A cookie sort of week: Monster cookie cupcakes, thumbprint cookies and chocolate malt cookie sandwiches

I'm jonesing for lake weather. To be able to go to camp, relax, read a book and go lounge on the boat. I think calling it "camp" is a Canadian thing, or something. It's definitely a small house on a small lake, but that's what Cathie called her old place up north, so I picked it up. I want to watch movies and hang out with the super friendly neighbors. My dad wants me to go tubing, but I think he'd specifically try to knock me off. Anyway, I can't wait for it to be time to go down there. I used to HATE going to the lake. But that was just going, with no boat to go out on it. And I've really started to appreciate the downtime it provides. Now if only it were May!

I didn't want to throw away the lemon and lime curd I had left over from last week's cake, so I decided to make thumbprint cookies. The first recipe I made was weirdly crumbly, and wouldn't even form balls to be formed into cookies. So I went to the old reliable, Martha. I used this recipe, with no hazelnuts. The cookies were the perfect complements to the super tart fillings.

Next, I was in the mood for cookies. Well, actually, I guess I was in the mood for cookies all week. This was a chocolate malt sandwich cookie from, you guessed it, Martha. Kelly chose them, and they were definitely tasty. SO RICH though. She took them to the Kansan, and I guess they were approved, because she said they were gone pretty quickly.


And, even though you can't tell immediately, this is totally a cookie. In cupcake form. I used to work at this coffe shop/bakery called Capers. Yes, I was a barista, and no, I don't like coffee. At all. But Capers did introduce me to the best cookie ever — the monster cookie. It's a peanut butter oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips and M&Ms. This Paula Deen recipe is the one I use when I make the cookies, minus the raisins (YUCK). So I felt like making them into a cupcake. These were peanut butter cupcakes (Martha again!) with chocolate chips and oats mixed in at the end. On top, at Kelly's suggestion, plain ol' vanilla swiss meringue buttercream, so not to conflict with the other flavors. And the crowning achievement: M&Ms. These are one of my more favorite cupcakes I've made lately. They will return! (Also, I posted these over at Hoosier Homemade's Cupcake Tuesday!)

Distracting desserts

I think I should start a countdown to graduation. It's feeling soooo far away, but I know it's actually really close. I know that because I've started buying my graduation stuff. Cap and gown? Check. Two tassels? Check. Phi Beta Kappa registration? Check (I'm really happy about that one!). Self-designed graduation invites so I save money and have a more colorful invite? Check. Red and blue supplies for graduation-themed cupcakes from Bake It Pretty? Check. Soooo now I just have to make sure I actually graduate. Sigh.

I'm having to prioritize my homework right now into a few categories: have to do immediately, might do later and probably won't ever do. It seems that most is falling into probably won't ever do, but I'm hoping to change that. On Friday, my project draft was due for depth reporting. I think my brain turned into jelly while working on it; let's just say I have a way to go till I feel comfortable with where it's at. Next week a computer test. Ugh.

But, ultimately, it's all worth it for graduation. Because I got a job! I'm going to be overnight reporter at the Lawrence Journal-World. I interned there this summer and was again this semester, but now I've started working the overnight job already (in fact, that's where I started typing this entry...at 5:30 a.m.). For those of you who know me, you know I'm a night owl, so this will work out really well for me. I'm pretty darn excited.

My stress this week, though, was tempered by baking. Actually, I baked when I should have been working on stuff. Baking does a really good job of distracting me from stuff. Earlier this week, I felt like cupcakes, but not enough cupcakes to have to take them anywhere. I made Martha's malted milk cupcakes again, but naturally I've already started editing the recipe to be more malt-y. I put a bunch of malt powder in the frosting, too, too make it more malty. I wanted to make pretty springtime cupcakes, but man, that pink food coloring was strong! Oh well, they were tasty.

Remember that project I was talking about? Well I had to take a break every once and a while, and one of my breaks equaled in Kansas Sunflower Bread. I've made this before, three times actually. Except, it's only worked one of those three times. I'm not sure what the deal is, but I'm thinking I wasn't kneading it enough, so if you make it, be sure to be thorough. Plus, it's a really thick dough, but thick with yumminess, like sunflower seeds, oats and bulgur. It's very substantial bread.

Another break took the form of raspberry lemonade bars. I saw this recipe a while ago, I think originally on Food Gawker, which led me to 6 Bittersweets, which led me to the recipe I used. I put it away for a rainy day, which actually happened to be a brain-melting day. I'm a HUGE fan of Martha's lemon bars, but raspberry lemonade sounded like such a good twist I had to try them. The crust was easy enough, but you have to put the raspberries through a strainer, which I'd never done before. The recipe calls for a cup of frozen raspberries, thawed, then strained to get the juices. I put well over a cup, which I think worked out fine. My only critique of these bars is that the filling is a bit too thick for my liking, and I think a shorter bar would be better. Nonetheless, the bars are sooo tasty. Nice and tart, just like raspberry lemonade should be. I'll definitely be making them when the 100 degree weather hits, whenever that is! Actually, today at work, I read an article that said this winter was one of the warmest on record. I don't know what record they're going by, because it's been SO cold!!

Anyway, I need to really get to studying sometime soon. But for sure I'm making cupcakes today. I haven't decided yet what kind, but I'm thinking cookies and cream or margarita. I'm also considering entering Iheartcuppycakes' Cupcake Hero competition for the first time. She does it every month, and it has a theme. This month's theme is to make a cupcake from the Hello Cupcake book, something I don't have. Seems like a good excuse to buy it, right? I'd like to think I can decorate well enough to not embarass myself, but that's probably not the case. At least I'll improve my skills. We'll see where it goes from there.

Cupcakes, cupcakes and cupcakes

I hate airport security. I'm sure everyone else does too. But seriously, shoes and jackets off (which leaves me shoeless most of the time), then you rush through the line so you don't hold it up, then have to slow back down again to gather everything up again. Ugh.

Obviously, I flew this weekend. I went to Grand Rapids to visit my mom. Seems a bit weird that I'd go north at this time of year instead of south, but whatever works. I got to meet her new kitty, Salem, who is really cute. And visit her other kitty and dog. You all think I'm an animal person, but you haven't met my mom. Believe me.

I spent most of my time up there doing homework, but I did manage to get in some baking. I'm a little concerned that my baking time is going to go way down in the next couple weeks. Actually, I know it is. I have a major test this week (in a theory class, with material that goes WAY over my head), a major test next week, have to start writing my project, start designing the yearbook, and a laundry list of other things to do. I'm also going to Manhattan this weekend for my first experience with Fake Patty's. I figure I promised a friend I'd visit sometime, so might as well make it this weekend. Then spring break in Vegas — can't wait!!

But I've been making cupcakes again recently. I've done two rounds of Contemporary Feminist Political Theory Birthday Cupcakes. Both girls wanted chocolate cupcakes with regular frosting, so I made Martha's Devil's Food cupcakes. They have sour cream in them, which makes them especially rich and yummy. For Elise, I made red frosting, and I've started using icing tips. I'm getting better, but my cupcakes still look a little wonky sometimes. But they definitely look better than just slopping on the icing (photo courtesy my wonderful food photographer Tanner Grubbs). Then I also made the same kind of cupcakes for Elizabeth, but left the icing white and used pretty Easter sprinkles. Ultimately, I don't really care about many holidays themselves, but I love the decorations (and sprinkles!) holidays bring.

While in Grand Rapids, I usually go clothes shopping with my mom (I got these shoes this time), this trip also had a large focus on specialty food shopping. One place, Martha's Vineyard, had a whole bunch of unique beers, wines and foods. I got Drew a six-pack of local beers, all with awesome labels. Another place, Russo's, is more of a grocery store, although we got some wine there too. There I found Marsala for tiramisu cupcakes and graham flour for s'mores cupcakes. My suitcase coming home was pretty darn heavy, because I got a bottle of specialty vodka too.

While I was there, though, I decided to try a recipe I've been wanting to for a while: malted milk cupcakes. They're basically dark chocolate cupcakes (with sour cream again, I promise it's not gross but actually makes them yummy!) with malted milk powder mixed in. I'm a big Whopper girl, or in this season, Robin's Eggs girl. I prefer not to buy them that often, otherwise I eat too many at once and make myself sick. But a cupcake version sounded too good not to do. Something I realized is that I've become very accustomed to my stand mixer. My mom doesn't have one, and I'd forgotten how much I dislike hand mixers when you have to mix for a long time. My stand mixer spoils me. :) But anyway, I didn't taste that much of malt in the cupcakes, so when I made the frosting, I mixed in more malt powder. They were pretty tasty. I will be making them again.

We'll see how much time I have to bake this week or next. I'm not sure I'll even have time to use it as a stress-reliever, no matter how much I need it. Sigh. Senior year isn't supposed to be this stressful.