I'm Back in the Saddle Again...

Wow! I have been away for a while. The past few weeks have been mad crazy and unfortunately Made By Stephie had to be put on the back burner for a while. But - I am sooooo happy to be back to the blogging world! If you are wondering where I have been for the past few weeks head over to my photography blog and check out all of the fun stuff I have been up to Just click right...HERE!

Now to Matty Monday!!

Matty made these wonderfully delicious cupcakes...

This week, one of my co-workers (shot-out to Chelsea!) was on a blueberry kick,
having purchased a large quantity of in-season blueberries, while she was back
home in Arkansas. So hearing about the berries made crave them somthin’ bad, so
behold this week’s recipe:

This is a great go-to cupcake, perfect amount of light sweetness, almost like a
muffin… This one’s not for the sweet tooth, uses tons of sugar though. The
whipped topping is a perfect addition and super easy!

Till next time!
Matty

Here is the Recipe!

For the cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk, room temperature
2 cups fresh blueberries, plus more for garnish
Whipped cream

For the whipped cream

2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Martha Stewart's Cupcakes by the Editors of Martha Stewart Living


Method

Make the cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line standard or mini muffin tins with paper liners.

2. Whisk together both flours, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla.

3. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each. Fold in blueberries by hand.

4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until pale golden, about 25 minutes for standard and 15 for mini.

5. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.

Make the whipped cream

1. Whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add confectioners’ sugar, and whisk until combined. If not using immediately, whipped cream can be refrigerated, covered tightly, up to 3 hours in an airtight container.

2. To finish, dollop cupcakes with whipped cream, and garnish with berries. Serve immediately.

Matty Monday - Sort of...

Matty is taking this Monday off for a much needed vacay! So - in honor of the upcoming holiday I decided to round up a few really cool cupcakes!

I found these beauties at One Ordinary Day:

These yummy fruit topped ice cream creations came from Annie's Eats

And - the ever lovely Bakerella made these. The story behind them is really awesome!

Head over and check out all of these Patriotic treats!

Matty Monday - Week 6 - Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Irish Cream Frosting Cupcakes

Hey!

This week I made the Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Irish Cream Frosting Cupcakes!

Technically these are the Saint Patrick’s Day cupcakes, but the Bailey’s Irish cream frosting sounded too good to wait till next march 17th! Instead of crystallized four leafed covers, we opted for more practical (but cute) tartan paper cups. Hope you enjoy them!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup ( 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk
Baileys Irish Cream Icing

Makes 28 cupcakes

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line pan with baking cups. Wisk together flour, banking powder, and salt.
2. With an electric mixer on high-medium, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scrap bowl as needed. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each.
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake, about 25 minutes rotating halfway through, until cake tester comes out clean and golden brown. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes, and then turn out cupcakes onto racks and cool completely.

Bailey's Irish Cream Icing

Ingredients
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1lb confectioners sugar sifted
3 tablespoons Bailey's Irish cream liquor (you may substitute milk if desired)

Instructions
1. Cream butter and shortening with electric mixer. Add vanilla and Baileys Irish cream. Gradually add sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Tint icing a pale green color.
2. Using decorator tip 1M, pipe a swirl on top of each cupcake. Top with shamrock icing decoration and sprinkles.

This recipe ices 1 1/2 dozen cupcakes.

Matty Monday - Week 2!! Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes!

Hi Made By Stephie readers!! I'm back for another edition of Matty Monday! Thanks for all of the nice comments you left last week - I am so glad you liked the Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes!

This week we decided to do a cupcake that was a little bit easier but just as yummy.

Here are the details:

Martha Stewart's Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

Makes 30

Ingredients:
42 cream-filled sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
Pinch of salt


1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

2. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

Hope you enjoy them! See ya next week!

Matty

The First Edition of MATTY MONDAY - Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes!!!!

My bestie Matt, a fabulous interior designer in Los Angeles, is going to be doing a guest post here on Mondays! I am sooooo excited that he is going to be taking on Martha Stewart and her cupcake recipes!!! Enough from me - here's Matty!

Hi Everybody!

I'm Matt...

And I'm excited to be here at Made By Stephie!!

Ever since Stephie made those delicious looking Jam Tea Cake Cupcakes from the Martha Stewart’s Cupcake book I have been awaiting for the next cupcake post. Skip ahead to now and no new cupcakes have graced the blog, can’t blame her of course, she’s had beautiful and clever things for ya’ll week after week So when Stephie asked if I could contribute something, I (after long contemplation) choose to take up the cupcake torch, or perhaps, the cupcake whisk. With my friend Phillip, we choose to start with the Boston Cream Pie cupcakes, which we hoped to be easy, yet not too easy. Now, I live in an apartment, never needing to bake, and the first thing we discovered was I had no baking supplies, at least not the kind needed for cupcakes.

Many store trips later…

The cupcakes themselves went really well and we were proud of ourselves, same too the chocolate ganache spread, we ran into trouble with the pastry cream. In the picture of the cupcake, the cream is a perfect shade of white, ours never did that, staying a yellow color. It still tasted great, just the wrong color! All in all a good first attempt, but you should see the pile of dishes! I wonder how many medium sized heat proof bowls Martha thinks we have?

Go HERE for the recipe!

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes, page 114, Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes

Till next time!
Matthew

Head over to Craftaholics Anonymous to participate in a Recipe Swap!

yummy in my tummy...Garlic Cheese Beer Biscuits

If you like all things bread like I do you will love how easy and delicious this recipe is!



Garlic Cheese Beer Biscuits

3 cups of bisquick
1 can of cold beer
3 T sugar
1 cup cheese ( I use Sharp Cheddar)
1 T garlic powder ( or more if you are like me and love garlic just as much as bread)
1 tsp salt

Just mix all of it together and spoon into a muffin pan.

Bake at 350 for about 20 min

It makes 24 biscuits that will knock your socks off!!!

Candied Pecans

Try these easy Candied Pecans - perfect for gifts or parties. They taste just like pralines!


Ingredients

* 4 cups pecans, shelled
* 1 egg white
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 275°F.

With an electric mixer,beat egg white until stiff peaks form.

Add the sugar and vanilla and mix until thoroughly incorporated.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper.

Put pecans on an even layer on the sheet.

pour mixture over pecans and stir to coat.

Cook 15-20 minutes until coating has hardened.

Put on plate to cool.

Store in airtight container.

White Wine Sangria

I love making Sangria - especially at Festive times. This is my go to easy recipe...

1 to 2 bottles of dry white wine depending on taste ( I use Sauvignon Blanc)
1 liter bottle of Club Soda
1 liter bottle of lemon-lime sparkling seltzer water
2 cups sugar
2 large oranges (one to slice and one to squeeze juice)
3 limes (one to slice, one to juice, and one for garnish)
2 large apples
(any other fruit you like)

Do not peel the fruit. Wash and thinly slice one of the oranges, one lime, and the apples.

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher, adding as much of the wine as desired (taste and add more if needed to reduce sweetness).

Squeeze the juice of the remaining orange and one lime into mixture.

Cover with plastic wrap and allow to stand overnight in fridge. Serve over ice. Garnish with lime slice.