Hot Buttered Rum Cupcakes

     It snowed recently. We got a whole 4 inches! Of course, in North Carolina that's what happens when a blizzard rolls through. That, and closure of pretty much every school, business, and backroad for a few days. We couldn't even leave our parking lot for 3 days after 4 inches of  snow.


       I spent some of that snow day time whipping up a a batch of these Hot Buttered Rum Cupcakes. The recipe came from the "Prohibition Bakery" cookbook I got for Christmas from my brother. The book is full of mixed drink recipes converted into lovely, scrumptious, boozy cupcakes. It was brutally cold those snowy days and when reading through the recipes, this one stood out as warm and cozy. If you've ever had a Hot Buttered Rum drink on a cold, winter evening...well, you know that these appeared to be the perfect baking plan for a snowy winter day.



      My official review of these cupcakes would fall somewhere in between perfect-warm-from-the-oven and TOO-sweet-to-just-grab-and-eat. Hot Buttered Rum as a warm drink is generally sweet, but the combination of sweet vanilla cupcake, caramel filling, and sweet rum flavored frosting was a bit of a sucrose overload. The cupcakes were perfectly fluffy, the frosting beautifully smooth, and the caramel was delicious. I made these as full sized cupcakes because I only had regular cupcake liners, but maybe there was a reason they  made these (and every recipe in the book) in miniature! I'll have to test out another recipe and let you know..

     The directions were multitudinous. As I was typing this post I had a deja-vu moment back to when I was baking the cupcakes and felt overwhelmed by the directions. They took quite a while from start to finish! I think there could be a simpler way to make these, but I haven't experimented with that yet. Additionally, you WILL use ALL of your pots, pans, and measuring utensils (and probably your stash of butter in the fridge too) making these. All of them. Ask my husband. I did so many dishes during those snow days, that it's put me off from baking since (well, not true, but it did put me off baking for a day or two).

I believe that this picture substantiates that I overcooked my caramel just a bit. But it was amazing to eat when warmed up!

Hot Buttered Rum Cupcakes
taken From "Prohibition Bakery" page 101
by Leslie Feinberg and Brooke Siem

Ingredients:

Filling 
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons (2 oz) butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup dark rum
                                                                                   Frosting
Cake                                                                          1 pound powdered sugar
1 egg                                                                          1 stick butter
1/3 cup sour cream                                                    1/3 cup dark rum
1 and 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1 stick unsalted butter

Preparation: 

Filling  (My input- up to a day ahead of making the cupcakes, prepare the filling using the following instructions)
1. In a saucepan, heat sugar and butter over medium heat until butter is melted and the mixture appears smooth (not grainy). After a few minutes, the mixture will bubble and turn a nice golden color.
2. While the sugar and butter mixture is melting, warm cream over low heat, taking care not to boil it.
3. When the sugar is fully dissolved in the sugar/butter mixture, slowly stream in the warm cream, stirring constantly.
4. Add a pinch of salt and stir thoroughly
5. Once everything is fully mixed, slowly pour in the rum, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth and even in color.
6. The caramel will appear thin when hot but will thicken significantly when cooled.
7. Transfer the caramel to a squeeze bottle and let it cool before filling cupcakes.

Frosting (My input- make the brown butter for the frosting (steps 1-5) up to a day ahead of time, but at least 2-3 hours ahead of time, to allow the butter to set again before mixing frosting) 
1. Heat butter in saucepan over low heat until it is fully melted.
2. Turn the heat up to medium high, keeping a close eye on the butter. Stir constantly, taking care to scrape the bottom of the pan.
3. Remove the pan from the heat once the butter begins to take on an amber color and smell faintly nutty, and little flecks of browned butter are visible. Keep a close watch over your butter at this point. The difference between browned butter and burnt butter is a matter of seconds.
4. Transfer butter to a heat proof container, taking care to scrape every last fleck of browned goodness out of the pan.
5. Cool in the refrigerator.
6. Allow browned butter to soften again, then combine with confectioners sugar in a standing mixer on low speed.
7. Slowly add dark rum and beat until fluffy.
8. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag.

Cupcakes
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line mini cupcake tins with paper liners.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg and sour cream. Set aside. (I just left mine in the stand until step 5) 
3. In another bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
4. Combine water and butter in a saucepan and heat until the butter melts.
5. Remove from heat. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the hot water/butter mixture into the mixing bowl containing the egg/sour cream mixture. Beat until incorporated.
6. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until incorporated.
7. Fill cupcake tins 2/3 full.
8. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cupcakes cook completely on a wire rack before filling or frosting.

Assembly
1. When the cupcakes are cool, core the cupcakes with a narrow bladed knife.
2. Fill each cupcake with the rummy caramel, taking care not to let it overflow.
3. Frost to your liking. (I piped using a large round tip)
4. Garnish with a sprinkle of brown sugar, if desired (I did not!)

A Star Wars Birthday

     When my older brother turned 26, my younger brother and I baked him sugar cookies, cut them out in weird shapes, and decorated them with dinosaur sprinkles. We were so very pleased with ourselves- there's nothing like celebrating youth, right? Well, my husband turns 26 tomorrow and after seeing a friend throw a themed party for her boyfriend's 26th, I told my husband he was having a themed birthday party. His response? "Uh, okay. Sounds good." My response? "Yay! Planning a party!!"

The decal was a gift Hubs
received at the party

     So, I set to work. We own a ton of Star Wars stuff, so choosing a theme was a no brainer. I didn't want to have to go out and get a bunch of themed items for a party, so I worked with what we already had. Which happens to include: 2 Star Wars cookbooks, pillows I made when we got married, Star Wars trivia and books, some "art" my husband had made for a contest in his chemistry lab (photos of nanowires that he had colored to look like scenes from Star Wars), 3 sets of Star Wars pancake molds and a set of Star Wars cookie cutters/presses. Clearly, we were set. I spent about $5 at WalMart to grab a black vinyl tablecloth and some glowsticks and balloons, and called it a day for decorating.

     For inspiration, I (of course) turned to Pinterest. Good news? Pinterest is full of Star Wars party ideas. Bad news? They are all posts with titles like "For your 5 year old's birthday party!" and when I thought about how much work would go into some of the decorating ideas, for just a few hours of entertaining mid-20's PhD students, I had to turn away from Pinterest. I only took away one idea: I'd seen a "Pin the lightsaber on Yoda" game, and thought that would be fun, especially after some guests had enjoyed a drink or two. I was little bit over the lightsaber hype after my Pinterst excursion though, and wanted to change it up, so things got a little nerdy. I had to ask the hubs for clarification on vocabulary before I decided on the exact title, and we settled on "Pin the Superlaser Cannon on the Death Star." Also, a Death Star is easier to draw out on posterboard than Yoda, for sure.

The Spread.

     My next focus was obviously planning the food. We were having a later party so I just wanted to prep some snacks. I picked out of the cookbooks a few dips and a cookie recipe. The dips were fairly tasty, and I really liked the "Darth Maul Dip" which was actually roasted red peppers, garlic, and cream cheese all food processed. You then, of course, sprinkle poppy seeds on top over the mold of Darth Maul's face and add pearl onions broccoli stem slices for the eyes.

Wookiee Cookies and cupcakes. From this party,
I learned that Wookiee is, in fact, spelled with
two "e"s at the end. Who know? 

     I had planned two cookie recipes, but Joe said he wanted cupcakes instead of sugar cookies. Bummed about not getting to use the cookie press/cutters, I got a little crafty with the cupcakes and made fondant cutouts with the cookie cutters. And then...I painted them! It was the most fun I've had decorating cupcakes. I definitely needed a smaller brush. The irony is that I thought about painting the fondant and how I already had brushes and gel food coloring, but I'd forgotten that almost all of my paintbrushes have been used on ACTUAL PAINT. Oil and acrylic. Probably not good to use them on food after that? Nope. I did have a few brushes that hadn't been used yet, and I chose the smallest one to use on the fondant, however it was not quite small enough for the detail in the cookie press design.

Phone picture of the painting setup. You add vodka to the food coloring/gel, so that it dries faster when you paint it
on the fondant. Just a little goes a long way! Other than that, it's just like painting with watercolors. 

Close up of the Yoda cupcake; I'm shamelessly proud of mixing the perfect Yoda-green on the first attempt. 

     Lastly, I made some "Yoda Soda" which is actually one of my favorite party recipes. Even for actual grown-up events like bridal and baby showers, jewelry parties, etc., you can make this soda. So I will end with that recipe and instructions! Happy Birthday Hubs!

Adding a striped paper straw
when serving is a way to make
this a fancier drink!

"Yoda Soda," or, the tastiest party drink

Ingredients:
- 1/2 Gallon of Lime Sherbet
- 2 Liters of Sprite

Directions: 
Scoop out the lime sherbet into a pitcher or punch bowl. Fill the pitcher or bowl 1/4 to 1/2 full with scoops, not packing the scoops or trying to save space. You will need room at the top of your pitcher. Then pour Sprite over top. As you do, the soda will foam up. Pour the Sprite until the foam reaches just under the top of your pitcher or bowl. When the foam dies down, add a few more scoops of sherbet, and repeat adding Sprite and sherbet until you've mixed your desired amount of punch. Pour into glasses (or scoop out of punch bowl with a ladle) to serve.

Explaining the Title

Polymath (n.): A person of great learning in several fields of study

     I was at work and we were eating (surprise!) someone else's baked treat that had been brought to celebrate a birthday. It was a DELICIOUS pecan monkeybread. I'm still drooling thinking about it. Anyways, I'm standing in the workroom, laminating cards for my students to use to play "Go Fish" (with fraction/decimal cards), and a coworker and I are discussing aforementioned monkeybread (drool). He starts asking about my baking ventures. "You're like, a talented baker, right? You just make all sorts of things?" We talk for a bit about that, my previous life with an egg allergy, baking inspiration, yada yada and then he asks how my other projects are going- the quilt I've been making, packing to move, prepping for the school year, blah blah.

     Enter another coworker, and coworker #1 says something along the lines of "Did you realize all the different stuff Sarah can do? I mean she has a million hobbies." So of course I'm flattered and embarrassed and try to avoid the conversation by bringing up whoever made the monkeybread (seriously I need a bib) and fumbling with my fraction/decimal cards. The two of them start talking about how I should start a blog. And one of them says "There's a lot of blogs out there, but you really have a lot of talents worth sharing!" Generally, I never share this sort of flattery. I admit, I enjoy it, and it made my day, but I don't usually like to brag about people bragging about me.  It even sounds weird in that sentence. But it's relevant to the next part of the story, so, yeah. I'll just be over here blushing (and drooling)...

     Fast forward to later that day, while I'm trying to finish THAT DARN QUILT. I'm tying knots (only 9 more to go!) and listening to this when-I-was-in-college-era mix of mostly acoustic mousic (I'm leaving that typo because I like it) when a Mason Jennings song comes on that made my brain wax a wee bit philosophical. I thought a good blog pursuit would be something about being a "Renaissance Woman." That sounds so...touristy, to me, though. It didn't feel flattering. Like, "Oh I can be a renaissance man but I'm a female so I have to classify that with gender specific vocabulary" and I just wrinkled my nose at the sound of introducing myself as "The Renaissance Woman." I also pictured this horrifying scenario where I just start getting offers to perform at Renaissance fairs, totally not the same thing.

     So I did what any average human being does, and I Google search the term "Renaissance man." There it is! My inspiration! I had completely forgotten about the Greek word where the idea of Renaissance man originated- polymath. I love the way the word polymath flows, though! And as a newly discovered math teacher, who's been nerding hard over manipulative activities this summer, the word has the added bonus of containing the word "math."

     I have always envisioned myself spending my life learning to be good at whatever I'm doing. I anticipate that my life ventures may change every now and then because I'm a very flexible person with a large variety of interests. I love the idea of using this blog to be a platform to that journey of becoming a person who spent their time on Earth cultivating knowledge of all sorts. Do I have a cluster of more strong interests? Sure. There will probably be a lot more posts on this blog related to things I pursue often- baking/creative outlets, active lifestyle pursuits (I haven't talked about running yet, have I?)- but I hope that my journey to discover and learn can bring along all sorts of people with me. I'm sure there are many interests that I have yet to discover, and I hope that blogging about them when I do discover will leave behind a trail of inspiration for others to follow.

A Blog Title!

So I've changed the name of the blog! Finally!

I think I may stick with this one. Changing the name, changing the direction a little bit too. I realized that I'm not posting because I keep thinking I need mountains of content to post. I need stories, pictures, full length narratives or recipes or ideas...and then I don't post because it will take so long to get that all typed, edited, and just right. So, until I have more time/stories/full length narratives, or take this blog anywhere serious, I'm going to change direction and make it my goal to just post SOMETHING daily. Whatever stands out. A link, a photo, a story, maybe a longer post now and then. Who knows.

Today's thought to share: My entry into a local brewery's baking contest to promote a new chocolate stout

You're looking at a prize winning setup there. :) 

Here's the process/recipe I followed: 

Step 1- Make the caramels. I used this recipe, http://butterwithasideofbread.com/2012/07/holiday-baking-homemade-caramels.html 

Note: it makes a WHOLE pan...a lot of caramels. You could wrap them and save them for later! Or give as gifts. Or eat them, with the leftover chocolate from Step 5. Mmmm. 

​Step 2- Make the brownies. You can use a box! I used this recipe: ​http://moneysavingmom.com/2013/10/ultimate-double-chocolate-brownies.html and that is probably my new go-to brownie recipe. 

Step 3- When everything has cooled, cut the caramel into squares, slightly smaller than 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch. I rolled them into balls after cutting, then you can see if they are too big to wrap brownie around. 

Step 4- I used forks to smash up the brownies in a bowl, kind of like you would do with cake if you were making cake pops. You should end up with a bowl full of small crumbs. Grab a small amount to just fill the center of your palm and place the caramel in the center, mushing the brownie around it into a ball shape. Place on parchment paper and refrigerate or freeze for at least 30 minutes . 

Step 5- I melted 1 bag of Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips in a double boiler with 1.5 tablespoons of shortening and dipped the brownie ball in. When they were cooling I sprinkled course sea salt on top! You can leave them to set or you can put them in the fridge another 20 minutes to set. 

St Patty's Day Tradition! aka MOAR CUPCAKES

NOMNOMNOMNOMNOMmmmmmmmm...

     That is what it sounds like at work when I make cupcakes for a baking challenge. And for the St Patrick's day themed challenge, cupcakes were a must. I know they go around Pinterest like crazy, but I love making these. I've been told they should not be called "Carbomb cupcakes" as the internet calls them. Instead they should be called "Guinness Cupcakes with Whiskey fudge filling and Baileys frosting." I have been told via Reddit that the former title is offensive to Irish and that posting these on St. Patricks day is apparently ignorant.  I figured they were named after the drink which contains all of those elements, but then I learned that is also offensive.  Regardless of the name origin, unintentionally connected history, or lack of Irish-ness in general, these cupcakes taste phenomenal. And to me, they embody all the fun bits of the American version of St Patrick's Day shenanigans and incorporate some out of the ordinary baking ingredients. Guinness! Whiskey! Bailey's! Hooray!


     I followed a conglomerate of recipes because I've completely forgotten my "go-to" website for these babies. The cupcake and frosting recipes came from Liquor.com. The process was easy enough to follow, although I made a mess of it the first go around (of course). They turned out tasting light, fluffy, and chocolatey, but they were so light, actually, that when I put them in my cake holder to keep for the week, they starting melting- and not the frosting...the cupcakes! They were maybe a bit too light, but taste was not a factor. Also, I'm really not a fan of using mascarpone cheese in frosting, as it makes the frosting turn out a bit too soft for my liking. I had a lot of leftover frosting (hubs is not complaining) because I had to add more butter to stiffen it up! Again, however, it tasted delicious. It's hard to say if I'll keep using this recipe in the future.

The filling recipe came from Country Cleaver and OH MY WORD was it easy, delicious, perfect, and marvelous. Mmmmmmmmm.

Fudgy, whiskey-y goodness.

For me, baking is relaxing. Except for the whole "stressing out that I want it to turn out perfect, look perfect, and taste perfect" thing. Typically whatever I make looks like a hot mess, but tastes great! Curb appeal? Eh who needs it. I enjoy the process of making something and having it turn out to be pleasing, either to me or someone else. The feeling of accomplishment is very satisfying, especially when it tastes great as well!

So adorable!

This weekend was the jackpot, though. THESE cupcakes are absolutely sinful and somehow I hit the trifecta of not falling apart, tasting amazing, and looking pretty good too.
                                                       
                                    
                                    Happy St. Patrick's Day!