Lemon Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

As I mentioned before in the Lemon Bars post, my love for lemon-anything grows day by day. This time, it was the fluffiness, softness, and fresh sweetness of these cupcakes that caught me off guard. These cupcakes were incredibly easy to make and the result was a well-deserved round of applause. To be honest, I was a little scared at first to use lemons in such a classic cupcake recipe, but in the end I was not disappointed by these babies. To get the cupcakes to taste right, just make sure to test the batter every once in a while before putting them inside the oven (just to make sure it's not to sour or not too plain). Other than that, these cupcakes were wonderfully light and tasteful. 

Lemon Cupcakes

This recipe makes about 21 cupcakes.

Baking Time: 20 minutes at 350F

Ingredients

•          1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
•          1 cup granulated sugar
•          2 eggs
•         2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•          1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•          2 teaspoons baking powder
•          1/2 teaspoon salt
•          1/2 cup milk 
•          zest + juice of two medium lemons (about 1/2 cup of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest)

·          

Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream

•          1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
•          3-4 cups powdered (confectioners') sugar
•          1/4 cup heavy cream 
•          2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•          1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
•          additional lemon zest for decoration, if desired

Instructions

1.  Preheat the oven to 350F. Line muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
2.  Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed in a large bowl until creamed. About 2-3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until everything is combined, about 2 full minutes. Set aside
3.  In a medium sized bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 additions, stirring by hand after each addition. Batter will be thick. Add the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix until just combined, do not overmix.
4.  Pour batter evenly into cupcake liners (I recommend to use an ice cream scoop for evenness). Bake for about 20 minutes. Check at 18 minutes, then again at 20. A toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean when done. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.
5.  To make the frosting, beat softened butter on medium speed with an electric or stand mixer. Beat for about 3-4 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, cream, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin or more cream if mixture is too thick. Add more salt if frosting is too sweet. Frost cooled cupcakes. If topping with lemon zest, do so right before serving. There may be leftover frosting depending how much you use on each cupcake.

Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/04/11/homemade-lemon-cupcakes-with-vanilla-frosting/

Lemon Bars

It should be a crime for anyone in their right mind to say no to a lemon bar. Anything that has lemon is automatically delicious. Lemonade, strawberry lemonade, lemon meringue pie, lemon butter cookies, lemon sorbet, you name it! Other than being delicious, lemons are a huge source of vitamin C and help your body fight sicknesses. I know this because along side orange juice, lemon juice gets me back on my feet after a bad cold. Of course, eating a delicious lemon bar also provides you those benefits, right? (I wish). 

This recipe combines a deliciously buttery crust with a rich lemon filling. It is extremely easy to make and I assure you it'll be hard for you to stop eating them once you've started. 

Lemon Bars

This recipe makes approximately 12-15 small lemon bars.

Baking Time: About 25 minutes in total at 350F

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)

Mix all the ingredients together. Then, add to a greased pan and bake for about 10 minutes. Don't let it bake too much. Remove from the oven and add the lemon filling.

For the Filling:

• 2 eggs
• ¾ granulated sugar
• 1 ½ tbsps flour
• ½ tsp lemon peel
• 1/3 cups lemon juice
• 1 tbsp milk 

Mix all the ingredients together. Add to the baked crust and bake for 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clear when it is inserted. Add sifted powdered sugar when the lemon bars are cool. Enjoy!

Chilenas de Dulce De Leche (Alfajores)

The combination of a semi-salty cookie that dissolves in your mouth at every bite with the decadent sweetness of a dulce de leche filling make this cookie a piece of heaven on earth. Surprisingly, chilenas are so easy to make and have a great impact on anyone who tries them. It has become a ritual for my mom and I to enjoy a cup of fresh, warm coffee with a chilena on the side at our favorite cafe shop as a pick-me-up on busy Saturday mornings or leisurely afternoons. When my best friend pulled out this recipe from a pile of stored papers, we could not resist the urge to make them and we were certainly not disappointed. Now to be able to enjoy them in the coziness of our homes and to be proud of the work that we did is a thousand times better than that same old cafe shop. 



Chilenas de Dulce de Leche (Alfajores)
This recipe makes approximately 20 sandwich cookies
Baking Time: About 15-17 min. at 325F
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 bars of butter (unsalted is best)
• 6-8 tablespoons of powdered sugar, plus more for powdering

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together in an electric mixer, adding the butter first and then the dry ingredients.
2. Divide the dough and roll it out so that it is not so skinny. (Do not touch the dough too much because the butter makes it delicate to heat and will make it harder to work with).
3. Cut out even circles and lay them on a greased baking sheet.
4. Bake for about 15-17 minutes at 325F. (Take them out when they are starting to appear golden).
5. Once they are cool, add the dulce de leche filling (Be careful! They break easily). This can be substituted for any kind of fruit jam or even nutella! Sprinkle sifted powdered sugar on top. 
6. Enjoy with a nice cup of coffee (Honestly, nothing better than this. It's heaven.)

Braids for the Summer

Summertime-a time where the days are old and the nights are young (literally, the sun sets at about 9 PM). From the classic side braid, to the braid Lauren Conrad wore during almost every episode of The Hills, I've always thought of braids as a MUST for summer days. Braids make me feel fresh, girly, and somehow pulled together.

 The Beauty Department blog by Lauren Conrad: Rope Braid Chignon

Teen Vogue: Celebrities are going bananas for braids!

*Personal favorites: Anna Sophia Robb and Claire Julien's**











Cupcakes and Cashmere: Fishtail Braid
**Click image for video tutorial!**

Cupcakes and Cashmere: Braided Bun

Classic French Braid made by my lovely mommy 

Grayves (Deditos de Reina, Arab Cookies)

My Arab heritage goes back to the peculiarly romantic story of how my paternal grandparents met. Ironically, both of my grandparents were born in Palestine. However, destiny brought them all around the world to the small city of San Pedro Sula, Honduras where they met at a club night out. Falling in love at first sight, my grandparents were happily married and created a huge family of six children. I did not have the honor of meeting either of my grandparents since they both passed away before I even came into this world, but the stories I've heard of them make it seem like I have already met them. My grandfather, I've been told, was such a hard-working, wise, and extremely handsome guy. My grandmother was a loving, caring, beautiful woman with an exquisite skill for cooking. She would open up her house to anyone who was willing to stuff themselves up with hummus, backlava, sambouseks, etc. As a legacy my grandmother left behind for me, this recipe is only a small part of it.

Ever since I can remember, my aunt spoils me with these cookies whenever we travel to San Pedro Sula to visit her. These cookies literally dissolve in your mouth at every bite and make you keep eating one after another. They are extremely easy to make and literally have about five ingredients in total. These are one of my favorite cookies in the world and I honestly thank my grandmother in heaven for letting me continue her work. 

Grayves

This recipe makes approximately 100 finger cookies

Baking Time: About 15 min. at 300F

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of powdered sugar, plus more for powdering
• 1 bar of margarine, melted
• 1 cup of Crisco vegetable shortening
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 oz whiskey (optional)

Directions:

1. In an electric mixer bowl, add the powdered sugar and start blending in the Crisco butter with it.
2. Slowly, add the melted margarine, but ONLY THE YELLOW LIQUID, NOT THE MARGARINE'S WHEY
3. Keep mixing and slowly add the flour in. Then add the vanilla extract and the optional whiskey
4. Next knead the dough with your hands, being careful not to touch it too much because the butter makes the dough delicate to heat
5. Roll the dough up and cut the desired lengths of the finger cookies
6. Bake at 300 degrees farenheit for about 15 minutes. Do not let them get too brown because they will be harder than they should be. 
7. Lastly, let cool and add sifted powdered sugar on top.
8. Enjoy with a nice cup of coffee, milk, or tea.

Miami Bound

As the final cherry topping for my fifteenth birthday, my best friends and I had the opportunity to travel to Miami together. The sole reason? A Justin Bieber concert, of course. In the end, that was just a bonus because the experience of the trip alone was unforgettable from beginning to end. We were 14 women travelling in total, 8 girls, 6 moms (yes, no men). Any fear of buying the same shirt or even fighting over a pair of high heels was completely forgotten once we arrived to the mall on our first day. Surprisingly, all of us had completely different tastes when it came down to shopping. It was like a dream come true and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Just like that, another check off my bucket list.

 Miami bound.

 P.F. Chang's Thai Lettuce Wraps as an appetizer on our first night in Miami.**

 P.F. Chang's Banana Spring Rolls, Red Velvet cake, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch cake for dessert on our first night in Miami.**

 Refueling in the middle of our shopping spree. Godiva White Chocolate Covered Strawberry at Dadeland Mall. **

 American Airlines Arena, home of the Miami Heat.

Believe Tour, January 26th, 2012

 The Cheesecake Factory's White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cheesecake for dessert on our final night in Miami.**

*** These are just a few meals that are now part of my needs when I visit Miami, simply irresistible.***

A Weakness for Baking

Strangely, for a fifteen year old, I love to eat healthy and  I definitely get stared at when I choose to eat yogurt instead of a fattening bag of chips. However, I have a huge weakness for any type of dessert. Whether it is a classic chocolate chip cookie or a lemon meringue pie, put it near me and I can assure you it will be gone. Whenever my friends and I get together, there is a 95% chance we will be baking something. Baking actually helps me relieve stress, forget about the world for a second, lets me be spontaneous, and of course has a delicious finale. Since summer begun, I have so much time to spare and I've been in the kitchen very, very frequently. Maybe too frequently.

 Vanilla Caramel Flan

 Chocolate Eclairs

 Chilenas de Dulce De Leche aka Alfajores

 Chocolate Chip Brownies

 Lemon Bars

Pineapple Bars, recipe made up by me

*** All of the desserts above have been made completely from scratch in the course of the last two weeks. Diabetes is certainly not an option, though ***

From the Upper East Side to the Magic Kingdom

About a year ago, I had the most unbelievable summer. As a gift for mi fifteenth birthday, I chose to travel to the home of the one and only Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl, of course, New York City. After spending a week in NYC, we were gonna spend a second week in Orlando, Florida pretty much to say goodbye to the little girl in me.
We hopped on the plane to NYC and had one of the most exhausting trip ever. We lost our plane for being stuck in a depressing room in the Miami airport, causing us to arrive around 2 AM to The Big Apple. However, I had no interests in sleeping that night because my amazing friends informed me that Justin Bieber was gonna be giving a secret concert the next day. Long story short, I found myself sitting in the presence of Justin freaking Bieber in the famous Apollo Theater with my brother beside me (although he was pressuring me to take pictures while I was crying my heart out). The next morning, my dad bought the New York Times and found a picture of me with the Justin Bieber cut-out in the Macy's Herald Square store and titled "Bieber Fever Comes to Macy's". And just like that, two checks off my bucket list.

The Empire State Building

Parsons, The New School For Design

M&M World, pure happiness

Baked by Melissa mini cupcakes

http://www.bakedbymelissa.com/checkout/index.aspx

 The Madison Square Garden

 The beautiful Central Park

 Magic Kingdom

 Islands Of Adventure, The Hogwarts Castle

A Fifteen Year Old Dreamer

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away-Honduras, that is-I was born. Fifteen years ago, I was born into a wonderful family composed of the two most loving parents in the world, as well as the two most handsome older brothers anyone could have.  My mother is flawless in every way and I strive to be like her when I grow up (although some people say I already am). My father is the most hard-working man and tends to spoil me like crazy. My oldest brother is super protective yet loving at the same time. My other brother is an ambitionist over achiever. To this day, I can define my life in one single word-blessed.
To define myself is a whole other story. Firstly, I have a huge OCD issue. I am a perfectionist. I am an ambitionist and an over achiever (just like my brother). I am extremely disciplined and responsible (literally my friends' "mom"). On the bright side; however, I'm not the grandmother I seem to have described myself as. In fact, I have so many random laugh attacks and I can literally laugh at something that isn't funny at all. I also enjoy helping others, giving advices, and I try my best to look at the bright side of things. I'd say I'm also pretty good at cooking, getting good grades, dancing ballet, and playing the piano. And last but certainly not least, I love God with all my heart. 

I chose to start this blog as a reminder to any fifteen year old girl out there that there is more to life than worrying about what your hair will look like if two rain drops fall on it. Also, that there's more to life than that jerk who broke your heart. This blog will be like my own personal getaway and my hope is that it will be one to anyone who reads it too. 

Psalm 139:13-18
13 For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.