The best drink I've ever had.

My favourite alcoholic drink is a Caesar, for the people who don't know what that is, it's like a Bloody Mary but instead of tomato juice you use Clamato juice.  While I was in Florida, my boyfriend and I rented some beach cruiser bikes and took trip down to John's Pass.  We decided to take a break from our bike ride to have lunch.  At the restaurant we stopped at had an amazing looking drink called the Shrimpy Mary, which is a Bloody Mary with a shrimp kabob.  The kabob has green pepper, a pickle, hot pepper, cherry tomato, olive and a shirmp and tons of yummy extras added to the juice.  It was so good I had to have a second drink.  Check out this pic!

Shrimpy Mary

On the way home we rode along the beach.  My boyfriend took this amazing picture of the Long Pier at Reddington Shores.  Check out his other work at m:k:photographics.

Prosecco Cupcakes

Happy New Year's, well I guess it isn't really that new saying it's mid-Janurary so maybe Old Year's instead.  One thing I did learn from New Year's is that I love Prosecco and Campari (with a little orange juice), it might just be my new favourite drink.

My Mom and I decided for our New Year's party we'd do an Italian theme saying a bit of my background is Italian.  While I was trying to figure out what we were going to have for dessert I came across a traditional drink that is served at New Year's for good luck in the coming year, called the Venetian Spritz. All it is, is 2 oz. of Prosecco, 1 oz. of Campari, a lemon twist and a green olive.  I thought to myself what don't I make this drink into a cupcake.

The cupcake base uses the Prosecco and the frosting uses the Campari and Prosecco, the cupcake was gorgeous and light, the bitterness of the Campari offset the sweetness of the Prosecco made a great combination.  This cupcake could be made with any type of sparkling beverage, including Champagne.  Here is the recipe.

Cupcake

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1-3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup Prosecco

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, whisk together and set aside.  Cream butter for about 1 minute and add sugar, mix for about another minute. Add one egg at a time and mix until fully incorporated.  Add vanilla and sour cream.  Add the dry ingredients and alternate with the Prosecco.  Mix until the batter looks smooth.  Using an ice cream scoop (or spoon if you do not have one) scoop the batter into a lined cupcake tin.  Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Frosting/Icing

3/4 cup butter

2 Tbsp. Prosecco + 1 Tbsp. Campari

2-2-1/2 cup icing sugar

Cream butter for about two minutes, until fluffy.  Add the liquor.  Add the icing sugar in one cup increments until the consistency is how you like it.  Mix until light and fluffy.

Time to decorate!  My colour theme was gold so I used some gold piping icing, putting stripes of it along my piping bag then putting my frosting in the bag.  The light pink frosting came out with nice little gold stripes.  The decorating opportunities are endless.  

Hope you enjoy!

Wizarding World of Harry Potter

I know this has NOTHING to do with baking but I went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Florida this past Christmas and thought I'd share some photos.  I had the flu the day I was there and unfortunately only stayed for one and a half hours, only rode one ride and almost froze to death but it was worth it.  I would have loved to buy a wand but the line at Olivander's was the longest line in the whole park.  Hope you enjoy!

The entrance to Hogsmeade

The Hogwarts Express

Mandrakes

The Sorting Hat

Three Broom Sticks

S'more Whoopie Pies

Wow I must really love s'mores this post and my last are about them but this time it's whoppie pies.

I made these pies for a friend Enuka Okuma while she was finishing the sound her new short called Cookie.  Both the movie and the whoppie pies turned out great.  My only issue was with the marshmallow filling called for shortening which I found the taste DISGUSTING and made a pact with myself never to use shortening again, only butter :).

I got the recipe from the great book Whoopie Pies by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell.  I love all the little notes at the front of the book.  It took me quite awhile to get this book, I kept seeing it at the bookstore and finally decided to get it, I'm glad I did.

The whoopie pie is a graham flour base with chocolate ganache and marshmallow filling. I'd write the recipe out but it's quite long, just go buy the book instead.

Graham batter

Perfect little whoopie pie tops and bottoms

Marshmallow filling

Chocolate ganache filling

Yummy S'more Whoopie Pie ;)

S'more Squares

I love s'mores, I think it is my favourite flavour combination.  I found this awesome recipe from The Happy Baker.  It's the best recipe for s'more squares out there, even better than Martha Stewart's.  I give these squares as presents as everyone loves them and they go great with hot chocolate.  Here is the recipe with a couple tweaks.


2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg 
2 and1/3 cups graham crumbs
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt


1, 7 oz. container of fluff
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 
1  1/2 cups mini marshmallows


Incorporate the first seven ingredients in a bowl with a whisk or with a hand held blender.  Reserve 1 cup of the mixture and press the rest into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan.  Put the fluff into the microwave for about 30 seconds and spread the fluff over the graham mixture.  Sprinkle chocolate chips all over the fluff and then the marshmallows over the chocolate chips.  Sprinkle the remaining graham mixture on top and press into the marshmallows.  


Bake for 20 - 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Let sit and cut into squares.

Merry Post Christmas and Boxing Day

So many awesome Christmas treats: rum dripping Christmas cake, s'more squares, gingerbread, Baklava, and oreo truffles (plus many more).  After all of that baking I have no pictures :(.  I can't believe it, but I'm on vacation so I think it's ok.  

While in Florida, I plan on visiting a cupcakery in St. Petersburg which I will blog about when I get back to Canada so look forward to that.  

I wish everyone a happy holiday season, up next, New Year's!  My goal is to blog about everything to do with cupcakes (including my two new Hello Kitty/Johnny Cupcakes t-shirts).

From Parkdale Christmas Photo booth

Parkdale Bazaar TOMORROW!

Don't forget to come out to the Parkdale Bazaar at the Masaryk-Cowan Community Centre, 220 Cowan Avenue, from 11 am to 5 pm.

There is even a super cool Christmas card studio.

Check it out on Facebook

Be there before I sell out of all of my soaps.