Spicy Garlic Shrimp & Asparagus

Yes, sometimes I actually cook instead of bake!  This is a recipe I found while going through some cooking blogs that looked quick, easy, & healthy.  I used asparagus instead of green beans, because it's what I had!  We both liked this dish - it was just the right mix of spicy & a little sweet.

Recipe (slightly adapted) from Stephanie Cooks


Ingredients:
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp. oil (sesame preferred, vegetable/olive will work)
2 tsp. chili sauce
2 tsp. cornstarch, dissolved in 4 tsp. cold water
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 lb asparagus, steamed
Sesame seeds

Directions:
1- Combine the first 7 ingredients in a bowl, whisk well to combine (soy sauce through chili sauce).
2- Add to a small sauce pan, bring to a boil. Let the sauce simmer for 2 minutes.
3- Stir in the dissolved cornstarch mix. Return to a simmer, cook until thickened (it should coat a spoon).
4- In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, add the shrimp. Cook until both sides are cooked through. Add the cooked asparagus to the skillet, along with the sauce. Stir well to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Wilton Flowers

Flowers from the first day of Flowers & Cake Design class:

Button Flowers:

The button flowers are made from gum paste, using the button flower cut & press set.

Pansy:

The pansies are also made from gum paste, using a fondant cutter and various tools to thin & curl the edges.

Cupcakes for St. Patrick's Day

If you are unfortunate, as I am, and had to spend St. Patrick's Day at work, these cupcakes are a perfect way to celebrate.  Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes, as they have so affectionately been names, are a chocolate cake made with stout, filled with a Jameson Irish Whiskey chocolate ganache, and finally topped with a Bailey's Buttercream.

I made the recipe last year & it was a big hit. I knew I couldn’t show up to work today without these! I wish I could take the credit for these delicious cupcakes, but the recipe comes from one of my favorite food blogs, smittenkitchen.com.  As expected, these cupcakes were thoroughly enjoyed by my coworkers today.

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, and bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 18 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Ganache Filling
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (optional)

Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined.

Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped. Use the “cone method” to carve a hole out of the centers of your cupcakes to make room for the filling. Discard (or eat!) the pieces.

Baileys Frosting
6 to 8 cups confections sugar
2 sticks of butter, at room temperature
4 to 6 tablespoons Baileys

Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, pour in the Baileys, starting with 4 tablespoons, and increasing to reach your desired consistency.

Wilton Cake

This was my final cake from the Wilton Gum Paste & Fondant class.

The cake is a 4 layer lemon cake with strawberry filling & lemon curd/whipped cream filling, frosted with a vanilla buttercream, & covered in fondant. The stripes are made of black tinted gum paste, and the daises are also made from gum paste. The border is made of a 50/50 fondant gum paste mix. The cake is on a fondant covered cake board.

Butterfly Cupcakes

These cupcakes were inspired by Hello, Cupcake!

This is a jumbo sized chocolate cupcake, with cream cheese/whipped cream filling, and covered in dark chocolate ganache. The butterfly is made by drawing the wings with melted chocolate onto parchment paper. Let them set, and use marshmallows or chocolate chips to prop into place. Pipe the butterfly body on after the wings are in place.

Rose Cake

When I saw this on iambaker, I knew I had to find some reason to make it. Luckily, I was asked to make a birthday cake for an 18 year old girl, and this was perfect.

Strawberry cake (4 layers) with a white chocolate buttercream filling & frosting.

Wilton Cake

This is my final cake from Wilton's Basic Cake Decorating Class.

It's a 3 layer lemon cake with strawberry filling & lemon curd/whipped cream filling, and a basic buttercream frosting.