Cupcakes in AFRICA

 Ahhh... It feels so good to bake again. I missed it more than I thought I would. Although it was generally a success, I had to totally wing the frosting. We didn't have a hand mixer, so I kind of creamed the butter by hand and guesstimated how much powdered sugar I needed. And then the butter fell apart. But they turned out pretty well!

The box of cake mix -- ingredients in Italian, Spanish, French... and Arabic.

I figured out where all the cockroaches live! It's... in the oven! And they were really upset with me when I decided to turn it on. Sorry, pals. 

This is how you (attempt) to make frosting by hand.

My sister Jero giving me some help!

 So... this happened.

And also this happened.

And here are the glorious results of my first foray into Kenyan baking! (They actually taste delicious, by the way. Although I'm anxious to get home and make sure that there aren't any ants living in the fridge where I'm keeping them. I'm serious. These are my primary concerns.)

Be on the lookout for a guest post from my part-time lover and full-time friend, Kyle McDaniel! 

Pumpkin Scones!

Okay, I know it's not pumpkin season. I know pumpkin treats are supposed to be consumed from October-December. I have also decided these guidelines are ridiculous, because everyone knows that pumpkin is good ALL THE TIME! After my successful blueberry scone experiment, I decided to tackle one of my own favorites: the spiced pumpkin scone.

When I was in elementary school, my dad would drop me off at the bus stop every morning on his way to work. It was always a pleasant trip, filled with Black Eyed Peas and Elton John tunes. Too cool for school. On Fridays, though, I'd set my alarm 30 minutes early for our special Starbucks escapade. We'd make a detour at the 'Bux, and I'd always get a vanilla-flavored milkbox and... a PUMPKIN SCONE! It was such an indulgence, and I savored that scone each week with my good ol' dad. 

However, my homemade pumpkin scones are better. But oh! you say. The injustice! Trivializing your childhood memories! I respond by telling you that my dad himself declared these scones the best thing I've ever baked.

WHAT?!

Just make them.

http://www.foodbuzz.com/recipes/1893629-pumpkin-scones-with-spiced-glaze

Yummers.

Thanks to Karen Wellman, my food stylist.

PIE IN MY MOUTH

Hand pies.

Oh, yes. Take out all the bad things about pie (messy, needs utensils, etc) and you get HAND PIES!

As Duff Goldman would say on Sugar High, my new favorite show ever, ever ever... "I'm going to eat that... IN MY MOUTH!"

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts book, which I saw at the grocery store and immediately fell in love with. I filled the hand pies with Pear preserves, Raspberry-Peach Champagne preserves, and Triple Berry jelly. Next time, I'm going to put real pie filling in there because these ones just tasted a little too much like they were filled with jam.

Which they were.

Wow! This looks so great! Hannah, you're such a good baker!

So cute! They were a little big, so next time I'll use a smaller circular cookie cutter. My family did manage to eat the entire batch in two days, though. Now that's a true compliment!

Blueberry Scones

Scones: Not as hard as you think they're going to be. My family went NUTS over these lil guys. Although amorphous, they were fluffy and moist. 

The cutting-in-the-butter part can be done with your hands (after you thoroughly wash them. You're welcome, mom) instead of a food processor or two forks. It's the easier way to do it. I know these things now because I'm a professional baker. (Watching Food Network counts as culinary school, right?)

Here's the recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/blueberry-scones-with-lemon-glaze-recipe/index.html

You might need to add more dairy in there, or the dough won't come together. Also, the lemon glaze was a big derp. Watery and runny... I'll have to find another recipe for a better glaze. 

AWW YEAH

Mini Graham-Key Lime Cupcakes

These are the same Graham- Key Lime cupcakes from earlier this summer. Don't forget to crush the graham crackers really well, or your cupcakes will look holey.

Carrot Cake

Lemon-blueberry Tarts

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/blueberry-lemon-tart-recipe/index.html