Earl Grey (wait for it...)

Cupcakes.

That's right, cupcakes. They're glorious creations that just so happened to grace my palette recently. And I actually had a reason to make them! Other than, ya know, baking just to bake. My roommate, Jamie, had been in Italy for 3 weeks, so I decided to welcome her back to the States with these morsels of deliciousness. Plus, she decided to start the Paleo diet once she got back, so I thought I'd make her one last baked good before her diet adventure began. Because I'm evil nice.

Also, this is the first time I had a guest to accompany me on my baking adventure! My friend, Bobbi, graduated from grad school (she's a bad ass like that) and got back home to Montana just in time to help! And by help, I mean she supervised. And by she supervised, I mean she took pictures and taste tested everything. EVERYTHING. Which I appreciate because she helped make the lemon frosting taste amazing.

And because she took SO MANY pictures, this post is going to be a little different from my previous ones. I'm going to post the recipes for the cupcakes and frosting right away and then post our cupcake picture saga.

(Brace yourselves. The pictures are coming).

Earl Grey Cupcake Recipe
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup loose Earl Grey tea

Lemon Buttercream Recipe
- 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- pinch of salt

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2) Line a muffin tin with paper liners. The cuter, the better. It makes them look extra fancy.
3) In a bowl, add the loose tea to the melted butter. Let the tea steep in the butter for at least 5 minutes. (I'd probably let the tea steep much longer the next time I make these. It'd really amp up the tea flavor in the end product)!
4) While the tea is steeping, put the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice in a bowl. Whisk it together!
5) Then add the remaining ingredients to your flour mixture, including the beautiful tea-infused butter*. Mix it together until just combined.
             *Side note: You can strain the tea leaves out of your butter if you really want to. I went ahead and left mine in. They didn't add a weird texture to the cupcakes at all and made them really pretty to look at. It was almost like poppy seeds! But better.
6) Divide the batter among the liners and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. The tops should spring back when you poke them. (Gently, mind you. Don't want to put a hole in them).
7) Take the cupcakes out of the oven and let them cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

While those are cooling, you can whip up some delicious frosting!

1) Add the butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt to a bowl and mix until combined.
2) Add the vanilla and lemon zest and beat the frosting until it's creamy.
3) Add the milk and lemon juice* and keep beating until it's nice and fluffy.
                *Side note: Add as little or as much lemon juice as you want. It all depends on how lemony you want the frosting to taste! Bobbi loves lemons (YEAH, LEMONS), so we just kept adding more and more. But, be aware that you'll have to add more sugar as well! Otherwise, the frosting becomes a goopy mess and, while yummy, it's not the best thing to put on top of these cupcakes.

Then all you have to do is frost those cupcakes like there's no tomorrow! Make sure they're cool enough, though. You don't want your frosting to melt off. Or maybe you do! I probably don't know you. I don't know your intentions with these cupcakes. (They better be honorable, though)!

And there you have it! Super wonderful tea in cupcake form. Life doesn't get much better.

Except it does! Because pictures.

And here...we...go...

Please note the mustache tattoo.
It still tickles me pink every time I see it.
...Shut up. I'm punny.

IT SMELLS SO GOOD. Oh, lord.

This is my "Um, rude. I'm trying to steep this tea in peace," face.

Look at me.
Pretending to be a baker or something with that towel on my shoulder.

Bobbi wanted to be artistic.
I think it worked.

She's kind of ridiculous. And I love her.

Probably the prettiest picture of me.
EVER.

I should probably be on the Price is Right.

It looked really gross!
But, oh man, it tasted so good.

Million dollar action shot here!

I told you she taste tested everything.

Rise, my minions! RIIIIIIIIISE.

She caught me red handed.
Doing what? I dunno. Baking or something?

Insert something witty here.

Frosting is the best.

Look at those cupcakes!
And also our faces.
But mostly the cupcakes.

Hey, look! Bobbi helped make the frosting!
Proud of her.

And then this happened.
Goodbye, lemon. We barely knew ye.

MMM, MMM, GOOD.

Back to tasting everything.
Side note: Hot damn, I've got a nice ass!

Staring contest with the cupcakes.
I lost.

"Well, it looks good..."

"Ehr mehr gerd, Bobbi. It's the best."

I obviously had to shove the rest of it into my mouth just to make sure, though.

It's frosting time!

And here we find the baker in her natural element.
Side note: I love this picture, hence all the filters.
You're welcome.

I look slightly crazy.
I probably am.
Shh, don't tell anyone.

THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS, GUYS.

Bobbi says this is what my friends look like from my perspective.
#AllMyFriendsAreShort

Just keep frosting ... just keep frosting ... 

I wish smell-o-vision was a thing.
You need to smell this for yourself!

Gotta line those bad boys up all nice and purty.

This was my David Tennant cupcake.

Behold his beautifully coiffed frosting hair!

Behold a super awkward way to hold him!

My "I see what you did there" face.

What'd you say about my mama?!?!

Paparazzi can get really annoying.
And I apparently threaten people with butter knives.
Who knew?!

The cupcakes were still a little warm. (Because I'm impatient).
But! The slightly melted frosting made an adorable hat.

YEAH, CUPCAKES, YEAH.

An almost normal picture!

Just kidding. Normal pictures aren't a thing.

The end?!

DUN DUN DUN.

...

Yeah, I won't add all of the pictures that she took. I think this is about a third of them? She was camera happy. And I love her for it! You got some gems, Bobbi, you got some gems. 

(You're the best and thanks so much for all of your help)!

Anyway, if you made it through this post, thanks! And if you didn't and skipped to the end, thanks too! Also, if you love Earl Grey tea, you should definitely give these cupcakes a try. They're easy and oh so nommy. If you make these yourself, or have enjoyed what you've read, or have ideas for a future blog post, please leave a comment below! They're very welcome and very much appreciated!

And, as always, bake on with your bad selves!

- Jackie

PS,

I used a lot of ifs at the end of this post. 

I must be 

....

An iffy person.  

SHUT UP, YOU LAUGHED. 

Cheesecake for Mum!

My mom and I are super close. She's really one of my best friends, so I thought I'd dedicate a blog post to her! I meant to get this up before Mother's Day, but life happened, as it were. The family ended up taking a weekend trip down to see Walk the Moon in Las Vegas! We probably spent more time on the road than actually in Vegas, but it was still fun! We bonded over NPR. It was great.

Kevin's pants are glorious. I want a pair of my own.

Anyway! Since my family and I were on the road on Sunday, we decided to celebrate Mother's Day a few days early. Mom's dessert request was cheesecake! And I'm so happy it was. It's one of my favorite things to bake (even when it doesn't turn out quite right ... like this time ... more on that later) and it's just so delicious! You can make so many different flavor combinations. And you can add so many yummy toppings. And just. Mmm. So. Good.

Thanks, James Franco.

(I really do love cheesecake. Anytime there's a Cheesecake Factory close by during my travels, I have to go. Specifically for the cheesecake. And the bread. But, more importantly, the cheesecake. I'm drooling just thinking about it. I think I may have a problem).

Instead of making the usual spring form pan cheesecake (because, ya know, all that cutting is so messy), I opted for individual 8oz (adorable) mason jar cheesecakes. I've made them once in the past ... I'm not quite sure how many years ago it was, but they turned out really well the first time, so I figured I'd give them another go!

(Ohoho, I was so naive before I baked these...)

Baking selfies are must now. Also, tattoo!!

Now, as much as I love cheesecake, I don't have a usual go-to recipe for it.

(I know, I know. I'm working on getting organized with things like that).

I usually search the internet for a recipe to try out, but the current issue of Food Network Magazine (aka my bible) just so happened to have a basic cheesecake recipe! (Pretty sure that's why mom chose cheesecake, to be honest. Like mother, like daughter, am I right)? So, with magazine and mason jars in hand, I got to work.

Cheesecake Recipe (please don't sue me, Food Network)!
Ingredients:

Crust - 14 whole graham crackers
             2 tbsp sugar
             5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake - 3 (8oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature
                       1 cup sugar
                       3 large eggs
                       2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
                       1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

My true colors are shining through again because I didn't really plan out the process for this, nor did I really consult any mason jar cheesecake recipes this time around. I decided to wing it and see what happened.

Was that the best way to do it? Ha. Probably not. But I'm a rebel. And I do what I want.

Every moment has a perfect Loki gif.

I'll try to explain my process. We'll see how this goes.

(If I can explain how to make Captain America shield cookies, this should be a piece of cake. CHEESEcake. Ahem).

First things first: Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Make sure you have some mason jars! Other ramekins would probably work, but mason jars are clear and allow you to see the layers of yummy food. And really, that's what you want. Because of reasons.

Am I making myself clear? No? Okay. Good.

Make sure you wash them before you use them. Mine were brand new and right out of the package, but I washed them anyway to make sure they were squeaky clean. Now onto the actual food!

You're going to start off making the graham cracker crust. Using either a food processor or the old tried and true "Ziplock bag and rolling pin" method, crush your graham crackers into crumbs. Or you could buy the already packaged graham cracker crumbs they sell at the grocery store. Whatever floats your boat!

Graham crackers awaiting their crumby death.

I used my roommate's "bullet" food processor to grind my crackers into smithereens. It only held about 4 crackers at a time, so I had to do this in stages. Grind and pour. Grind and pour. Grind and pour. It's okay if not all of your ground up cracker crumbs are the same size. Because I said so. And I've always liked getting a bigger chunk of cracker in my crust every now and then. Gives it a little extra crunch. Maybe I'm weird. I dunno.

Mmm. Sugar.

Once all of your crackers pulverized, add some sugar and melted butter and then mix it up! Try not to tuck in and eat all your crust, though. I know it's hard to resist that temptation, it smells so enticing, but it'll be for the best.

(I won't tell if you eat a little spoonful of it, though. We'll let it slide this time).

OMNOMNOM.

Line your mason jars up and start filling them with your crust mixture. With 12 mason jars, I used roughly 2 tablespoons of mix in each. Depending on the size and quantity you're using, though, you'll have to adjust accordingly. Once all of your mixture is divided, you'll need to pack it down. Being the resourceful person that I am, I opted for the handle of our ice cream scoop to get the job done. It worked really well, but anything that's flat (and fits inside your jar) should work!

HULK SMASH.

Most cheesecake recipes have you brown your crust before filling it with the cream cheese mixture, but I opted not to this time. Why? I dunno. I just wasn't feeling it.

How purty.

Grab your stand mixer and put cream cheese and sugar into the bowl. Mix until smooth and creamy.

I'm so artistic cheesy.

(That's a common theme in baking. We bakers are smooth operators. ;-D)

Next, add your eggs one at a time, combining in between each.

Free range and delicious.

Side note: I'm highlighting this beautiful egg because it's from my mom's very own brood of turkens. They're so much better than store bought. Thanks, mama! (Turkens are a real thing. Look 'em up)!

They invaded my sister's graduation photo shoot.

It'll start to turn such a lovely shade of pastel yellow.

I'd paint my walls this color if I had the chance.

Next, add your fresh lemon juice and vanilla and combine again. It smells so good! And you'll be really tempted to eat the batter. Or maybe that's just me. I'm all about the taste testing. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of your bowl during the mixing process. You don't want any of that cream cheese to stick to the inside of it and miss out on being cheesecake.

Then you'll need to divide your cream cheese mixture into your mason jars. I got roughly 2 1/2 tablespoons in each jar. Don't let any of it go to waste, though! Keep dividing 'til you run out!

Once all of your mason jars are filled, tap each of them gently on your counter. This'll help eliminate any air bubbles that are stuck in the mixture. And it'll even everything out. I love looking at the layers. Who knew layers could look scrumptious?  

I'm pretty sure they're saying, "Eat me."

Place your mason jars in a roasting pan, fill the pan with a short layer of water, and stick them in the oven. Bake them for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door a little and let them sit in there for another 30 minutes.

You'll want the cheesecakes to be just set - they'll still have a slight jiggle to them. Then remove them from the oven and keep them on the counter to cool a little bit longer.

To get them to set completely, put them in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight.

Or eat one right away. Because you worked hard. You deserve to have one.

Thanks, Donna.

Now, typically, a water bath within your oven will help keep your cheesecake from cracking. However, the baking gods didn't appreciate this gesture. My poor little cheesecakes cracked like no other.

I guess I didn't sacrifice enough chocolate sheep for this baking adventure to work completely in my favor.

Ah well. You win some, you lose some.

I edited this for dramatic effect.

(I like how nonchalant I sound about it now. I was really grumpy about it when it happened. It was slightly amusing).

I was super grumpy. Can you tell?

And there you have it! Cute little mason jar cheesecakes. You could top them with fresh strawberries or chocolate sauce or mixed berry jam or sprinkles or caramel or whipped cream or ... well, I think you get the picture. Mom wanted a blueberry sauce for hers, so I made one from scratch.

(With the help of Food Network Magazine again).
Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients - 3 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
                      1 cup water
                      1/2 cup maple syrup
                      1/4 cup sugar
                      1 tsp vanilla
                      Juice of 1 lemon

It was super simple to make. Just put all of the ingredients in a pot, bring it to a boil, and then let it simmer until it thickens. I left the blueberry chunks in the sauce. It gave the finished product a nice mix of textures - it wasn't completely creamy for every single bite.

Cracks? What cracks?

Mom really loved her cheesecake! And really, it was the least that I could do for her. She's the most loving and caring person I know. She gives and gives and gives before she even thinks about doing anything for herself. I love her more than I can put down in words and I appreciate her so, so much! I don't know who I'd be or what I'd do without her. I love you, mama!

All the love are belong to Mom.

Make sure you make this cheesecake for someone you love! Mom. Dad. Brother. Sister. Grandma. Grandpa. Best friend. Really, anybody who's important to you. They'll really appreciate it. =)

Thanks so much for reading! Leave any comments/questions/suggestions down below! If you give this recipe a go, let me know if you were successful in making them crack-free!

(Ha! That sounds horrible),

And as always, bake on with your bad selves!

- Jackie