‘Buttercream Frosting’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Recipe: Chocolate S’mores Cookies

February 20, 2012 · Narrative

When we were over my sister’s today to celebrate her birthday, her mother-in-law and I started talking about Pinterest. Oh how I love Pinterest, let me count the ways. And even better to converse with a fellow pinning addict. Over the past week, a lot of my inspiration (and output from my kitchen) came from Pinterest. The Jell-O recipe, Valentine’s Day cards, and a new painting project all started from Pinterest. And tonight’s cookie recipe? Pinterest.

When I first saw the cookie recipe a few weeks back, I made a mental note that it would be perfect for our Bloggers Valentine’s Feast this past weekend. Since Joanne was coming early on Saturday, and has a way with a piping bag that I have no interest (or time or motivation) in having, I convinced her to pipe hearts on the top of the cookies, instead of just frosting the whole top. We She did half the batch with the hearts and half the batch with the full frosting top.

And then the extra frosting got hidden in the freezer.

Well, halfway during dinner, we dug out the frosting to put more on the cookies.

I’m ridiculously picky about frosting. To the point that I may or may not have expressed my distaste for the canned stuff in the baking aisle at the grocery store. And I may or may not have said how easy and better it was to make your own homemade frosting. And I may or may not have handed my business card to the stranger I was talking to, directing her to the best buttercream frosting ever.

Ok, I totally did all that. And I have no shame about it.

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Recipe: Pumpkin Bread

December 15, 2010 · Narrative

As I made this recipe again tonight, I realized that I hadn’t shared it with you. Even though Thanksgiving and pumpkins are long gone, that’s no excuse not to make it. Canned pumpkin is still readily available, and in this season of giving and gifting, this is the perfect recipe to make. It makes two loaves: one for you, one to wrap up for a neighbor.

I’m usually not a big fan of sweet bread recipes, but this one is the surest way to make anyone a convert. Toast up a slice in the morning and spread on the thinnest layer of butter … mmm, delish. Nick likes to take a warm slice with him on the way to the bus stop in the morning, so a loaf doesn’t last long.

Project 365
December 15, 2010, Photo #275-279
Snack time at Costco. Babybel cheese, Gouda cheese and Stacy’s Naked Pita Chips. I just read something recently about all the different things that you can taste at Costco, and for some of the warehouses that had more to-try booths, the calorie count, if you tried everything, was like 1800 – ouch!

After dinner art time with Jamie.

Madeline’s class is working on the letter I this week, so I made a batch of cupcakes with buttercream frosting (her color choice) featuring a few “I” words.

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Recipe: The Best Buttercream Frosting Ever

March 11, 2010 · Narrative

The best buttercream frosting ever can be made from a few simple ingredients that you already have in your kitchen. You’ll find yourself making this one again and again.

A friend asked me the other day if I thought about writing a cookbook. No, I haven’t. Truth be told, I have a nice cache of recipes I’ve created on my own, but my problem is writing them down. I cook a lot like traditional grandmothers … a little bit of this, a little bit of that, wait, more of that. I create the recipes based on feeling, intuition, how they look, tasting along the way. That’s hard to put down in writing. This buttercream frosting recipe is the perfect example. To me, the frosting on the cupcakes from Billy’s Bakery in New York City was the one to beat. I tinkered. I played. I improvised. I created. Four ingredients. That’s all it needs. Yet the finished result for me was always based on how it looked. Its consistency. And then, of course, followed by the taste. But the measurements were what failed me. I never measured. I just did. But a few months ago, a friend asked me to share my recipe, after having it one too many times here, and I decided it was time to figure it out. There are some recipes I’d like to be able to pass down to my kids, and I can’t do that if I don’t find some way of getting them written down. Another food goal for me this year. Commit more of them to writing.

The ingredients are simple. Butter. Milk. Confectioner’s sugar. Vanilla. That’s it. I tend to like my buttercream frosting a little on the stiffer side. If you prefer yours a little thinner, just add a touch more milk until it’s where you want it. Buttercream is my go-to frosting. Whether it’s on a batch of homemade cupcakes, or atop a birthday cake or Rainbow Cake or smooshed between two Cinnamon Nut Spice Cookies (for that one, I make a maple buttercream version), I’m all about the buttercream. Forget Billy’s. This one is now the one to beat. And it saves me a trip into the city to boot.

Project 365
March 11, 2010, Photo #62

Crazy Dog

Eli never fails to get a laugh when he does this. He’d much rather walk himself than have someone else hold the leash, thankyouverymuch.

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