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gone are the days where the bride and groom share a slice of a 3, 4, or 5 tier wedding cake. nowadays some people are opting for a more simple cake solution, yet they still want the elegance that a large tiered cake offers. enter on stage the simple yet elegant cupcake., versatile cupcakes are standing along side and, in some cases, replacing larger cakes these days. below are some helpful hints if you want to use cupcakes for the main cake at your wedding., tip #1 : arrangement, how you arrange your cupcakes is as important if not more important than the taste. everyone wants a breathtaking wedding cake at their reception so arranging your cupcakes to give this appearance is very necessary., my personal favorite way of arranging my cupcakes is to stack 4 or 5 boxes on top of each other to form a tree of sorts. i choose boxes that are approximately 4 to 5 inches high. i like 24 inch square boxes then 18 inches square then 12 inches then 6 inches square. this gives me a cupcake ledge of 3 inches when the boxes are stacked., decorate your boxes as you wish. beautiful paper wrapped around the boxes then a ribbon all the way around is a great decorating combination ., your wedding cake cupcakes can then be placed on the ledges and on top of the boxes for a beautiful arrangement for your wedding., arrangement idea for your wedding cupcakes is to place cupcakes underneath raised cake platters. larger cakes or more cupcakes can be placed on top of the platters., how your cupcakes taste and even how many different flavors you offer are both very important to the overall success of your wedding cupcakes. i think 1 of the best reasons to have wedding cupcakes instead of a large wedding cake would be that you can have many different kinds of cakes. not everyone prefers the same type of cake and frosting so having 2 or 3 different types of cake flavors would be ideal., three of my favorite flavors are vanilla , chocolate, and lemon cupcakes. these are a great combination for any special occasion that you may choose to serve cupcakes. you can either serve all of the different flavors in the same cups with the same decoration or you can use different cups and/or different decorations for each cake flavor you choose., skimp on the ingredients for your wedding cupcakes. fresh cupcakes made from your favorite cupcake recipes are always the best choice. boxed cake mixes just won tsp cut i for special occasion cupcakes. the same goes for frosting. make your frosting instead of buying it prepackaged from a grocery store. if you don tsp feel confident making your own, you could always buy some freshly made frosting from a local bakery., presentation is everything when dealing with weddings. you should make sure your cupcakes are just the right size so they are absolutely gorgeous when presented. the entire purpose of serving cupcakes at a wedding is to give your guests a small taste of a wonderful dessert. small is the key word here. you don tsp want cupcakes that are larger than an actual teacup. if they are, then they should be called mini cakes and not cupcakes., also, it would cost you a fortune to bake mini cakes for each of your guests. the right size cupcake will offer just the right amount of cake for each person attending and will also likely save you money., be careful not to err on the side of your cupcakes being too small. if your cupcakes are too small, you may run out of cupcakes before you guests sweet teeth are satisfied. you also run the risk of having too much frosting on a small cupcake which could ruin the overall taste of your wedding cupcakes., i ve found that the perfect size cupcakes are baked in 1/2 cup wells that i fill approximately 1/2 to 2/3 full of cupcake batter. make sure you carefully measure the cupcake batter each time you fill a well. this will make sure that your cupcakes come out of the oven all the same size., i hope that these tips will help you produce the most beautiful wedding cupcakes that anyone has ever seen! good luck

self-rising flour (like martha white), vegetable oil (or other oil), milk or 1 cup butter, baking soda (if buttermilk is used), self-rising flour , for surface

worcestershire sauce, italian salad dressing (i use kraft zesty italian), garlic powder, pepper, barbecue sauce (i use kraft original), sirloin tip steaks

tri-tip roast (trimmed is great , but some like un-trimmed cause the fat adds flavor. that might be true, you decide), soy sauce, straight bourbon whiskey, of your choice (i use jim beam ), beer (i like to use new castle), el yucateco chile habanero sauce, yellow mustard, minced garlic clove, fresh ground pepper, fresh ground sea salt

flour, salt, pepper, paprika, boneless top sirloin roast, cut into 1 inch cubes (i usually use stew meat that you can buy already cut up in the store), vegetable oil, onions, chopped, beef bouillon cube (i like to use 2, for more flavor ), boiling water, hot cooked rice

stew meat, dry onion soup mix , could use more, carbonated lemon-lime beverage, cream of mushroom soup, mushrooms, red wine

use these tips to create , bake and store your perfect cheesecake, bring all ingredients to room temperature before mixing. this usually takes 30 minutes., soften cream cheese in the microwave : place unwrapped 8 oz cheese in a microwaveable bowl and microwave on high for 15 seconds. add 15 seconds for each additional bar of cheese., mix filling only until combined. don tsp over-mix ., use a springform pan so that the sides can be removed ., butter sides or use a metal spatula around the edges immediately after removing the cheese cake from the oven., place springform pan on a shallow pan , like a pizza pan , or cover bottom and up 1 inch around the sides with aluminum foil to avoid leaks in the oven., place a shallow pan of water in rack below cheesecake to keep oven moist., open oven door while baking ., a perfectly baked cheesecake will be puffed around the edges. when shaken , about an inch in diameter in the center should jiggle., cool slowly (about an hour) on a wire rack, away from any drafts., store in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for up to four days ., bottom of the pan can be removed from the cheesecake once the cake has firmed in the refrigerator. use two spatulas to move cake to serving platter., garnishing a cheesecake should only be done within 1 to 3 hours of serving., cheesecakes taste best when brought to room temperature. this takes about 30 minutes., securely wrap an already firm (about 4 hours in the refrigerator) cheesecake to be put in the freezer. cheesecakes can be kept for up to 2 months in the freezer., thaw frozen cheesecake overnight in the refrigerator .

i have found for cooking heavy whipping cream is best. cook slow and temper (this is when u add some of the hot liquid to the cream to bring it up to temp.) before putting in a hot liquid. if it is cooked to long and too hot it will break up or separate. i also know it can dry up, but just follow these rules and it should be okay. cream picks up flavors pretty quick. i would thin 15 or 30 mins. is long enough to let the cream sit with ingredients, althought when i was making souffles and other desserts the cream was not a factor unless i beat it too long (it would dis-solve to nothing), didnt have a clean, cold bowl or cream was warm., cream, half & is at least 10.5% butterfat (milkfat), light cream is between 18 and 30% butterfat, light whipping cream is between 30 and 36% butterfat, heavy whipping cream is between 36 and 40% butterfat., colder cream is to start, and the colder it stays as you whip it, the easier and better it whips., if it is not cold enough , it doesn tsp whip , it churns (no air is incorporated) which makes butter., when whipping cream , add the sugar when the cream is mostly whipped, and the cream will whip to a higher volume. adding the sugar at., prevent cream from curdling when adding to coffee, use fresh cream. as cream ages, its lactic acid content increases. acid can curdle cream. the acid in coffee, along with coffee s heat, favor curdling of cream., here are some facts and tips on using cream or milk in hot dishes., lower the butterfat (milkfat) content, the more likely cream is to separate., half & is at least 10.5% butterfat (milkfat), light cream is between 18% and 30% butterfat, light whipping cream is 30% to 36% butterfat, heavy cream (heavy whipping cream) is 36% to 40% butterfat, hotter the liquid , the more likely cream is to curdle (separate). cream should never be added to a boiling liquid., when adding cream or milk, it is best to heat it up a bit before adding it to another hot liquid. it is partly the difference in temperature that causes milk or cream to curdle. the beginning results is lower volume., freezing cream : freeze only heavy cream containing 40% or more butterfat. heat to 170 to 180of for 15 minutes. for storage longer than 2 months, add 1/3 cup sugar per quart of cream. cool quickly. place in moisture-vapor resistant containers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace., cream whipped after freezing and thawing does not become as stiff as never-frozen cream. individual whipped cream garnishes can be satisfactorily frozen by whipping cream before freezing. place dollops of whipped cream on baking sheet and freeze. once solidly frozen, remove dollops and store in the freezer in freezer containers.

fruitcakes get an awful lot of bad press , especially the mass produced varieties, but a rich homemade version can be incredibly delicious., fruitcake is a mixture of fruits and nuts with just enough batter to hold them together. when wrapped in cloth and foil, saturated with alcoholic liquors regularly, and kept in in tightly closed tins, a fruitcake may be kept for months or even years, have it your way ..., if there are certain fruits you don tsp like , you can always include more of another, or some of your own favorites. dried fruits cooked in juice can take the place of candied fruits, and seeds can replace nuts. to convert a favorite dark fruitcake recipe to a light fruitcake, leave out the dark spices, use light colored fruits (golden raisins, dried apricots, etc.), and replace dark corn syrup or molasses with light corn syrup

make sure the shortening and baking powder or baking soda are fresh., measure the ingredients carefully to ensure your biscuits will rise well and be light and fluffy., cut the shortening into the flour using a pastry blender , two table knives, or a wire whisk until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. thoroughly blending the shortening and dry ingredients produces flaky biscuits, make biscuits the same thickness , roll the dough between 2 dowel rods or sticks, 1/2 inch thick and 14 inches long., push the biscuit cutter , dipped in flour, straight down into the dough for even-sized biscuits. cut biscuits as close together as possible., if you don tsp have a biscuit cutter , use a sharp knife or use cookie cutters for fun shapes

beef tip roast, garlic, i use the jarred, diced, divided, garlic juice , from jar, onion, sliced into thin rings, salt and pepper, all over the top

sirloin , tri tip cut into 4 oz portions (or use your favorite steak), salt, pepper, granulated garlic, canola oil, mixed salad greens (frisee, radicchio, spinach, arugala), couscous, coconut milk, mint leaves (finely chopped ), kaffir lime leaves (fine julienne, stems discarded or 1 oz. fresh lime juice), bell peppers (red and green, fine diced ), red onions (fine diced ), olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, parmesan cheese (shredded )

tri-tip roast, vegetable oil (i use canola), honey, worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, tenderizing beef marinade, salt, ground pepper, garlic powder, crushed rosemary

spinach (or head of red tipped leaf lettuce), orange , juice of, salad oil, tarragon vinegar, salt (i omit this ), sugar or 1 tbsp substitute, dry mustard, celery salt (i just use this salt), toasted sesame seeds, chilled mandarin oranges

cake mix tips, cake mix yields 4 to 6 cups of batter., use a mix with pudding included if you re using a recipe that calls for instant pudding as an ingredient - the pudding-included cakes will turn out heavier and wetter., use regular salted butter to balance the high sugar content of cake mixes and give a more homemade taste. if you must use margarine for health reasons, make sure it is stick style and has more than 65 percent vegetable oil., cake mixes have a shelf life of up to two years if kept in a cool, dry place, like your pantry. so, if you live where it s humid in the summertime you d best not stock up on cake mixes for the long haul.

beef tenderloin tips, chopped fresh parsley, freshly ground pepper, garlic butter, divided use, onion, sliced, mushrooms, sliced, salt , pepper, and garlic powder

how to: use your favorite way to cook , steam etc, potatoes as desired, oil as desired , i use olive, vinegar ( i like white or red wine, herbs ( esp parsley, basil , dill ), salt and pepper to taste, splenda for sweetness

did you know that if you want to add vegetables to the soup you are making, they will taste so much better if you saute them first in a little butter. even though it s a little bit more work, it s worth the extra effort., what happens when you boil the soup too long the soup ends up losing its color ., i burned my soup once. have you ever done that here s a great tip to fix that. take the liquid part of your soup and pour it into a new, clean pan. then, add these ingredients: mustard, curry powder, chutney, or your 1 other of your favorite flavors. quantities are always to taste and you ll be amazed at how this tip really works, my all time favorite soup tips. every made soup that was too salty tasting all you need to do is place a raw potato into your soup pot and simmer it with the soup for about 15 minutes. not only does the potato slice absorb the extra salt, but as an added snack for the cook, it also absorbs all that flavor and becomes a fantastic taste treat, need your soup to be thicker - just sprinkle a little bit of instant mashed potato and stir in to thicken the soup. carefully continue adding the instant potatoes until you get the consistency that makes you happy., in a hurry and need to use canned broth instead of homemade give it a little extra flavor by taking your leftover chicken or meat bones and simmering it in the broth. simmer for about 15 minutes. then, strain the liquid and use the newly-flavored broth for your soup. this is a fantastic way to spice up the tinny flavor of canned broth and make it taste like its homemade., guess what a great resource a grocery store is for ready -to-use ingredients! simply make a visit to the salad bar (most large grocery chains have them now,) and gather up some of the pre-cut vegetables, cooked shrimp, and chicken or meat. how easy is that, if you have any leftovers of the pasta you cooked the night before , or even meat and vegetables - use them for instant nutritious substance for your soup. if your left over vegetables have already been cooked, simply puree them and use it as a thickener. deeeelish