Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

Happy 1st birthday to MiNa's Food Adventures (well, one year and 2 days)! I can't believe it's been a year since our very first post, Christmas Cupcakes. What better way to celebrate this milestone then to post about our most favourite sweetie in the world, cupcakes!

I'd been searching a while for a really chocolaty cupcake recipe and came across this one from Two Peas & Their Pod. Thought I would give it a go and boy was I glad that I did! At first, I was a bit uncertain about the addition of Greek yogurt but the result was worth the wait - super moist and super chocolaty cupcakes. If you love chocolate, then look no further then this recipe and the best part is it's really easy to make. I was in a salted caramel mood, so decided to team these cupcakes up with a delicious buttercream from Sally's Baking Addiction. Very naughty...very YUMMY! Mi xo

Shake Shack, New York

My sister and I waited in line for half an hour for what we heard were the best burgers in New York. Even though the lines are long...the burgers are worth the wait!  I was expecting an all american, greasy, gigantic beef burger but what I got was actually quite cute and so very delicious! The chips were amazing too and crinkle cut! The original Shake Shack is located in Madison Square Park near the Flat Iron Building. I miss New York! Na xo
Photos by A.G.

Pandan & Coconut Macaroons

Well, it's been a little while between posts, no excuse really I've done plenty of baking was just waiting for some quiet time to blog. Oh and waiting for our little one to arrive! We have another 4 weeks or so until the big day, so you may get a bursts of posts in the next few weeks followed by some quiet time. I'm sure Na will have plenty of posts in the meantime.

This is one of my favourite recipes, great to make when you have lots of leftover egg whites. Yes, Mr Mi was making ice cream again, not that I'm going to complain! The recipe can be found on my Pandan and Coconut Ice Cream post or else directly from David Lebovitz's website. The only modification I made was to replace the vanilla with pandan extract which can be bought from your local Asian supermarket. The result is lovely vibrant green macaroons and the pandan paired with coconut is simply delicious! Mi xo

Rainbow m&m Cookies

Another rainbow creation for the lovely Miss T Bunny! I used the same cookie dough recipe as seen in my earl grey tea cookie post. I omitted the tea leaves and added an extra half teaspoon of vanilla extract. To get the rainbow effect, I divided the dough into five equal portions, coloured each portion with Wilton gel colours, rolled each colour into a thin log and then joined the five logs to form a large rainbow log. Chill the cookie dough in the fridge until hard (I left mine overnight), slice and place a mini-m&m on each coloured segment. Mr Mi was nice enough to sort the m&m's into single colours for me! Bake as usual until slightly golden on the edges and there you have it perfect crispy, buttery cookies with pretty colours that make people happy! Mi xo

Magnolia Bakery, New York

This bakery has been on my list of places to go for a long time now. I finally got to visit it when I went to New York City for a little holiday with my sister. It's the most adorable bakery and everything is baked and decorated by hand. They're well known for their amazing cupcakes topped with a signature swirl of delicious frosting. The baked goods on offer don't just stop with cupcakes; they have brownies, cookies and a huge range of full-sized cakes.

The bakery now occupies a few locations dotted about the city but the one I went to was the very first and is located on a quiet street in the west village. Ladies or gents who love "Sex and the City" may also recognise it, as it features in one of the episodes.

Carrie and Miranda having a cupcake outside Magnolia Bakery in Sex and the City.

The original Magnolia Bakery can be found at 401 Bleecker Street, New York. Na xo
Photos by A.G.

Rainbow Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

Happy New Year! This post is dedicated to my friend Miss T Bunny, she loves rainbows and so I wanted to make super-special cupcakes for our NYE celebration. She is the most wonderfully gifted and generous person and is soon to embark on her own little adventure. We shall all miss you dearly! Love Mi xo

P.S. Why are there so many songs about rainbows?
P.P.S This marshmallow frosting recipe is amazing!!

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Maple Cinnamon Buttercream

Every Christmas I make gingerbread men, but this year I thought I would try something slightly different - gingerbread cupcakes! This recipe is from my favourite cupcake recipe book 500 Cupcakes. I topped the cupcakes off with a maple cinnamon buttercream using Na's basic buttercream with the addition of one tablespoon of maple syrup instead of milk and one teaspoon of cinnamon. The cupcakes turned out really moist and lovely with the addition of crystallised ginger for that extra bite. Merry Christmas! Mi xo