Saturday, March 24, 2012

Deb's "Virtual Housewarming Pot Luck" Blog Hop!


Hello from Connecticut, where we have been experiencing some lovely, unseasonably warm weather! If you made your way here from Margaret's blog as part of Deb's Housewarming Potluck Blog Hop, welcome! If you are one of my regular readers, you can begin the hop over at Deb's blog.

I told Deb I would bring dessert. And not just any dessert, but my blue-ribbon winning chocolate cupcakes! Okay, they're really Martha Stewart's chocolate cupcakes, but I did win a blue ribbon for them in my town fair a few years ago, and since then they have become a go-to recipe when I need a cake or cupcakes for a party. Want to try one? Here you go!




If you'd like to make them yourself, I use the recipe from her Baking Handbook. Here's a similar one from her website:


One bowl chocolate cupcakes with fluffy vanilla frosting. I love that all the ingredients get mixed together in one bowl...the fewer dishes to wash the better in my opinion!

Martha has never steered me wrong with her baking recipes, and believe me, I have tried a lot of them! I even stood in line once to have her sign her Cupcakes book. 


If you make these yourself, here are a few tips:
  • the batter will be awfully thin and runny...that's okay!
  • don't overfill the baking tins...these rise quite a bit and will stick to the the pan if they overflow! Giving the pan a spray of cooking oil is probably a good idea.
  • Martha says these make 2 dozen...I usually can get 2 1/2 - 3 dozen.
  • don't want to eat all 2 1/2 dozen? Go ahead and freeze the unfrosted cupcakes. They'll be good for at least a month. 
  • don't worry if they don't look perfect when they come out of the pan...you're going to smother them in frosting anyway, and frosting hides all flaws!
Hopefully you're not too full from all the other great food that people brought to the housewarming...you still have three more desserts still to try! Next up is Rhona...can't wait to see what she made!


Thanks to Deb for organizing this blog-hop...it was just what I needed to get out of my blog slump! 


Thanks for stopping by!

In case you're interested, here is the complete list of blog hop participants:
Drinks/Appetizers
Deb @ PaperTurtle – http://paperturtle.blogspot.com
Rinda @ Gallo Organico – http://gallorganico.blogspot.com/
Beverly @ BE glorious - http://beglorious.blogspot.com/

Soups/Salads
Alison @ Life in the Slow Lane – http://alisonslife-in-the-slow-lane.blogspot.com/
Fiona @ Staring at the Sea – http://fiona-staringatthesea.blogspot.com/
Amy @ Over at our Place - http://overatourplace.blogspot.com/

Side/Main Dishes
The “Not So” Small One @ From High in the Sky – http://fromhighinthesky.blogspot.com/
Jacky @ Scrappy Jacky - http://scrappyjackylive.blogspot.com/
Deb @ Deb’s World – http://debs14.blogspot.com/
Ginger @ Ginger’s Life of Spice - http://gingerslifeofspice.blogspot.com/
Karen @ Tales from the Scrapheap - http://talesfromthescrapheap.blogspot.com/
Karen @ Random Reflections - http://kbwalker.blogs.com/random_relfections/
Ruth @ Everyday Life of a Suburban SAHM - http://suburbansahm.blogspot.com/

Desserts
Stephanie @ La Dolce Vita - http://dreamingladolcevita.blogspot.com/
Ruth @ Chatty Crafty Arty Pig - http://chattycraftyartypig.blogspot.com/
Margaret @ Finnegan Begin Again – http://margaretfinnegan.blogspot.com/
YOU ARE HERE-->Becca @ La Jolie Fleur Rouge - http://lajoliefleurrouge.blogspot.com/
Rhona @ Life in General - http://rhonacs-lifeingeneral.blogspot.com/
Cheri @ Scrap Dreams - http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com/
Carrie @ Rosalind Revival – http://www.rosalindrevival.com/ 


19 comments:

  1. hi Becca, thanks for having dessert, these look scrumptious. I don't think many things beat a good chocolate cupcake :)

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  2. Hi Becca! Thanks so much for participating in my blog hop today. Your cupcakes look amazing, and I've been wanting to find a good recipe for chocolate cupcakes so I'll definitely be giving these a try.

    It's so cool that you have a photo of Martha Stewart here and that she signed your book! And I love the photo of you standing on the porch of your east coast home! The little bit of our country's flag did not go unnoticed. ;o)

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  3. These look absolutely delicious. Definitely one to try.

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  4. We have someone called Mary Berry who is the Martha equivalent of baking. These look fab :0)

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    1. Ooh, I'll have to look up Mary Berry! Thanks for letting my know about her!

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  5. YUM! And how cool you got to meet Martha! The cupcakes look great and your home looks gorgeous! Happy Saturday!

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  6. What a lovely welcoming photo - your beautiful blue sky has put me in a party kind of mood! I love your idea of including some tips - I can always do with some extra help when I'm cooking! Thank you

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  7. Becca,
    I love your house! And those cupcakes look fantastic. Happy hopping!
    Rinda

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  8. I can understand why they are blue ribbon winners they look spectacular.

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  9. They look wonderful, I'm not sure that trying just one would be enough .....!

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  10. H Becca...nice to meet you! What a lovely welcoming photo..your house looks fab! .....and those cupcakes look SO good!
    Alison xx

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  11. mmmmmm more yummy chocolatieness would love to try a cupcake right now thanks for sharing the recipe

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  12. WOW! An award winning recipe, this is one to try for sure!
    It's lovely to meet you today Becca, I love the vernada on your house!

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  13. Chocolate cupcakes??? Award winning??? You had me hooked immediately! I'll definitely be adding these to my recipe book. My baking skills are fine, but I sure could use a lesson in frosting the cupcakes.

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  14. ewwh these look delicious!! I agree, less dirty dishes leaves more time for other things - like eating these little tasty bits!

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  15. I will definitely make these. They look great.

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  16. Oh my, those cupcakes look amazing! I was hoping you would see my Guilford pages, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!

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