Eggnog Cupcakes with Boozy Ganache Frosting

If you're following along at home (Are you reading this at work? I hope you're not being paid with taxpayer money.), this recipe is the second cake in the holiday assortment and if you are a fan of the flavored latte, this is the fourth holiday latte monstrosity-inspired recipe.

But who cares about my reasoning? ONTO THE CAKE.

Total time: 2.5 hours (mostly inactive) --- 20 minutes prep, 20 minutes baking, 1.5 hrs waiting for ganache to set, 20 minutes frosting.

Verdict: The cake itself is denser than a standard cupcake, almost more like pound cake than regular cake (I would recommend you keep this a boozy cake or be very careful while baking so that you don't get dry cakes). The eggnog ganache frosting was a bit more white chocolate than eggnog for my taste. I'd try a eggnog whipped cream topping in the future given how dense the cake is.

Eggnog Cupcakes

adapted from SprinkleBakes, yields 12 cupcakes.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup commercially prepared eggnog1 1/2 cups cake flour*
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 shot dark rum, plus extra for brushing (optional, but who wants to be a sober Scrooge?)


1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line tin with liners or grease. Set aside.
2. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Mix until butter is creamy and sugar is incorporated (no lumps, please).
4.  Add the egg, and once beaten smooth, add the rum and eggnog.
5. Incorporate flour mixture, 1/2 at a time. Mix until there are no more lumps. 
6. Place 1/4 cup batter into tin. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick tester comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool for 30 minutes. Optional: brush cakes with rum before they cool completely (or drizzle ~1/2 to 1 teaspoon if you don't have a brush).

*DIY cake flour from all-purpose flour (see JoyTheBaker): measure out flour, remove 2 tablespoons of flour for every cup used and replace with cornstarch. Then, sift flour and cornstarch together 4-5 times to aerate the mixture.

Eggnog Ganache Frosting

adapted from SprinkleBakes

1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup commercially prepared eggnog
1/2 cup/ 113g unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2-3 tablespoons dark rum
nutmeg, for sprinkling

1. On low-medium heat, stir the white chocolate and eggnog in a small saucepan until mixture can be stirred smooth. 
2. Transfer ganache to a bowl and let cool completely in the refrigerator, about 1-2 hours. 
3. When ganache is cool (Note: it will be soft and runny), add rum and beat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes with a mixer set to medium-high. 
4. Add softened butter and beat briefly at high speed, then add confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time. Beat on high speed again until fluffy and mixture is lightened in color. 
5. Spread frosting or pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Garnish for a light sprinkle of nutmeg.

Gingerbread Cupcakes w/ Scotch Buttercream

The holidays are my favorite time of year. Every party has a built-in theme and it is the only time of year when baking without abandon is encouraged. More importantly, the cinnamon-spiced goodness of Fall flavors evolves into a yummy, complex gingerbread in December. Unlike pumpkin spice, it's really hard to make gingerbread cloyingly sweet and disgusting, unless it is a gingerbread latte (Honestly, who is so pressed for time that dessert has to be in the coffee? Sit down and enjoy your dessert and coffee as separate entities, like a civilized person).

These cakes were part of a holiday-themed boozy assortment that I gave to friends. Or if you are an astute reader the third cupcake that Starbucks' holiday latte lineup has inspired/provoked me into making.

Total time: 1.5 hours (mostly inactive, I was making another set of cakes too) --- 20 minutes prep, 20 minutes baking.

Verdict: The scotch was not as prominent in the cake as I thought it would have been. Then again, Johnnie Walker is a blended scotch so it's not going have any overwhelming elements in its flavor profile. This is not an endorsement or a criticism of the brand or this particular expression for drinking. It's what I used because it was the Scotchtober special when I stocked up (I didn't make that up, it's what the liquor store called it). Otherwise, I was pleased with the cake. It was spicy, but not so much that it was like biting into a Yankee Candle, and it was moist, but not super dense. It also helps when the pickiest eater you know texts you to say "YUMMY! I ate 2 already" within 10 minutes of dropping them off.

insouciant frosting flip and a sprinkle of brown sugar to garnish :)

Gingerbread Cupcakes 

 adapted from King Arthur Flour, yields 12 cupcakes

1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 large egg
1/2 cup water
scotch whiskey for brushing, ~ 1 shot (optional, feel free to use any whiskey or none, I guess.) 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line tin with paper liners or lightly grease with butter.

2. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

3. Whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, and egg.

4. Add 1/4 cup of the water to the melted butter mixture, then half the dry mixture, and stir. Add the remaining water and dry mixture, stirring until thoroughly combined.

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, about 3/4 the way.

6. Bake the cupcakes for 20 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool for 30 minutes. Optional: brush cakes with scotch before they cool completely (or drizzle ~1/2 to 1 teaspoon if you don't have a brush).

Scotch Buttercream

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons scotch whiskey (I used Johnnie Walker Black)


1. Soften butter and sift powdered sugar to remove clumps.
2. Add powdered sugar to butter, 1 cup at a time. Alternate with whiskey in small batches. You may need more or less powdered sugar/whiskey to get your desired consistency/booziness.

DIY Extract Experiment: Part 1

A while back I promised that I would document the extract making process from start to finish with different spirits. Life got in the way and I didn't BUT Trader Joe's is stocking their vanilla beans again ($3.99 for a 2 pack!) so I stocked up and went to the brand new liquor store conveniently located across the street and got some mini-bottles.

The first batch I made was with Jameson that I had in the house and decanted into an empty vanilla extract bottle. Other than the FOUR KINDS OF BOOZE, the only major change from last time is less bean in the bottle. It seems that most people on the internet recommend putting 3-4 vanilla beans in a mason jar of alcohol to steep for their extract recipes. This may increase the waiting time, but I am probably working with a smaller volume of alcohol this time around so I'm optimistic that I'll have some new extracts to try out in a month.

These are the spirits that I decided on, left to right, light rum, dark rum, basic whiskey, bourbon. Just wanted to get a reference shot for color before the beans were added. Yes, that is a bottle of whiskey on the counter and that is my cocktail behind the Bacardi. You don't know me! Actually, if you're reading this, you probably do know me. Nevermind.

With the beans: there is a vanilla bean, split lengthwise, in each bottle. I was lucky enough to get them all into the bottles and completely submerged without any issues of overflow. Obviously, the Bacardi is the only one with a very definitive "before" color. I was smart enough to take some start photos so that I can compare each week. Definitely keeping my fingers crossed for a trend in coloration.

And now they rest in my cupboard for a month. Let's hope lightning strikes twice and I get some good batches out of this endeavor.

Total cost: $3.99 for vanilla beans, $16 at the liquor store (that little bourbon was $5, bit much but the bottle is adorable).

Time: I had enough time to make a cocktail and do this.

Boozy Chai Spice Pumpkin Cupcakes

Nothing says Fall like pumpkin spice (thanks Starbucks). This recipe was actually on my brain for the better part of a year when I decided to spoof the seasonal lattes in cake form, but I had only managed to make a boozy peppermint mocha cake. I love pumpkin-themed foods and drinks, but they can be sickeningly sweet and one-dimensional sometimes (hi Starbucks). I decided to change up the usual fall spice note and go bold with garam masala.  It's difficult to put a twist on something that gets done to the nth degree. Luckily with my birthday and Thanksgiving, I get lots of opportunities to try and guests make great taste testers. And no one objects to a baby bourbon.


Total time: 1 hour --- 30 minutes to make the cakes and frosting, 30 minutes to let them cool/blow out my hair.


VERDICT: I made these while cleaning and packing for a work conference so my mind was in at least 3 other places. Everyone seemed to like them enough go back for extra helpings. Hooray!

And the Hudson Baby Bourbon makes another appearance.

Boozy Chai Spice Pumpkin Cupcakes

adapted from chow.com, yields 12 cupcakes

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 garam masala

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 /2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus more as needed

2 large eggs

1/2 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée

3-4 tablespoons bourbon

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Line muffin tin with paper liners or coat with oil/cooking spray.

2. Place the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to break up any lumps and set aside.

3. Place the sugar and vegetable oil in the bowl. Beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until the sugar is incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle with a rubber spatula.

Then, add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Add the pumpkin, and beat on low speed until just combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then, add the flour mixture, and beat for about a minute or until it is almost completely incorporated. Fold in any unincorporated flour at the edges, making sure to scrape to the bottom of the bowl. Stir in bourbon.

5. Fill the muffin tin three-quarters of the way (~1/4 cup per well). Place the muffin  tin in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Rotate the tin and bake for ~10 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Let cool before frosting. Optional: brush cakes with bourbon while they're still slightly warm.

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8oz) package cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, boozy if you like.

2 teaspoons garam masala
2-3 tablespoons bourbon

1. Soften cream cheese and sift powdered sugar and garam masala to remove clumps.

2. Add powdered sugar to butter, 1 cup at a time. Alternate with rum in small batches. You may need more or less powdered sugar/bourbon to get your desired consistency/booziness.

Sphinx Birthday Cake

I went to the Penn Museum's 100th anniversary party for their giant sphinx. It's my favorite thing ever. I love its goofy party hats and I love that the university made it (and us) cake. No, it wasn't sphinx-shaped, but it was still adorable and I tried to be cheeky with these pictures.

Bourbon Peach Pie

It was unseasonably warm so I decided it was still peach weather and the farmers' market agreed with me. I had guests this weekend so it was the perfect excuse to bake with peaches again. I don't know why, but I got it in my head that I NEEDED to make a lattice pie. So I did (suck it, imaginary reader).

Total time: This is not something you just whip up. Peach preparation is more messy and tedious than you'd think. I want to say set aside 4 hours if you don't have a crust already made and ready to go. With a crust, give yourself 2 hours, 3 if you want a completely cooled pie.


VERDICT: Made this Friday and I don't remember there being much left by Monday. I wish that the bourbon came through more, but a clean pie tin speaks for itself?

Bourbon Peach Pie

adapted from Mark Bittman's recipe in How to Cook Everything, makes 1 8" pie

About 2 pounds of peaches, or a little more (whatever, just eat the leftovers)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
About 1/2 cup sugar, more if the peaches are not quite ripe, plus a little for the top
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon bourbon
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 pie crusts (I used the shortening recipe from What's Cooking America)
Milk as needed (I used almond milk, but I'm sure regular milk will work).


1. Preheat the oven to 450F.
2. Prep peaches:  bring a pot of water to a boil and drop the peaches into it, a couple at a time, for 10 to 30 seconds, until the skins loosen. Plunge into a bowl of ice water. Slip the skins off, using a paring knife to ease the process. Pit, slice, and toss with lemon juice.
3. Mix together the sugar, cinnamon, and bourbon. Toss the peaches with this mixture. Pile into the rolld-out shell, making the pile a little higher in the center than at the sides. Cover with the top crust (or lattice it). Crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers.
4. Put the pie on a baking sheet and brush the top lightly with milk; sprinkle with sugar. Use a sharp paring knife to cut two or three 2-inch long slits in the top crust to steam to escape (skip this if you go the lattice route).
5. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350F and bake for another 40 to 50 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown. Err or the side of over-baking if you must. Cool on a rack before serving warm or at room temperature.

There should be some bubbling of the filling and it should have a thick, syrupy consistency.

Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake

I have been even worse at updating and baking than usual. I've been meaning to make something summery for the better part of a month and I nearly had an anxiety attack when I saw mums and acorn squash outside of Whole Foods last week. Seriously fall, back off. I am not ready for you yet and I want at least another week to laze around and be on semi-vacation mode all.

I was in Connecticut visiting friends over Labor Day weekend or, as I like to call it, Last Weekend of Summer. I decided to commemorate my last trip of the summer with a cake. Nothing says summer like peaches and my go-to summer whiskey: bourbon. This bourbon cake was really a multi-tasker. I failed to bring a gift and it was an excuse to go to the liquor store and find some Hudson Baby Bourbon, which I had been hunting down all summer because it's handmade in New York (first home state bourbon!) and it's the first whiskey made there since Prohibition. A bit pricey at $40, but it was totally worth it.

Total time: 1 hour for baking, plus 10 minutes for cooling.

VERDICT: Having never made an upside down cake, I was rather pleased with how it turned out. The topping really caramelizes in the oven and the brown sugar gives it this intense taste that stands up to the bourbon. My peach slices were 1/4" thick. I would go for a thicker cut so that there's more peach flavor. My only other regret was not having some vanilla ice cream over a warm slice of cake (yum).

Left: Cake. The peaches slide when the sauce is poured. Not the prettiest, but it gets the job done.
Right: The inspiration. Hudson Baby Bourbon and fresh peaches :)

Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake

adapted from "Whisky Peach Upside Down Cake" recipe from Crepes of Wrath, yields 1 8"X8" cake

Topping:
3-4 ripe peaches, sliced 1/2" thick
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/2 cup butter

Batter:
1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon whiskey vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup bourbon

1. Preheat oven 350F. Butter bottom and sides of baking pan (my host had a square one, feel free to use a round one).

2. Prepare topping. Melt butter in saucepan on low-medium. Add brown sugar and simmer for 5 minutes. Take off heat and stir in bourbon.

3. Line bottom of baking pan with peaches. Pour butter and brown sugar sauce over the peaches.

4. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
5. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

6. Beat in eggs, one at a time, to butter mixture. Add vanilla.

7. Alternate flour mixture with bourbon and mix until just blended. The batter may look slightly curdled; this is fine.
8. Spoon batter evenly over peaches. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before inverting and serving cake.

Piña Colada Cupcakes

It was National Piña Colada Day on the 10th. Admittedly, I rarely want a a fruity drink as I'm more of a brown liquor person, but I LOVE pineapples and coconut. To commemorate this very important day, I decided to make a truly boozy treat this weekend as I had been slacking lately in that department. That and I attempted to celebrate with a friend on the actual day, which resulted in us having to resort to going to Ruby Tuesday's because normal bars apparently are unequipped to make piña coladas (but that's neither here nor there). Anyway, I attempted to create a cupcake that captured the tropical goodness of this drink during the Bastille Day celebration, which consisted of me pregaming while I baked and resulted in FOUR permutations of a piña colada cupcake (we're past questioning my sobriety at this point aren't we?).


Total time: 1 hour, includes letting cupcakes cool and frosting.


VERDICT: I'm not totally thrilled with the results of this particular experiment. The creamy coconut part of the piña colada didn't shine as much as I would have liked, but my last minute decision to incorporate pineapple chunks into the batter worked out. If I had to do it again, I'd try using coconut cream and maybe a pineapple liquor or jam to give it some extra oomph. Overall, it was a good cake. It was fruity and boozy, but I don't think it really captured the spirit of the cocktail as well as it could have.  Also, I should have let the frosting set in the fridge before tweaking it and frosting the cakes. The alcohol REALLY comes through after chilling the frosting, though not in an unpleasant way.

Left: coconut cream cheese frosting. Right: pineapple buttercream frosting.

Piña Colada Cupcakes

adapted from "Blue Hawaii Upside Down Cupcakes" and "Piña Colada Cake" from Boozy Cakes, yields 1 dozen cupcakes

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup pineapple juice 

1/4 cup coconut rum

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup finely chopped pineapple (I used canned)

1. Preheat oven 350F. Line cupcake tin with liners.

2. Sift flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Stir and set aside.

3. Cream butter and sugar together, make sure there are no lumps of butter or sugar.

4. Beat in eggs, one at a time, to butter mixture. Add vanilla, pineapple juice, and coconut rum.

5. Add flour mixture to batter, 1/2 cup at a time. Alternate with chopped pineapple. Mix well.

6. Fill cupcake tins 3/4 with batter and bake for 20-25 minutes or until just set. Cool before frosting with either pineapple buttercream or coconut rum cream cheese frosting.

Pineapple Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup pineapple juice

3-4 tablespoons rum (I used coconut rum)

1. Soften butter and sift powdered sugar to remove clumps.

2. Combine rum and juice.

3. Add powdered sugar to butter, 1 cup at a time. Alternate with juice and rum in small batches. You may need more or less juice to get your desired consistency.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8oz) package cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

3-4 tablespoons coconut rum

1. Soften cream cheese and sift powdered sugar to remove clumps.

2. Add powdered sugar to butter, 1 cup at a time. Alternate with rum in small batches. You may need more or less powdered sugar/rum to get your desired consistency/booziness.

The original inspiration. Yes, that is my dress.

Booze: it's what's for dinner

In light of the fact that it is summer (yes, the summer solstice isn't until the 20-22nd, but socially summer starts after Memorial Day), I am obsessing over not having rolls of fat like anyone else with a pulse in North America. Thus, I have decided to switch things up a bit and incorporate booze into some non-cake items in an attempt to lay off dessert and be slightly more healthful (I don't envision this lasting very long). Last week, I used up the Kahlua for some boozy mocha brownies for a study date.* In keeping with the spirit of cleaning out bottles, I made some whiskey-marinated steaks.

Time: 5 minutes to prepare marinade, 15 minutes to cook steak.

VERDICT: surprisingly tasty, subtle hint of whiskey at the end of each bite. I suspect this would work really well for something on the grill or something that involves more sauce like steak tips. It'd probably also work really well in a barbecue chicken type situation.


*The brownies came out a little dry so I don't think they're worth writing about until I get them right.

Yes, those are shot glasses.

Whiskey Marinade

1 part whiskey (I used Jack Daniels because that's what I have excessive amounts of)

1 part soy sauce

1/2 part Dijon mustard

1 part brown sugar (I had a clump left in the pantry, white sugar probably works too)

1 part chopped green onion

1/2 part garlic

1. Dissolve sugar in whiskey and soy sauce. Combine with other ingredients in a large mixing bowl or Tupperware and coat meat evenly. I opted to not put precise measurements because I wanted to be able to scale up/down easily later.

2. Depending on what kind of meat you're working with, let the meat marinate between 2 hours-overnight (I cut up a round roast slab into smaller portions so I let them sit overnight).

I suspect the combination of fat marbling and whiskey is what made this tasty.

The finished product. And some veggies in the back.

Strawberry Champagne Shortcake (and Cocktail)

It was the roommate's birthday and, as already established, she loves all things pink and sugary. Last year, I was overzealous with the party cake making. This year was a much more toned down affair. I basically re-hashed the cupcakes from New Year's (day jobs get in the way sometimes, sorry) into a loaf cake. 

Time: 1 hour, includes letting cake cool and having a glass of champagne... or two.

VERDICT: I had the cake in the oven for 40 minutes, which was probably too long, but the strawberry topping hides a multitude of baking sins. The champagne cake batter is a surprisingly versatile one. It paired really well with fresh fruit and whipped cream. And who hates strawberries, champagne, whipped cream, and cake?

It's hard to get a picture when your layers are sliding.

Strawberry Champagne Shortcake*

Champagne cake batter (I used store bought pink sugar in place of regular sugar and rosé champagne)
1 quart strawberries, washed and hulled
1/3 cup of sugar
4 tablespoons champagne
whipped cream (I used store bought)

1. Preheat oven 350F. grease loaf pan.

2. Fill pan, smoothing out any surface lumps. Bake for 30-35 or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out dry (no batter should stick).
3. While cake bakes, slice berries into 1/4" to 1/2" slices (you can be as precise or imprecise as you want). Coat evenly with sugar and champagne. Set aside and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

*I know that the definition of a shortcake is contested and there are some who insist that a shortcake involves a biscuit of some kind topped with strawberries. I have never been a fan of the biscuit posing as cake and the only people who persist in perpetuating this cake charade are from the South so I'm going to be Yankee about it and disregard the biscuit business.

So pink! And yes, that is André. Save the good stuff for DRINKING.

Strawberry Champagne Shortcake Cocktail

aka: the Shampagne Cocktail (S is for SHalls)

Rosé champagne
Splash whiskey vanilla
3 tablespoons strawberry-champagne syrup (the run-off from the cake topping)/strawberry liqueur

In a champagne flute, pour in syrup. Add whiskey vanilla. Fill remainder with champagne. Optional: before pouring syrup dip rim in water and bowl of sugar. Garnish with strawberry.

Boozy Bears Part II

In case you were waiting with baited breath after reading Part I of this post, the results are in! No, it did not take a month for the bears to soak up the vodka. It just took me an absurdly long time to muster up the brain power to get a ruler from my room and measure a bear.

Time: 12-24 hours to let bears soak up vodka.

VERDICT: Easiest boozy treat ever. You basically get little bear shaped jello shots (they are rather potent). I recommend that you use separate containers to soak each gummy bear flavor because you are after all putting them in an  organic solvent. No one wants weird puce-colored, unspecified fruit-flavored bears.

After: 2.6 cm bear

Shamrock Shake at Home

It's St. Patty's weekend and I spent ~10 hours in the office staring at data. It was a less than ideal day so I made myself the ideal adult treat. Also, this takes my love of my aerolatte to a whole new level. Mind you, I love my aerolatte more than I love some people. It allows me to indulge my love of lattes without having to drop serious cash on an espresso machine or stand in line at Starbucks (how is there a line when there are 3 of them on every street? HOW?).

No blender? No problem.

(Boozy) Pi Day Mini Apple Pies

I am a huge nerd and love all things STEM (I actually struggle with not writing this like a lab report and am surprised that this reads anything like a decent narrative). Anywhoodles, I celebrated Pi Day much like any other person would, by making pie. I also fortunate enough to have some fresh pie dough in the fridge, which is really a very compelling reason to make pie, no?

Total time: 40 minutes, NOT including dough prep.

VERDICT: I may make all of my pies mini pies if I don't have a group to eat the pie, much more portable (picnics!) and easier to store than a full-sized pie.

Apple Pi!

Mini Bourbon Apple Pies

adapted from Mark Bittman's apple pie recipe in How to Cook Everything, yields 6 mini pies.

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/16 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch salt
2-3 apples (I used Granny Smith)
1 tablespoon bourbon
3/4 cornstarch
1 pie crust
1 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Fit crust into muffin tin (my dough was wadded up, so I just took 1.5" balls and rolled them out into smaller circles to fit). Reserve leftover dough to decorate pies.

2. Toss together the dry ingredients. Peel and core the apples and cut into 1/2 slices. Toss the apples with bourbon and dry ingredients.

3. Spoon apple filling into tin until it is about level with the the tin. Decorate pis with reserved dough and top each pie with a small pat of butter.

4. Bake pies for 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling just begins to bubble.

Not the neatest of crust fittings, but whatevs.

Note to self: stick to lattice crusts. No more freeform shapes.

Chocolate Merlot Cupcakes

It was Alison's birthday a few weeks ago. Surprisingly, the Martha Stewart high was still going strong so I made a pot roast and for her birthday cake I combined her two great (food) loves: chocolate and red wine.

Total time: 30 minutes, including time to cool and frost cupcakes.

VERDICT: The merlot flavor is really subtle in the cake. I can see why other recipes recommend using a wine syrup instead of straight wine. Overall, a good dessert with a roast, very at-home/Sunday dinner-y flavor. Alison (and Ken!) liked it so that's all that counts really.

Chocolate Merlot Cupcakes

adapted from "Wine Tasting Cakes" recipe from Boozy Cakes, yields ~1 dozen cupcakes

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup merlot

1 1/4 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 oz melted dark chocolate/9 tablespoons cocoa powder

1. Preheat oven 350F. Line cupcake tin with liners.

2. Sift flour, baking powder, spices, and cocoa powder (if you're using it). Stir and set aside.

3. Cream butter and sugar together, make sure there are no lumps of butter or sugar.

4. Beat in eggs, one at a time, to butter mixture. Add melted chocolate (if you're using it) and stir..

5. Add flour mixture to batter, 1/2 cup at a time. Alternate with merlot. Mix well.

6. Fill cupcake tins 3/4 with batter and bake for 20-25 minutes or until just set. Cool before frosting.

Merlot Buttercream Frosting

3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)

4 cups powdered sugar

3/4 cup merlot

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Soften butter and sift powdered sugar to remove clumps.

2. Add powdered sugar to butter, 1 cup at a time. Alternate with merlot in small batches. You may need more or less merlot to get your desired consistency.

Boozy Bears, Part I

No baking this last week I had a cold and the week was nuts. I've been on a bit of pantry cleaning kick lately and my latest experiment is boozy gummy bears.  I had a bunch of red gummy bears lying around and decided to get rid of them. Long story short, all red gummy bears taste like cough syrup to me...

Gummy Bears, Vodka, Done.

Vodka Gummy Bears

Shallow dish/tupperware

Vodka

Gummy bears

If this works, it will be the easiest boozy treat ever. I put the gummy bears in a single layer and poured enough vodka to just cover the bears; I wanted the vodka to diffuse into the bears and if memory of diffusion mechanics serves correctly, that means not having the bears swimming in vodka to begin with. *FINGERS CROSSED*

Yes, that is kale on my counter.  Sometimes, I'm healthy.

Before: 1.9 cm bear

Game Day Lemon Tea Cookies

Still high on the Martha Stewart crack that led to the New Year's cupcakes, I decided to make some Minnesota Vikings' themed snacks to eat while the game was on. No, I am not a Vikings' fan, but I live with one and I love any excuse for a theme party, even if it is only for 2 people. I'm far too lazy/frugal to buy food coloring so I thought I'd try to fashion appropriately colored snacks out of natural ingredients: blackberries (purple) and lemons (yellow).

Total time: ~1 hour, but that includes an icing mishap (blackberry juice looks more pink than purple), taking a break for a glass of Albariño, and making up a Vikings-inspired cocktail. Also, zesting lemons always takes longer than I think it will.

VERDICT: total self-call, but the cookies are AMAZING (and were an excellent way to continue the pantry clean out). So delicate and buttery. The lemon icing was surprisingly light and the Meyer lemons were not as cloying as I thought they would be. Definitely making these again for summer gatherings.

Lemon Tea Cookies (with icing)

adapted from What's Cooking America, yields 2-3 dozen cookies (depending on size).

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

4 teaspoons lemon zest

6 tablespoons lemon juice (strained please!)

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup corn starch

1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine butter, 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar, and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.

2. Add flour, corn starch, salt, and lemon zest to butter mixture. Knead dough with hands to make sure that there are no lumps of butter.

3. Roll dough into 3/4 to 1-inch balls and space an inch apart on an un-greased cookie sheet.

4. For the icing: in a small bowl, whisk in powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, to remaining lemon juice until icing has the consistency of thick glue. Add more powdered sugar if needed. For a boozy icing, use limoncello and lemon zest instead of juice.

5. Bake for 15 minutes. The tops will be pale, but the bottoms should be golden brown. Let cool completely before icing (the cookies are very delicate when they first come out of the oven; let them cool for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack).

Minnesota Vikings' "Mojito" Cooler

frozen blackberries, muddled

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 oz lemon juice

1 oz vodka

mint-flavored sparkling water (I was too lazy to get mint so I substituted flavored sparkling water for the muddled mint and club soda.)

lemon twist (garnish)

ice

Added some yellow sugar to make the cookies pop.
The lemon 'V' was a complete accident.

Boozy Chocolate Peppermint Crinkles

I had a ton of peppermint candies and creme de menthe from making peppermint mocha cupcakes and obviously need to use them up. There was a serious lack of cookies in the apartment and making 2 cupcake batches in less than a week seemed excessive (I cannot have 2 tubs of leftover cake topping/frosting in the fridge), so I decided to make chocolate crinkle cookies with a minty and boozy twist.

Total time: ~45 minutes, includes letting cookies cool and drinking wine and catching up on T.I. and Tiny (best show on VH1 in my humble opinion).

VERDICT: the roommate was pleasantly surprised to see even more treats in the apartment and ate a good portion of them after dinner. She also agreed to share with her coworkers if there were leftovers. I assume it's a good sign that she thinks other people might want in on them. Sadly, the booze bakes out of the cookies, but making a cookie sandwich with some leftover boozy ganache would solve that problem or even a quick boozy buttercream.

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkles

adapted from Real Simple, yields 3-4 dozen cookies (depending on size).

1 1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 salt

1 stick butter

1 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 shot creme de menthe

powdered sugar (for dusting)

crushed peppermint candies (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2. Cream butter and brown sugar. Beat eggs in, one at a time, then add creme de menthe.

3. Add flour mixture and mix well. The dough should be smooth and pliable, but not elastic like bread dough. Let the dough rest for ~10 minutes in the fridge to making shaping cookies easier. Optional: crush peppermint candies (see peppermint mocha cupcake post) and mix with powdered sugar.

4. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on an un-greased cookie sheet. Roll dough in powdered sugar (or peppermint candy dust and powdered sugar). Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cracks form on cookie surface.

5. Let cookies cool and dust with more sugar.

Champagne Cupcakes

Low key dinner party with friends for New Year's Eve. The theme was "Pizza Party For Grown Ups." Boozy cupcakes for an adult pizza party seemed appropriate and well, there's nothing like champagne for New Year's boozing. I was definitely high on some Martha Stewart crack when I decided to make the cupcakes and the pizza from scratch.

Total time: ~1 hour, includes letting cakes cool and frosting cakes.

VERDICT: It's always a good sign when people go beyond the polite amount of cake to eat, isn't it? This cake also inspired the Llamaface to re-write Dolly Parton's "Jolene" in my honor.

Champagne Cupcakes

adapted from "Champagne Layer Cake" recipe taken from Boozy Cakes, yields 18 cupcakes

10 tablespoons butter

2 cups flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon whiskey vanilla

2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup champagne

1. Preheat oven 350F. Line cupcake tin with liners.

2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir and set aside.

3. Cream butter and sugar together, make sure there are no lumps of butter or sugar.

4. Beat in eggs, one at a time, to butter mixture. Add vanilla and stir.

5. Add flour mixture to batter, 1/2 cup at a time. Alternate with champagne. Mix well.

6. Fill cupcake tins 3/4 with batter and bake for 20 minutes or until just golden brown.

Champagne Frosting

3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)

4 cups powdered sugar

3/4 cup champagne

1 tablespoon whiskey vanilla

*optional: 2-3 drops food coloring, I dissolved a few heaping spoonfuls of pink sugar in the champagne

1. Soften butter and sift powdered sugar to remove clumps.

2. Add powdered sugar to butter, 1 cup at a time. Alternate with champagne in small batches. You may need more or less.