Sunday, December 19, 2010

Comment Love and a Spicy Giveaway

To my new friends, followers, and fellow blog hoppers... 

You all have made my day and my week. I have never had such an buzz from a blog hop before. Thanks for following, I am slowly getting to all of your blogs/facebook/ twitter links as fast as I can. I can not tell you all how truly blessed I feel each time I read your amazing comments.
I have felt a little lost from time to time, finding my way in this new blogging world. But having new friends, like yourselves, has made me not only jump with joy at each and every thoughtful comment. But it has made this blog, my big (jumping into the pool of risk, feet first) risk, worth more than I ever thought possible. So to thank you all for following me and leaving some kick-ass comments and since I have reached 30 followers, I am personally hosting 2 awesome giveaways!
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes topped with a Cranberry and Nutmeg





I have during a recent shopping trip, picked up a few of my favorite spices at Penzeys Spices in Indianapolis. I love all of the amazing spices you can find there and I always spend at least 1/2 hour shopping and of course smelling my way through the store. I have found some new and awesome spices that I am going to share with you. I hope you enjoy and good luck!



Box #1 Bakers Box:
Extra Fancy Vietnamese Cinnamon(my personal favorite)
Vietnamese cinnamon is the strongest, richest, and sweetest cinnamon around. For traditional cinnamon recipes such as gooey cinnamon rolls, the vibrant flavor of Vietnamese cinnamon really shines. It is so strong, that in most recipes it should be cut back by about a third, but it is perfect used full strength in any recipe where cinnamon is the main, delicious flavor. Ground, from Vietnam.1.7 ounces
Mace:
We used it in our Sweet Potato Mold, in the place of the nutmeg we forgot to buy. I really enjoyed and now prefer (the change of flavor that was brought out by the) mace.. Mace, the lace-like, dried covering of the nutmeg, is a sweet and flavorful spice well worth using. Mace has a softer flavor than nutmeg, and for a nice change of pace it can be used in place of nutmeg in any recipe.  Mace is a traditional flavoring for doughnuts and hot dogs. 0.9 ounces
Baking Spice:
All-purpose blend of sweet baking spices- a mix of Ceylon softsick Cinnamon, rich Mace, Sweet Anise, and a hint of cool Cardamom. Perfect for muffins, coffee cake, and banana bread, or sprinkle on coffee, hot chocolate, fresh fruit or oatmeal . Or just add up the spices your recipe call for and use the same amount of Baking Spice instead. 0.7 ounces


How to Enter:


You must leave a separate comment for EACH entry for it to count in each giveaway. Also you must enter into each the giveaways with your email address on EACH comment, otherwise the entry will be withdrawn! 
Giveaway #1 Bakers Box winners will be drawn using Random.org, and the contest will run from December 8th 2010 to December 31th 2010  at 10 pm Eastern Indiana time. 
I will contact the winner by email, and he/she will have *48 Hours to respond. If there is no response, another winner will be drawn using Random.org and notified. If you are already a follower of Calamity Kate's Kitchen, Twitter, or Facebook, please leave comments so you can still be counted in for the giveaways!  Good Luck!
Mandatory Entry:

you must be a follower of Calamity Kate =  1 entry

Extra Entries:
1. Follow Calamity Kate on Twitter =  1 entry
2. Follow and like Calamity Kate on Facebook =  1entry
3. Add Calamity Kate to your favorites page on facebook=  1 entry
4. Write a post about this giveaway on your blog, then leave a comment with the URL where the post is located = 1 entry
5. Link your blog or website to Calamity Kate = 1 entry
6. Tell me about a Calamity Kate recipe  you have made =3 entries

Cranberry topped Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes







Box #2 Chocolate Lovers:
Two types of the highest quality cocoa that are almost twice as rich as the grocery store varieties: Natural cocoa is strong, dark and bittersweet-perfect for all baking; Dutch cocoa is processed to temper the natural acidity of the cocoa bean, yielding a smooth, rich and slightly less strong cocoa that mixes more freely with liquid. Dutch cocoa has long been the cocoa of choice for hot chocolate and flavored coffee. Cocoa can easily replace unsweetened baking chocolate. The standard conversion is to use 3 TB. cocoa + 1 TB. vegetable oil to equal one square of baking chocolate, but this cocoa is so rich it can be used without the extra oil.
Natural High Fat Cocoa:
A strong dark chocolate flavor The best cocoa for bringing life to your brownies, cakes and cookies. High Fat Cocoa is the richest grade of cocoa available in the world today 2.1 ounces
Dutch Process High Fat Cocoa:
"Dutched" cocoa is processed for a milder, smoother flavor. High fat cocoa is the richest grade of cocoa available in the world today 2.1 ounces


How to Enter:


You must leave a separate comment for EACH entry for it to count in each giveaway. Also you must enter into each the giveaways with your email address on EACH comment, otherwise the entry will be withdrawn! 
Giveaway #2 Chocolate Lovers winners will be drawn using Random.org, and the contest begins December 31st, 2010 and ends on January 31st 2011  at 10 pm Eastern Indiana time. 
I will contact the winner by email, and he/she will have 48 Hours to respond. If there is no response, another winner will be drawn using Random.org and notified. 
If you are already a follower of Calamity Kate's Kitchen, Twitter, or Facebook, please leave comments so you can still be counted for the giveaways!  Good Luck!


 Mandatory Entry:
you must be a follower of Calamity Kate =  1 entry

Extra Entries:
1. Follow Calamity Kate on Twitter =  1 entry
2. Follow and like Calamity Kate on Facebook =  1entry
3. Add Calamity Kate to your favorites page on facebook=  1 entry
4. Write a post about this giveaway on your blog, then leave a comment with the URL where the post is located = 2 entry
5. Link your blog or website to Calamity Kate

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes



Extra Fancy Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon Penzeys Spice Extra Fancy Vietnamese Cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg + more for sprinkling on the top or try mace to replace the nutmeg with a lighter flavor
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup or 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (15 oz. ) pumpkin puree, I made my own roasted pumpkin puree

Preheat the oven to 350˚F
Line the muffin tins with cupcake liners (preferably greaseproof cupcake liners)
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt,Penzeys Spice Extra Fancy Vietnamese Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg; set aside. 
In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together brown sugar, sugar, butter, and eggs. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add in the pumpkin puree.  
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners with an ice cream scoop, filling each about halfway. Bake until top springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. 



Cinnamon Cream Cheese Butter Cream

4 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
4 Tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tablespoons sour cream
1/8 teaspoon meringue powder, optional
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon Penzeys Spice Extra Fancy Vietnamese Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar

In a mixer, combine the butter, cream cheese and sour cream, cream together. Add in the vanilla extract and spices and stir to mix. Add powdered sugar and beat on high for 1-2 minutes until the butter cream becomes light and fluffy.  Pipe the butter cream onto the completely cooled cupcakes. Dust the cupcakes with cinnamon or a pinch of nutmeg.

14 comments:

  1. Those cupcakes look sinfully delicious, oh my goodness! I'm your newest follower from the blog hop & would love a follow back - thanks! :)
    Have a great day!
    ~Erika
    Musings from a Stay At Home Mom

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm following you on Twitter. The cupcakes look super yummy! lisachalfant@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm also a follower of your blog :) lisachalfant@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Following from the blog hop I'd love a follow back! Find me @ http://myadventures-in-mommyland.blogspot.com/

    Tania a.k.a MoMmY :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Newest follower !
    Happy blog hop !
    Follow me back and say hi !
    Hugs
    http://lechateaudesfleurs.blogspot.com/

    isafrenchy@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh that cupcake looks yummy and some of my favorite flavors all in one!
    Shawn

    ReplyDelete
  7. New follower, hope you can stop by for a visit.
    www.staying-me.com
    Those cupcakes look so yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a fun blog you have!!
    Stopping by from Friday Follow blog hop. Hope you get a chance to check out my blog, http://discoverdirectselling.blogspot.com/
    Have a wonderful weekend!
    Nancy

    ReplyDelete
  9. I follow you via GFC (Throuthehaze)
    throuthehaze at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  10. follow you on twitter @throuthehaze
    throuthehaze at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Like you on Facebook-Rae Pavey
    throuthehaze at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love this cupcake. thanks for stopping by my blog...

    ReplyDelete


Hello and thanks for visiting Calamity Kate Kitchen. I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipes and stories to leave a comment! Please excuse our word verification, but lots of spammers have been leaving their comments and those comments are not appropriate. Anyways, thanks for stopping by and I can't wait to read your comments!
Cheers, Kate