Harry Potter Cupcakes [sms rewind!]

I had decided to go back and create some of the recipes that I was not able to do because I was in SMS yet. So I decided to create the Brooklyn Brownout Cake in cupcake form chosen by Elyse from Confectionery Creations. In addition, I decided to keep it simple. I decided to just use a regular buttercream instead of the chocolate ganache. My friends do not need to be bothered by these fancy things. We like our cupcakes simple. =]

So I decided to color the frosting yellow for a more harry potter feeling and decorated them with a harry potter theme I supposed to them.

I will eventually make the full recipe, but this was my attempt at a little part of it!

The lightening bolt!

The snitch!

Witches hat/the sorting hat!

Harry potter!

Broom!

Harry Potter's face!

Then I decided to try using some of my other tips. This is what ended up happening.

A flower =]

Recipe here!

Apple Dapple Cake

Finally making something that is not for db or sms. This Apple Dapple Cake is from Lovin' From the Oven. I actually really enjoy reading her blog. She seems like a really nice person and loves to bake!

I noticed that I've been baking a lot. Summer service meetings, going away parties, now today's cake was for Campbell's Relay for Life. Being a part of Circle K does not mean that I just volunteer for just the Berkeley area, but as an organization, there are clubs worldwide. This event was put on by one of our fellow clubs, Mission College.

I decided to go for two reasons. One, I havent been to a service project since May and therefore have very little hours and feel like that I should be doing service and not just going to the fun stuff. Two, I'm on district board. I'm supposed to be at events that other clubs put on to show unity in the district.

I knew that I wanted to make something special and something that I havent made before since my goal was to dash off 10 things on my want to bake list on my computer and why not start now.

The only difference in the cake that I had made a bit more diced apples and I also added a bit more cinnamon. I don't think it took anything away from the cake. I actually liked the very pronounced cinnamon taste.

I baked the cake yesterday since I was going to Relay for Life through the night until about 10am. Relay for life was pretty awe inspiring and amazing. I stayed up the whole night and just hung out with some of my friends. It was just really nice to talk with people and sit by the heater.

Some pictures were taken at 4am when we decided to finally start eating the cake, so the quality of the pictures may be a bit off.

Mini Lemon Blueberry Cheesecakes [sms]

This week's Sweet Melissa's Sunday's recipe was the Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake with a Crumble Cornmeal Crust chosen by Eliana of a Chica Bakes.

I decided to make these into mini versions of it because I like mini versions of cake and cheesecake. My friend Andrea is leaving for Spain, well she left. The dinner before her leaving was Friday night and I decided to make these cheesecakes.

I made these without mascarpone cheese either. I didn't have the time to go to either Whole Foods or Berkeley Bowl with all the summer school, so instead I decided to look for a mascarpone cheese substitute. I found a recipe of Allrecipes that was one. I'm sure it doesn't taste exactly the same, but it was a lot cheaper to do it this way especially time wise.

I also decided not to make it a Cornmeal crust since I don't have cornmeal, but I did have extra graham cracker crumbs from making my s'mores bars. I made a graham cracker crust for the bottom. I ended up make 50 (!) mini cheesecakes and brought almost all of them to the party. Everyone basically loved it. =]

Make sure to check out the other bakers at the Sweet Melissa Sunday's website.



Like the new signature and blog front? I decided to change it up a little bit!

Sweet Melissa Sundays: Brown Sugar Ice Cream

This recipe was chosen by Karen of Karen's Cookies, Cakes and More. She had also added the Butterscotch Sauce to the ice cream.

So I had originally decided to sit this one out since I have no access to an ice cream machine...well other than my friend who has one of those ice cream ball ones, but I wouldn't be able to see her after Sunday and posting late would be no fun.

Instead, I wandered over to the SMS site and someone had linked David Lebovitz's method of making ice cream without a machine. Sitting here as I'm planning and buying stuff to move back up to Berkeley for summer school, I decided why not try something for the last week here in SoCal?

Last minute, I decided to sub the skim milk with some low fat milk I found at the supermarket and added more vanilla extract instead of the bean. In addition, I left out the dried skim milk since I am moving and my parents really have no use for it. My mom and brother are able to eat ice cream though; we almost finished a pint of passionfruit ice cream a couple days ago.

I paired these with some of the left over cookies from last week and they were super yummy!

Recipe here!
<3 Nina

Sweet Melissa Sundays: Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

This week's SMS was chosen by Megan from My Baking Adventures - Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies. I really wanted to make these cookies because first off, I love chocolate chocolate chip cookies. I made them once for a district board meeting and I just couldnt stop eating them. So, when I saw the cherries, I thought well I know that my parents have cranberries at home so I subbed out cherries for cranberries. I knew that my parents may not like the cranberries so I made half with and half without, satisfying everyone.

I also decided to cut mine up in half-in ones instead on 1 in blocks. They didn't flatten as much, but they are very cute cookies.

This is my last weekend in Socal, but next weekend equals moving back up to Berkeley for summer school which means more baking. Maybe I can make up some of the SMS recipes already made or get started on making some of the things on the 5 page long list of things that interested me on other sites.

Taken last night after baking, so the lighting isnt so good.
In the morning, I took more when the light was better.

With Dried Cranberries

Without Dried Cranberries

<3 Nina