Madison Turned 2!

Things I Have Baked This Week

Brownies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing
Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Pie

Recipes and pictures to come!

Holiday Butter

Take a jar of:

Mix it with 8 oz. of Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Throw in a 1/4 cup of sugar and a 1/4 tsp. of vanilla. Once all that is blended fold in a tub of Cool Whip. Your end result is to die for Pumpkin Butter!! Delicious!! Pair it with:

Dessert of the Week: Ode to Elvis Cupcakes

Ingredients for Banana Cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) sweet butter, softened
1 cup superfine sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
4 eggs
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup (about 2 large masked ripe bananas

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) sweet butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. milk

Directions for cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350*F. Place 18 paper baking cups in muffin pans. Combine the butter, sugar, flour, eggs and nutmeg in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the mashed bananas until well combined. Spoon the batter into the cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pans from the oven for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack.

Directions for frosting

To make the frosting, combine peanut butter, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer beat until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar along with the milk, and beat until well combined. Swirl the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.

Serve with your favorite Elvis songs or movie playing!

babycakes

Zesty Lemon w/ Meyer Lemon Buttercream


Vanilla w/ Vanilla Bean Buttercream


Rich Chocolate w/ Chocolate Mousse




Coming soon to a 2nd birthday party near you, cupcakes from Babycakes in Torrance. They were a hit last year, and I'm sure they will be a hit this year. We will also be baking chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies (possibly brownies too).

Trick or Treat

Pumpkin Craziness

Angel

Allison Danielle Zicree
May 13, 2008 - October 17, 2009
http://teamallisonz.blogspot.com

Coming Together

The invitations arrived from Tiny Prints, and turned out great! We don't have a theme, other than colors, orange and fushcia. The orange actually represents Leukemia Awareness in honor of Allison Zicree.

The outfit. Orange tutu from Gymboree and a black tee shirt with fushchia rhinestoned Hello Kitty. So cute!

Mammoth

Madison's Birthday Wishlists

Amazon.com

Pottery Barn Kids

Planning the Party

Dessert of the Week: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp clove
1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree (15oz can)
3 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup water, room temperature
1 cup (12 oz) chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F and position a rack in the middle. Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans or line them with foil or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the oil and pumpkin puree. Add the granulated sugar and whisk to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract and water. Mix in the chocolate with a rubber spatula.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix (and don't worry if you see a few small streaks of flour). Divide into the two pans and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then unmold leave to cool completely.

Vote for Madison

You saw us through once, let's see if we can win again! Madison has been entered into the Gap Kids Casting Call. Vote for her at:

http://family.go.com/gapcastingcall/entries/Wife4Matt/

In case there is a problem, you can search for the entry under Wife4Matt or Contestant # 264480406. Come back every 24 hours to vote again. You can vote once a day, every day through November 17, 2009!!

Please be kind and forward this e-mail to your friends, family, co-workers, etc. Post it on your social networks and blogs, too!

Thank you!

Sponsor a Whiteley!

Please sponsor a Whiteley!! We're walking for Allison Zicree in the Light the Night Walk! Be generous, know that you are helping to save a life!

Halloween Fashion Show

Juilliard Here We Come!

Dessert of the Week: Carrot Cake

Ingredients

Unsalted butter, for the pan
12 ounces, approximately 2 1/2 cups, all-purpose flour, plus extra for pan
12 ounces grated carrots, medium grate, approximately 6 medium
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/3 cups
2 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup firmly packed
3 large eggs
6 ounces plain yogurt
6 ounces vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 9-inch round and 3-inch deep cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

Put the carrots into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 5 seconds. Add this mixture to the carrots and toss until they are well-coated with the flour.

In the bowl of the food processor combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt.

With the processor still running drizzle in the vegetable oil. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cake reaches 205 to 210 degrees F in the center.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and allow cake to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 ounces powdered sugar, sifted, approximately 2 cups

In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on medium just until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition.

Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.

Yield: approximately 2 cups

Happy Birthday Fred

Random Sillies