14 Jan 2011

Delicious Wilmington: Coastal Cupcakes

by | posted in: chocolate, food, restaurants | 2

I think every other cupcake business in Wilmington needs to just close up shop and that Coastal Cupcakes needs to bake more cupcakes. 

Best cupcake I’ve had, hans down.  I’ve had cupcakes in Chicago, RDU, Publix (which are a favorite of mine), TN,  CO.  Cupcake bakeries and “shoppes” are all the rage right now, so there seems to be one on every corner.  They do it right!

A friend and I share the coconut with cream cheese icing and coconut on top.  The most moist, fall apart, not dry at all cupcake.  Flavorful and just melt in your mouth.  Most cupcakes I’ve tasted in bakeries taste like they are frozen.  I would have though these were baked right before we walked in (though the icing wasn’t melting, so I know they weren’t).  The coconut wasn’t hard.  The cream cheese frosting was just bliss. 

I would love to have tried all of them, and the shop clerk that day was so kind and gracious to let me come behind the counter to not have the glass in all the pictures!

Thank you Coastal Cupcakes!  Keep baking!  I will return!

1 Dec 2010

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream

by | posted in: Uncategorized | 1

Buttercream can’t exist in my house too long, or none of my clothes will fit! I have found the easiest way to do cupcakes is mostly to make a box mix (I used Devil’s Food for this one) and make my own buttercream.

I used this girl’s buttercream and then added some peppermint flavoring.

Here is the recipe for the buttercream:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 T milk
1 T peppermint extract

Cream butter for about 5 minutes. Add in sugar 1 cup at a time and keep beating for about 5 total minutes. Add in milk and extract. Beat a little more till light and fluffy.

Put on the top of the cupcakes and enjoy. Oh, if you want more peppermint flavor, I added a junior mint to each cupcake. I put a spoon of the dough in the cupcake wrapper and then dropped a junior mint (my Mom’s fave) and then finished filling the cupcake.

Enjoy!

22 Nov 2010

Much & Link Love: November 21 edition

by | posted in: Uncategorized | 0

Vacation over: Thanksgiving ahead.
1. Vacation was great: hiking, eating, sleeping, photoging, seeing friends. Beautiful weather.
2. Parents come in town tomorrow.
3. I’ve decided not to do the half on Thursday. That would take out 9 hours of what my parents and I could do together (drive, run, drive), so we will find stuff to do in Raleigh without going to Charlotte.
4. Friends are crucial to my wellbeing, but I also love downtown when I don’t see another soul. I’ll have to find a time to do that after my parents leave. Hmmmm. Maybe New Years.
5. It just wasn’t a pretty football weekend, except for the GATORS. I was in Boone (home of ASU) and loved saying GO GATORS. One of the signs I saw read “Gator: It is what’s for dinner. Go App.” – Well, that didn’t happen.
6. Short week in the office, busy week of editing and reading.
7. To shed some weight this holiday season (instead of put it on): one meal a day has to be either oatmeal, egg white omelette, or veggies. That will definitely help cut some calories during the day.
8. Got some new things in the works for after New Years. Thinking and excited.

Link Love:
1. Girls Gone Wise blog hits up entitlements and rights of women.
2. I think I would like to host one of these. Anyone in RDU interested – good way to start the new year.
3. These will definitely be making their way to a holiday party near you.
4. These will also be making it to a Christmas party near you (if you live in RDU or Lakeland).
5. Love this article that Justin posted on his blog. Often as Christians we ignore culture. But, here are some wise ways to engage and redeem. Hopefully a post will be coming on that by a friend of mine.
6. I would like to try this Chicago-style pizze at home one night, maybe while the parents are here.
7. Ed Stetzer to the rescue – especially if you are flying this holiday season.
8. I thought of these videos a lot this wknd while scaling 23 feet up a ladder on a side of a mountain.

26 Mar 2010

Taste of Chattanooga: Chattanooga Cupcake

by | posted in: Uncategorized | 0

I love the downtown area of Chattanooga: stores, restaurants, theatres, the Tennessee River, the aquarium. I first learned of it a few years ago by sightseeing with a friend, but now I just love to explore.
Today I went there for lunch and dessert. Dessert was a no-brainer when we saw the sign “Chattanooga Cupcakes”. (The wonderful pictures will come Sunday because I can’t get them to load.)
The folks in there were so kind to let us take pictures of the cute decor, the beautiful cased cupcakes, and to gladly sell us to wonderfully delicious cupcakes.
I chose the Italian Creme cupcake – the frosting was out of this world – I think I literally said “this is better than Publix frosting” – never before said that.
Aarica had the lemon raspberry cupcake – which had raspberry cream cheees filling with lemon frosting and raspberry drizzle on top. The cupcake was so moist and scrumptious with the filling.
If you are ever in downtown Chatt – by the Aquarium – you MUST stop in – save some room for a cupcake – which is usually a necessity of life!