Better Batter Chocolate Cake (Birthday) Cupcakes

Happy Birthday to me!

And what is a birthday without chocolate cake?  (The answer is "pretty sad" if you are a chocoholic with a sweet tooth.)

I previously made a box worth of cupcakes from Better Batter's gluten free and dairy free chocolate cake mix that they sent me to try. I made them for an event and loved the convenience - what a breeze to make for someone who doesn't have all day to spend in the kitchen.  Add water, oil and eggs to the dry mix and mere minutes later, the cupcakes are on their way to the oven.  The cupcakes are wonderfully moist and as I mentioned in an earlier entry about their Yellow Cake Mix, they are a decorator's dream.  The tops bake smooth and are ideal for decorating.  The Better Batter chocolate cake mix tastes so rich - they are a great dessert!  I love making and eating their cupcakes!

At my recent dessert-bringing event, my cupcake versus people ratio was off so I had plenty of leftovers.  I took them home and froze them, hoarding them for future use...like my birthday.  Turns out I can have cake without turning on the oven on a hot July day!

I've read tips from moms from allergic kids that you should cut the cupcake in half and then put the frosting on the inside so it freezes well (and you can make a bunch at once) so kids can have birthday treats with their classmates.  The frosting on the inside is totally unnecessary.  Over the past year, I have been freezing cupcakes - both naked and fully decorated.  With the exception of some squishing of the frosting when I store them in too small containers (as pictured above), there are no issues with freezing decorated cupcakes.  There are a few ways to defrost them:

• Let sit at room temperature for an hour.  This is best for people who have patience, can plan ahead, or want to throw it in a lunchbox.
• Defrost with the 0.1 lb setting in the microwave.  This is great for the warm straight-from-the-oven taste for those of you who normally eat your desserts while the pan is still burning hot from the oven.
• Microwave on high for 1 minute for those of you who want the frosting to slide off and make a hot mess.  This is not recommended if you prefer your desserts to look classy or presentable.  Don't worry - it still tastes great.

Do you freeze your leftover cupcakes?  Or are you asking "what's a leftover cupcake" because they fly off your kitchen counter?

Enjoy Life Crunchy Cookies

My brother Chris is getting married this year!  I'm a very proud big sister and am excited to be a bridesmaid in his wedding alongside my sister.  We recently celebrated his wedding shower with my dad's side of the family.  My step-mom coordinated my menu with the staff in advance and I promised to bring some dessert for myself with some to share.

Enjoy Life recently sent me their crispy handcrafted cookies to try.  They would fit in perfectly with the shower!  The day of the shower, I made a small batch of frosting (Crisco, powdered sugar, water, vanilla) and dyed it fuchsia in honor of their wedding color.  I used only a Wilton star tip to decorate the cookies - they were simple yet surprisingly elegant and fast to make.  The Enjoy Life cookies are fantastic to work with from a decorating perspective - their large flat surface makes a great canvas - especially the Sugar Crisp cookie.

The cookies tasted great.  My brother said they reminded him of the almond cookies we would get at Chinese restaurants - but these were better.  (Normally we only got a bite or two into those dried out cookies of our childhood before cutting our losses.)  After sitting out for a few hours, they still had a great crispy bite and tasted very fresh.  I recommend trying them...and falling in love!  These are the delicious way that sugar cookies should taste!

I am a huge fan of Enjoy Life products.  All of their products are gluten free and free of the top eight allergens (I'm in heaven) AND they are local (way to represent Chicago and the surrounding area!).  Their products are free of artificial ingredients, trans fats, and genetically modified (GMO) ingredients.  Let's just say I felt guilty adding frosting with food coloring to such a healthy cookie...

Have you decorated store-bought cookies and brought them to a party before?  What are your favorite cookies to use?