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This is not good. I don’t meant the cupcakes, those are awesome if I do say so myself. I mean the lack of studying and homework that is happening in our little apartment right now. If you were to look at it you would think there was lots of that going on, papers scattered all over the living room floor, books here and there, notebooks and even a backpack. But in actuality there is very little going on in that department at the moment. Cupcakes have taken over. And, if you allow me to brag for a second, I do make darn good cupcakes. If there is one thing I do well, it’s those little dainty cakes covered in delicious frosting. I just love making them.

This weekend, after four year of not playing, baseball starts up again! I am so so so excited to play again. I joined a senior woman’s fastpitch team with a friend. Tonight is our pre-season party. Naturally I had to make something sweet to go along with me.

I actually entered a contest online, on Facebook through Tenderflake. I entered a picture of the individual Tiramisu cakes I made a while ago. If you would be so kind as to vote, please click here!~!~! All you have to do is leave a comment! You don’t have to add a new app or anything. A few of my teammates had commented how delicious it looked, so I just simply couldn’t show up to the party without some in hand! I have never made Tiramisu cupcakes, but they are oh so cute and also delicious!!

These are so so so simple, and perfect for a dinner party, or even a mid afternoon picnic. You get a classic Italian dessert, made ‘grown up’ with some liqueur but in a cute little tag-a-long form that requires no paper plates, cutting, forks or even napkins. OK maybe a napkin. But with the same delicious result. A true classic. I made a simple vanilla cupcake, and followed a Martha Stewart frosting from her Cupcakes book I received from my friend Carolyn for my birthday a couple years ago. It does not disappoint.

Adam was even my little 6’2 TALL helper. He’s always up for holding open the piping bag as I fill it, and even made some tiny fondant flowers from a silicone form for different cupcakes. I know it’s not very manly, but thanks honey! I appreciate it =) And he always gets to be the taste tester.

Make these today. And if not today, sometime in the very near future.

P.S there would totally be a picture of a half eaten cupcake, with the fluffly delicious frosting, if it weren’t for my somewhat self control in order to keep these lovelies in one piece for tonights appearance!

Tiramisu Cupcakes
Frosting recipe from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes

Makes 24 (I halved the recipe to make 12)

• 24 Vanilla cupcakes (Any kind you like, even a box mix will do!)
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee or espresso, cooled
• 3-4 tbs. Kahlua or other coffee liqueur (optional)
• cocoa powder for dusting
• chocolate shavings (optional)Frosting Recipe:
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces Light Cream Cheese, room temperature (Martha used Marscapone, but Cream Cheese is just as good! And less fat)
• 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Prepare/Bake your vanilla cupcakes as directed. Allow to cool fully.
2. Combine Kahlua and Coffee together
3. Using a fork, poke a few holes in the tops of the cupcakes
4. Using a pastry brush, or a teaspoon, brush/pour a small amount of the coffee liquid across the tops of the cupcakes. Allow to soak in completely and repeat two or three times.
5. Set cupcakes aside
6. In a large mixer, combine the cheese (cream or marscapone) and confectioner’s sugar on medium until smooth using a paddle attachment.
7. Set aside.
8. In a slightly chilled bowl, beat heavy cream on medium until stiff peaks form. Be careful to not over beat
9. Gently fold the whipping cream into the cream cheese mixture using a spatula until completely incorporated.
10. Using a piping bag, or even a spoon, pipe frosting onto cupcakes.
11. Using a small sieve, dust tops of cupcakes with cocoa, and top with chocolate shavings (optional)
12. Refrigerate cupcakes until ready to eat. Can be made a few hours ahead, but no more than a day.

If you are not going to frost cupcakes immediately, keep frosting covered in fridge until you are ready to use it.

Enjoy!!

And please please please vote!~!~!

It’s not unusual to experience the following weather patterns in a single day in Vancouver:

• Sun
• Rain
• Snow
• Hail
• Wind

All of these things happened while sitting in class this week. It began to rain, then turn to snow, then hailed and then the clouds parted and it was sunny. All within an hour. Not to mention we experienced hurricane-force winds yesterday as well. While I love living in Vancouver, I would much rather be sitting on my hammock in Mexico. Though it is quite pretty when it does snow here, it’s merely an inconvenience for a day or so and then it turns to rain. My Jetta would not make it up my moms hill the other night. It had to spend the night on the side of the road. I’d much rather have a large amount of snow for a few days rather than one day of non-stop inconvenient snow. Or, Spring.

Thursdays are my days off from school. Which means it’s almost the weekend. Which also means my Archeology midterm is one day closer which I should be studying for. Today started off alright, well, except for the fact that Lainey kept me up all night (ok, and Adam { who took her out at 3 am :) } ) and I woke up about an hour later than usual. I thought I had better get some Arch studying out of the way, but then somehow ended up surfing the net for dessert ideas {which happens more times than I’d like to admit.} Adam’s going to the Canucks game, and my mom is coming over for dinner. I had already planned on making homemade pasta from my new KitchenAid pasta attachment with prawns and salmon, but then I started thinking about dessert. What else is more fitting for an Italian dinner than ending it with a little ‘pick-me-up.’

As I’ve mentioned before I was at first scared of trying this dessert myself. My Nonna had always made it for our big Italian dinners. But, once I tried my first one, and after tweaking it a bit, I love love love making Tiramisu. I came up with a cheater version here. This time I even cheated a little more. We just threw out a tub of cream cheese that had expired, so I didn’t have any at home. I didn’t feel like going to the store so I thought I would just leave it out this time. Believe me, it tastes just as good. And, thankfully Adam is a coffee drinker {i am not} so he always make a pot before work and usually there is about a cup or so left when I get up. This morning it came in quite handy. I added a little Kahlua to it and began making these individual Tiramisu pots.

You can make a large version if you’re expecting a bigger crowd, or if it’s just a few people these little individual ones are quite easy and tasty with only a few ingredients on hand.

Individual {Cheater} Tiramisu

Ingredients:

• 4 Lady Fingers {per individual cup. May have to be cut shorter}
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee, cold
• 2-3 tbs. Kahlua or other coffee liquor such as Baileys or Tia Maria
• 2 1/4 Cups Cool Whip slightly thawed
• Cocoa
• Chocolate Shavings {optional}

Directions:

1. Place two lady fingers in the bottom of the individual ramekins {more if they are larger} using a teaspoon pour coffee/liquor mixture over the lady fingers. You want enough so they absorb a lot of liquid and become soft. about 4 tsp + on each cookie.
2. Spoon thawed cool whip over top of the cookies, enough to cover. Using a sieve sift cocoa over top of the cool whip layer.
3. Repeat with lady fingers and coffee.
4. Add another layer of cool whip and cocoa powder on top to finish.
5. If you like, you can add chocolate shavings on top.

These can be eaten right away, but it is best if you let them set in the fridge for an hour or two. Can be stored for up to a day.

Tir-A-Mi-Su. Tiramisu. It means ‘pick me up’ in Italian and is a classic Italian dessert. Being Italian, I grew up with delicious Italian cooking from my dad and Nonna. Though I didn’t acquire a taste for Tiramisu until I was older. I remember having tried it at family dinners when I was younger, but I didn’t care much for the strong espresso taste, and if often had alcohol in it. I usually opted for a big piece of French bread with lots of Nutella for my dessert.

But over the years I have learned to Love Tiramisu! It’s a really simple dessert to make that has that wow factor of tasting like it’s difficult! I have never particularly liked marscapone cheese, and don’t use it when I make the cheese layers for the dessert. It’s the yummiest no-bake dessert!

Definitely a great Italian dessert to try!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Packages Lady Finger Cookies
• 1 Tub Light Cool Whip - thawed
• 1 Package Light Cream Cheese – room temperature
• 1 Cup Strong Brewed Coffee or Espresso, cold or room temperature
• Cocoa For Dusting
• Chocolate Shavings
• 1 Tsp. Sugar
• 1 Tbsp. Vanilla
• 1/4 Cup Baileys (or other Coffee Liquor)

Directions:

1. Place a single layer of lady fingers in a shallow square/rectangular glass baking dish. The size of the dish will depend on how much you want to make, and how many packages of lady fingers you have.
2. Mix Coffee with Baileys (you can opt-out of the liquor if you don’t like the taste)
3. Using a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until soft. Add in vanilla. Using a spoon, gradually add the cool whip to the mixture. Continue on low until it is all combined. It will be slightly thick, but you want to be able to run a spoon through it. Stir in the sugar.
4. Put the cream cheese mixture to the side.
5. Pour, using a ladle or spoon a small amount at a time the coffee or espresso over top of the lady fingers. You don’t want them to be soaking in coffee, but enough to dampen them, as they will expand. Alternatively, you can quickly dip them into a small bowl of coffee. Either way, you don’t want them to be soggy and falling apart.
6. Using a spatula, place a large amount of cream cheese mixture on top of the lady fingers. You want enough to evenly cover the tops of the cookies. Using a spatula or back of a spoon, smooth the top of the cream cheese.
7. Next, using a mesh sieve dust top of the cream cheese layer with the cocoa. Sprinkle with a small amount of chocolate shavings.
8. Continue the layers, again beginning with a layer of lady finers, then cream cheese and cocoa until you run out of ingredients. You want the last layer on top to be cream cheese.
9. Dust the final layer with more cocoa and chocolate shavings.
10. Place, covered, in the fridge for at least 2 hours for the ingredients to set. You can make it a day before and refrigerate it overnight as well.

Serve small pieces cold, with extra cocoa sifted onto the plate.

Mmmm.. look at all those delicious layers!

Enjoy!