[Recipe] Christmas 2013: "Holiday Refresher" Mint Julep Cupcakes

There are so many Christmas desserts.  So many.  Sugar cookies, gingerbread, figgy pudding (how else to wish someone a merry Christmas?), shortbread, fruitcake (although most people seem to hate this last one)... the list goes on and on, and frankly, even as I'm typing, there are so many recipes I can't wait to try.

When planning this year's Christmas menu, though, I knew I wanted to make something minty for dessert.  Preferably chocolate-y as well, but my favorite flourless chocolate cakes, like so many other truly wintry chocolate desserts, can really only be served right out of the oven, and I wasn't holding the dinner party at my own apartment but at a friend's, so the dessert had to be made way ahead of time.  Adding alcohol—and especially bourbon-- was sort of the icing on the cake, so to speak—I knew my guests (mostly men) would definitely appreciate it.

Aren't these cupcake liners too adorable?  I saw them at the store and knew I had to have them.  I'm actually pretty sad that I probably can't use them for very much longer... there's only so long the rest of the world will let me milk the Season of Jolly, I'm afraid :\

And so, in the end, I settled on the below recipe, courtesy of cookiedog of Food.com.  They turned out—well, minty fresh—and were so light and refreshing, a perfect end to an otherwise rich and very satisfying meal.

"Holiday Refresher" Mint Julep Cupcakes
a recipe by cookiedog (Food.com)

Cupcake Base - Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon mint extract
2 eggs
1-1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup Bourbon
1/4 cup creme de menthe

Frosting - Ingredients
1-1/2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Bourbon
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
Milk

Garnish
Mint sprig (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)

Directions
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line the cupcake cups.
2.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.
3.  In the mixer bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs one at a time.  Once the eggs are combined, add the extracts.  Slowly add in half of the flour mixture.  Add the milk and liquors to the batter, then the rest of the flour.  Mix as little as possible, just until the batter comes together.

4.  Divide evenly among the cupcake cups.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Let cool.

5.  For the Frosting: Whip the butter and shortening.  Slowly add in half the powdered sugar.  Add in the extracts and bourbon.  Add the rest of the powdered sugar.  Then slowly add in milk until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.

6.  Once cupcakes are completely cooled, frost and top with mint leaves and sprinkles (optional).

[Recipe] "Give Thanks" Pecan Pie Muffins

I might have played with the dolls, and I definitely have as much patriotic pride as anyone I know, but I'm really not your typical American Girl.  I don't have much extended family in the US.  I don't have any memories of "over the river and through the woods" and "grandmother's house," etc., and my holidays have always been a little "unorthodox."  You know, hotpot, hot chocolate, and mahjong for Christmas; Peking duck (yum!) and football on Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving pies and cranberry sauce are, thus, a bit of a "novelty" to me, and I'm always excited about turkey, stuffing, the whole nine yards (hooray for free and/or catered college campus Thanksgiving dinners!).

Which is why, in celebration of Thanksgiving, I like to turn to this recipe, courtesy of prissycat of Allrecipes.com:

"Give Thanks" Pecan Pie Muffins
a recipe by prissycat (Allrecipes.com)

This recipe, to anyone who has never made pecan pie before, looks ridiculous. There are just five very basic, simple ingredients and an almost obscene amount of brown sugar and butter-- like a shot of delicious sinfulness straight to the arteries.

Of course, that's precisely the beauty and nature of pecan pie, and it actually makes a lot of sense that its muffin derivative would be much the same.

Comments on-line complained of over-stickiness (and lost muffin!) and suggested sticking with mini-muffin tins.  I, however, made them in regular-size muffin tins and didn't have too much trouble popping them out.  I greased the tins with butter, then dusted with confectioner's sugar.  This seemed to do the trick.

The muffins don't rise much-- probably because the recipe doesn't call for much flour and contains neither baking soda nor baking powder—and so perhaps look a little on the small-ish and unattractive side.  They are, however, plenty rich, moist, and delicious.  They're a little too sweet to be a personal favorite, but quite a number of my friends have declared, over the years, that they're "even better than actual pecan pie!"

And now, you can make them, too. I promise you, easy as... pie ;)

Ingredients
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (King Arthur's)
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten

Directions
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lightly grease the muffin tin, then dust with confectioner's sugar.  (This will help with the eventual removal of the muffins.  You might also want to consider using a mini-muffin tin instead of a regular-sized one.)

2.  In a medium bowl, sift together the brown sugar, flour, and pecans.

3.  In a separate bowl, beat the butter and eggs together until smooth.  Stir the mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined.

4.  Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.  Cups should be about 2/3 full.

 
5.  Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

"Waiter, there is too much pepper on my paprikash." 
"But I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie... "