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gigi cakes

gigi cakes
Beautifully baked cupcakes, cakes, cookies, and tips.

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Madeleines
2007-09-09 20:10:00
After my muffin failure (2 posts below) I needed a pick me up. You know something I knew I could bake and would come out well. Ta-Da! Madeleines! These seashell shaped cookies scream fancy. Okay, maybe that part is only me, but they are purty cookies. Madeleines satisfy the cake craving many of us have without having to bake a cake. The recipe is from "Martha" and it's a fairly easy one, pretty much guarantees success. It's also very adaptable, I added orange extract as well as zest. You could also make a glaze for the cookies with powdered sugar or just dust them with powdered sugar. Martha says, one should serve the cookies with tea. Well, I had mine with espresso and it was great. So pick your poison and enjoy.

Famous Four Meme
2007-09-05 07:42:00
Katie from Apple & Spice has tagged me for a Meme named Famous Four.Four jobs I've had:I was a volunteer page at the local library. It was nice to be amongst all those books and silence. Very relaxing.I worked one summer at a steel mill with my father. My dad was a mill operator and I did odd jobs. The pay for the summer was tuition for one year of university.Waitress. I never knew so many rude people existed in the world. It was the hardest and worst job I ever had.Accounting clerk, I verified merchandise received for a large department store. It payed well, but it was sooo boring.Four places I've lived:I lived in a tiny dorm at college. My roommate snored like a bear; girls from my floor would knock on my door in the middle of the night and roll her over to stop. I lived in (Northside) Chicago half a block from the lake. I loved my little apartment.Bradenton, Florida home of Tropicana orange juice. The Tropicana plant burns the orange rinds so the whole town smells of oranges. ...

Blueberry Muffins
2007-09-01 07:13:00
What can I say? Blueberries were on sale this week, so I made blueberry muffins. Muffin s are one of those things I really need to work on. I can never achieve the nice "dome" or "muffin top". I'm going to have to list muffins with french macaroons in the I need to master/conquer category. Even though the muffins are missing their tops, they were still quite tasty. The recipe is from Dorie Greenspan's book "Baking", that is why I know it was me and not the recipe. Well , I'm off to enjoy the Labor Day weekend, have a safe and fun time everyone!
More About: Fins

Chocolate Mousse
2007-08-24 22:17:00
I really miss the winter months. Real winter months, not the low 70's California winter, but real freeze your eyelashes together winter months.I was born and raised in Chicago and a perfect day for me would 55* and sunny, not 110* and sunny. That is why I have been posting very few cupcake recipes. The heat is not kind to butter creams or any of the other delicate icings that require a cool room. Even the mousse started to melt in an air conditioned room. I am hoping the weather gods accept my mousse as bribe and banish the heat wave to whatever dark corner of H E double hockey sticks it came from. Did I mention the heat makes me cranky?The mousse did help to bring down the cranky factor a couple of notches.It's cold, rich & creamy, in other words, indulgent.Choco late Mousseadapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style1 cup chocolate chips, 1 ounce chopped unsweetened chocolate, 1/4 cup freshed brewed coffee, 1/4 cup Grand Marnier, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 12 tbl. butter @ room temp....

Chocolate Mousse
2007-08-24 22:17:00
I really miss the winter months. Real winter months, not the low 70's California winter, but real freeze your eyelashes together winter months.I was born and raised in Chicago and a perfect day for me would 55* and sunny, not 110* and sunny. That is why I have been posting very few cupcake recipes. The heat is not kind to butter creams or any of the other delicate icings that require a cool room. Even the mousse started to melt in an air conditioned room. I am hoping the weather gods accept my mousse as bribe and banish the heat wave to whatever dark corner of H E double hockey sticks it came from. Did I mention the heat makes me cranky?The mousse did help to bring down the cranky factor a couple of notches.It's cold, rich & creamy, in other words, indulgent.Chocolate Mousseadapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style1 cup chocolate chips, 1 ounce chopped unsweetened chocolate, 1/4 cup freshed brewed coffee, 1/4 cup Grand Marnier, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 12 tbl. butter @ room temp....

Garrett's Zucchini Cupcakes
2007-08-18 06:09:00
mmm, Zucchini cupcakes with cream cheese icing. You could have pretty much put anything in front of "...cream cheese icing" and I would still probably drool. I have been wanting to make these cupcakes for a long time. The recipe is from Garrett of the world famous blog VanillaGarlic. The Chubby Cheeks Girls (Michelle & Linda) also baked Garrett's cupcakes earlier this week but were unable to photograph them. They raved about them and that was it, I was going to bake zucchini cupcakes! The cupcakes were excellent, they were very reminiscent of a spice cake. I used a mini-cupcake pan instead of a reg. muffin pan. I also ended up sprinkling a little coconut on top, that I had leftover from another cupcake recipe. The mini zucchini cupcakes and I enjoyed the morning reading my criminal evidence book and sipping on espresso. Thanks for a great recipe Garrett!P.S. Sorry for the glare on the photos, but you would not believe how hard it is to photograph white icing. I will definitely try...

World Peace Cookies & A Beatles Concert
2007-08-12 02:35:00
I am just smitten with these cookies. They are like a chocolate-chocolate chip cookie, but better. They are sweet, buttery, and have just a hint of saltiness to them that makes them ...umph! I can't even come up with a word to properly describe them. I do have to warn you that they are highly addictive. These crisp circles of buttery goodness makes it impossible to have just one.The cookies were the perfect concert picnic dessert.My boyfriend and I attended a Hollywood Bowl concert honoring The Beatles 40th Anniversary of Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (album). It's the album that changed the world, according to my boyfriend. The Hollywood Bowl is a great place for concerts, they allow one to picnic and to bring a bottle(s) of wine. The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and Cheap Trick performed the entire album along with guest vocalist. Some of the guest vocalist were Joan Osbourne, Ian Ball, Aimee Mann, Rob Laufer, and Al Jourgensen. ( I really should have bought a progra...
More About: Peace , World , Concert , World Peace , Cookies

Creative Tags
2007-08-07 07:55:00
I was tagged "it" by Sandi for a game of personalized creative tags. The challenge is to write 8 of your fellow bloggers name in a creative way. 1 name is the person who tagged you and then 7 others. Be creative and if possible use the world's natural wonders. I live in Southern California so, I am putting palm trees (outside my front door) as a natural "world wonder"and organic cupcakes are just "wonder"-ful. There you have it, my two natural world wonders!Sandi~you are a living testament to southern hospitality. You inspire me.Garrett~ Lord of the Cupcakes! His creativity for baking and writing is an unstoppable force.How To Eat A Cupcake~ for introducing me to the "better than sex cupcake"!Kate~ my friend across the pond. Baking the most delicious scones and tea cakes ever!Linda & Michelle~ two sisters double teaming recipes for show stopping desserts.Minko~Baking with fruit combinations I could never even dream of. Truly unique and inspiring cupcakes.Steph~for always baking he...
More About: Creative , Tags

...Are You A Hostess Cupcake?
2007-08-03 09:26:00
I've seen this recipe floating around the net for several months now. At first, I was hesitant about one of my cupcakes being compared to a factory packaged cupcake. Not to mention that I secretly love Hostess cupcakes and would be crushed if my cupcakes sucked. The recipe is from Food and Wine, and while it is reminiscent of the Hostess version it does not come close to being a "real" Hostess cupcake. The problem was the marshmallow filling, it just wasn't as good as Hostess's. The cake part had a mild chocolate taste, not too dark. The icing on top was great, I liked it better than Hostess's but alas, the marshmallow goodness was not there. Do not fret my cupcake lovers, these cupcakes were a crowd pleaser. Even though they did not meet my standards, everyone at work squealed and cried for one. I felt like some sort of cupcake rock star. It was great!

The Great American Bake Sale
2007-07-31 21:39:00
A couple of days ago I was contacted by a woman named Mercedes who left information on a charity named The Great American Bake Sale . The bake sale is part of a larger organization known as Share Our Strength's, their goal is to wipe out hunger for the 12 million children who go hungry every night. According to the website, many of the children participate in federally funded feeding programs during school, but have a lack of food after school or during the summer. The bake sale allows for children to have access to after-school & summer feeding programs. They also offer grants to community organizations who are also trying to remedy this problem, for example your local food bank maybe receiving a grant.You can help by making a donation directly to the organization or by having a bake sale and donating the proceeds.I would love to host a bake sale, but due to school commitments and searching for a new job I am unable to. If you are participating and your bake sale is in the Los An...
More About: Great America , The G

Sandi's Just Peachy!
2007-07-27 21:34:00
Please bear with me, I promise the next post will involve cupcakes! Earlier this month Sandi at the Whistlestop Cafe posted five peach recipes in a row! By the third post I was a peach addict! Well, today I made her peach cobbler. Wow! What can I say, except Sandi knows her way around a cobbler! I gave all the men at work Sandi's peach cobbler with a scoop of Blue Bell ice cream on top. Later in the evening, when I went around to collect my dishes all the men rubbed their tummies in satisfaction . They loved Sandi's peach cobbler! So, stop on by the cafe and enjoy all the peach recipes and give Sandi a "hey y'all"!

Frozen Key Lime Pie
2007-07-22 06:03:00
This week I searched for a dessert that did not require using the oven. I came really close. The original recipe called for a homemade graham cracker crust. Should I? No, it's too hot! So, I waited until 3:00am and strolled over to the grocery store and bought one. That's right, a store bought crust. It's just been too hot in Pasadena to use the oven so, please forgive me. Now that we got that settled, lets talk frozen key lime pie.The pie is fabulous. It's tart, sweet, and oh, so cool. I used regular limes. Have you seen how tiny key limes are? You can't juice them with a juicer. The truth is limes were on sale for .79 cents (for a whole bag)! You can't beat that price!The pie is a perfect summer dessert. It has an ice cream texture to it, very smooth and rich. The only problem I had with the recipe was that it called for 6 raw egg yolks. I decided to "cook" my eggs via the "double boiler" method & by adding 2 teaspoons of Knox gelatin.I cooked the eggs, sugar, and lime...
More About: Lime , Key Lime , Frozen

Now you know; but don't hold it against me!
2007-07-19 23:00:00
I was recently tagged by Michelle at Chubby Cheek Girls for a MeMe about 8 things you did not know about me. A while back I was tagged by Garret from Vanilla Garlic for a MeMe about 5 things you did not know about me. I am reposting it with an additional 3 things you did not know about me. So, here it goes!I'm originally from Chicago, IL. Born and raised on the "Southside" in a predominantly Italian neighborhood. So.... I have a HUGE soft spot for good Italian food. Two years ago, I vacationed in San Francisco and loved it! I left "drag marks" in North Beach when came time to go home.I'm a Law & Order freak! I've seen all the episodes numerous times and have set my "TiVo" to record any episodes, anywhere, in the land of satellite TV. It's my addiction.I'm a secret knitter. I can only knit the "too tight" hats, "weirdo shaped" scarves, and "too large" to be pot holders. It's really ...sad.I love to sing, but I am tone deaf. No, really I am. My boyfriend, the professional sou...
More About: Hold

Strawberry and Whip Cream Cupcakes
2007-07-14 11:12:00
This is Billy's vanilla cupcake with fresh whipped cream instead of a buttercream. It's just too hot in California for a cupcake with buttercream icing. I paired the cupcakes with fresh whipped cream, dyed pink for extra drama, and a fresh strawberry on top. I guess this would make them strawberry shortcake cupcake wanna be. Enjoy!Whip ped Cream :1 cup chilled heavy cream3 tablespoons of sifted powdered sugar1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract1. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment beat cream on med-high until soft peaks form.2. Slowly add sugar until medium stiff peaks form(careful do not turn your cream into butter) add pink gel dye(TINY amount). Ice cupcakes and store cupcakes in fridge!
More About: Strawberry

Classic Milk Chocolate Cupcakes
2007-07-07 23:53:00
Wow! This is one of those go to recipes. As I handed out the cupcakes I noticed that everyone was licking off the icing first and then eating the cake. Yes, the icing is that good. Everyone commented on how they could eat the icing with a spoon and be utterly content. So, the next time you need a batch of cupcakes, remember that is your go to recipe and enjoy!I filled the cupcakes 2/3 full (makes 24- 28 cupcakes) and baked for 20-25 minutes.I was able to get 28 evenly flat cupcakes, but if you like your cupcakes with a round top then 24 is your magic number.
More About: Milk , Classic , Chocolate , Choco

Carrot Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting
2007-07-02 10:11:00
Just a quickie post. Here's a great and easy recipe for carrot cupcakes! Instead of using the all time standard cream cheese icing, I used mascarpone. It's basically the same recipe and instructions, you're just changing out the cream cheese for mascarpone. The recipe is from the book 500 Cupcakes.For the cupcakes:1 cup of butter, soft1 cup of superfine sugar2 cups of self-rising flour4 eggs1 tsp. allspice1 cup walnut pieces1 cup grated carrot2 tbsp. golden raisinsFor the icing:1 cup mascarpone1 1/2 cup of sifted powdered sugar1 tbsp. lemon juice1 tsp vanilla1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Place 18 baking cups in muffin pans. Combine the butter, sugar, flour, and eggs in a large bowl and beat until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Spoon the batter evenly into the cups and bake for 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes.2. to make the icing, slowly beat the mascarpone and sugar in a large bowl until creamy and soft. Add the lemon juice and vanil...
More About: Carrot , Masca , Frost , Rosti

Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
2007-06-22 21:00:00
Sorry for the delay. Vacation was great, but I came home with pneumonia. Yikes! Not a fun time. I am feeling much better than I look (so, I keep telling myself). Listen girls, if you need to drop 10-15 pounds in a week the pneumonia diet is the way to go (just kidding!). Since I was feeling much better and had dropped a couple of pounds, I was thinking it was time for an indulgent cupcake. I had wanted to make banana muffins or bread but, it just didn't satisfy the indulgence factor I was looking for. Banana chocolate chip cupcakes? ....mmm? No. Banana cupcakes with a dark bittersweet ganache topped with a rich cream cheese peanut butter icing? YES! The banana cupcake recipe and the ganache is from Kara's cupcake. Kara's recipe calls for a cream cheese icing but I wanted to make it even richer, so I added peanut butter (1/2 cup). The recipe is located at the bottom of the article, so scroll all the way down and enjoy.
More About: Peanut , Chocolate , Late , Butter

Summer Vacation
2007-06-03 07:38:00
Hello! Thank you for visiting but, I am currently on vacation and won't be able to blog. I will absent from blogging June 3rd through June 18th. I am going home (Chicago) to visit family and friends. I'll be back before you know it! Thanks again for stopping by. xoxogigi
More About: Summer , Vacation

White Chocolate and Raspberry Cupcakes
2007-05-29 09:22:00
One of the greatest things about living in California is the abundance of beautiful produce. Even the City of Pasadena has two farmers markets.If I'm looking for something special I'll make the drive out to the Santa Monica farmers market.This week, every vendor seemed to have the most beautiful looking raspberries.The raspberries were sweet, tart, and firm.Absolutely perfect.So, a perfect raspberry deserves a perfect cupcake.I decided to make my cupcakes mini because I wanted to emphasize the raspberries.The recipe yields 8 cupcakes or 14-16 mini cupcakes.If you decide to go the mini route the bake time is 12-14 minutes.The recipe can be altered to suit a different berry, for example, you could use strawberries, blackberries or even cherries.Just use whatever fruit inspires you.Chocolat e Raspberry Cupcakes:1 stick of butter @ room temp.3/4 cup of sugar1 1/4 cup of flour1/4 tsp. baking soda1 tsp. baking powder1/4 tsp kosher salt2 eggs @ room temp.1/4 cup of sour cream1/2 raspberry...
More About: White , Late

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