Chocolate and Peanut Butter...

chocolate and peanut butter is there anything better together? ok, well maybe peanut butter and jelly, but i think that is a tough race. this is my tribute to everyone's favorite couple. a moist espresso milk chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting. not just any peanut butter frosting either. instead of a dense thick peanut butter frosting usually made with peanut butter, butter and sugar, this is light and airy with all the real peanut butter flavor you love without the addition of butter and sugar. now don't get me wrong i am not saying butter and sugar are bad things, in fact they are very close friends of mine, but peanut butter in itself is wonderful and using it as a base cut with a heavy whip cream makes it almost mousse like. the espresso added in the cupcake gives the chocolate a rich and deep flavor. just to tie it all together it is topped with a reese's peanut butter cup. fun to eat and completely delicious. a favorite of adults and kids alike.

monkeying around!

Nothing makes a child smile like cupcakes, and nothing will ever make me forget the smile on my son's 8th birthday when he saw the monkey cupcakes i made for him.
being born on valentine's day, usually means sharing with holiday school parties and a long holiday weekend where most people go away. sometimes it's hard to compete with crowds, schedules and all that goes with. so when asked what he wanted to do for his special day he informed me just a trip to the zoo with some friends and monkey cupcakes!
i guess it's not a strange request for the kid who's mom is known to all the kids and parents in the school as the cupcake lady, but monkeys? that was a new one for me. so i put my thinking cap on and came up with these cute little guys that were a huge hit.
the cupcakes where moist and yummy yellow cake and the frosting underneath a milk chocolate mousse, topped with a fondant monkey.
there were smiles all around and one very happy boy, who informed me at the end of the weekend of fun and sweets. "This was the best birthday ever!!!!!"

fun, easy valentine's day gifts!

looking for something fun and fabulous for your funny valentine?

* think sweet, treat that is. order your cupcakes, cookies or candy confections now.

* is your valentine watching their calories or just not that big on sweets? order up a custom cooking class just for them.

* looking for something quiet for the two of you, how about a romantic dinner in the comfort of your own home, no driving, no crowds and heck you can even eat in your sweats if you want.

email me @ gina@alwaysgourmetpcs.com and an order up a valentine's day you won't forget. don't be caught in the last minute frenzy of store bought chocolates, fuzzy teddy bears and the bouquet of flowers from the guy on the corner on your way home from work!