Category Archives: Dessert

Mint Julep Cupcakes

30 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by in Boozy, Dessert, Holiday

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Mint Julep Cupcake

In honor of the upcoming Kentucky Derby, I bring you this festive recipe for Mint Julep Cupcakes!!  I had never really celebrated the Derby prior to last year when my husband and I attended a party hosted by our friends.  The party was a benefit for Boston Cares, complete with door prizes (a trip to Aruba and tickets to a Red Sox game to name a few), tons of great silent auction items to bid on, and of course placing fast-paced bets on the horses as an auctioneer announced the celebrities of the day!  We had an absolute blast celebrating in our seersucker and huge fancy hats…all the while sipping on mint juleps.  With the event approaching this year, I pulled out my craft supplies and began decorating my oversized, floppy white beach hat with ribbons, bows, feathers, and glitter.  And then I got thirsty for a mint julep…cupcake!  I devised this recipe and boy is it a winner!  The cake is super moist and has a fabulous hint of honey thanks to the Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey.  You may want to make a batch of these to celebrate the Kentucky Derby this weekend.  Enjoy one as you cheer on the winning horse!

Mint Julep Cupcakes
Yield:  about 12 cupcakes (or 40 mini cupcakes)
Time:  40 minutes active;  60 minutes total

Bourbon Cupcakes:
1½ cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey (or Wild Turkey American Honey)
1½ cups skim milk
1 large sprig of fresh mint (roughly 15-20 leaves), rinsed thoroughly

Mint-Bourbon Frosting:
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
4 to 4½ cups confectioner’s sugar
½ tsp. vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
2-3 drops of pure mint extract
2 tbsp. Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey (or Wild Turkey American Honey)
¼ cup of mint-infused milk (see step 1 of cupcake recipe)
fresh mint leaves, for garnishing

1.  Place the milk and mint sprig into a medium sized saucepan.  Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  This will infuse the milk with the flavor of the mint.  Set aside and allow to cool.  (Note:  This step can be done a day or two in advance.  Store the mint-infused milk in the refrigerator.)  [You will need use 1/3 of a cup of this infused milk for the cupcakes and another ¼ cup for the frosting.  Enjoy any leftovers!  It’s a great base for hot chocolate!]

2.  Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Line cupcake pans with liners (12 wells for regular sized cupcakes or roughly 40 wells for mini cupcakes).

3.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

4.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars.  Add the vanilla and eggs.  Slowly drizzle in the bourbon.  Whisk together.  Add 1/3 of a cup of the mint-infused milk.  Mix thoroughly to combine all wet ingredients.

5.  Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients.  Whisk to break up any lumps.

6.  Fill prepared cupcake wells ¾ full with batter.  Lightly tap the pans to release any trapped air bubbles.  Bake at 350°F for 11-12 minutes for mini cupcakes or 17-18 minutes for regular sized cupcakes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.  Cool completely before frosting.

7.  To make the frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy.  Add 3 cups of confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, mint extract, and bourbon.  Slowly drizzle in mint-infused milk.  Slowly add 1 cup of additional confectioner’s sugar.  Beat together.  Add up to ½ cup more of confectioner’s sugar until desired consistency is achieved.  Frost cupcakes and garnish with fresh mint leaves!

PDF to Print Recipe for Mint Julep Cupcakes

Mint Julep Cupcake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If this gets you in the mood to drink a classic mint julep, go right ahead!  For your convenience, here’s the recipe for the classic Kentucky Derby cocktail:

Classic Mint Julep
yield:  1 cocktail

6-8 mint leaves (plus a few more for garnish)
½ oz. simple syrup
2½ oz. bourbon
4 ice cubes

Muddle together the mint leaves and simple syrup in a double old-fashioned glass.  (Muddle well to release the oils and aroma from the mint.)  Top with bourbon.  Gently stir.  Drop in ice cubes and garnish with a few fresh mint leaves.

 

Blonde Bombshell Oatmeal Cookies

15 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by in Dessert, Fruit

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Blonde Bombshell Oatmeal CookiesMy parents came to visit last weekend and I wanted to bake a tasty treat that could stay out on the counter the entire weekend, ready for whenever somebody wanted a snack.  Since my dad is generally a sucker for anything oatmeal-y with fruit in it (think oatmeal raisin cookies or warm apple pear crisp), I decided to make my usual oatmeal cookie base, and toss in some dried fruits that you wouldn’t normally associate with cookies.  I had some dried apricots, dried pineapple, and golden raisins, then added some white chocolate chips to round out the cookies while keeping true to the blonde theme!  I also sprinkled in some ginger, because it just felt right.  After all, I had my dad in mind and he loooooves ginger.  They were a hit–my dad kept “sneaking” them all weekend (although he wasn’t too stealthy about it!)

Blonde Bombshell Oatmeal Cookies
Yield:  4 dozen cookies
Time:  15 minutes active;  1 hour chilling;  1 hour baking

7/8 cup (14 tbsp.) butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. cinnamon
1½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. salt
3 cups oats, uncooked (I always use the Old Fashioned Quaker oats)
15 dried apricots, diced into small pieces
¾ cup golden raisins
½ cup dried pineapple, diced into small pieces
1 cup white chocolate chips

1.  Using a pastry blender, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar.  Add the eggs and vanilla.  Stir to mix well.

2.  In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and oats.  Add to the butter/sugar mixture in several additions, mixing after each addition.

3.  Stir in all of the dried fruit and chocolate chips.  Chill the batter in the refrigerator for 30-90 minutes (or overnight).

4.  Grease a large cookie sheet with non-stick spray and preheat the oven to 350°F.

5.  Scoop the batter out of the bowl using a teaspoon.  Form a ball from the rounded teaspoon of batter, and drop it onto the prepared cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F, or until golden brown.

Blonde Bombshell Oatmeal Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

PDF to Print Recipe for Blonde Bombshell Oatmeal Cookies

 

 

Champagne Strawberry Cupcakes

30 Sunday Mar 2014

Posted by in Boozy, Dessert, Fruit, Holiday

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Champagne Strawberry Cupcakes

I created these champagne cupcakes in honor of my brother-in-law’s proposal to his girlfriend last weekend.  She’s the most perfect girl for him and we’re so lucky that she’s going to soon become part of our family–seriously, this chick rocks!  Their engagement inspired this romantic recipe, made with bubbly and fresh strawberries.  These cupcakes would be a great compliment to an engagement party, rehearsal dinner, anniversary, or Valentine’s Day dessert!  The bubbles in the champagne keep the cake very light, and the best part of this recipe is that since you’ll only need a little over half a cup of champagne for the recipe, there will be plenty left over to toast with!  Cheers!

Champagne Strawberry Cupcakes
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Time:  40 minutes active;  1 hour 10 minutes total

Cupcakes:
¾ cup flour
½ cup cake flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
5 tbsp. butter, softened to room temperature
¾ cup sugar
¾ tsp. vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
3 eggs (you’ll use one yolk and all three egg whites)
3/8 cup champagne

Filling:
½ cup strawberry jam
10 fresh strawberries

Frosting:
3 tbsp. champagne
1½ tsp. milk
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
6 tbsp. butter, softened to room temperature

decorative sprinkles and/or sanding sugar
fresh strawberries for garnish, optional

1.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix together.

2.  In another medium mixing bowl, cream together 5 tablespoons of butter and the sugar using a pastry blender. Stir in the vanilla.

3.  In a small bowl, vigorously whisk together the three egg whites and one egg yolk until pale yellow. Gently fold into the butter/sugar mixture.

4.  Add the champagne and the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture a bit little at a time, alternating between the two.

5.  Bake at 350˚F for 15 minutes, or until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when gently pressed upon (or when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean). Set aside to cool completely before filling.

6.  Meanwhile, dice up the strawberries into small pieces. Mix together with the jam.

7.  Once the cupcakes are cool, remove a portion of cake from the center of each cupcake. (I do this using a cupcake corer—a utensil that’s easily found in the housewares section of stores like Bed Bath and Beyond or Macy’s for about $5-10. If you do not have a cupcake corer, you can gently carve out the cupcake’s “core” with a knife.) Remove the “core”, and set aside, or gobble up immediately and enjoy the light, fluffy, moist champagne cake! Fill the hole with the strawberry/jam mixture.

Champagne Strawberry Cupcakes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.  To make the frosting, beat the 6 tablespoons of softened butter until light and fluffy. Mix in the confectioner’s sugar, champagne, and milk. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip of your liking. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Sprinkle with decorative sprinkles or sanding sugar. Top with fresh strawberries for garnish, if desired. And pour yourself a glass of champagne to celebrate your gorgeous cupcakes!

Champagne Strawberry Cupcakes Champagne Strawberry Cupcakes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PDF to Print Recipe for Champagne Strawberry Cupcakes

Triple Chocolate Cherry Cookies

05 Wednesday Feb 2014

Posted by in Chocolate, Dessert

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Triple Chocolate Cherry Cookies

The slight tartness of the dried cherries, the bitterness of the cocoa, the saltiness of the white chocolate and the overall sweetness of these cookies make for the perfect combination!

Triple Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Yield:  3 dozen cookies
Time:  10 minutes active, 30 minutes chilling, 30 minutes baking  (70 minutes total)

2½ sticks of butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup cocoa
2 cups flour
1½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1½ cups chocolate chips
1½ cups white chocolate chips
1½ cups dried cherries

1.  Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Spray a cookie sheet with baking spray (or spritz with canola oil then lightly dust with flour).

2.  Using a pastry blender, cream together the butter and sugars.  Blend in the eggs and vanilla.

3.  In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Gently fold into the butter/sugar mixture until fully incorporated.  Fold in the chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and dried cherries.

4.  Chill the batter for 30 minutes (or more) in the refrigerator.  Form balls from roughly 1-tbsp of batter.  Drop onto a prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 9-11 minutes, until baked through.  (They should still look moist in the middle, but not overly gooey and wet.)

Enjoy with a tall glass of milk!

PDF to Print Recipe for Triple Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Football Brownies

23 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in Chocolate, Dessert, Holiday, Quick and Easy

≈ 4 Comments

Football Brownies

In spirit of the upcoming Superbowl, I’ve decided to share with you my football brownies!  These are incredibly easy to make. Get yourself a box of brownie mix and have fun!

Football Brownies
Yield: about 8 brownies (depending on the size of your cookie cutter)
Time:  40 minutes total

1 box of brownie mix (I like to use the Chewy Fudge by Duncan Hines)
canola oil (around ¾ cup, follow instructions on box)
water (around ¼ cup, follow instructions on box)
eggs (probably two, follow instructions on box)
¼ to ½ cup white chocolate chips
football-shaped cookie cutter

1.  Following the instructions and ingredient amounts on the box, combine the brownie mix, canola oil, water, and eggs.  Bake according to the instructions listed on the box.

2.  Allow the brownies to cool fully, then stamp out using a football-shaped cookie cutter.  (The one I used was about 4½ inches long and 3 inches wide.)

3.  Melt the white chocolate and mix until smooth.  Transfer the melted chocolate to a small zip-top bag.  Snip off the teeniest tiniest corner of the bag with scissors.  (Start with a reeeeeeally small cut…smaller than you think is right.  You can always cut more off if needed.)  Squeeze out white chocolate into the shape of football laces on each brownie.  Allow the chocolate to harden before stacking or covering the brownies.

4.  Serve as an easy, adorable, festive dessert for game day!

(PS…feel free to use any leftover melted chocolate to write out “NFL”, “football”, “Superbowl”, the names of the teams playing or your favorite players,…)

Football Brownies

 

 

 

 

 

PDF to Print Recipe for Football Brownies