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TidyMom.net is a place for easy recipes, household tips, crafts and products that help women ease the chaos of everyday life – who doesn’t need that?! Cheryl, the blog’s author and a personal friend of mine, is in the middle of a move and – as tidy people do – she’s planned ahead (always impressive [...]
After creating my margarita Chex Mix, I was excited to combine snack time and dessert time and create Chex Mix cupcakes. To make Chex Mix cupcakes, use less flour than you normally would in a cupcake recipe and replace the missing flour with ground up Chex Mix (it works really well!). The result is a [...]
Five minutes is all it takes to make this homemade margarita Chex Mix – and that’s being generous; you could probably do it in three. When you’re done, you’ll have a simple party snack with all of the elements of snacking success: sweet, salty, tangy, and crunchy. Since I am always baking cupcakes, I sometimes [...]
The idea of a cupcake layer cake came to me while I was reading Jessie Oleson Moore’s (a.k.a. Cakespy’s) new book, The Secret Life of Baked Goods. In the book, she reveals the history of many of the baked goods that we know and love (it’s reminiscent of A World of Cakes by Krysina Castella [...]
Have you ever thought of starting a food blog? (Check out my top 10 reasons why you should.) Maybe you already have a food blog, or you do freelance food writing, PR, or cookbook authorship. I want to personally invite you to meet me in St. Louis August 9 through August 11 for a [...]
After I made strawberry rhubarb meringue cookies and strawberry rhubarb pixy stix, you knew strawberry rhubarb cupcakes were coming. Here they are! These strawberry rhubarb cupcakes are the cupcake version of strawberry rhubarb pie. Fresh strawberry and rhubarb pieces are mixed throughout the strawberry rhubarb cupcake batter so each cupcake bite provides a small taste [...]
Frosting shots as you know them (little cups filled with frosting that you can purchase at trendy cupcake shops) have just been rendered obsolete. Meet cupcakes made entirely of frosting! These extreme frosting shots start with an edible chocolate cup filled with your favorite kind of frosting. Hmm… is that too much for you? OK [...]
You can’t bake in chocolate cups, but once you learn how to make a chocolate cup, you’ll find yourself stuffing chocolate cups with peanut butter, filling them with candy, and using the chocolate cups for ice cream cupcakes (as did the winner of last year’s Ice Cream Cupcake Contest). I also have a surprise use [...]
May Day is near and dear to my heart – it’s my birthday!! It is not, however, a holiday typically observed in the United States. In fact, I never danced around the maypole until my mid-twenties when I searched hard for a May Day event in St. Louis. I wanted to learn more about my [...]
Once you’ve made fruit powder (get the recipe in my post on fruit powder), the next logical step is learning how to make pixy stix (a.k.a. pixie sticks). Homemade pixy stix are straws filled with fruit powder and sugar (I’ll suggest a proportion, but it’s ultimately your call on how much sugar you choose to [...]
Meringues are finicky little things – try adding wet fruit into the mix and the egg whites will collapse like bedsheets drifting down onto a mattress. I wanted meringues with the flavor of strawberry rhubarb pie and I certainly couldn’t achieve that goal by adding fresh fruit to my fluffy meringue batter. Instead, I mixed [...]
Let’s start with the fruit powder basics and then we’ll move on to how to make fruit powder. What is fruit powder? Fruit powder is dried fruit that’s been finely ground. How to use fruit powder Fruit powder can be used in place of artificial flavoring to flavor just about anything. However, fruit powder truly [...]
When Paula Deen’s team asked if I could develop a new carrot cupcake recipe for my contribution this month, I almost declined. I already had my favorite carrot cupcake recipe. In addition to carrots, that carrot cupcake is loaded with coconut, cinnamon, cardamom, currants, and crushed pineapple. It’s a classic flavor turned a bit exotic. [...]
When the folks at the Wisconsin Dairy Council saw my chocolate chip cookie grilled cheese sandwich… …they knew that I was the person to help them create a new dessert grilled cheese sandwich for grilled cheese month – and they commissioned me to do so. I threw a bunch of ideas their way (I love [...]
Why do we not eat income tax cupcakes every year? Come on, people! Tax Day (April 15 in the U.S.) is when we need cupcakes the most! We can celebrate completion of a mound of paperwork, reward ourselves for our refunds, or try to cheer ourselves up when we find that we owe big bucks. [...]
If you are reading this post using an RSS reader or through an email subscription, come to the blog and take a look or this post will make no sense to you. The last time I moved was from a duplex apartment to my current house, almost eight years ago. My now-husband and I spent [...]
"Would you like a cupcake?" "Of course!" "Wait... what?" "April Fools!" Today's April Fool's Day cupcake is really a piece of toast cut in the shape of cupcake, smeared with chocolate almond butter and cream cheese, and topped with candied sunflour seeds. The cupcake toast is healthy (when compared to the real thing) and is the perfect April Fool's Day after
When reader Christine Mitchell made my Easter cupcakes baked in real egg shells, she filled the shells too high with batter. The cupcakes overflowed out of the eggs instead of resting neatly inside the egg shell (as shown below). Instead of tossing the eggs, she created a new Easter sensation - Easter egg cupcake people! Although the "hair" was a mistake, Christine i
Flat Easter egg cookies are fairly common and can be striking and adorable (the Easter egg cookies over at I Am Baker are a prime example). But, not all of us have the artistic talent, time, or patience to create such intricate cookies. To make my Easter egg cookies, you need only enough skill to form dough into a shape somewhat resembling an egg. Trust me, you can do this.
Every year at our potluck Passover, my cousins are responsible for bringing the coconut macaroons. The whole family (except me) raves about these particular macaroons - purchased from a neighborhood bakery. Sure, the bakery macaroons are better than the ones from the can that I grew up eating, but I knew I could do better. This year, I told my mom (our Passover host) th
My hummingbird cupcakes with pineapple almond butter cream cheese frosting are among my favorite cupcakes. But, not everyone has almond flour, walnut oil, and golden syrup lying around (some of the key ingredients in that cupcake recipe). This hummingbird upside-down cupcake recipe presents a simpler alternative with the same show-stopper flavor combination of pineapple, pe
Nutella is so in vogue that it's hard to think of doing anything with hazelnuts other than mixing them with chocolate. It's easy to forget that Hazelnut (I prefer to call her Hazel) and Coffee are coffeehouse soul sisters. They love their guy pal, Chocolate, but sometimes they need some bestie time. I'm here to help. I've created hazelnut coffee cupcakes with vanil
There is nothing mild about these Thai-inspired cupcakes. As soon as you are within grabbing length of these cupcakes, the unexpected aroma of fish sauce caramel buttercream hits you. Once you place the scent, let it take you to your last Thai meal. You'll recognize the smells from the tom kha soup you or your neighbor enjoyed. A peel of the wrapper reinforces the set
Portland, Oregon is known for its foodie culture. When Jonathan and I were there this summer for the International Food Blogger Conference, we had our pick of fabulous restaurants to choose from. So, guess what we had for lunch? Ice cream! The tasting menu at Salt & Straw was irresistible! Just look at their menu and you'll see what I mean. M
One of the best tricks that I learned during my day as a chocolatier at Kakao Chocolate was how to make these chocolate leaves in just thirty seconds. Start by pouring a long blob of tempered chocolate onto parchment paper. Use a very well cleaned hair comb or a special cake decorating comb to drag lines on both sides of the chocolate. I tried this at home with a fork and i
It doesn't matter if chocolate is tempered when using it in cake batter. But, for chocolate decorations, ganache that shines, properly textured truffles, and gorgeous chocolate-dipped fruits and caramels, it's essential to know how to temper chocolate. If you just melt chocolate any which way, it doesn't harden with the proper almost-reflective surface and the smooth crisp break of
My three year old, Myles, doesn't just request dumplings. After reading "Yum Yum Dim Sum", he now requests them by name. He charms restaurant servers when he orders shumai and har gow off the dim sum carts at our local Chinese restaurants on weekend mornings. When Myles requested meat and cheese shumai for dinner one night, it sounded weird - but who
What if, instead of moonshine, cupcakes were illegal? Would you still bake them? Would you race to deliver your cupcakes without getting caught. "Oh no, officer, there's no need to check the trunk. I was just headed to meet my husband and bring him some moonshine. I would never get involved with something like cupcakes - heavens, no!" Would NASCAR (a spo
This NASCAR cupcake is for Nanette Biddle Taylor who posted the following on the Cupcake Project Facebook Page last week: Might I suggest some type of NASCAR-themed cupcake in honor of the start of the racing season at Daytona in less than 10 days??? I'm having withdrawals and can't wait for Daytona. After seeing Nanette's request, I polled the Cupcake Project Facebook Community to see wh
For my Valentine's Day contribution to Paula Deen's website, their editor suggested that I create a cupcake using white chocolate. These white chocolate amaretto cupcakes did the trick! The cupcakes contain both melted white chocolate and white chocolate chips for a double punch of white chocolate. The amaretto adds a sultry almond flavor – enough to enjoy, but not strong e
I was alone in the kitchen when these gumbo Mardi Gras cupcakes came out of the oven. Although I had loaded them with big chunks of smoked andouille sausage and prepared them using a roux (the traditional method for making gumbo), I wasn't sure what to expect. Like you, I'd never tried a gumbo cupcake. Would the cupcake taste vaguely spicy, or perhaps like a cupcake version o
I go crazy with elaborate projects sometimes (see my Homemade Lucky Charms for a prime example). But, it's always nice to have a few one bowl recipes on hand to quickly whip together. Despite the gourmet sound of a pine nut cupcake, these pine nut cupcakes fall into the dump and mix category of cupcakes. Remember, easy doesn't mean any less tasty! These pine nut
Peanut butter and jelly is such an iconic American duo that before my three year old had even tried it, he was singing PB&J songs in his parent/child music class. But really, people, must we stick with peanut butter? Give other nuts a chance! I suggest pine nuts. Pine nuts are near and dear to my heart. I grew up with the maiden name of Pine (if you ar
Pine nut butter on toast (or anything you would spread peanut butter on) is a simple special treat for someone in your life with (or without) nut allergies. Pine nuts, as it turns out, are not nuts - they are seeds! Therefore, pine nuts do not need to be avoided by people with nut allergies. Hooray! And, because pine nuts are so soft, they are incredibly easy to turn
For me, love has always been like flan. I'm a believer in love at first sight, but in practice love has always come slowly and smoothly - friendship transitioning to butterflies and then to that first kiss. To appreciate flan, you need to take the time to melt it a little, get it out of its shell, and lastly to turn its world upside-down. Only then will you be treated to it
After perfecting a cupcake recipe, don't top it with this dulce de leche buttercream frosting. Your tasters will be so frosting-focused that they won't notice the cake you worked so hard on. Save this sweet, salty, smooth dulce de leche buttercream frosting to top a cupcake gone bad - one that's too dry, ugly looking, or one where the batter overflowed in the oven. With a sim
Today, my three year old told me that he had one hundred hugs for me. Cajeta, Mexican goat milk dulce de leche, is like that. It's not the kind of sweet that makes you want to gag (like a really bad pick-up line). Rather, it's an innocent sweet - so heartwarming that you get chills as it sinks into your soul. Make your cajeta on a grey day, one where even getting out
When I told Jonathan that I was going to decorate a cupcake with grapes, he got a little scared. You see, the last time that I decorated with grapes, I created grape man (just go look). I assured him that this time, I'd keep it more normal and simply replace the iconic cherry on top with a grape. Why grapes at all? This is my cupcake version of Waldorf salad - a fruit
A couple of years ago, I introduced you to cupcakes baked in real egg shells. Cracking open an egg shell to reveal a cupcake inside is one of those rare food surprises that leaves even the most jaded of adults with a sense of childhood wonder and awe. This year, I am turning the Easter cupcake phenomenon into a Super Bowl sensation. Skip the pastels and dye your egg to look like a foo
The nooks and crannies filled with Nutella and banana in these single-serving pull-apart breads invite exploration. Like a child who can't resist the temptation to pull open and thumb through barely open drawers, your eyes begin spelunking at the first sight of the pull-apart bread. Your fingers quickly follow suit, prying the plush bread open and releasing steam studded with sme
I didn't like these Hoppin' John cupcakes. In fact, the mere smell of them turned my stomach. The full 15 ounce can of black-eyed peas in the recipe produced a dense cupcake with an occasional bean bite - and maybe I should have gone with the popular opinion that chicken broth doesn't belong in a cupcake. Not everyone agreed with me. Some people liked (and I mean real
Hoppin' John is a Southern dish traditionally served on New Year's Day. It's made with black-eyed peas, onions, and bacon (sometimes ham or sausage) and typically served over rice with a side of greens and corn bread. The black-eyed peas in Hoppin' John are supposed to make us think of coins (I've never seen a coin that looks remotely like a black-eyed pea, but I'll go with it), an
Leave out these hot buttered rum cookies on Christmas eve and you'll get a very jolly Santa! These hot buttered rum cookies taste like simple spice cookies (there's cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in the batter), but instead of using vanilla extract, their flavored is enriched with spiced rum. The rum does not overpower (if you want a really strong rum flavor, try my rum balls!); in t
You already know that I like trying new things; this whole blog is about baking experiments. I've also shared some of the different hobbies that I take up - hula hooping and Irish Dancing (I'm not Irish, despite my red hair) are my most recent ones. So, even though few of my friends are on there yet, I've found my way onto to Google+ (if you are on there, be sure to circle me and I'll
I originally developed these hot buttered rum mugcakes for Paula Deen back in 2010, but given that they are so fitting for a holiday menu and it's sometimes hard for me to remember what I did yesterday, I thought that the hot buttered rum mugcake recipe was worth sharing again. Hot buttered rum (for the uninitiated) is a drink often interchangeably described as a hot toddy.&nbs
These cappuccino eggnog angel food cupcakes have changed everything. Angel food cake is no longer relegated to the summer, topped with fresh, seasonal fruit. These heavenly light cappuccino eggnog angel food cupcakes, topped with a dollop of snowy white whipped cream, smell like a bag of coffee beans kissed under the mistletoe by a jug of eggnog. Their taste follows through on the
Two of my favorite holidays fall right near each this year - World Hoop Day (a celebration of the importance of play - specifically with a hula hoop) and National Cupcake Day! Since I don't have a hoop blog, let's focus on the cupcake part! Happy National Cupcake Day! Are you baking or eating cupcakes today? First of all, let everyone know that you are celebrating by joining my Na
Gingerbread cupcakes were one of the very first cupcakes that I ever baked. I got lucky and they were phenomenal (if my early cupcakes hadn't been tasty, who knows if this blog would have ever happened). When my friend Brooke from Sucre Shop questioned whether you could make pancakes from cupcake batter (clearly I only choose brilliant people as my friends), I immediate
In the United Kingdom, cupcakes are sometimes called fairy cakes. Never has that name been more fitting than when used for my sugar plum fairy cakes! I spun dried fruits, walnuts, honey, orange juice, and seasonal spices together in my sugar plum fairy cakes, creating a magical taste spectacle. While similar in flavor to my sugar plum recipe, these sugar plum fairy cakes are dain
What is a Sugar Plum? You have probably heard 'Twas the Night Before Christmas several hundred times, but if you are like me, you may not have stopped to find out just what a sugar plum is after hearing the sugar plum verse: The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads. I always assumed that sugar plums referred to sugared and
