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New Moon News & On-Set Antics, The Vampire Diaries Flashback, & a Cupcake Car?

PopSugarTV — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:06:35 -0700

Peter Facinelli tells a funny story about a card he gave to Robert Pattinson, Stefan and Damon Salvatore get a 19th century makeover for The Vampire Diaries flashback episode, and the guys of Glee cover Bon Jovi and Usher in tonight's new episode!

I'm Dreaming of a White Ice Cream Cone...

FitSugar — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Do you ever dream about food? It happens to me on occasion, but I never really thought out the implications of the dream, I just thought I was hungry or possibly craving a food that my diet would not let me eat -- That is until now.

I may be stepping on DearSugar's and YumSugar's territory here but ediets got the scoop on what your foodie dreams mean, so here is the run down:

For starters, seeing a green, leafy salad is your body's way of telling you to take better care of yourself. Eat better from now on to avoid sickness and bad health.

Ice cream suggests good luck and much success in your love life, so go ahead and eat the whole thing. Beware, though, if your sundae has nuts on it -- you're in for some craziness or confusion. They can also be translated as a pun on "testicles" and refer to your sex life. Bottom line: A few nuts on your ice cream means you're destined for a wild, passionate relationship.

Chocoholics can rest easy with their dreams -- any dream about chocolate denotes good health and happiness, as well as a fondness for a pampered lifestyle. Obviously, you were meant to live it up in the lap of luxury. Indulge and buy something nice for yourself.

To see a cake or cookies shows friends will soon do something nice for you. If the sweets look ugly or burnt, however, you're in for a short spell of bad luck. You didn't think you were going to have your cake and eat it too, did you?

Are you dreaming about pasta, coffee and/or fruit? Then read more

Carb-cutters may think dreams of pasta are just signs of withdrawal, but macaroni is actually a warning to be frugal and save money. Noodles generally warn of a series of various small losses which, if not planned for, could really add up.

As for the main course, eating a roast is never a good sign (it shows betrayal at home); savoring a helping of any stew means a secret admirer will reveal him or herself to you; fish forces you to make a choice between what you really want and what's practical; and a sandwich suggests you're under a lot of pressure, but that you have the ability to juggle your stresses and come out ahead.

Grab a handful of crackers during your shut-eye and you're probably too picky when it comes to male companionship. Lay off a little and see your love life shift into high gear.

Salty foods like potato chips or pretzels are a sign of complete chaos. Fights and quarrels could be in your near future, so try to stay cool around family and friends -- and keep future damage control to a minimum.

A hearty breakfast has much meaning. Any dream with meat in it (ham, sausage, bacon, etc.) suggests you've overindulged in materialism. Cut back your budget a little, unless, that is, there are eggs on your dream plate as well. Eggs signify excellent financial gains, so you should be back on your feet soon enough.

Like a little fruit or juice with your morning meal? Oranges mean investments will pay off, apples suggest you work too hard and too long for not enough recognition, and grapefruit denotes hidden talents yet to be discovered.

Drinking coffee is also extremely revealing. Drink alone and you need to put in some extra thought before making an important decision. Drink it with someone else, and you likely have stronger feelings for them than you acknowledge.

Source

Whoa There Cupcake!

FitSugar — Tue, 29 May 2007 03:30:00 -0700

Leave it to YumSugar to put cupcakes on my brain once again. Did you know she bakes cupcakes and brings them in for the office to sample? Ah, I digress... However she did recently point out a rather interesting report from NPR and the Diet Detective himself, Charles Stewart Platkin, on cupcakes.

Platkin believes that while cupcakes are incredibly delicious, we are not fully aware of their wrath - calorie wise. He took on NYC's finest bakeries, Magnolia (yum) and Crumbs (double yum) and put them against notable grocery heavyweight Hostess. Here are his findings:

The Crumbs vanilla cupcake (left) has 780 calories and nearly 36 grams of fat. Magnolia's comparatively dainty version has 389 calories and nearly 19 grams of fat.

OK, so what about when compared to Hostess? To find out, read more

When is eating a Hostess cupcake going "light"? When you compare it with the Crumbs version (left), which has 542 calories and 25 grams of fat. The original has 181 calories and 6 grams of fat.

Source

Twilight Cupcakes: Love Them or Hate Them?

partysugar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:00:23 -0800

I know the majority of you love cupcakes, but now I'm wondering how you feel about cupcakes with human faces on them - and not just any faces, but the vampire and werewolf from the upcoming New Moon. These cupcakes are currently on sale at the Sweet Avenue Bake Shop in New Jersey. Personally, I prefer cupcakes with a simple, smooth, and creamy frosting, but if I had to choose, I would pick a Team Jacob cupcake. How do you feel about them?

LL Loves Pizza, the Return of Project Runway, and the World's Biggest Cupcake?!

Molly — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:21:28 -0700

Tonight marks the big return of Project Runway, so check out what we're looking forward to most and what Buzz's bracket tells us going into tonight's all-star competition. Plus, more on Lindsay's pizza delivery during her shopping trip and what goes into a two million calorie cupcake. Watch PopSugar Rush now!

You Must Make These Brown-Sugar-Caramel Frosted Cupcakes!

partysugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:31 -0800

Love pecan pie, but tired of making the same old Thanksgiving dessert? Then bake these brown-sugar-pecan cupcakes with caramel frosting instead! Seriously, these cupcakes are the best dessert I've tasted in weeks.

The fluffy batter is rich, but light with a distinct browned-butter flavor. Although it requires a little time to make, the caramel frosting is absolutely to die for. It's smooth and creamy with a sweet taste similar to caramel candies. The pecans tie the elements together and provide a breakfast-like texture to the cakes.

When I served these at a recent dinner party, I was shocked at how good they tasted. Everyone was simultaneously saying, "mmmm" and "these are amazing." You simply must make these delicious cupcakes. Get the recipe after the break.

Come Party With Me: All Hallow's Eve - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:15:05 -0700

So you've just decided to host a Halloween party and you've got no time to plan. No matter. On Saturday afternoon, before you put on your costume, you can throw together some festive yet uncomplicated snacks and make these cupcakes. Shhh, don't tell anyone: the recipe uses a boxed yellow cake mix, meaning these mini cakes will be ready to bake in minutes. The addition of pumpkin pie spice and canned pumpkin puree, in combination with the smooth cream cheese frosting, will fool your guests into thinking you slaved for hours on these cupcakes. Garnish with a single piece of candy corn and get ready to celebrate! To check out the easy recipe, read more.

Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting
From Real Simple

Ingredients

1 18.5-ounce box yellow cake mix (plus the ingredients called for in the package directions)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
2 8-ounce bars cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
24 pieces candy corn

Directions

Heat oven to 350° F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
Prepare the cake mix as directed but with the following change: Add the pumpkin pie spice and substitute the can of pumpkin puree for the water called for in the package directions.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tins and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool.
Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Spread on the cupcakes and top each with a piece of candy corn.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

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Cupcake Car: Love It or Hate It?

partysugar — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:00:14 -0700

Recently Neiman Marcus released its annual Christmas book, and the Internet food world was abuzz because of one item: the cupcake car.

We got another look at these crazy cars, which are $25,000 each, a couple of days ago when Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb drove them around on the Today Show.

I think they are incredibly absurd and wonder who would ever buy one. How do you feel about the customizable - you pick the flavor! - cupcake car?

Cupcakes So Good They'll Make You Hum

partysugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:30:10 -0700

Last week my sister hosted a Summer cocktail party that doubled as a birthday celebration for two friends. Since I've been known to make birthday cakes in the past, she asked me if I could do two cakes for the party. Immediately I began to worry: baking and assembling two cakes requires a lot of time. Just as I was starting to panic, I remembered the ingenious invention that is the cupcake! Each birthday girl could get her own minicake topped with a candle. Inspired by our slideshow of unconventional cupcake recipes, I decided to make hummingbird cupcakes. A native to the South, hummingbird cake is a cream cheese-frosted white cake with crushed pineapple, coconut, mashed bananas, and walnuts mixed into the batter. It's sweet, moist, fruity, crunchy, creamy, and divine - quite simply, it's everything you want in a cupcake. Although the pineapple topping is extra work, it's worth it. The cupcakes wouldn't be the same without the feathery juicy dried pineapple. To take a look at the recipe I used, read more.

Hummingbird Cupcakes
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 large)
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup coconut flakes
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe below
Dried Pineapple Flowers, recipe below

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center. Line cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, vanilla, and sugar until combined, about 2 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, incorporating each before adding the next. Beat at medium speed until mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together banana, pineapple, walnuts, and coconut. Add to egg mixture, mixing until combined. Stir in flour mixture.
Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Decorate with dried pineapple flowers, if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and vanilla until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
With mixer on medium speed, gradually add butter, beating until incorporated.
Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add sugar, beating until incorporated. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using.

Makes 3 cups.

Dried Pineapple Flowers

2 large or 4 small pineapples, peeled

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line two baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper.
Using a small melon baller, remove and discard all pineapple skin.
Using a sharp knife, cut pineapple crosswise into very thin slices. Transfer slices to baking sheets.
Bake until tops look dried, about 30 minutes. Flip slices; bake until completely dried, 25 to 30 minutes more. Pinch center of each pineapple slice to shape into a cone, and let cool in a clean egg carton to form flowers. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Makes about 2 dozen.

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Absolutely Gorgeous Vietnamese Coffee Cupcakes

partysugar — Wed, 30 May 2007 15:58:31 -0700

When I was searching for a Vietnamese inspired dessert I stumbled across the most amazing little cupcakes. I know you may be cupcaked out, but I just can't get enough of these sweet treats. Don't be overwhelmed by all of the steps in this recipe, it's actually quite simple if you take it one step at a time and remember that the filling will eventually be covered by the frosting. Vietnamese coffee is a mixture of super strong coffee and condensed milk. The coffee takes the place of your typical cake batter liquid for a distinctive, yet delicious, cupcake. This is delightful for guests and divine for your family so get the recipe for these Vietnamese cupcakes, just read more

Vietnamese Coffee Cupcakes
From Cupcake Bakeshop

For Vietnamese Coffee Cupcakes:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup strong brewed Vietnamese coffee
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon coffee grounds

Preheat oven to 305°.
Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Measure out coffee and milk together.
Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
Add about one third the coffee/milk mixture and beat until combined. Be careful when adding the coffee/milk mixture to the batter. If you add it too quickly the mixture will look curdled. Add small amounts and beat well to incorporate.
Repeat above, alternating flour and coffee and ending with the flour mixture.
Fold in the teaspoon of coffee grounds.
Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full (depending on whether you want flat or domed cupcakes. Note that these cupcakes will shrink slightly when they cool).
Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Sweetened Condensed Milk Pudding Filling:
2 teaspoons gelatin
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

Sprinkle the gelatin over a 1/4 cup of water and let sit for 5 minutes.
In a small pan over medium heat, heat the sweetened condensed milk until warm.
Add the gelatin and stir over heat until the gelatin melts.
Transfer mixture to a bowl set over a pan of ice water. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens. It will get very thick and might clump if you stop stirring.

Whipped Cream Frosting:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar

Whisk cream on high speed until soft peaks form.
Add sugar (more or less depending on your taste) and whip until thick.

To Assemble:

Using a small pairing knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over and cut off the cone.
Fill the cavity with a teaspoon or so of sweetened condensed milk pudding.
Replace top.
Top with swirls or dollops of lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Dust with finely ground coffee.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

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