Dessert Questing

Since getting married, I have spent an embarrassing number of afternoons reading cookbooks and baking blogs, and I get excited over finding recipes for treats I love to eat that I never thought to make on my own. I've come a long way since even a year ago in my kitchen confidence and no longer settle with baking a box mix cake or cooking Kraft macaroni and cheese. Oh please, who am I kidding... I still have that mac and cheese on stand-by for particularly taxing days (and, whatever, even on days when I'm a-okay) and I juuuuust made a batch of Funfetti cupcakes with *GASP* Pillsbury frosting (and they're AWESOME).


Annnywaaay... I have four "dessert quests" (as I will refer to them) on which I will begin to embark as of Thursday afternoon. They are as follows:

• Vanilla Cupcakes (wait for it...........) filled with Chocolate Cream! This will be my first attempt at a "stuffed cupcake"--and it shouldn't be too hard. Right? This is my Thursday project... I will be coloring the frosting in Irish-like colors (see flag) as an added bonus. Blammo!
• Molten Chocolate Cake! I've made this cake before using a lazier recipe, and the results, though tasty, were sort of lazy as well (i.e. not what I had hoped for?).  
• Cannoli! Yes! I will make this fantastic dessert so that I don't have to pay $4 for one in Little Italy next time I find myself in Manhattan. I'ma go to Ferrara and sit at one of their fancy tables and pull one of my homemade cannol's (that's how they say it in Italy, duh) and my home-brewed cup of coffee that was in an open thermos (oops) out of my purse and the waitress is gonna be all like "you can't have outside food here, ma'am, and it appears your purse is leaking coffee" and I'll be like, "Yo, fuggedaboudit" and soon find myself sitting on the curb next to a thieving, ravenous pigeon. Moving on..
• Donuts! Of the baked variety! I was hoping to find a non-fried version, especially since frying is needed for cannoli shells, and here she is!! When perfected I believe I can make many small group members, co-workers, house guests, and my husband's desire for sweet foods very happy with this.
  

From a previous, not as ambitious "dessert quest"--strawberry shortbread cupcakes!

I'm so looking forward to the results of my dessert quests--provided my dear sweet oven doesn't give me too many issues. We've had a love (or rather--agreeable)/hate relationship going on for a while now. I'll let you in on my harsh critique of the process later this week! Until then...

"Cookies are made of butter and love."  -Norwegian Proverb (Well said, Norwegians!)

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