German Chocolate Cupcakes

Today was cold and snowy so it was a perfect day to stay inside and make a trial batch of German Chocolate Cupcakes. I have a large order of cupcakes and berry cobbler to fill next week so did a quick run through to make sure the baking schedule goes as planned. 

Have a warm weekend!

Cupcakes, Cobbler & SNOW

What a week this has been! 

Earlier in the week we were covered in nearly 14 inches of snow in 24 hours and the temperatures this week have dropped to record lows in the single digits. 

Of course I can't complain much since I love snow. 

However, the snow coincided with a baking order I had promised to fill on Friday and with roads nearly impassable and businesses closed it made for a bit of a tricky situation. 

A good friend of ours asked me a few weeks ago if I would bake treats for a surprise birthday party for her husband who turned 60 and her son who turned 40 at the beginning of January. She wanted to serve their favorite desserts which were German Chocolate Cake and Berry Cobbler. Initially the serving count was for 100 but later adjusted to the final count of 70. I was more than happy to to accept the order and suggested individual servings since the party was being held at a venue downtown and it would make transporting and serving so easy. She agreed and I began to prepare.

Since I had only ever made German Chocolate Cake I went through a trial run last weekend to be sure my measurements and recipes would work in individual form and to make adjustments as needed. I also began searching for the individual baking cups, lids and spoons I wanted to use, which I could only find online, so I went ahead and placed my order. It was to arrive in 3 days making Monday the scheduled arrival date. Plenty of time. 

Snow began to arrive on Sunday however we ventured out anyway,  against all warnings, to get the ingredients in case we were snowed in later in the week as the forecast predicted. We were able to get to all but one store before the road conditions forced us to head back home. My personal shopper and driver this week, Mr. Wonderful, was able to get out later in the week to shop for the remaining ingredients,

thank goodness.

Wednesday after work I prepped all the ingredients. I chopped nuts, pre~measured dry ingredients and set out all the equipment needed. Everything was ready, except, my baking cup order had not arrived! It was stuck in route and it was no wonder since trucks were having trouble getting into the city in all directions. Thankfully I had a back up plan just incase it did not arrive. I had purchased foil baking pans for the cobbler to use in the event that the cute little cups did not get here in time and sure enough,

that is what happened. 

I turned on my ovens at 2:30 Thursday when I got home from work and turned out the kitchen lights at 9:30. 

Mission accomplished! 

I followed my baking plan to a tee and it worked. 

70 German Chocolate Cupcakes and 6 pans of Berry Cobbler

baked, packaged and delivered. 

In spite of the weather and road conditions the guests arrived and the 

Birthday Surprise Party

was a success.

Have a warm and wonderful weekend!

German Chocolate BIRTHDAY Cupcakes

These cupcakes are a favorite and are becoming a January tradition. 

Mr. Wonderful was meeting one of our friends for coffee which happened to also be his birthday so I made a batch of cupcakes to send as a fun surprise. We know that he loves German Chocolate dessert because I was asked to make these same cupcakes for a surprise birthday party for him several years ago.

It was only half a batch this time, which still made a dozen cupcakes, so there were plenty to share with their staff if they didn't all disappear before he got back to the office.

The first batch of cupcakes for 2022! May there be many more!!

Happy Friday!

Cupcakes & Cobbler

This week I needed a dessert to take to a lunch with one of my best friends who I had not seen in person for over a year. It was hard to choose what to make since I needed something for home as well. After taking into consideration everyone’s favorites and preferences we still ended up with two choices since I could not make up my mind. 

My friend likes German Chocolate Cake however Mr. Wonderful usually prefers something fruity. Since the blackberries are now getting ripe and very plentiful near our house I walked down and picked more than enough for a cobbler which I knew everyone would like.

While I was preparing the cobbler I thought it would be fun to reduce the size of baking dish so that I could put the extra batter into two small Mason jars. That way I would have two individual servings that I could cover with a lid and take to lunch.

So, I went for it and baked them all at the same time and they came out perfectly.

Then it was time to make the German Chocolate cake. Instead of making an entire cake though I made a small batch of six chocolate cupcakes which was a much more reasonable amount. While they were cooling I made the frosting and the coconut topping.

The desserts were finished and ready in time to pack up to take for lunch and enough left over for sweet treats at home. I love when a plan comes together. 

Happy Friday!

OKTOBERFEST 2022 :: Desserts

Last weekend was our neighborhood Oktoberfest Potluck and late in the week we were still light on signups for dessert so I was more than happy to bring a couple. 

Of course I wanted to stick to the German theme and decided to make Nussecken which are cookie bars and also referred to as German Nut Corners.

The apricot jam is one of my favorite ingredients in these layered cookies/corners.

Hazelnuts are the suggested nut however I like to use almonds.

In addition to the German Nut Corners I also made a batch of German Chocolate Cupcakes.

These cupcakes coordinated well with the Nussecken. 

The Oktoberfest dessert table actually ended up with several other sweet treats which was great. There was a good variety and plenty for all. 

Happy Wednesday!

Oktoberfest 2021:: recap

Last weekend we gathered with family and friends for our very first DIY Oktoberfest Celebration.  After months of planning and preparing the big day finally arrived. 

The idea hatched between the hubs and a couple of his buddies several months back. The interest continued to grow so we had a potluck with our neighbors in August to discuss the plan and logistics of how to make it happen. Several families, including the hubs and me, volunteered to help organize, gather equipment and make food. There were a couple other meetings as the date approached to confirm head counts and finalize the menu and timing. There were also party day weather concerns as it had been decided that this party would be held outdoors. It is not unusual for the forecast here to show rain at this time of year and that is exactly what was being forecasted. The week leading up to our event was showing all rain and cool temperatures the day of the party so an executive decision was made that we would hold the party rain or shine! Thankfully, the dreaded rain actually did not arrive until a couple days after the party and it turned out to be an absolutely beautiful day for Oktoberfest! The weather was perfect.

Our day started early with lots of cooking. The ribs had to be in the smoker by 6:30 am so prepping began even earlier in the wee hours of the morning. 

Once the ribs were done they were swapped out for 6 whole chickens which were on the schedule next. While Mr. Wonderful was busy cooking the mains and setting up the party area I was preparing some German Preztel Bites. 

They took a good part of the morning but so worth it!

Usually I make traditional German Pretzels but this time I made most of them into Bites instead so that there would be more to share. 

Once there were about 150 Bites I decided to switch and make a few traditional pretzels with the dough I had left which ended up making six. 

They all turned out great. 

You can't go wrong with pretzels. They are always popular. 

German Chocolate Cupcakes were on my list to make as well and were easy to fit in the schedule between the pretzels. 

These are a favorite not only for Oktoberfest but anytime.

In between the cooking there was setting up to do as well. Tent, tables, garbage cans, food warmers, etc. all needed to be assembled at the meeting area.

The DIY Portable Fire Pit was also brought out and set up for later as well as a wheelbarrow full of firewood. 

The hubs recently made a new Poker that fits on a bracket that he welded to the side. A great new addition to the handy portable fire pit. 

Late in the afternoon, before the sun set, the hubs got the bonfire started which was a good thing.  Once the sun went down it was very chilly so we circled our chairs around the Portable Fire Pit and roasted some Giant Marshmallows. 

It turned out to be a fun and beautiful day for our 1st Oktoberfest Celebration. We had all sorts of traditional German food including smoked Bratwurst, Sauerkraut, Apfelkuchen {German apple cake} to name a few and even had a corn hole competition. The party was a success and I am guessing there is a good chance this could become an annual event. 

auf Wiedersehen!