Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice...From Teacup to Cupcake: Vanilla Chai Tea Cupcakes

I love chai tea. Like, really. Like, you know how some people can't go on without their coffee or something in them dies? Yeah. Me. Only with chai. The first time I ever had one was at Starbucks. Oh, Starbucks. My lost love, don't fret, we'll be united again someday.

Anyway, since I don't drink coffee, I needed to find a replacement that I could have when I went to Starbucks with my friends and we all wanted a hot beverage. Of course, I'm always happy with a hot chocolate in hand, but I wanted to try something new. Once I had a chai latte, there was no turning back. I got quite good at ordering exactly the right chai/water/milk combo to feed my addiction. Then we moved to Vermont.

Vermont. Of all the places I've lived over the course of my life, Vermont is the only one that has felt like home, since I left home. It is a truly beautiful state and I would return there in less than a heartbeat. What could be wrong with a place that was the birthplace of Ben & Jerry's?! Only one thing. No Starbucks.

That was when the hunt began for a pre-packaged chai that I could make at home. I couldn't even get the Tazo chai syrup in Vermont, so I was reduced to trying various dry chai. It took several months but I eventually found the one chai that has the same flavor as the Tazo, and can make a close second to a chai from Starbucks. The brand Stash makes a decaf chai that is spicy and delicious, without cloying vanilla flavors. It's a perfect replacement (for Starbucks' chai), if you're forced to live without the real thing. If you're looking for a great chai tea that comes in a tea bag, I highly recommend this one.

Once we left Vermont, though, Starbucks was in my life again. I could go anywhere and have the opportunity to stop in. Until we got to the islands. Of course, I was prepared for this. I knew there wasn't even the slightest possibility that there would be a Starbucks here, but, in all honesty, it's usually too hot for a chai latte anyway. So, once again, a quest began. This time, I wanted to create a dessert that would give me back my chai, without overheating me. Naturally, my first choice was a cupcake.

Aren't they pretty?! Really, really?!

The Best. Ice Cream. Ever. (Even if You Don't Like Coffee!) Espresso Mint Chip!

Ice cream here on the islands is expensive. Well, all dairy is, but ice cream especially. It's also hard to come by. Not in the stores so much, but in shops. Stopping for a milkshake or a cone isn't an easy task. To my knowledge, there's only two ice cream shops on the island. For someone who spent two and a half years in Vermont, the Ben & Jerry's mecca of the world, this is proving very difficult.

One day while the hubster and I were running some errands out and about, I had a hankering for a milkshake. Off we went to the only ice cream shop in town to buy a two scoop, six dollar shake. I'm telling you, it's an investment for a treat here...it makes it very easy to resist. On this particular day, resistance was futile. As I stood gazing at the various selections, I did something I never do. I asked to try the coffee ice cream.

I've said before that I'm not a coffee drinker. I never have been and I probably never will be, but sometimes I like it in small doses in my treats - like in hot cocoa, or cookies, or, in this case, ice cream. This particular ice cream was a little too coffee-y for me, though, so I decided to use my other scoop to cut it with my favorite stand by ice cream, mint chocolate chip. Holy ice cream heaven! I can't even express how good that milkshake was!

Since that day, I've been seriously jonesin' for another, but I can't reconcile myself to the high cost. As I often do when I want something I can't really have, I thought, "I can make that." And I did! And I'm still shocked out how easy it was, but even more so at how unbelievably delicious it is! Help me, but I'm never gonna be able to stop myself from eating up every last morsel of it!

This ice cream is smooth and creamy, rich with coffee flavor and just the right hint of mint, and speckled throughout with dark chocolate chips. Someone, please! Tell me how to resist that?! You can't can you? Because you want me to stop yapping already and get to the recipe so you can have some for yourself! Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you!

Todays stellar cast of characters are fresh coffee beans (preferably a darker roast), semi-sweet chocolate chips, heavy cream, milk, egg yolks, instant espresso powder, peppermint extract, vanilla, and sugar, as well as a pinch of salt. I have standard sized chocolate chips pictured here, but I actually prefer to use mini chips in my ice cream.

Super Easy, Warm-You-Up-Breakfast: German Apple Pancakes

This time of year always makes me want to make sweet, spicy, filling breakfasts. I don't know what it is about cooler weather, but it just calls out for hot, special "treat" breakfasts - something to warm you from the inside out. Of course, there's usually not much time for yummy breakfasts like that, what with busy school mornings and hectic holidays. That's why these German apple pancakes are so fantastic! They go from raw ingredients to a special breakfast treat in only about 30 minutes! And half of that time is baking time, so you're able to relax!

The best apples for these are Granny Smith apples. They cook beautifully, and their tartness is the perfect contrast to warm maple syrup or caramel sauce. They need to be peeled, cored, and sliced into quarter inch slices for this recipe.

Easy Prep, Slow Cook, Fast Eat: Beef Stew

It would seem that Autumn has certainly fallen. Even here, in the islands, we've enjoyed a week, full of lovely breezes and cooler air. I'm not sure how long it'll last for us, though. I'm pretty sure it's the result of some storm activity, but I'm not complaining! Instead, I'm taking advantage of the Fall-ish air and making yummy warm-you-up food like beef stew!

The best thing about this beef stew, aside from how flipping good it is, is that you can mix it up in the crock pot and forget about it until dinner. I chop up all of the vegetables the night before, and on the morning that I make the stew, I throw it all together, set the timer, and go find other things to occupy my time for the day. It's awesome to fix up on a morning when the family will be gone all day, and you can all come home to hot, fresh dinner without the stress of putting something together.

Sell Crazy Someplace Else, We're All Stocked Up Here

I need to get something off my chest. It's just a little bit of crazy that I carry around with me.

I know this is a food blog. I write about food that I make or eat, I photograph said food, and I share the recipes. I've deviated from that formula very little over the last ten months. I have no intentions of starting to deviate regularly now. However, as I sit here editing my photos from two recipes that I successfully made today, I am also recuperating from a run in with a spider.

Never have I encountered a spider this beguiling...they might stand a chance if I did.

Now, obviously, I haven't shared my complete loathing and utter terror of spiders here before. I mean, as I said, this is a food blog. But if you're going to continue sharing my kitchen exploits with me, then I think this is a vital detail that I really ought to share with you. So, there you have it...I hate, loathe, despise, and abominate spiders (name that quote).

Since moving to the Virgin Islands, that loathing has increased a hundredfold. The spiders here not only apparently thrive in the heat and humidity, but they also seem to experiment in cross breeding and genetic modification.

It's important to know that in my world, if a spider makes it's presence known, there can be only one solution: death. Death to all arachnids, no matter the shape or size. I whined on Facebook once recently about my horror at having had a very large (no, really...not large just because I hate spiders...it was big) monster spider fall from the laundry I was washing and onto my foot, where it promptly shot off  like a bat out of hell, most likely because it sensed that it's death was nigh. Many of my friends had sympathy for me. After all, they've known me for years...they know how traumatic this was for me. My dear aunt, however, had advice instead. She proceeded to break down to me which spiders were safe to ignore and which should be killed on sight.

IGNORE?! Is she serious?! There is not a spider on this planet...or any other for that matter...that I could possibly ignore! You see, when I encounter a spider, there are two scenarios that play out in my head. Neither is rational, yet neither can be ignored. 

Scenario A: A spider appears. I see it and begin to strategize for the best plan of attack (this usually involves someone else doing the dirty work). The spider sees this and flees, escaping me, but never forgetting. Later, while I sleep (remember, this is what plays out in my irrational, arachnophobic brain), the survivor attacks me in unseen and unfelt ways, but they are mortifying nonetheless.

Scenario B: A spider appears. I see it and begin to strategize for the best plan of attack. The spider sees this and attempts to flee. However, my pitiful squeels and flip flop flinging prevail and I smite him. Unfortunately, his mate and all 8, 372 of their offspring bare witness to Mr. Spider's untimely demise. The survivors attack me in unseen and unfelt ways, but they are mortifying nonetheless.

Either way, at least according to my crazy, there really is no escape from the torment of spiders.

Obviously, I need help.

Is There Such a Thing as Health Conscious Baking?

Over the last couple of weeks, I have received several emails concerning various questions about how to make a healthier treat. In some cases, the questions are pertaining to gluten allergies, others involve the question of low-carb baking, and still others are interested in lower cholesterol baking. As I explore new recipes and techniques, I too wonder about ways to have healthier baked goods, that are still very enjoyable. In other words, they don't taste like cardboard!

cardboard coconut cupcake by Patianne Stevenson

In fact, I had every intention of starting to post gluten-free treats on a regular basis. Then I tried to go to the store and buy the necessary ingredients. Unfortunately, living in the Virgin Islands severely limits my shopping selection, and I have been unable to find the majority of items that I need. I have recently stumbled upon a health foods store that does carry several flour substitutes, but have yet to spend enough time there to find out if they have everything I need. I think they may be a gold mine for me, though.


As you've probably noticed, if you've been reading Bakingdom for a while, I try to post vegan recipes somewhat regularly (or at least ways to convert a traditional recipe to vegan). For those of you who have never tried vegan baking, you are missing out! All of the vegan recipes that I've invested time in so far, have been wonderful! The majority of the time, the are moister and tastier than regular recipes! And, bonus, they are lower in cholesterol. Seeing as high cholesterol runs in my family, this makes me very, very happy. The subtraction of eggs and butter in these recipes is the key to lowering the cholesterol. Not to mention the fact that, usually, the eggs are replaced with some form of fruit or a healthy grain, like flax seed.


The point of today's post, though, is to ask you what you think? Have you been looking for healthier ways to bake? Is there an allergy or health issue that prevents you from having the desserts you want? If you already cook with an allergy or health issue in mind, is there an infallible resource (a cookbook or website) that you turn to for recipes and advice? Comment, or email me with your answers...let me know if there's something you'd like to see!


As for me, expect to see a lot more recipes that are geared toward being healthy, without losing any of the taste, fun, or ease. For the many readers that have asked (there are more of you than you think), yes, healthy, delicious baked goods do exist! And for those who haven't asked, don't worry, you'll want to try these recipes...whether you need to or not!

Tutorial Tuesday: How to Make Beautiful Fondant Cakes

Alright. So yesterday, I shared my big, fat cake flop. Today, I'm going to share how not to have a big, fat cake flop of your own.

In case you didn't see it or forgot what happened:

It doesn't look too terrible here. The sides are clearly melting, and you can just make out a crack in front of the gopher, under the fondant. Of course, as these things do, it only got worse as we tried to drive, as gently as possible, over to our friends' home. By the time we had arrived the crack had widened, tearing the fondant and causing the two sides to lean away from each other. I don't have any pictures of that because it depressed me too much!

Now, let's go over how to cover a cake in fondant, what I did wrong, and how you can prevent this from happening to you.

CakeQuake TwentyTen

I made a cake this weekend. A pretty tasty cake, it was, too. It was just plain vanilla, with vanilla frosting, and homemade marshmallow fondant. I made it for a friend's birthday. He's a big golf fan, so his wife and I worked together and she came up with a cute idea for me to try out.

Remember the little gopher from the movie Caddyshack? Well, she thought it would be a cute idea to put him on the cake, and I couldn't have agreed more. I have to admit, though, I was more than a little terrified at the prospect of making fondant here in the Virgin Islands. I mean, I've said it before: it is Humid here. With a capital 'H.' So far it's been at a near constant 95%, give or take.

Fondant + high humidity = melting.

Unfortunately, I don't have air conditioning, which certainly would have helped. As it was, though, I stuck with the routine I've used while making fondant in the past, except with the addition of my biggest fan, blowing over shoulder and making the confectioners' sugar fly everywhere. It was the sweetest snow I think I'll ever experience.

It was a close one. I very nearly had a really nice cake. But it just wasn't meant to be. The day I decorated the cake was, I kid you not, the muggiest day we've had since moving to this island (ironically, the following two days were almost ideal for using fondant). I was doomed from the start, so I decided to start with what, for me, was the easiest part of the cake: sculpting the gopher.

I did a little google image search for the gopher, and in case you need a refresher, or have never seen him, here he is:

Cute, huh? Plus, really, he's not too complicated, so I was relatively confident I could replicate him (assuming he didn't start to melt).

Endless Summer Lemon Bars

I'm having a hard time getting into the feel of Autumn this year. After all, yesterday it was 90 degrees here, with a heat index of almost 100! Personally, I'm a "seasons" kind of girl. Summer is wonderful, but I love Autumn, Winter, and Spring, and I'll be missing them very much while we're still in the Virgin Islands.

I've tried just about everything to get into a Fall kind of mood, including hanging my Halloween decorations almost a full month earlier than usual, but all to no avail! It's endless summer here, and it's even affecting my taste buds! I mean just look at what I chose to make the other day:

Lemon bars. Lemon. In September. I'm lost. But I gotta tell you something... I wouldn't waste these little beauties on a trail that leads home, no matter what the season!

My favorite thing about these is that they're easier than they look. I used to think things that had a custard or curd, and were layered, like this, were labor-intensive and took all day to set up. That's a myth, big time! As long as you have a fine mesh sieve, you can have these mixed, baked, and cooling in 45 minutes or less (minus chilling time for the dough)!

My favorite thing about how they taste, though, is the smooth, creamy lemon curd. I could eat the stuff my the bowlful, but the crust is something special on it's own, too! Rather than just a plain crust, this one is basically a giant shortbread cookie. It's easy and fast to make, and comes out mild, crisp, and flaky. It's the perfect contrast to the soft, tart lemon filling.

I promise that I have some fun Autumn treats ahead, especially for Halloween, but for now...join me in my endless summer, won't you?

Easy or Delicious?

Why not both?!

When I was a little girl, I was obsessed with soft, white Wonder bread. I guess most kids are really. I used to like to squish it flat, tear it apart, and eat it plain. Now that I'm an adult, I can't help but wonder why kids love that stuff so much. Sure, it's soft and fluffy, but it's really flavorless. I suppose, though, when presented with the choice of soft, flavorless white bread, and tough, cardboard-like wheat bread...well, it makes a little more sense that way.

As an adult, I rarely eat white bread. When I do, I prefer homemade bread, like dinner rolls, because it has so much more to offer. But really, how often do you really want to devote the time and energy into making fresh, homemade bread just so you get to have white bread?

Well, good news! This is a delicious, soft, fast, and easy white bread recipe! Excluding the hour and half or so of rise time, this recipe only takes about 15 minutes to mix and shape, and another 40 minutes in the oven!

Non-Vinegar Based BBQ Sauce

Hello, everyone!  I'm Sugarbear's husband and you met me a while ago when we made pizza.  She's asked me to post today so I'm going to share something very close to my heart...my BBQ sauce.  I know both Worcestershire and ketchup have vinegar but the point of this sauce is that it doesn't taste like vinegar.  It is difficult to find non-vinegar based BBQ sauce recipes on the internet so I offer this up for your consumption.

Publishing my recipe is a huge deal for me.  I'm not sure why I didn't want to share sooner, nervousness I guess, but it's time I got past that and revealed the most amazing BBQ sauce recipe ever to be...eh, revealed.  It's taken about four years to get it right - that's not an exaggeration. Sugarbear wanted a non-vinegar (and celery seed - she hates celery seed) based sauce so, of course, I obliged.  I started with an apple vinegar recipe and began swapping out out the stuff she didn't like.  What we ended up with was this:

Plus:

It doesn't matter how you combine the ingredients, throw them in a pot and simmer at least an hour.  I use a whisk to stir it from beginning to end.  Feel free to use it immediately but it will taste much better the day after.  We refrigerate ours in an old ketchup bottle.  I'm not sure how long this stuff stays good, we've never had it more than three weeks, so use it in less than three weeks!  On your next trip to the store pick up some 5 1/2 ounce cans of tomato juice, molasses, and liquid smoke.  I use the individual cans of juice since we don't drink it at home and one can makes one batch.  Alton Brown teaches how to make liquid smoke (part 1 starts at about 9:00 mins. and part 2 completes the tutorial), if your so inclined.  I went with the gallon jug of molasses because it keeps forever and Sugarbear uses it for some baking, too.

We've fluctuated back and forth with the Cayenne, leaving it out sometimes and adding it back others.  Remember to start with 1/8 teaspoon as it intensifies over-time.  The Tellicherry Indian black pepper we use from Penzy's adds heat, too.  If you decide to order pepper from Penzy's don't start out with the Extra Bold as it's larger than normal peppercorns and doesn't grind in standard pepper mills - we learned that the hard way.  Penzy's sells a mill that grinds the Extra Bold if you feel like spending the money but we didn't think they tasted any better than the Tellicherry.  Oh yeah, we didn't like the flavor of white pepper in our sauce, so I would advise waiting to substitute that until you've made it normal once.

After the first time, experiment, replace the brown sugar with honey, double the garlic powder, whatever!  I would advise against using whiskey at any time, though!!!  I tried once...once, mind you, to make a Bourbon BBQ sauce and didn't tell Sugarbear about it; you know, a little blind taste test.  Fail!  The first time we had it she looked quizzically at me and asked if I had done something different?  No, never!  Gulp!  It tasted spoiled, or sour, or something - whatever I did was wrong.  So, if you figure out how to add whiskey to this, let me know!

Enough talk, here you go...

1 cup ketchup
1 cup molasses
5 1/2 ounces tomato juice
2 tablespoons Liquid Smoke
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne


...Prost!

Chocolate Banana Swirl Muffins...

...with Streusel, my friends. Chocolate. Chip. Streusel.

Before we get into any pictures or recipes, let me make one thing clear: I don't like bananas. I don't like them in any way, shape, or form. Not fresh, not dried, not as artificially flavored candy. I do not like bananas. I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

Okay. I'm really glad I got that off my chest, because I have a much bigger confession...

I actually kind of like these muffins. *Gasp*

Alright, alright. I admit that the fact that these contain a large dose of chocolate and are topped with a sweet and spicy streusel (that has even more chocolate in it) probably plays a large part in my warm and fuzzies towards them. But even the banana part of these muffins is tasty. I do have to wonder if I would like them without all that chocolate, though...but that's another post!

My dislike of bananas is actually what led me to attempt these. We had several bananas that were past their prime (a common occurrence in this heat). I knew the most logical thing to do was bake something with them, but I wanted something that I would enjoy too. Hence, the chocolate. Chocolate makes everything better.

I think they turned out pretty darn yummy, if I do say so myself (which I do), so, of course, I brought them here to Bakingdom. For you, my dears. Because I love ya.

The first thing to make for these is the streusel topping. It's good to get it done now, so you don't have to run around mixing it up with your muffin batter sit in the pan waiting. The cast of characters in the streusel are brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, cold unsalted butter, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Combine the sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse sand, with pieces no bigger than a pea. If the mixture gets too soft, stop mixing it and chill it for 10 minutes in the freezer before continuing. Once the desired consistency is reached, stir in the chocolate chips. Cover and chill until ready to use.

(Mostly Piña) Piña Colada Cupcakes

While I was meandering the aisles of the local grocery store here the other day I came across something that got the little gears in my head spinning. The selection of goods in the Virgin islands is pretty limited, so I was quite surprised when I came across pineapple extract. When I did, I was immediately struck with inspiration to make Piña Colada cupcakes!

Personally, I don't actually like piña coladas, but I do like the flavors. I love piña colada flavored candies and gum, so I knew I'd love a cupcake version! And I was right! I went a little light on the coconut with mine because I'm not partial to coconut, but you can easily add more if you want to. I decided to go with as white of a cake as I could achieve just because I liked the idea of a fluffy little white cupcake full of tropical flavor. The result turned out to be a soft (in all the right ways), light (in color, texture, and taste), and moist, little treat with just the right amount of subtle flavors.

The frosting is my favorite, though. It took me a couple of tries to get it right, but I finally did thanks to a great idea from my husband. I knew I wanted straight up pineapple buttercream-no coconut. Like I said, I'm not a big fan of coconut, but I intended to roll the edges of the frosting in shredded coconut for garnish, and I knew that would add the flavor that coconut lovers would look for. Anyway, I experimented with using fresh pineapple and juice, just the juice, and pineapple extract.

When I used the pineapple and juice together the frosting was entirely too runny. It wouldn't even hold up as a glaze. Using pineapple juice was good, but didn't pack a lot of punch in the flavor department. It still had a decent pineapple flavor, but not a very strong one. However, using the extract resulted in a false, candy-like flavor that wasn't very true to nature. In the end, I decided to combine the juice and the extract to get the most flavor and have it be accurate. But I really wanted bits of pineapple in the frosting. That's when my genius husband came up with the idea that made the frosting. Why not add some of the dried pineapple I had bought for garnish?!

I love dried pineapple (sometimes called candied pineapple). I knew as soon as I started brainstorming for these that it would be my garnish on top, but I didn't consider for a second that I could put it in the cupcakes or frosting. By finely chopping several pieces and stirring it in, we had exactly what I was looking for!!

Okay, okay! Enough jabbering...onto the cupcakes!

Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal Scones

Before we moved from Maine, I bought some maple sugar. I had every intention of making a cake with it, but time kept slipping by and things got busier and busier. I never even opened the package.

It's pretty sad, really, considering that I spent the last 6 years living in Vermont and Maine, that I never used maple sugar for anything. Well, no more! I broke open the bag for breakfast! And, yay, there's still so much left!! Now that I know what I've been missing, I'll be using this stuff more often! You can find maple sugar at health and whole foods stores. Unless you're lucky enough to live in Vermont, then you can get it anywhere...seriously. I mean, I'm talking grocery stores, drug stores...gas stations! It's everywhere!!

I decided, in keeping with back to school this week, that I'd make some hardy scones for breakfast. We go through a lot of oatmeal around here, but I don't really like it...unless it's in a cookie! I thought an oatmeal scone might be just the ticket for getting me some of it's healthy, stick-to-your-ribs benefits, without the I-ate-a-cookie-for-breakfast-guilt (I'm telling myself these are healthier than cookies).

These turned out dense and filling without being too sweet or heavy. They were fast and easy (about 10 minutes of mixing/shaping), plus, I prepared them the night before. All I had to do in the morning was preheat the oven, glaze them, and bake them. Oh yeah...and enjoy them!