Pink Lemonade Buttercream Almond Cupcakes with Cherry filling

I've started the New Orleans Cake Club. First two members, me and my fellow 4-Her, Lacey were there for the first meeting. As well as, director of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, Liz Williams, and other museum attendees. Thanks everyone!

Almond Cupcakes:

1 package white cake mix
3 eggs
1 1/4 c. Unsweetened Almond Milk
1/3 c. oil
1 1/2 t. almond extract
1 t. butter flavoring

Mix according to package directions and bake for 20-25 minutes in muffin tins.

Once cupcakes have cooled, pipe filling into cupcakes with a medium round tip.

1 jar Polander All Fruit Black Cherry (I LOVE the Polander All Fruit for fillings! It is the BEST next to homemade.)

Pink Lemonade Buttercream

1 t. clear vanilla
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. Pink Lemonade powdered drink mix (Country Time Lemonade)
1 c. Almond Milk
1/2 c. flour
1/2 stick Crisco shortening
4 oz. cream cheese
1 stick butter

In a medium saucepan, whisk first five ingredients over medium heat. Bring to a boil for one minute, or until sauce thickens into a pudding. Cool on a plate in the freezer for 30 minutes. Using an electric mixer, mix pink lemonade pudding, crisco, cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Pipe or spread on cupcakes.

Quick and Easy Baked Ziti

Zita mixture in glass casserole dish

8 oz ziti pasta, cooked, cooled and drained
1c ricotta cheese
1c your favorite Spaghetti Sauce

Ziti ready to go into the oven.

1/2t garlic powder
1/2t salt
1/2c  tomato juice, chicken stock or water
1t parsley, dried or 2T fresh
1t Italian Seasoning
2 oz. Aged Parmesan cheese
3 links Italian sausage, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Mix ricotta, spaghetti sauce, garlic powder, salt, parsley, italian seasonings and stock/juice/water. Grate parmesan cheese and add to mixture. Add ziti and sausage.   Mix well and place in a 13x9 glass casserole dish.  Sprinkle with mozzarella and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  Serve with a salad and garlic bread.

Backdating blog entries

I'll be back dating a lot of my blog entries here in the next few weeks.  I've been keeping them on Facebook and LJ for so long, I might as well get them in one place.

Happy Baking & Blogging!

Wedding Cake

So, I won this contest for PJ's Coffee (of New Orleans) where you had to come up with a new seasonal coffee blend!  My creation was Southern Wedding Cake.  Tomorrow I will meet with the roast masters and present them with my cake!

It's a special secret family recipe.  I can't share it.  Don't ask.  But if you need a tasty wedding cake, let me know.  I haven't decorated a cake like this in at least 10 years and the icing was a bit too soft, but I'll know better next time.  All in all, it still came out very impressive for being so rusty!