Sometimes You Feel Like A Nut...

Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't...Almond Joy's got nuts, Mounds don't!  Anyone remember that jingle?  It's pretty catchy huh?  I remember hearing this in the Almond Joy/Mounds commercial a loooong time ago.  And yep, whoever made this jingle was very successful.  I still remember it years later.  And I apologize if this jingle is now stuck in your head for the remainder of your day...or even years later!  And what does this have to do with dessert posts?  Oh, I made some Almond Joy and Mounds cupcakes!  I had something similar when I was in Vegas, so I thought I'd come home and make my own version.  Which I did.  I must admit, this was a pretty tasty cupcake.  I've been kind of stuck in the basics of cupcake flavors.  You know, vanilla, chocolate....Well, I guess vanilla and chocolate!  Chocolate because it is sooo tasty.  I'm serious.  My chocolate cake will hook you in!  And vanilla because I am forever fixing my vanilla recipe.  I just have not had the time to explore all the different flavor combinations out there!  Anyways, I finally figured out a vanilla recipe that I really enjoy.  So the base of these almond joy cupcakes was the vanilla cake.  However, I changed the recipe to make the cupcake batter into a coconut cake...since almond joy consists of chocolate, almonds, and coconut.  The results?  A divine, light, moist coconut cake.  Yum.

The first pictures a Mounds cupcake.  The bottom picture is Almond Joy.  I made extra big regular cupcakes...I wanted the slight dome on top of the cupcake so that I could dip it into the rich chocolate ganache.  I then topped each cupcake with sweetened coconut flakes, and depending upon whether I wanted Mounds or Almond Joy, I topped the topping accordingly.  The Mounds cupcakes received lightly toasted, unsweetened coconut flakes.  Whereas the Almond Joy received toasted sliced almonds.  Overall, this cupcake was yummy.  I think I could have double dipped the ganache though, and I would double dip the next time around!  This cupcake looks rich and heavy, but it's actually not!  It's a pretty airy cake and very light in sweetness!  (Hence needing to double dip the chocolate ganache!)  I would definitely make this cupcake again!  Thanks, Vegas, for the inspiration!

Minnie Mouse

Good afternoon dear readers!  Happy Tuesday!  It's been a crazy roller coaster ride for me these past few weeks.  But, I just wanted to let you all know that I am still alive and trying to write new posts as quick as I can!  Anyways, it's pretty darn hot today and my eyes are craving for a nap...so I am just going to showcase a very sweet and short post.  Today's post is on Minnie Mouse....cakepops!  I had the chance to make these cakepops a few months ago and am only now showcasing them.  I originally wanted to make a blog post on different cakepop designs, but that opportunity never came up...so I'm thinking it's about time I showcase these!  Bakerella made some super cute Mickey and Minnie mouse cakepops...she even put faces on her Mickey and Minnie.  I decided my abstract Minnie did just as a nice a job!  She wasn't as difficult to make (compared to other cake pops), but was still a trial.  Regular cake pops are a pain to make already, so add the complications of different shapes and designs, and you'll wish you never thought about cake pops in any shape but round!  However, when the cake pops come out right, it's like the heavens opened up its arms to you.  I know, it's that fantastical.  I'm not joking too.  Knowing (and experiencing) all that could possibly go wrong with making cake pops, I'm pretty darn excited when they come out "perfectly."  Take a look at these cute Minnies:

Abstract Minnies....I like it!