Today I am featuring some fabulous HOLIDAY DESSERT IDEAS from Bella Baker , also known as Lauryn Cohen! Bella Baker just released a magazine called ‘Sweet Gifts’. The lovely recipes I’m sharing with you today are straight from the magazines pages…darling Santa hat cupcakes, an edible Menorah & a New Years Eve clock made out of cupcakes! Hope you enjoy all the recipes as much as I did! “HI, IM LAURYN, and if there is something to celebrate, count me in! I am the girl who starts thinking about Halloween costumes in April. Ive declared my half birthday an official holiday. I would celebrate Arbor Day if I could get a crowd together. Once, in preparation for a pink themed party, I actually painted the walls of my apartment hot pink and would not allow guests to enter unless they were wearing something pink. Sound crazy? Well, maybe just a little. But whether its a birthday, dinner party, game day, movie night, or even just an ordinary Tuesday, I can find a reason to turn it into a celebration. And nothing spurs my pursuit of party throwing more than the winter holiday season. Its my favorite time of the year and I am always looking for ways to top my ideas from the previous season. As a professional baker, food blogger, and self-proclaimed sweets addict, my focus is always on dessert. Though I never envisioned myself a professional baker when I was growing up, I can say without a doubt that Ive always had the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I know. As a child, I would gladly skip a meal in favor of a cookie, much to my dentist fathers dismay. I remember developing a ranking system for doughnut flavors with my friends (glazed doughnuts still rank #1!) and fighting with my brother over who would get the last piece of apple cake. I began baking with my grandmother when I was six, and I fell in love with creating confections all by myself.”
Mini Espresso Cupcakes 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour ¹?3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup milk ½ cup brewed strong coffee 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 1 cup sugar 1 egg Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 24-cup mini muffin tin with mini cupcake liners. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large measuring cup or bowl, mix together the milk, coffee, espresso powder, and vanilla; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Slowly add half the flour mixture, followed by the entire coffee-milk mixture, and finally the remaining half of the flour mixture. Give the batter one final stir, and then divide the batter into the cupcake liners using an ice cream scoop. Bake for 1012 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool. Makes 24 mini cupcakes. Espresso Mascarpone Icing 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 4 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened 4 cups confectioners sugar 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract ¼ cup milk In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and mascarpone on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Reduce mixer speed to low and add confectioners sugar, one cup at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in espresso powder and vanilla. Finally, add the milk a little at a time until the icing reaches a spreadable consistency. Assembly 6 ounces chocolate chips Squeeze bottle Frost the completely cool cupcakes using a small spatula. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in thirty-second intervals, stirring vigorously with a spoon between intervals, until chocolate is completely melted. Transfer to a squeeze bottle. Arrange 12 cupcakes into a circle, and, starting with the first cupcake to the right of the one at the very top of the circle, pipe the Roman numerals from I to XII as they would appear on a clock. (You will have 12 cupcakes left over to frost and eat any way you wish!) Thanks so much for sharing, Bella Baker! LOVE your Holiday dessert ideas!
