YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GET FREE CUPCAKES! So please join me on Black Friday at Kay Jewelers of Cumberland Mall on November 25th 2011 from 10-4 with Over 200 mini samples of: German Chocolate, Candied Sweet Potato, Blueberry Cobbler, and some festive Red & Green Velvet to kick off the Christmas season! We will also have some of our very own Chocolate Covered Strawberries! And don’t forget to visit our website @ www.eyelovecupcakes.vpweb.com to place your Holiday orders today! Taking orders from Nov. 26th until Dec. 24th! Thank You for your business & Happy Holidays!
Love Always, ~elc~
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
2012 is just around the corner..
I can’t believe it’s November! Where has this year gone? I especially love the last 61 days of the year, and it’s always exciting to start baking for the Holidays. So many things to do.. so little time. I had such a productive day yesterday– baking a few of my classic flavors that are loved by so many. By the end of the month, I hope to start doing CakePops in addition to my mouth-watering cupcakes, along with a few other small candied treats that are usually awesome to eat no matter what time of the year it is! I am very excited to see where this all leads to. What may come of all this. "All I kept thinking about today was just having a store-front, BUT just please God get me out of GA." I really hope & pray that when the time is right– I will be right where I dream of being. Charleston..
Sunday, October 30, 2011
An explanation of the different types of flour available, and which type is right for your particular baking needs. By John D. Lee
So I stumbled upon this article. In which I am so glad, because I know that I'm not an "expert" at everything. I have always wondered-- what is the break down of all these other flours on the shelf. Some are pretty self explanatory, but I still wonder about what the big deal is when I may run out of a flour, and substitute an unbleached flour when I know I should be using a cake flour or vise versa. We have all done it at one time or another. Let's see what John writes about this issue......
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that cake flour is good for cake, and bread flour is good for…wait for it…Bread! But why, and why do some all purpose flours seem to make great bread, and others turn out disappointing loaves, and what the heck is self raising flour anyways?
The primary difference between different types of flour are the quantity of the wheat germ and bran that are milled with the flour, and the type of wheat used for the flour, and the relative protein content of that wheat.
Whole wheat flour is simply wheat that has been milled into flour with some, or all, of the germ and bran still attached.
Additionally, different varieties of wheat contain different amounts of protein, and the more protein is contained in the flour, the higher gluten it has.
Gluten are the strands of amino acid proteins that bind together in a bread dough after the mixture of water, and the creation of longer and stronger chains of gluten through mechanical mixing (kneading). The higher the protein content, the more gluten can be developed. These chains of gluten are important for bread, as they are what allow the dough to capture the created gasses during the cooking and leavening processes, and expand from dense to light. High gluten is not considered an asset when making pastries, pie crusts, biscuits etc, as the gluten can make these tough and chewy.
The protein contents are approximately:
Cake flour:7-8%
Southern all purpose flour:7.5-9.5%
Northern all purpose flour:11-12%
Bread flour:12-13%
There is a difference between all purpose flour from the southern climates, and that from more northern climates, and the more northerly grown the wheat, the higher the gluten content. This can explain why an all purpose flour bought in Wisconsin makes a great bread, and an all purpose flour bought in Alabama doesn't.
Whole wheat flour is high in protein, but the protein from the germ and bran is not well turned into gluten, and as such, whole wheat breads tend to be heavier, but more flavorful then white flour breads. Rye bread contains very little gluten, and as such 100% rye breads are very dense.
Cake flour is a low gluten flour that has also been chemically altered slightly for better use in cake baking.
Self raising flour is generally all purpose flour that has had baking powder mixed in, and do not require any additional baking powder to be added when making biscuits, pancakes or muffins.
So, if you are making bread, use a northern all purpose, or bread flour, and if making pastry, use a southern all purpose, cake or pastry flour. Always look for flour labeled unbleached, as it tastes better, and store whole wheat flour in the fridge or freezer.
The reason that you spend so much time kneading when making a breads dough, is to create lots of these strong gluten chains, and if you under knead, your bread will generally fail to rise well.
Don’t worry too much about it all though, as most of the time, using whatever flour you have on hand will work out just fine, and you should never not bake that apple pie, just because you only have bread flour on hand. Bake those cookies; make that bread, and enjoy the aroma of home baking; it's always appreciated.
Personally after reading this article-- I would highly recommend to stick with whatever type of flour your recipe calls for, even when it means going out to the store to buy more. The substitution is fairly reliable, but this is definitely a “substitute at your own risk” sort of thing. Different flours have different protein (gluten) contents and different weights, and different flours can result in dramatically different results in different recipes. With all purpose flour having about 11% protein content, while cake flour has 6-8%. Some recipes need that low protein content to remain tender and light (like Angel Food cake) and some cakes are flexible enough to use the substitution, but knowing that all purpose flour is so much “stronger” than cake flour-- should help you decide when you can substitute and when you may not want to.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that cake flour is good for cake, and bread flour is good for…wait for it…Bread! But why, and why do some all purpose flours seem to make great bread, and others turn out disappointing loaves, and what the heck is self raising flour anyways?
The primary difference between different types of flour are the quantity of the wheat germ and bran that are milled with the flour, and the type of wheat used for the flour, and the relative protein content of that wheat.
Whole wheat flour is simply wheat that has been milled into flour with some, or all, of the germ and bran still attached.
Additionally, different varieties of wheat contain different amounts of protein, and the more protein is contained in the flour, the higher gluten it has.
Gluten are the strands of amino acid proteins that bind together in a bread dough after the mixture of water, and the creation of longer and stronger chains of gluten through mechanical mixing (kneading). The higher the protein content, the more gluten can be developed. These chains of gluten are important for bread, as they are what allow the dough to capture the created gasses during the cooking and leavening processes, and expand from dense to light. High gluten is not considered an asset when making pastries, pie crusts, biscuits etc, as the gluten can make these tough and chewy.
The protein contents are approximately:
Cake flour:7-8%
Southern all purpose flour:7.5-9.5%
Northern all purpose flour:11-12%
Bread flour:12-13%
There is a difference between all purpose flour from the southern climates, and that from more northern climates, and the more northerly grown the wheat, the higher the gluten content. This can explain why an all purpose flour bought in Wisconsin makes a great bread, and an all purpose flour bought in Alabama doesn't.
Whole wheat flour is high in protein, but the protein from the germ and bran is not well turned into gluten, and as such, whole wheat breads tend to be heavier, but more flavorful then white flour breads. Rye bread contains very little gluten, and as such 100% rye breads are very dense.
Cake flour is a low gluten flour that has also been chemically altered slightly for better use in cake baking.
Self raising flour is generally all purpose flour that has had baking powder mixed in, and do not require any additional baking powder to be added when making biscuits, pancakes or muffins.
So, if you are making bread, use a northern all purpose, or bread flour, and if making pastry, use a southern all purpose, cake or pastry flour. Always look for flour labeled unbleached, as it tastes better, and store whole wheat flour in the fridge or freezer.
The reason that you spend so much time kneading when making a breads dough, is to create lots of these strong gluten chains, and if you under knead, your bread will generally fail to rise well.
Don’t worry too much about it all though, as most of the time, using whatever flour you have on hand will work out just fine, and you should never not bake that apple pie, just because you only have bread flour on hand. Bake those cookies; make that bread, and enjoy the aroma of home baking; it's always appreciated.
Personally after reading this article-- I would highly recommend to stick with whatever type of flour your recipe calls for, even when it means going out to the store to buy more. The substitution is fairly reliable, but this is definitely a “substitute at your own risk” sort of thing. Different flours have different protein (gluten) contents and different weights, and different flours can result in dramatically different results in different recipes. With all purpose flour having about 11% protein content, while cake flour has 6-8%. Some recipes need that low protein content to remain tender and light (like Angel Food cake) and some cakes are flexible enough to use the substitution, but knowing that all purpose flour is so much “stronger” than cake flour-- should help you decide when you can substitute and when you may not want to.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Always Praying for A Cure ~
There are many ways you can help & contribute to the cause during the next few weeks. I will be making some mini 'Pink' cupcakes for Kay Jewelers on the 24th to hand out samples for the staff & guests who pass by in support!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
October is National Dessert & Apple Month!
I love the month of October in the South! We have beautiful Fall like weather. I especially love being able to change up the wardrobe a bit with all the accessories of scarves, jeans, blouses, and furry boots. Then there's Oktoberfest in Helen, apple picking and hiking through the mountains during the day without having to worry about sweating through your clothes, or taking a drive down to Savannah for a few days to see the true beauty of this city during all the Fall festivities, not to mention the pumpkin carving parties, and dressing up for Halloween-- but then there's all the BAKING that comes with this month! I don't know about you but I love anything Apple & Spice! Wheather it's a apple pie, caramel candied apples, drinking apple cinnamon tea, or even better-- eating a melt-in-your-mouth apple cinnamon CUPCAKE.
Candied Apples & Apple Pie were childhood favorites of mine, and I knew the only way I would be happy with it as a cupcake was if I could really taste the combination of crisp streusel crumbs, tart apples, and the buttery caramel drizzle made from scratch. ~elc's~ Apple Cinnamon Streusel cupcakes smell just as good as a pie baking in the oven. Just imagine filling an apple pie with all the granny smith apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, and brown sugar. While I chop the apples up really fine and cook all this down over the stove; the cinnamon cupcakes are baking in the oven, after I have pulled them out, and they have cooled, I cut out the centers and fill the cupcakes with the apple filling. Nope. I can't buy the apple fillings that are in a can which you see in the grocery store. Yuck! The taste of high fructose corn syrup & aluminum is not what I'm going for. After I have filled each and every cupcake, I frost with a cinnamon cream cheese and top with the streusel crumbs & caramel drizzle with a slice of granny smith apple as the garnish. This cupcake is my personal Fall favorite and I hope everyone who trys it loves it as much as I do!
Candied Apples & Apple Pie were childhood favorites of mine, and I knew the only way I would be happy with it as a cupcake was if I could really taste the combination of crisp streusel crumbs, tart apples, and the buttery caramel drizzle made from scratch. ~elc's~ Apple Cinnamon Streusel cupcakes smell just as good as a pie baking in the oven. Just imagine filling an apple pie with all the granny smith apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, and brown sugar. While I chop the apples up really fine and cook all this down over the stove; the cinnamon cupcakes are baking in the oven, after I have pulled them out, and they have cooled, I cut out the centers and fill the cupcakes with the apple filling. Nope. I can't buy the apple fillings that are in a can which you see in the grocery store. Yuck! The taste of high fructose corn syrup & aluminum is not what I'm going for. After I have filled each and every cupcake, I frost with a cinnamon cream cheese and top with the streusel crumbs & caramel drizzle with a slice of granny smith apple as the garnish. This cupcake is my personal Fall favorite and I hope everyone who trys it loves it as much as I do!
Friday, September 30, 2011
2011 The Year of The Pie: Is The Cupcake Industry at Threat?
Have you not heard it's "The Year of the Pie?" I read in a West Coast article online...
Stacia Samartan, co-owner of Frosted Cupcakery with shops in Long Beach and Hollywood, Calif., has been in the business for more than five years and has seen challengers come and go. "Almost every year, there's something popping up," Samartan told WalletPop. "People say, Oh! Macaroons! Macaroons are going to be the new cupcake." But Samartan said she doesn't feel threatened, or tempted to add pie (or macaroons) to her menus.
"We have stuck with the long time tradition of the kind of cupcakes you would make at home. I don't think the traditional cupcake will ever go out of fashion. It's a single serving, you don't have to feel bad about eating it. It's not like eating a whole pie."
Bottom line, Samartan says there's always room in the market for more dessert. In fact, she credits the healthy competition to yet another trend. "I think people are responding to specialty shops in general," said Samartan, "because you can do a really great job of one thing. And that's why we wouldn't want to add pie to the menu because we want to make the best cupcake you can find."
Samartan reports business has risen steadily over the past five years and just keeps "growing and growing." Although she admits an indulgence might come along to replace the monstrous, over-sized cupcakes, her faith in traditional cupcakes remains unshaken. As for an onslaught of pie vendors, Samartan says, "It sounds like fun." Perhaps a sweet translation for: Bring it on!
Susan Sarich's of SusieCakes, which has branches in San Francisco, Greenbraem, and Los Angeles, has always done a brisk business in cupcakes. But the popularity of the pie took even Susan by surprise. Though originally from Chicago, she states it's normal for her to want pies on a continual basis.
"I think what cupcakes did was they opened up the whole market. Now it's ingrained in our culture that a bakery is the place to go to get desserts. They've opened the gateway for other desserts."
"A lot of Brides are doing pie buffets or individual pies at each place setting, Sarich says, "especially for outdoor weddings in Napa and Sonoma. That's definitely a trend."
Stewart and Bocar's new cookbook has an overriding theme: 21st century pies are anchored by the ingredients. Canned pie filling will no longer cut it in 2011. People want the best-quality ingredients, from the butter to the local strawberries, for their pies. And the end product will reflect attention to detail.
Stacia Samartan, co-owner of Frosted Cupcakery with shops in Long Beach and Hollywood, Calif., has been in the business for more than five years and has seen challengers come and go. "Almost every year, there's something popping up," Samartan told WalletPop. "People say, Oh! Macaroons! Macaroons are going to be the new cupcake." But Samartan said she doesn't feel threatened, or tempted to add pie (or macaroons) to her menus.
"We have stuck with the long time tradition of the kind of cupcakes you would make at home. I don't think the traditional cupcake will ever go out of fashion. It's a single serving, you don't have to feel bad about eating it. It's not like eating a whole pie."
Bottom line, Samartan says there's always room in the market for more dessert. In fact, she credits the healthy competition to yet another trend. "I think people are responding to specialty shops in general," said Samartan, "because you can do a really great job of one thing. And that's why we wouldn't want to add pie to the menu because we want to make the best cupcake you can find."
Samartan reports business has risen steadily over the past five years and just keeps "growing and growing." Although she admits an indulgence might come along to replace the monstrous, over-sized cupcakes, her faith in traditional cupcakes remains unshaken. As for an onslaught of pie vendors, Samartan says, "It sounds like fun." Perhaps a sweet translation for: Bring it on!
Susan Sarich's of SusieCakes, which has branches in San Francisco, Greenbraem, and Los Angeles, has always done a brisk business in cupcakes. But the popularity of the pie took even Susan by surprise. Though originally from Chicago, she states it's normal for her to want pies on a continual basis.
"I think what cupcakes did was they opened up the whole market. Now it's ingrained in our culture that a bakery is the place to go to get desserts. They've opened the gateway for other desserts."
"A lot of Brides are doing pie buffets or individual pies at each place setting, Sarich says, "especially for outdoor weddings in Napa and Sonoma. That's definitely a trend."
Stewart and Bocar's new cookbook has an overriding theme: 21st century pies are anchored by the ingredients. Canned pie filling will no longer cut it in 2011. People want the best-quality ingredients, from the butter to the local strawberries, for their pies. And the end product will reflect attention to detail.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
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