Vanilla pudding cupcakes with chocolate chip cookie frosting

Probably the last post of 2013, so let's make it a good one! My New Year's resolution is to start experimenting more with my own baking recipes, so why get a head start on that today?

Neapolitan-ish Christmas Tree Cupcakes

I'm so excited - I have so many new baking toys to play with this holiday season and I can't wait to try them out and see what can be created with them!

Green Tea Swiss Meringue Buttercream

When people ask me what my go-to baking recipe is, I tell them it's my red bean mochi cupcakes. They have a unique chewy texture because of the rice flour, and the red bean/green tea flavors complement each other well. Each time I make them, I'm finding out something new that improves the cupcakes.

Chocolate chip cookies filled with peppermint bark!

Yes, I baked two days in a row. And yes, I am baking tomorrow night as well, which means it'll be three days in a row. I may have a slight addiction to baking. The baking aisle is the first place I seek out when I step foot into a store. I think about recipe ideas while I'm working out at the gym. I feel weird if I go a week without baking. Is there a Bakers Anonymous? Admitting it is the first step to recovery, right?

Snowmen red velvet cake pops!

I started watching Doctor Who about a year ago and since then, have completely fallen in love with the show. When Nine regenerated, I was heartbroken - he was my first doctor and didn't want to see him go. And then I started watching Ten and slowly grew to like him - and then Ten regenerated, and I was heartbroken all over again. It's taken me awhile to accept Eleven, and of course, the second that I started to really love him, Matt Smith announces that he's leaving the show, meaning that I'm going to go through this all over again.

Kitchenaid Mixer and 3D Cookie Cutters = Gingerbread presents!

So my long-awaited Kitchenaid Mixer arrived this weekend (thanks Mom and Dad!) and I could not be more excited! Oh wait, yes I could be...if I wasn't sick, I'd have more energy to be excited and bake endless batches of cupcakes and cookies. Unfortunately, my head was hurting and I felt weak all weekend, so all I could manage was one measly batch of gingerbread cookies made into present boxes.

Hamburger Cupcakes!

Deceiving, isn't it? 

It's absolutely freezing in my house right now. The roommates and I are pretty sure the heater is broken, and hopefully we can get it fixed soon before we all freeze to death in our sleeps. Yes, I know I live in California, where winter doesn't exist, but that doesn't mean it can't get ridiculously cold at night. We've already blown out the power a few times from use of our individual space heaters (it tripped twice during the writing of this post), so at this point, it's bundle up and curl up in a tight ball in bed.