{Boozy Sweets from the Big City | Margarita Cupcakes}

Pull up a bar stool. Or an office chair. Maybe even a reclining Adirondack chair by the pool. Because no matter where you indulge in these margarita cupcakes, you’ll be transported to a dreamy beach lined with sandy towels and sun-baked flip-flops.

Just hope no one steps on a pop-top and has to head on back home.

If you like margaritas, you’ll enjoy these light little cakes spiked with tequila and a twist of lime. Top them with a generous helping of the tart, salty frosting and it’s like licking the rim of your icy margarita.

The recipe is new to me. A fellow blogger from the Minneapolis area, Michelle Hals, shared it with me at Minnesota Blogger’s Conference. The recipe comes from her parents who got it from her dad’s cousin when he made the treats for a high school reunion. Michelle just started a new blog at http://www.michellehals.com so stop by and say hi. She also blogs at http://shelbellescraps.blogspot.com.

Thank you for sharing this family recipe with us, Michelle.

I lovingly call Minneapolis the big city because I live on an acreage in southwest Minnesota. I used to live in the Twin Cities and I love it there.

Margarita Cupcakes

Makes 18 regular-size cupcakes with generous frosting for each.

1 box white cake mix

7-1/2 ounces original margarita mix

2 ounces tequila (or triple sec if you prefer)

1/2 ounce orange juice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a medium bowl, add all ingredients and beat on medium-high until fluffy. If you prefer, use triple sec in place of the tequila. The important thing is to use a total of 10 ounces of liquid. Line a regular cupcake pan with papers or grease with non-stick spray. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack.

Simple Lime Syrup (optional)

If you’ve read my blog for a while, you know that I am not a huge fan of cupcakes because they aren’t usually as moist as I like. I found these cupcakes to be a little drier than I like, but an easy solution is to add the following simple syrup:

1 cup fresh lime juice

1 cup sugar

Combine the lime juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar completely dissolves. Bring it to a boil and continue to boil for 3-5 minutes until it becomes a golden color. Cool. Poke holes in the cupcakes with a toothpick. Using a pastry brush, generously brush the syrup over the tops of the cupcakes. Let soak in for 10 minutes and then frost the cupcakes.

Salty Lime Frosting

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

5 cups powdered sugar

3-4 tablespoons lime juice (use 3 and add more if needed for spreading consistency)

1/2 teaspoon salt

couple dashes of green food coloring if desired

In a medium bowl, cream the butter. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lime juice and salt, beating until desired spreading consistency. Add small amount of green food coloring if desired.

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Do you like your margarita rim salty or sweet?

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{Italian Tuxedo Triffle Makes the Cut}

It was an honor to make desserts for the East Central Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Fire & Ice formal fundraising event this year.

It was tough to make a final choice for this year’s dessert. For the 2011 event, I made Raspberry White Chocolate Truffle Baby Cheesecakes and they were a crowd favorite. This year, event organizers, Darilyn and Julie, narrowed it down to Italian Tuxedo Parfaits and Andes Mint Baby Cheesecakes. Since the night’s theme colors were an elegant black and red damask pattern, the parfaits made the cut, and we moved the Andes Mint cheesecake babies to the 2013 short list.

It all starts with good-quality chocolate and my favorite amaretto liqueur, which appears not to have started the day as a full bottle. Sampling my friends, sampling.

Instagram photo from my kitchen

A tower of butter is needed to bake enough brownies for 240 guests.

Instagram photo from my kitchen

We served the light desserts in petite wine glasses.

Instagram photo from the Old Sanctuary kitchen

The recipe in today’s post makes one large triffle bowl full of deliciousness. Of course, it’s always fun to serve them as individual triffles.

(A special thank you to Mike, the Brookings Hy-Vee Produce Manager, who spent part of the morning picking out some of the best strawberries with me! …and for making sure I had enough Ghirardelli white chocolate.)

{Italian Tuxedo Triffle}

For the rich amaretto brownies:

1- 1/2 cups butter, melted

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon almond extract or bakery emulsion

4 Tablespoons Italian amaretto liqueur (I use Disaronno)

1 cup 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate,  finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350˚. Grease 9×13-inch cake pan or line with parchment paper (This is the first time I used Reynolds Wrap^® Pan Lining Paper and I will definitely use it again.)

In a medium bowl, stir together melted butter and cocoa. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and eggs on medium speed until fluffy, about five minutes. Slowly beat in the cocoa and butter mixture. Add flour, salt, almond extract and amaretto liqueur; beat just until combined. Spread half of the brownie mixture in the pan. Sprinkle with finely chopped chocolate. Carefully spread the remaining brownie batter over the chocolate all the way to the edges. Bake for 35-37 minutes. Cool completely. Cut into bite-size pieces. 

For the silky white cream:

4 ounces white chocolate

4 Tablespoons milk

2 (8-ounces each) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract or bakery emulsion

2 cups whipped topping, thawed

2 pounds fresh strawberries

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt white chocolate and milk. Stir until melted. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Beat in powdered sugar and almond extract. Slowly stir in melted white chocolate. Gently fold in whipped cream.

Slice most of the strawberries into bite-size pieces. You’ll want to save some whole strawberries for garnish on top. 

In a large triffle bowl, layer brownies, cream and strawberries. Repeat layers until all the ingredients are gone. Refrigerate 3 hours before serving. Can be made one day ahead.

If you make this, snap a photo and share it with me on Twitter or Instagram @RandomSweets. They’ll all look so pretty!

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{Amaretto Pistachio Cakes}

Liqueur is a staple at my house but that’s because I love to bake with it. I may be of the rare few who visit their local liquor store with a recipe for something sugary-sweet tucked away in my purse. Don’t get me wrong. I like to drink the stuff (the sweet girly drinks with paper umbrellas and fruit threaded onto mini swords are my favorite), but I guess I bake more often than I drink.  

I use amaretto liqueur in my baking quite often and a few people have asked me lately what it is. It’s an almond-tasting liqueur. Disaronno^® is the brand I usually use.

This recipe has been modified from the Taste of Home Pistachio Bundt Cake recipe.

For the cakes:

1 package yellow cake mix (13 x 9 cake pan size)

2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant pistachio pudding mix

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup amaretto liqueur

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

For the white drizzle:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter, softened

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur

1/2 cup finely chopped pistachios

Grease a cake pan. I used my Pampered Chef Stoneware Mini Fluted Pan which makes six mini bundt cakes but you could use any type of pan you wish—muffins, mini loaves, square muffins, regular bundt pan, etc. 

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mixes, water, amaretto liqueur, eggs and vegetable oil. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour into the greased pan(s). Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, if you are baking small cakes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Just watch them closely so you can adjust your baking time to the pan size you are using. If you are baking one cake in a bundt pan or 13 x 9 pan, bake for 60-70 minutes.

Cool completely.

To make the amaretto drizzle, combine the powdered sugar, butter, milk and amaretto in a small bowl. Mix on low speed until combined. Add more milk to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over cake. Lightly sprinkle with chopped pistachios.

Do you have a favorite baking recipe that uses liqueur?

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Frosting for the Cause | Chocolate Mint Mascarpone Cupcakes

I’ve been excited for this day to come since I signed up to post a recipe and a cancer awareness story at Frosting for the Cause. Although no one ever wants to see a friend struggle with cancer, I was honored to write my friend, Paulette’s story of hope; appropriately titled, “It’s Okay to be Freaked Out”.

Please take a few minutes to read Paulette’s story and learn about the project. The post also includes my recipe for Chocolate Mint Mascarpone Cupcakes.

You may also enjoy reading some of my favorites on the site from January and February: Doves of Hope by Frosting for the Cause’s founder and administrator, Paula Kelly-Bourque; sugar-rimmed  margarita cookies in Julie’s *Margarita* Sugar Cookies; lovely chocolate and peanut butter combo in Stephanie’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie! Pies; you will never forget these cigarette cookies in Callye’s *Nanny’s* Pecan Sandie Roll-Outs; a story that will touch your heart and make you cry in Amanda’s Chocolate Orange Sugar Cookies; a lot of detail in Robyn’s *Angry Birds* and *Thank You* Sugar Cookies; beautiful Nancy’s Ribbon Cookies with Butterfly Transfers; be inspired by this baker who is truly baking a difference in  Jen’s Black Forest Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting; and the coolest pink camouflaged cookies in Callye’s Camo Ribboned Cookies.

I hope this day finds you in good health, in good hands and in the hearts and minds of your family and friends. Go pink!

 

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Rockin’ the Pink {Peppermint} Ladies

If I went to Rydell High in 1958, Rizzo would have given me a Pink Ladies jacket for this. Frenchy may have dyed her hair pink again. And I would wear the skin-tight black leather pants at the end-of-the-school carnival.

By far the cutest, pinkest cheesecakes I’ve come up with so far. Sitting on top of the crunchy chocolate crust  is a creamy layer of white chocolate cheesecake. The pretty pink layer is swirled with crunchy peppermint white chocolate candy, spiked with peppermint creme liqueur and topped off with fluffy whipped cream and a drizzle of pink peppermint chocolate.

You’re the one that I want. ~Love, Danny & Sandy

{White Chocolate Peppermint Twist Cheesecake}

1  1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

1/4 cup  melted unsalted butter

3 (1 oz. each) squares white chocolate

3 (8 oz. each) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

3 teaspoons peppermint cream liqueur or 1 tsp peppermint extract

11 ounce bag Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses, chopped and divided OR 11 ounce bag Andes Mint Peppermint Candy Pieces

1-2 drops red food coloring

whipped cream

Heat oven to 350°. Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and melted butter. Press the crumb mixture into a 9-inch springform pan (or Chicago Metallic™ mini cheesecake pans). Bake 5 minutes, cool.

Over low heat, slowly melt white chocolate. Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until combined. (If the mixture is over beaten, the air in the batter will crack the cheesecake.) Remove 1 cup of this cheesecake mixture and set the remaining mixture aside.

Gently stir the melted and cooled white chocolate into the 1 cup of cheesecake mixture. Pour over crust. 

Gently stir in 3 teaspoons peppermint cream liqueur or 1 teaspoon peppermint extract to the remaining cheesecake batter. Fold in 1 cup of the chopped Candy Cane Kisses (or Andes Peppermint . Add a drop or two of red food coloring to create your desired pink color. Pour the pink peppermint cheesecake mixture over the white chocolate mixture.

Bake at 350° 45-50 minutes or until the center of the cheesecake is almost set. If baking in mini cheesecake pans, reduce baking time to 20-25 minutes. Turn off the oven and crack open the oven door to let the cheesecake slowly cool to room temperature. Carefully run a knife around the edges of the cheesecake to loosen it from the springform pan. Store in refrigerator overnight.

For garnish, top with whipped cream and sprinkle chopped Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses on top, saving 1/4 cup for drizzle. In a small, snack-size storage bag, melt 1/4 cup Kisses on low heat in the microwave. Snip a tiny corner of the bag and squeeze the melted pink drizzle over the cheesecake. Store cheesecake in the refrigerator up to one week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

My sister commented that these are almost too pretty to eat. Do you make a special dessert that is “almost” too pretty to eat?

If you are too young to remember the Pink Ladies and Danny & Sandy, may I suggest you watch the musical film Grease from 1978?

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{KAHLÚA Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake}

My friend Teresa gave me a Pumpkin KAHLÚA Cheesecake recipe in 1994 and I’ve been making it the same way ever since. Until now. I couldn’t help but to add chocolate to the recipe this time [the Ghirardelli made me do it]. Luckily it was just as delicious as I imagined because I prepared it for Thanksgiving dinner with the in-laws; which by the way, was one of the most amazing Thanksgiving meals I’ve ever eaten. Thank you Lindsey and Jesse!

Crust:

3/4 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake:

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 cup sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

1 lb. can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)

1 cup semisweet chocolate

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup KAHLÚA

Make the crust:

If you don’t have a food processor, you can make crumbs in a blender. I used to make crumbs by smashing cookies/crackers in a Ziplock bag but I’ve found that using my blender gives me finer crumbs which helps the crust stay together better. In a bowl, combine gingersnap and graham cracker crumbs with powdered sugar and butter. Toss to combine. Press crumbs evenly onto bottom of greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes.

I’ve found a new LOVE. And luckily for anyone who likes to bake cheesecake, you can buy as many of my new loves as you’d like! A few months ago, I saw this blog post from Bakers Royale and I went nuts over the mini cheesecake pans that she used. (Chicago™ Metallic) I used them for the first time this week and now I wonder if I’ll ever make a traditional 9″ cheesecake again.

For the cheesecake:

• Melt chocolate on low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. You want the chocolate to cool before you add it to the cheesecake mixture.
• In a mixer bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat until light. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, being careful not to overbeat. Transfer 1 cup mixture to a separate bowl and blend in melted chocolate. Set aside.
• Add to the remaining cheesecake mixture: pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and KAHLÚA. Pour half of the pumpkin mixture into prepared crust. Top with the chocolate mixture and then top with the remaining pumpkin mixture. If you want to make a marble effect, use a table knife to gently cut through layers using an uplifting motion and then swirl.
• Place in the oven and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Without opening the oven door, let the cheesecake sit in the turned-off oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool completely before chilling in the refrigerator.
• You can top each serving with a small amount of whipped cream. The chocolate garnishes are simple to make. Melt a small amount of semisweet chocolate in a sealed Ziplock bag on very low heat in the microwave. (The small snack-size bags work really well.) Snip a tiny corner of the bag and make your designs on a piece of wax paper. Let cool completely and then set in whipped cream.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. Here’s to many more. Cheers!

Staci

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{Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie}

It’s always fun when baking leads to the liquor store. In honor of National Dessert Day, I posted on my Facebook site that I would bake and blog a recipe if someone shared something with me that they like to make. The first request came from one of my friends and  high school classmates, Derek Clever. (Thinking back to the Guns ‘n Roses and Purple Passion days of the 80s, I wasn’t surprised Derek’s recipe included liquor.) He begins his year with this pie and ends with it as he said, “I make it twice a year; Christmas and New Year’s.” My second request was from my sister for our favorite Caramel Apple Nut Bars.

With this recipe, I was a little out of my element. I love pecan pie but I’ve never made it before. And I didn’t even know exactly what bourbon was. I know Jack Daniels and Jim Beam but I thought they were whiskey, not bourbon. Turns out, bourbon IS whiskey, whiskey IS bourbon. (Thank you Brookings Municipal Liquor Store clerk #21TO for your explanation.) And Derek, please don’t be disappointed in me that I may have lost some of my “knowledge” of alcoholic beverages since our high school days…

One thing I’ve never liked about pie is the crust. I just don’t eat it. But I also don’t like that it burns so easily so it doesn’t make a very nice presentation. I know the trick of wrapping foil around the crust but if you’ve ever done it, you know it’s really a pain in the a##. So for the few times we make pie around here (my daughter makes pumpkin pie a few times a year), I bought this pie shield from Pampered Chef and LOVE it.

If you like bourbon, chocolate, and pecan pie, you will want to try this one.

{Derek’s Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie}

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

3 eggs

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup chopped pecans

6 ounces semi sweet chocolate chunks

1/4 cup bourbon

1 unbaked pie shell

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar, cornstarch, butter and corn syrup in a bowl and beat on low speed. Beat in eggs until well blended. Stir in pecans, chocolate chunks and bourbon. Pour into pie shell and bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes.

Thank you for sharing your recipe with us, Derek!

Do you have a recipe that you make only for certain holidays?

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{White Chocolate Amaretto Cake}

One of my student employees, Hannah, turned 21 a few weeks ago and I thought it would be cool to bake her a cake with alcohol in it. Good thing the alcohol burns off in the oven because this cake is soaked in amaretto!

 

Cake:

1 package yellow cake mix

4 eggs

1 (3.3 ounce) package instant white chocolate pudding mix

1/2 cup cold water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup amaretto liqueur

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Glaze:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup water

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup amaretto liqueur

Drizzle:

1 container vanilla frosting

drop of almond extract

drop of amaretto liqueur

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a Bundt pan. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, pudding mix, 1/2 cup cold water, oil, 1/2 cup amaretto and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract. Blend well for approximately 3 minutes.

Pour batter into Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Make the glaze: combine butter, sugar, 1/4 cup water, and 1/2 cup amaretto in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue to boil for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove cake from oven and use handle of wooden spoon (or similar utensil) to poke holes in cake. Apply glaze while cake is still warm. Slowly drizzle glaze over cake, including the edges and center of the Bundt pan. Cool the cake in the pan for at least 2 hours.

Place the cake on a serving platter. Warm 1/4 cup of the vanilla frosting in a small saucepan on low heat. Add a dash of almond extract and a dash of amaretto. Stir until drizzle consistency and the drizzle over the cake.

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{Creamy Dreamsicle Cheesecake with Sugared Cream Sauce}

I love chocolate and cheesecake. When I go to a restaurant, the first thing I do is look at the menu and (1) see if there is chocolate on the dessert menu (2) see if there is chocolate in the form of cheesecake. I tell you this because if you are a chocolate addict like I am, you may not think this recipe is for you since there is not one ounce of chocolate in here. But—this has become my favorite non-chocolate cheesecake. The recipe is from Cheesecake Extraordinaire by Mary H. Crownover. It is the very first cheesecake cookbook I purchased—back in the mid 90s. In the cookbook, the recipe is called Creamy Orange Swirl Cheesecake. The author describes it perfectly, “This citrus cheesecake tastes like a cross between orange sherbet and an orange julius beverage.“

I brought this to our family reunion on the evening of National Cheesecake Day and it was gone so quickly that I was glad I kept a piece at home for later. It has a wonderful blend of vanilla and orange flavor. And oh, yes— you get to break out the vanilla liqueur while you are stirring up this cheesecake. {What a great way to make dessert!} 

While you’ve got the bottle of vanilla liqueur out, you can make cheesecake shots and cocktails by mixing cranberry juice and Dr. McGillicuddy’s. There are two good drink recipes here.

Based on some of the comments from my winning Chocolate Explosion Cheesecake photo on Kraft Foods Facebook page, there are people who cannot eat chocolate or simply don’t like it so this is a perfect dessert for them too!

Vanilla Cookie Crust

11 vanilla sandwich cream cookies, crushed

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted (I always use butter)

In a small bowl, stir together crushed cookies and melted butter until well combined. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan. (I place the crust in the freezer while I prepare the cheesecake batter.)

Creamy Dreamsicle Filling

24 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons whipping cream

5 teaspoons cornstarch

4 eggs (at room temperature)

1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel (sometimes I use a tangerine)

1/3 cup vanilla-flavored liqueur

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, whipping cream and cornstarch. **Cornstarch Tip: This stuff is tricky. Don’t just drop the powder into the batter or it will clump up and there is no way to get it smoothed out. Instead, put the 5 teaspoons of cornstarch into a tiny bowl or compote and then add just enough ice-cold water to stir it smooth. Then pour it into your batter.** Beat with electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. (Don’t overbeat–too much air gets in the batter and will cause the cheesecake to crack.)

Remove half of the mixture and put into a small bowl; stir in orange juice concentrate and orange peel. Set aside. Stir in liqueur and vanilla extract into the remaining cream cheese mixture.

Pour the orange mixture over the crust. Top with the vanilla mixture. Without disturbing the crust, swirl the blade of a knife through the cake to create a marbling effect. (I don’t use food coloring so there isn’t much difference in color between the two mixtures.)

Bake at 350˚ for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 225˚ and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the center no longer looks wet or shiny but still has a “jiggle” to it. The cheesecake continues to bake and set even after you take it out of the oven. Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife around the inside edge of the pan. Chill overnight.

Sugared Cream Sauce

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon orange juice (I probably use at least 1 1/2 tablespoons)

1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel

Fresh orange slices to garnish if desired

The sugared cream sauce is part of what makes this cheesecake so great so I encourage you to make it. It can be made ahead and served on the cheesecake or you can serve it in a bowl so guests can add their own.

You could change the recipe just by adding a different fruit juice and liqueur. I bet  it would be excellent with maraschino cherry juice in place of the orange juice and zest. What other combinations would you try?

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