Baby Shower Extravaganza!

Brownies and rainbows

While we wait for the more "professional" pics...here's mine

Lemon tartlets

Happy Monday all! I'm back from a fun long weekend down south for my sister's baby shower! This was a very special event for me as I planned everything - from theme to drinks to desserts. I wanted to share a few pictures with my fellow foodies. Desserts included my world famous brownies (mini-sized of course), mini rainbow cookies, mini lemon tartlets, and mini white cupcakes with strawberry buttercream. It's a fabulous buttercream recipe, using the typical meringue buttercream base, but adding strawberry preserves. I'm putting the recipe here for you. Be sure to mix it in your Cuisinart - don't skip that step! It really smooths it out and adds great texture.

White cupcakes with strawberry buttercream

Strawberry Buttercream
Martha Stewart Show, January 2007

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) strawberry jam, pureed in a food processor

Directions

1. In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch (about 160 degrees).
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg-white mixture on high speed until it holds stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until the mixture is fluffy and cooled, about 6 minutes.
3. Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low speed, add butter several tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. (If frosting appears to separate after all the butter has been added, beat on medium-high speed until smooth again, 3 to 5 minutes more.) Beat in vanilla. Beat on lowest speed to eliminate any air bubbles, about 2 minutes. Stir in strawberry jam with a rubber spatula until frosting is smooth.

Happy baking!