How to Create Your Own Recipe

I've always wondered where truly great recipes come from.  Who creates these things?  Do the authors of these culinary guides stay at home and strictly create recipes, and publish them in recipe books or broadcast them via social media on the internet for those of us who actually have a life?  A lot of recipes I use are recipes I've found and changed to cater to my taste and what I think that particular cupcake, frosting, or filling might need. However, I have always wanted to create something to call my own.  And so I did.

Creating your own cupcake recipe is actually not as daunting as it may seem.  Here are some tips to help you get started:

Start by establishing what flavors you would like to use, usually between one and four.  Keep in mind that your flavors need to compliment each other.  If you are making this recipe for a specific event or party, consider your audience.  Some adults are not very adventurous when it comes to food, and many times children haven't developed a taste for what you might be making.  Smaller, more intimate events are a great place to try new and edgy flavors.

Once you have decided on your flavors, establish how you would like to execute those flavors.
An easy way to do this is to remember:
Cake - This is where your most robust flavor should be.  Anything that is a spice, robust, or zesty flavor is best in the cake.  If you plan on using hard liquor or wine in your flavor array, bake it in your cake.
Frosting - Lighter flavors work great in the frosting.  Fruity and nutty flavors, along with any ingredient which may spoil or change flavor if baked, should be a part of the frosting.
Glazes and fillings - Fruits, liquor, and chocolate make some of the best fillings and glazes.
Exceptions to this guide are caramel and citrus fruits, which go great in any component of the cupcake.
Remember when using fruits which may have seeds to try and either use seedless options or remove the seeds yourself.  Your audience will appreciate it!

Next, decide how many cupcakes you want your recipe to yield.  Most recipes yield 12-24 regular sized cupcakes, less if you use Texas Royal or jumbo liners.

Now you are ready to start recording measurements you would like to use.  Understanding ratios will take the guess work out of all of it.
Staples for cake batter are: eggs, flour, sugar, butter/oil, and baking powder or baking soda.  Here's why:
Eggs and flour contain protein.  Protein molecules become tangled up to form the "skeleton" of the cake.
Sugars and butter/oil contain moisture, which soften the skeleton and make it pleasant to eat.
Baking powder and baking soda release gas, carbon dioxide, which rises in the batter while in the oven.  The gas lifts the skeleton up on the way out.
Too much skeleton and your cake will be dry and tough.  Too much moisture and your cake will be flat and mushy.
Your sugar should weigh about the same as your flour.  This means weight, not volume!  A cup of sugar weighs about 7 oz. while a cup of flour weighs about 4.5 oz.  So for example, if you are using a cup of sugar you will need about a cup and a half of flour.
Your eggs should weigh the same as your butter/oil plus or minus 20%.  An egg out of its shell weighs roughly 1 3/4 oz.  If your recipe calls for 6 oz. of butter/oil you will need four whole eggs.
Other liquid ingredients, including the eggs, should weigh as much as your sugar.  Weighing your total sugar and subtracting your eggs gives you the amount of liquid ingredient you have left to work with.
Finally, baking powder and baking soda ratios.  Use one teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour.  Use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per cup of flour.  Heavier recipes may require more to lift your protein structure. 
Bake your cupcakes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and allow to bake undisturbed for 10 minutes.  By this time the cakes should have risen and will need additional time to continue strengthening the structure the protein molecules have formed.  Bake in one to two minute increments, inserting a toothpick each time until it comes out clean.  Record the total time it took for the cupcakes to bake after removing them from the oven.  Remember that larger cupcakes will take longer to bake.

Frosting is kind of a free for all in my book.  I start with a cup of butter and add ingredients as I go.  If I'm using cream cheese I cut the butter in half.  Powdered sugar goes in a cup at a time to until the desired thickness is achieved.  If the frosting is too sweet, add a small amount of salt and vanilla extract.  If the frosting is too thick or grainy add whipping cream a tablespoon at a time and whisk on high until light and fluffy.  Other ingredients like caramel can be added a half of a cup at a time.  Always record what you do and taste after each addition. 

The most important thing to remember is that your first shot at your first recipe isn't going to be perfect.  If you are really serious about creating a great recipe, embrace trial and error because it is the best way to really see and taste what works and what doesn't.  Last and most importantly, don't give up!

A Graham Flour Substitute So Simple Your Head Will Spin!

Anyone who has had my S'mores cupcakes will tell you that all of the components are so close to the real thing that your taste buds won't be able to tell the difference between my cupcake and the campfire classic.  My S'mores cupcakes consist of three parts: a honey graham cake, a rich and smooth chocolate ganache, and a marshmallow buttercream to top it all off.  In my opinion the honey graham taste of the cake is one of the most important things.  If you can't get that flavor across right off the bat the whole idea of the S'more pretty much goes down the drain.

Most recipes call for graham flour, which is processed differently than other flours.  This is how many bakers achieve that graham cracker taste.  So what's the big deal?  Well, first of all graham flour isn't very easy to come across.  Some grocers will carry the graham flour in the heath food section.  Others don't carry it at all because it does not move on the shelf as much as your other flours do.  Graham flour can be purchased online, which means you'll have to plan ahead and allow time for shipping before you can use it.  Second, a package of graham flour is going to cost you. A 24 oz. bag of off brand, all purpose flour will cost you between $1.50 and $3.00.  Brands like King Arthur Flour will cost you between $3.00 and $5.00 for all purpose flour.  One 24 oz. (1.5 lb.) bag of graham flour will cost you between $7.00 and $10.00.  Personally I'm not too keen on spending that much on a bag of flour, especially since I bake for friends and family free of charge.  But if it's the only way to get that great graham cracker taste I'll do it.

-JUST KIDDING-

There's a better, more cost effective way to this and it is going to blow your mind.  All you need is:

1 package of graham crackers
Measuring cups
Food processor

See where I'm going with this?  The graham crackers can be ground down to a fine powder in the food processor and used just like you would graham flour.  You can use whichever brand you like to suit your flavor type or budget.  I can honestly tell you, I mainly use Aldi's graham crackers because they are dirt cheap and taste just as good as Honey Maid.  Sometimes I even use cinnamon flavored graham crackers.  There's something about the flavor of the graham cracker right out of the package that you just can't duplicate using honey and graham flour, or adding cinnamon into the mix.  One sleeve of graham crackers will yield about 3/4 of a cup of graham powder, which means you can do something else with the left over graham crackers instead of worrying about using up the remaining graham flour you would have purchased before it spoiled.  I've used this method in my recipe from day one and swear by it.  My cupcakes always come out moist and rise fully.

So remember: If you're in a pinch or are pinching your pennies, you can make your own graham flour substitute using a few simple steps.

Bake on!

Fun with Fondant

Those of us who had a normal childhood probably remember Play Doh.  Remember the McDonald's kitchen set they had which molded that awful smelling stuff into Big Macs, fries, and sundaes to complete your totally inedible meal?  As a child Play Doh always frustrated me.  I was never any good at working with Play Doh and now, at 23, I'm trying to work with the big kid baker's version of it...fondant.

My reasons for not being the biggest fan of fondant are pretty simple:

1. Has anyone really ever tasted fondant?  It's disgusting!

2. Working with fondant is like trying to work with fly paper.  It sticks to EVERYTHING!

3. The combination of it tasting terrible and being so much work makes my head spin when I see people pick the fondant off their cupcake, set it aside, and throw it away.  My inner fat kid tells me if it doesn't taste good, if you can't eat it, it ain't worth it.

-HOWEVER-

Some people are willing to pay someone to slave over these kinds of things so people "Oooh" and "Aaah" over them for three seconds before shoving out of the way to wolf down a cupcake.  In that case, I'll gladly slave over these for you!  One of my co worker's friends, a soon to be bride, wanted to do exactly that. 

She said she wanted maple leafs atop each of her 60 cupcakes using two fall colors to differentiate her two flavors of cupcakes.  It sounded simple and elegant.  Piece of cake!  I ordered myself a maple leaf cut out and punch which allowed me to either simply cut out the shape or push the plunger down into the fondant while cutting for a "spined" look.  Simple.

BUT...there's always a but.

Two days before the wedding she sent me an e-mail with this image:

I'm sorry if I sound like a Whinetta or a Moana, but these are not simple, one color leafs.  These look like something that came from my back yard!  So I thought I'd just do my best to give her what she wanted.  Immediately after making that decision, I changed my policy: No changes to orders within 1 week of the delivery date.

So I got to work on these puppies right away.  Luckily JoAnn Fabric had leaf cookie cutters in the shape of the green one shown as well as numerous colors of Wilton color dust.  However it didn't have the spines.  I made my fondant, colored both batches, and began the rolling and cutting

process. I then started spining with a toothpick.  The leafs above we done with a mold or a press so because I didn't have those kinds of tools mine didn't turn out quite as realistic.  I was pretty proud of myself though.  I made green and yellow leafs, which I colored with the dust.  The finished product was a fun mix between simple and realistic.  Once all 120 pieces were colored and spined I finished them off with a little shimmer dust.  I started this process two days before the wedding and allowed them to sit in a bakery box for those two days to set.  *NOTE: Dust a little powdered sugar on everything you will be setting fondant on, including wax paper, or you will have a nightmare of a time trying to get pieces off of the paper in one piece!*

All in all I believe the cupcakes were a success.  Given the short notice I had to nail down a technique I wasn't really sure I even had I felt like I had won this battle with fondant.  I also believe I made even more beautiful creations with my fondant nightmare than I could have ever imagines with Play Doh.  Maybe fondant just lets us big little kids have a second change at sculpting and creativity, minus that terrible smell.

Perhaps my lesson in fondant and last minute panic really wasn't a lesson in baking culinary crisis at all.  Moments like these, where a situation just kind of blows up in your face and catches you flat footed as opposed to on your toes, really make your true inner you shine.  You either take it head on or accept defeat.  Sometimes folding is the easier option of the two but in the cook book of life a hard earned victory is much, much sweeter than defeat.

The Secret to Sensational Swirls!

Have you ever been stuck trying to pick just one color for your frosting?  And let's be honest, who said you could only pick one?  Christmas means red and green, Halloween is orange and black, and good old Fourth of July is the red, white, and blue.  So how can you make your cupcakes just as festive as the holidays you celebrate?  Swirled frosting!

The photo above shows the technique I swear by.  I used home made maple cream cheese frosting and Wilton gel colors in pink, teal, and violet for Easter.  Here's an easy step by step guide to multicolored, swirled frosting which will keep your colors from mixing together into an unsavory "baby poop green" sort of color.

Swirled Frosting
What you'll need: Light colored frosting of choice
                             At least two colors of food coloring
                             Separate bowls and spatulas for each color
                             One long piece of saran wrap
                             A clip, bread tie, or the ability to tie a knot
                             Your choice of piping bag and tip

Getting started: Start by dividing up your frosting evenly according to the number of colors you have.  If you are going to do multiple layers of the same color to give a different swirl pattern, tint your frosting to that color in one batch.  Give yourself plenty of room to work.  Lay out your saran wrap (remember, one long piece!) so that it is not too close to the edge of your counter or table top and so that it can't get snagged on anything.  Anchor one edge of your frosting down.  This anchored side is your end which will be twisted up and clipped to prevent your frosting from oozing out the back as you pipe. Naturally, the opposite edge left free will be your opening.  Have your piping bag within reach of your saran wrap.

Step 1: Color your frosting.  Use as little or as much coloring to achieve the shade of color you desire.  Use the spatula to mix the coloring in by hand, scraping down the sides of the bowl and moving the outer frosting to the middle of the bowl. 
Step 2: Starting with your darkest color first, carefully transfer your frosting to the saran wrap forming the frosting in a long, narrow line.  Be careful not to spread the frosting too wide.  Try to get your frosting close to the edge of the opening and keep end your frosting rectangle farther away from your end. 
Step 3: Repeat with each additional color, from darkest to lightest, one on top of the other.  Don't worry if some colors go over the edge of your frosting "pile", or if you can't spread a thick even layer across the length of your frosting run.  Just be sure that the end that is going to be your "opening" is evenly colored.
Step 4: Once all of your colors are layered in a rectangle on your saran wrap sheet, bring the sides of the saran wrap up to touch each other (hot dog style).  Carefully roll the ends together, forming a saran wrap tube of frosting. 
Step 5: Your end should be long enough to do one of three things: clip, twist and tie, or tie into a knot.  Twist the left over saran wrap at the end until the twist meets the back end of your frosting.  It is important to somehow secure the saran wrap so that your frosting can only go one way: forward.  I prefer tying the saran wrap, but it takes some patients and good coordination to keep the frosting from going all over your counter top or even worse, rolling off of it completely. 
Step 6:  Slide your tube, opening first, into your piping bag.  Try to mold the saran wrap tube as best you can to the shape of the bag, sending the tube deeper into the bag and preventing air pockets.  My favorite technique, though I should warn should really only be used if you are using a coupler and decorative tip, is to position my tube opening first at the edge of my counter.  I place my piping bag's opening at the lip of the counter against the cabinet.  I then push the tube forward to sort of free fall/launch into my bag and take the shape of the bag with the help of gravity.  Be careful though! Sometimes this will result in a little frosting on your foot.

I use this technique for so much more than just a few holidays here and there.  Birthdays, baby showers, and all sorts of gatherings are the perfect open invitation to give your frosting a swirl of color that friends, family, coworkers, guests, and clients are sure to "ooh" and "ahh" over.

Shipping Something Sweet

A friend of mine in Philadelphia messaged me a few weeks ago wanting to use my cupcakes to send to clients of his as thank you gestures.  I was flattered, but didn't know the first thing about packaging such delicate perishables or shipping them in general.  After some hard thinking and a look at my supple I came up with a pretty solid plan of attack.  The cupcakes arrived from Chicago to Philadelphia in two days, intact, and delicious for a mere $16.00.

Shipping cupcakes
You will need:
A plastic cupcake container
Lollipop/cake pop sticks
1-2 ice packs
Aluminum foil
Bubble wrap
Shipping box
Sharpie or Fragile stickers
Tape


Step 1: After baking and frosting your cupcakes, place them in the plastic bakery container. Measure your lollipop/cake pop sticks to where the top and bottom will touch the floor and ceiling of the container.  Simply insert one stick into each cupcake and secure the lid.  You should be able to move the conainter around without any mess or movement.
Step 2: Freeze these babies overnight.
Step 3: On the shipment date, remove your cupcakes from the freezer.  Set out your aluminum foil, setting your ice pack in the center.  Place the bottom of the cupcake container on top of the ice pack and secure with rubber bands.  Wrap the entire bundle of ice pack and cupcake container in the aluminum foil, making sure all openings are "sealed".
Step 4: Lay bubble wrap in your box, allowing extra to lay over the edges and out of the box.  Carefully place your aluminum foil bundle into the box and nest the remaining bubble wrap aroung the package.  You should be able to close and seal the box without damaging the container and without a large bulge at either the top or bottom of the box.

TIPS:
1. Make sure your box is marked as FRAGILE!  Don't write the contents on the box or they may not reach their destination, as some postal workers get hungry and have been known to open boxes with baked goods and eat their contents.  Both of my parents worked for the postal service for more than 35 years.  Trust me, they know!
2. Take your items to the post office at the END of the day, about an hour before the post office closes.  This ensures your package will go out that night instead of sitting out all day had you taken it in in the morning.
3. Try to use flat rate, two day shipping.