Sappin! A family tradition!

Over the last few years our family has started a new tradition of tapping maple trees and boiling down the sap to make syrup. Yup! It's just the easy. You tap the trees with a little metal piece that goes into the tree (doesn't harm the tree) and has a spout on it so you can attach another piece that holds a sap sack. The sapping time of year is spring time when the weather is above freezing during the day and below freezing at night. This allows the sap to go up and down the tree allowing us to collect the sap!

It takes about 17 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup! The trees that have the highest sugar content in their sap are Sugar Maple trees. You can use any type of maple tree such as a sugar maple, red maple, or black maple. The higher the sugar content in the sap, the less you need to make the tasty syrup! Once you have your gallons and gallons of sap the next part is easy. Get a big pot and boil it! The sap season usually lasts from a week to a couple weeks depending on weather, and when the frogs start croaking the season is over! The sap will turn bitter and your syrup will not taste good.

After the hours and hours of boiling all the sap, it will come to about 212 degrees Fahrenheit. This means you're almost there! You almost have amazingly delicious homemade maple syrup! Our sap last year was syrup around 217 degrees. Once it's up to temp you use your handy dandy hydrometer and check the specific gravity. The hydrometer will float to the syrup line and then it's time to filter! We pass ours through a cloth filter to remove the sugar sand which collects in the bottom of the syrup. 

Almost there! After filtering the syrup needs to be brought back up to 200 degrees and then you can bottle it. We use standard mason jars and sterilize them ahead. Once your syrup is back up to temp the liquid gold can be put in your jars and stored for amazingness through the rest of the year! Like this maple cupcake I made. Nothing can beat the taste of real maple syrup, and there's just something about it when it comes from the trees in your own backyard.

We have two giant trees in our yard with two taps on each tree. Last year we bottled 13 pints of syrup. AMAZING! Hopefully this will be a great year again. My parents have been tapping the trees up at the cabin for the past couple years. Started with 10 taps and now we are up to 30! When the sap gets running we all go to the cabin and help boil. Last year we got 4 gallons, yes gallons, of syrup! 

If you are looking to start your own little syrup factory I highly suggest Anderson's Maple Syrup site www.andersonsmaplesyrup.com They have all the supplies you will need and great directions on how to get started. I love our family tradition of making syrup! The sap continues to run at our house and will hopefully start soon at the cabin. Bring on the maple syrup!

Maple cupcake dipped in maple syrup, topped with maple buttercream and maple brown sugar bacon

Chocolate cupcake with fresh blackberry buttercream and topped with a fresh blackberry, Salted Caramel cupcake, and Fresh Raspberry cupcake

Chocolate cupcake with fresh blackberry buttercream and fresh blackberry

Ronald McDonald House Cupcakes

This morning I got to bring in some cupcakes for a super fun event! Kids Zumba at the Ronald McDonald House. My great friend Olga is teaching Zumba there this afternoon and what a better way to celebrate than with cupcakes! I made vanilla and chocolate cupcakes and frosted them with a light blue buttercream to look like water, and put some Teddy Graham's in gummy Life Savers on top. And of course such a summery setting wouldn't be complete without a little umbrella to keep them safe from the sunshine. I hope they love their cupcakes and their Zumba class. I know Olga will love teaching it! 

I'm so thankful for places like the Ronald McDonald house where families can be together and heal together. Such a loving and wonderful place! Definitely hope to bring them more delicious treats in the future!

Winner winner!!

We have a winner for our collaboration contest! Christine will be getting a dozen cupcakes and a smash cake from yours truly! Sounds like a first birthday is coming up for her little guy and the photo session from Karen Feder Photogaphy and handmade hat from Mama J Crochets will be perfect! Can't wait to see what we can come up with for a smash cake and cupcakes to make it extra special. Thanks so much to all that participated! 

Cupcakes, hats, pictures and cake oh my! Giveaway time!

I am teaming up with two amazing vendors for a giveaway! Karen Feder Photography and Mama J Crochets! Check out Karen's blog for all the delicious details. Make sure to complete all the steps to get the most chances to win! And don't forget to check out my Facebook page and give it a Like.

www.facebook.com/amyscupcakeshoppe

http://karenfederphotography.com/blog/?p=10097

The winner will get a smash cake and a dozen cupcakes of their choice from me, a photography session from Karen Feder Photography, and one amazing child or newborn's hat of your choice from Mama J's! Check out all her incredible hats in her Etsy shop!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MamaJCrochets?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Having a smash cake photo session for Caleigh was so much fun! Here are some great pictures that Sarah at Sleepy Owl Photography www.sleepyowlphotography.com

So excited for the opportunity to work with other mompreneurs! It's truly an inspiration to see other moms doing what they love. Creating amazing moments with your family is the best. Here are some of ours! Enjoy and happy contest entering!  

Annnnnnnd she's done :) 

In Search of the Perfect Macaron

Ah yes the French macaron. The perfect little cookie with a hard thin shell and a gooey delicious center filled with some sort of amazingness. When you bite into one it's like heaven. Close your eyes and taste the flavors as they dance across your tongue. Eating a macaron. Easy. Making a macaron.... wow what a challenge!

This is by far the most challenged I have been with a baking task. Making the meringue for the cookies, if you mix it too little they won't rise, if you mix it too much the shells will be cracked. And the egg whites. I've read they need to be left out, so they are at room temperature, or that they should be left out overnight, or that they can be old eggs, or that they should be fresh eggs, or that they can come right from your fridge and it doesn't matter at all.

And then there's the almond flour and powdered sugar. They need to be ground in a food processor to within an inch of it's little almond flour life, or you can just whisk it around for a while till it looks pretty good. And then you mix the meringue into the almond flour and powdered sugar mixture. If you mix it too little they will be giant and the shells could crack, if you mix it too much they will be runny and not come off the parchment paper.

So! Why wouldn't I try to make these seemingly impossible fancy pants treats? Because I love a challenge and I definitely have perfectionist in me. Ok, a lot of perfectionist in me. When you make them right, the batter is perfect, they spread just a touch and they come out with the perfect little feet they're supposed to have. And the flavor possibilities are endless! I LOVE them! I definitely still struggle a little with them, but soon I will be able to make batch after batch with no problem. And, hopefully ship them to any and everyone that wants/craves them!

Thanks so much for coming with me on my baking journey. I have learned so much and can't wait to make you some delicious treats!

My First Wedding Cake!

Yesterday I got to deliver my first ever wedding cake! I have to say a huge thank you to Andrea and Duncan for entrusting me with the responsibility of making their wedding sweet. I made Andrea a cake that was almond cake with a mixed berry buttercream and chocolate mousse filling, covered in vanilla buttercream. I also made a cake for Duncan that was a vanilla cake with chocolate ganache and chocolate mousse filling also covered in vanilla buttercream. I tinted the buttercream to match their wedding colors, and I think it turned out great!

The fun part about it was I got to stay for the wedding and try the cake myself. The cake was moist and the flavors of the fillings really came through how I expected them to. The cakes were definitely a success and they looked great when cut. The coordinator at the Varsity Theater also complimented me on how easy the cake was to cut. I didn't know that was a thing, but I'm glad it was easy for her to cut!

The Varsity Theater is a gorgeous venue and I think the cakes fit in perfectly. With the eclectic nature of the venue, the rough design of the buttercream on the outside of the cakes was a great choice by the bride and groom. It was so great to see their faces when they saw the cake.

This has definitely opened up a whole new perspective for me. The drive from my house to the Varsity Theater seemed to take forever, and now I am intimately aware of every bump and pothole on the way there. I secured the cakes as well as I could and they all made it without a scratch on them! What a relief! When we got there the cakes were easy to put together, and I remembered to bring all the right tools to make them presentation ready. Loved it.

Thank you Andrea and Duncan for the honor of making your wedding cake!

The beautiful bride and groom! Congratulations Andrea and Duncan

Try try again!

Soooooo I may need to rethink my shipping packaging! This is how the poor macarons arrived in New York... We will see how the California and Arizona macarons weathered the journey. I have ordered a couple new items that will hopefully keep them nestled in their little boxes nice and tight, and delicately of course. 

The cupcakes should be arriving in California today, so I will post pictures on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/amyscupcakeshoppe  

I will call this worst case scenario. Onward and upward from here! Thankfully, this is what she said about the taste: 

"And oh my god I can’t stop eating them! Four down and I have to put them away to let Scott have a few tonight. They are AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!!"

Thanks so much Nancy for participating in my research! 

So, please bear with me on this packaging journey. I'll figure it out sooner rather than later and keep everyone's sweet tooths satisfied! Thanks so much for your patience and support! 

Poor pomegranate macarons....

To ship or not to ship!

Today I sent out three boxes of macarons and a four pack of cupcakes. I feel like I really wrapped up them up so they will ship and arrive still pretty and in one piece, but we will see! I sent a box of macarons to my grandparents, my great aunt and my great friend Nikki! So the macarons are on their way to Arizona, California and New York. Just trying to cover the country. I sent them all priority mail and it was $6 to ship each one.

I also sent a four pack of cupcakes. I tried a little dot of frosting on the bottom of the cupcake wrapper to help keep them in place and the container came right to the top of the frosting, so hopefully that will keep them in place as well! Everything should be arriving on Thursday. Hopefully pictures of tasty treats all in one piece will be flocking in!

I will definitely offer shipping to everyone if all goes well. Caleigh was a trooper while we made sure everything was packaged carefully at the post office, so when we got home we shared a tasty pomegranate cupcake! Thanks so much for your support and I am excited for everything that's to come. Wishing you all a sweet Tuesday!

Cupcakes a Plenty!

I'm so excited for my delivery tomorrow morning! I have five dozen super yummy cupcakes ready and rarin to go early tomorrow morning!! The flavors are: Chocolate Ganache, Salted Caramel, Vanilla Bean, and Raspberry Cream! Also, since they ordered five dozen, they get two dozen macarons to devour! 

Macarons have proved to be quite the tricky baking challenge for me, and finally I feel like I have conquered them! I've made many flavors and they've all turned out to be pretty little cookies with pretty little "feet" just like they're supposed to. I am quite the happy camper! 

I'm excited to keep experimenting with new flavors and pretty colors! Lovin it! Stay tuned for more scrumptious goodies!! :) 

All set in their new boxes!

Almond macarons with caramel center and homemade marshmallow frosting! 

First Delivery!

My first delivery of macarons went great! My dad ordered a dozen Coconut Dream and a dozen Amaretto. I delivered them to his work this morning and everyone was flocking to the treats! Watching their faces as they tried them is so much fun! Lots of "ooohs" and "aaahhhs" and "mmmmmms". My favorite sounds!

I'm very much looking forward to future orders! I've got some more yummy cupcakes on the way for a birthday on Friday, and next Friday I will be doing a wedding cake for a great friend! Lots of deliciousness coming up!

Thanks again Dad for being my first order!! :)