Lame cupcake post

Okay, so I have been blog neglectful recently. I have tons of pictures and stories...maybe too many...and that has paralyzed me. That and being busy. I was going to post yesterday but I could not sign in and then had to delve into cookies and java script and request help and all kinds of crap. For reasons unknown to me...it just worked today!! I hope to get caught up soon. Keep checking back!

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So here is the "ease back into blogging, don't want to shock anyone" post. CUPCAKES!!

Let me set the scene: I find an awesome website with fantastic recipes. I am going to a function (shout out to my MC friends!!) and decide to bring these Life By Chocolate Cupcakes. Kids are in school and thankfully I have all day...because that is what it took me.

The recipe is supposed to make 18 cupcakes. I ended up with 42.

Here's how it went: I mix up the first batch of batter and pour it into the muffin tins. It comes out like this - all twelve of them:

The chocolate kiss was supposed to sink in and be enveloped by the cupcake. The cupcakes were not supposed to be doughy and cracking on top and heavy as rocks. This is when I alarmingly realize I FORGOT THE BAKING SODA!! Crap. I have 1/3 of the batter left so I measure out 1/3 of the original amount of soda and throw it in and bake the next set of cupcakes (only 6) and they turn out like this:Oooops!! Too much baking soda!!

At this point I realize the six are edible but ugly and the first 12 are only edible by the young children in my house so I whip up a whole other batch, WITH baking soda. When I bake the first 12 I completely FORGOT the chocolate kiss and while this is not the end of the world...still annoying. So FINALLY I make the last 12 (for some reason batch two made 6 more than batch 1, maybe it was the baking soda that stretched it!). I remembered all ingredients and they turned out great!

Then came time for the icing. This recipe called for ganache...something I have never made before but despite cupcake failure I thought I would try it. That and I pretty much suck at regular icing, too so what was there to lose? They were beautiful!!! And oh so yummy and I was soooo proud of them!!

Look how shiny and they have those cute little folded over drips and everything!!! YAHOO!!

I also made sea salt truffles the same day. Those turned out fantastic as well. SOOOO yummy and easy!! And much a much smoother experience than these cupcakes.

I have since made the cupcakes again and the ganache was now as lovely. I think it may have something to do with my kitchen helpers. I also did the ganache on top and bottom so it was like a ding dong!! YUM!

To further perpetuate my insanity I am making something with YEAST today. Yeast is not always my friend in the kitchen so we will see how it goes. If it works (or maybe even if it doesn't) I might post it tomorrow in honor of Good Friday!