Walkin' on Sunshine...

Wow! What a gorgeous day today was! We have had a particularly cold winter down South this year. I mean, It has snowed like three times! In a state where everything shuts down at the mention of "flurries", this is a huge deal. Today brought a welcome 68 degrees and some beautiful sunshine. It was the perfect Saturday: up early, planned meals for the week, went grocery shopping, got a haircut, went to a movie with the hubby, a brisk walk on the treadmill, and spent the evening at Borders reading cooking magazines. As for today's food, I had the last of the leftover butternut squash risotto for my lunch. :( For dinner, ham and cheese panini with bacon and pesto mayo dip. Dessert: chocolate chip angel food cupcakes with fluffy frosting. Yup. It was a pretty awesome day.

For the panini: I cooked a few strips of bacon, spread whole wheat bread with dijon mustard, and piled on ham, bacon and colby jack cheese. I pressed those babies in my panini press, and ta da! Supper's ready! For the pesto mayo dip: just stir 1 Tbsp. pesto into 3 Tbsp. mayo. Done. Serve with a simple salad.


Chocolate Chip Angel Food Cupcakes with Fluffy Frosting

Frosting from Cooking Light

I used an angel food cake mix, for simplicity. Mix according to box directions. Fold in 1/2 cup of semi-sweet mini chips. Bake in paper lined muffin tin according to box directions. Allow to cool on racks.

Fluffy Frosting

1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Dash of salt
2 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and next 4 ingredients (1/2 cup sugar through 2 egg whites) in top of a double boiler; place over barely simmering water. Beat with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form and candy thermometer registers 160°. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon frosting over each cupcake.
Top with mini chips.

TIP: once your frosting reaches 160, remove it from the heat. Do not walk away to take a beautiful picture of your cupcakes. :)

Light, fluffy, chocolatey goodness.