Rum Cupcakes

First let me apologize for being MIA, but I have been cooking/baking up a storm. My latest ventures have been in boozy baked goods. So with out anymore verbiage getting in the way here are the amazing rum cupcakes!

Rum Cupcakes

1 box yellow cake mix (& cake mix ingredients. Depending on which brand you get)

We used Pillsbury this time so it calls for:
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs
1 cup water/dark rum

Make the mix according to the box. For the water/rum part you can add as little or much as you want. I go with a full cup usually.

When the cake is done and cooling make the glaze.

Glaze

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark rum

In saucepan, combine butter, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat after 5 minutes are up and add rum. whisk well. Let cool for a few minutes.

While the glaze cools, take wooden skewers and poke multiple holes in cupcakes. Once all are poked, I dipped the cupcakes into the glaze just the baring top part. You can brush on if you like. I dipped them 3 times, letting them soak 15-20 minutes in between dips.

I was planning on making a rum frosting also, but that would have pushed it overboard! So I selected plain vanilla frosting in the can. (Which was most defiantly the right choice).
The glaze recipe is also for an entire bundt cake and I have almost half left over, so I might suggest halving the recipe above or doubling the cupcakes.

Enjoy responsibly!! These are NOT kid friendly cakes.

Healthy eating...HELP

I have decided to eat a little bit more healthy and in the long run lose a few pounds. I've been doing pretty good with healthy eating choice and its been A LOT of salads! If you have even been the The (Miller) Ale House near you, aside from their yummy signature Zingers, they have an awesome Summer Salad with a delicious raspberry vinaigrette. (That I am absolutely in love with!!). Since I am eating my current weight in salads I have been driving myself crazy looking for a recipe that bears any resemblance to the one at the Ale House. I found one and made it last night, its OK. Not Ale House quality- it was a little to vinegary for me. I have found a few more through allrecipes.com and foodnetwork.com and have yet to try them, but will be making them soon. If anyone out in the blog-o-sphere has tasted this dressing and knows of somewhere to buy it in bulk or has an amazingly close recipe, please share! I will be very much thankful!

Margarita Cupcakes

So in honor of Cinco de Mayo I decided to make margarita cupcakes adapted from Brown Eyed Baker recipe. They were a huge hit with my friends, and friends' parents. I cheated from the original recipe and modified a box cake mix. I think they still turned out pretty great! These are not kid friendly cupcakes. Adults only! :-)

Margarita Cupcakes:
yields: 24 cupcakes

Cake:
1 box yellow or white cake mix
Juice of 2 1/2 limes (save one Tbsp for frosting); zest of 1 lime
1/2 cup tequila

1. Follow box cake instructions, except with the water portion (depending on what make you get: Duncan Hines usually ask for 1 1/3 cup of water. Pillsbury ask for 1 cup.) Substitute the water with 1/2 cup of tequila and the lime juice. (because the juice of the limes will vary) fill the rest of the water portion with water. Blend the cake mix, oil and eggs together first. Once slightly blended add the tequila and lime mix. Blend together on medium high speed for 2 minutes.

2. Spoon into cupcake pans and bake according to box instructions.

3. Set out to cool for a few minutes. Take 2 tooth picks and poke a bunch of small holes into the tops of the cupcakes. Brush the tops with a small (or large) amount of tequila. (This part is optional).

4. Let cupcakes cool the rest of the way and make frosting.

Frosting:
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 3/4 cups powder sugar
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp tequila
pinch of salt (optional)

If you have a stand mixer with a whisk attachment this will come in handy

1. Whip the butter on medium high speed using the whisk attachment for 3-5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium low and gradually add the powder sugar in stages. Be sure to shift the powder sugar. Scrap the side of the bowl down and give it a good mix on medium high for about 30 seconds. Add the lime, tequila and salt and mix until incorporated and fluffy. If the frosting appears too soft or runny add a little more powder sugar one spoonful at a time.

2. Spread or pipe the frosting on the cupcakes and garnish with a slice of lime or shot of tequila.

~Enjoy!!

Spiced Pork w/ Sauteed Apples

So I have been MIA lately. I apologize. If you follow my All that Jazz blog about life and my puppers, you may know that I got a new job. I absolutely LOVE this job, but I stare at a computer (soon to be a double screen) all day and the last thing I want to do when I get home is stare at another one. On the flip side of my getting a job, my mom got laid off. She knew it was coming and it was just a ticking time bomb. With that being said she has been flipping trough my magazines and books trying to come up with ideas for dinner. This is the first one she made, and it was amazing! I walked in the door and the delicious smell engulfed me. So without further ado:

Spiced Pork w/ Sauteed Apples

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3-4 boneless pork chops
2 tbsp butter
2 cups Braeburn or Gala apples, thinly sliced
1/3 cup shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup apple cider
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Combine salt, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon & nutmeg in a bowl and evenly coat the pork chops. Coat pan with cooking spray or vegetable oil, add pork to pan; cook 3-5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork from pan and keep warm.

2. Melt butter in pan. Add apple slices, shallots, and 1/8 tsp salt; saute for 4 minutes or until the apples start to brown. Add apple cider to pan, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in thyme leaves. Replace pork in the pan to heat through.

We served this with plain couscous, cooked in chicken broth and brussel sprouts.

I'm thinking of showing mommy how to add to the blog so she can type up what she cooks. We'll see how that goes. But for now hopefully I will take a little initiative and add some recipes.