Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes topped with Raspberry Buttercream

I made these mini-cupcakes specially for my son's class for Valentine's Day.  After school, my son told me the kids said it was the best cupcake they ever had and made my son super happy!  =D

I bought "Martha Stewart's Cupcakes" book a few years ago and I am really happy I bought it because there are a lot of recipes I like from there and also gives you many ideas for decorations.  Like most books are, there are no perfect recipes and I have to be honest that I do not like the yellow cupcakes and white cupcakes from this book.  They are not as moist!  

Green Tea Chocolate Nut Muffins

The ingredients that go in this somehow all blend in well together; the bitterness of the green tea, the sweetness of the chocolate, and the nuttiness from the walnuts.  Most people who like green tea for sure would love this!  =)  Also, goes great with a cup of coffee or tea.

Scones

A friend of mine was requesting a recipe for Scones and to be honest, this was my first attempt at Scones.  I  have been hearing that it is easy to make, but I was afraid that it would not turn out well and unlike the ones they sell at bakery stores.  Maybe I was expecting too much to be too perfect.  I have been trying Scones here and there, and I've gotta say that McJac's Roadhouse Bakeshoppe is the best!  So, how did my Scones turn out?  Well, my husband and kids sure loved them!  =D  I made three different kinds at once.  Lemon Cranberry Scones, Raisin Scones, and Cheese Scone.

Poppy Seed Coffee Cake with Orange Glaze

I found a recipe for Poppy Seed Coffee Cake with Orange Glaze in a book I found on Amazon which will hopefully help me expand my experiences in baking.  As with most tea cakes and pound cakes, the batter for this cake can be used to make great muffins.  I did not know this before, but muffins should be baked at a slightly higher temperature than cupcakes(since most cupcakes are baked in muffin tins) - 375 degrees Fahrenheit - for approximately 25 - 30 minutes.

This is picture was originally posted on my Instagram.

I omitted the Orange Glaze since my husband does not like sweets.