Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches and a Birthday (or two!)

Yesterday my boys turned 11.  Hard to believe that 11 years ago they were so tiny (just a little over 4 pounds when we brought them home!) and now I wear their shoes when I need to go outside for a quick second.  They are both very different personalities (one’s neat and tidy and one’s a whirling dervish!) but also so similar in some ways.  Both have a great sense of humour and both are sporty social guys who are really loyal to their friends.  They’re good boys.   I can’t really take credit because I think they were just born that way…perfect to me.

I have to say though, something happened, maybe ’in utero’ as they say….

I don’t know what I did….

I don’t know how it happened…I question it all the time…..

My boys don’t really like cake.  They don’t really have a sweet tooth which probably in the long-term is fantastic for them, however for me it continues to be a puzzle.

So, for birthday dessert one of my sons requested Homemade Brownie Ice-Cream Sandwiches.  Pretty easy to do, but a little tough to decorate with candles….

I found the recipe in Chatelaine Magazine and have made it many times over the summer.   There are so many options for flavours!  The sandwich part is a brownie baked on a cookie sheet.  Easy easy!  And so rich and yummy.

I did make some cupcakes too (I can’t help myself…) just for blowing out candles.  Some were a yummy Milk Dud flavour and some were Devils Food Chocolate with Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream which I’ll be sure to share in a later post!

Brownie Ice-Cream Sandwiches

• 84 g  unsweetened chocolate, about 3 squares,  coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 cup  granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp  salt
• 1/4 tsp  vanilla
• 2   eggs
• 1/4 cup  all-purpose flour
• 2 L  vanilla ice cream or flavour of choice, in rectangular box

Preheat oven to 350°.

1.  Oil a rimmed baking sheet measuring about 11 × 17 in., then line with parchment paper. Place chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave on medium until chocolate is almost melted, about 2 min. Stir halfway through.

2.  Stir sugar, salt and vanilla into warm chocolate mixture. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until blended. Stir in flour just until mixed. Scrape onto prepared sheet. Spread batter over parchment using an offset spatula to create a smooth, even, very thin layer.

3.  Bake in centre of oven until brownie appears shiny and is firm but slightly undercooked, about 8 min. Remove from oven and cool in pan, about 30 min. Run a knife along edges of pan. Cut brownie in half, making two long rectangles. Place pan in the freezer for 5 min. Remove from freezer. Gently lift brownie and, using scissors, cut the parchment, separating the rectangles.

4.  Place 1 brownie top-side down on a cutting board. Peel off parchment. Open box of ice cream. Slice off 5 1-in. slices and arrange on top of brownie on board until it’s completely covered. Peel parchment from bottom of remaining brownie and place on top of ice cream. Pat down firmly. With a sharp knife, score top of brownie into 16 rectangular pieces.

Freeze for at least 3 hours, until very firm. Remove from freezer and, using a serrated knife, cut into 16 sandwiches, using the scored lines as a guide. Individually wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap. Sandwiches will keep well in the freezer up to 1 month.

Garden Party Cupcakes

Today I met up with some girls from work for lunch.  In just a few weeks summer will be over and we’ll be back to our jobs at school!  I offered to bring dessert (of course) and as if my co workers haven’t had enough of my cupcakes, I brought some!

Pretty ones this time (well, I think they’re all pretty…).  Perfect for a garden party!  Treats for a nice bunch of ladies who deserve a bouquet of summer flowers every now and then.

I think these would be welcome at any gathering.  How about a rose or two?

Do you have a picture of cupcakes fit for a garden party?  I would love to see it!

I must say that as good as they looked, they tasted even better.  Blueberry Cakes with Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting.    A very moist cake, bursting with fresh local blueberries and a tangy, creamy frosting.  I am a die-hard fan of Swiss Meringue Buttercream.   I rarely make any other kind of frosting.  Nothing compares to the creamy, light texture and sweet taste.  It’s what takes cake to a gourmet level!

Blueberry Cupcakes

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups vanilla sugar, regular white sugar is fine too

4 eggs, room temperature

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries

Heat oven to 350° and line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.

1.   In a small bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  Set aside.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and well combined (2-3 minutes).  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each egg until well incorporated.  Beat in lemon juice.  Add the dry ingredients 1 cup at a time and alternate with the milk and vanilla.   Mix the last addition of flour until the ingredients are well incorporated but do not over mix!  Gently fold in blueberries.

3.  Fill cupcake liners until 3/4 full.  Bake for 18-20 minutes until cake tester comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream

from Martha Stewart

5  large egg whites

pinch of kosher salt

1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar

4 sticks unsalted butter, very soft

1 1/2 tsp lemon extract

1.  Fill a saucepan (large enough to fit your mixing bowl just a few inches) with a few inches of water.  Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low so water continues to simmer.

2.  In your stand mixer bowl, hand whisk the egg whites, sugar and salt just until combined.  Place over simmering pot and whisk for approx 4 mins until the egg whites are hot (about 140 degrees).  The sugar should be dissolved by this time as well.  Place bowl on stand mixer and attach the whisk attachment.  Whisk on medium until whites have increased in volume and the outside of the bowl is just slightly warm to the touch.

3.  Remove whisk attachment and replace with paddle attachment.  Beat on low-speed until mixture is completely cooled.  Increase speed to medium and add butter pieces one at a time.  Scrape the bowl and continue to beat until buttercream is glossy, smooth and thick.  It may separate at first, but continue beating and it will emulsify.  Add lemon extract and beat until combined.  Use immediately.

I use a 1M Wilton tip for icing swirls.

Cupcake Giveaway Today!

I have only just begun to wrap my head around this blogging world and already so many opportunities have come my way.  I’m really excited about the things that are happening and will share soon, I promise!  Today is a busy day in our house- we are baking and shooting cupcakes for a new site that is going to launch really soon!   Yay!  As my way of saying thank you to all of my faithful subscribers and readers, I am giving away some of the goodies that were made this morning.  The catch is….you must live in my area and you need to pick them up (unless you’re REALLY stuck, I may be convinced to help out ).  Even better, why not give them away to someone who may need a warm fuzzy today?  How about someone who is celebrating something?   It’s your choice!  Here is what’s up for grabs….

Strawberry Buttercream Cupcakes made with ‘just picked’ farm fresh berries.

and….

PB and J Buttercream Cupcakes

You guessed it, vanilla cakes with raspberry jam centers and peanut butter buttercream frosting.  These are very sweet and it’s really the icing that makes the cake here.

All you need to do is contact me (here!)  First 3 people get the goods!

SweetRevelations is located in the Woodstock, ON Area.

Baby Shower Cupcakes

School is quickly coming to an end and it’s almost time for summer break (insert happy dance here!). Classes are winding down and this week and next week my children all have class parties. My sons class is having a potluck lunch today as a celebration for his teacher who will be having a baby in a few weeks time. So, up early to make and frost cupcakes. Pink and blue for the baby to be with cute little toppers. There are so many free printables online that can be used as toppers too. Blessings to the new mommy and baby!

These are just simple vanilla cupcakes with creamy Vanilla Meringue Buttercream.   The recipe can look intimidating, but it’s not, and sooo worth the extra effort.  This is very light and creamy and not super sweet.   I make Nick Malgieri’s version and I wouldn’t change a thing (check out his book on my homepage).

Meringue Buttercream

4 large egg whites

pinch of kosher salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 sticks unsalted butter, very soft

1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

1.  Fill a saucepan (large enough to fit your mixing bowl just a few inches) with a few inches of water.  Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low so water continues to simmer.

2.  In your stand mixer bowl, hand whisk the egg whites, sugar and salt just until combined.  Place over simmering pot and whisk for approx 4 mins until the egg whites are hot (about 140 degrees).  The sugar should be dissolved by this time as well.  Place bowl on stand mixer and attach the whisk attachment.  Whisk on medium until whites have increased in volume and the outside of the bowl is just slightly warm to the touch.

3.  Remove whisk attachment and replace with paddle attachment.  Beat on low speed until mixture is completely cooled.  Increase speed to medium and add butter pieces one at a time.  Scrape the bowl and continue to beat until buttercream is glossy, smooth and thick.  It may separate at first, but continue beating and it will emulsify.  Add vanilla flavouring and beat until combined.  Use immediately.

Below, just out of the oven, the sun is shining through the window as they are cooling!

Making the cupcake toppers are so easy.  Many templates on line, look here and here.  Just print onto cardstock and attach a sandwich pick on the back.

These look so yummy…luckily there was one left over (couldn’t fit in the box!), so I got to eat one for breakfast…..

Blueberry Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream

I admit, I’ve become a little cupcake obssessed lately.  There are so many flavour combinations to choose from and it’s a perfectly wrapped little treat for someone!  Yum!

Friday is usually our “meeting” day at work and I offered to bring snacks this time.   Since we meet fairly early, I wanted to find something that was deliciously sweet but also could be considered breakfast-y so people would eat it (really, our group of ladies need NO arm twisting!).  How does Blueberry Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream sound?  Let me tell you, delish.  Think blueberry pancakes with pure maple syrup.  The buttercream icing is so fabulous, easily one of my favs.   Who would not want to start the day this way??

First, make my Vanilla Cupcake Recipe and add a 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries to the mix.  Bake as directed.

*this recipe is adapted from Yumology

When the cupcakes came out of the oven, I poked a hole in the center of each one with a toothpick and poured just a few drops of pure maple syrup on top.  I spread it around with the back of a spoon and as the cupcakes were cooling it was absorbed into the cakes.

Frost with Martha Stewarts Maple Buttercream

3 large egg yolks

1 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup cold unsalted butter cut into cubes

1.  In a stand mixer, whisk eggs on high speed for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, place maple syrup in a small pan and boil over medium heat until syrup reaches 240 degrees (10 minutes).  While mixer is running, slowly pour the hot maple syrup down the side of the bowl into the eggs (do not pour directly on the whisk attachment!).  Continue beating mixture for about 4 minutes or until mixing bowl is warm to the touch.  Add butter, one piece at a time and beat until fluffy (5 minutes).  Use immediately.