Donuts!

Mini and regular sized baked donuts - oh boy!!  The chocolate ones are regular sized, the pastels are mini.  They turned out pretty freaking chewy (boo), but the taste was good.  The ones with chocolate glaze were AH-MAZING.  I can't wait to try other flavors and frostings and stuff.  You can pick up the pans (below) online or even at Mollie Stones, which is where I found my mini pan and saved myself the shipping (and waiting, which I hate).

See the difference between the top of the donut (pale) and the bottom (super bronzed)?  Also, you can see that the one mini guy over on the lower left looks a bit like a little bundt - that's him upside down, and that's his brother right side up, above him.

I followed the recipe that comes on the pan (though of course there are others, even by King Arthur!) - the one on the larger sized pan was perfect to make one batch of large (6) and two batches of tinys (24).  They're a bit tricky though.  The big ones looked great, but were BROWN on the bottom and white on top.  If I wasn't frosting with chocolate that may have looked odd.  And the little guys puff up like little round topped muffins with holes in the middle or get weird ridges around the side if you're not careful.
I used nonstick on one batch of my tiny guys, and I thought those ones actually turned out worse than when I didn't use the spray.  On the non-sprayed pans, I just used a couple of toothpicks to pluck the donuts out of the pans while they were still warm - worked perfectly for me.

Donuts
2 cups of cake flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar (I used vanilla sugar, but don't know that the flavor really showed up in the finished product)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
3/4 c buttermilk (I was out and had to do the milk + lemon juice trick)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp melted butter

Preaheat oven to 425.  Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray (if you want).
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.  Add buttermilk, eggs and butter.  Beat until just combined.  Fill each large cup about 2/3 full.  Fill the minis about half full.
Bake the bigguns for 7-9 minutes or until the tops spring back when touched.  Bake the littleuns for 4-6 minutes or til the same.
Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes, or just go for it as I did.  If your donuts are sticking, let them cool a bit.

You can sub out the nutmeg for some grated lemon zest, and I imagine about a jillion other options to flavor the donuts as you like.  Once these were cooled, they did taste just like the good old cake donuts we know and love, if a bit chewy.

Variations and Frostings
Cinnamon Sugar:
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp melted butter
In a shallow bowl or plate, stir together cinnamon and sugar.  Dip the donuts in the melted butter and roll in the cinnamon/sugar mix to coat.

Chocolate Glaze:
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1 tbsp corn syrup (I only had honey and it worked a treat, though I'm guessing it didn't solidify quite as it would've had I used corn syrup)
1 tsp hot water
In a medium bowl, nuke the chips, butter & corn syrup on 50% power at 30 second increments, stirring in between until everything is completely melted.  Stir in 1 tsp hot water til the glaze is thick and smooth - add another tsp if it's too thick.  Use immediately.

Powdered Sugar:
Put 2/3 cup of powdered/confectioner's sugar in a resealable plastic bag.  Add a donut to the bag and shake the heck out of it to coat.  Don't breathe in or sneeze while eating.

Vanilla Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp milk (I needed to add more)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or whatever flavor you want - almond, rum, imitation banana. . . have at it)
In a small bowl, stir together sugar, milk & vanilla (or other flavor) until sugar is dissolved.  Use immediately.

And as if that wasn't all bad enough, you can make your own custom colored sprinkles!  I can see myself getting WAY too carried away with this. . . . 

    

 

Semi-Homemade Petit Fours

Unfortunately, we did not take our group photo until three teams had already left. . .

Yeah.  I totally used store bought cake for my croquet treats.  And you know what?  So what.
I tried to find a bakery that would just sell me a quarter sheet cake or something, and not only did it confuse the hell out of them, but it was pretty damn pricey.
A quick search for "quick and easy petit fours" brought me to a recipe by Miss Paula Deen, and hallelujah!  Not only did I not have time to bake a cake from scratch, but I didn't have the time I thought to frost them - I didn't let them dry long enough before I had to leave.  Not only were they too soft for me to do any further "eat me" decorating or package them all up (I could only bring about half so they wouldn't touch), but I was half an hour late to my own damn event.
However, once croquet was over (and the next day), they were PERFECT.  I thought the frosting was too sweet at first, when it was still soft, but once it solidified, it made an awesome little cake.  Soft frosting or not, they seemed to be a hit at croquet.
Now, finding a pound cake in regular loaf form would've been way too perfect, so of course I could only find a bundt version, and I'm sure you can imagine how fun and easy it was to try to cut that into perfect little cubes.  A fun thing came from this though - I made whole little slices of cake as petit fours too and they turned out great.

Petit Fours 
1 loaf pound cake - about 1 pound, top crust removed, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2/3 cup cold water
1 egg white
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 boxes confectioners' sugar, about 1 pound, sifted
preserves of your choice (cherry or apricot would be great, I used  Bonne Maman cherry preserves)
Almond extract - I'm guessing I used about 1 tbsp
3 dyes of food coloring
2 forks
Something cute, for garnish and design

Arrange the pound cake cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze until firm, 4 hours or overnight. I froze my entire cake and then cut off the dark parts and cut it into cubes.  This worked incredibly well, BUT - if your cake comes back to room temperature before you frost it (which it will unless you freeze it again), it's crumb city and your frosting will get all clogged up which doesn't leave you a very nice, smooth frost job.
I then cut my cubes in half (lengthwise) and put a dollop of warmed up cherry preserves (to thin them out a little).  Use less than you think you need, since it will ooze out the sides.  A small dollop - maybe 1/4 tsp seemed perfect for the little bites.
They look like little crustless pb&js:

In the top of a double boiler, dissolve the gelatin in 2/3 cups cold water. Add egg white and corn syrup. Whisk. Add confectioners' sugar and whisk until well blended and not too thick. When mixture reaches 110 degrees F. (warm to the touch) divide the icing among several bowls and add your preferred food coloring to each bowl. Mix well.

Line counter or baking sheet with waxed paper. Place a cooling rack on top so the excess frosting can drip down and away and land on the wax paper below; then your cakes won't have bloopy, gloppy frosting puddles attached to the bottom.
Rest your cake on one fork, and use a spoon to pour frosting all over cake - work fast, this stuff thickens quickly (but you can reheat it if you need to).  Make sure the cakes are completely covered.  Use second fork to help move the frosted cake onto the rack to dry.  Do this for remaining cubes, using the various colors of frosting (rinse your forks when moving between colors, unless you're hoping for tie dye). When completely dried, place a dab of frosting onto the top of the cube to stick your cute little decor item.  OR, you can pipe little designs if you're good at that.
I was going to make Alton's royal icing to write "eat me" on mine.

Try to ignore the crumbs you can see in the tops.

Eat Me

Every year I host a croquet party.  We drink a lot of champagne and have an absolute blast.  The rules insist that we wear white (well, mostly), but I'll also allow for a wicked good Heathers or Alice in Wonderland croquet get up as well - how could I not?

We bring snacks to help settle some of that champagne, and this year, I am totally going Alice with my snack.  I have been fantasizing about "Eat Me," "Drink Me" treats for ages and I think this is just the year.  I'll make some cute little template for the champagne bottles and/or juices we use as mixers, and then I'll make some Eat Me cakes.  I'm thinking petit fours, but hot diggity dawg they're a lot of work.  I'm thinking I can definitely do fudge covered brownies (and who doesn't like chocolate?), but I really love the look of the petit fours since they remind me so much of the little cakes from the movies.

I saw Martha do petit fours once, but I can only find this one recipe and it's different than the one I watched.  Alas, this recommended cake and frosting recipe did NOT get rave reviews, so I hunted out a more traditional genoise and another frosting.  Some reviewers stated that the cake tasted bland, but I'm thinking that once I thin down my cherry or apricot preserves into a syrup to brush over the top and allow that to soak in, it will not be bland at all.  Another theme that came up in reviews was SIFT SIFT SIFT - then maybe sift again.


GENOISE CAKE
1 cup sifted cake flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 8 inch round cake pan. Line with parchment paper and grease it as well. Lightly flour pan and paper. 

Sift together the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt onto a piece of wax paper. 

Place the eggs into a mixing bowl set over a pan of hot (not boiling) water. Add the 1/2 cup sugar to the eggs and whisk until the mixture feels warm (not hot) to the touch, about body temperature. Place the bowl onto a mixer and beat on medium speed until the mixture becomes pale yellow in color and falls off the end of the whisk attachment in long ribbons. Add the vanilla. Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the beaten egg and fold in. Continue to add the remainder of the flour, folding it in each time. 

Place about 1 cup of the batter into the bowl containing the melted butter and combine the butter with the batter. Add this back to the main batter and fold it in. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. 

Immediately bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 25 minutes or until the top is a light brown. Cool in pan on a rack about 10 minutes and then invert onto a rack. It is best to invert it again onto another rack so that it cools with the top up. Let cool completely before cutting or frosting. 

Um. . . her frosting didn't seem to be very boss either.  This helpful video had one that looks like it'll work: 
POURABLE FONDANT FROSTING
6 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 c water
2 tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp flavor (almond, vanilla, whatevs)
optional - coloring
Heat sugar, water and corn syrup to 92 degrees over low heat.  Remove from heat and add flavoring and any coloring if using.
Pour the fondant into a bowl and keep over another bowl of hot water (like a double boiler) to keep the frosting soft.


To make the petit fours, slice the cake into nice little squares and set on a cooling rack with wax paper underneath.  Spoon the fondant frosting over the top ensuring even coverage.  You can scrape the drippings off the wax paper back into the bowl to soften and reuse!  Or you can place the cakes onto a fork (or slotted spatula if they're bigger) and really glob the frosting on; let the excess drip off, and THEN put them onto the cooling rack.

This video was incredibly helpful and featured lots of good tips as well.  I'm thinking of doing my petits fours a bit bigger than is traditional (I think 1 1/2" square is the standard), just so I can ensure that I can fit "eat me" on top of them without it looking too crowded.

Cakes Cakes Cakes

Fall and baked goods just go hand in hand in my mind. The warm spice flavors and the brisk weather are a perfect match and I start adding cloves and or cinnamon to just about everything come October 1st, even though that's typically summer in San Francisco. So what if it's 76 degrees out? I want a pumpkin spice latte!!! (Not that you need to get yours at a worldwide chain; you can make them yourself too.) Apple cake, banana bread, and of course - oh yeah - my pumpkin spiced cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Mulled wine, apple cider. . . the list of fall treats just goes on endlessly.
Now that I am wracking my brain to create some delicious and perfect treat for my beloved Buzzie's bday dinner, I stumbled across some mind blowingly good sounding fall cakes thanks to the kitchn. I had been tossing around the idea of not trying to compete with her beloved Red Velvet (which I have never made, and me thinks now is not the time to try it out for the first time) and just doing a cheese course; perhaps using a wheel of cheese and decorating it to look like a cake (with goat cheese rosettes around the edges to act as frosting perhaps) when BAM. The Kitchn beats me to it (sort of).

(also, Truffle Tremor? Swoon.) I don't think I need a 3lb wheel of cheese for 6 people though; even though we COULD eat the whole thing. That's just it - we might.

Onto the cakier cake options (some still with my beloved goat cheese even!). . .

Harvest Cake with Goat Cheese Frosting
Makes one 9” layer cake

For the cake:
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup finely grated beets
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2/3 cup safflower, canola or other mild-tasting oil
4 eggs

For the frosting:
15 ounces (about 2 cups) fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
6 ounces (about 3/4 cup) cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup pure maple syrup

For garnish
8-12 walnut halves or 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
flowers

Arrange oven racks to divide oven into thirds. Preheat oven to 400° F Grease two 9in x 2in cake pans, dust with a spoonful of flour and tap out. Line each with a round of parchment paper.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, stir together carrots, zucchini, beets, nuts, and raisins.

In a large mixing bowl, beat maple syrup and oil together until emulsified. Add eggs one at a time, beating until batter is smooth. Add flour mixture in three or four batches, mixing gently until mixture is even. Gently mix in the vegetable mixture. Divide between baking pans.

Place one baking pan in center of each of the racks. Bake 25-35 minutes, until a skewer or paring knife inserted into centers comes out clear and cakes are pulling away from the sides of pans. Cool on a rack about 5 minutes, then gently remove from pans. Cool to room temperature before frosting.

To make frosting:
Using an electric mixer or a wooden spoon and a strong arm, beat goat cheese and cream cheese together until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat at low speed until well blended. Beat in maple syrup. Chill about 30 minutes, until firm.

To assemble:
Following our instructions on how to frost a layer cake, cut four strips of parchment or wax paper to line cake plate under the cake's edges. Place first cake layer on plate. If it has a peaked top, carefully shave it off using a bread knife or sharp slicing knife. Using an off-set spatula or table knife, spread with frosting, pushing it to edges. Place second layer, top down, squarely on first layer. Spread a thin layer of frosting over entire cake to eliminate crumbs. Frost with remaining frosting. Arrange walnut halves and/or flowers around edge. Can also be garnished by gently pressing handfuls of finely chopped walnuts into frosting.

NOTE: The recipe has been updated to reflect a larger quantity so that layers can be bigger. We have tested it several times and find this recipe works better when feeding a crowd. Of course, for a smaller cake you could halve the recipe and bake it in smaller pans, or in one pan and slice that layer into two layer for a more thin cake.

Banana Nut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Butter, for greasing pans
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup veggie oil
4 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 c sour cream (as suggested by reviewers)

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), at room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans
(or this one)

Cook's Note: This recipe is not formulated for a wedding cake, but for a normal size everyone can use. Increase as needed if you are making tiered or extra large cakes.

Butter and flour 3 (9-inch) round cake pans; set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the eggs, oil, banana, sour cream and vanilla to another bowl and mix the wet ingredients separately. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened; do not beat. Mix in nuts.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 23 to 28 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake layers in the pans for 10 minutes, and then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely. While the cake cools, make the frosting.

In a bowl, blend together the cream cheese and butter. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Stir in the pecans, or reserve them to sprinkle over the frosted cake. Fill and frost the cake when it is completely cool.

And of course I'm thinking up ways to de-Dean this recipe and healthify it a bit, but you know, sometimes you've just gotta go for it. We'll see. Reviewers complain that the cake isn't fluffy enough and is more like a dense bread - they suggest adding another egg or more water. . . can you imagine a banana cake with ganache frosting? Nom.

Banana Almond Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting
(yes, I just said that) Please do visit the blog, Savour Fare, as it offers up some fab photos and tips. Like this one!:
Now listen closely, because I am going to tell you the secret to baking a good cake: Beat the hell out of it before you add the flour, and beat it as little as possible afterwards. When you’re creaming butter and sugar, beat it until the mixture is not just combined, but fluffy, and nearly pure white. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition, and then beating some more. Once you add the dry ingredients, just stir until barely combined. What you don’t want to happen in cake is the development of gluten. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment cut to size, and spray with Baker’s Joy, and your cake will release perfectly.

1) Freeze your cake layers before you start decorating.
2) Split the layers with a serrated knife, and while you’re at it, cut off the domed top of the layer.
3) If you’re planning on decorating a lot of cakes, invest in a turntable. They’re not very expensive and make the process easier.
4) Secure your bottom layer to a surface (a small cake can be transferred from the decorating surface with a spatula, but for a larger cake you might want to build it on a cardboard round), then spread filling on each layer and stack, checking to make sure it remains level.
5) Don’t skimp on the frosting. There’s no sense in making a delicious cake and using frosting from a can. You can tell. Powdered sugar will do in a pinch, but the best buttercreams are sugar syrup based (and this particular buttercream, which is made with whipped caramel, might be the best thing you’ve ever tasted)
5) Start with a thin layer of frosting on the outside of your cake (called a crumb coat), chill, then add additional frosting.
6) If the cake is primarily for looks, have a thick layer of frosting — it will hide more imperfections. If you’re willing to embrace some imperfections, aim for a thinner coat of frosting so the sweetness doesn’t overpower the cake.

Almond Banana Cake with Salted Butter Caramel Frosting and Chocolate Icing

Cake and Frosting from The Wedding Cake Book by Dede Wilson, Icing from thepioneerwoman.com

For the cake
3/4 c. banana puree (2 sm bananas)
1/4 c. buttermilk
1 c. + 2 T flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 oz butter
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 egg
1 oz. almond flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add extracts and egg and beat until thoroughly combined. Combine buttermilk and banana in one bowl and dry ingredients in another, and add them in alternate batches to the butter sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until a cake tester shows its done.

Salted Butter Caramel Buttercream (8 cups)
Ordinarily, buttercream frosting is the one time I would tell you to use unsalted butter, but with this caramel flavor, salted butter adds the perfect note of salt.
4 c. heavy cream
4 c. sugar
2 c. water
1 lb salted butter

Combine sugar and water, heat until amber, following directions for caramel in the hazelnut praline paste recipe. Immediately add the cream. Cool 10 minutes, put in mixer bowl and cool until firm (but not ice cold). Whip with an electric mixer with balloon whisk attachment until the caramel is fluffy, add butter 2 T at a time and whip until butter is incorporated. Use before chilling.

For the icing:
7 T butter
2 heaping T cocoa powder
3 T milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
8 oz. powdered sugar

In a small saucepan, melt the butter, add the cocoa powder. Allow to bubble for 30 seconds, turn off the heat, then add the milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir until combined, let cool slightly, and pour over frosted and chilled cake.

Sweet Potato Layer Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
Cake
2 pounds tan-skinned sweet potatoes (about 3 medium)
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
4 large eggs
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Frosting
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
31/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sliced candied orange peel
3 tablespoons sugar

For cake:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce potatoes with fork; place on small baking sheet. Roast potatoes until soft, about 1 hour. Cool, peel, and mash potatoes. Measure 2 cups mashed potatoes; cool to lukewarm (reserve any remaining potatoes for another use). Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; line pans with parchment. Sift flour and next 6 ingredients into medium bowl. Combine oil, 1 cup sugar, and brown sugar in large bowl; whisk until smooth. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time, then mashed sweet potatoes. Whisk in flour mixture in 3 additions. Stir in 2/3 cup walnuts and 2/3 cup cranberries. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes completely in pans on racks.

For frosting:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar, scraping down bowl often. Beat in orange juice concentrate and vanilla.

Cut around pan sides; turn out cakes. Peel off parchment. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Combine orange peel, 3 tablespoons sugar, remaining 1/4 cup walnuts, and 1/4 cup cranberries in small bowl. Stir to coat with sugar. Transfer to sieve; sift off excess sugar. Sprinkle fruit and nut mixture decoratively atop cake. Chill until frosting sets, at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

Finally, they rave about this one; but I just don't know. . .
Oh, one more thing. Holla!

Buttercream & Creamcheese Frostings

They can't all be South Beach. . . .

Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
3 drops food coloring, or as needed (optional)

1. Cream room temperature butter with a hand mixer, the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, or a wooden spoon until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract.
2. Pour in milk and beat for an additional 3-4 minutes. Add food coloring, if using, and beat for thirty seconds until smooth or until desired color is reached.

Tips:
This probably needs to be doubled up for most cupcake batches.
2/3 c cocoa will make it chocolate.
Use "clear" flavorings for WHITE icing (regular vanilla will tint it a bit).
Dries well for sugar cookies.
Refrigerate for an hour before using to thicken enough for piping.

Cream Cheese Frosting
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

Tips:
Optional tweaks - 1 - 8 oz. cream cheese, 1/4 c. butter, and 2 c. powdered sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla.
Add one more cup of sugar if you like a sweeter frosting; this one is very cream cheesy and not that sweet.
Might want to halve the recipe for smaller cakes (this frosts two 9" cakes).
Not stiff enough for any super fancy decorating schemes.

The Oscars

Long ago, in a land far away, some of my lovely lady friends and I started a tradition of snacks, snark, and the Academy Awards. It fell by the wayside, but I brought it back, even though the ladies that started it all were unable to attend.
Next year, I will record the event a bit more carefully so we don't miss Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Motion Picture. * sigh *
One of our traditions is a Best Picture nominee themed cocktail (The Million Dollar Baby, The Blood Diamond, etc.). This year, I went a little further and themed some of the food as well.
We had Slumdog Sangria (which I have decided will be the Apple Blossom the rest of the time), Benjamin Buttoncakes, and Oroville Readerbacher Popcorn Mix. Lots of other food too, yes, but these were the only themey ones worth mentioning in this here blog.

Slumdog Sangria/Apple Blossom
A take on the classic beverage which I'll make for any situation if given half a chance. It was cold and stormy and sort of fall-esque, so I was craving apples. I found this recipe on Design*Sponge and it was love at first site.
2 Pink Lady apples - I slice them super thin so that I get those beautiful center segments with the little star/flower in the middle; then I sliced the rest into thin strips that were maybe half an inch wide, keeping the pretty ones for garnish.
1/2 cup Calvados
2 bottles Pinot Grigio
1 bottle sparkling apple cider

I soaked the apples in the Calvados in the fridge for about an hour, then put them in a pitcher with two bottles of Barefoot Pinot Grigio and then let that sit for another hour or two. I considered adding apple juice, or apple cider, but worried about muddying the flavor or making it too sweet.
I placed one of the pretty slices in a glass, poured in the sangria leaving about an inch and a half of room at the top, then adding in some sparkling cider.
It was tasty and went down way too easily, as sangria tends to do.

Benjamin Buttoncakes
Okay, these were a total cheat based on what I had on hand, and again, my apple craving. I totally Sandra Lee'd some spice cake mix by adding apples, and frosting with cream cheese frosting. But then I shook a bunch of round sprinkles out of the container, and matched up four of each color to decorate the tops of the cupcakes to look like buttons.

Oroville Readerbacher Popcorn Mix
Again, based on what I had on hand, which unfortunately did not include Worcestershire sauce, which the recipe called for. I made do with soy and balsamic.
I popped my own popcorn, maybe 1/2 cup of kernels. I combined the popcorn with small pretzels in a baggie and added the flavoring. Because I was using more, I upped the amounts a bit.
5 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp garlic garni
1 tsp onion powder
soy sauce - maybe 2 or 3 tsps?
balsamic - maybe 1 or 2 tsps?

I poured it over the popcorn and pretzels and shook the living daylights out of it. Then I spread it out on a cookie sheet and baked it at 350 for 10 minutes or so.

Pumpkin Spice cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Okay, I'm only feeling confident to post this because I know no one reads this blog so there will be no mass stealing of secrets. The adoration of my cupcake fans is very important to me, so I want to be sure to hog all accolades for these delicious treats.
Who knows if I ever make them the same way twice, since I've only made them twice, but they've been tasty both times. I see someone else had the same idea, and given the struggle I had finding a box of spice cake mix this time around, I may have to pilfer this recipe in its entirety in the future.
I however, Sandra Lee'd the hell out of this so my version requires even less work. I was raised baking things out of boxes, so it's really the only way I know how, and the only stuff I really appreciate. Sad, right? NO, delicious.
1 box spice cake mix
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1/4 c veg oil
1 can of cream cheese frosting
ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 and prep whichever pan you're using.
Dump the cake mix into a bowl, and mix in the eggs and oil, then add the can of pumpkin until mixed through.
Pour into the greased (or papered) vehicle of your choosing and pop in the oven. For cupcakes, I typically put them in for 8 minutes, and then start peeking and poking at them every few minutes after that until they're done. I wish I could tell you cooking times for other sizes, but it would only be a guess, so you're sort of on your own.
Let them cool in the pan for a bit, then put on a rack and let sit til completely cool.
In the meantime, put the frosting in a bowl and add cinnamon to taste. I must use at least 2 tbsp, tasting along the way until it's delectable.
Frost the cupcakes, then dust with a little more cinnamon. Bask in your accolades momentarily and then be sure to give me all the credit.