Salmon... Hot Pockets?

Put your Golden Girls hat on, because (like Blanche) I'm about to set the scene...

Imagine you've had a long day. About as long as they come for you. Perhaps it was a long day at the office. Or running around after the kiddos. Or... you know... darning your cats' sweaters. I'm not judging; you do you. The important part of the whole thing is that your day has been long. Good... Surprisingly good... But still long.

You're chilaxin' all groggy-like in bed after a quick little nap. A nap marred oddly by one of those dreams in which you're inexplicably naked. In a room that starts out awkwardly small and shrinks until it's touching you on two sides at once.

You're lazily playing around on your phone when a friend calls in. Turns out her day has been longer. And more stressful. And it may have included tests. She asks about your plans for the night. You tell her you have none. She asks about dinner, you mumble something about checking the fridge. Three minutes later, you've offered to make her dinner and uttered the supremely casual "come over whenever," as if you weren't laying in bed, playing on your phone, nearly naked and still half asleep.

Tell me, dear readers, what are you thinking right now. Right now as you lay on the bed, knowing what lies ahead of you in the next 20 minutes? (The amount of time the friend said it would take her to get your place, btdubs.) Go ahead... I'll wait here while you go leave your answer as a comment. I want to know.

Because what I was thinking was twofold.

1 - What the hell am I going to make for dinner?

2 - Do I put on real clothes for this friend. Or will pajamas do at 7pm?

I answered the second question first when I decided that, yes, this friend merited real clothes. I'll have to ask her if she appreciated (or noticed) that detail.

The first question though... was slightly more involved. After taking stock of the fridge and pantry, I decided that roasted broccoli (a crowd favorite... as long as the crowd is me) would happen.


Done and done.

And what to go with? Let's see... frozen pie crust... some thinly sliced ham... 10 eggs... banana cream pie yogurt... whole wheat linguine... this was not going well. Until... I saw them.

A can of refrigerated crescent rolls. *cue singing angels*

I rescrounged with a new purpose and found frozen salmon burgers and pepper jack cheese. I cooked the burgers in a skillet per pkg instructions, topped each with a piece of pepper jack cheese, and wrapped each in a rectangle of crescent roll dough.

And voila. The long day salmon hot pocket of goodness was born.


I know, I know. You're impressed. As you should be.

But you're also curious. Just because I wrap something in a crescent roll doesn't mean it's automatically going to be tasty. Well... if that's what you think... then you have some more thinking to do. Because that pretty much is what happens when you wrap something in a crescent roll. It goes straight from okay to... okay wrapped in golden, buttery, crescent roll. Which is... hella good.

Overall, we decided the salmon hot pocket was... a lot of salmon. It needs something to jazz it up and cut the... salmon-ness a bit. The friend mentioned something about orange slices that she saw on a pbs cooking show. I threw my hands in the air.

And then she cut up a peach that we ate... with the skin ON. I know. Very Georgia of us.

So help two tired girls out. What does this salmon hot pocket creation need between the salmon and the crescent goodness?

The Decatur Dish

I spent this past weekend blissfully out of Smalltown, Georgia!

Have you heard LCD Soundsystem's "New York, I love you but you're bringing me down"? Well if you haven't, or you'd like to see Kermit the frog sing it, then just dance your little mouse this way. Anyway... that was kinda the point I had reached with Smalltown.

Only I don't love Smalltown. I'm just not quite a Smalltown girl. But for some reason I just keep moving from one Smalltown to another for... ya know... the almighty dollar. There-fore... I take singular joy in roadtrips. Love them.

It should surprise exactly none of you that when I vacation, I eat damn well.

So should you happen to be in Decatur, Georgia anytime soon... I have some recommendations. Because, yes, it was all good.

Manuel's Tavern

It was Fish & Chips night when I showed up on Friday, but I chose the Turkey Reuben with their signature steak fries instead. I washed it all down with a Leinenkugel Creamy Stout (and a half). It was all crazy delicious.

Warning: You won't get three pickle spears with your sandwich unless you eat with two pickle-hating friends who also order sandwiches.

Kilwin's Ice Cream & Chocolates

Mmmm... They have ice cream, sure, but we were more intrigued by the wide selection of things dipped in chocolate. We had marshmallows covered in chocolate. Sadly, they looked... awkward... in pictures. : ) But they tasted exactly how they should. There's something so comforting about a fresh marshmallow coated in chocolate.

Excuse me, I just drooled a little bit. Let's move on.

The Flying Biscuit Cafe

We met some friends at the Flying Biscuit one day for brunch and this might have been my favorite meal of the trip. I ordered the Clifton Omelette which is, according to their menu, "three large farm fresh eggs with goat cheese, mushrooms & fresh basil, topped with spicy tomato coulis." To the right there, you will see what my travel companion and I could not leave untested, the cinnamon roll pancake.

Not pictured: the "dreamy creamy grits" that finally did what Smalltown could not do by convincing me that grits could in fact be desirable. And actually, in this case, hella good.

Now just so you know, it wasn't just all fun and games dining out. We also made up a wicked good vegetarian stuffed bell pepper recipe that we ate on for two days. The pictures I took were lacking so you'll just have to wait until I make that recipe again. I have a feeling it will happen sooner rather than later.

Annnnd... Sunday before I left, we made cupcakes.


Blue velvet cake, Julia Child's Italian Meringue icing, and Andes Crunchy Peppermint bits (no, not bacon). They were Olympic themed but I think the lighting of this pic doesn't quite communicate that. Go U.S.A.!

Speaking of those Olympics... I'm going to watch a bit more of them tonight before I turn in. And when I do turn in... I wouldn't mind dreaming of a Decatur breakfast.

Happy Groundhog Day! (A Retrospective)

Today I lazily present you with last year's Groundhog Day cupcakes.

And... a little bit of a review.

This morning I got a text from the friend who helped me make those groundhog (mistaken for walrus) cupcakes. She reminded me of the anniversary and wished me a "Happy not walrus day!"

I'll be honest... before I got her text... I had no idea that today is Groundhog Day.

But! Now that I know... I figured I'd let her nostalgia throw me into my own.

Last year at this time:

I was living in Maine, tromping to and from campus (through the snow) to teach one class of 22 students and take two graduate courses of my own. My 101 class was about Oprah and popular culture; I honestly cannot tell you what my own classes were on.

I was a nervous wreck over job applications and life plans.

I blogged most days.

I had a roommate, an adorable apartment with three floors, a collection of winter clothing that now mostly belongs to Goodwill, an aloe plant that I'm still trying not to kill, and a gorgeous kitchen with windows on three sides.

My hair was a couple of inches longer, shaggier, and black.

I had a love affair with potatoes and pasta and had one or both most days.

I was staring at a tub of red fondant and wondering whether or not I'd be able to pull off my super ambitious plan.

I could not imagine reading and commenting on 92 student papers in 48 hours, while teaching and living a semi-normal life.

How-ev-er... that 92 paper task is the one set before me today. Well... the rest of the task, at least. I got the papers yesterday and I have 31 to finish by tomorrow at 9am. Easy peasy.

If only I'd stop taking these breaks to chat, blog, facebook, and tweet.

Eh... who are we kidding? These breaks maintain sanity. That's an important part of the work effort in my book.

By the way, does anybody know if that Punxsutawney character saw his shadow? I mean... it's not really important since I live in sunny GA and honestly wouldn't be able to tell if what they call "winter" continued for another 6 weeks, but still... I'm curious.

Stuff Amanda Likes: Savannah

I'll be honest: Smalltown, Georgia gets me down at times. We're small, dry*, conservative, and without our own Target.

Luckily, when things get blah here, I can roadtrip it to Savannah, a place Amanda likes very much. Here are just a few of the things I like about Savannah.

1. Driving under Spanish Moss & Palm Trees at the same time.

It's just so Southern and homey that it makes me want to fall into a bout of fiddle-dee-dees that would make even Blanche take notice. Just on the other side of this median is the Daughters of the American Revolution park. Blanche would have something to say about that too.

2. Paying to park at a meter, under Spanish moss and palm trees, and in front of adorable rowhouses.

Don't really need much more explanation. The kitsch level is just really high. And I like that.

3. The Book Lady

Located at 6 East Liberty Street, the Book Lady bookstore is quite the find. I happened upon it while hunting down a bakery. (I didn't find the bakery, but I found the building... so I'm not giving up.) Anyway... The Book Lady. This bookstore is accessed by a tiny door just below street level. It's stuffed to the gills with all sorts of books, and I do mean all sorts.

Funniest thing about this bookstore? The bathroom. The bathroom (a one-fer) is large but it's also stuffed to the gills with books, just like the rest of the store. There are shelves in there. And tubs. And boxes. And stacks on the floor. A note on the door (propped open by a stool until you move it) reads:

"You are welcome to use the bathroom, but do not remove the books. These books ARE NOT for sale. Thank you, The Book Lady"

Does that remind anyone else of Sienfeld and George's Impressionists?

4. Soho South Cafe

Just past The Book Lady at 12 West Liberty Street, the Soho South Cafe caught my eye with its brightly colored umbrellas and promise of art with my lunch. Once inside, I was not disappointed. The cafe is big and open with high ceilings and many windows. Art is everywhere, but I didn't take in much of it since my book and I were seated at the front window. The staff was super friendly and hospitable (go figure, I know...) and when my waiter forgot my silverware he sweetly exclaimed, "Oh my word! I'm so sorry about that!"

I swooned a little.

And the food? Excellent. I ordered the Waldorf-style Tuna Pita with a lightly dressed house salad. So good. And so fresh. It was so good that I'm officially adding to this list of foods I would eat every day if I was forced to.

5. The Savannah Mall

For this last bit of stuff, you'll have to shift gears with me. One of the great things about Savannah is that as a place, it's a total both/and. Savannah is BOTH the historical, adorable, artsy place that you've seen so far AND the suburban shopping district that is just a few minutes away. Since I can't shop outside of Goodwills in Smalltown, Georgia, my trips to Savannah definitely include a stop to the mall(s).

And on this trip, I found this poster. Sigh. Sadly, the gingerbread trailer park wasn't set up yet. Otherwise you'd better believe I would have brought you a picture.

To wrap up, this list only covers one street and one mall, but it gives you a small taste of some of what I like about Savannah. Rest assured there are many other things. Things like Paula Deen, River Street, to go beers, Five Guys, ghost tours, Lady Chablis, and street musicians.

*Seriously. I have to drive about 15 minutes from my house to the county line in order to purchase hard alcohol. Beer and wine flow freely though.

Mint Julep Cupcakes, or What Season Are We Having?

Boys and Girls, I have news. It's November. (That's not the news bit.) And Smalltown, Georgia is still enjoying temperatures in the 70s.

I don't get it. I keep getting up in the morning and making tough decisions about which ridiculously patterned sweater to add to my already patterned (sometimes twice) teacher outfit, only to walk out the door and realize I don't need it. A few days I've been glad to have it but then shrugged it off by afternoon again.

So today I asked my chatty 9am class what I should expect. It went something like this...

Student A: "I'm freezing!"
Me: "Really? Tell me, how cold will it get in Georgia?"
Student B: "Oh, it gets pretty cold."
Me: "Now, what do you mean by 'pretty cold'? Because I've been living in Maine for the last two years..."
Student B: "Okay, no, it doesn't get cold. This is about as cold as it will get."
Student A: "No way, it will get a lot cooler! Like in the 40s, probably."

(-_-)

Friends, I can do 40s.

So when I ask what season we are having, I really am asking. Apparently this is fall, but it feels like winter to my students. To a Mainer, this feels pretty dern close to an endless summer.

Since I don't know what season it is and since my Australian friends are having a different season entirely and who knows... they might be confused too... I don't think any of you can sass me for making a seasonally inappropriate cupcake.


Like many before it, this cupcake came to me in a dream. I woke up from an afternoon nap with the startling knowledge that I had all the ingredients to make a bangin' Mint Julep cupcake.

The cake is vanilla mint bourbon with a white chocolate bourbon ganache filling and topped with a mint bourbon marshmallow buttercream.

Overall, the flavor was... bizarre. The cupcake tasted a lot like the drink. Some tasters enjoyed this (one said, "What is this filling? More of that!"), others did not.

I wasn't sold in either direction.

I dropped one off in a colleague's office in the morning and came back from class later to find the following message on my dry erase board:

"How can you stand that much speermint?! It's like eating gum or toothpaste! But I still love you."

Hilarious. There is nothing I love more than an honest review. None of that smile and nod business for me!

As it turns out, the verdict is out on both the season and this Mint Julep Cupcake. To both this cupcake and the season, I say a big "Why you always gotta label things?!"

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Cakes

Update: Voting for Cupcake Hero is now open until October 21st at midnight. Check out the competition and vote here.

Complete credit for that winning title goes to my bff and former college roommate, Kira. This weekend Kira had the honor of being my first houseguest in Smalltown, Georgia. And... since Kira loves to bake as much as I do, we quickly decided to make some sort of complicated dessert happen while she was here.

And, in a perfect storm of blog contest deadlines and amazing thrift store finds, Kira and I decided to make A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Cakes.



In plain English, pumpkin and vanilla swirled cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese icing. As you might imagine, it takes a lot of ingredients to make that cake happen:

And there is just one more ingredient to pull the whole thing together...

Yes, indeed. A $7 Goodwill Cinderella costume.


Kira and I took turns wearing it while we made the cupcakes. Try not to be too jealous of our merriment. You could probably have just as much fun if you lightened up a bit.

Anyway... back to the cakes. We each tackled a batter. Kira made Billy's Vanilla halved by How to Eat a Cupcake and I was in charge of halving the Pumpkin Spice Cake by Joy of Baking.


Once the batters were ready, we got really fancy. I'd dropped and marbled and twirled and tie-dyed batters before, but I wanted these pumpkin swirl cakes to be more deliberately and artfully swirled. So... we filled two piping bags with our two batters, cut the tips, then dropped those two bags into a third bag with a large round tip.


And voila! A fairly labor intensive batter delivery method not for the faint of heart.

We made exactly 12 cupcakes and 24 minis.


In my opinion, it was all worth it. Look at that great loopy swirl! The swirl runs all the way down, around, and in the cupcakes. Ex-act-ly what I wanted. (yay!)

Once the cupcakes cooled, I made a quick cinnamon cream cheese buttercream. I used a brick of cold cream cheese, 5 tablespoons of softened butter, a splash of vanilla, and cinnamon to taste. Easy and delicious.


In keeping with our Cinderella theme, Cupcake Hero ingredient (pumpkin), Booo-tiful Cupcake Contest, we decorated 6 of the cupcakes with magical pumpkins just waiting to be turned into crystal carriages.


We topped the other 6 cupcakes with colored sugar, stars, and hearts and the next thing you know, A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Cakes.


And just take a look at the cross-section shot. Adorable. I just can't say enough about this swirl and how pleased I am with it.

And while we're at it, the flavor and texture of these two cakes works together extremely well. The batters were similar in consistency, so they piped well side-by-side. The combination of pumpkin and vanilla is a wonderful one, I think. I love pumpkin, but I do like to temper it with something creamy - think whipped cream on pie - so the vanilla addition made me very happy.

I would very highly recommend making these for any sort of fall festivus. They are light, moist, soft, and so delicately pumpkin and spiced. Mmmm...

I just might have to go downstairs for a minute... and... ya know... have a cupcake.

P.E.R.F.E.C.T. Pancakes

I've not fed myself well this week.

I started off on the wrong foot by eating 5 or 6 of those skullikin cupcakes on Monday. After two more on Tuesday, I threw the rest away. I did it as a self-preservation move, my local friends saw it as an attack.

About mid-week, I ran out of staples like bread, milk, and ground turkey. By Friday, things were getting desperate: Fiber One poptarts for breakfast, pickles and a granola bar for lunch, and a hastily purchased frozen pizza for dinner.

Yesterday (Saturday) I started with toast (from defrosted bread) and yogurt. I think that technically my lunch was a bottle of Fat Tire at Oktoberfest in Savannah. Lupper was fried shrimp and fries. And... if you follow my Twitter (@afiercehair), you'll know that I finished my day (or began this one...?) with a Big Mac around 2:30am.

Needless to say (but I will anyway... does anyone else hate that expression?), I woke up this morning feeling the need for something decidedly wholesome and breakfast-like. Never mind the fact that I woke up after normal breakfast hours. That's not important.

Without staples like milk or bread, I've been eating a lot of eggs, so I knew those weren't an option. In a moment of bravery, I decided to make pancakes. After trolling the interwebs for a bit, I found the perfect pancake recipe. Search no longer, friends. The recipe for Buttermilk Pancakes at Food Plus Politics made the most perfect pancakes I've ever made... possibly ever eaten. I'll explain...

These pancakes are light and fluffy and perfectly cooked. The flavor is spot on and pancake-y. No added flavorings or frou frous. And these are not greasy pancakes. I know some would disagree with me, but I don't like my pancakes to be greasy with crispy edges. A good pancake should taste great on its own at any temperature and without butter or syrup. And these pancakes definitely do.

(It might not hurt that some of them have dark chocolate chips in them.)

I learned a couple of things about pancake cooking today, so I'll share those as well.

First, the skillet or griddle should be on Medium heat. Not high and loud and sizzly like I'd always thought. Pancakes are gentle creatures and they don't need to be rough-handled and flashed into a crazy pan. Patience and a gentle, slow cooking works beautifully.

Second, instead of butter (careful!) or a non-stick spray (ew), pancakes should cook in vegetable oil but just a light brushing of it on the griddle. I don't have a brush, so I awkwardly used a paper towel. This small, small bit of oil kept the pancakes perfectly brown and unstuck.

And that, boys and girls, is all I know about pancakes.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some grocery shopping to do.

Cookie on Cookie Action

Now, I'll need you to throw chronology to the wind with this post. These cookies were actually the first things I baked in Georgia.


See how empty everything looks?


You'll also notice that I'm using a hand mixer. Might be the last time for that... but you'll just have to wait for more news on that front.

Anyway, I was invited to a meeting at a colleague's house the first weekend I was in the new place. So, not wanting to show up emptyhanded, I made Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies. I'm not sure if I used this recipe or another one, but you can find it all over the blogosphere.


The cookie is pretty basic. Make up a chocolate chip cookie dough but before the chip step, add in 20 crushed Oreo cookies and blend.


Once it looks like this, then you can fold in the chocolate chips as usual.


Now drop the cookies by rounded tablespoons and bake those suckers off.


And while we're waiting, have a look at the new kitchen. Not nearly as kitschy or adorable as the last kitchen (as seen in the header), but it will do in a pinch. And I have plans for kitchen betterment, as I'm sure you've already guessed.

Back to the cookies...


Out of the oven and cooled on the rack, these cookies are a thing of beauty. I believe that there is not a simpler pleasure than a baked Oreo cookie. And combining this pleasure with the comfort of a good chocolate chip cookie just cannot (I repeat)cannot fail.

Everyone at the meeting raved about these cookies-n-cream treats and even though there were only 4.5 of us there and I brought a heaping plate full, I didn't come home with even one cookie. Each person happily took home several. That's what I call a success.

Why I <3 Today

1. I fell asleep before 11pm last night. Soporific Project Runway episodes FTW!

2. My radio station played "(I Had) The Time of My Life" during my 6 minute commute to campus. I didn't even have to ask! I sang every word with all the verve and gusto I could summon.

3. Even after shaving my legs, I was ready early enough this morning to get a bagel for my mid-office hours brunch.

4. During my office hours, I'm going to start reading my new book, How to Be a People Magnet by Leil Lowndes. If you've had more than 2 conversations with me, you will probably recall my love for How to Make Anyone Fall in Love with You. Same author.

5. At 1:50pm (on the dot), I'll be off until Wednesday at 8am. I plan to fill my time with a roadtrip complete with book on tape, a book festival complete with crazy high school roommate, and countless scoops of Bruster's icecream... complete with dinosaur cookies. I'm also going to test my magnetism, if you get my drift.


So... Can your good day top mine?


Update: At 10:30pm, while eating Turtle ice cream at Bruster's with Kira and her socially anxious but still adorable dog, Lila, "Hungry Eyes" played over the loud speaker. It was damn poetry.

Boarding House Dinner

(Disclaimer: Sad cell phone pictures of food to follow. If that upsets you, feel free to miss out on the wonder that is my review of Southern dining.)

While my mom was here last week, she and I ventured out to a little ramshackle inn for dinner. Now this particular inn isn't much to look at from the outside. The wooden porch is warped and slanted, the white paint is cracked and peeling on all inn surfaces, and there is an intimidatingly large swarm of... something... buzzing about the top one of the roof support columns. The windows are cleanish, but the drapes hanging in them are awkwardly hung, partially missing, and - around the back especially - probably not drapes at all.

The first time we rolled up to this inn, we were about 35 minutes early. They keep interesting hours.

We went back the next night when we were sure they would be open, and it was well worth it.

We were quickly introduced to Boarding House style dining. At the inn, this means they serve up two meats, six sides, and biscuits, the amount of all of these things based on the number of people eating.

They also had a "low country boil" option and a full menu, but my mom and I threw caution to the wind and went boarding house all the way.


We ended up with fried chicken, roasted pork loin, mashed potatoes and gravy, squash, rice, green beans, black-eyed peas, macaroni and cheese, and a biscuit each.

And it was all fantastic.

Just to push their Southern hospitality over the edge, the good folks at the inn encourage you to have seconds of whatever you want. According to their menu board, they "consider it a complement."

So... you know... we might have complemented them on their fried chicken. :)

And the whole boarding house buy in? $8.99 a person. Seriously.


At that price, I felt good about splurging on iced tea and the best peach cobbler I've ever ever tasted.

My mom and I shared this piece of peach cobbler, but on a rough day, I can totally see going back for this cobbler and some coffee.

The interior of this inn is so charming, let me tell you. It was, at one point, a boarding house, I'm sure. But it's now broken up into a bunch of dining rooms, second floor included. My mom and I sat in a little room with a fireplace and a few tables. That room was lousy with tea sets and full place settings. It was just all too cute.

So my first experience of true Southern food (I am reluctant to count Subway and Quiznos) was a smashing success. Amanda approves. In a big way.

What I Learned Today, Aug. 17, 2009

Today was the first day of school, so I started off on the right foot by... well... learning things. So please enjoy What I Learned Today.


1. The perfect costume for today can be confidence in textiles.


However... the picture of said textile confidence can be oh-so-disappointing when you realize that you haven't gotten to the "wash mirror" portion of the VA -> GA move. Ugh.

2. There is no accounting for taste.


This painting is the only thing in my office at the moment. It needs to come down yesterday. I mean... I really love it and the wall color. And the purple door trim. (0_o)

3. There are faculty perks.


Some universities (read: mine) have bathrooms designated for faculty. Those bathrooms are supplied with various creams and lotions. Drawback: You will run into a faculty member in the bathroom.

4. When the interwebs are against her, a girl has to keep herself busy.


I lugged my laptop to campus today because I was promised (by a giant banner that proclaims "WIRELESS INSIDE") wireless. How-ev-er, my computer was rejected because of missing Microsoft updates. Boo.

So... without interwebs again, I read. Turns out young adult lit was also the perfect costume for today.

5. In Georgia, fruits behave differently.


Apples, for instance, brown before you finish cutting them. I'm not even kidding. Blanche Devareaux once said that people mature faster in the South, and I now believe her.

6. Just because they are a must for this season's fashion, doesn't mean they'll be nice to your feet for an entire 8 hour and 20 minute day.


Yep. Nothing witty to say about that.

I also learned things that I didn't take pictures of. For example, even if one makes it through an entire day of teaching 5 classes without breaking a sweat, that same one will sweat it out in the 6 minute ride home in the preheated oven-hot car. You are happy I didn't photograph this.

Finally (for now), I learned that when one enters five classes with the same tattoos and piercings, 2 students in 2 different classes will point them out in an attempt at solidarity. Goodness gracious.

I'm curious. What did you learn today?!

Peach Redemption

Boys and girls, I could not let yesterday's peach cupcake disaster go. As soon as those cupcakes flopped, I got on the information super highway and tried to find another peach cupcake recipe.


And voila, I did. I found this amazing recipe for Mini Vanilla-Almond Peach cupcakes on a California fruit website.


As you can see, this cake is beautiful and smooth. The vanilla and almond flavors are really light, so they work excellently beside the peach bits. (Almond is one of my favorite flavors, so I can't wait to try this cupcake sans peaches.) The icing is runnier than I prefer, but since mashed peaches are the only source of liquid, the flavor is terrific.


When I was staging these triumphant pictures, my mom came through and asked, "Are you going to take pictures on that nasty old pan?"

With a smirk, I responded, "Sure I am. It's Southern. Be charmed by it."

My instructions to you are exactly the same. :D

Vanilla-Almond Peach Cupcakes c/o EatCaliforniaFruit.com

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1 fresh California peach, pitted and diced

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl.
3. Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until fluffy.
4. Add eggs and extracts, beating well after each addition.
5. Add dry ingredients and milk in alternating halves until mixed.
6. Fold in peaches.
7. Distribute batter into cupcake tins. Batter will make 36 minis (as directed) or 12 regular cupcakes (as I did). My 12 regulars were perfectly baked at 24 minutes.

Fresh Peach Frosting

1 fresh California peach, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Tiny mint leaves (optional garnish)

1. Puree half the peach. Reserve other half.
2. Cream butter and add 3/4 cup powdered sugar. Mix until fluffy.
3. Add 1-1/2 tablespoons of peach puree and vanilla extract and mix.
4. Add remaining 3/4 cup powdered sugar and beat until you reach proper icing consistency. If icing is too stiff, add more puree.
5. Optional garnish: Chop remaining peach half and top cupcakes with peach cubes and mint leaves.