Nutella Frosting

Happy Friday! I made these bad boys for my good friend Shey. Not only is her birthday coming up but she is also moving AND she had a coupon for a free plate of treats from me (I gave out the coupon at a church service auction recently). I wanted these mini cupcakes to be a little bit more fancy then just yellow cake and chocolate frosting when I remembered the neglected jar of Nutella in my pantry! genius! I never really make my frosting with exactness, I just throw it all in and it all seems to work out. This is the closest I can guess on my measurements:

Nutella Frosting

1/4 c. butter (soft)

2 c powder sugar

1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

3 heaping spoonfuls of Nutella

Blend all ingredients in a medium size bowl. The amount of Nutella that goes in really depends on your taste- I wanted more of the hazelnut flavor to come out and a darker color but others might not be so inclined so just blend in a spoonful at a time and try it. Enjoy!

I made these cupcakes mini size- bad idea- I can't help but pop one in my mouth every time I enter the kitchen.... I think I have eaten about 15 today haha

Parisian Macaroons

My husband was gone this weekend so I had a lot of time to myself. It was great! I got chores done AND did a bunch of stuff I haven't had time to do- like.... Make these babys =)

I used the recipe in "The American Boulangerie." I got this when I visited San Francisco last year.

The Author is the owner of "La Boulange" cafe & bakery. There are a few of these in San Francisco and one was right down the street from my motel so my friends and I had breakfast there every morning. It was heaven! Not only was the food AMAZING but the cafe was so adorable! The cook book is one of my treasures in my kitchen, it has everything from pastries to bread. The macaroons might not look very attractive (it was my first attempt) but they sure were yummy!

Make Your Own Brown Sugar

One of the ways I save money in my food purchases is I try to stay away from anything pre-made. No microwave meals, no ready made dough, nothing like that. It saves a lot of money to make basic stuff from scratch AND its usually healthier for you!

One thing I make from scratch now is BROWN SUGAR! I Love brown sugar and use it for a ton of stuff but I always hated when I wouldn't bake for a while and then I would find my brown sugar stuck in one dried out hunk and I would have to throw it away! So by making it now I not only save money by not having to buy it pre-made but I also don't waste money when it goes bad because I can just make the right amount when I need it.

Ingredients

Mild Flavor Molasses

White Sugar

The ratio I found is 1 Tablespoon per 1 Cup of sugar but that never worked for me so I just eye-ball it. When you try this for the first time start with a Tablespoon and slowly add more until you think its right.

Mixing the molasses into the sugar can be tricky your first time too- you get lots of clumps at first. After I have stirred the clumps up I find it easiest to smoosh the clumps, in a rubbing motion, against the wall of you bowl with the back of a spoon. Do this a few times and then stir the whole mixture a few times, then repeat. Do this as many times as it takes until you can stir the whole mixture without seeing any big clumps.

Ta Da! Just like you buy in the store!