Martha Stewart Challenge: Glitter Ball Cookies

I am starting something I like to call the Martha Stewart Challenge. I got the Martha Stewart Cookies 2012 Calendar and it came with recipes for each month's cookies, so I will be making each cookie monthly (even though I am two months behind).

January's cookie is called a Glitter Ball. They are two little butter cookies rolled in sanding sugar and pressed together with a ginger honey frosting. There are no words for how amazing these cookies are. The butter cookies remind me of the free cookies I would get every time we went to Vons when I was little, so I am thrilled to finally have a recipe for them. I was concerned the ginger would be too overwhelming, but the cookies keep the frosting from being too strong. I definitely would not use the frosting on a cupcake though. That would be too much. 

Grade: A+, will (and have) make again. 

Candy Cane Cupcakes

Though you can't tell because of the frosting, this cupcake is a marbled red and white cake made by putting a portion of each color batter in the liner and swirling it around with a knife. It's topped with a peppermint glaze (primarily so I could spread it on the cupcakes since I was baking multiple things that day) and a mini candy cane. Fun fact for you: when stored in an airtight container, the moisture from these cupcakes melts the candy canes, so the candy canes need to be placed in the cupcakes just prior to serving. Fortunately they were still delicious. I intend to revisit these cupcakes soon so I can make them prettier.

Horror Cupcake

Sorry for the lack of posts recently! I haven't been feeling well so I haven't been baking. This lovely, horror movie inspired item is from a few weeks ago. I've been watching a lot of them while I've been relaxing this past week. I originally had a long thing typed up about why I enjoy watching horror movies, but I'm lazy this week so I'll just explain it this way: I am addicted to TVTropes.org and it's easy to play spot the tropes with horror movies. The baked good is a cinnamon sugar cupcake topped with gently roasted marshmallow fluff and strawberry jam and set on top of a red sugar glass puddle. The knife is a KitchenAid.

I hope to get back to baking and regular posting tomorrow. And coming after Thanksgiving: a Christmas gingerbread house.

Pumpkin Tart

I debated about posting this item (it was originally supposed to appear on Halloween), but eventually decided to go with it. As you can see, it is not the most attractive thing I've posted here. The pastry bag fell apart when I was piping a spiderweb on it, and there wasn't enough chocolate to spread it along the top of the tart/by the time I got more chocolate melted, the mess on top would be completely set. Even though it looks like a hot mess, I'm sure it still tasted delicious. I don't actually know if it did- my mom gave it as a gift to a coworker, and keeps forgetting to ask if it was good. It was incredibly easy to bake, so I'll be selling this one seasonally.

Look! Another Halloween Post!

In previous years I have tried to stick to a theme with my jack-o-lanterns: Star Wars, Doctor Who, etc. This year I have no theme, so I present to you Iron-Man and The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. I hope you can tell that's what they are supposed to be.

For as much as I love Halloween, I don't do anything but watch horror movies. Thus far I have watched Zombies: A Living History, The Exorcist, Misery, Haunted History: Hollywood, and The Real History of Halloween. I still need to watch Scream 2, Scream 3, and the original Halloween. I was supposed to watch Hocus Pocus and Friday the 13th, but Netflix sent me Scream 2 and Bridesmaids instead. Whatever.

It's a Halloween Post, Y'all!

I know I promised that I would update a few days ago, but I ran a little behind schedule with this behemoth:

I have never made a gingerbread house before that wasn't graham crackers attached to a little milk carton, but I felt the overwhelming need to make one for my favorite holiday. It was a learning experience. For example, while putting the candy corn on the roof I learned who actually eats candy corn: my dad. The only major issue I had was making too much purple royal icing for trim and too little gray royal icing for covering the board. Assembling the house itself was incredibly easy, so for Christmas I will try something bigger and more complicated.

Broken Glass Cupcakes

I'm going to be honest: the cupcakes were total disasters. I didn't use my regular chocolate cupcake recipe because I didn't have the ingredients/was being spontaneous, and the replacement recipe did not work out well. They tasted fine, but were crumbly. Next time I'll stick to my usual.

That said, the sugar glass was super fun to make. It's made from sugar and water cooked over a stove until it's light gold, then poured onto a cookie sheet to set. After it's cracked it definitely resembles broken glass- I may have stabbed myself with a piece. I recommend eating carefully.