Ode to Joy!

Last August after I saw "Julie and Julia" I decided that I wanted a blog, too.

I thought about putting a blog together of my weekly baking. I love to bake, as you all know. I love to feed even more than I love to bake. Ask my unsuspecting co-workers.

I thought about Kel the Baker. I am so glad I did not do that.

Why?

Because there is already Joy the Baker. To even attempt to mimic the magic she creates on her blog would be, well, insulting. Frustrating. Unfulfilling. Kind of like a collapsed souffle.

Thank you Susan for recommending Joy to me!

How appropriate that her name is Joy. Reading her blog makes me joyful. Her baking and cooking makes me joyful. The treats I bring to work are like sharing joy with my co-workers.

Check her out today. Please. I am confident enough to tell you I have a crush on Joy.

Today's baking was her Lemon Poppyseed Muffins. I also made my Chewy Ginger cookies, and was so excited to see that Joy uses the same recipe as I. Yet she found a way to make them better. She rolls them in raw sugar. Pure genius.

Last weekend I made Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich cookies. And the tomato soup...

The week before that it was her apple pie and her sweet potato pie with a no roll crust.

Check them out. Check her out. And you will understand my crush.

So, how do you get the attention of someone like Joy? You make a cupcake just for her.

So, here it is:

The Ode to Joy Cupcake

1/4 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

1 cup flour

1/2 tea baking soda

1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk

1/2 tea vanilla extract

1/2 tea almond extract

1 tbl Grand Marnier

1 tbl orange zest

1/4 mini chocolate chips

3 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine the softened butter and the sugar. Mix the heck out of it. About 3 minutes in the kitchenaid mixer. Add egg yolks, one at a time.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour and the baking soda.

Add the flour in three portions, and the buttermilk in two portions, alternating. End with the flour. I don't know why. I have just seen it in a lot of recipes.

Add the almond extract, the vanilla extract, the Grand Marnier, the orange zest. Taste the batter and have an epiphany. Add mini chocolate chips. Except when you have your epiphany, toss the chips in with a little flour. This will keep the chips from settling to the bottom of the cupcake.

Next, if you are like me and only have one bowl for your kitchenaid, curse. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Wash your mixer bowl, dry it and get ready to beat the egg whites.

Beat egg whites on high speed of mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter.

Put your batter into your cupcake pan, which you have already lined with baking cups. I love using an ice cream scoop to do this.

Bake at 350 degrees for 23 minutes. Or so. You know your oven better than I do.

Take them out and leave in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting.

I used:

1 tablespoon butter, unsalted, not softened.

1 8 oz package cream cheese, not softened.

1 pound of confectionary sugar.

1 tea vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Feel free to decorate your Christmas tree while it gets fluffy.

Turn your mixer down to low and gradually add the sugar. Unless, of course, you want to flock your Christmas tree with sugar.

Add the vanilla. Once the sugar is incorporated you can mix the heck out of it.

Once your cupcakes are cooled, frost. Eat. Toast the Joy in your life.

Thanks for checking in!

xo

Kel