hostess cupcakes.

These cupcakes are my absolute favorite and  I am sharing the recipe!  Chocolate cake, cream filled center and chocolate ganache. What's not to love?

Ingredients:
*1&1/2 cups of flour
*3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
*1&1/2 cups of sugar
*1&1/2 tsp baking soda
*1&1/2tsp baking powder
*3/4 tsp of salt
*3 eggs
*3 tbsp of vegetable oil
*1 tsp vanilla extract
*1/2 cup unsalted butter
* 3 tbsp sour cream
*3/4 cup warm water

Combine all dry ingredients together in mixer on low speed.  Add eggs, butter, oil, vanilla, sour cream, and water. Beat until smooth. Bake @350 for about 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool completely and make frosting!

An extra creamy vanilla butter cream:
*Mix 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, 2 tsp of vanilla, and a pinch of salt together with an electric mixer.  Slowly add in approximately 4 cups of powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, add 2 tbsp of flour,  around 3 tbsp of cold milk. You might need to add in more milk or powdered sugar to have your desired consistency.  The icing should still make peaks, but needs to be loose enough to easily flow through a piping bag.

Fill piping bag with frosting and for best results use a wilton #12 tip for filling the cakes.  Gently insert the tip into each cake, squeezing firmly to release frosting, and slowly release as you remove the tip.  Be careful not to insert too much frosting, or the cupcake will burst.  You can also try this method to fill the cakes!

For the chocolate ganache:

Heat 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to a slight boil, pour immediately over 9 oz of semisweet chocolate chips and stir, ganache will need to thicken slighty and cool before dipping the tops of the cupcakes!
After filling all of the cupakes, switch to a wilton #5 tip for piping the classic hostess look.

Merry Christmas!

   

 

Hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas! Ours was lovely- we spent lots of quality time with family, playing games and enjoying good food!

diy abstract gift tags.

For this project you will need:

*1 piece 8x10 of watercolor paper or cardstock, any thick papers will do.

*Acrylic paints or Watercolors, ink pen

*hole punch

*twine

   Step 1: Paint entire sheet of paper with your own abstract design, think about lines, shapes, colors. After the paint is dry, you can add in more details with an ink pen!

     Step 2: Cut dry painted paper into various shapes! ( I chose a lot of different shapes in order to use the entire paper)

     Step 3: Punch holes and tie with twine, you can write on top of the design or use the blank side.

diy seashell ornaments.

Each year I try to make a few new handmade ornaments for our Christmas tree! For these, I just painted these sand dollars and attached some twine for hanging.

For more painted shells you can check out this post and for other ornament ideas look here!

diy mason jar snow globe.

Here's a DIY project perfect as a gift or just a charming decoration for your home.  I was originally inspired by these mason jar snow globes at anthropologie for around $28, and I made this one for $5!

  This project only takes 5 minutes and you can customize it however you would like!
You will need:
* A found or bought clear jar, large enough for your trees to fit inside
* Miniature trees & any other unique trinkets you would like to be in it
*artificial snow flakes, or glitter
*hot glue
( you will probably have enough materials to make several jars, my sister and I made three!)
STEP 1: Remove lid and on the base of the lid that goes inside of the jar, hot glue your trees and trinkets.
STEP 2: Fill jar with artificial snow, around 3 tbsp.. too much and you will not see the trees!
STEP 3: Twist the lid carefully back onto the jar and gently shake to move the snow.

pie crust with a twist.

An easy pie crust perfect for your favorite pie recipe!

 Recipe for 2 pie crusts:

*2 1/2  cups of sifted flour

*3/4 cup of cold cubed salted butter (if you don't have salted butter on hand, just add a pinch of salt)

*ice water

*pie tins, and knife for cutting excess dough

Churn butter and flour together in a mixer, add ice water 1 tsp at a time, until it becomes a dough consistency. Flour surface, and roll out dough. I half the dough and roll each pie crust out separately. 

 Once dough is rolled to desired thickness, pick up and drape across pie mold.

 Trim off the excess dough for a clean edge.

 Roll out the excess dough, and cut into 1/2 " strips. Pinch 2 strips together and braid them by overlapping. You can also use 3 strips.

 Score pie crust edge with a knife and press braided section onto pie crust.  Repeat until complete.  You will use approximately 3 braids.

k+w now on my photo blog!

Check out the photos of my sister-in-law Kelly and her boyfriend Winston over here