These are the cupcakes that I made for our babysitter’s 20th birthday.  She loves purple, turquoise and all things “peacy”–Beatles, the 60s, Jimi Hendrix, and on and on…  So for her birthday I wanted to make her something sute and yummy.  This is what I came up with.

So one I adapted this recipe from one on the blog http://blog.kitchenkapers.biz/  (it’s the blog for the store where I work!)  Thanks Jackie!  I used a different beer than she did and I added some sharp cheddar cheese.  It turned out great!

Apple Cheddar Beer Bread

Beer  Bread
3 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
12 ounces beer (I used Lindeman’s Apple Lambic, but feel free to experiment!)
1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

4 tbsps butter, melted and cooled (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter an 8-inch loaf pan and set it aside. In a mixing bowl, combine your flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cheese and give it a little bit of a mix to incorporate all your dry ingredients together. Add the beer and mix slowly until just combined. (Try not to overmix it, as this will make the bread tough.)

Transfer the mix to an 8 inch loaf pan.

Drizzle the top with the melted butter and transfer to the oven. (You might want to put a baking sheet under your loaf pan, just to make sure the butter doesn’t bubble over and make a mess while baking.)

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick insterted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Remove the bread from the pan and cool an additional 10 minutes.

This bread can be served warm or at room temperature. Makes 1 loaf.

I was really pleased with the results. The bread turned out beautifully, with a crunchy, chewy crust, and a distinctive flavor.  Try your favorite specailty beer and various mix-ins (nuts, dried fruit etc…)

Visit www.kitchenkapers.com for other goodies from Stonewall Kitchen!

This particular tastyliciousness is extremely easy to make and is great as an appetizer, but also good enough to be eaten as a meal.  To make this pizza you will need the following:

1 jar Stonewall Kitchen Roasted Garlic and Onion Jam (available at www.kitchenkapers.com)

1 pizza crust of your choice (I used Pillsbury’s pizza crust in the poppy tube)

your favorite creamy, salty cheese (I used goat cheese crumbles)

To assemble:

–line cookie sheet with non-stick aluminum foil.

–unroll the pizza crust (if you are using the kind from the tube…otherwise take the crust you chose, out of the packaging) and place on the foil.

–spread an even layer of the jam on the crust, leaving about a 1-inch crust.

–sprinkle with cheese.

the pizza --all assembled, before baking

–bake in a 350-degree oven until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melty and bubbly.

–allow the pizza to rest about 5 minutes before cutting.

–ENJOY!

Here’s what the finished product looks like…

Roasted Garlic and Onion Jam Pizza

For this fantastic dessert you will need:

one 13 x 9 extra deep baking pan (I baked my brownies in this pan, popped them out and used the same pan to make the bread pudding.)

2 packages of your favorite brownie mix baked according to package directions–cooled completely (I have used Betty Crocker brownie mix–and also the Barefoot Contessa’s Brownie Mix–available at www.kitchenkapers.com )

2 cups of sugar

5 eggs, beaten until lemony yellow

2 cups of milk

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 cup peanuts (optional)

Remove the cooled brownies from the pan, cut up into 1 inch cubes.  Set brownies aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In a large bowl, beat eggs with wire whisk, to that add sugar, milk and vanilla.  Stir until combined.

Make a layer of some of the brownie cubes in the bottom of the baking dish.  Sprinkle that layer with half of the mini marshmallows and half of the peanuts.

Repeat the payers until you have used up all of the brownie cubes, mini marshmallows, and peanuts.

Pour egg mixture over brownie cubes and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Top with additional mini marshmallows, if desired, the top marshmallows they will get all nice and toasted in the oven.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until set.  Serve warm.  ENJOY!!

**You can use all sorts of different mix-ins…peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, chocolate chips, fruit, coconut, cut up candy bars…experiment!**

Broccoli Cheddar Quiche

1 1/2 cups half and half

1/2 cup cooked & drained broccoli

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1/8 tsp pepper

3 eggs, beaten until lemon yellow

1 9-inch pie shell

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prick the bottom of the pie shell and blind bake for approximately 10 minutes.  Remove from oven.

In the pie shell, layer cheddar cheese and broccoil, ending with cheese.  Sprinkle with pepper.  Combine eggs and half & half and pour over cheese and broccoli.  Bake until golden brown, set and until a knife,  inserted 1 inch from the edge of the crust, comes out clean.

I adore you! (eye a door ewe)

The contest was held on the Family Fun website, with two prizes up for grabs…a $100 Williams-Sonoma Gift Card for the entry that received the most viewer votes and a $500 Williams-Sonoma Gift Card for the one that the Editors thought was the best.
I sent the link to all my email contacts and to all my friends on my Facebook list encouraging them to vote for
my cupcakes, hoping to have a chance at the viewer’s choice prize.
Well, thank you to all of my friends that voted, but I didn’t win the viewer’s choice prize…
I WON THE EDITOR’S CHOICE!!!!!!! WOOHOO!!
I was TOTALLY surprised when I received the email! It’s VERY exciting! I may have to enter more contests!