Mini Oreo Cheesecakes

Every time I asked one of my friends what he wanted me to bake, he always said Oreo cheesecake.  Well, I don't have a springform pan, let alone room for a water bath in my tiny oven.  Cheesecakes can be very temperamental even in the best conditions, not to mention not very easy to transport.  A cheesecake is big and bulky and needs to be refrigerated.  Then it hit me.  Miniature single serving cheesecakes in my muffin pan.  I've done it before.  I knew it would work.

I really wanted to try one of these, but they disappeared before I got a chance to sink my teeth into one.  I was so disappointed.  The friend who requested them ate three.  Everybody wanted one, and everybody exclaimed how delicious they were.  I guess I'll just have to take their word for it and use my imagination.  I'll have to be quicker next time.

Mini Oreo cheesecakes are perfect for a picnic.  They're already portioned so you don't have to transport a whole cheesecake.  They're small enough that they won't weigh you down so you're ready for some ultimate Frisbee afterward.  Or if moderation's not your thing, you could always eat three of them.  Who's gonna stop you?

Inspired by Diana's Desserts

Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

How is one expected to go about their daily business when their whole apartment smells like spice heaven?  That's the dilemma I was faced with when I put these baby cakes in the oven.  The warm comforting scent of cinnamon and ginger hung around my apartment for hours.  These golden teddy bear brown cakes sat cooling on my table, taunting me, begging to be eaten.  I wish I could have had them all to myself.

These sweet little cakes started out with that oh so heavenly spice cake I was telling you about.  A bit more substantial than the average airy vanilla cupcake, these cakes are loaded with flavor all by themselves, including a gentle heat that warms the back of your throat.  No wonder people were willing to sail thousands of miles for this stuff.  Spices make life much more exciting.  But as if that weren't enough, perched on top is a generous dollop of sweet and tangy maple cream cheese frosting.  It's just the right amount of sweet, and oh so smooth and creamy.  Finally they're hit with a sprinkling of demerara sugar to make them sparkle.

I couldn't help myself.  I had to have one before we packed them up for Canada day.  I couldn't believe my taste buds.  These cupcakes turned out to be even better than the smell had promised.  I couldn't stop dancing with delight.  I wanted everyone in the world to try one.  As long as they left one more for me.  

Inspired by The Hungry Mouse

Margarita Lime Cookies

In case you didn't get enough drunken cupcake action, we brought out some of these bright refreshing cookies last weekend by special request.  The cookies are soft and citrusy with a cloud of tequila lime frosting mounded on top.  This was another creation so good I didn't even get to try one.  They're a perfect summer treat and great for sharing.  Eat yours with a Corona.  Or a tequila shot.  I won't tell.

Inspired by Bakingdom 

Triple Caramel Cupcakes

I'm a chocolate freak myself, but my husband LOVES caramel (which must be pronounced with three syllables).  So when it came time to find ideas for last weekend's Taichung Improv show, he, of course, suggested caramel cupcakes.  These cupcakes delivered on all fronts.

It starts with a dense sticky caramel cake made with brown sugar.  Then there's a secret filling of homemade caramel sauce.  Piled on top is a caramel butter cream and a drizzle of that caramel filling, just in case you hadn't had enough caramel already.  Sadly, they all sold out before I even got to try one, but I hear they were divine.  If you love all things caramel, you're gonna melt when you sink your teeth into one of these.

Inspired by Sprinkle Bakes

Gooey Chocolate Chip Brownies

There are moments in life when nothing but chocolate will do, and a humble brownie is the best possible solution.  They're an unassuming treat, especially next to colorfully decorated cupcakes, but the taste of a brownie is unrivaled.  Nothing beats a chewy gooey fudgy brownie studded with chocolate chips.  It's like sinking your teeth into a bit of chocolate heaven.

Inspired by Nestle Toll House 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

There are some things you just can't get in Taiwan.  Reese's peanut butter cups are one of them.  No matter where you look, they cannot be found.  Reese's is one of my all time favorite candies.  It makes me sad every time I have to choose something else at 7-11.

But this makes me very happy.  A chocolate peanut butter cupcake to fulfill all of your peanut butter cup cravings.  It's a light as air devil's food cupcake topped with the best peanut butter frosting I've ever tasted.  It's like crack, this stuff.  It makes me dance every time I taste it.  

One of our Taichung fans requested these.  The only way you can get chocolate and peanut butter together in this country is to make it yourself.  Which is what I did.  I hope you enjoy!

We'll be in People's Park today with these cupcakes and our amazing sandwich cookies.  Hope to see you there.

In the Works-- Tequila Sunrise Cupcake

We've got great things cooking in the Treatsies kitchen.  You loved the margarita cupcakes so much, we've decided to develop a whole line of drunken cupcakes based on all the drinks you love.  Just because you can't go to the bars in Taichung anymore doesn't mean you can't still enjoy the flavor of your favorite cocktail.

This weekend we've been working on perfecting the tequila sunrise cupcake.  It's sweet and orangalicious with a slight punch of tequila working in the background. It will make you feel like you're on a Mexican beach.  

Tell us what your favorite cocktails are, and we'll create the perfect cupcake for you.  What are you craving today?