Fudge Cupcakes

Let's talk about chocolate cupcakes. Specifically the light and fluffy kind with thick fudgy icing. Not the billowing cloud of butter cream, but the kind you can feel your teeth sliding into. The kind that melts in your mouth like a chocolaty dream.

There's really not a chocolate cupcake I'd ever say no to, unless it's concealing something healthy, like fruits or vegetables. I love giant mounds of buttercream, but this fudge icing is like a Hostess cupcake gone mad. I absolutely adore it. And the cupcake itself is like a pillow. Though I suppose one wouldn't get much sleeping done with that sort of temptation under their heads. Silliness aside, this cupcake is heaven.

These were made for a going away party for someone headed off to Brazil, so I chose yellow papers and blue and green sprinkles. But one of the greatest things about cupcakes is how they can be personalized for almost any occasion. Endless possibilities. Just the way it should be.

So yeah, chocolate cupcakes. Aren't you glad we had this little chat? Get ya some!

Photos by Monica Szczupider

Cheesy Bread

I've got another savory treat for you today. It makes my mouth water remembering it. And it involves my second favorite food group, cheese! And lots of it.

This loaf is dense and simply packed with cheddar cheese. I prefer it warm out of the oven, but it's pretty delicious at room temperature, too. While I am a bit impatient and simply stuffed my face with a plain slice of bread, I bet this would also make a pretty ridiculous grilled sandwich. I mean, grilled ham and cheese with cheese bread? How crazy is that?

It's hard to keep track of the time out here in the middle of the ocean, what with it still being in the mid-80's everyday. I can't believe it's November already. Don't forget to give us a call or drop us an email if you would like to order a Thanksgiving dessert or side dish. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but I know how stressful it can be. There's no shame in getting a little help. That's where Treatsies comes in.

And in the meantime, make sure you get your cheese fix anyway you can. May I suggest getting it in bread form? It's portable. Nothing like a cheesy treat you can throw in your purse. Get ya some.

English Scones

If you've ever met me, you know that I'm a bit of an anglophile. So much so that I even married a most charming Englishman.  How can you read your way through their rich literary history and not fall in love with that beautiful, rainy, green countryside or the bustling streets of London? Don't even get me started on Hogwarts.

For my husband's birthday, someone gave him a jar of clotted cream. This was something I'd only ever read about in books, so I was excited to be able to give it a try. And on what does one put clotted cream? Why, scones, of course.

Traditional English scones are a bit different from what we're used to seeing in our American coffee shop pastry cases. They're not triangular, but round, and actually look a lot like biscuits. Scones are a bit heavier, however. They're still buttery, but they definitely benefit from a lovely cup of tea and a big dollop of Hobbitesque jam. Preferably made from gorgeous fat berries picked from your own idyllic English garden.

Now, clotted cream was a bit of a surprise. The name makes it seem like it might be similar to cottage cheese, but it's actually completely smooth and extremely thick. It can't be drizzled or even dolloped. It's almost as thick as cream cheese and basically tastes like plain heavy cream. I wouldn't eat it by itself, but paired with the raspberry jam, it gave a wonderful creamy quality to the whole experience that was simply delightful.

By the way, don't ever ask a British person if they want biscuits and gravy for breakfast without properly interpreting. They will give you a look of horror and think you're about to feed them cookies with brown beef gravy, which I have no doubt would be ever bit as disgusting as it sounds. Just stick with the fresh baked scones with jam and clotted cream, or cream cheese if you can't get the import. Get yourself a cup of tea, turn on Downton Abbey, and you're golden. English treatsies like no other.

*Photos by Monica Szczupider

Orange-infused Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

I think I may have found the one. The most delicious homemade brownie recipe known to man. It's been a long and trying quest. Though I will no doubt try many more brownie recipes, I'm not sure there's anything that could top this one.

What makes it so exceptional? Well, besides the half pound of melted chocolate, it contains booze which is proven to enhance just about anything. The flavor possibilities are endless.

I took that brownie recipe and jazzed it up for you a little bit by infusing it with a hint of orange and swirling in a heavy dose of cheesecake batter. These are super fudgy and gooey, just the way I like them. The added boost of sweet tangy orange and creamy cheesecake is enough to make you dance for joy.

We're still working with the amazing photographer Monica Szczhupider to bring you these fantastic images of some truly delicious treats. If you want to become a part of the Treatsies team, we're still looking for someone to help us design a new logo. We pay in cake and love.

If you love chocolate, make sure you get your teeth into these brownies soon. Like now.

Caramel-Swirl Cheesecake Bars

When my husband orders dessert, he'll always go for something with caramel or cheesecake. Last year he asked for caramel cheesecake for his birthday. So I shouldn't have been the least bit surprised when he asked for mini caramel cheesecakes for his birthday this year. 

Well, I came up with a slightly different, but completely delicious, solution. Caramel-swirl cheesecake bars are easily transportable and can be eaten with your hands. I am all for anything that you can just pick up and stuff in your face. 

At the foundation of this treat is a crisp, buttery shortbread crust. If you don't love shortbread, you've completely lost your mind. The silky cheesecake is swirled through with ample amounts of sweet, amber-colored salted caramel. It's a creamy, crunchy dream. 

If you cut them small, you can feed a crowd. Or you and your sweetheart can devour the whole pan. If it's your birthday, you can do whatever you want. Trust me, you'll want to eat them all. 

Photos by Monica Szczupider

Butterscotch Muffins

Let's get one thing straight. Muffins are not frostingless cupcakes. They should be more dense, with larger holes, and have a wonderful crust surrounding the whole shebang. That's why I never bake muffins in paper. They have to be naked to be at their best.

I've been making these butterscotch muffins for quite a few months, and thanks to Monica, they now look just as delicious as they taste. They are perfectly muffiny, and studded with sweetness from the butterscotch chips. They've also got a gorgeous drizzle of caramel sauce on top that sometimes forms the most perfect crunchy bits around the edge from the burnt sugar.

And with ten seconds in the microwave, you can keep eating these for a couple of days. When they're warm the butterscotch chips quickly become gooey pockets of sweet bliss. I could eat a hundred of them. And the base muffin recipe is highly adaptable. You can add just about anything to it to get to your ideal muffins.

Morning, noon, or night, you can't go wrong with eating a dozen of these, but if you want to share, I'll understand.

All photos by Monica Szczupider

Swiss and Bacon Dip

Yes, this is a baking and dessert blog, and everybody knows my favorite food groups are butter and sugar. But running a close second would have to be cheese and bacon.

I've been making Swiss and bacon dip for years. There have never been left overs. In fact, people usually devour the entire bread bowl to get every last scrap of dip. I'm telling you, this is ridiculously good. Elastic pants good.

If you throw crispy bacon, green onions, and a mountain of Swiss cheese into a base of cream cheese, mayo and a bit of Dijon mustard, then throw the whole thing in the oven, and finally plop it into a hollowed out loaf of sour dough, I promise, nearly everybody will be happy. It's almost impossible to stop eating it.

Though Treatsies is in love with dessert, we're happy to provide you with all sorts of deliciousness. We've made this for a customer to take to two different parties, and naturally, it was a hit. You should serve this at your next gathering. You might not want to share it with too many people, though. You'll likely want to keep it all for yourself.

Do it! Now!