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Getting Started on Wedding Planning

14 Nov

When I told you that I got married, I said I’d write a little bit about planning a wedding, some DIY projects, et cetera. I’ve been a little busy posting pumpkin recipes, but I thought it was about time to get into wedding stuff. Maybe it’s Wedding Wednesday. Ha. Anyways, I thought I’d get started with, well, where to get started.

 

The first thing I did was to register with Wedding Wire and create a wedding budget. Well actually, that’s a lie. The first thing I did was buy these purple polka dot paper straws. LOVE them.

Wedding WireA lot of people wonder which wedding website to go with. I highly recommend Wedding Wire. And they’re not even paying me to say this. I thought it was very user-friendly, easy to navigate, and it had everything I needed in one spot. Compared to The Knot, much better. In terms of site design, Wedding Wire is much cleaner and nicer-looking. The Knot is covered in so much random stuff, you can’t figure out where you want to click. WW also offers personal websites, which I set up immediately.

So what was Wedding Wire good for?

Personal website

Ours included some pictures of us, our story, our bios, information about the ceremony and reception, links to our registries, a link to RSVP to the wedding, a form to request music, a place for people to send us ‘guest book’ messages, and a ‘contact us’ form. It was really great to be able to refer people to one place for everything.

We also saved money on invitations by having online RSVPs — we didn’t have to buy RSVP cards or return envelopes or postage for said envelopes. (Along the bottom of the invitation, we added the line, “Please RSVP to http://www.weddingwire.com/…and….” This also solved the problem of giving people access to the registry without being tacky and writing it on the invitation.

Bonus: There are a million design template to choose from, including the one we used, a Vera Wang design.

Our wedding website

Homepage of our wedding website

Budget

One of the most important tools is budgeting! I tracked everything because I wanted to make sure we stayed within a reasonable budget. The categories are helpful to get you to think about what’s important to you and what you’re willing to spend. Then as you’re planning, enter in your purchases. It will even let you say who paid for it, so if your parents are helping you out, you can indicate if they paid that bill or if you did. Excellent for tracking. Anything I bought online went automatically in, and any receipt from a store went into my wallet to be entered later.

Checklist

The checklist tool kept me all together. It came automatically filled in with tasks to do, arranged by month. So I had a great sense of when I needed to get my dress by, when I needed to send invitations, and all that. The checklist also allows you to personalize it by deleting or adding anything. You can also assign tasks to other people — super helpful if you’re having an argument with your fiance about who was supposed to call his mother to talk about the rehearsal dinner. (And for the record, he was.)

The checklist is also handy in that it increases motivation. If you miss a deadline, a little orange exclamation point will appear next to that task so that you know it is VERY IMPORTANT. When I logged on one day 2 months before my wedding and saw 27 exclamations, I knew it was time to step it up a notch. Which I did the next day, after I spent that day totally losing it.

My November Checklist

My checklist always has overdue tasks. Le sigh.

RSVPs

I highly recommend online RSVPs, but even if you do paper RSVPs, WW will keep them all organized for you. I uploaded our guest list from an Excel with the click of a button, and then everyone was stored with their addresses. I was able to say who was coming to which event. The ceremony, reception, and rehearsal dinner are already listed, but you can add anything — for example, bridal shower, bachelorette party, or engagement party. I ignored the ‘ceremony’ option, but I definitely used the rehearsal option and the rehearsal dinner. It was very simple to make sure everyone had been invited, to track RSVPs, and to get a final headcount for the caterers.

Other Things

Presumably Wedding Wire does many other things as well; I just didn’t really use any other functions. These were the most practical and helpful. There are areas of the site that allow you to interact with other users, read and write reviews of vendors, and more. They also have a mobile app for on-the-go planning. If I didn’t have such a crappy phone, that might have been useful. It seemed cool.

Alrighty, next time: more on budgeting. For any weirdos out there interested in personal information like how much money I spent on my wedding, you won’t want to miss it.

 

Pumpkin Brownies

12 Nov

After the Pumpkin Spice Cake and the Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins, here’s my last pumpkin recipe to share with you: Pumpkin Brownies! I’m not sure what goes better with pumpkin than chocolate. After looking through a million versions, I finally settled on a recipe from Delishhh.com.

Mmm... look at that swirl

I thought these were exceptional, and the addition of Ghiradelli chocolate chips was a stroke of genius. They were slightly more cake-like than fudge-like, and while I usually prefer the latter, they were amazing. Especially when warmed and topped with a scoop of ice cream, which I must admit I enjoyed probably 5 out of 6 nights last week. As I mentioned with my previous pumpkin recipes, I used pumpkin pie filling instead of regular pumpkin puree, which the original recipe called for. But I think you’re good either way — the pie filling makes the brownies a little sweeter and richer in the end.

Oh my goodness, look at that chocolate chip right there.

I baked these in my brand-new Bake and Store Baker from Crate and Barrel — a highly convenient wedding gift. After they cooled, all I had to do was snap the lid on and throw them in the passenger seat to take to a party. Perfect.

Oh, and by the way — one can of pumpkin pie filling is the perfect amount for this recipe, Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Muffins, AND the Pumpkin Cake with Spiced Buttercream. Just to give you a heads up there.

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies from Delishhh.com

¾ cup all purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¾ cup butter (melted)
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup pumpkin pie filling
1tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp nutmeg

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8×8 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a bowl, whisk to combine flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in each egg one at a time. Add in the flour mixture a little at a time, and mix until combined. Divide the batter in half evenly into 2 separate bowls.

In one of the bowls, blend in the cocoa powder and chocolate chips. In the second bowl of batter, stir in pumpkin pie filling, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Spread the chocolate batter into the bottom of the baking dish. Pour the pumpkin batter over that. Drag a kitchen knife or spatula through to mix it a bit. (This creates a mostly chocolate base with a mostly pumpkin top. If you want a more marbled brownie, pour half of each batter in at a time for a total of four layers, and then swirl the knife through it.)

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares.

Linking up for:
YOLO Mondays from Still Being Molly and Lipgloss and Crayons
Monday Meet Ups from Covered in Grace
Made by you Monday from Skip to my Lou
Linky Party with Fine Craft Guild

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Happy Election Day!

6 Nov

In honor of Election Day, I got busy in the kitchen with my rolling pin and some cookie cutters.

Cookie Politics

Political Party Cookies! I used a basic sugar cookie recipe and dusted them with cinnamon-sugar before baking. Delicious to nosh on while we wait for the election results to come in tonight.

The Old North State

North Carolina is a big swing state this year. In the last election, N. C. voters elected a Democratic president after years of voting Republican in national elections. I’m on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens this year.

Donkey the Democrat

Ever wondered how the Democratic Donkey and the Republican Elephant came to be? Check out the answer here.

Elephant the Republican

I voted!

I Voted!

 

And then I rewarded myself with a Chai.

Mmm... Delicious DemocracyMake sure you get out and vote today! Every vote counts!

Bipartisanship.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Muffins

5 Nov

Halloween may be over, but pumpkin season sure isn’t. We’ve got at least another month for pumpkin, so I’ve got two more recipes to share with you. First, these muffins. They’re pretty healthy, not too sweet. They make a great on-the-go breakfast. But if you want them to be cupcakes, just add a little sugar and a delicious cream cheese frosting on top. Or if you want to hit a nice sweet spot in the middle, sprinkle a little cinnamon-sugar on top just before or after baking.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffin

Also — side note — these will make your home smell AMAZING as they bake.

A few notes on the ingredients before we get started…

1) I used a mix of whole wheat and white flour, but really only because I ran out of whole wheat. You can use all whole, all white, or some combination. Whole wheat flour will yield a denser but healthier muffin. Regular white flour will give you a fluffy texture but has really no health value at all.

2) The original recipe called for pumpkin puree, and I accidentally bought pumpkin pie filling. I thought it was better though because it added a little bit of sugar to a not-so-sweet muffin. To each her own though.

Whoa, muffin! Put some clothes on!

Alright, RECIPE TIME:

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Muffins, adapted from Cookin Canuck

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup canned pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
3/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
2 tbsp canola oil
1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place liners in a muffin tin and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, yogurt, brown sugar, canola oil, and egg. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.

Spoon the muffin batter into the prepared muffin cups. If desired, sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the batter. Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove muffins from the pan and cool.

Two-and-a-half-bite muffin
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Pumpkin Cake with Spiced Buttercream

29 Oct

It’s fall, and that means I’m craving all things pumpkin and chai. Or even pumpkin chai. (Ask for it at Starbucks. You’re welcome.) So after a few weeks of salivating over Pinterest pictures, I finally went out to buy some pumpkin and refill my flour and sugar stocks.

I whipped this up one afternoon before having dinner with some friends. I had already made some pumpkin brownies and had leftover pumpkin puree from that, so I needed to finish it off. Pumpkin cake it is. I mostly followed the recipe for Pumpkin Bread from NancyCreative, and topped it off with my own interpretation of Spiced Buttercream from Oh She Glows.

And oh my goodness it was so good. It was fall on a fork. Everyone had an extra slice, and then I sent them home with a little more. Our friend Jesse told me it was his favorite dessert I’d ever made him. So yeah, it was a hit.

Dig in!

The original recipe called for pumpkin puree, and I had accidentally bought pumpkin pie filling. But it made the cake that much sweeter, taking the recipe from a ‘bread’ to a ‘cake.’ And being originally designed as a loaf recipe, the cake was deliciously dense and moist. A little heavy, but I think that makes it perfect for a brisk fall evening on the porch.

Have I mentioned how much I love North Carolina in the fall? I’ve met my share of visitors who decided to put down roots in Chapel Hill after experiencing one of our lovely autumns. Beautiful leaves, beautiful weather. During the day, there’s that perfect Carolina blue sky. And then it gets just a slight chill in the evening, making it perfectly cozy for a sweater, a glass of wine, and a big slice of this cake.

"I'm ready for my close up."

So back to the cake, because surely you’ll want to know how to make it. It’s not hard — you can do it.

Pumpkin Spice Cake from NancyCreative.com

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (dark or light, doesn’t matter)
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin pie filling*

(* If you only have pumpkin puree, you can easily use that instead. Open the can and reserve 2/3 cup of the pumpkin puree for another recipe. Then mix in 2/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves and 1/2 tsp salt into the remaining pumpkin puree. Substitute this mixture in place of pumpkin pie filling.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9″ round pan (I used a springform) with cooking spray and set aside.

Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined, and set aside.

In another bowl, beat eggs on medium-high speed for a minute or so. Mix in the following ingredients one at a time: the brown sugar, then the white sugar, then the canola oil. Reduce speed to low and add the pumpkin pie filling. Add half the dry ingredients, mixing until incorporated, and then the other half, mixing just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack. While it cools, prepare the frosting.

Spiced Buttercream Frosting, with inspiration from Oh She Glows

1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
2 tsp milk (whole is best, but any milk will do)

Beat the butter in a bowl on medium until whipped. Add about half the powdered sugar, and mix well. Then add the vanilla and spices, and mix well. Add the rest of the sugar, and mix well. Add up to 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of milk, as needed to achieve desired consistency.

As soon as the cake is cooled, add the frosting. If you want, top it off with some chopped walnuts. Mmm… yum.

Linking up with:
YOLO Mondays from Still Being Molly and Lipgloss and Crayons
Monday Meet Ups from Covered in Grace
Foodie Friends Friday from Adorned Well

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An Engagement in Floyd, Virginia

17 Oct

It’s been a while since I posted (newsflash, right?), but this time I actually have a good reason — I got married! What?! Crazy, huh? Yep. I kinda stopped working so much on the blog since I planned a wedding in 6 months. It was a pretty quick turnaround time, especially considering we were both working full-time. But from here on out, it’s official… I will now call him my BF. What? What’s that you say? That’s what I’ve always been calling him? Well, yes. But it no longer stands for “Boyfriend.” Now it stands for my “Boo Forever.” FOREVER.

Sooo… I have a backlog of posts from the past few months. I have some food pics to share with you, of course. And I’d also like to start posting about travel, crafts/DIYing, and (drumroll, please)… wedding, of course! In addition to random stuff I think up, I’m going to start back at the beginning and share my tips, tricks, and DIY instructions for various elements of planning a wedding. But I’m not promising anything because especially when it comes to blogs, I seem to have trouble keeping promises. Besides, I’ve made enough of a big promise in my life lately.

So I propose I start at the beginning with the proposal. (See what I did there?) Back in March, we had a certificate to stay at the Hotel Floyd that was going to expire soon, so we took a couple days off work and headed out for a road trip to Floyd, Virginia.

The Legend of the Fairy Stone: Many hundreds of years before Chief Powhatan’s reign, fairies were dancing around a spring of water, playing with naiads and wood nymphs, when an elfin messenger arrived from a city far away. He brought news of the death of Christ. When these creatures of the forest heard the story of the crucifixion, they wept. As their tears fell upon the earth, they crystallized to form beautiful crosses.On our way up north, we stopped at Fairy Stone State Park for an afternoon hike, so named for these weird stones they have there that form in the shape of crosses. They have some legend about fairies crying or something, but mostly it was just a beautiful place to hike that we’d never been to before.

I pretty much knew something was up, and I had decided to get the BF a gift — a pair of hiking boots. When we arrived and get ready for our hike, I pulled them out of the trunk and jokingly asked him, “Will you do me the honor of wearing these boots?” He asked me if I had really just proposed to him with a boot, and I was like, “No no no, I was joking. Joke.” And I started to turn away and he said, “Well, do you want yours?” I was all confused thinking he was going to hand me my hiking boots, when he reached into his bag, got down on one knee right there, and proposed! It was silly and sweet and perfect. The perfect balance for us of romance and humor, planned spontaneity. He gave me my ring, we laced up our respective boots, and we hiked around a park we pretty much had to ourselves. 

The LakeThe park was really beautiful, even for the gray-brown bleh that is March. There isn’t a big mountain anywhere or anything like that, but there is a lake. We hiked around for a while, explored the lake, and then found a nice bench to read on. A lovely day.

We headed on to Floyd, eager for a shower and dinner. Floyd is an amazing little mountain country town. They have about one city block containing a couple restaurants, a book store, a general store, and a hotel. They are well-known for their music, particularly Floyd Fest, which brings thousands to town every summer. Their 2012 line-up included Alison Krauss, Punch Brothers, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Brandi Carlisle, and dozens of other awesome artists. And even outside of this awesome annual weekend, Floyd hosts a small outdoor music concert every Friday night — just head downtown and follow the music, you’ll find it.

We had dinner at Oddfellas Cantina, a downtown restaurant that serves “conscious comfort food with an Appalachian Latino twist.” It was delicious. And after a day of travel and hiking, we headed back to the Hotel Floyd to hit the hay in the Bell Gallery Suite. Very roomy, very comfy.

Scenic Overlook

The next morning we stopped at the local bookstore/coffee shop before heading out to the Chateau Morrisette Winery. We had a delicious and fancy lunch (I had champagne!) in their restaurant and then headed next door for a tour and tasting. Just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, it was a beautiful drive and just as beautiful relaxing on the grounds after the tour. We even brought home a couple bottles of wine.

On the drive home, we spotted this guy…

Floyd Dragon

We headed back to enjoy a quiet weekend at home. All vacations should end with two more days off at home. That’s the best way to do it.

Engaged! I look hella chill. This must have been AFTER the wine tour.

 

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Brownie Pecan Pie

14 Aug

I listed ‘brownie’ in the title first because that is way more important. Obvi.

This super delicious pie comes from Bakerella. I have been wanting to make it ever since she posted it years ago, and I finally got around to it. My family loved it! I took it to my sister’s “last supper” — she had corrective jaw surgery, so we had a big meal of her choice the night before since she won’t be able to eat for a while. Coincidentally enough, my brother had a motorcycle accident and ended up being scheduled for surgery to fix his smashed-up hand on the same day, so we were all together for a nice family meal full of anxiety and brownie pecan pie. (Good news: they’re both okay, just drugged up and cranky.)

Pecan pie is one of my favorite Southern dishes, but of course chocolate is my all-time favorite. So mixing the two sounded like a no-duh move. And being semi-homemade, it was super easy too.

Bakerella gives instructions for how to make either a thicker brownie version or a gooier fudge version. Both sounded delicious to me, and I couldn’t decide, so I split the difference. My mom cut into it and said, “Uh oh, it didn’t bake in the middle.” And I said, “Nope, it’s supposed to be gooey and delicious like that!”

I started off preheating the oven to 350 F. I put 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 1/2 tablespoon flour in a big mixing bowl. I stirred that together until there were no lumps and the flour had disappeared. Then I added 1/4 cup corn syrup and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, stirring that until combined. Next, 1/4 cup melted butter, stirring that in until combined. And then in a separate bowl, I beat 1 egg and then added that to the mixture, stirring until combined. Last I stirred in 1 cup pecans and set the bowl aside.

Pecan Goo

In a separate bowl, I prepared brownie mix according to the package directions. I used Ghiradelli dark chocolate with chocolate chips – YUM.

Brownie Layer

I rolled out 1 refrigerated pie crust into my pie pan and then poured half the brownie batter into it. Then I gently poured the pecan mixture on top of that.

I baked the leftover brownie batter in a loaf pan to make a mini batch of brownies for my brother, who prefers his chocolate unmarred by nuts.

Pecan Layer

I baked it for about 40 minutes, and that was that.

Gooey Deliciousness

Sooo good. I totally should have added a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Mmmm

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Spinach, Corn & Black Bean Enchiladas

5 Aug

OMG I want to eat these for dinner every night. They were good the first time, and they were just as good reheated. The BF had some and we decided they are restaurant good (though I’m sure, much healthier). These are excellent for serving to dinner guests — they can be completely finished and in the oven, so you have time to clean the kitchen before they arrive and then enjoy a glass of wine with your guests. And, if you’re looking for recipes to introduce skeptics to vegetarian dishes, this is it. It’s so delicious and filling, they won’t miss the meat at all. I very slightly edited the original recipe from Sweet Happy Life, just small things for the sake of convenience.

I actually only made the sauce at first. I spooned a little on top of lunchtime veggie & rice bowls for a few days. It wasn’t until later in the week that I got around to making the enchiladas. So fyi — make a ton, freeze it, and then you can use it for enchiladas (the best option) or to add a little flavor to pretty much any Mexican-style dish.

Enchilada Sauce

FYI, I think the enchilada sauce on its own is kinda spicy, but is not spicy at all when baked on top of the enchiladas. I guess the bread and cheese and veggies balance it out. If you’d like a bit more heat, just add the whole chipotle chili instead of the half, and add another teaspoon of adobo sauce.

The original recipe also said to use an immersion blender to puree the sauce. I thought that was totally unnecessary and therefore a waste of my time (especially since I don’t have an immersion blender, which would mean using my food processor, which is a pain to clean, and the BF wasn’t home to clean it for me). But, you know, to each her own.

These make EXCELLENT freezer meals. I doubled the sauce, and after using what I needed for dinner that night, froze the rest in a couple ice cube trays. (After they froze completely, I dumped them out of the tray to store in a large zipper bag.) For the tortilla rolls, I rolled individual enchiladas up in foil and then froze them in a large zipper bag. For lunch, I grab one foil-wrapped roll, a few sauce cubes, and I’m good to go. I sit my lunch box on my desk so it thaws throughout the morning, then unwrap and heat it up in the microwave. Presto lunch-o.

Enchilada sauce (adapted from Sweet Happy Life)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 an onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon oregano (I used Wildtree Hearty Spaghetti Sauce Blend ’cause that’s what I had)
1 cup cooking sherry
1/2 diced chipotle chili
1 teaspoon adobo sauce
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 cup vegetable (or chicken or beef) stock

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes.

Add brown sugar, cumin, and oregano. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

Add sherry, chili, adobo sauce, tomatoes, and stock. Mix well and reduce heat to low. Simmer until desired consistency (20-25 minutes if you plan to pour it over the enchiladas and bake, where it will thicken; 40-45 minutes if you plan to use it as a condiment.)

BONUS RECIPE!

For dinner that night, I stir-friend some extra firm tofu, about 5-6 minutes on each side in olive oil, added some zucchini slices and corn sliced off the cob. I cooked up some brown rice, mixed all that together in a bowl, and topped it with a little of the sauce and some cheddar cheese. Delicious and easy.

Rice & Veggie Enchilada Bowl

A couple nights later, I invited a couple friends over for dinner, and decided to make the full recipe. I had been craving enchiladas since I had made the sauce.

Assembling the Enchiladas

Enchiladas (adapted from Sweet Happy Life)

1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-oz can corn, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper
1 package tortillas (I used 8-10 whole wheat flour tortillas)
Shredded cheese of your choice (I used a combo of cheddar and monterey jack)

Make sure your spinach is well drained. Squeeze out excess water. Mix well in a large bowl with the beans and corn. Add cumin, a dash of salt, and a dash of pepper, and mix well.

Spoon a little enchilada sauce on the bottom of a greased baking dish.

On each tortilla, spread a few spoonfuls of the filling, and add shredded cheese on top. Roll tightly, tucking the ends in, and lay seam-down in the pan.

Add more sauce on top of all the enchiladas. Cover with foil and baked at 350 F for about 35 minutes.

Enchilada Dinner

Enjoy!

Really, these were so good. Just writing this makes me want to make more. We spent lunch today discussing what other things we could put inside these enchiladas. We decided we can’t wait till fall to try sweet potatoes and black beans… Mmm.

I know I didn’t get too detailed on the amounts when I talked about assembly, but all that is really up to you and your personal preference. This made about 8 enchiladas. I would guess that kids and people with light appetites such as myself would eat just one, but adults with normal to hearty appetites would probably eat two. I served these with brown rice, salsa, and guacamole. Chips and queso wouldn’t hurt either.

Deliciousness

Halfway through (approximately 15 seconds after beginning).

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Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Kahlua Buttercream Frosting

1 Jul

Or “chocolate drunkcakes.” Whichever name you prefer.

I made these for a coworker’s going away party. She loves Guiness, so I found this great recipe for cupcakes. They called for Irish Cream (like Bailey’s), but since she loves Kahlua and I already had a little on hand, I went with that instead. My sister came over to help, and we got started.

One perfect little drunkcake.

Cupcakes

I preheated the oven to 350 F while Steph got to work on the chocolate/beer mixture. In a medium saucepan, she added 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter and 1 cup Guinness beer. After she brought it to a simmer over medium heat, she whisked in 3/4 cup Ghiradelli sweet ground chocolate.

While she did that, I whisked together the dry ingredients: 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.

A little note of explanation here: The original recipe called for double the sugar but to use unsweetened cocoa powder. Since I only had sweetened cocoa on hand, I used that and halved the sugar. Between that and the yeasty beer, the cupcakes came out very bread-like. (When the BF walked in the house, he shouted, “Whoa, it smells good in here! Where’s the bread?”) Most people thought that with the super-sweet frosting, the less-sweet cupcake paired perfectly. But having a ridiculous sweet tooth myself, I thought they could have been sweeter.

Okay, back to it. In a large bowl, Steph beat together 2 eggs and 2/3 cup sour cream. Then we added the chocolate mixture and beat to combine. And then the flour mixture, beating just until combined. We lined the cupcake pan with paper liners, filled them about 3/4 way full, and then baked about 18 minutes, until they passed the toothpick test.

Frosting

While they baked, we got to work on this amazing Kahlua buttercream frosting.

While Steph beat 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter in a mixing bowl, I sifted about 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar. She added in about half the sugar and mixed that up, then we added 3 tablespoons Kahlua and mixed that in. We added the rest of the sugar, except a last little bit. Keep tasting your frosting and stop adding sugar when you think it’s good. You want to make sure you can actually taste the Kahlua.

While we waited for the cupcakes to cool, I made myself a white russian with the rest of the Kahlua. This is a key part of the recipe.

Once the cupcakes were cool and the frosting was ready, I loaded up my pastry bag and piped a healthy amount on top of each cupcake. Super delicioso!

DRUNKCAKES

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Chocolate Mmmousse

22 Jun

Get it? Mmmousse because it is so delicious you will be like “MMMMM.” Yeah.

Mmm... look at THAT

I needed a good dessert for a dinner party, and I must say that my first attempt at mousse was pretty much perfect. (There’s no room for humility here. It was that delicious.) Not like I can really claim much from it anyway – I followed Ms. Martha Stewart’s chocolate mousse recipe to a T. I cannot understate how amazing it was. I actually doubled the recipe so I would have it for two different occasions. But I will share the recipe below in its original dimensions, which would serve about 6 people for dessert.

Some mousses use raw eggs, and one thing I like about this recipe is that you cook the eggs. Makes me feel better. Raw – blech. I separated 4 eggs and then in a medium saucepan, I whisked together 4 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 3/4 cup heavy cream. I cooked it over medium heat for 7-10 minutes, until it thickened up to the point where it would stick to the spoon a bit (but don’t let it boil!).

While that cooked, I melted 8 ounces semisweet chocolate by heating it at 30 second intervals in the microwave and stirring well in between each session. I used some semisweet chocolate chips but didn’t have quite enough, so I added in pieces of random chocolate bars I had stashed around the apartment and in my purse. (That’s not weird, right?) When the egg mixture was done, I stirred in the melted chocolate and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

I strained the chocolate mixture through a fine mesh sieve to make sure no chunks stuck around. I popped the bowl of chocolate into the fridge to chill for a bit.

While the chocolate chilled, I worked on the whipping cream. I beat another 1 1/4 heavy cream in a medium mixing bowl with a hand mixer. I added 2 tablespoons sugar and continued beating. I was supposed to stop when it formed “soft peaks,” but the weird thing about whipped cream is that it looks not quite done forever and then BAM it’s suddenly past done. But it worked out okay. I mixed about one third of the cream into the chocolate mixture. Then the original recipe says to gently fold the rest of the cream into the chocolate. But I was having trouble getting it to mix evenly, so I ended up stirring somewhat vigorously, which broke down the too-whipped whipped cream perfectly. See? Worked out okay.

That's a nice looking glass you got there.

I scooped them into individual serving dishes, covered, and chilled them. Excellent presentation and more importantly, soooo delicious. (They need to chill for at least 30 minutes, and then Martha says it will last up to 3 days, though I ate mine a week later and was fine.)

Now just imagine that Ryan Gosling is holding that spoon offering you the most delicious mousse in the world. Mmmm.

ALT TEXT FTW.

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