Corn on the Cob

© 2013 reality bites cupcakes inc.

Corn on the cob is one of the staples for a BBQ at my house, so when I saw this idea on Martha Stewart I knew I had to try it out.

I imagine eating this “properly” would be as comical as Tom Hanks trying to nibble baby corn in the movie “Big”, but it’s the thought that counts, and the presentation that makes the whole idea work.

As we get into the thick of the season, I can’t help but gravitate towards ideas like this one that make me feel increasingly hopeful that the summer doesn’t end. 

Bagels

 All images ©2013 reality bites cupcakes inc.

As a New Yorker, I will always brag about the state’s superiority when it comes to bagels (particularly Long Island and New York City). When I lived at home, my dad would make sure there were bagels at our house every Sunday morning, and if we happened to sleep at a friend’s house, there were bagels on their doorstep before anyone woke up. 

My favorite type varies on my mood and the bagel place, but I would never turn down a toasted sesame bagel with cream cheese. I got the idea for these “bagel” cupcakes wandering the baking isle at a craft store by my family’s house. I knew it would be a hit or miss experiment, but wanted to take a stab at it to see if what I was imagining would come to fruition.

It did, and I have to admit these are the cupcakes I am most proud of. Not only was this idea solely mine, I had never seen it done before. I also confused a lot of people, as they initially found it a little bizarre that I was sending them pictures of “bagels”.

Even I was a little flustered when biting into one, expecting a completely different flavor than the one I was getting.

Happy Birthday, America!

"Rocket Pops"

 All images ©2013 reality bites cupcakes inc.

Since the Fourth of July falls awkwardly on a Wednesday this year, I feel as if everyone is extending the celebration across two weekends. I know my roommate and I decided to do that- we had a party at our apartment on Saturday night where I served these festive cupcakes.

Since the number one food I associate with the 4th is a cheeseburger (which I’ve already made/featured) I tried to think of something else to honor the holiday. Kate Upton is featured on the cover of GQ’s July issue enjoying a cold Rocket Pop, so I attempted to make the cupcake version of this classic summer ice pop. They remind me of hearing the ice cream man’s truck bells and begging my parents to let me bolt from the dinner table to catch him.

I’ve already made ice cream cones, but they just seemed like a necessity for the Fourth, along with the traditional cupcakes adorned with American flags. 

The party was a blast, (a minor cupcake fight occurred), but now I am ready to keep the celebrations going into this week and next weekend. Everyone may be a little thrown by the Fourth’s timing this year, but I can’t help but be excited to draw out one of my favorite holidays of the year. 

Sushi

Sorting by color…

 All images ©2013 reality bites cupcakes inc.

I never like to cook dinner on Fridays, so I often opt for picking up sushi on my way home from work. Although sushi isn’t in my top 3 (as previously mentioned) it is a favorite that I never seem to get sick of.

I had been wanting to try this recipe for weeks, but had some serious trouble finding all of the ingredients. I’m pretty sure I scoured every grocery store, deli, and Duane Reade in Manhattan trying to find the “seaweed”, and was only successful when I went out to the suburbs for the weekend to visit my family. 

My younger sister helped me with these mini-cupcakes, building an assembly line so we could get them done and not spend our whole Sunday in the kitchen. From sorting a box of Nerds, to chopping up a large assortment of candy, and actually wrapping each piece of “sushi”, let’s just say once these were done we spent the rest of the day on the couch.

If it takes the people who make my sushi anywhere near as long as it took me to make these, god bless them. 

Ice Cream Cone

©2013 reality bites cupcakes inc.

I like to ask people the question, “if you were told you could only eat three foods (throw calories, fat, how awful you feel after you eat whatever it is, out the window) for the rest of you life- what would you eat?”.

My three foods are hummus, pizza (the good, the bad, I am not picky), and soft serve ice cream. I admit I eat it year round, but somehow even more in the summer. A personal pet peeve is when it melts, so I tend to inhale my frozen yogurt like someone is going to take it away from me. 

Luckily, this ice cream cone didn’t melt on me. Food Network Magazine featured a snow cone cupcake last month that I was impressed by, but a friend expressed concern in eating it. I realized that while it may look cool (pun intended!), the ice cream cone will always be the easiest way to eat your frozen (or baked) treat. 

Caprese Sandwich

©2013 reality bites cupcakes inc.

A few weeks after I made the sliders, another coworker asked me to make them for his sister’s birthday. He gave me about 12 hours notice, but since I have too much fun baking, I agreed to do my best to get as many sliders made by the next morning as I could.

I have to say, the second time around was much easier, and they came out great! What I realized after the sliders were packed up and ready to go was that Justin had mentioned his sister was lactose intolerant. The yellow cake called for butter. I was in trouble. 

Oh a whim the night before, I had baked the extra chocolate cake batter in a flat baking tin. I didn’t want to waste it, and all of my cupcake trays were already in the oven. I quickly pulled this flat, sad looking “cake” out of the fridge where I had it cooling, and sliced it into squares. Marshmallows from another baking experiment, leftover icing , and some extra sesame seeds saved the day. The chocolate cake bakes with oil, not butter, so I knew Justin’s sister would be able to eat them.

The caprese sandwich on “pumpernickel” wasn’t planned, but I have to admit, someone said they thought the bread looked a lot like cake before I had explained to them what it actually was. I’ll take a W for this one.

Sliders

"Buns" 

"Patties"

Cheeseburger in Paradise

Sliders for everyone!

 All images ©2013 reality bites cupcakes inc.

These “sliders” were my first time straying from traditional cupcakes. It was my coworker’s birthday, and the running joke is that he is our very own Man vs. Food (as we make him eat any and all leftovers when out on work lunches/dinners). I decided to make these, seeing as baking for a guy, I wanted to try something a little more manly. 

These were by no means easy- literally blood (I managed to stab myself with a fork opening some icing…don’t ask), sweat and tears (from the puncture wound that resulted in x-rays to make sure I hadn’t broken my finger!) went into these. But, the end result couldn’t have made me, or everyone in my office, more happy.