Magical Sugar Plum Fairy Cakes

In the United Kingdom, cupcakes are sometimes called fairy cakes.  Never has that name been more fitting than when used for my sugar plum fairy cakes!  I spun dried fruits, walnuts, honey, orange juice, and seasonal spices together in my sugar plum fairy cakes, creating a magical taste spectacle. While similar in flavor to my sugar plum recipe, these sugar plum fairy cakes are dainty, light, and majestic. Coriander orange buttercream and a sprinkle of fairy dust (edible glitter) add the finishing touches. 

Baked French Toast with Bananas, Walnuts, and Cacao Nibs

Baked French toast is the lasagna of breakfast - prepare it in advance so you can lounge in your PJs with the rest of the family instead of being a stove slave stuck frying toast while listening to the muffled laughter of your family in the other room.

This baked French toast has three layers of goodness.  Its base is a warm, gooey mixture of maple and bananas (when serving, make sure to scoop all the way to the bottom of the pan so you don't miss this part!).  The bananas are covered in a moist, eggy challah with a touch of ginger. The whole thing is then topped with crunchy walnuts and cacao nibs (or chocolate chips) and more maple.  Hungry yet?

Because this recipe is for French toast and not French cake, you can eat as much as you like guilt-free, right? 

Wine and Cheese Cupcakes - Try Them At Your Next Wine Party

Shiraz wine, walnuts, Camembert cheese, and dark chocolate could be wine bar fare at its best. In my cupcake-centric world, however, they are the ingredients in wine and cheese cupcakes.

Serve these wine and cheese cupcakes at your next wine party.  In fact, plan a wine party around them.  These wine and cheese cupcakes are worth it!  Don't be scared by the Camembert.  It's a stinky cheese, for sure, but once it's baked into the cupcakes, your guests won't detect it; they will only note a that these chocolate cupcakes have a sublime sophistication. They are chocolate cupcakes all grown up.

Note:  While it's a common practice to nose wine before drinking it, be careful about nosing the cupcakes.  You may end up with a frosting-covered schnoz.

Charoses Recipe - Mom's Recipe

Charoses is a reason to look forward to Passover. I would eat charoses year round, but then I wouldn't enjoy it as much over Passover. I could eat it by the bowl - cold or hot. Charoses is almost always served cold, but it's actually great after 30 seconds or so in the microwave - try it!

While I typically experiment and drastically change recipes, there is no messin' with Momma's charoses. Well, except for the fact that I used up this charoses in a Kosher for Passover charoses cupcake.

Charoses Recipe

Mom's charoses recipe is actually from The Complete American-Jewish Cookbook. As I look at this digital picture of the cookbook, I can picture the more worn out version of it sitting in Mom's kitchen and feel all warm and fuzzy. If you want your own worn out version, you can get used copies of this book for only $4 on Amazon!

Here is the recipe twice removed from the book - emailed by my mom and then edited with notes by me:

• 1 C chopped apples (Mom uses a couple of different apples to make it
• interesting.)
• 1/4 C chopped nuts (We always use walnuts.)
• 1 t sugar or honey (This is not a choice. Use honey!)
• Grated rind of 1/2 lemon (I ended up using a whole lemon. The more lemon, the merrier.)
• 1/2 t cinnamon or more to taste
  
• 2 tablespoons red wine (about) (Don't go for fancy wine here. You want Manischewitz Concord Grape. I can't imagine charoses with any other wine. It's really an essential ingredient.)

1. Mix all ingredients.
   
2. Add enough wine to bind the mixture.

Kentucky Derby Pie Cupcakes: Place Your Bets on Chocolate, Walnuts, and Bourbon

In 2004, I went to the Kentucky Derby for my birthday. There were no Kentucky Derby cupcakes there, just a lot of rain. It rained so hard that they had to shut down the betting systems due to flooding. Jonathan and I had to walk in puddles of floating cigarette butts, beer bottles, and other things I choose not to think about.

We were in the infield. For those not in the know, the infield is not the dressed up fancy hat Derby that you see on TV. In fact, you can't really see the races from the infield except on a big screen. However, it's a big party atmosphere and being there was a blast, especially since I won my bet!

This year's Derby is on Saturday! My Kentucky Derby Pie cupcakes dreamed that they were in the Derby:

It was a photo finish!

What is Derby Pie?

As described on Wikipedia, "The pie is a chocolate and walnut tart in a pie shell usually with a pastry dough crust. It is also commonly made with pecans, chocolate chips and Kentucky Bourbon. Popular additions are butterscotch, caramel, and other types of nuts."

What is a Derby Pie Cupcake?

My Derby Pie cupcakes are chocolate cupcakes with Derby Pie filling mixed in. They are topped with a bourbon buttercream mixed with more Derby Pie filling.

The Derby Pie Cupcake Recipe: The Chocolate Cake

For the chocolate cake, I used chockylit's recipe that I featured in my Better than Sex Chocolate Cupcakes.

Makes 16 regular cupcakes.

• 1/2 C (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 C sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 C flour
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/4 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 C milk
• 1 t vanilla

1. Beat butter until softened.
2. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined.
4. Measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder into a small bowl and whisk to combine.
5. In another small bowl, measure out the milk and vanilla and stir to combine.
6. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar and beat to combine.
7. Add about a half of the milk/vanilla and beat to combine.
8. Continue adding, alternating between dry and wet and finishing with the dry.

The Derby Pie Cupcake Recipe: The Derby Pie Filling

The second part of the Derby Pie cupcake recipe is a Derby Pie filling recipe that I got from Allrecipes. I made it with walnuts instead of pecans. However, either nut would be good.

• 1 C white sugar
• 1 C light corn syrup
• 1/2 C butter
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 C bourbon (I used a cheap - $6.95 - store brand bottle of Kentucky Bourbon. A higher quality bourbon might have been better, but I can't report back on that.)
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 C semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 C chopped pecans

1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and butter.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
3. Cool slightly.
4. In a large bowl, combine eggs, bourbon, vanilla, and salt. Mix well.
5. Slowly pour the sugar mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
6. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.

Kentucky Derby Pie Baking Instructions

1. Set aside half of the pie filling.
2. Fold 3/4 of one of the halves into the chocolate cupcake batter. You don't need to mix it well, just give it a nice stir.
3. Fill 24 cupcake liners about half way.
4. Use up the remaining 1/4 of the first half by putting an additional spoonful or two of the pie filling on top of each cupcake being careful not to fill them more than 3/4.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the second half of the pie filling onto the baking sheet. This is going to be used in the frosting.
6. Bake both the cupcakes and the filling on the baking sheet for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. I baked mine at the same time on different shelves.

Bourbon Buttercream Frosting with Kentucky Derby Pie Filling

• 1 C (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 4 C powdered sugar
• 3 T bourbon
• 1 t vanilla
• Baked and cooled pie filling (see above for directions)

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add bourbon and vanilla.
3. Stir in baked and cooled pie filling.

Because of the nuts, this is a spreadable frosting rather than a piped one. It won't look as pretty as some other frostings, however it is still sure to be a winner at your Kentucky Derby party!