Mmmmmm.....Butterbeer.

For those of you that are Harry Potter fans, you will understand wondering for many many years what exactly butterbeer tastes like.  For those of you that are not Harry Potter fans, these can just be a yummy treat for you. :-)

Recently I was invited to a Harry Potter party where Butterbeer cupcakes were going to be served.  Sadly, I couldn't make it to the party, but the hostess was kind enough to put a link to the recipe for Butterbeer Cuppies on her blog.  So today, since we are going to a Memorial Day party, I decided to embark on a cuppie making adventure.  This is very interesting to do with 2 mess monsters that have very curious hands and mouths, but I think they turned out ok.  Hopefully those that will be consuming them this evening will agree.

I didn't take any photos of making the batter or putting ingredients into the mixer.  Not because it is silly to do so, but because I am pregnant, have 2 mess monsters and my brain is gone, I simply forget to do so.  Plus, I work at a cupcakery, so photo taking has never really been included in the batter making process.  Anyway, I made the butterscotch ganache last night and let it sit out, covered, until this morning.  To make a long story short, I made the batter and baked it and ended up with these beautiful cuppies.

Now, the wonderful butterscotch ganache, that you really just want to squirt straight into your mouth goes into the middle of the cuppies.  I do not have the tools to do it the same way we do at work, so I used a paring knife and cut a little hole out of the middle of each one.

This works rather well and then you can stuff as much or as little filling into these babies as your little heart desires. ;-)

I filled them to the brim and then put in a little extra after the filling had settled in a little bit.  I made the frosting for these while the cuppies were baking and whipped it until it was nice and fluffy.  To be perfectly honest, buttercream is not my frosting of choice, but when it is whipped into a airy fluffy cloud it is definitely better.  I frosted these little bad boys with a ziploc bag that had a hole cut in the corner.  My goal is to get some decorating tips so that the frosting turns out a little nicer shaped and maybe not quite so crooked, but for today's purposes, the baggie worked.

After frosting them, you drizzle some of that delightful butterscotch ganache over the top and that is where the recipe stops.  I took it a step further, to challenge myself a bit, and made one more little decoration for the top.

I melted some butterscotch chips, put the molten concoction in a squeeze bottle and drizzled little swirlies and checkerboards onto wax paper.  For alittle extra pizazz I sprinkled some edible disco dust to give just a little sparkle.  Lesson numero uno: These don't set up so well when it is a very warm muggy day and you don't have the air conditioner on.  I know, I know, it seems like cooking for dummies lesson 1, but again, prego and dos mess monsters. ;-)  Thankfully, deep freezes help a lot in these circumstances.  I stuck these cute little butterscotch messes on top of the cuppies and if I do say so myself, I can't wait to give one a try.  They may not taste like Butterbeer when all is said and done, but they will be a little bit of butterscotch heaven, and that in itself is a fantastic thing to be. :-)  Happy Baking!  (recipe is below photos)  Just one more little note, I did makes a double batch of the buttercream frosting.  One batch would not have been quite enough.

Butterbeer Cupcakes


Makes 18

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For the cupcakes:

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2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon butter flavoring

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup cream soda

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For the ganache:

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1 11-oz. package butterscotch chips

1 cup heavy cream

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For the buttercream frosting:

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1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup butterscotch ganache

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon butter flavoring

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 16-oz. package powdered sugar

Splash of milk or cream (as needed)

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For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine your flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, cream your butter until light and fluffy. Add your sugars and beat until well-combined. Beat in your eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then beat in your vanilla and butter flavoring.

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Alternate adding your buttermilk, cream soda, and dry ingredients in batches until all are well incorporated. Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full, then bake for 15 to 17 minutes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and cake springs back to the touch. Cool completely on wire racks.

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For butterscotch filling: In a double boiler (heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water on the stove), combine butterscotch chips and heavy cream and stir until completely combined and smooth. Cool to room temperature. Fill a squeeze bottle with ganache and insert into the center of each cupcake, squeezing until filling begins to overflow.

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For buttercream frosting: Cream butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add in ganache, vanilla, butter flavoring, and salt and mix until well combined. Beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until reaching desired consistency. Add milk or cream by the Tablespoon as needed. Frost cupcakes and top with a drizzle of butterscotch ganache.

Trying something new.

Considering the fact that there will be a new little baby Swensen by early August I thought a new name for my blog would probably be appropriate.  So I have renamed my blog A Mommy and her Mess Monsters.  The Mess Monsters is a name affectionately given to the kiddos by their Daddy because everything they do, it seems like, creates a mess.  I decided that since the blog was getting a name makeover it should also be given a content makeover.  So, from now on, it will contain recipes, crafts, stories and possible venting at times. 

I love being creative and making things.  I always have.  I excelled at projects in school that required creative thinking and making something rather than writing a paper.  I don't really have any of these projects, mostly because about 80% of the time the teachers would ask to keep it so they had it to display to the years of classes to come.  I didn't really take that for the compliment it was at the time, but you do get smarter as you get older. ;-) 

Something that is close to my heart is called a Mother Blessing shower.  I will write a completely seperate post explaining what this is, because it is so awesome it requires its very own post.  Anyway, I am hosting a Mother Blessing shower for a friend of mine in a couple of weeks and wanted to have some custom decorations instead of the typical blue, pink, yellow tear down and throw away decorations that typically grace the walls.  I love to make things, but have found it to be increasingly difficult with our growing family. A 2 1/2 year and 14 month old don't really understand that Mommy just really needs a break.  Well, today my kiddos blessed me with a 3 hour nap, during which I decided it was time to get the creative juices flowing.  I had already picked up all of the scrapbooking paper that I needed, so I made large circles on the back with a large mixing bowl and cut them out.  I glued them all together and then made glitter letters on them.  Here is a photo just to give you an idea and when I get it completed I will post some photos of the finished product. 

I can't guarantee I will take lots of pictures to post and make a tutorial, but I will always be happy to share how I made something.  I also can't guarantee I will be very consistent when it comes to posting, but I will try.  :-)

Awesome Giveaway!

Olive To Sew is having an awesome giveaway that includes SO many adorable photo props for any kind of photographer!  You should check it out!  http://www.olivetosew.blogspot.com/

my little green monster

jason and i had been married for 6 months when we found out i was pregnant with akina. 9 months after she was born we found out i was pregnant with jasper.  8 months after he was born we found out we are expecting our third child.  for almost three and a half years of our almost four year marriage, i have been on a hormone roller coaster.  up and down, round and round.  i love my children, they have added a richness to my life that i never imagined. but i fight the little green monster every now and again.  i fight it hard, because i feel so guilty about it.  sometimes i feel like jason and i missed out on a special part of our mariage.  the first couple of years to travel together and have fun. freedom.  freedom.  to do what we wanted, when we wanted.  no babysitters, no extra $30 for a date night.  believe me, i know how petty this sounds, and how it will probably enrage those who want children more than anything.  but this is my honest confession.  i struggle with this sometimes.  not often, but when it hits, it takes me a little while to shake it.  i can't imagine my life without my children and this monster usually climbs on my back when i need a little breather from my duo.  when i forget for a minute to truly appreciate them.  it is a weakness of mine and i know it.  it is something i need to work on.

2

my baby girl.

my first born.

i can't believe you're 2!

and sleeping in a big girl bed! where did the time go?!

sept. 4, 2008 was one of the best days of my life!  happy birthday, my gorgeous little girl.

hello me, i'd like to get to know you.

this is me.  i am 30 years old.  i have done a lot in 30 years that i am proud of and some things that i am not proud of.  but all of those things, pride causing or not, have made me who i am.  honestly, i feel i am still getting to know myself.  i am finally comfortable enough with who i am to not be embarassed when i like something that someone else does not. (especially those that like to ridicule people for liking something they think is absurdly ridiculous.)  i was a closet liker of so many things through most of my life because i was so afraid of what other people would think of me.  it has taken me all 30 of those years to get to the point where i don't care.  i am finally comfortable picking out or liking things that are different than "normal".  example: after jason and i got married we used money we had received to purchase a full set of living room furniture.  it is nice furniture, it is normal furniture, it is go with anything furniture.  it is the type of furniture that i am supposed to have so that when we move into a bigger house that has to be perfectly furnished and decorated, you know, the manicured look, i would be ready.  i was being smart, it was transitionable furniture.  now i look at it and all i can think is "blah.  blah, blah, blah."  because that's what it is.  it is boring, it has no personality.  the rest of the room has personality, paintings of hong kong, a bamboo ladder and other asian influences.  i love those, they are a part of who i am.  they describe a little piece of my personality to visitors.  but they are me.  not jason, not my duo, just me.  i lived in china, i bought these decorations, my family wasn't even a glimmer in my mind during my time there.  my whole perception is changing.  if someone walks into your house, what do you want them to see?  that a family lives there, to get a sense of you when they come in, see your family's personality shining through?  or do you want them to see the perfectly put together, restoration hardware living room, right out of the catalog?  don't get me wrong, the furniture is beautiful, but make it yours.  when i am done with my living room, there will be a whole lot of persoanlity shining through.  the chairs that will be going in cost $20 and $29 respectively and i couldn't be more excited about them.  they sure beat the $600 chair i am sitting in right now.  and to end this out, i feel you need to know, i like pop music.  i do.  i like many other kinds of music as well, but this seems to be one of the things that has plagued me since i was quite young.  no one wanted me to like it, so therefore when i was in a pop music-y mood, i had to listen in secret.  so now i am out.  i like it.  and i am going to love my vintage living room when i am done with it. ;-)

i need to download some patience......matrix style!

being a mom is pretty fantastic. chubby little arms (jazz) and not so chubby little arms (akina) reaching for you every morning to hug you and let you know how much you were missed during the night.  i used to think that i did not want children.  i didn't want to give up my freedom, i didn't want to have to devote all of my time to little ones who needed everything from me.  sometimes i still struggle with the amount of freedom that has taken a vacation. (i say vacation because someday that freedom will return.) when i have to turn down invitations or leave a get together earlier than i would like, it's difficult not think a little selfishly.  but, if you gave me the choice between the duo and freedom, i would choose my duo, hands down, no thought, everyday of the week and twice on sunday.  patience is something that is slowly growing in me, it's hard, i have lost my temper an embarassing number of times.  reading love & logic helped a lot and implementing it has done wonders to akina's attitude.  working has also given akina and i time to miss each other, which has helped me appreciate her more and vice versa.  3 months ago she could have cared less if i left for a little while, but now every time i leave i get hugs, kisses, blown kisses and an i love you (which sounds like wuv wu).   when i get home (the times she's awake) she runs to the stairs yelling "mommy!" and i get huge hugs and lots of kisses.  it melts my heart.  hopefully my patience has grown enough to survive potty training intact. ;-)