I'm gearing up for the release of the next Cheese Shop Mystery #6: As Gouda As Dead. From now and long into February, every Wednesday, if you leave a comment, you'll be entered to
win a Cheese Shop Mystery plus some fun swag. See below!
Many of you know that I
have a Goldendoodle named Sparky. He is 28 pounds and a bundle
of good energy. He is the ultimate party animal! He makes everyone who comes into the house a dog lover. He
can’t wait to play, romp, zoom!
Over the holidays, I decided to honor him by making a cupcake that looks like him. Okay, really?
The real
reason I made these little treats is because my daughter-in-law sent me a YouTube link of a
woman making doggie cupcakes. So cute!!!! Here's the LINK
For those who don't have time to watch the video, I'm trying to show as many steps as I can. By the way, the woman used whipped cream for the frosting,
but I didn’t think that would hold up, so I created this version using my
favorite cream cheese frosting. Why not? I’m constantly thinking about cheese
since I write the Cheese Shop
Mysteries! The cupcakes, the few that didn’t get gobbled up immediately, lasted
for a couple of days in the refrigerator! Perfect for a snack when reading a
good book.
Ahem, is anyone planning on picking up a copy of AS GOUDA AS DEAD?
Note: This cupcake was one of my first
attempts at using a pastry tube. Because Sparky can look messy, don’t worry
about the end result being perfect. I sure didn’t.
Also note: You can cheat and make cupcakes
using your favorite regular or gluten-free boxed cake mix. If you want to make
them from scratch, here is a delicious gluten-free recipe. The mayonnaise makes
a HUGE difference!
Sparky Dog cupcakes
with cream cheese frosting
Ingredients:
(makes 24
cupcakes)
1 1/2 cups sweet
white rice flour
3/4 cup tapioca
flour
1 teaspoon Kosher
salt
1 teaspoon baking
soda
3 teaspoons baking
powder
1 teaspoon xanthan
gum
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups white
sugar
2/3 cup Best Foods
mayonnaise (it’s gluten-free!)
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanillin
For decoration:
Cream cheese frosting (see recipe below)
Melting chocolate cut into tiny bits for eyes, larger for
the nose (you could use pre-formed chocolate chips)
Red MandM’s for the tongue
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, mix the sweet rice flour, tapioca flour,
salt, baking soda, baking powder and xanthan gum together and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, blend
the eggs, sugar, and mayonnaise until fluffy. Add the milk and vanillin and mix
well.
Add the flour mixture. Beat on low speed for about 2
minutes.
Using soup ladle, pour batter into prepared cupcakes
liners.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-17 minutes. Know your
oven! Cakes are done when they spring
back when lightly touched or when a toothpick inserted near the center comes
out clean.
Put on wire rack to cool so they don’t get “moist” on the
bottom.
Let cool completely then frost, as follows:
Fix a pastry tube with a leaf tip. Fill the
pastry tube with frosting. Squeeze out little “leaves” of frosting in a circle
around the cupcake, leaving the center free. Then in longer swirls, fill in the
center. Drip some frosting off the lower portion for the “beard.” Mound some
frosting at the top for the ears.
Set two bits of chocolate near the top for
the eyes; set one bit of chocolate in the center for the nose. Slip a red
MandM between the beard portion for the tongue.
Chill in the refrigerator until ready to
serve.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Ingredients:
4 ounces cream cheese – room temperature
8 tablespoons butter – room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar (more if necessary)
Directions:
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium
speed, whip cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Reduce the mixer to
low speed and add a half cup of powdered sugar at a time, until blended. You
want the frosting to be fairly stiff, so make sure you add enough powdered
sugar. May be saved in the refrigerator
in airtight container.
GIVEAWAY
And now for
that giveaway...tell me what your favorite "kid" treat is and leave
your email so I can reach you if you win. If you don't feel like leaving an
entire email, you can go cryptic and I'll try to figure it out. I am a
mystery writer, after all. I will not use your email for any other purpose
other than to contact the winner. I'll pick a name tomorrow morning. The winner will have 48 hours
to contact me.
Good luck!
Savor the mystery!
******************
