*This post was sponsored by Ghirardelli. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make E&C possible. January is a long month in the Midwest. I mean, after New Year’s there is a long stretch filled with cold days without much to celebrate. So what’s a girl to do? My answer was to get the girls together for a wine and chocolate party. It was the perfect way to break up the weekday routine and host friends in … Read More
Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Pecans
After a little bit of a hiatus from sharing recipes on E&C, I’m finally back with something new and ultra tasty to share. Although I have a deep and long-standing love for all things pumpkin, I feel like apples really get overlooked during the fall months because of the popularity of pumpkin. Anyone else feel that way, too? It’s really a shame since apples are one of my favorite foods, and don’t even get me started with apple pie, crisp … Read More
4th of July Sour Cream Cupcakes
Lately I’ve been trying to see my husband’s golf hobby as a blessing in disguise. Sure, he’s gone for a large chunk of each weekend, but that means I have plenty of time to spend on the things I love to do, like blogging, getting together with girlfriends for a walk or coffee, and laying outside in the sunshine while reading magazines. I think sometimes I’m too quick to underestimate the importance of having individual interests and hobbies in a marriage. … Read More
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Cupcakes with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
Happy Sunday, friends! How have your weekends gone thus far? Besides watching my March Madness bracket get torn to shreds, our weekend has been pretty relaxing and blissful. I’m gearing up for a pretty crazy week, which I’ll fill you in about later. So before things get busy, let’s finish the weekend up with cupcakes, shall we? Most of the time I avoid doing any serious baking unless I know that I’ll have a place to bring the baked goods … Read More
Happy Birthday, Nutmeg!
This weekend we celebrated the fifth birthday of our little princess, Nutmeg. She pretty much rules the roost around here and is most definitely our baby, so we had to celebrate in style. She is now sporting a new collar and has a belly full of birthday treats. This morning before church I whipped up a batch of ‘Pumpkin Pupcakes’ based off this recipe for pumpkin bars. I halved the recipe and scaled back the sugar to 2/3 cup, but … Read More
Vanilla Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Now that we’ve discussed food politics and the passions surrounding the meat industry, let’s talk about something a little less controversial. It’s like those times in college when you took a really hard test and then celebrated by reading fashion magazines and watching mindless television. You know you’ve been there. For years, I’ve been baking and decorating cakes for weddings and special occasions. But it wasn’t until yesterday that I realized I’ve been doing it all wrong. Sorry, anyone … Read More
Happy New Year!
Hundreds of cupcakes baked. Red velvet, chocolate and vanilla. I’m thinking that the last eight hours of baking have made up for the lack of cooking I’ve done over the past week. Unless you count pouring milk into a cereal bowl or spreading peanut butter on toast. I feel like this last week, and the entirety of 2010, has gone by way too fast. In some ways, I’m not sure I want it to end. It seems impossible that 2011 … Read More
Candy Corn Cupcakes
Every year around this time, I realize I’m not a Halloween person. Candy, scary movies, haunted houses – no thanks. And don’t get me started about what Halloween means when you’re a college student. Not my cup of tea. But for fear of being seen as the Grinch of October, I’ve made an attempt at Halloween-themed baking. Maybe it’s a bit of a stretch. In fact, one of my co-workers told me the concept was lost on him, but the … Read More
Peanut Butter Spice Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream
One of these Mondays I’m going to be able to post about my relaxing, leisurely weekend where I got lots of sleep, painted my toenails, caught up on laundry and read all my untouched magazines cover-to-cover. But that day is not today. I’ll spare you the details only to say it was a crazy, whirlwind of a weekend and I’m still scratching my head wondering where Saturday went. In addition to traveling eight hours in the car on Saturday to … Read More
Strongbow Hard Cider Cupcakes
Let’s get one thing straight: I am not a passionate beer drinker. In fact, I’m not much for alcohol in general, and when J. and I sit down to have a drink, a half glass of anything is enough to satisfy my tastes. What I am is a Strongbow drinker. Strongbow, as in the English hard cider, my favorite alcoholic beverage, and pretty much the only drink I ever really have a craving for. It’s crisp, and bubbly, and slightly … Read More
Peach Anniversary Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and a Giveaway
This week marks the one year anniversary of Espresso and Cream! And while it pains me to look back at some of my earliest posts, I am so excited about how far my little blog has come and how it will change in the year ahead. I could not have anticipated the kind words, e-mails, and interactions I’ve had with those of you who read Espresso and Cream. Some interactions are with people I know personally and others I know … Read More
Magnolia Bakery’s Vanilla Cupcakes
The first time I tasted a Magnolia Bakery cupcake was in the fall of 2008 while I was in New York for The Rachael Ray Show. For those not familiar with Magnolia Bakery, it gained wide-spread recognition outside of NYC when Carrie Bradshaw, aka Sarah Jessica Parker, on Sex and the City declared the bakery her favorite place for a mini-cake fix. Being a devoted SATC fan, I was determined to play Carrie Bradshaw for the day (er…5 minutes) despite … Read More
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