat for Pork Chops hockey team.  So I suggested these and he was all "Marshmallows!!!!!!"  Do I know my boy or what?

I love sprinkles, in case you didn't know that already.  I wait all  year just to use these heart ones!

  So I would prefer to make these with home made marshmallows, but that would totally defeat the point of a simple quick treat.  And kids don't care one way or the other, as long as it is full of sugar, they will be happy.  So I grabbed a bag of large marshmallows, not the jumbo camp fire ones, those are crazy!  Maybe next time.

I just used an old take out container, it was wide enough that Pork Chop could work with it easily.

 Anyway Pork Chop actually wanted to help me so he washed his hands while I got our stuff together.  It was still January, but I figure Valentines day needed to be celebrated sooner rather than later.  So I just mixed some white sprinkles with these heart sprinkles.  And there you go, instant valentines treat!

And since we rolled the marshmallows in the sprinkles, not too many fell on the floor.

  I melted the chocolate and got Pork Chop to set up the marshmallows, he was so proud as he kept telling me he was making a pattern.  It's times like these I love him, other times, well I love him, but I want to hurt him.

Making his pattern.

 So once that was done we had to put the sticks in, and Pork Chop did almost all of them himself.

Putting the sticks in the marshmallows.  Also quick cute story from Hubby.  Pork Chop now plays on my lap top, and one morning it said something like "windows needs to close" and he was all "but the windows are closed!" And pointed at the house windows.  Man sometimes he is so innocent it kills me.

 Then I said, "I have to take a picture!"

He is too big, I may have to stop feeding him.

 And I did, and he didn't really smile so much as he looked like he was trying not to hurt me.  Whatever, I got it.  So once we got that done, we worked as a team.  I would dip the marshmallows and tap off the extra chocolate and he would roll them around in the sprinkles and set them back on the parchment paper to dry.  It seriously took us like 10 minutes, not even.

I was so thinking this didn't look like 1000 and started counting, when I got to 50 and realized there are probably more than 1000 in there, they are thinner than the ones you would buy here thought but they work fine.

  Then as they dried he went and got a drink and I got out the plastic bags and twist ties.  I really like using the twist ties, they are so much faster to work with than ribbon.  But they cost a lot at the baking store, like $30  for 1000, which really isn't much, but I can get that many ribbons cut and tied for less than $2.  I may have to rethink it, I don't know.  Anyway, I got these off of ebay, they were 1000 for under $2, free shipping too.  So they are amazing, and I hope I don't run out soon.

All ready to be wrapped.

  I love how cute they are. And Pork Chops team seems to like them too.

I had to share this picture, he is so big he just jumps on the counter to get things. I used to do that as a kid.  I tried a bit ago when I needed something up high, but I almost broke a hip, so I use a chair.  Man I am old!

I am also linking up HERE

Tuxedo Strawberries

These are the ones I made for the wedding, they actually looked ok.

So I hate fruit in deserts.  It's like you are almost trying to get me to eat healthy.  I am not fooled by your chocolate and sugar covered fruit.  I know it's fruit and no way and I going to fall for it!  That being said, I have a few exceptions, but then again, I am a whole ball of confusing rules and they are not to be explained.  So just know that I know what I am talking about. Okay?

 So I have seen these strawberries many times, and I had never made them before.  I promised them to my friend when I was doing her wedding, and then I realized I had not made them.  And I sort of knew what I was doing, but not really.  I had the idea, and I had no time to look it up.  So I just did it and they turned out really well. Other than the fact I hate working with white chocolate, they were super easy.  And other than the fact that I never took any real pictures at the time, this is what you get.  I was at the store and the strawberries actually looked nice so I planed to do a whole tutorial about them.  Then I actually got to it and wanted to hurt someone. Lucky that Pork Chop and Hubby were at hockey.

I gave up after four, the chocolate was all crappy and I was tearing the green part out trying to dip them. So the rest were just covered in milk chocolate and I ate them, and got sick.  It must have been the fruit, it was too healthy and my tummy revolted.

  Firstly my stupid white chocolate was too thick and I was just not able to get a nice dip on,  in the end I got one half decent strawberry.  And that is all your getting. I did get a great comment from Tam and I am going to try her way one of these days, just not today.

So to start, you need clean, dry strawberries with the stems on.  Milk (or dark chocolate) and white chocolate.

This was the only one that half looked like a real good one.  I didn't even take a picture of the strawberry I piped on, no idea why, I may have been just ticked off with the whole thing.

  So I wash all my strawberries and lay them out on paper towel, rolling them into new dry paper towel a few times.  If they are wet it can ruin your chocolate.  So then you need to melt your white chocolate, this will be the "shirt" of your tuxedo.  So hold your strawberry by the stem and dip it as far as you can in the white chocolate, shake a little to get the extra off and place it on parchment paper to dry.  Now if you know what you are doing with white chocolate, this will be easy.  If you are like me, you will try and your stems will rip off, and you will have gloopy strawberries.  Even though you thinned it out with paraffin crystals and everything.  This will result in you giving up after four strawberries.  Just so you know.

  Anyway let those dry while you melt your milk  or dark chocolate.  I also envision someone doing an 80's version with baby blue chocolate. That so has to happen!!! Anyway, once your chocolate is melted you start double dipping your strawberries.  I think this will be the only time you can actually double dip without it being gross.

I took this picture to show you my cone making skills.  Which really are not skills since they are pre cut papers, I just roll them together.

  So holding the strawberry by the stem, dip it on an angle so you cover one side then the other, doing it so you have a v of white chocolate showing still.  I was going to get action shots, but by this time I just wanted to toss it all out the window.  So whatever.

  So once that is done you can decorate them.  There are a few ways to do this.  I took the fastest way, which should be no surprise to any of you.  I used a parchment paper cone and piped on the buttons and bow tie.  If you want you can use edible markers or even sprinkles.  How cute would two heart sprinkles be as a bow tie?  Anyway you can do whatever.

  Now when you are storing these you do not want to put them in the fridge.  They are best the day of, but if you have to keep them over night just box them up and leave in a cool environment.  If you put them in the fridge they will get condensation on them.  I usually just put mine in the fridge because no one else but me will be eating them.  Pork Chop just takes the chocolate off and eats the strawberry, which is crazy. What kid removes the good part and eats that fruit.  Only mine it seems.

 Anyway, they were at hit at the wedding, and I ate these ones only to make sure no one saw how bad they were.