As many of you that have followed my blog for any amount of time know, I do not give my children HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) preservatives or dyes, so making cupcakes isn't just throwing stuff from a box into a bowl and mixing it. It's actually baking, the real way. I never thought I'd be doing it but I am and I have made some really tasty treats this way. It's all trial and error but for the most part I enjoy it.
My ingredients. Mostly stuff from my cupboard, nothing special or fancy.
2 cups of sugar
1 3/4 cup of flour (I prefer the unbleached.)
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water
Combine dry ingredients. It's very nice to enlist a cute helper or two for this part.
Jack and Abigail really had a good time.
Abs and Henry
Henry not so sure about purposely making a mess. His OCD tendencies were in full effect today.
He decided that the teaspoon was better for him. Small controlled dumping was much easier to take.
When it was all mixed and poured I sent the kids outside while the cupcakes baked. Nearly 20 minutes into their 22 minute baking time I began to see smoke. A lot of smoke. I opened the oven to find overflowing cupcakes. You see, while Betty Crocker may recommend you fill your cupcake papers 2/3 of the way full, that is NOT the case with these. Half, or even a touch more is all it takes I found out.
See, trial and error.
Heat oven to 350.
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add eggs, milk, vanilla and oil. Beat for 2 minutes.
Stir in boiling water.
Bake cupcakes for 22-25 minutes. (13x9 pan cooks for 30-35 minutes.)
Then, in theory, enjoy....
Henry is SO not a fan of messes and his cupcake fell apart. These are very delicate it seems (or I made a mistake, again, trial and error people) and the second he picked his up it crumpled and he did too. He has not stopped throwing a fit yet and its 9pm. He is the biggest reason I will not give my kids those foods. They make him incredibly hard to deal with. And I am talking DIAGNOSED Aspergers syndrome controlled by the removal of HFCS, dyes and preservatives. It was that easy for us. However, they are not always in my care and I can not control what choices other people make for my children.
Hambone loved hers.
Sugar shock maybe, but he loved it.
Tomorrow is a new day and it will bring a new adventure I am sure. Hopefully it's not as dramatic for some of us. If not, I will be the one in the corner rocking myself eating cupcake after cupcake.
***Icing recipe***
1 Cup of softened butter
1 tsp of vanilla
4-6 cups of powdered sugar
Milk added for texture.
Beat softened butter and vanilla together. Slowly add powdered sugar creating the flavor and consistency you like, milk for texture.
2 comments:
you are such a joy! You seem to take the most insurmountable challenges and turn them into life lessons. Your insight into your childrens' needs will serve to make them strong and capable individuals. I got a kick out of your cupcakes - mine always seem to turn out like that (smile) missed you!
Sounds like quite the cupcake adventure. I was thinking of making cupcakes from scratch for a coworker's birthday next week - thanks for the tip about not filling the pan too full!
My friend is trying to cut out sugar and whatnot from her kids' diet, too. For birthday cake this year she swapped out traditional icing in favor of ganache (which is just cream and chocolate, I think). It seemed to make a difference, and the kids liked it, too.
-Holly
Post a Comment