I met Matt at a Denny's in LA...

...when we were freshmen in college. We were there with a school group to watch the Cal - UCLA game. After the game everybody went back to the Denny's located in the Motel's parking lot for dinner. Long story short, we ended up at the same table. He ordered a cookies 'n creme milkshake and some type of meat (he says burger, I say 4 meats platter...) and I ordered pancakes. The pancakes I had been craving since I had left for college 2 months before. The pancakes that I had never really craved before (I was more of a waffles girl), but have since craved every Sunday morning.

The cupcakes I made on Saturday reminded me of pancakes. They are the Maple Pecan Cupcake, from no other than Cupcake Heaven, but I prefer to call them the Pancake Cupcake. And with that amount of maple, how could you not!? These were also the perfect cupcakes to make because I only needed to buy eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup and pecans to be able to make them! Of course it wasn't until we got home from Whole Foods Market that I realized that the book suggested to stay away from the dark amber syrups, and I am sure you all can figure out which one we had bought at the store...

 Here I am folding in the sifted flour and the roughly chopped pecans. For both of the previous recipes I've made I have felt like the cupcakes have been a little dense. I had been beating the flour in so I thought that might be the reason why. I also realized that the flour I have been using is 100% Whole Wheat Flour. Matt suggested this might be causing the odd texture because he heard from the pastry chef at Crossroads (Cal's Dining Hall) that whole wheat is hard to bake with. But whatever, the bag said pastry flour on it so I am sticking to my folding flour theory. And where was Maddie during all of this?

I still laugh at this every time I see it. As I mentioned before, the recipe suggested using the lighter amber maple syrup because of something to do with the color or something of the finished product...I think they turned out light enough!

 

You might notice how raggedy my oven mittens are. So, while you're over at Amazon.com buying me More Than a Hobby: How a $600 Startup Became America's Home and Craft Superstore you can also buy me a pair of Calphalon Twill Thumb Mitt, Black Licorice. 

While the cupcakes were cooling on the rack it was time to make the caramelized pecan toppers. I have yet to decorate the cupcakes because I felt like they already had so much going on. But how could I pass up the caramelized pecan toppers? They seemed so integral to the integrity of the cupcake! Again we deviate from the recipe because despite Matt's many warnings I may or may not (well I did) burn the caramel. Oh well, if Ici is allowed to have burnt caramel icecream, then I am allowed to make burnt caramel pecans!

 

The frosting was a buttery maple (do you see the pancake connection yet!?). One the cupcakes were frosted and the candies were cooled, the finish product was produced.

 

These were by far my favorite cupcakes. Whether it was because I cooked the a few minutes less than suggested, or because the shifted flour was folded in, the texture did seem to improve.

Because presentation is everything, for Valentine's Day my mom sent be this wonderful little cupcake stand. First here is Maddie checking it out... then here it is with a cupcake standing on it. I am sure this stand will be making an appearance in many more posts.

Please note the giant bowl of hazelnuts in the background. Those are still left over from the last batch of cupcakes. I still have not mastered the nut machines at Whole Foods, but I did not buy nearly as many pecans this time.

And finally, because Matt decided we needed a 'daily' Maddie meowing picture (so typical Maddie!) here you go:

At least Matt has a carmera...

...so that when he comes to visit I get to have a photographer for my cupcakes and crafts. Yes, in true form, we did make cupcakes while Matt was here this weekend. But more importantly (well maybe not...) I now have photographic evidence of the apron I mentioned in my previous post. Without further adieu,

 Why yes, those are fortune cookies! And no, no I did not wear this while baking the cupcakes because I have my own cupcake apron (but there may or may not be some grey cat hair on it...I'll lint roll that for you mom before I transfer possession of the apron to you...)

Well there you have it, the proof is in the pudding (or the fortune cookies for that matter). I think I may have accidentally made the apron too small because I was having so much fun pulling the thread and scrunching up the fabric but we will have to see.

And now, since I know the suspense is killing you, I will inform you that you have to wait until tomorrow to find out what kind of cupcakes I made this weekend! But really, you're probably just interested in seeing Matt's mad photography skills. Or Maddie. Because honestly, if Maddie weren't so cute, you'd have no reason to read.