Chai Tea Cupcakes

This recipe is adapted from The Cakemix Doctor Returns book page 101 (Toffee Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting). 

Chai Cake/Cupcakes
1 box white cake mix with pudding in the mix
1/4 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
1 cup warm water
1 Tbl. vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/2 cup chai tea powder (I get at Costco-Chamba Chai spiced chai latte)
Mix all together beating on high 2 min. Bake as a cake or cupcakes.

Browned Butter Cream Cheese Chai Frosting
1/2 stick butter
1 package cream cheese (8 oz) chilled
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
1 - 2 Tbl. strong chai tea liquid (mix 8 oz. hot water with two scoops chai tea)

Melt butter and heat on med. low until it carmelizes and turns light brown. Place chilled cream cheese in mixing bowl. Pour hot butter over cream cheese and add vanilla. Beat on low speed with mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar a little at a time until all is blended. Increase speed and mix until fluffy.

(I added my homemade toffee bits to the tops of these cupcakes.  I will sell you my toffee if you want it for these cupcakes or just to eat.)

Pecan Butterscotch Bars

I got this recipe from The Nate Burkus Show and started making these bars right away.  I tend to change recipes I get (improve?), so I'll add the "improvements" at the end.  This recipe is from Treats Truck in NYC.

PECAN BUTTERSCOTCH BARS
3 sticks Butter (1 1/2 cup)
4 cups Dark Brown Sugar
3 cups Flour
2 tsp. Salt
4 tsp. Vanilla
4 Eggs
4 tsp. Baking Powder
2 cups Pecans - chopped

In saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar.  Cook until bubbly.  Sift together flour, salt, baking powder.  Combine this with eggs, vanilla, sugar/butter mixture and half pecans.  Pour in greased cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.  Sprinkle other half of nuts on top.  Bake 350 degrees for 25 - 30 min.

Aimee's "Improvements"
*  Change nuts--walnuts, almonds, cashews, anything works
*  Add chocolate chips on top--milk, semi-sweet, white, butterscotch

Enjoy!

Golf cupcakes

Happy Birthday to Tim, an avid golfer.

Neighborhood Kids' Christmas Cookie Decorating Party

For the last three years, I have been inviting my neighborhood kids over to frost and decorate Christmas cookies.  This year I had 8 children ranging in ages from 1 to 11.  We all had a blast.  Some of the parents and grandparents helped.  This tray was done by Carlo.  He made a few zombie cookies.

Claudia's Birthday Cake

Claudia's birthday is Christmas Eve, so she got snowflake cupcakes and cake--red velvet.

Pastor's Retirement Celebration

Pastor Aaron Eurich retired from Paradise Hills So. Baptist Church after 37 years.  He completed a total of 65 years in the ministry.  Well done, good and faithful servant.  The church had their annual Round Up celebrating Pastor Eurich's accomplishments.  I made a vanilla cake with browned butter cream cheese frosting.  I also used modeling chocolate for some of the decorations.

Go Packers!

Courtney, age 16, made this cake for the Packer/Lions game on New Year's Day.  I met her at Oggi's Pizza.  The Packers won, by the way!  Good job, Courtney!