Cherry Shortbread Cookies

New recipe!

First time seeing this recipe and just had to give it a go. The recipe can be found at Sweetopia along with a "how to" in making and decorating these yummy cookies. I followed Marian's recipe with one minor change - I added almost a full tablespoon of pure almond extract to bump up the cherry flavor. Next time I make these cookies I will be even more generous with the almond extract. These cookies are light pink with little specks of cherries throughout and are delicate and melt-in-your-mouth-delicious!

Check out Marian's blog and recipe here.

Wilton's Giant Cupcake Pan

Wilton Giant Cupcake Pan

I found this pan for $20 at Home Sense - it is $50 at Michaels.

I decided to grab it and try it out before my grandson's birthday. I read a lot of comments on the Wilton forums before I gave it a try. The pan comes with a recipe for chocolate pound cake but from what I read, it seemed that it wasn't a good idea. Most of the comments said that modifying a cake mix was the best way to go. 

I used Betty Crocker cake mix but instead of oil, I used butter. Where the box called for water, I used milk and where it called for 3 eggs, I used 4. The pan is uneven - the bottom holding more than the top - which can cause the problem of one side being cooked and the other side not being cooked through. What I did was measure 2 & 1/2 cups of batter for the top side of the cupcake - on the empty side, I put water  and baked for 35 min or until done. *You must grease the pan well - I used Wilton Cake Release* After the top was done, I cooled it on a rack and cleaned the pan, coated the other side (bottom of giant cupcake) with cake release and added the rest of the batter...again, I put water in the empty side. Baked until cooked - toothpick test comes out clean. Cool on rack.

I had a bit of a "hump" on both cakes so I trimmed the humps off. I stuck the two sides together with icing and then decorated the cupcake as a whole. My first try was a Cherry Chip cake mix which I altered as mentioned above - but I also added some almond extract and chopped up maraschino cherries. The frosting was buttercream with juice from the cherries, almond flavoring, pink gel food coloring and some cherries pureed. 

I was moderately pleased with how the giant cupcake turned out but everyone was thrilled with how it tasted!
I continued to read more info about the best way to bake and decorate this big baby and came across a tip on how to decorate the bottom of the cupcake. Use the pan as a mold - melt candy melts or chocolate and pour into the bottom of the cake pan (the bottom of the cupcake) and coat the inside, chill and unmold. I tried this for my grandson's birthday cake and this is how it turned out....

Very Cherry Pound Cake

Very Cherry Pound Cake

2 cups flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter

1 package of cream cheese (8 ounces)

1 1/2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp (or more) of almond extract

1 jar of maraschino cherries, drained and halved (I use more because we like lots and lots of cherries)

1/4 cup flour for dredging cherries

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease and flour tube pan.

Mix flour, baking powder & salt - set aside.

Cream together the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time then add extract. Beat in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Dredge cherries in 1/4 cup of flour, then fold into batter and spread into pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 10 min. and turn onto a wire rack and cool completely.

I make a glaze with some of the cherry juice, almond extract and powdered sugar and drizzle on the cake while still slightly warm.