With the Easter holiday fast approaching, it’s time to load up on all the goodies to fill up those delightful baskets: marshmallowy Peeps® (which now comes in chocolate!), brightly colored jellybeans, the classic chocolate bunny and of course, colorful and decorated hard-boiled eggs.

Aren’t they just egging you on?

Once all the goodies have been found (we hope!) and eaten, what do you do with all of the extra Easter bounty? Turn them into other d’lish goodies!

Have extra Peeps on hand? Well, they’re perfect to melt into my Jelly-Bean Rice Crispy Tweeps. I love to rip their heads and use them for “garnish!”

Peep garnished Tweeps!

For the adults, grab a few of those chocolate bunnies and stir yourself up some Bunny’Licious Chocolate Mocha Fondue using a splash of your favorite liqueur or shot of espresso. Serve with an assortment of fruits for dipping or some of those leftover Peeps.

With all those extra eggs, how about an egg salad sandwiches? I like to add a little curry twist with my Springtime Curried Egg Salad Sandwiches. Then top it off with a tasty garnish of thinly sliced radish and cucumber – oh – so springy!

Grab those extra Easter goodies and cook up some springtime fun! -Kathy

Peep & Jelly-Bean Rice Crispy Tweeps
Makes 30 treats

3 Tbsp. butter
6  packages yellow Peeps®  – 30 peeps(you can use bunnies too for pink treats)
6 cups Rice Krispies® cereal
1 cup small jellybeans

Pull 30 of the peeps heads off and set aside for garnish.

In a large sauce pan heat butter over low heat melt the butter until melted. Then add peeps and stir over low heat until melted. Then stir in rice crispies and jellybeans. Stir until cereal is well coated and jellybeans are distributed.

Place mixture in a pan sprayed 8”x8” baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and press down to compact the crispy treats. Let set for at least 15 minutes before serving. To serve cut (5×6) into 30 squares.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Bunny’licious Chocolate Mocha Fondue
Makes 4 servings

6 ounces of left-over chocolate bunnies
1/4 cup hot, strong brewed coffee
1 tablespoon liquor such as: Grand Marnier, ameretto or Frangelico  liqueur (optional)

For dipping: fresh fruit for dipping cut into chunks, such as: pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, apple wedges and oranges

Other fun things for dipping are: pound cake chunks, holiday cookies, small chocolate chip cookies, other candy such as Peeps® …..

Break up or cut bunnies in small pieces (chocolate chip size)  into a  glass or ceramic bowl and pour hot coffee over them. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. If coffee is not hot enough to melt chocolate, then microwave  for 10 seconds. Stir in liqueur if desired.

Transfer mixture to a fondue pot or pretty bowl and serve warm with long forks and lots of goodies for dipping.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Springtime Curried Egg Salad Sandwiches
Makes 4 sandwiches

6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled (see procedure)
2 Tbsp.very thinly sliced green onions
2 Tbsp.1/8-inch-diced red onion
2 Tbsp. 1/8-inch-diced celery
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 cup mayonnaise (regular or light)
1/2 – 3/4 tsp. Kosher salt
Coarse ground black pepper

—————————————————

8 slices high-quality tender bread such as brioche, Macrina potato bread, or egg bread
butter lettuce leaves
16 very thin slices of peeled cucumber
4 red radishes, very, very thinly sliced

Chop hard-boiled eggs to nice 1/4-inch pieces, good for making the egg salad. In a bowl, mix chopped eggs with green onion, red onion, celery, and curry powder until evenly distributed. Mix in mayonnaise gently but thoroughly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.

Divide and spread the egg salad evenly among 4 slices of the bread. Layer on the lettuce and cucumber and radish slices, dividing evenly, and close the sandwiches.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Congratulations to everyone who made Seattle Magazine‘s list of influential people in the Seattle food culture. Thrilled to have made the list at #38! Thank you!

More tasty travels and D’lish events!

The New Year has just been flying by, and so have I… from New Orleans, Chicago and the Ukraine, to Las Vegas most recently. I have been traveling everywhere, sharing my passion for great food and d’lish cocktails (all the while earning lots of flyer miles!). Here’s a quick recap of what my team and I have been up to!

——–

Tasty Travels

Congratulations to the Fairmont Hotels!
The new year started out with a trip to New Orleans, where I attended the annual Cheers Beverage Conference. Living up to its name, it was quite the libatious celebration all around – from tastings and seminars, to celebrity mixologist parties. But most exciting was the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts winning the Cheers 2012 Best Chain Hotel Beverage Program for the FAME (Fairmont Artistic Mixology Experience) Program that we manage and helped create – from individual hotel trainings to building a master recipe manual and individual bar culture, as well as producing a nine-part online training series. We are thrilled to continue to keep FAME fresh! Congrats Fairmont!!

Dobrý Deň! (It Means “Good Day” in Ukrainian!)
Speaking of Fairmont… my next stop was Kyiv, Ukraine to train the team there on all things spirited! Senior Liquid Kitchen^™ Mixologist Keith Waldbauer and I landed in snowy and COLD Kyiv (or Kiev and pronounced kEEv) where it was straight to work.

Keith testing Liquid Kitchen Fairmont cocktails!

We trained the new staff for all the new bars and restaurants, and created lots of new cocktail creations using local products. We made birch syrup out of birch juice, which was amazing in an Old-Fashioned cocktail. And can I say how much I’m in love with Monin’s Tarragon syrup? (Don’t get too excited, it’s only available in Europe for now.) It’s d’lish in a non-alcoholic drink I made with clementines and fresh sparkling lemon soda!

Our beloved Green Chartreuse was not available, so I made my own herbal liquor – it turned out delicious! Those are little bottles of 97% grain alcohol, and yes, you can ignite it!

Ingredients were sometimes hard to get, but you make do with what you have. I pulled out my chef bag of tricks here and there, and we ended up with some pretty exciting cocktails! Drinks were shaken up with our house-made Black Tea and Pomegranate Elixer, house-made herbal liquor and grapefruit spice bitters.

Ingredients were sometimes challenging – yes, I’m grating my own salt!

The Fairmont Kyiv bar staff taking a photo break – after learning how to make house-made bitters.

In between work sessions, we did have some time to check out the scenery, shops and of course bars! Yes, the crew took us out in local style and tried to out drink us with shots of Honey Pepper Vodka, chased with local unpasteurized beer – ‘til the wee hours of the morning – but we held our own!

Honey Pepper Vodka + Local Beer = Fun with the Crew!

On our excursion day, we visited some beautiful churches in Kyiv. I can still hear the bells ringing.

They like faces on their foods too… LOL! Not sure why, but I got in a LOT of trouble at a store for taking this photo of sliced meat with funny faces! And the cream puffs were cute, too!

I found a little time to zip out to the store where it was fun to see all the local dried fish and pickled goodies. Of course, I was in heaven because I love all things pickled. The whole, pickled tomatoes were amazing!

Local dried fish and pickled everything in Kyiv.

There sure were a lot (and I mean a LOT) of potatoes, pickles beets, and cabbage… so I was inspired to create the Kyiv Martini! It featured local vodka (which, by the way, is fantastic and has a very complex character) shaken with a slice of fresh beet and served in a glass lined with a piece of fresh, shaved cucumber, then garnished with my homemade beet-pickled onions. I’d like one right now, please!

My Kyiv Martini!

We also visited a really cool local restaurant called Puzata Hata, where we had succulent dumplings and other local specialties, served to us at stations by cute Ukrainian ladies. You can eat your fill and drink local beer for under $10 a person!

I have to say, Ukrainian people are some of the most welcoming and friendly people we have ever worked with. But after lots of hard work getting the crew ready to open all the Fairmont Bars, and eating my fill of borsch, potato, and cabbage dumplings, it was time to go home. I was really craving Asian food and some good ol’ American home cooking. Luckily for me, as soon as I landed back in Seattle, my husband John had whipped up my favorite Slow Cooked Pot Roast with Half a Bottle of Wine and 20 Cloves of Garlic and fluffy mashed potatoes – thank you, honey! Yum! Then at work the next day, my Food Studios crew welcomed me back with pho (Vietnamese noodle soup). What a great way to come home! But stay tuned, as there might be a chance I’ll be going back this summer, when it’s sure to be a bit warmer…

Then it was off to Las Vegas…

…to be one of the celebrity judges for the Speed Rack – Las Vegas event! Founded by two faboo LUPEC – NY members Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix, their event promotes female bartenders from coast-to-coast in a speedy and engaging round-robin style tournament, with proceeds going straight to fight breast cancer. It was fast-paced action and these ladies know how to shake up a storm right before the annual VIBE Conference!

Charlotte Voisey, Tony Abou-Ganim and me getting ready to judge!

Speed Rack competitors hard at work, and judges judging!

After Speed Rack, it was on to the VIBE (Very Important Beverage Executives) Conference, held in conjunction with the Nightclub and Bar Show. VIBE is an amazing event and I am thrilled to participate every year with Monin. For the opening night I showcased my Spiced Islands Rum Punch crafted with Solerno blood orange liqueur, Sailor Jerry Rum, Monin Almond and Cinnamon Syrups, fresh pineapple and lime juices, all topped with an Angostura Foam. And, of course, I love my bling, so it had a light dusting of 24K gold on top.

The next day, associate Cameo McRoberts and I presented a seminar on non-alcoholic trends, where we discussed house-made sodas like cucumber, ginger, and lemongrass – as well as small indulgent treats like mini drinking caramels, and the love of carbonation and super fizz! Account Manager Heather Jones and new Liquid Kitchen Associate Dänny Ronen shook up beverages like mad, for a packed house. It was all fun but I was ready to come home!

After a long trip to Vegas, it was time to leave…before the lizards came! Heather, look out!

Next Stops: Orlando… Napa Valley at the CIA Flavor Summit and Los Angeles
Stay tuned for more tasty travels! Make sure you follow me on Twitter for all the fun pix and details!

——–

Serious Sippin’ with the Liquid Kitchen

Filming of the third season of Kathy Casey’s Liquid Kitchen^™ will soon be under way this spring! Here’s a sneak peak of one of my drinks that I’ll be sharing this season: The Ultimate Gin & Tonic. Martin Miller gin, a touch of fresh lime juice, and Housemade Tonic Bitters, all topped off with DRY Blood Orange Soda and a pouf of Cucumber Foam. A light dusting of micro-planed lime finishes it off! Are you thirsty now?? Well in the meantime, check out this episode and make yourself a Citrus 75.

And if you’re looking to expand your home bar, make sure you stop by my online store for all your libatious needs, from my Liquid Kitchen 6-piece bar kit essentials, Golden Era Bitters, and 5130 Honey to Dish D’Lish^® Cocktailor Mixers and more!

——–

Tasty & Libatious Reads – and Cooking up a New Cookbook

Wow! I think I can seriously say there may be deviled eggs coming out my ears! That’s right, I’m in the final throes of testing recipes for my 10^th book – it is due out next year, and is all about deviled eggs. I am super excited about this book, so stay tuned! In the meantime, I’m thrilled to announce that my cocktail and appetizer book Sips & Apps is finally available in digital form for the Amazon Kindle!

For those of you that live in my neck of the woods, be sure to check out the beautiful new Sip Northwest Magazine – its pages are full of wonderful libations and tipples from all around the Pacific Northwest! Here’s a sneak peak of my featured column for this season’s issue, including local mixologists’ recipes for beer-inspired cocktails. You can also pick up a complimentary copy at my Dish D’Lish cafés at the Sea-Tac International Airport.

——–

Cook Up Some Fun!

I was thrilled when, a couple of years ago, I was asked to submit a lemonade drink for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a really cool charity. After I submitted my drink, I had a phone call with Paramount Citrus (the sponsor) which came about because they loved my drink. They probably thought I was nuts the way I was going on and on about my love of citrus. Those of you that have known me for years already know of my zesty lemon habit! From passing on birthday cake for a scrumptious lemon meringue pie to loving a pop of citrus zest in just about everything, I just adore all things citrus! With spring here, I thought I would share a delicious, bright-tasting side dish, Lemony Herbed Orzo. This sassy side is perfect as an accompaniment to grilled fish or roasted chicken, and paired with first-of-the-season fresh asparagus. Fresh lemon juice and zest add a zingy flavor pop.

Lemony Herbed Orzo

Makes 6 servings

12 ounces dry orzo pasta (2 cups)
2 tablespoons butter, salted
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon very finely minced shallots
1/2 cup very coarsely chopped Italian parsley leaves
1/4 cup thinly sliced chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or tarragon
3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed Paramount Citrus Lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely minced lemon zest (see my tip on how to make zest below*)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
ground black pepper
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and cook for approximately 6 – 8 minutes, stirring often, until just al dente or per package instructions. Immediately drain well (do not rinse), then place orzo in a heat-proof bowl. Stir in butter, olive oil, shallots and herbs to coat well. Then stir in lemon juice, zest, seasonings and cheese. Serve immediately.

*Citrus Zest adds such a lovely flavor pop to any dish.
To make lemon or other citrus zest: Zest is the outer peel of the fruit – with no white pith attached. You can remove the zest from the fruit with a fine zesting tool that makes long, very thin, pretty strands. Or you can peel off the zest with an ordinary potato peeler, being sure not to get any white pith, and then finely cut the zest in very, very thin long strips or mince it. You can also grate it off. For this method, I like to use a microplane.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios^®

——–

Where to Catch Kathy Next

6^th Annual Ocean Shores’ Razor Clam Festival: Saturday, March 24^th, 7:00am – 4:00pm
Ocean Shores Chamber of Commerce

It’s almost that time of year again where I head for the beach! Not for tanning…but to go clamming! My team and I will once again be heading down to Ocean Shores to host and judge the Annual Razor Clam Festival, a Saturday full of family fun and great eats! There’ll be activities all day, as well as craft booths to visit. You can also sample all the competing chowders entered in the Clam Chowder Cook-Off! It’ll be a clam-tastic day – don’t forget to get your clam licenses and gear ahead of time for the day’s clam dig. Hope to see some of my Northwest friends there!

——–

Contests!

It’s a $10,000 prize, people!! Get your aprons ready, your creative juices flowing, and fire up that stove!!
The 3^rd Annual Foster Farms Fresh Chicken Cooking Competition is well underway! Foster Farms is inviting all California, Oregon, and Washington professional and home chefs to submit their tried and true chicken recipes. Submitted recipes should include local ingredients that pair well with Foster Farms Chicken (check out the past years winners and finalists’ recipes for ideas). The ultimate grand prize is $10,000 and a year’s worth of Foster Farms chicken! Make sure you turn in your recipes soon as the deadline to submit your recipe is June 3^rd!

Get the bar ready and show us how to make your version of an Old Fashioned cocktail!
Tales of the Cocktail is one of the biggest imbibing events of the year for both spirits industry professionals and cocktail lovers. This year holds no exception, as it will be their 10^th year anniversary! Industry professionals can submit their winning recipe for their creative take on the Old Fashioned. First prize winner will receive $1,250 cash and be the “Official Cocktail” of Tales of the Cocktail! Get shakin’, as the deadline to submit your “aged” cocktail is March 25^th!

So, I hope you have enjoyed my travel stories, work shenanigans, and recipe testing tales. Until next time, please join me every weekend on Dishing with Kathy Casey on KOMO News Radio, and check out my companion blog with all the corresponding recipes and tips. Don’t forget to tweet with me @KathyCaseyChef! I’m always excited to chat about what’s new and tasty! -Kathy

——–

Follow on Twitter @KathyCaseyChef. Blogging: Dishing with Kathy Casey. Like on Facebook: Sips & Apps and Kathy Casey’s Liquid Kitchen. Watch: www.LiquidKitchen.tv.

If you haven’t signed up for my Newsletter, you can sign up here.

Almost everybody I know loves pork to some capacity. It’s one of the most versatile meats in the world. Different cultures cook up this succulent protein in a multitude of ways from Cuban pulled pork sandwiches to crispy pork belly topped burgers to Southern BBQ and more.

In the last few years, there has been a pork resurgence (almost along the lines of a cult-like status!) with specialty pig dinners, porky books, charcuterie classes… the list goes on and on and on.

One of my favorite restaurants is down in New Orleans. If you’re a true pork lover, this is a must go-to place! Cochon (it’s French for “pig”) serves up a great spicy grilled pork ribs with homemade watermelon pickle, smoked ham hock with red beans & rice and a truly mouthwatering Louisiana cochon with turnips, cabbage and cracklins. This is the ultimate piggy heaven!

Even one of my friends told me that her daughter declared herself as a “baco-tarian:” she doesn’t eat any meat, poultry, fish or other animal products EXCEPT bacon! Vegetarians and vegans, stand back – this is not my idea at all! I am only reporting the facts.

Don’t forget that there is also the whole bacon surge: specialty bacons, vodka, salt, baconaise…

One of my favorite ways to cook pork is to slow-braise it in an oven with Gala apples, onions and fresh herbs. A fantastic meal worth the wait!

Here’s to piggin’ out on delectable pork! –Kathy

Slow-Braised Pork Pot Roast with Apples & Onions
Gala apples are used in this recipe for their superior, firm texture when cooking. If Gala apples are not available, try to find Fujis, which also work well.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

1 (2 1/2-pound) boneless pork shoulder or butt roast
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Gala apples, each cut in 8 chunks
1 large onion, cut in 16 chunks
2 large sprigs fresh thyme
6 cloves garlic
1 tsp caraway seeds, optional
1/3 cup raspberry or white wine vinegar
3 Tbsps sugar

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

Pat dry the pork roast and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Place apples, onion, thyme, and garlic in a small roasting pan and set the pork roast on top. Sprinkle with the caraway seeds.

Mix together the vinegar and sugar until the sugar is dissolved, then pour it around the pork.

Place the pork in the oven and roast, uncovered, for 1 hour. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and continue roasting for about 1 1/2 hours more, until the pork is fork-tender. The total roasting time will be about 2 1/2 hours.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Towards the end of March, I am always thinking about the beach… not to tan, but to go clamming! Every year I head down to Ocean Shores (about a 4 hour drive from Seattle) to host their annual Razor Clam Festival!   This year will be my fourth time hosting this clam-tastic celebration and each year, my team and I have had an amazing great time.

The weekend starts with an all-you-can-eat Fireman’s Pancake Breakfast served by the Ocean Shores Firefighters — all for $5! (And yes, they are cute!)

Throughout the entire day, there’ll be lots to keep you and the family entertained. From live music and lots of clam chowder to taste as well as an auction of decorated clam shovels and tubes (sometimes called clam “guns”) as well as beer & Bloody Mary bars. Of course, there’s also the Clam Chowder Cook-Off Competition which my team and I will be judging.

My crew and I doing the “Official” Razor Clam Festival Dance…eating all that chowder makes us silly!

If you like to dig your razor clams, check out the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife website for more info on this year’s dig…and don’t forget your clam license and essentials!

Once you’ve reached your razor clam limits, it’s time to clean your clams. If you need a demo don’t fret as my friend Scott Surdyke and I share some of our cleaning tips in this video. Then it’s time to start cooking and one of my favorite ways of cooking this bi-valve is in a recipe that Scott and I created together. I’ve shared our recipe for our Clam-tastic Razor Clam Fritters dipped in my Rock-the-World Tartar Sauce below.

Think clear skies, pack warm and head on over to Ocean Shores for a clam’tastic time! –Kathy

Scott & Kathy’s CLAM-TASTIC Razor Clam Fritters
Makes 24 – 26 fritters

3 cups chopped/diced razor clams
3 cups Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix with buttermilk
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
1 Tbsp minced lemon zest
2 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
Fresh-ground pepper to taste
1 Tbsp minced garlic
3/4 cup clam nectar (or reserved clam juice)
1/4 cup Northwest amber beer, flat
2 eggs, whisked
1/2 cup minced celery
3/4 cup fresh corn kernels
6 scallions/green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped orange or red bell pepper (about 1/2 pepper)
—————————————————
Crisco shortening for frying
Lemon wedges for garnish/squeezing
Kathy Casey’s Ultimate Rock-the-World Tartar Sauce (recipe follows)

Drain the clams and save any juice for use in recipe.
In a large bowl combine the Krusteaz, corn meal, baking powder, lemon pepper, zest, salt and pepper. Stir in the garlic, clam nectar/juice, beer and eggs to combine.
Then fold in the celery, corn, green onions, bell pepper and drained clams.

Heat 2-inches of Crisco in a large cast iron skilled till hot – about 375 degrees. Scoop out fritters a few at time – I use a 1/4 cup measure – they should be kind of spread out and not too thick. Fry on first side till golden and then flip over. Continue frying till golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Cook fritters in batches being sure oil stays hot. Keep fritters warm in a 300 degree oven on a rack if needed – but they are best served right away – the fritter cook will just have to keep cooking! Serve with Rock the World Tartar Sauce and fresh lemons.

Recipe by Scott Surdyke and Kathy Casey

Kathy’s Rock-The-World Tartar Sauce
Makes 2 cups

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle or dill pickle relish
2 Tbsps drained capers, chopped
1 green onion, very thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
2 Tbsps chopped parsley
1/4 tsp celery seed
2 Tbsps fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients.

Recipe adapted from Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table, Chronicle Books

Speed Rack is continuing onwards with their 2012 National Tour; next stop Las Vegas! The event all goes down on Sunday, March 16^th at the Swingers Club in the Plaza Hotel & Casino! Sixteen of Las Vegas’ female bartenders will compete head to head and tested on speed, accuracy and execution for the title of Miss Speed Rack Las Vegas.

Make sure to buy your tickets in advanced for this libatious event promoting female bartenders and raising proceeds towards fighting breast cancer!

Cupcakes are everywhere these days and for good reason! These sweet treats are bite-sized, easily portable and flavor combinations are near limitless.

Specialty cupcake shops are popping up left and right – Sprinkles, Trophy Cupcakes, Cupcake Royale, Yellow Leaf – wherever you shop frequently, there are delicious treats to be had!

Cupcakes are definitely a party favorite. They’re the perfect treats to bring to any event because there’s a size for every occasion! My recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes with Spiced Rum Cream Cheese Frosting is great for the adults. And quick and easy Shirley Temple Cupcakes are perfect for the kids to whip up.

My Shirley Temple Cupcakes!

Take a jumbo cupcake along in lieu of a cake and slice everyone a piece, or a platter full of one-bite minis that are just the right size for little hands to grab!

For a fun afternoon with friends, family or the kids, bake up a bunch of different flavoured cupcakes – try chocolate chip, red velvet, spiced vanilla – – put out a couple different frostings and LOTS of sprinkles, decorations and toppings (think cracker jacks, peppermint patties, crushed cookies, edible glitter!) and let everyone customize their own sweet treat.

You might even come up with that next great cupcake combo! -Kathy

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Spiced Rum Cream Cheese Frosting
The darling of cupcakes gets a rummy twist with spiced rum frosting. Grate whole nutmeg over the top for extra flavor.

Makes 28 cupcakes

Cupcakes
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks (16 Tbsps) salted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsps red food coloring
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp rum extract

Frosting
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick (4 Tbsps) salted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp rum extract
1 Tbsp dark, aged or spiced rum
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 (16-ounce) package powdered or confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 28 standard muffin cups with paper liners and set aside.

To make the cupcakes: In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the softened butter and sugar together for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time, beating each one in well. Then add the sour cream, milk, food coloring and both extracts.

On low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture until just blended. Do not overmix. Divide the batter between paper-lined cups, filling each cup 2/3 full (about 1/3 cup of batter).

Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cupcake center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, to make the frosting: With an electric mixer in a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Then beat in extracts, rum and spices. On low speed, add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, beating until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes when they are completely cool. Keep frosted cupcakes refrigerated.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®-Liquid Kitchen™

Shirley Temple Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

1 box (18.25 oz) super-moist white cake mix
1 1/4 cups lemon-lime soda*
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 egg whites
1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries (about 12 cherries)
—————————————
1 container (12 oz) white frosting
Garnish: 36 maraschino cherries, halved

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners and set aside.

Place the cake mix, soda, oil and egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl and then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in the chopped cherries.

Fill each lined cupcake cup 3/4 full with batter. Place pans in oven on a lower rack. Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Frost each cupcake and decorate each cupcake with 3 cherry halves.

Cook’s Note: This recipe uses a 10–12 oz jar of maraschino cherries.

* Such as 7-UP, Sprite or Sierra Mist.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®