2008 September « Ilene Miriam Baked Goods

Archive for September, 2008

HAPPY HOUR :) Nutcracker Jell-O Shots w/ Drunk Cherries

Not your Mama's Jell-O!

Yes, I know Jell-O is not baked but it makes one hell of a shot!

HAPPY HOUR will be a monthly post featuring different cocktails. September’s post is devoted to the Jell-O shot. I’ll be making them this Saturday for a fight party (Mosley vs. Mayorga…Hey Mel, my money’s on Sugar Shane! )

Regular Jell-O shots are so…well, regular! I’ve decided to turn it up a notch. The Nutcracker is a favorite drink among my friends and fam. It’s one of those drinks that sneaks up on you. My sister can make nutcrackers so potent yet sweet at the same time! Here’s my own Jell-O shot version. The Drunk Cherries are just an added kick!

Drunk Cherries

Ingredients:

16 oz. jar stemless maraschino cherries
Vodka or Rum of your choice

Preparation:

Pour out 3/4 of the juice inside of the jar. Fill jar up far enough to cover just above the cherries. Let the cherries soak in the jar overnight.

For stronger cherries, I would suggest filling the entire jar with liquor and/or soaking the cherries for a few days.

For less potency, remove less juice from the jar. (ex. 3/4 juice, 1/4 liquor)

Someone had a rough night...

I filled the entire jar with liquor, 0% juice! Hey, my people like to drink!

Nutcracker Jell-O Shots

Ingredients:

4 oz. Bacardi 151 Rum
6 oz. Pineapple Jell-O
16 oz. Boiling water
8 oz. Cold water
4 oz. Amaretto
1 Drunk Cherry (2 if you can handle it)

3 Key Items for your Jell-O Shot

Preparation:

Mix the jello with 16 oz. of boiling water. Make sure the powder is fully dissolved then add the rest of the water and the alcohol. Pour mixture into small disposable shot cups. Drop one Drunk Cherry into each cup. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm.

Stay tuned for photos of the finished product and really drunk happy people

ALWAYS DRINK EAT RESPONSIBLY & ENJOY!

3 comments September 27, 2008

Lemon Sunshine Cupcakes & Almond Frosting Recipes

Lemons and almonds?! Who knew they would work so well together?!

My “SECRET” – Basic lemon cupcake recipes usually call for regular milk. I like to use buttermilk. I also use lemon zest as well as fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Lemon Sunshine Cupcakes

Ingredients:

3 cups cake flour (I use Swans Down)

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract (I use Organic Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract)

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 medium lemon (for juice)

lemon Zest of 1/2 medium lemon

Directions:

Preheat oven @ 350 degrees
Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Add sugar, beaten eggs, vanilla and oil in a mixing bowl. Beat until throughly incorporated.
Add flour to mixture alternating with buttermilk. Mix well.
Add lemon zest and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Continue beating one minute.
Pour batter into prepared cupcake pans
Bake 20-25 minutes or until inserted cake tester comes out clean. (I like my cupcakes moist so, i’ll check them around 15 minutes)
Cool 10 minutes in the pan on a cooling rack; Remove cupcakes from pan and let them cool completely before decorating.

*** Vegetable oil can be substituted with butter ***

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Many people love my Lemon frosting. Too bad it isn’t really lemon, lol! I guess the lemony flavor from the cupcakes tricks your brain into believing its lemon flavored frosting. Maybe it’s the Wilton Icing Gel? Either way, I accept all compliments : )

Almond Frosting

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract (I use Wilton No Color Artificial Almond Extract though I’m 100% sure that pure extract will be much better)

1 or 2 teaspoons milk (use sparingly)

Wilton Icing Gel - Lemon Yellow (use sparingly)

Preparation:

Cream room temperature butter in a mixing bowl
Add confectioners sugar 1/2 cup at a time (Honestly,I’m not sure how much sugar I really use. I kind of eyeball it.)
Add almond extract and a teaspoon of milk. Continue mixing.
Using a toothpick, add icing gel. Depending on the color you are trying to achieve, add a little bit at a time (Wilton’s icing gels are concentrated so you do not need much). Continue mixing.
If icing is too stiff, add another teaspoon of milk

***If you want lemon flavored icing, try adding fresh squeezed juice from 1/2 of a small lemon at the very end of the mixing process***

GOOD LUCK & ENJOY!

1 comment September 24, 2008

My New Workspace

My Equipment

Originally uploaded by Tiff & Mel: Instinctive Travels and Photo Memoirs

Don’t I look official? I finally got a chance to get rid of my kitchen table and purchase a stainless steel countertop from IKEA. Actually Shamel got it for me (Thanks Mel). Lord knows I needed it. My kitchen is beyond small! I had virtually no counter space, so it was hard to bake comfortably. Now I have all the room I need to make perfect (well, as close to perfect that I can get with my mini-me stove) cupcakes! For more pics, click here.

1 comment September 23, 2008

I.M. Back!

Actually, its been back for a while but I have been too lazy busy to upload any photos. Now that I have the time, I’ve added a bunch of new posts. I also discovered a lazy easy way to blog from my Flickr account.

Now I can officially launch my blog…Welcome friends and family! Please pass this on! I need all of the exposure that I can get, lol!

1 comment September 23, 2008

Love Marble Cupcakes

Originally uploaded by Tiff & Mel: Instinctive Travels and Photo Memoirs

Two things that are truly loved: Red Velvet and Chocolate. llene Miriam presents the “Love Marble” cupcake. I don’t know why, but I have to say “Love Marble” with my best Barry White voice. I should play Barry White the next time I make these, lol. For more pics, click here.

Would you like the recipe? Leave a comment and I’ll be sure to pass it on