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These blueberry muffins were gone within an hour.  I baked three dozen!  Of course, my brothers made sure there weren’t any leftovers to entice my afternoon snacking.  Thanks, brothers!  You guys really do look out for me, don’t you?  :)  

Here’s the thing:  the muffins tasted DELECTABLE.  They looked great with the crumb topping and icing drizzle.  But they stuck to the paper!!  So I’m on a mission.  I need to find a better recipe.  Someone recommended using butter on teflon and NO paper… but I’m kind of a paper-person.  I like the cupcake liners.  It makes me feel all home-cafe-like.  That’s the fun!  

For those who follow my posts online, it would seem as though I feed my children cupcakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  And that I give them an occasional cookie from week to week for the times we’re still baking cupcakes.  WELL!  It isn’t entirely untrue.  Sometimes we eat dessert before dinner.  I think it’s a testament to my unyielding fist bump to freedom!  Two shots in the air for all of us who say, “Goodbye, convention.  Hello, cupcakes!”

Last night, I did it again.  A dear family friend was hosting a little 6 year old visitor, and asked if I was going to do any baking soon.  I didn’t have my usual stock of ingredients, and I wanted to go shopping to get something crazy-great for the special guest.  However, it turned out that she’s actually leaving TODAY, and last night was our only chance to meet her.  So I jumped up and said, “Give me 45 minutes!”  

In the refrigerator, I had some left over blueberry compote from my pancake Tuesday.  I thought it would make a DELICIOUS mix-in for the simple cake batter.  I added sour cream and orange zest to the batter as well, and a little bit of vanilla yogurt.  When I tell you the cake was moist, light, and delicious… it’s only because I need to find some better adjectives for yummy cake!  It.Was.TASTY! 

The important part of this entire post is the frosting.  I’ve been perfecting the fluffy confection for the last several months, and I think it’s finally perfect.  Here’s my favorite basic frosting recipe of alllll time!  (For the cupcakes pictured, I omitted the cream cheese and added orange zest and almond extract – it was perfect with the blueberry swirl!)    

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Milk

5 Tablespoons of Flour

2 Tablespoons of Cream Cheese

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla

1 Cup of Softened Butter

1 Cup of Granulated Sugar

Directions:

1.  Whisk the milk and flour in a small saucepan.  Cook through on medium heat until the mixture is viscous – thick like a brownie mixture.  

2. Add the cream cheese and melt into the mixture.  

3.  Cool the mix completely. 

4.  In a large bowl, whip the butter and sugar together until it resembles whipped cream.  It will take about 5 minutes on medium to high hand mix speed.  

5.  Add the teaspoon of vanilla to the cooled flour mixture.  (I use vanilla bean paste)

6.  Whip the flour mixture into the butter mixture.  Keep whipping – at least 5 minutes.  Make sure to use a spatula and keep ALL the mixture in the whipping process.  It’s easy to miss a sugar granule or two

7.  Taste the frosting, and try to save some for the cake

Brunch beverages.

Let me count the ways  I love thee crunchy, buttery, potato & onion, ooey-gooey cheesy & savory goodness.  I also adore thee sweet side of you, in all thee waffle, pancake, french toast and warm compote deliciousness!

Seriously… I love thee so much that I’m considering thee for my post nuptial celebration.  I mean, we’re not really “wedding reception” peeps.  We’re SO Sunday Brunch peeps.

So.  A Champagne Brunch for the O’Hara’s.  And on my birthday, I think.  I’m horrible with this.  Every time I actually PLAN for the wedding, something happens, and we don’t follow through.  I’m like the chick who cried married.  But on the positive, I think we’re officially common law