Head in the Clouds

Everyone loves cupcakes and this statement is no exception in my family. My dad loves coconut so I thought, why not combine the two to make an especially yummy Father's Day surprise. These coconut snowball cupcakes are sure to be a sweet treat that anyone will love. They were inspired by Georgetown Cupcake's coconut cupcake. Georgetown has a store front in Boston right on Newbury Street and their cupcakes are hard to resist! You'll have your head in the clouds with these fluffy treats.

Instead of making just standard-size cupcakes, I made mini cupcakes. This recipe, from The Cupcake Diaries: Recipes & Memories from the Sisters of Georgetown Cupcake by Katherine Kallinis and Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne, yielded 48 mini cupcakes and then some so I used the remaining batter to make some standard-size cupcakes. My trick for perfect cupcakes is to use a cookie scoop to measure out the mini cupcakes, and to use an ice cream scoop for the standard-size cupcakes. The mini cupcakes are perfect for sharing and small enough for a snack without the guilt of a full slice of cake.

 

The frosting from this recipe is pretty good but tasted a little more powdery than I'd like. I have another recipe that is my go-to for cream cheese buttercream frosting so next time I'll use that recipe instead. Stay tuned! I'll post that recipe soon with another delicious cupcake recipe. Follow to get the latest news and posts from Boutiques and Sweets!

Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 ¼ cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard cupcake pan with twelve paper baking cups, or grease the pan with butter if not using baking cups.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt on a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for three to five minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.
4. Add the vanilla to the milk in a separate bowl.
5. Add one third of the dry ingredients followed by one third of the milk mixture, and mix thoroughly. Repeat until all the ingredients are incorporated. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Mix thoroughly. Using a spatula, gently fold in the shredded coconut.
6. Scoop the batter into the cupcake pan using a standard-size ice-cream scoop until each cup is two-thirds full and bake for 16-18 minutes (start checking at 15 minutes), or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting:

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Combine the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar in a mixer and whip together at high speed until light and airy, approximately three to five minutes.
2. Using a small spatula or piping bag, add a swirl of the vanilla cream cheese frosting on top of the cupcake and spread to the edges of the cupcake so that it is completely covered with frosting. Then sprinkle the shredded coconut on top of the frosting so that it forms a "cloud" of coconut on top of the cupcake, or dip the cupcake into a bowl of shredded coconut and roll the top of the cupcake in the shredded coconut in a circular motion as pictured above.

If someone's birthday is coming up or you're just dying to try a new recipe, make these cupcakes and let me know how they turn out! Got any sweet treats you'd like to see on Boutiques and Sweets? Comment below!

Stay sweet!

Favorites of '14

2014 was a year of new beginnings for me. I feel so blessed to have spent it in the adventurous city of Boston with the most amazing people. From launch parties to fashion shows, I definitely had my plate full of activities, but it was all worth it looking back over all of the fun things I got to do this year. Here are some of my favorite moments of 2014 that you haven't seen on the blog yet.

Get On the Bus

In September of 2014, I attended an exclusive fashion event for Boston University put on by Macy's, called Macy's Magic Bus. Macy's brought buses straight to Boston University to take students to the store for a night of style, savings and, best of all, shopping! Hundreds of students packed the store, but Macy's was prepped and ready for the crowds. Macy's showed off their products around the store with free gifts, mini makeovers, colorful manis and non-stop giveaways all night. I was lucky enough to win a $50 gift card in a raffle, plus another $50 gift card I won prior to the event through an Instagram challenge. With classy hors d'oeuvres and sparkling beverages, the event was fit for all the sophisticated fashionistas.

Macy's Magic Bus

Party Time

November came around much quicker than I expected and with it came the launch party for the lifestyle magazine I write for at Boston University, called The BU Buzz. The event was complete with mini cupcakes, delicious mocktails and exciting raffles. I usually don't partake in raffles, but my lovely friend, Sarah, and wonderful boyfriend, Vincent, both bought me tickets. This year was pretty lucky for me because my raffle ticket ended up getting picked. I won a gift basket filled with more goodies than I count, such as Spotify headphones, a Spotify Premium account, beauty products, and a $100 spa gift card (which I will be taking full advantage of).

It was such a great night to see that all of our hard work that went into putting the fall issue of the magazine together paid off. There were lots of days spent researching topics and nights of writing sentences until they were perfect enough to make a masterpiece of an article. This year, I became Editor of the food section of the magazine, so it was great to see what my writers and I had accomplished. For this print issue, I explored the world of social media in a piece titled, "Foodstagram: Did You Really Eat It If You Didn't Instagram It?" It was such a fun piece to create, because I spent much of my time doing some of my favorite things: surfing Instagram for hours and exploring Boston's array of eateries. You can check out the magazine online at Issuu and read my article starting on page 23.

The BU Buzz Launch Party

On the Runway

Earlier in the year, I became a Print Model for Off the Cuff, a fashion magazine at BU, and had the opportunity to model for them as well as other organizations on campus. My first ever fashion show was when I was just 5 years old at Bloomingdales. I remember walking down the runway in a light pink rhinestoned shirt, flared jeans and a pink glittery butterfly hair clip (I thought it was so cool back then). I waved at the audience, struck a pose and then strutted my little self back up the runway. 

My first fashion show in my freshman year at BU made me back think of that fun childhood memory, except this time the clothes were much different and I was a grown up version of my small self. The fourth annual fashion show, Sankofa, was put on by BU's African Student Association. I modeled outfits ranging from local Boston fashions to New York designers all inspired by traditional african styles and prints with a modern flare.

ASO Sankofa IV Fashion Show

In my sophomore year, I did a photo shoot, "Le Style Moderne," with an art deco inspiration for Off the Cuff. The shoot, by Niru V Photography, did a take on the 'Gastby era' fashions of geoprint and glamour with modern twist. It was freezing outside that day in Boston, but sometimes drastic measures must be taken in the name of fashion. 

Off the Cuff Art Deco Photo Shoot

The last modeling experience of the year was in December, when I modeled for Off the Cuff's pop art themed launch party for their fall/winter issue of the magazine. The show featured outfits by The House of Findings with hand-painted creations inspired by the most influential artists and icons of the pop art era. In the show, I dressed as a modern-day barbie with a custom-made barbie print skirt, a classic black and white polka dot sweater, and hand-painted balloon animal purse inspired by artist Jeff Koons. Of course, to top off the outfit, I wore glistening pearls and sparkling rhinestones, complete with a bright barbie pink lip.

Off the Cuff Launch Party

I hope you enjoyed your year as I much as I did and have many wonderful memories this year.

Stay sweet!

DIY Happiness Jar

2014 was a great year for me filled with fun times with friends and new beginnings. In the summer, I created Boutiques and Sweets which allowed me to share my food and fashion adventures with those who share my passions. In the fall, I got my first internship in Boston as a fashion and social media intern for an internationally-known fashion website. I was also promoted to food editor of the BU Buzz, Boston University's on-campus lifestyle magazine. Throughout the year, I was able to further my love of journalism while studying as a sophomore at BU. Needless to say, it has been a busy year, filled with ups and downs but I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

With all of the great opportunities I had and moments I shared with others last year, I decided to create a happiness jar to hold all of my favorite memories in the coming year. With all of the stress that comes with life, sometimes it is nice to take a moment to think about the positive in your day. With this happiness jar, I hope to remember and cherish all the things that I am thankful for in life.

Everyday in 2015, I plan to write down one thing that makes me happy each day and save it in my happiness jar. At the end of the year, I will open the jar and read all of my happiest memories from the year.

I hope that you too will create a happiness jar to make your days in this new year a little bit brighter. The jar is very simple to create and can be personalized with your favorite colors, ribbons, papers, and prints.

I took an old jam jar that I cleaned out after making linzer cookies and decorated it with some scrapbook paper, glitter tape, ribbon, and lace. I adorned the lid with a few stick-on rhinestones that I purchased from a craft store and a button from an old cardigan.

This is a great opportunity to get creative. Find things around the house to decorate your jar and put them to good use. You'll be seeing your jar for a while so be sure to personalize it and make it however you like.

Here's what you'll need to create your happiness jar:

Supplies:
-one jar (a jam jar or mason jar works perfectly)
-scrapbook paper
-white cardstock
-ribbon, lace, glitter tape, rhinestones, buttons, etc.
-stick-on letters (I used silver glitter letters)
-scissors
-hot glue gun or super glue (I used both, but either will work)
-black sharpie
-small pieces of paper and pen (these will go in the jar to write your memories)

Directions:
1. Wash your jar and make sure it is clean.
2. Cut out scrapbook paper in a rectangular shape to wrap around the outside of your jar. Make sure it is long enough to reach around the entire jar. Glue the scrapbook paper onto the outside of the jar.
3. Glue any ribbon, lace or other decorations you would like onto the scrapbook paper.
4. Cut out a shape of your choice out of the cardstock to resemble a label. Outline your label with a black sharpie or marker of your choice. Place the stick-on letters on the label to read "happiness." Glue the "happiness" label onto the scrapbook paper on the jar. (You can glue a bow onto your label if you'd like.)
5. Cut a circle out of the scrapbook paper to fit the diameter of the top of your lid. Glue the circle onto the lid. Adorn the lid with rhinestones, buttons or any decorations of your choice.
6. Place the pen and small pieces of paper in the jar and your happiness jar is complete!

Each day, write down a memory and place it in the jar. Wait until the end of the year to read all of your memories. I hope you enjoy your DIY happiness jar and that it makes each day a little sweeter.

Have a Happy New Year and

stay sweet!

Christmas Cookies

One of the best parts of being home from school is that I get to bake again. In Mississippi, people are very generous and neighbors brought our family many different types of jams and jellies while I was away at school. I thought that the perfect way to use up the delicious homemade jellies was by making linzer cookies for Christmas. I filled half of the cookies with raspberry jam and the other half with homemade mayhaw jelly from one of our neighbors.

I first fell in love with linzer cookies when I went to an Austrian pastry café, called Konditorei, back in California. They served these round sweet almond cookies filled with tart apricot jam. The combination of the two was simply delightful.

In the spirit of the holiday season, I decided to make my own linzer cookies shaped like cozy mittens for Christmas. The great thing about linzer cookies is that you can have fun with them by making them whatever shape you want and fill them with your favorite jellies.

Here's one of my favorite linzer cookie recipes so you can try these scrumptious cookies yourself.

Ingredients:
2 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cups finely ground almonds

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened      

2/3 cup granulated sugar                 

1 egg                                               

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup jam of your choice

Confectioners sugar (optional)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine flour, almonds, and cinnamon; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture; mix only until incorporated. Divide dough into 2 disks about 1 inch thick. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours until firm enough to roll.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On floured surface, roll out one disk of dough 1/8 inch thick. Keep remaining dough chilled. Cut shapes out of the dough with a cookie cutter of your choice. Roll out the remaining piece of dough and cut cookies of the same shape; this time, cut a circle (or shape of your choice) in the middle of the cookies. Transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheets. Dough scraps can be formed into a disk, chilled for 30 minutes and rerolled.

4. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes; remove from sheet and cool completely. Spread jam on all of the cookies without the center cutouts. Dust the top cookies with cutouts with confectioners sugar if desired and sandwich the two cookies together. Makes about 20 cookies.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and have a sweet New Year!

Stay sweet!

Falling for Boston

With last week's warmer temperatures, I had one last chance to wear my fall clothes in Boston before pulling out my puffy, knee-length winter coat. I enjoyed the warmer weather by wearing my J. Crew Downtown Field Jacket. The change in weather was a nice surprise compared to earlier in the month. Although I am starting to get used to the cold temperatures, this California girl loves the warmer side of Boston.

To combat the fall breezes, I put on my Steve Madden leg warmers underneath my classic black leather boots. These provided me with a little extra warmth while adding a cute and stylish touch to my outfit. Leg warmers are a staple accessory to have, especially when the weather becomes chilly. I will continue to take advantage of my leg with the snowy weather that is coming to Boston. 

Nothing warms me up more in the cool weather like one of my favorite seasonal beverages- Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latte. The Pumpkin Spice Latte is the perfect combination of creamy and sweet with Starbuck's signature pumpkin spice syrup that packs a flavorful punch. If I'm looking for something a little sweeter, I order a Pumpkin Spice Steamer, not offered on the Starbucks menu. The Pumpkin Spice Steamer combines steamed milk with all of the same ingredients as the latte, just without the espresso.

Get the Look:

Jacket: J. Crew 

Shirt: J. Crew (similar: The Limited)

Jeans: Hollister Co.

Boots: (similar: Naturalizer, Nine West)

Leg Warmers: Steve Madden (similar: Vera Wang, Steve Madden)

Bag: Anne Klein (similar: Vera Bradley, Anne Klein)

Stay sweet!

On the Charles

With all of the gloomy rain this past week in Boston, I was glad I got to enjoy the sunny weather while it lasted. A few weeks ago, I headed over to Needham, MA for some kayaking on the Charles River– a must for anyone visiting Boston. This was my first time kayaking in Massachusetts and it was such a fun experience. I've wanted to go ever since I first came to Boston last year. I'll definitely be going again!

The weather was perfect for kayaking– not too hot, not too cold. I pulled out my Live Love Dream track jacket to keep me warm in the cool fall breeze. This light zip-up has a unique design with mesh stripes along the side and bright coral zipper that adds a pop of color.

It was beautiful along the water with trees changing from their green summertime state to New England's vibrant array of fall colors. Sometimes it's nice to get away from all the city life and enjoy the peaceful, beautiful nature New England has to offer. Kayaking is a great activity to do with friends. It gives you time to talk with them and enjoy their company.

Get the Look:

Jacket: Aeropostale

Jeans: Hollister

Sunglasses: Similar: Marc Jacobs and American Eagle

Let me know what some of your favorite fall activities are in Boston for a chance to be featured on the blog!

Stay Sweet!

Summer Stripes

With breezy fall weather just around the corner, I had one last chance to wear shorts before the end of summer. This past week, the weather has been beautiful here in Boston, so I decided it was the perfect opportunity to wear my new J. Crew shorts. These bright orange and white striped shorts add the perfect pop of color to make this outfit stand out. I paired them with a white ruffled top and braided leather flip flops, along with some braided accessories to match and a long silver necklace for some added shimmer. To top off the outfit, I painted my nails a bright blood orange color from Clinique that matched perfectly with the hue of the shorts.

One of my favorite drinks to cool off with during warm weather is Passion Tea Lemonade from Starbucks. It's floral flavor combined with the punch of lemon is very refreshing on sunny days. Sometimes I will ask the baristas to blend it if I feel like having a slushy or smoothie. 

The color of the Passion Tea Lemonade reminds me of my Fever Gloss by Lancôme. The Lacôme lip gloss, in the color Exuberant Rose, that I wore for this look went really well with the light, summer vibe of the shorts. I love Lancôme's lip gloss because they come in a wide variety of pigmented colors. With the tear shaped applicator, the gloss applies very smoothly and easily covers the entire lip.

Get the Look:

Top: Old Navy (Similar: Ralph Lauren and H&M)

Shorts: J. Crew

Belt: Forever 21 (Similar: Express)

Necklace: Brighton (Similar: Brighton and Marc Jacobs)

Bracelets: Hollister (Similar: Hollister)

Shoes: Hollister (Similar: Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle)

Nail Polish: Clinique (color: Happy ♥)

Lip Gloss: Lancôme (color: Exuberant Rose)

Stay sweet!