Gender Reveal Cupcakes

Are you familiar with 'Gender Reveal Parties'??  They are all the rage these days, and remind me never to say "all the rage" again because it makes me sound ancient.  Anyhoo (ancient-er), if you are not hip to the Gender Reveal (oh dear god), then let me give you the 411 (make it stop): it's a party where an expecting couple reveal the sex of their baby to friends and family (and many times themselves) in a fun manner, like cutting into a cake or biting into a cupcake that's pink or blue inside.  Well, I was not only recently invited to one for my dear friends, Beth and Brad, but they asked me to bake the cupcakes!  And in this instance, they didn't know the sex either.  Their doctor wrote it down, sealed it in an envelope and gave it to me!  Talk about your head exploding with knowledge that you can't share with anyone, oy.  In full disclosure, I told my four-year-old son, Jack.  And he probably told a couple of buddies at school.  And they were like, "meh."  

    But, I was able to keep the secret, and I didn't even play a prank and swap genders like Carson wanted me to.  I had never baked stuffed cupcakes before, and decided to go for a homemade Hostess Cupcake following this recipe.  Every part of it was perfect.  Super moist, chocolaty cake, a sweet and fluffy marshmallow cream center and topped with a rich, chocolate ganache.  My kind of dessert.  I used a paring knife to core out the cupcakes, which was time-consuming but very easy.  And I used a freezer bag with the end snipped off to fill the centers wiiiiith... BLUE icing : )   

The happy couple...

Congrats Beth and Brad!  I can't wait to meet this sweet baby boy.  

(All images by Katy at Chasing You Photo)

4-0 Cake!

Someone in our house is turning 40 this week, and it's not me, and it's not my kids... so I'll let you figure that out.  As you know, I go a little coo koo roo over birthday cakes, and this was no exception.  I thought about baking 40 cakes, and then I thought about checking myself into a mental institution instead.  AND THEN, I found this alphabet/number pan, and my sanity was saved.  How cool is it??  You rearrange these 2-inch squares to form any number or letter you fancy!  And as long as you spray the pan, they pop right out leaving a perfectly formed cake.  I'm obsessed.

Have some happy weekends, ok?  And stay tuned next week for an exciting announcement : )  

Corn on the Cob Cupcakes

Can you even handle how much these look like corn??  I couldn't handle it as I started spotting them online (here and here for example), and you know I will attempt any sort of baked good that blows my mind.  They seemed perfect for Memorial Day weekend, but would also be appropriate at any summer BBQ sooooo... off you go, to your local candy store for jelly beans.  Buy some coke bottle gummies while you're there.  Run don't walk, trip don't fall, what?     

I made Mascarpone Cupcakes with a Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting (1 cup unsalted room temp butter, 1 lb. powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp vanilla paste, 2 T milk) and then lightly colored the frosting pale yellow.  For the jelly beans, I used yellow (pina colada), white (french vanilla) and a darker, speckled gold (banana).  The pats of butter are lemon Starbursts that I flattened with my fingers.  Finally, on the top I sprinkled some white and green sanding sugar to reflect salt and Italian herbs.  As they began to take shape, I could feel the stupid grin creep up my face and my body started twitching into a happy dance.  I don't like the term "foodie" but I do like to call myself a FOOD GEEK.      

GAH!!  FOOD NERD CAN'T HANDLE!!

Fiesta Food

It appears I have made a lot of Mexican dishes over the years.  Mucho, if you por favor.  

Sorry, I took French.  But here are some ideas for your weekend fiesta...

Albondigas

Soup Azteca

Arroz con Pollo

Roasted Chicken Tacos

Ground Beef Tacos

Baked Tostada

Spanish Beans

Guacamole

Margarita Cupcakes

Mexican Chocolate Brownies

Luck of the Irish

cute...

and cute...

Have wonderfully lucky weekends.  I'm not Irish, so don't kiss me.

Some past St. Patty's Day posts here, here and here.  

Oscar-Themed Cocktails

Are you having an Oscar Party?  Not I, said the fly.  Before kids, I made a point out of seeing every nominated film.  Now, I would go see a movie like "Safe Haven" if it meant I could eat popcorn in a dark theater.  But, if I were having an Oscar party, wouldn't it be fun to have themed cocktails for the Best Picture films?  The nice people at Deustch Family Wine & Spirits have just that for you... see below for some tasty sounding adult beverages.  For all alcoholic products listed in this post, go to the Deustch Family Wine & Spirits website.  

AMOUR - Catatonic

1 oz. Adult Chocolate Milk

1 oz. creme de menthe

6 oz. hot chocolate

1 oz. whipped cream

Pour the Adult Chocolate Milk and creme de menthe into a coffee mug, and stir.  Add hot chocolate, and top with whipped cream.  Sprinkle with chocolate shavings and a cherry, if desired, and serve.

ARGO - Canadian Embassy

2 oz. The Original Moonshine

1/2 oz. maple syrup

Slice of orange

Dash of bitters

Measure maple syrup into a glass.  Add ice and pour in The Original Moonshine slowly, stirring to ensure that you properly combine it with the syrup.  Add a splash of bitters.  Rub an orange slice around the inside of a rocks glass, add fresh ice, and strain The Original Moonshine mixture into the rocks glass.  Garnish with orange and serve.

 LIFE OF PI - Eye of the Tiger

2 oz. LICOR 43 Liqueur 

1/2 oz. Galliano

2 oz. fresh orange juice 

2 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice

1 oz. passion fruit nectar

3/4 oz. fresh lime juice

1 oz. simple syrup

Dash of rum-based bitters

Ice cubes

Garnish: pineapple wedge, orange slice, or any other fresh fruit

Combine all ingredients with ice and shake.  Strain into an ice-filled glass and garnish.

LES MISERABLES - Gavroche

2 oz. LICOR 43 Liqueur

1/2 oz. vodka

2 oz. fresh orange juice

2 oz. cranberry juice cocktail

Ice cubes

Clementines, peeled, separated into segments

Mix cranberry juice, vodka, LICOR 43 Liqueur, and orange juice in cocktail shaker full of ice.  Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish each with a clementine segment.

LINCOLN - Prairie Lawyer

2 oz. of The Original Moonshine

2 tablespoons Mint Syrup

Crushed ice

1 tablespoon of fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Mint leaves

Fresh mint sprig

Combine mint leaves, syrup and The Original Moonshine in a glass.  Using a bar spoon, crush the mint to release its essence into the liquid.  Fill the glass with ice.  Gently press the spoon into the ice, shaking it to incorporate The Original Moonshine syrup mixture.  Garnish.

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK - Home-aid

2 oz. LICOR 43 Liqueur

1/2 oz. vodka

4 oz. tropical fruit punch

1 tablespoon of fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Combine all ingredients with ice and shake.  Strain into an ice-filled glass and garnish with an umbrella.

DJANGO UNCHANGED - The D is Silent

1.5 oz. LICOR 43 Liqueur

1/2 oz. pomegranate juice

3/4 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice

2 oz. ginger beer

Add all ingredients but the ginger beer into a cocktail shaker full of ice; shake and strain into a cocktail glass, then add the ginger beer.  You can also serve this drink in a highball glass over ice by instead adding pomegranate juice, LICOR 43 Liqueur, and lime juice to an ice-filled glass; stirring for 30 seconds.  Add the ginger beer and stir once more.  The over-ice version stays cooler longer, but as the ice melts the smoky flavor will be less distinct.  

ZERO DARK THIRTY - Seal Team Six

2 oz. LICOR 43 Liqueur

1 oz. of dark rum

1 splash 151 Proof Rum

Dark Cola

5 cubes ice

Fill glass with ice.  Add dark rum and LICOR 43 Liqueur.  Fill with Cola.  Add splash of High Proof Rum to taste.  

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD - The Bathtub

1 oz. The Original Moonshine

1/2 oz. of triple sec

7 dashes of rum-based bitters

7 dashes orgeat syrup-based bitters

Champagne

Ice cubes

Lemon twist

Stir ingredients briefly over ice, strain into a chilled flute, top with Champagne and garnish.

*Please drink responsibly.  There, I said it.  Thanks Deustch Family Wine & Spirits for the great ideas!  (Top image)

Mardi Gras Meal

I am like SUPER D DUPER lazy right now and I'm going to repost a repost.  Does that even make sense?  My brain is too mushy to figure it out.  Happy Fat Tuesday!  Here is your menu.  

(Back tomorrow)

Valentine's Day Treats

Our week out of town is winding to a close, and I will be back in my kitchen soon stirring up all sorts of trouble.  Stirring, I said!  Oh, silly puns.  I hope you're staying warm, wherever you are, and I hope you spend the weekend stirring up trouble of your own, preferably something sweet for Valentine's Day.  Here are some ideas from me to you.  I am romantical.

Conversation Heart Cookies

Pink Lemonade Cake Pops

Valentine's Day Cake

Petites Pain au Chocolat

White Chocolate and Cherry Shortbread Cookies

Nutella Truffles

(and some other ideas here)

Pumpkin Little

Happy October the First!  

"Pumpkin Little" is a nickname Jack and Etta's grandmother uses a lot.  She's leaving us today.  Can you believe both my mom and Carson's mom have the balls to up and leave us alone with two kids?!  Oh right, we asked them to only stay for 3 weeks.  We decided we're ready to try this "family of four" business on our own.  We are?  We are.  We are!  

 Needless to say I don't have a recipe for you today.  

But the above photo (Soft Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cookies) and the two below are on my "to-do" list.

I'll get to that, right?  Right.  Right!  

Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes...

Pull Apart Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread...

Plus plentiful perfect pumpkin plans.  Wow, that just happened.  

Shark Bite Cupcakes

For shark week, if you're into that kind of thing.  Seen here.