Lickable Cookie Wallpaper!?

Have you watched the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's movie?  The chocolate factory was the most magical place on earth to kids.  Everything was edible -flowers, plants, chocolate river, and lickable wallpaper...

...inspired by Willy Wonka, McVitie's, a baked goods company in the United Kingdom (UK), decided to make the edible magic real by turning an entire elevator - lickable. Yes, lickable. There are 1,325 lickable Jaffa Cakes cookies (a sponge cake with orange jelly and chocolate) lining the wall which you can lick up and down as you go up and down.

The most important questions popped up in my mind are who gets to lick it and what about sharing germs?  According to internet sources, This is a concept wallpaper, and it's not open for public.  So only certain selected people got to lick the wall.  "Cake stickers" will be removed from the wallpaper immediately after being licked (but I wonder how could they keep tracked?!). 

Gross or sweet!?  You decide.  But what next now...how about a real chocolate river?!

I want to hold you hand...

I still remember the first time I was holding hand with my husband.  It's been years ago, but the memory is still fresh like it just happened yesterday.  I always think that holding hand is more inmitate than kissing and perhaps other PDAs.  And I am not the only one said that, Dalton Conley, a professor and chairman of the department of sociology at New York University has agreed with me, “Hand-holding is the one aspect that’s not been affected by the sexual revolution,” said  “It’s less about sex than about a public demonstration about coupledom.”

Hand-holding is a very speical and innocent moment between couples -

To hold someone’s hand is to offer them affection, protection or comfort. It is a way to communicate that you are off the market. Practically speaking, it is an efficient way to squeeze through a crowd without losing your partner. People do it during vigils, marches, weddings and funerals.
(source from the New York Times, Oct 5, 2006 issue)

And different ways of holding your parterner has special meaning too, if you are interested to de-code the meaning, click here.

There are so many ways to show your partner your love and care, of course, holding hand is one of them.  Writing them a letter/card, flying her a paper airplane to tell that person you miss him/her, or stuffing a special note in a fortune cookie to suprise her/him...

Here is a little fun project inpsired by LOVE:

Signed, sealed, delivered, I am yours...

Trying to get as detail as possible, this is the back of the envelope.

Show her your love on a "sweet" candy way (these heart shaped candies are made with fondant)

Or surprise her when she crack the fortune cookie=)

 Or drop her a love note in the classroom

And for those, who could not be with your love this year -
Do you wish the paper airplane could go straight to the one you love and show her how much you miss her?!

A cupcake tower full of love and flavor -
Horchata cupcakes with horchata cinnamon frosting and topped with churro

"Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine,
love, thou art every day my Valentine!"
-Thomas Hood









Whiskey White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe

I made some cookies for the family during Christmas time.  Sound strange but I got to admit that I don't like to drink any kinds of alcohol beverages.  However, I do like to use alcohols to cook and bake.  I think the alcohols take the food or the baked goodies to a deeper level of flavor.

Whiskey White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe (Make about 24 cookies)

Ingredients

You could ignore the oatmeal in the picture. 
I was thinking of putting some oatmeal inside the batter, but I though it will be too much texture for one little cookie.

• 1/2 cup of Whiskey and 1/2 of Gold Rum (to soak the cranberries in, then saving 2 teaspoons of it for later), if you don't have rum, just use 1 cup of Whiskey.
• 1 cup of dried cranberries
• 1 cup (two sticks) of butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup of lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of white chocolate chips

Instruction

1. Put the cranberries in a measuring cup and then pour whiskey and/or rum.  Put the cup in a microwave and heat it for 30 seconds.  And let the cranberries soak in the alcohol for about 15 to 30 minutes. 

2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until light, fluffy and well incorporated.

3. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and add 2 teaspoons of the Whiskey that the cranberries soaked in. Beat well until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl midway through to ensure even mixing.

4. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then add to the mixture a bit at a time, beating until just mixed. Fold in the brandy soaked cranberries (get rid of the liquid by squeezing the cranberries) and white chocolate chips. Let chill for 15 minutes in the fridge.

5.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Flour your hands (to prevent the dough sticking on your hands), and grab about a spoonful of dough and make it about a size of ping-pong ball.

6. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I made some little vintage inspired tags to dress up the cookies.

I Love Sewing Cupcake Toppers

Hi, how's your weekend?  I had a great but busy weekend this week.  Went to visit my family and my new nephew, attended my good friend's wedding and went to Mr. G's grandpa's birthday party.  But don't worry, no matter how busy I am, I have never forgot about my C for Cupcake Cupcakery's blog to remain connected with everyone.

I made these cute sewing cupcake toppers couple weeks ago.  They are a great way to dress up your cupcakes, cookies or other baked goodies.  Just want to remind everyone that I just opened our C for Cupcake Cupcakery Etsy shop online (click here to check out our online store) to sell cupcake toppers, cupcake wrappers, gift tags and much more...I know I know, now my online store is still pretty empty.  But I promise more items will be posted soon.  

The idea and concept about my Etsy shop is serving more people! My online cupcake business is limited to serve those who live in Orange County, Los Angeles County and part of Inland Empires.  I also know that a lot of people like to bake by using their own recipes, but they may not have time to make the "accessories" to dress up their baked goodies; therefore, our C for Cupcake Cupcakery Etsy Shop could serve those customers, who live outside of the LA and OC area, and also serve those who love to bake, but do not have time to make the "accessories" to dress up their baked goodies.  Hopefully, I could share more sweetness through my Etsy shop with everyone. 

I will post more projects on my Etsy shop soon, stay tuned!

Cupcake and More...Halloween Costume Ideas

September will be over very soon (about a week), and Fall is officially started.  Halloween will be here right around the corner.  Are you still thinking of what you should wear to the Halloween party this year?  I am for sure.  I was browsing around and see what I could be for Halloween this year.  I came across this awesome website called Coolest Homemade Costumes.  Readers submitted their handmade costumes with pictures and instructions.  How cool it is!

Here are the ones I like from the food category:

Cannoli

Cotton Candy

Baby cake (yup, Austrian and British call cupcake baby cake), but this one is a real "baby cake".

A cupcake

Looking for a couple costume?  How about a chocolate chips cookie and milk?! 

A big cupcake

A mini chocolate chips cookie with mama chocolate chips cookie

How could you make your PB&J sandwich without these?

A poptart

An Oreo cookie

A s'more family

A little muffin

Jamprint Cookies Recipe from OddFellows Cafe + Bar (Seattle, Wa)

Imagine from Cakespy.com

Ever since our first visit in Seattle, I have been falling in love with this city, the food, the culture and the people there.  I have been chasing after few Seattle food and dessert blogs since we had gotten back from our trip last year.  Few months ago, I made these Jamprints Cookies based on the recipe I found from the OddFellows Cafe + Bar's facebook page.  I altered the recipe a little bits by adding some fresh lemon zest.

The cookies came out so moist and yummy.  Here is their secret:

Jamprints Cookies

Imagine from PRZman.com

Ingredients

• 0.75 lbs butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3.5 cups flour
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• flaked coconut, for edges
• jam (of your choosing), about 1 teaspoon per cookie

Instruction:
Preheat oven to 350

1.     Cream butter + sugar in mixer w/ paddle attachment, add vanilla + salt

2.     Sift in the flour, mix until dough comes together

*Optional:  Adding lemon zest in the batter

3.     Wrap in plastic, chill for 1 hr
4.     Roll it into 1 ounce balls, dip balls in egg wash + roll in flaked coconut

5.     Put ball on a baking sheet + indent the top, fill with jam.

6.    Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until coconut is toasted and jam thickens.

Very easy to make and very tasty! 

Thanks Oddfellows to share their recipe.

Baking is an Adventure!

"Baking is either an adventure or nothing."

This quotation is so right!  Once in a while, my crazy mind would have asked my hands to bake some unusual goodies.  I received a box of Blue Ribbon Roca almond candies as part of my Valentine's Day gift from Mr. G.  I was happy, but I had a very weak teeth and this little sweet treat was just ways too tough for my teeth.  Of course, I appreciated Mr. G's thoughtfulness, and I didn't want to waste the candies.  So I decided to crush the candies to make some Rocca candy cookies.

Here is my recipe and step by step photo:

Prepared Time:  30 mins
Baked Time: 25 mins

Make:  about 24 cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1 cup dark brown sugar 
1/2 cup sugar 
1 cup butter, room temperature 
2 eggs, room temperature 
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
1 package toffee bits 
1/4 grounded cinnamon 
4 ounces milk chocolate 


Direction:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. 
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend sugars with butter together on medium speed. 

      4.     Add eggs and vanilla and mix at medium speed until light and fluffy. 

      5.     Crush the candies and mix with the milk chocolate.

     6.     At very low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and then the toffee bits. 

Mix until just blended do not over-mix. 

 7.     Refrigerate dough for approximately 15 minutes. Using a ice cream scope or your hands to form a ball. 

8.     Grease the cookies sheet with PAM, then place on cookie sheets several inches apart. 

9.     Bake approximately 22 minutes and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack to completely cool. 

This new adventure didn't disappoint me.  The cookies came out so moist and yummy!  The taste of them reminder me of ginger bread man.