Jewell's Jewels: Thinking outside the Suga' Shaka'

Thinking outside the egg carton, outside the butter bell.

These are all things that could describe the recent baking shenanigans that occurred with my fabulous baking partner in crime, Kim.

It all started with an idea. And then cupcake wrappers.

I'm tired of the world telling me that I can't do things. Apparently, so is Kim. Just because something has always been done a certain way, doesn't mean it has to be that way always, does it?

Take our idea, for example. Pineapple upside down cupcakes. Only, clearly you wouldn't be able to turn the cupcake upside down after baking. So a new term was needed...and coined.

BOTTOMS UP Pineapple cupcakes

Pineapple is a must. Drain and Strain.

Kitchen Aid. A friend to help.

Start by taking your yolks and firming them up a bit...you are going for a lemon yellow color here.

While those yolks are spinning in the pool, start up a pan of brown sugar and butter. Melty goodness. You will probably want to employ an extra set of arms here. While you have the sugars out, throw some at those yolks.

Add flour, baking powder and a touch of salt to the yolky mixture.

POP QUIZ/SURVEY:

When the recipe calls for you to mix the dry ingredients to the wet, do you actually mix the dry in a separate bowl first, or just add it all in as it comes?

Does it make me a bad baker to admit that I sometimes don't premix, and I'll just add in the dry together. Does it really make a difference for them to mix together first?

Kim thinks it proves we have time management skills.

You be the judge. Comment below.

Anyhow, back to the bowl. While your drys and wets are mixing, you need to form some stiff peaks with the egg whites you didn't use earlier. This is where you might have read ahead and noticed that you needed to preform this step, and if you were a smarty-pants, you might have done this very first and then set the whites apart.

Or you could have been super slacker this morning like me, and decided on purpose not to stiffen the whites first, and save that step for your afternoon arm workout. Either way, you are going for stiff peaks here! Keep mixing!

Fold the two together. Gently. Folding is a delicate process, incase you didn't learn that from your childhood laundry lessons.

Scoop into waiting cupcake liners and pop into a hot box, aka. Oven.

Meanwhile, your extra set of hands should be stirring your butter and brown sugar. Add pineapple and cook away. You are aiming for a thick mixture, careful not to turn your back on the process, so it doesn't burn! Add pecans just as it starts to thicken.