Winterfresh Cupcakes Made with Mastic and Lime

It's nearly midnight and you are ready to move in for that New Year's kiss.  Your palms start to sweat as you realize that you've eaten one too many Cool Ranch Doritos.  You need to do something about your breath, pronto. Sure, there's always a breath mint, but why not solve your breath debacle with a cupcake?! You reach for a winterfresh cupcake made with mastic and lime and enjoy every bite (see What Is Mastic if you you have no idea what mastic is). You mouth feels fresh and tingly, but you want to be sure.  You cup your palm over your mouth and exhale.  Phew, you smell like a pine forest. 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Happy New Year!!  You lean in with no fear.

What is Mastic?

Mastic is a resin extracted from the trunk of the mastic tree.  The mastic drips out of the mastic tree trunk as if the tree were crying - so the resin is called mastic tears.  Although mastic starts as a liquid, it hardens to the yellowish crystals shown above.  Just like Champagne can only be called Champagne if it comes from the Champagne region of France, true mastic must come from a specific location - the Chios island of Greece. 

How Is Mastic Used?