How To: Grilled Pizza

Alex and I were tired of our regular pizza recipes so we decided it was time to try something new. I decided we needed to make grilled pizzas. I’d read about them on several blogs over the last few months and they seemed like the perfect summer way to make pizza!When grilled this pizza is reminiscent of pizza made in a brick oven. It has a crisp crackery crust and if done correctly isn’t burned. We had some trouble with this when we first started but the key, we figured out, was to keep the pizza over indirect heat. When we baked the pizzas over a direct flame it was far more likely to burn in places. I would suggest doing one pizza at a time if you don’t have enough room to keep them out of a direct flame.You will want to begin by baking one side of the crust, then flipping it over. You will need to work quickly once to flip it over so you are able to get all the toppings on in time for it to bake. You can add whatever toppings you like. We only had peperoni and cheese on hand so that’s what we used. You can use any type of topping you prefer though. Be sure not to add anything like kale or spinach until the very end since they are apt to wilt if put on too early.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:76]

Easy Pizza Dough

This pizza dough is super quick and easy. It is also quite yummy! Alex and I were looking for something new to try so we decided on grilled pizza. I’ll be posting a step by step tomorrow on how to do this but I thought I should start by giving you the best dough recipe for doing this.The dough in this recipe is light and fluffy. It is perfect for grilled pizza, but you can also use it as a regular dough in the oven. It rolls out quite flat but once baked springs back to be not quite so paper thin. It freezes and reheats very well so you can easily make extra dough for later.This recipe makes four personal sized pizzas or two regular sized pizzas. You can easily double or triple the recipe to make as many pizzas as you need. Once you roll the pizza out simply place your toppings of choice on the pizza before baking in the oven.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:75]

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Source: Adapted from: The Kitchn

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Hummingbird Cupcakes

These cupcakes are not the “normal” type of cupcakes I make. They are a combination of pineapple, banana, coconut and pecans. However, when I was looking for a unique type of cupcake to make for some friends who watched Pond for a day, I decided on these.Hummingbird cake is a southern staple. It was created in Jamaica in the late 1960’s. It is named after the hummingbirds that grace the island. The cake was brought to US popularity when a woman submitted the recipe to Southern Living in the late 1970’s. Ever since then it has been a staple cake among southern bakers. If you don’t live in the south, it is likely you’ve never heard of this cake or ever enjoyed a slice. I know I certainly hadn’t ever heard of it before a few years ago.I received so many compliments on these cupcakes. This cake is not overly sweet. It really relies on the tropical flavors to carry the cake rather than your typical sugary cake flavor. Since this was the first time our friends had ever had this cake they were very surprised by its tropical flavor combinations. However, they absolutely loved it and I’m certain you will too!For this recipe I used a SUPER ripe banana that my mother had given me a couple months prior. The longer you leave bananas out the more pronounced the flavor will be. You really want to make certain the flavor shows through in these. If you don’t have a several months old banana to use just make sure that your banana is very, very brown. If you don’t like pecans you can simply leave them out of the recipe. They provide a fantastic crunch, but I know not everyone is a fan.I topped these cupcakes with a vanilla cream cheese frosting. I wanted something simple that would really showcase the flavor of the cupcakes. I then put a dried banana slice, candied pineapple and chopped pecans on top. I thought about adding some toasted coconut around the sides but decided against it for the sake of time. You can certainly add it if you prefer. Annie-Eats also has a tutorial on making pineapple flowers that look absolutely beautiful on these type of cupcakes.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:74]

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Source: Cake adapted from Annies-Eats

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Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

If you follow me on social media you’ll know that the last few weeks I’ve been stage managing a production of Roger’s and Hammerstein’s “Carousel”. With the wrap of the show last weekend I wanted to make a special treat for the cast party. If you’re not familiar with Carousel, one of the principle characters yells “Boston Cream Pie!” at a critical moment in the show. It is a humorous line and I thought I would capitalize on it for the cast party.When researching Boston cream pie I found out that it is not actually a pie, it is actually a cake. I thought this was interesting since I’d never tried it before. It is also typically made with Sponge Cake. Now if you look up a recipe for sponge cake you’ll be impressed at the level of detail needed to make it. You actually don’t add any leavening ingredients, you simply add the leavening by merenguing the eggs. Now I was making this recipe at 11pm at night, so I didn’t really have time to go to the length of making merengue, so I decided to make a couple of changes to my regular cake recipe that would result in a lighter, fluffier sponge type cake.One other thing my research in to Boston cream pie turned up is that originally the sponge cakes were soaked in a simple Rum syrup. Since the cast has a bunch of underage students and a pregnant woman participating this wasn’t really an option for me. Instead I used imitation Rum extract in both the cake batter and the pastry cream, at points where I could bake it off, simply to give it the flavor. [amd-yrecipe-recipe:73]

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Source: Pastry Cream adapted from: Williams Sonoma

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Peanut Butter Brownie Cupcakes

These cupcakes are decadent. The chewy cupcake tastes exactly like a brownie. And the light, fluffy peanut butter buttercream is the perfect complement to the thick, chewy base. If you aren’t a huge fan of peanut butter and chocolate together you could substitute a salted caramel buttercream with no issues.My plan was to top these cupcakes with peanut chunks drizzled with melted chocolate. However I didn’t have time to run to the store to get peanuts. After I took these photos I did end up putting a few mini-chocolate chips on each cupcake. It gave them a little bit of “prettiness” that they were in desperate need of. [amd-yrecipe-recipe:72]

How To: Chocolate Curls

Chocolate Curls are an excellent way to jazz up an otherwise plain cupcake. They look very fancy, but are actually quite easy to make! To make them you will need Candy Melts. These are specific kinds of chocolate that have a higher melting point so they don’t deform as easily. You could try using regular chocolate or chocolate chips, I just have no idea how those would actually turn out.To get started you will need:½ Cup Candy Melts2 Teaspoons Crisco/ShorteningLarge (non-coated) Metal Baking SheetMetal Spatula or Dough ScraperIf you are making these in warmer temperatures I found it helpful to put the baking sheet and spatula into the refrigerator for a few minutes to help it cool. This provided me with a better surface to start on. My items started out pretty hot to begin with because it was the middle of summer and we keep our house pretty warm.In a microwave safe bowl combine the candy melts and the Crisco. Microwave in 30 second increments stirring between each stint in the microwave until completely melted and smooth.Spread the candy melt mixture onto the backside of the baking sheet. Do not oil or cover with wax paper. If you introduce additional oil into the  mixture it will not set properly.Let the candy sit until firm. I found my house was too warm to properly set the candy so I put it in the fridge for a few minutes.  You want it to be firm but not so firm that it is brittle.Using the back of the metal spatula scrape the candy into rolls. If you find your candy too loose simply let it set for a little longer. You need to use equal pressure across the entire length of the pan, if you don’t you’ll end up with chunks of candy. These are also excellent for decoration though, so keep them if you end up making them.You may need to help some of the curls to finish curling. To do this, simply take your fingers, warm the chocolate up slightly and roll into a curl.Use these to decorate cupcakes as desired!

Chocolate Explosion Cupcakes

This cupcake was created out of the fact I wasn’t perfectly happy with my previous triple chocolate cupcake. While that cupcake is absolutely delicious, it wasn’t completely what I had in mind when I set out. However, this cupcake fixes everything I didn’t like about my previous incarnation. The base is light and airy and captures the dark chocolate flavor perfectly. The frosting is a milk chocolate cream cheese frosting that compliments the dark chocolate cake well. Then to finish it off I’ve included a white chocolate ganache drizzle that brings a slightly different chocolate flavor to the mix. The resulting combination is the perfect chocolate explosion in your mouth!The frosting on this cupcake is the best chocolate frosting I have ever tasted. I had no idea when I set out that a good chocolate frosting was hard to come by. I’ve made several and each time I’m not completely happy, they are good, but just not quite what I had in mind. This frosting though…oh man! I could eat this all day, by the cupful! It is tangy, chocolaty and sweet. This is pretty much the perfect frosting. On its own its good, but once paired with the dark chocolate cupcake it really is fantastic.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:71]

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Source: Cake adapted from: Kiss my Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

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Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I actually made this pie in the middle of winter. I completely forgot I had it until now, so I decided to post it! It also just happens that the ingredients are in season now, so you can make a pie full of fresh ingredients rather than frozen (as I did).This pie received rave reviews from the person I made it for. The filling itself is pretty tart, if you are worried about it you can add additional sugar until it reaches the sweet level you wish. While the filling is homemade I decided to go with prepared pie crusts. If you wish to make these from scratch feel free, you can also substitute a gluten free pie crust if you wish. I just didn’t have the time when I made this pie. I’ve added several spices to this recipe that really make the filling pop. I highly suggest you add them, but they are not critical. The fresh lemon juice will provide you with a little bit of a tart undertone if you choose to use it.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:70]

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies were a creation of mine several years ago. I wanted a chocolate chip cookie that was also completely chocolate. However, anytime I made double chocolate recipes they always turned out like cookie mounds rather than actual cookies. I then decided to take several different cookie recipes and combine what I loved from each one. The resulting cookies are perfect chocolate chip cookies that have a fantastic chocolaty base.You can use any type of chocolate chips you prefer. I simply enjoy the traditional semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe. If you wanted to spice it up you could substitute a milk chocolate or white chocolate chip instead. This would cut back on the “darkness” of these cookies. If you substitute a sweeter chip though you will want to add less so they don’t overpower the other flavors.You may decide you’d like to skip the refrigeration step, however, this is a bad idea. When you refrigerate the cookies you end up getting a better finished product. The cookies spread better and they are chewier. While this step does take time it is key to getting the best possible cookie you can.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:69]

Cupcake Basics: Yellow Cupcakes

This yellow cake recipe rounds out our week of cupcake basics. This is the final cupcake recipe I feel you should have ready for any occasion. This recipe is versatile in that you can make the cupcakes either lemon or vanilla. I’ve included both variations below so that you can choose which flavor you prefer.I only have one published recipe for this type of cupcake, but I will posting another soon that is vanilla with chocolate frosting. These cupcakes pair well with many different frosting depending on what flavor combo you are looking for.If you want to turn any of these cupcake recipes into round cakes you can simply adjust the recipe. One recipe for 12 cupcakes will make a 9” round cake. So if you want a double layer cake you can simply double this recipe and adjust the baking time.Housewife’s Whimsy recipes that use this cupcake base:Raspberry Lemonade Cupcake[amd-yrecipe-recipe:68]

Cupcake Basics: White Cupcakes

From the research I’ve done, I seen that pretty much every white cake is almond flavored. This recipe is no different. This, in my opinion, is the perfect white cake for any occasion. It is light and fluffy and pairs well with any berry or citrus flavored filling. If you don’t wish for an almond flavored cake you can simply substitute a clear vanilla extract in place of the almond. Your flavor will not be as complex as the original, but you will still have an excellent cake.The only published recipe I have with this cake has it paired with a white chocolate buttercream. This cake would pair excellently with pretty much any buttercream though as long as it complements the filling. You could use a lemon cream cheese icing too if you want a lemon/almond flavor combo.This cake is actually white. Since you don’t use egg yolks there is nothing in the batter to discolor it, so it actually stays white. These cupcakes would be perfect for a wedding reception or shower since the color is actually very pure.  The only brown will be on the top and comes from baking. If you were especially worried about that you could try covering the tops with parchment paper prior to baking. This could help to keep them whiter.Housewife’s Whimsy recipes that use this cupcake base:Raspberry Almond Cupcake[amd-yrecipe-recipe:67]

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Source: Adapted from: Sweet! – Editors of Food Network Magazine

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Cupcake Basics: Red Velvet Cupcakes

In my opinion Red Velvet is a staple cake flavor. It is a way to really impress your audience but at the same time, it’s very easy! You can change the type of food coloring you use to change the occasion the cake is appropriate for.Most people seem scared by the idea of making red velvet. They seem to think it is way more complicated than it actually is. This recipe is a yummy and easy way to start baking red velvet. I typically keep buttermilk powder on hand, since I don’t use actual buttermilk that often (and it tends to spoil). This is an easy way that won’t spoil to keep the ingredients for this cake on hand.Red Velvet cake is typically paired with cream cheese frosting. I’ve found that if you use a buttercream the taste isn’t quite the same. I highly suggest using a cream cheese based frosting, but you can easily change the color with food coloring to make it appropriate for any occasion. One other yummy addition to red velvet cake is a chocolate ganache. It really compliments the cake and a cream cheese frosting and isn’t that hard to whip up.Housewife’s Whimsy recipes that use this cupcake base:Green Velvet CupcakeRed, White and Blue Cupcake[amd-yrecipe-recipe:66]

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Source: Cake adapted from Kiss My Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

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Cupcake Basics: Chocolate Cupcakes

This is the best chocolate cupcake recipe you will find out there. The cake is light, fluffy and the most amazing combination of chocolate and light vanilla notes. These cupcakes make the perfect base for just about any chocolate flavor combination. As you can see I’ve created many variations on this recipe because it works so well with just about anything!Housewife’s Whimsy recipes that use this cupcake base:Chocolate Peanut Butter CupcakeChocolate Mint CupcakeBlack Forest CupcakeTriple Chocolate CupcakeTurtle CupcakeSalted Caramel CupcakeChocolate Birthday CupcakeChocolate Malt CupcakeWith the versatility of this cupcake base you can create just about any flavor of cupcake you desire. The ones I have published so far a just a small fraction of the possibilities out there. This cake goes fantastically with a buttercream or a cream cheese frosting. Feel free to experiment with any flavor ideas or combinations you can come up with![amd-yrecipe-recipe:65]

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Source: Cake adapted from: Kiss my Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

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Cupcake Basics: Vanilla Cupcakes

This week I’m posting a series on cupcake basics. This will be a great resource for those of you who are ready to take your cupcake baking to the next level. These recipes will have no frosting specified in the recipe to give you the freedom to create whatever flavor combinations you like.These cupcakes have a fantastic vanilla flavor while being light and fluffy. They are perfect for any type of filling or simply by themselves. The flavor of the cake is very basic and lends itself to being a fantastic base for just about any frosting.This recipe will make one dozen (12) cupcakes. If you need more than a single dozen you can feel free to double or triple the recipe to get the amount you need. Make sure that you let the cupcakes completely cool before filling or icing them.Housewife’s Whimsy recipes that use this cupcake base:Vanilla Birthday CupcakeVanilla Latte Cupcake[amd-yrecipe-recipe:64]

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Source: Cake adapted from: Kiss my Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

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Black Forest Cupcakes

I wanted to try something slightly different with my most recent cupcakes. I’ve been trying out several different flavors and decided it was high time I tried this one out. These cupcakes were highly praised. They are the perfect combination of chocolate, cherry and vanilla.I really wanted to make the cherry filling pop. I’ve created a homemade pie filling that I use to fill these cupcakes. The filing is rich, thick and tart and makes the perfect complement to the chocolate cupcake. Typically black forest is made with vanilla whipped cream but since normally whipped cream isn’t typically a very stable frosting I decided to substitute a vanilla buttercream instead.If you’re not familiar with my method of icing cupcakes I’ve put together a short tutorial for you.  You can find it here. For garnish on these I used crumbled cupcake left over from filling them. I then placed half a pitted cherry on top to really finish it off. If you have maraschino cherries you can use those instead, I simply didn’t have them on hand. This will give you a little more classic black forest taste to your cupcake.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:63]

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Source: Cake adapted from: Kiss my Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

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Vanilla Latte Cupcakes

These cupcakes received rave reviews from everyone who tried them. They are chock full of real coffee and espresso powder. If you love coffee you will adore these cupcakes. The icing is what really makes the cake though; it gives the perfect amount of sweet coffee flavor that makes your mouth sing.You can use whatever type of coffee you like in these cupcakes. We don’t typically drink coffee here at my house so I just used a k-cup from my Kurig. You will simply want to make sure the coffee is strong. When you mix it with the other ingredients it will dilute the taste.If you’re not familiar with my method of icing cupcakes I’ve put together a short tutorial for you.  You can find it here. I’ve used espresso powder as a garnish on these. You can easily sprinkle it on by taking a fine mesh sieve and using that to sprinkle the powder over the cupcakes. This is an optional step but will really amp up the coffee flavor. Another option for garnish would be a chocolate covered espresso bean. I didn’t have any of those on hand, but it would be another cute way to garnish these cupcakes. [amd-yrecipe-recipe:62]

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Source: Cake adapted from: Kiss my Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

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Chocolate Birthday Cake Cupcakes

These cupcakes are the best things in existence. They are fantastic, full of amazing chocolaty goodness, and perfect for any birthday celebration. They are the perfect complement to my Vanilla Birthday Cake Cupcakes and the frostings can totally be mix or match depending on the flavor combination you’d like.Personally I love anything and everything chocolate so these cupcakes were a dream! They are an over the top, perfect to celebrate my birthday cupcake. Typically I have issues with chocolate frosting being too grainy or not tasting chocolaty enough. But I’ve created a fantastic chocolate buttercream that really embraces the chocolate taste. This is my favorite chocolate frosting to date and would go perfectly with just about any cupcake.If you’re not familiar with my method of icing cupcakes I’ve put together a short tutorial for you.  You can find it here. These cupcakes really need no garnish, but to make them a little more fun I’ve sprinkled nonpareils over the top. This creates that perfect birthday look. [amd-yrecipe-recipe:61]

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Source: Cake adapted from: Kiss my Bundt –Chrysta Wilson

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Vanilla Birthday Cake Cupcakes

These cupcakes are a fantastic combination of vanilla and almond flavors. They are perfect for a birthday celebration or really any day of the week when you need an amazing vanilla pick me up. The cupcakes are light and fluffy and the icing is the perfect complement. These would be perfect for a kids party since they are super easy to make and quite yummy.I personally hate plain jane vanilla anything. I find it way too bland and just don’t enjoy it. I’ve come up with what I feel is a perfect combination of vanilla and almond. This give the vanilla cupcakes just enough “interesting” flavor to make it truly incredible.If you’re not familiar with my method of icing cupcakes I’ve put together a short tutorial for you.  You can find it here. These cupcakes really need no garnish, but to make them a little more fun I’ve sprinkles nonpareils over the top. This creates that perfect birthday look.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:60]

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Source: Cake adapted from Kiss my Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

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Red, White and Blue Cupcakes

These cupcakes were a fun idea I had to celebrate the 4^th of July. I meant to have them up before the holiday, but since everything that’s been happening with my sister, then finally getting home and coming down with a horrendous cold, these cupcakes didn’t happen until the actual holiday. I hope you enjoy looking at them though!These cupcakes are a simple Red Velvet cupcake with tinted cream cheese frosting on top. They are adorable, festive and taste amazing! If you'd like further instruction on how to frost these here is an icing tutorial.  These would also be a great idea for a Dr Seuss themed kids’ party. They would be adorable with some Thing 1 or Thing 2 badges put on top.One note I want to make, if you use liquid blue food coloring (like I did) for the icing you will need to add additional powdered sugar to the blue icing to bring it back to the right piping consistency. Since you are adding more liquid you are changing the consistency and if you don’t add the powdered sugar your icing won’t pipe correctly. I typically prefer to using gel food coloring but my gels weren’t as easily accessible when I made these cupcakes.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:59]

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Source: Cake adapted from Kiss My Bundt – Krysta Wilson

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How To: Frosting Cupcakes

I had someone ask me the other day how I got my cupcakes to look so professionally frosted, so I though I’d do an entire post on it so you can learn too! There are of course different ways people do this but this is the easiest way I’ve found. You will need a few basic supplies to frost cupcakes this way.Supplies:Piping BagsFrosting TipsRubber Bands or Piping Bag Ties (optional)I prefer to use Wilton brand piping bags and piping tips. I’ve tried a couple of different brands and I just feel the Wilton tips hold up better than some of the off brand/other brands I’ve tried. You can of course use whatever brand of tips and piping bags you want though. I personally use disposable piping bags. I’ve tried using the reusable ones, but I find them hard to clean adequately and they don’t last forever. I normally purchase the 24 pack from Michaels and this gives me several months of piping bags.If you have problems with icing coming out of the top of the piping bag when you are working you can use a rubber band or piping bag tie to close the top. This is completely optional. I personally don’t use one because I don’t mind if my hands get dirty while piping. However this is completely up to you and what you prefer.There are four basic piping tips I use. I find these give my cupcakes the most professional look and feel. These tips are (in order L to R) 4B, 2D, 1M and 1A. They are all Wilton brand icing tips. These tips are the large variety so you do not need to use couplers with them. My personal favorites, and the ones I most often use are the 1M and 1A. The 1M give the professional swirl look and the 1A give the beehive look. I actually have two 1M tips, one that is normal and then one that I’ve opened the tines on. This give the same basic look but you can pipe chunkier frostings through it without problems. The opened top is the best for things like my Ginger Orange frosting since it contains pecan chunks.Frosting the top of the cupcakes is very easy. You simply use a swirling motion while squeezing frosting out of the bag onto the top of the cupcake. This will take some practice before you become really good at it. If you want a small amount of frosting you can simply hold the piping bag in place while squeezing out the desired amount of frosting. With either of these frosting techniques you need to make sure the frosting is centered on the cupcake. The stiffer the frosting the better it will hold up to using a pronged icing tip. If you have a very thin frosting you probably want to use the 1A and do a circle of frosting on top.Happy Frosting!