Category: Boozy

Whiskey Sours …Why Not?!

It’s been a busy, busy couple of weeks.
 
Family visits, fighting “the man” to get my business paperwork pushed through, a near death brush with a rouge mixer paddle, wedding planning, menu development, stepping up my workout schedule due to an unfortunate run in with my bedroom mirror while wearing last years’ ill-fitting shorts 
& thinking about writing a new blog post…
 
Um, yeah…
This blog is going to be about whiskey.
Strong, delicious whiskey.
Yeah, I know it’s Monday….
Don’t judge.
 
Now don’t go signing me up for any AA meetings just yet.
I’m just not your typical “fruity drink” kinda gal.
I’ll take a smooth whiskey on the rocks over anything with an umbrella any day.
I hate to admit it, but sugary drinks started to give me headaches 
& heartburn sometime after I hit 26.
I know, I know.  I’m a grumpy ol’ bitty with a sensitive GI tract.
But I accept this about myself & embrace it.
Gone are the days of sticky Midori Sours, Washington Apples,
& the mystical, magical concoction that is a Purple Hooter shooter. 
(Yes, it’s a thing.  Google it.)
 
But every once in a while, a girl likes to feel a little fancy.
So I took my precious whiskey on the rocks & gave it a deliciously simple yet sophisticated upgrade.
I’m not saying this is now my go-to drink, I’m just saying it’s been a long week, Mondays are my weekend, & I could really use some fancy so why the heck not??

Whiskey Sours
This post is going to be short & to the point.
Whiskey, sugar, lemon juice, club soda, ice & a maraschino cherry to step up the fancy.
That’s it.

(more…)

Margarita-Lime CupCakes

Feliz Drink-o de Mayo!
I know, I know.
It’s Cinco de Mayo, the day when Mexico’s army was victorious over French forces in the
Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 (I got mad history skills, I know.)
But honestly, very few actually celebrate this day in honor of this battle.
Actually, most think it’s Mexican Independence Day…which it isn’t (that’s in September).
That being said, this day has been come to beknown in the United States as a day to celebrate all things Mexican!  Whether it’s the food, the music or of course the tequila, people love themselves a good Drink-o de Mayo.
A lot of people have come to know Cinco de Mayo as a signal to the beginning of summer & a day to gather with friends & family.  The heart of Latin culture is family & close friends so if that’s not a good alternative reason to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, I don’t know what is.
Today millions will gather to do 3 things: make wonderful memories, eat delicious food, & drink a lot of libations.
So I decided what better way to kill two birds with one stone than to put a whole mess of tequila in a cupcake you can eat?
Win. Win.
Now go make some, share them with your friends & family & start making some great memories!
 
Margarita-Lime CupCakes
These cupcakes are super simple…And super boozy…That’s why my bottle of tequila is super empty 😉
First whisk all the dry ingredients together & set aside.
Next cream together the butter & sugar until it gets nice and fluffy.  While that’s going on, take the zest & juice from 2 limes.  I take the zest first because trying to zest a cut lime is a quick way to a band-aid.
I like using this metal juicer my fiancé’s mama gave me to juice limes.  I didn’t know what I was missing until I got one.  It’s so easy, I’ll never squeeze another lime with my hands again!
 Once the butter is creamed, add one egg at a time, mixing well after each egg.  Then add your juice, zest, vanilla extract & tequila & mix until incorporated.  NOTE: the alcohol & lime juice will cause the batter to look like it’s separating, but once you add the dry ingredients, that will resolve itself.
Add the dry ingredients & buttermilk in 3 parts, alternating between additions of dry ingredients & buttermilk.  Don’t over mix! You will have a hard cupcake & that’s just not right!  Once the cupcakes come out of the oven, let them cool completely.
Once cool, brush the tops with tequila & let that soak in while you make your frosting.
I made mini cupcakes & regular sized cupcakes for those who really wanted to feel, uh…spirited.
I used these pretty & colorful liners to make them really stand out.  They reminded me of a piñata & were so bright & cheery, I just had to share.
Next, I made the frosting which is also super easy…and super boozy…
Whip the butter for about 5 minutes with a whip attachement on your mixer.  Then add sifted powdered sugar gradually to the butter until it’s all incorporated.  You will have to scrape down the bowl because it will start to stick to the sides.  Add lime juice & MORE TEQUILA (I warned you!) & whip until just combined.  It should be thick & smell like heaven.
Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes & decorate however you like!  I dipped lime wedges in sugar sprinkles & nonpareils & placed them on top as a garnish.
There! You’re done!
Now find your designated driver, gather 11 of your favorite people & let the celebration begin!
Enjoy!
Margarita-Lime CupCakes

Prep Time: 20 hours

Cook Time: 23 minutes

Total Time: 43 minutes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Margarita-Lime CupCakes

Fun & Booze filled cupcakes perfect for adults-only gatherings!

Ingredients

    Cupcakes
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • zest & juice of 2 limes
  • 2 Tbsp Anejo tequila (I like this tequila because of the flavor but you can use any tequila)
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 Tbsp tequila (for brushing on tops of cupcakes)
  • Tequila-Lime ButterCream Frosting
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 1/2 to 3 cups confectioners sugar (sifted)
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
  • 2 -3 Tbsp tequila

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line your cupcake tin with liners. Set aside.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, & salt. Set aside.
  3. In an electric mixer, combine the butter & sugar set to medium-high speed using the paddle attachment. Mix until the butter/sugar mix is light & fluffy & well combined.
  4. Add one egg at a time, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next.
  5. Scrape down the bowl. Add the lime juice, lime zest & tequila. Don't worry if it starts to look like it's curdling or separating, the flour will help bring this all together.
  6. Scrape down the bowl again & reduce the speed to low. Add the dry ingredients & buttermilk in three parts, alternating between additions. Do not over mix!
  7. Divide the batter into the prepared cupcake tins, filling to about 2/3 full to avoid overflowing.
  8. Bake for about 12 minutes for mini cupcakes or 23-25 minutes for standard sized cupcakes.
  9. Check cupcakes once the tops start to turn light golden color & a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cupcake.
  10. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before brushing the tops of them with the reserved 1 Tbsp of tequila. Allow the cupcakes to soak up the tequila while you prepare the frosting.
  11. To prepare frosting, place butter in a mixer bowl. Using the whisk attachment, whisk butter about 4 to 5 minutes or until fluffy.
  12. Lower the speed of the mixer to medium-low & add the sifted confectioners sugar in small batches. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between additions & continue to whip until all sugar is incorporated with butter.
  13. Add lime juice & tequila to frosting & mix until frosting is thick but fluffy.
  14. Frost cupcakes & decorate with lime zest, sprinkles, or sugar dusted lime wedges!
https://patriciaspatticakes.com/2013/05/margarita-lime-cupcakes-html/

Vanilla Cupcakes topped with Champagne Buttercream Frosting and Dipped Chocolate Strawberries

I know I have been talking up these boozy cupcakes, so now I’m here to back it up with some photographic evidence.
 
My very first PAID order!!
I feel like I’m too legit.
Too legit to quit.
Hey Hey.
You know, I can do the Hammer Dance pretty gosh darn well. Thought you’d like to know.


Anyways, back to the matter at hand…
These cupcakes were both a tremendous fail and a wonderfully awesome surprise.
This is how it started out…pretty regular baking adventure…except for the empty bottle of wine and the Chimichurri I have fermenting in the background 🙂
And that’s when things started to go sooooo wrong!

I put too much booze in the frosting. The frosting got watery.
I tried to wrap a bow around the cupcakes.  The bow fell off.
I tried to put them in an extra cupcake wrapper to make them look prettier.  They didn’t fit in the box.
I tried to pipe a rose with the buttercream.  The rose fell over due to the excess booze.
My boyfriend tried to console me because they just weren’t what I had envisioned in my mind. I used my favorite cuss word as a verb.

I had all but given up….but why give up when you can kick butt?

So I added more sugar, refrigerated my frosting, shut the heck up and stopped complaining, piped some awesome swirls, & topped it all off with some exceptionally beautiful strawberries in Ghiradelli milk & white vanilla bean chocolate.

  
Poof.
The final product.
 
 

So after apologizing for my verbage, I thanked my right hand man and handed over the goods to the happy customer.

If anything, this has taught me to:
1) Not wait until the last moment.
2) Improvise. Not complain.
3) Not be a jerk to the ones who support me.

Ah, life lessons.

I hate you.
You are usually right.

Wanna make your own boozy cupcakes?? Who doesn’t?!

Vanilla Cupcakes topped with Champagne Buttercream Frosting and Dipped Chocolate Strawberries

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 12 standard cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes topped with Champagne Buttercream Frosting and Dipped Chocolate Strawberries

Ingredients

    Vanilla Cupcakes
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup extra fine baker's sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 2 egg yolks, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Champagne Buttercream Frosting
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons champagne or sparkling sweet wine

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Line muffin tin with liners (foil, paper, parchment).
  3. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, & salt.
  4. Using a standing mixer w/ paddle attachment beat butter, sour cream, whole egg and yolks, & vanilla at medium speed until smooth. Do not beat too long or cake will be tough
  5. Fill cups to 1/2 full, 2/3 if you would like larger rounded cupcakes.
  6. Bake approximately 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
  7. Remove cupcakes and cool on a wire rack. Cupcakes should be completely cool (room temperature) before frosting.
  8. To make frosting, beat together sugar and butter on low until blended using either a hand mixer or standing mixer with a paddle attachment. Increase to medium speed for another 2 minutes.
  9. Add vanilla and champagne or sparkling wine until well blended, about 1 minute.
https://patriciaspatticakes.com/2011/06/vanilla-cupcakes-topped-with-champagne-buttercream-frosting-and-dipped-chocolate-strawberries-html/