LilSugar

Sisters of DC Cupcakes Share Valentine's Day Baking Tips and Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:16:28 PST

What's sugar and spice and everything nice? Cupcakes! And no one knows more about our obsession with the lil confections than Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, co-owners of Georgetown Cupcake and stars of TLC's DC Cupcakes. The sisters, who learned their kitchen skills from their grandmother ("We followed her around the kitchen and always begged to help"), have been known to bake up to 10,000 lil cakes a day, much to the delight of the patrons who line the block of their Washington DC store. The duo - who just opened their first outpost in New York City - gave me a few minutes of their time to discuss their tasty desserts.

LilSugar: Cupcakes have moved from kiddie birthday party staple to a favorite of adults and kids alike. But kids aren't always willing to try new flavors. Which are most popular with kids?
Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis: Our Vanilla Birthday (vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream and rainbow bobbles), Chocolate Birthday (chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream and rainbow bobbles), and Milk Chocolate Birthday (vanilla cupcake with milk chocolate buttercream and rainbow bobbles) are the most popular with kids. We think it's the color rainbow bobbles!

LS: Moms are busy; what shortcuts can you recommend to making delicious, beautiful cupcakes without spending the whole day baking and decorating them?
SL and KK: Try to keep a stash of baking staples - butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, all purpose flour, baking soda/powder, salt, and cocoa powder/chocolate on hand in your kitchen at all times and you can make almost any flavor! Our recipes are very simple - we don’t use cake flour or pastry flour - just all purpose - we find that works best. Also, we're big fans of chocolate ganache icing. It's so easy - just two ingredients - chocolate chips and heavy cream. You just melt them down (two cups of chips to one cup of cream), and dip your cupcakes in and you've got a super fast and unbelievably delicious frosting.

LS: Do you ever make "healthy" cupcakes for those who want to skip some of the sugar? If so, what goes into it?
SL and KK: We have a carrot cake cupcake, which has fresh carrots and fresh apples grated in it. We skip the walnuts, to save on calories, and it's a light and delicious cupcake!

The new season of DC Cupcakes begins on Feb. 25, but if you're looking to create their Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes for Valentine's Day,

5 Desserts Inspired by Conversation Hearts

Leta Shy — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:41:44 PST

One of my favorite parts of Valentine's Day is how everything becomes heart-shaped for a month, and that includes the candy! Conversation hearts are a seasonal staple, but while they're cute to give and get, the chalky taste can leave your sweet tooth unsatisfied. Instead of doling out the pastel treats, check out these five easy ways to make delicious heart-inspired desserts!

Source: Flickr User ellie

Simple Way to Make Your Thanksgiving Tot-Friendly!

LilSugar — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 10:08:06 PST

If you're cooking the holiday dinner and plan on hosting a few lil ones, it's a good idea to set up a baby buffet of sorts. Many of the standard side dishes on the Thanksgiving menu are soft, kid-friendly foods - soup, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatoes, creamed vegetables, and doughy rolls or biscuits, so the gesture will only add minutes to your prep time.

Set aside a bit of each basic dish before adding the ingredients that young children don't care for or can't have -nuts, marshmallows, herbs, shellfish, etc. While your adult guests will enjoy your complex culinary creations, the younger ones will also appreciate the simple offerings you've made for them. And, not having to bring a bag of snacks and alternatives, will make parents most thankful.

Round Apple Challah For a Sweet New Year

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:15:31 PDT

Tear off a piece of sweetness! Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins at sundown tonight, and the holiday is rich in symbolism and tradition. The standard Friday night challah (or egg bread) is braided into a circle to celebrate the cyclical nature of the calendar while apples (also round) and honey are eaten to usher in a sweet new year.

While mom (or grandma) may do the bulk of the holiday cooking, inviting lil ones in to the meal prep process is easy and fun for the whole family. This round apple challah is filled with plenty of kid-friendly ingredients (apples and sugar) and needs a lot a kneading – a task practically calling for tiny hands!

See the recipe and step-by-step directions when you read more.

New Year's Apple Challah
From Tammy's Recipes

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F) 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup oil or melted butter 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons dry yeast 5 to 6 cups flour Apple Filling 3 cups coarsely chopped apples 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon lemon juice (skip if apples are tart) Egg Wash 1 beaten egg 1 teaspoon sugar Coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first seven dough ingredients, in order listed. Stir in a cup or two of the flour, then add yeast.
Add enough additional flour to equal about 5 cups, and stir/knead into a smooth dough, adding additional flour if needed. Knead dough for 8-10 minutes. Shape into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45-60 minutes.
Place apple filling ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Set aside.
Punch down the risen dough, kneading to remove excess air bubbles. On a lightly-floured surface, roll the dough into a large round, about 1/2-inch thick. Spread apple mixture over the dough.
Fold the edges of the dough over the apples and continue to fold/roll the dough to make one big lump with the filling enclosed. Let rest 5 minutes.
Grease a 10-inch springform pan. Place springform pan on a large cookie sheet (to catch any leaks during rising/baking).
Using a sharp knife, cut off chunks of the dough and place them in the prepared pan. You should end up with 15-20 chunks of dough (though a particular number doesn't matter). The apple pieces should be randomly dispersed throughout the dough chunks. Sprinkle with any escaped apple pieces.
Combine the egg and sugar, and then dab the egg wash over the top of the dough. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. Cover gently with a piece of plastic wrap and place pan in a warm location to rise.
When dough has almost doubled in size, preheat oven to 350 degrees and then place baking sheet/springform in the middle of the oven (remove the piece of plastic wrap first, of course!) to bake for 45-55 minutes or until done. When I make this, usually the edges of the top get well-browned before the middle is cooked. So, after about 25-30 minutes, I cover the darker areas loosely with foil - sometimes forming a large loose "ring" of foil (with no foil in the middle) to lay on top.
When challah is done, remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn out of pan onto a cooling rack and cover with a clean towel until completely cool.

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Red, White, and Blue Treats For Kids

babysugar — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 06:14:40 PDT

Bring on the patriotic pride this weekend! While mom and dad get the grill ready for a season of old-fashioned barbecues, lil ones can join in the festive spirit with some red, white, and blue treats that will excite children of any age. From cakes and cookies to popsicles and drinks, these all-American sweets will add some sparkle to your holiday menu!

Wow Your Crowd With Homemade Fourth of July Push-Up Pops

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:59:19 PDT

Get ready to push! Cake pops may have held bakers' attention for the past few years, but with Summer in full swing, a pop's in town, and it's one that many mamas are familiar with from their own childhoods. The ole push-pop is back and it's looking better than ever. Not just filled with orange sherbet now, today's push-pops are of the gourmet variety - pushing everything from ice cream, cupcakes, and combinations of the two. With Independence Day upon us and a desire to serve up something different than years past, I bought a handful of push-pop containers and got to work on three (easy!) all-American holiday desserts. See what I created.

Red, White, and Blue Pops For a Festive Fourth

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:16:35 PDT

The fireworks aren't the only thing that will be popping this Fourth of July! Ice cold popsicles not only beat the heat but can also provide grownups and kids with a refreshing mid-afternoon treat. Jumping on the red, white, and blue bandwagon, these ice pops use fresh watermelon, lemons, and blueberries to create a cold and colorful presentation. Best of all, kids will love having a hand in creating the triple decker effect.

Get the recipe with step by step photos when you read more.

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Watermelon, Lemonade, and Blueberry Ice Pops
From Bon Appetit magazine

Ingredients

Watermelon ice
2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch cubes seeded watermelon (from 2-pound piece) 1/4 cup sugar
Lemon ice 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup orange juice 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Blueberry ice 2 cups fresh blueberries (from three 1/2-pint containers) 1 cup water 5 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 8 5-ounce disposable paper cups 8 ice pop sticks or wooden coffee stirrers

Directions

For watermelon ice: Blend watermelon and sugar in processor until smooth. Strain puree into bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much fruit as possible. Place cups in shallow baking pan. Spoon watermelon puree into cups, dividing equally (scant 3 tablespoons each). Freeze until mixture is almost frozen, about 2 hours. Cover cups with rounds of foil, sealing tightly at edges. Using tip of small knife, make 1/4-inch slit in center of each foil cover. Push ice pop stick through slit and securely into watermelon ice without hitting bottom of cup. Freeze until watermelon ice is solid, about 1 hour longer.
For lemon ice: Bring 1/2 cup water and sugar to boil in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Mix in lemon juice, orange juice, and vanilla. Cool to room temperature.Place pan with frozen pops on work surface; carefully fold back foil over each cup without dislodging stick. Spoon lemonade into cups, dividing equally (scant 3 tablespoons each). Reseal foil. Freeze until lemonade layer is solid, about 2 hours.
For blueberry ice: Stir blueberries, 1 cup water, and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Boil until berries are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Strain mixture into small bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much fruit as possible. Mix in lemon juice. Cool to room temperature. Place pan with frozen pops on work surface; carefully fold back foil over each cup without dislodging stick. Spoon blueberry mixture into cups, dividing equally (generous 3 tablespoons each). Reseal foil. Freeze until pops are frozen solid, about 8 hours.

(Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep frozen.) Remove foil, then tear or use scissors to cut cup off each pop; return ice pops to pan and freeze until ready to serve.

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Placemats Aplenty to Keep Antsy Tots at the Table

LilSugar — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:41:10 PDT

Turn mealtime into fun time with something as simple as a placemat. Adding some activities to lil one's seat at the table will not only keep them at the table longer, but may help educate them at the same time. From a US map to help tots learn their states and capitals, to a punch-out checkers game, these placemats serve double duty while mama's serving up a tasty meal.

From Left to Right: Color-In Placemat Dress Up by 9 Spot Monk ($12), Organic Placemat Set by Mimi the Sardine ($24), Box Owl Outlined With Markers by Modern-Twist Kidz ($27), Kids Personalized USA Map Placemat Designed by Jill McDonald ($16), Checkers Placemat by The Lowercase ($26).

10 Tips For Introducing Finger Foods

LilSugar — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:00:00 PDT

Finger foods are the gateway to self-feeding and the first step toward independence at the dinner table. Annabel Karmel has explained the importance of finger foods and how parents can ease the transition for their children. She's also provided us with tips and tricks for introducing these foods to hungry (and grabby) tots.

5 Cool Popsicle Makers

LilSugar — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 09:51:12 PDT

Kids slurp down tons of frozen treats during the Summer, but store-bought frozen pops can be full of sugar and scary, unpronounceable ingredients. We've included five pop molds for you to try out at home. The varieties are endless, so be creative and toss in ripe fruit, yogurt, honey, or whatever you desire.