Cupcake Surprise

Sometimes, a dessert occasion calls for something a bit fancier than a plain cupcake.

Cupcake Surprise

     8 oz cream cheese, softened

     1/3 c sugar

     1 egg

     1 box cake mix (to make 24 cupcakes), prepared according to directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin pan(s) with 24 paper liners.  Combine cream cheese and sugar.  Beat in egg.  Set aside.  Prepare cake mix according to directions on box.  Fill each cupcake liner half full (a #40 disher works well).  Place a scant tablespoon (#50 disher works well) of cream cheese mixture in the middle of each cupcake.  Cover with remaining cake mix batter (again, a #40 disher works well).  Bake for 19-21 minutes (whatever cake mix recommends for cupcakes).  Cool in pans for 15 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Sponge Drops

Today finds me heading back to work after nearly a week off (I worked on Monday).  I'm certain that by the time this workday is over, I will know exactly how many more slave days until summer vacation.  I always post a countdown in my room. . .one figure for most students, and the other, smaller figure, for the seniors.

This will be the first time in many years where the seniors are in school beyond Memorial Day.  For the rest of us, summer gets underway hella late!

By the end of today, at least one of my friends will be looking towards a change of work site for the next school year.  A few others won't know until later this week if they have tickets outta Dodge yet.  Choose wisely, young grasshoppers.   Actually, changing work site is truly exciting.  Best wishes to all.

While today marks the beginning of the 4th quarter, there is still much to be done.  I have another workshop to attend in Honolulu, as well as a workshop to give here.  I need to get through the Junior Prom (as an adult).  I also need to see D1 through two proms (as a parent only, since I am completely banned from attending one of them).  And that brings me to another thing on my mommy to-do list:  get D1 to commit to a college.  Is it important to go somewhere with low brand cachet but willing to offer a HUGE financial aid package?  Or is it more important to go to a school more respected for academics but very low in athletic team post-season activities...no March Madness/Big Dance/Bowl?  Does a school's performance in NCAA Division 1 athletics make a difference?  What about ease of access...is the school in close proximity to an airport with direct flights from Hawaii?  Lots to think about, lots to weigh and ponder, lots of money to dish out!

While I'm waiting for D1 to make a decision, I think I will have a sponge drop.  I need one.  Maybe I need two.  Eating sweet things makes me feel happy.

As I mentioned in last week's post, I've been trying to support The Help's healthier eating effort by reducing the amount of desserts and sweets I make, but after dealing with D2 and her friends during the break last week, I broke down and decided it was time to save myself.  I made a batch of these sponge drops as a reward for surviving sleepover night and not smacking anyone across the head (including those 2 bratty kids who sat in the booth behind me in McDonalds and jumped on their seats while their lazy-ass parents sat away from them and pretended they didn't notice).

I first tasted sponge drops at a party in the early 80s.  I thought I was eating 2 'nilla wafers sandwiched together with whipped cream, but when I tried to do this at home, it didn't taste the same.  It wasn't until years later I realized the treat I had eaten was sponge drops

Normally, I don't enjoy a soft cookie, but sponge drops are different.  While they look like cookies, they are NOT cookies.  They are, as the name implies, soft and spongy.  They get even softer when the filling gets put between two of them.  And don't be afraid to be generous with the filling.  Any extra filling can be used as a topping for sliced strawberries or other tart fruit.  If you are like me, you will enjoy the filling on a big spoon too!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Sponge Drops

     1 c flour

     1/2 tsp cream of tartar

     1/4 tsp baking soda

     3 eggs

     1 c sugar

     1/2 tsp vanilla

     1 tbsp powdered sugar

     1/2 c heavy whipping cream

     2 oz cream cheese, optional

Stir together flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda.  In a medium bowl, beat together eggs and sugar.  Add flour mixture and stir until well combined.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Using a small (#70) disher, drop rounded scoops of batter onto parchment in a 4 x 5 array.  Bake 7 minutes.  Let cool 3-4 minutes on sheet before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Make filling when cookies are cool.  Combine vanilla, powdered sugar and whipping cream (if using cream cheese, add it now and add another tbsp of powdered sugar).  Whip with an electric mixer until thick and stiff.  Spread on underside of a cookie, and top with another cookie (underside touching filling).  Chill in a single layer in an airtight container (may separate layers with plastic wrap).  

Strawberries Filled with Almond Cream

One week of work done. . .a killer one this week!  Yes, I am pissed about having to work for no pay during my summer vacation.  At some point, its not the $ that matters most...its the freedom to do what you want.  There are times when I feel working in a different field would have been much less complicated.  Arggghhhhh!!!

I have 3 meetings this week, and I'm expecting a less-than-favorable turnout for 2 of the 3 meetings.  The 3rd meeting is about the us drones getting more work so I'm sure everyone will be present. 

D1 received her internship assignment:  Gemini Observatory (the building, not the telescope site...whew).  I guess I'll be packing lunch for her on her "work days" or I'll need to send her to Imiloa with some $ to buy lunch.  I'm hoping she'll finish her 60 hours before the summer is over, and I'm hoping she'll get through her internship smoothly.  I think I'll try and help her out a bit by making this dessert to share.  Her contact has a British accent, so no doubt he is familiar with the strawberries and cream tradition at Wimbledon.

A month ago, when I went to Texas, I was so ono for strawberries.  I kept thinking that I would order tons of fresh strawberry desserts.  To my surprise, I came across NO fresh strawberry desserts.  The closest thing was a cheesecake at the Salt Grass Steak House which had a ribbon of strawberry goo swirled in.  While the cheesecake was good, it was not the flavor I was searching for...sweet/tart fresh strawberries.

I have a go-to list of fresh strawberry dessert recipes:  pie, pie with a cream cheese layer, sauce for ice cream, bundt cake, layer cake, frosting, etc.  But nothing was sounding like "the" thing to make.  I remembered seeing a Taste of Home post on Facebook for filled strawberries, and that is where this journey began.  Because of my personality when it comes to cooking, I try and find several different recipes for a dish before I decided on the dish to try.  After the Taste of Home recipe, I found several other recipes worthy of trying, but I settled on a recipe from a Good Housekeeping cookbook.  Unfortunately, when it came time to actually make the recipe, I discovered I was short on some of the ingredients.  I had to make do with what I had on hand, but it turned out well.  In fact, it turned out better than the actual recipe (I tried it later) because the filling was stiffer.  The stiffer filling means that this can be prepared the night before.

Both D1 and D2 gobbled several of these (these were jumbo sized berries).  D2 insisted on taking one to her teacher the next day.  D1 wanted to bring this to her Biology class party on the last day of school, but the 2 supermarkets I went to were both completely out of strawberries, and I did not feel like paying the ransom for Waimea strawberries at Island Naturals.  Don't be sad for D1; she ended up taking Rainbow Jello instead.

Sewing lessons for D1 & D2 begin tomorrow.  I took both girls to the fabric store to choose supplies.  It didn't go too well...D2 wanted to buy everything, and D1 took a long time to decide what to sew (she took sewing lessons before so can begin with a pattern, rather than a tote bag or pillowcase).  D1 will need to schedule her internship hours around sewing, but I don't anticipate that being a problem.  Luckily, the Rents, now iPad users, haven't asked us for too much tech support (although there are several of us who can share the pleasure).  Now if I could only get this inconvenience called work out of the way, I'd have way more time to do the things I WANT to do on MY vacation.  

 click on recipe title for printable recipe
Strawberries Filled with Almond Cream

     25 jumbo strawberries

     3/4 c heavy whipping cream

     3/4 c milk

     1 small box vanilla instant pudding

     1/2 tsp almond extract

Wash and dry berries.  Slice off stem end.  Using a sharp paring knife, slice an "x" deep into berries without cutting all the way down.  Beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.  In a separate bowl, combine milk and pudding.  Beat for 2 minutes.  Add almond extract and whipped cream.  Fit a pastry bag with a #10 or #12 round tip (depending on the size of berries).  Fill pastry bag with pudding mixture.  Pipe pudding into strawberries, spreading petals open with fingers to allow more cream to fit.

A word to the lazy:  an alternate way of serving this would be to quarter or slice the strawberries and serve the filling in a small dish.  The filling can be spooned over the cut strawberries.  Slicing the strawberries and using them as scoops for the filling works well too.

If you're still with me, please allow me to share some pics I took this past week:

Nymphaea Devin M.A. Medeiros:  plant given to me by Gu.  I've been waiting a long time for this to bloom.

Stephanotis:  I've been waiting a long time for this to bloom too.  I think I finally have enough blooms to make a lei.  I just don't need a lei at the moment.  The vines are so thick that some cardinals made a nest amongst the growth.

Finally got a pic of both babies together.