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Starvation for inspiration….

 

Exciting news! I figured out who could play the role of Peabody if they ever decided to make the world’s most boring movie about my life. Jessica Simpson. You know, because she is sooooo fat now. Mooo. Mooo. Mooo.
I find it amazing that in today’s world where thousands and thousands of people are losing their jobs weekly, some of whom I know, every magazine right now seems to only care about how fat Jessica has gotten. Are you kidding me? This just really says a lot about our society. A lot. Oh I will be the first to admit that the outfit that she chose was beyond horrid. I mean, it was no bleach stained green sweatpants that I like to don, but still. Not flattering. But going on and on about how fat she is makes me feel bad for her.
Now I know you will say that it’s her job to look great. But quite honestly, she is gorgeous enough that a little extra padding doesn’t make her any less beautiful to me. But it does to everyone else. Though, the good news is that the guys on my hockey team would still “do her”…ah men, so special sometimes.
Maybe the world would do a bit of good if all the actresses and models of the world would get as fat as Jessica currently is. Maybe girls/women wouldn’t be throwing up what they eat out of guilt. Maybe my friends who are size 2 and 4’s can stop obsessing and calling themselves fat (I find this really disheartening). I mean it’s not like she is unhealthy. I am quite certain that she is within her bogus BMI. Jessica, you just keep keeping on. If you are happy, then just ignore the magazines and television shows that are calling you fat. Live your life girl…and give that football player of yours some cushion for pushing. 😉
That being said I will admit that I am on a diet. Technically I am no longer on the diet. I did it for about a week. And before you go and start thinking I am being hypocritical, I did not go on the diet to lose weight.  I went on the diet to get inspired.
See, nothing gets my creative juices flowing like knowing I am not allowed to eat anything I really want to eat. Diet Jello and carrots with hummus send my mind immediately thinking about sweets and different flavor combos. I do it to help with food blog block so to speak. I was craving coffee cake and decided to make it into cupcake form. It’s just a little sweeter than regular coffee cake and has a nice glob of cinnamon buttercream frosting. I tried the stick of gum thing to help my cravings, but oddly enough, that didn’t work. 😛

Coffee Cake Cupcakes

Cake Batter:

8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
¼ tsp orange zest
4 eggs
½ cup whole milk
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cake flour
1 ½ cups self rising flour

For the Filling:
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
3 TBSP dark brown sugar
2 TBSP granulated sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Using a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in orange zest and beat for another 30 seconds.
Add eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl after each addition.
Whisk together milk, sour cream and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Set aside.
Sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour and self rising flour in a medium bowl and set aside.
Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the mixer bowl and mix on low speed and mix until incorporated. Add ½ of the milk mixture and mix until incorporated. Repeat with another 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the milk and finally the flour mixture again. Mix until all is fully incorporated. But do not over mix.
In a small bowl, mix together the pecans, sugars and cinnamon. Set aside.
Prepare muffin tins with butter and flour, or use liners.
This is a thick batter and I find it best to pipe it in. Pipe in ¼ of the way up. Add a generous tsp of filling. Pipe in the batter just to cover up the filling. Add another tsp of filling. And again pipe batter on top of filling.
Bake at 350F for 22-25 minutes.
Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let continue to cool on a wire rack. Frost when completely cool.

Cinnamon Buttercream

4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 TBSP heavy cream
¼ tsp cinnamon

Beat all ingredients using a mixer. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated and frosting is smooth.

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Comments

  2. Oy, I know what you mean about Jessica Simpson. Truly, it’s ludicrous to attack her, when she’s still thin, not to mention gorgeous.
    I think most celebrities should have (and fully digest, calories and all) your Coffecake Cupcakes!

    Reply

  3. Sigh, stories like the Jessica Simpson one makes me so sad…sad with the state of the world. I think its why I like cupcakes so much, the community spirit and joy they bring to everyone is so smile inducing. These cupcakes look awesome!

    Reply

  4. What a wonderful flavor! These cupcakes look sooooooo good!

    Jessica Simpson’s outfit is horrible, but I don’t find she’s fat… This society is only about aspect and superficial values!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply

  5. These cupcakes are gorgeous. I want them all. When I diet, though, to tell the truth, it means that I eat only one cupcake like this a day. But for the moment, hubby is banging his head against the wall saying that he is now officially on a diet. And he can NOT eat any cupcakes for weeks at a time if he decides to.

    I will make these cupcakes for sons and myself!

    Reply

  10. I’m sure Jessica would enjoy these . . . and am convinced that the only reason she’s “fat” is, in fact, because of her mom jeans.

    Mmm . . . coffee cake . . .

    Reply

  11. Every single person has days (and bad camera angles) when they don’t look his or her best and this was def. one of Jessica’s. She is a curvy girl and I don’t think she looked good when she got super skinny for her Daisy Dukes. I somewhat think it might have been Poppa Joe’s publicity stunt to put her in that outfit but we will never know.

    BTW Coffee Cake in Cupcake form…amazing.

    Reply

  12. This does look good Pea…maybe even winning. I love the poofy swirled buttercream on top. Very sculptural.
    I don’t buy these magazines or publications that make money from criticizing or belittling women or men. They do it because people buy that crapola. Let’s all stop patronizing them.

    Reply

  13. Coffee cake in cupcake form is a great idea! Although, I know I couldn’t limit myself to just one.

    I’m no fan of JS, but I do think that all the hoopla about her (or anyone’s) weight is ridiculous. As the mother of a teen-aged girl, society’s attitude towards this issue is so frustrating! My daughter is a size 2, and she is upset because she can’t get into her size 0 jeans anymore!

    Reply

  14. i think the science behind your starvation-inspiration theory is quite accurate. i wasn’t hungry before reading your post, but now, my stomach is growling. and what am i inspired to eat? why your coffee cake cupcakes, of course! science verified before your very eyes. (it’s still morning, but i feel these cupcakes would make a delicious (nutritious?) breakfast!)

    Reply

  16. I always mourn a little more for society every time I see those magazines. So sad. But on a happier note, these coffee cake cupcakes do look absolutely delicious!

    Reply

  17. These cupcakes look fabulous! What a creative idea. I love the idea of cinnamon buttercream.

    I think it’s sad that celebrities have to go through such scrutiny and that people care so much about every move they make. It’s nice to be just a normal person 🙂

    Reply

  18. People obsess way too much over fat and don’t bother with fit. There are so many twiggy women I could break with my bare hands. Sure, they look great, but they can’t run, climb, ski, or kick general ass as well as I can (okay, I live in Boulder – there are probably many many women who are twiggy and can outrun me, but still…) You are perfect just the way are you, babe. PERFECT. And you bake deelish goodies. You’re perfect + 20.

    Reply

  19. I’m a big coffee cake lover, so these would definitely end up as one of my favorites!

    PS: I’ve put you on my blogroll. I’ve actually had you there for a while, but I’ve never had the guts to tell <3

    Reply

  21. I’ll immediately make myself very unpopular by saying that “new” about Simpson or any other celeb is more an indication of the media knowing EXACTLY what their readers want to lap up — sort of like ostriches sticking their heads in holes. It’s beyond annoying to me and if you lined her up with any number of other twenty-something blondes, I seriously couldn’t tell them apart. As far as fat and diet go, um, so, yah. I get my exercise, I eat my dark colored veggies and fruit and drink way too much wine. Plus I’m fighting a metabolism that matches my age. Whatever, yanno? Pass me about a dozen of those luscious looking puppies because I SWEAR they have my name on them.

    Reply

  26. Your cupcakes look so gorgeous and delicious. Thanks for sharing.

    I dislike our (social, cultural) obsession with weight, but I also dislike my obsession with #’s on the scale. It kills me!

    Reply

  27. Your cupcakes sound fabulous. I love anything cinnamony.

    I agree with what you said- everyone needs to stop talking about Jessica’s weight because she’s not fat and no one cares!

    Reply

  29. i must be behind on my newstand reading, i didn’t even know jessica had gotten so huge (joking…ha)!

    i don’t diet, i just fail at every attempt, i just try to get a little exercise sometimes…try and sometimes, ahem. that said, these look so yummy…some of my fave flavors.

    Reply

  30. I think when you are in love, it is natural to gain a little love pounds. I am not a JS fan, but I think she chose a bad outfit, but did not look fat. People are insane!
    However, I do think these cupcakes look fab.

    Reply

  31. Praise be that the stick of gum didn’t work! This looks just wonderful. Hope that Jessica makes herself some…she can be still thinner than me and happy.

    Reply

  35. Beautiful cupcakes! And maybe I’m alone here but I think she looks much BETTER with the few extra pounds she’s put on (no one would have looked good in that outfit…). She looks healthy and happy.

    Reply

  36. Gorgeous cupcakes…I love pecans (or rather walnuts which is what we get here) with cinnamon & brown sugar. LOL about Jessica Simpson…Moo to you too!

    Reply

  37. Peabody, Jessica is old news – today it’s all about Chris Brown and Rihana – the new Whitney and Bobby it appears!

    I think you are right – everyone (including Jessica Simpson) should just chill out and eat cupcakes instead of giving the rest of the world a complex by calling a normal looking person fat. Preferably the will eat the ones featured here in your post since they are so very lovely!

    Reply

  38. Pea, I was reading about it the other day and felt quite shocked – remember when they did it to Tyra Banks?
    Oh, and you have just discovered a diet I would be willing to join. 😀

    Reply

  39. Sigh. I don’t read magazines any more because of this insanity. It drives me up the wall! I’d much rather have a slice of coffee cake like this and forget about it all.

    Reply

  42. I laughed myself silly at the beginning of this. I really don’t get the whole “jessica simpson is fat” thing–I mean, guilty of wearing unflattering pants, yes, but fat, most definitely not. However, I do understand the language these cupcakes are speaking–and it is the language of loooove.

    Reply

  45. it is sad how obessed people are with how fat someone ISN’T. It’s all about how beautiful and how skinny can women get. Why are fat men so acceptable? Why are bald men so acceptable?
    Why are fat & bald men so acceptable? Why aren’t bald & fat women acceptable?
    I completely forgot to say…love these cupcakes. lol

    Reply

  46. The cupcakes look delightful!! I think it is sad that some people have to entertain themselves by talking about someone else’s weight. Get a life already!!

    Reply

  47. I tried making some coffee cake cupcakes a while back but they bombed on me. Can I tell you how much I LOVE you for figuring it all out so I don’t have to now and can make these. I can’t wait.

    As for poor Jessica, I just saw that crap on the rack the other day and had pretty much the same reaction as you. Aside from that, she is a singer people! Does it matter if she has gained some weight? She is still extremely beautiful. Oh well, you are right, it shows some big problems with our society.

    Reply

  51. ROFL – oh men crack me up with their evaluations and their “I’d still do her” comments. Good to know considering she is probably what… a size 4 now or something tiny like that?
    Barf on the media for even making those kind of comments about her!

    Reply

  53. Hey, interesting approach… If I can get my willpower up to avoid desserts for that long, more inspiration might strike too 🙂 And I could come up with some yummy cupcakes of my own!

    (btw, I wouldn’t do JS still… The postcoital conversation terrifies me!)

    Reply

  54. You tell them Peabody! Jessica is still gorgeous no matter what and it truly is sad that in this tough times her weight gain is being dragged through the media. Very telling indeed.

    I’m sure if you give Jessica some of these yummy cupcakes she’ll agree to playing you in the movie of you life! 🙂

    Reply

  56. I believe that I will try these out. A great alternative to just plain cupcakes. By the way, I have been looking all over the net for the type of cupcake liners in your photo but am unable to find… I hate the fluted liners.

    Reply

  58. I am so confused? Coffee cake cupcakes aren’t supposed to look like white chocolate chocolate chip chocolate cookies, are they?

    Reply

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