Confession time … I am Social Media awkward Socially Media awkward socially awkward, especially when it comes to Social Media.

I am the person who rarely visits Facebook … when I do, I rarely make comments.

I am the person who will read blogs and forget to make a comment … or can’t think of something clever, so I say nothing.

I am the person that signed up for a Twitter account … never tweeted.

I am the person that finally has joined Pinterest … I have just a few boards.

I am working on correcting my awkwardness … it’s not easy … I have to remind myself to be more Social Media friendly … it just doesn’t come natural to me.

I realized that I have posted messages on Facebook and asked for people to vote for my cupcake in a contest and haven’t read much of what others have posted … I can’t believe that I’ve been so self centered.  I’m sorry

I am an old school social person … give me a telephone any day … I’ll talk to you for an hour!   I’ll talk … even if I have nothing to talk about!  Don’t worry … I don’t have your phone number … I won’t call and bug you

May I offer you a cupcake … I know this won’t makeup for all of my mistakes … but it really is a good vanilla cupcake … trust me, they will make you happy

Very Vanilla Cupcakes    (makes 12)

• 1-1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached flour (or all-purpose)
• 1-1/8 teaspoons baking powder
• heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature (1 stick)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.  Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the milk and vanilla.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream the butter.  Gradually add in the sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.  Beat in the flour and milk mixtures, alternating 1/3 of each at a time, until each mixture is fully incorporated and the batter is smooth.
5. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full of batter.  Bake the cupcakes until puffed, set and lightly golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.
6. Cool the cupcakes before frosting.

Very Vanilla Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature (1 stick)
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)

1. In large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter with 2 cups of the powdered sugar until combined.  Beat in the cream and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating until smooth.
2. With the mixer set to low-speed, gently beat in the remaining sugar until combined.  Increase the speed and continue to beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.

(recipes slightly adapted from Joan’s on Third via Los Angeles Times)

If you are ever in Los Angeles, I highly recommend a visit to Joan’s on Third … guaranteed to be a yummy experience

Now for the marbled hearts … they really are easy peasy and this is what you will need …

• 4 ounces white candy melts
• 4 ounces red candy melts
• extra bowl
• cookie sheet lined with wax paper
• heart cookie cutters

Melt the 2 bowls of candy melts, pour the white candy in the extra bowl, add the red candy and stir once or twice, just to “marble” the candy …

Pour the candy on the prepared cookie sheet (hint – make sure the cookie sheet is not cold or the candy may harden too quickly).  Spread it out with the back of a spoon … tap it on the counter to make it smooth …

Let it sit at room temperature until firm … use sharp cookie cutters to cut out hearts (my ruffled edge heart was not sharp enough and didn’t make a nice clean-cut) …

I chopped up the scraps and saved them to use as sprinkles …

I ♥ your comments …