Orange Upside Down Cupcakes (★ ★ ★ ★ ☆)

But sadly, there were car fuzzies everywhere.

The End

---

Uh... ya....

This story is sort of a tragedy.  

So instead of just ending on a sad note, I thought I'd put the ending out there so you can brace yourself and not cry hysterically or anything like I did at the end of "500 Days of Summer."  

Yes, I know there was a disclaimer at the beginning of the movie!  That's what I get for blogging and movie-ing at the same time.  It took me 20 minutes to realize that the Bachelorette actually ended up with someone this season - I have a problem.

But not all was lost. I learned a lesson.

Remember that goody - "Pride cometh beforeth the falleth?"

Oh ya, we're going there.

And it's about to get good. 

As with many things in life - it all started with a "spark."

You see there was this cake - an orange cake.  It was getting ALL kinds of online love.  Features, comments, pins - you name it.  

It seemed like everywhere I went on the blogosphere that week - I was haunted by this orange cake.

The Cake From Where It All Began:

Now don't get me wrong - I'm a fan of orange and an even bigger fan of "easy," but I was dumbfounded to realize that what everybody was raving about was just so normal... so simple.

And that's the moment the dark seed took root.

"I can do that."

It became my presumptuous mission to become the toast of the blogs, the bees knees.  If an easy orange cake can do it...then I most definitely could.  

You guys like orange, right?  Obviously.  

And something that doesn't require frosting?  Boom - frosting on the ground!

Since I can't be a total copycat, instead of "simple" why don't we go with "classic?"  Upside down cake.

Then make it totes unique?  Mini-size 'em.

The stage was set.

The ingredients prepped. 

And honestly, I worked my magic.

These were good.  Like Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes and Garden, sophisticatedly-rustic-delicious good.   Even on Day 1, 2, and 3.

My evil plan was working.  Assuredly, my cupcakes would be the buzz of the week.

My friends and family drooled over them.  My brother who only eats my desserts if they are chocolate, begged for more.

Oh, I done good.

And that's when it happened...

I had carefully pack several away to bring to work.
Because the praises of family and friends can't be trusted.  They love me, you know?
But co-workers.  Co-workers have no obligation to boost my ego.  They can just as easily grab a cupcake, take a bite, and toss it in the trash.  No harm, no foul.

It was there that I would finally reign.  And my induction into the "Lauded Bakers of the Blogosphere" would be imminent.

That was before I was running late.

Before I couldn't find a container with a lid,

Before I had to slam on my brakes,

Before the treats I had so lovingly crafted, pummeled one by one to the floor...

...of my car.

My dreams crushed.
Replaced by smooshed cupcakes coated in car fuzzies.

-----

I learned a valuable lesson that day.

Baking isn't about winning praise.
It's about enjoying the process.

It isn't about sugar and butter.
Baking is about sharing and bringing people closer.

Oh, who am I kidding?  It totally is!

But I also know that giving way to the cockiness within -- always ends badly.  I'm just lucky this time my penance was pieces of carpet.

Orange Upside Down Cupcakes

used Sallys Baking Addiction as my starting point

• 3 1/2 Cup Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking soda
• 1 Cup (2 Sticks) of Butter, melted
• 2 Cups Brown Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt (Or Sour Cream)
• 3/4 Cup Milk
• 1 Cup Orange Juice
• 4 tsp Vanilla
• 2/3 Cups Butter [for cupcake tops]
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar [for cupcake tops]
• 3-4 Small Oranges, cut into 24 thin slices and peeled
• 24 Cupcake Liners

Makes 24 Cupcakes

Preheat Oven to 375F after baking for 7min lower to 350F

Bake for 15-20 minutes

1) In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

2) In a small microwave safe bowl, microwave 1 Cup (2 sticks) butter in 30 sec increments until melted. 

    Stirring in-between each heating.

3) Transfer melted butter into a medium sized bowl.  Add 2 Cups brown sugar and beat until combined.

4) Add eggs, yogurt, milk, orange juice, and vanilla.  Beat until combined.
5) Slowly add flour mixture to batter.  Once combined batter will be very thick.  Which makes it super
    easy to spoon into the cupcake tin. Yeah!

6) Because I needed the tops to slide out very easily, but I didn't want to have to eat these out of a 

    cupcake liner, I totally stole this idea from Glorious Treats.  Fold the liners in half and cut a small half 

    moon out of the bottom.  This will be just enough to cover the bottom of each of the muffin slots. 

7) Butter or spray the heck out off the muffin tin and then line with the cut cupcake liners.

8) In a small microwave bowl, melt 2/3 cups of butter and stir in 1 Cup brown sugar.

9) Drop in 1/2 Tbsp of this mixture into each liner.

10) Cut oranges into very thin slices - you need 24 total. 

11) I found that slicing the orange and then carefully peeling each one worked for me.  However, if
      you'd like to peel the whole orange first and then slice it that might work as long as you have a very
      sharp knife.
12) Next slit an opening in the slice, so you can easily wrap it into the bottom of a cupcake slot.  If you
      have more time cutting the slice into little "pie" pieces and placing them into the cupcake liner
      individually will make it easier to eat.
13) Press orange slice down so it gets immersed in the brown sugar and butter.

14) Spoon batter over orange slices and place into oven at 375F.  After 7 mins, lower the oven
      temperature to 350F.  Bake for another 8-13 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes
      out clean.
15) Let cupcakes cool on a rack for a few minutes, then flip upside down and let cupcakes slide out.  If
      some seem stuck, carefully tap the tops of the cupcake tin to get them to fall out.

Vanilla Whipped Cream
makes enough for 24 cupcakes

• 2 Cups of Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2/3 Cup of Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tbsp of Vanilla Bean Paste (or Vanilla Extract)
• 2 tsp Unflavored Gelatin

1) Tip: But medium sized bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes beforehand.  It helps the cream to 

    whip up faster. Side Note: the gelatin helps the whipped cream to keep it's form and not to become
    a runny, puddly mess. 

2) Beat whipped cream until stiff peaks form.  Add powdered sugar (more or less to taste), vanilla, and 

    gelatin.  Beat until combined.  

3) Store in fridge if not using immediately.

*Disclaimer* - While the events in this post are true, they may have been exaggerated for story telling purposes only.  I happen to really like orange in desserts and I get inspired by other blogs like twenty times a day! 

Tea Cookies (★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆)

OMG!  Guess what?!...

Okay, cool.  

So now that I've got your attention, I have some business to discuss.

And since I know I'm going to lose most of you in like T minus 102 words, I'm gonna bore ya while I have ya.  

---

The rating system is up!!!

I post-rated each and every baking entry and all posts from here on out will contain star ratings as well.

And why would I do this?  

Because I wanted to go through and re-live all of my baking experiences, duh!  

Actually, not really.  

And some of my earliest posts are just plain awful.  Picture-wise.  Content-wise.  You name it.

But even so, there were some good recipes in there and you deserve to know about them...without having to dig through my lifeless entries.  

Honestly, though! Makes you wonder what the heck I was going through back then. 

Plus, I pride myself on being self-critical...er, honest.  

I follow a lot of blogs and I rarely come across a post where a recipe came out as less than Martha Stewart worthy.  Really?  Really???  I don't think so.  

If something's a bummer, you know about it.  

Now you can spot one from a mile away.  You can even sort and search for them.  Frankly, they've been my heavy hitters...everybody loves a good rant.

But back to busz...

Each title will now feature a number of stars, from 1 to 5.

With "★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆" being  - "Run.  Joey.  Run, Joey...RUN!!!"

And "★ ★ ★ ★ ★" being  - "Are you ready for a miracle? The Spirit will set you free!"

Want more deets?  Scroll to the bottom of my last post: Nats Ratings System. 

And now back to your regularly scheduled Thursday trip through the Viola cloaked garden.

Cause you know, today is Tea Cookies.

But in order for you to understand how these came about you'll have to follow me back to the sixth grade...

...when I saw the Titanic for the first time.

I know, I know, but I always bring it back don't I?

It was like my eyes had been opened, and cupid had struck my heart.  I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Kate Winslet's long, red, curly hair...
Leonardo DiCapro...
Amazing costumes...
Leonardo DiCapro...
The chemistry...
Leo...

To me, it's the most romantic movie of all time and rare in that it only gets better every time I watch it.

On the 100th anniversary of the sinking, at that very second in fact, I was sitting at the IMAX with my 3D goggles on hyperventilating as the water poured in around me and Rose and Jack were frantically trying to reach the deck through eerily lit stairwells.

Talk about intense.

That hundredth anniversary was April 15th - all of five months ago.  Obviously, it was time for another viewing.

Best Friend bought this crazy edition with an extra forty-five minutes of previously deleted scenes.
Well, wunderbar!  The perfect excuse.

I was perfectly contented to just curl up in a blanket and have a good cry, but Bestie was the one who convinced me a "time-period" snack was in order.  We literally pulled up the first class menu to see what kinds of desserts would be appropriate.

It is a sickness. 


So long story short:

We didn't want to make any of the highfalutin "sweets" offered to the ships finest guests.  Chartreuse jelly?  The name alone tells me time, detail, pain.

What simple, yet elegant delicacy would please even the most conniving "needing to marry off my daughter to a complete turd so I can continue lavishing myself in luxury" of mothers?

Well, the Tea Cookie of course!  The embodiment of Edwardian living.

Not too sweet.
Slightly buttery with a refreshing orange zing.

Think of a moist scone or a less oily madeleine.
Sure they're a little hard on the eyes...But they're oh, so good.

All you need is a cup of steaming hot tea.
But the flavors are subdued enough to allow for your favorite jams, butters, and spreads.

In fact, Bestie's dad, who is an incredible gardener, provided the plum and strawberry preserves for this endeavor. Seriously, the best strawberry jam in. the. world.  I do not exaggerate.

Tea Cookies
Slightly adapted from "Fork, Spoon, Knive" Buttermilk Tea Cookies

3 Cups Flour
Zest of 1 Orange
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 Sticks Butter, Room Temperature
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2/3 Cup Buttermilk
*For best flavor results refrigerate dough overnight.  Although, as far as look and texture they remained essentially the same.

1) Preheat oven to 350F Degrees.  Grease baking sheet.
2) In medium sized bowl, mix flour, zest, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
3) In large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.
4) Add eggs to butter/sugar mixture one at a time.  Beating thoroughly after each one.
5) Add vanilla
6) Alternate adding buttermilk and flour to the wet ingredients in the large bowl, beating on low in
     between each addition.  Dough will be slightly sticky.
7) Place heaping teaspoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
8) Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until puffed and dry to touch.
9) Let cookies cool 1-3 minutes before moving to cooling rack.

Lemon Curd, Plum Jam, Strawberry Preserves

The Titanic, Tea Cookies, and a Tale. 

Come on, that's destiny right there.






Linking Up Over at Bloom Designs Link Party.  Go and check it out!

Fail: Chewy Orange Almond Cookies (★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆)

As I'm writing this entry, I'm watching the episode of Home Improvement where Tim uses power tools to cook food. Blowtorch grilled cheese sandwich? Yes, please!

I may or may not have specifically chosen this episode for inspiration.  

I have to watch something when I write.  It helps fill the silence.  Puts me in a good mood.  

BUT I can't just watch anything.  

Law & Order: SUV.  How in the heck am I supposed to come up with something witty while that is on??!!  All I end up doing is mentally counting the windows and doors to make sure they all get locked.

Yep, Home Improvement fits the bill.  Actually, Gilmore Girls is my muse.  Nothing, draws out my most stunning repartee as those ladies, but I love, love, love Tim Allen.  And it's just a Tim Allen kind of night, you know?

Almonds comprise the bulk of this cookie.  Almost like using an "almond" flour.

Recipes are an interesting science, aren't they?

Sometimes you get one that is so good, it turns out every time.
Other recipes are delicious, but require exacting care.

But there is another category.  The kind people don't like to talk about.

The recipe we'll endearingly call..."The Crapper."

Sometimes it doesn't matter what you do.  The chemistry just isn't there.  And if it isn't there then why, pray tell, can't we admit we made a boo boo?

Yes, Martha Stewart, I'm calling you out.

Soft peaked meringue (front).  Almond flour mixture (back). You fold the flour into the meringue.  

I wanted to make these Chewy Orange Almond Cookies because:

1) I love almonds.
2) I love anything chewy.
3) Orange, mixed with chewy, mixed with almonds, sounded like the perfect complement to cold lemonade on a summer day.

Welp, I'm sorry to say these were anything but refreshing.

And hey, you all know I'm not afraid to admit operator error.  The fact that most of these didn't turn out because they were either under or over cooked (as you'll soon see below) was completely and utterly the result of my lack of attention.

*Note: If after this post you STILL want to make these (i.e. you are a glutton for punishment), make sure you watch these like a hawk.  They are the "require exacting care" type I was telling you about earlier.  The difference between soft middle sticking to the parchment paper, and darkened crispy unsalvageable lump is not much my friend, not much.

The batter will be very runny.

But the 8 cookies, I actually made correctly didn't even taste good.  

If crazy almond ladies were a thing, these are the cookies they would bring to your door.  

Almond flavor.  

Almond grounds.  

Almond chunks.  

Knock, knock.  Who's there?  Not orange, that's for sure.  

And to top it off - these were sweet.  Sticky sweet.  Taste buds exploding off your tongue sweet.  

Hmmmmm...

Let's go through the checklist, shall we?

Taste: Fail

Ease: Fail

Martha: Fail

Fail + Fail + Fail = Win?

I don't think so, Tim. 

Undercooked: donut shaped cookies.  Overcooked: browned bricks.  The difference between the two? About a minute.

I'm putting this recipe on the naughty list.

It's okay to admit you dropped the ball Momma M.  No one is demanding that you relinquish your domestic pearls. Just gimme this one, okay?

If you are looking for an orange cookie recipe that is actually good see my earlier post on Orange Sugar Biscuits.  Make them chocolatey or use poppy seeds as called for in the recipe. Either way these are delicious.  Not too sweet.  The perfect tea cookie.

----------

Sidebar: These were not a total waste.

After throwing away the slightly burned cookies (These do not hold up well to temperature.  A slightly overcooked chocolate chip cookie?  No biggie.  These?....oHoHOHO no.  Lick the bottom of your toaster oven for a pretty accurate rendition), I didn't know what to do with the gapping hole ones.

They were ugly, but perfectly fine otherwise.

Enter: Vanilla Ice Cream.

I am a genius.

Crumbled up pieces of these cookies make a rah-dic-cuh-lous ice cream topping.  So, so, so, so, so, so good.

Martha, your recipe has been salvaged.

Girl, I gotchu.

---

Orange Chocolate Chip Sugar Biscuits (★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆)

I'm not ashamed to admit it.  I love when I find out people have been reading my blog.  

I mean that's why I spend my valuable time documenting all this, right?  

For a second, it makes me feel like the shiz.  But then I realize, I'm just a chick who eats a lot of cookies and 8 fantastic people care to hear about it.  There may or may not have been a slight amount of coercion involved. :)

Not that I'm complaining....not at all.  Like I said, I LOVE it when someone takes the time to weed through my yammerings.  Plus, no one should feel like the shiz for long.  That's when things start to get messy.  And the next thing you know you're at an awards show stealing the limelight from a giant doe-eyed country girl or even better--Beyonce herself.  

Definitely a situation I hope to avoid.  Fingers crossed. 

I must say though, I feel pretty bonded to my readers.  In a way that is at the same time ridiculous and wonderful.

I like to call this phenomeona the "Instant Best Friend Syndrome"...or IBFS, if you will.

Like when you find out that guy at the Honda Dealer is also a lefty.  Hello!  Besties.

Or when your friend's sister-in-law sends you a request on Facebook just so she can drool over your Twilight Tour photos.  Best Friends 4EVR!!

It doesn't matter whether we've met before or not.  A connection has been made...and not your normal day-to-day kind either.  

It's the kind that makes you want to find a way to send cookies of appreciation across the country.  

...using the mason jars you still have from your failed Cake in a Jar experiment. 

That is literally how this post came about.  

I needed a delicious, yet sturdy recipe to make it all the way to Pennsylvania.  

That's when I found these: Orange Poppyseed Sugar Biscuits.

Ironically, I was drawn in by the poppy seeds, but having none at my disposal I substituted with the best thing I could find: mini chocolate chips.  

The chocolate and orange zest complimented each other quite well.  

The batter must be rolled and chilled for at least two hours before slicing and baking.

Slices should be cut as evenly as possible.  It helps with the baking consistency.

These cookies don't expand much in the oven. For larger cookies you must make the rolls thicker.

These cookies were good!  I would definitely make them again.

Slightly tangy.  Chocolatey.
Buttery, yet sweet.
And hardy enough to survive an airplane flight.

Perfecto!

To my dedicated readers, these were for you.  Maybe a glass jar full of cookies didn't arrive at your doorstep, but know I appreciate each minute you spend browsing my pictures and reading my stories.

Feel free to comment, suggest, or just swap war stories with me.  Cause, you know, I like hearing from my blog BFFs.