Monday, March 30, 2009

The Monday Muse: Cupcakes, An Awesome Author, and a Delicious Giveaway!


Welcome to this week's Monday Muse, and last giveaway of this month's March Madness feature (details below)! Today's amazing/wonderful/talented visitor is Laura Schaefer, author of The Teashop Girls! I've already conducted an interview with her here, but I thought I'd shake up the usual interviews with something more fun and different....like Laura sharing a favorite recipe that you'd find at teatime at the Steeping Leaf, the teashop in Laura's book! So grab a cup of tea, a comfy seat, and have ingredients at the ready, because this recipe sounds seriously yummy.....
-----------------------------
Laura's Apple Cream Cheese Cupcakes 

From Laura: "Here's a cupcake recipe I just made. It's something I invented by modifying an apple coffeecake recipe. The cupcakes turn out slightly messy, but delicious!"
Ingredients
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large tart apple, cored and chopped
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Prepare a cupcake pan with paper liners.
3. Cream 5 tablespoons butter and 1 cup sugar. Add egg and milk and beat well. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and apples. Batter will be stiff. Spoon into prepared cupcake pan. Bake about 25 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and remaining butter. Mix inn the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Frost the cupcakes after they've cooled. Makes 12.
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Yummy! Sounds great, Laura! I will definitely have to check that recipe out....as you all know, I'm a big fan of cupcakes (especially carrot cake ones.....yum...). 
Interested in reading The Teashop Girls? Well, I have one beautiful, lovely ARC to give away, courtesy of Laura for the last March Madness contest (thanks, Laura!). Rules are the usual:
+1 for becoming a follower
+2 for already being a follower
+1 for posting on your blog
...To enter, post a comment here with your email address and your favorite dessert, tea, or teatime snack. Remember, all March Madness entries will be counted by April 6, so don't forget to enter to win books by Melissa Walker, Lisa Greenwald, and Kimberly Pauley as well!
Click here for a review of The Teashop Girls
Click here for a previous interview with Laura

51 comments:

Debs Desk said...

My favorite dessert is white cake with orange icing. Please include me in your giveaway.
Thanks
debbie
debdesk9@verizon.net

Debs Desk said...

I am already a follower.
Thanks
Debbie
debdesk9@verizon.net

Katie said...

My favorite dessert is lemon cake with cream cheese frosting. I would love to be entered in your contest! I am already a follower. And I just might have to try that recipe!

katieb206@gmail.com

Jenna said...

My favorite dessert is chocolate creme brulee. It's very, very good. Please enter me in this contest, the book looks good.

+2 for already being a follower

Thank you,
Jenna
jennapomme@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Carrot cake cupcakes? Intresting!My favorite dessert is a tie between Strawberry Shortcake and Banana Ice Cream. That is why my thighs are huge as well! Love to enter the contest!

Amber
sammyjones57(at)hotmail(dot)com

GreenBeanTeenQueen said...

Yum! This looks so good! My favorite desert would have to be cupcakes, or cookies if they're soft and gooey right from the oven.

Jen said...

I like Breakfast tea ^_^ Also Ive got a whole bunch of special edition tea that was given out to celebrate something to do with the queen (Im Canadian) a couple years ago and its lovely

^_^ Please enter me
Jenny.3.C@gmail.com

Erika Powell said...

I have a couple different teas that I brought back from Australia when I was there and I love them. I will be sad when they run out.
I follow in google reader

sports dot erikalynn at gmail dot com

Carrie said...

I'm an iced tea girl. Unsweetened which horrifies all my friends from the south, but I'm a Missouri girl, we like it unsweet, what can I say?

I'm a follower and my e-mail is
poptart675@att.net

Unknown said...

Man, it's hard to pick a favorite, but I love to make Watergate cupcakes. And the Bundt pan is my friend :)

I already follow.

cecilia } cecpham(at)gmail.com

Anonymous said...

You are back! YAY! We missed you!

Annie1 said...

We have a little bakery in my town and my kids have grown up eating their "pink" tarts, which are basically almond tarts with a pink glaze and they are delicious! Pink tarts with tea are perfect!

Thanks

nancyrobster@gmail.com

Annie1 said...

I follow already #1


Thanks


nancyrobster@gmail.com

Annie1 said...

I follow already #2


Thanks


nancyrobster@gmail.com

Michelle Kuo said...

I'd like to enter! My favorite dessert.. hm that's hard to choose, since I like so many! I definitely like cheesecake and tiramisu, but it's hard to pick only ONE.

michelle.kuool(at)yahoo(dot)com

I'm already a follower :)

Violet Vixen said...

I'm a big fan of homemade cookies, and I've been on a snickerdoodle kick recently. And I'm a new follower! This recipe sounds wonderful.

katayoun said...

brownies and green tea with flower petals. heaven!

and i'm already a follower

Ms. Yingling said...

I really liked this book, and it has circulated well in my library.

Llehn said...

My favorite dessert ... hmmm ... that's a tough one because it changes all the time depending on my mood. At this moment I have a craving for cream puffs.

Lesley
lesly7ch(at)yahoo(dot)com

Thao said...

Delicious post. I love cupcakessss.

I just followed you ^^

Pissenlit said...

Wow, those cupcakes sound fantastic! :D

Oooh, I heart tea! My favourite tea would be regular run of the mill Red Rose Tea(the Canadian blend, not the American one) with a bit of 2% or whole milk. Favourite teatime snack would be cucumber sandwiches and fave dessert is cheesecake...or maybe crème brûlée...

*drool*

Nora said...

I'd definitely say my favorite dessert is chocolate chip cookies, hands down. I am already a follower and I posted here: http://noraatnow.blogspot.com/2009/03/book-contests_31.html

Nora
wishonstars13@hotmail.com

Willowe said...

Ooh, those look delicious (though my favorite dessert will always be peanut butter pie!)

Also, please enter me! I'm already a follower and I posted a link on my sidebar here: http://readingsofateenagetree.blogspot.com

willowenigma[at]gmail.com

Liyana said...

Heyy. (:

I'm already a follower, and I posted about all your MM contests here. My favourite snack would be the biscuit the ysell at Popeye's for a buck apiece. All soft and fluffy, yummy!

My email is: loony_balooga_91@hotmail.com

Thanks!

Do you mind doing a link exchange? I already linked you up.:)

mindy said...

cheesecake is my all time fave followed by hot pecan pie thanks for the giveaway minsthins(at)optonline(dot)net

BN Book Blog said...

Well, when I was in London this winter I bought some amazing Christmas Spiced tea from Fortnum and Mason. It's the best stuff ever.
We're followers!!!

Beth (& Nathan too)
bnbookblog@gmail.com

tatertot374 said...

My favorite dessert is angel food cake with fresh cream and strawberries.
Thank you!
tatertot374@sbcglobal.net

(: Isa :) said...

This sounds delicious! One of my favorite desserts would be caramel custard (flan)!

I'm already following you.

greenc70@gmail.com

Michele said...

Thank you for the great giveaway! My favorite dessert is cheesecake with cherries!

Lenore Appelhans said...

Those sound delish!

Kaye said...

That recipe sounds really good. My favorite is spice cake with a maple walnut frosting and walnut halves on the top with a cup of vanilla almond tea. YUM! please enter me in the drawing. I just signed up to be a follower.

florida982002[at]yahoo[dot]com

Unknown said...

Love to have this. I really enjoy raspberry filled chocolate cookies.

Thanks,

darkfyre1(at)gmail(dot)com

GreenBeanTeenQueen said...

I sent you an e-mail about Prada and Prejudice!:)

Bookworm said...

Ooooh...you guys are making me so hungry! Some of these desserts sound majorly yummy...now I feel inspired to bake! (:

Reyna Meinhardt said...

+2 I became a follower earlier today before I knew about the "Teashop Girls" contest, does that count?

+1 I posted a sidelink on my blog here (copy and paste together):
http://booksforteensreviews
.blogspot.com/


My favorite dessert, hmmm, I have to many!! I love fruit filled crepes! Num! And if you get the right ingredients, there healthy to!

Thanks for the contest!

countrystars95@yahoo.com

KR said...

Yummy...key lime cheesecake!


mj.coward[at]gmail.com

KR said...

new follower

Anonymous said...

I love tiramisu. My favorite!

thanks for a great contest!

wdebo said...

Thanks for your contest!

I have already been a follower!

Wdebo :)

electricalbookcafe@yahoo.com

Wrighty said...

This book sounds good! Desserts are one of my favorite topics, especially carrot cake. I'm gaining weight just thinking about it. Please include me.

- I'm a follower
- I've added this to my sidebar
www.wrightysreads.blogspot.com

5wrights1[at]verizon[dot]net

Katie said...

My fav dessert is hands down cheesecake.
I'm already a follower.
bball11kt@sbcglobal.net

A Reader said...

My favorite dessert is devils food cake with marhmallow icing.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com

Paradox said...

My favorite kind of tea is Earl Grey.

I'm already a follower.

paradoxrevealed (at) aim (dot) com

Marie said...

My favorite dessert is White Chocolate Mousse Torte!

vmlay@artsci.wustl.edu

xdeex said...

Sounds great! I would have to say coffee cake...I know that's weird combination with tea , but I like it.

I am already a follower.

dsym_06@yahoo.com

xdeex said...

Oops, forgot to tell you that I have a link on my blog (scroll down a bit)
http://xbookcontestsx.blogspot.com/


dsym_06@yahoo.com

Jayme said...

my favorite desert is cherry or apple whatever. it's soooo good. i can't wait til Easter--the roommate and I are making a berry whatever.

this books sounds good!
already a follower
jaymewhitson@gmail.com

Book Sp(l)ot said...

It's random but one of my favorites (I'm really horrible with deciding) is grasshopper pie--that mint/oreo crust pie they have around St Patrick's Day....Sadly, though, I didn't have any this St Patrick's Day ;) (I have made it for my birthday, though)

di said...

I'm already a follower, and I love Spruce Lake Cake.

not_so_cg[at]yahoo[dot]com

Gwendolyn B. said...

Mmmmm. Nothing beats a chocolate chip pecan oatmeal cookie! Yum! This book sounds like a lot of fun, and I'd love to share it with my nieces. Thanks for the chance to win a copy!

I'm alread a Follower!

geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com

James said...

Wow, looks gorgeous. I am always too nervous about making smaller cakes.