cupcakes

Today started off by going downtown.  I received a call from a "headhunter" wanting to sit down and talk about jobs.  I went to the meeting, figuring it would be bullshit, and it was.  After listening to his spew about him empowering women, (blah, blah, blah...  You'll empower my foot up your ass...) it turned to me paying them to find me a job.  Yeah.... no thanks. So that's the only development on the career front so far.

So I went to the store today and got all my supplies for baking.  We are helping host a wedding shower this weekend, and we are in charge of dessert.  So I made margarita cupcakes today to test drive them.  They were delicious.  Ainsley baked with me for a while as she rode in her Bjorn carrier.  Then she got fussy and laid in her bouncy chair for a few minutes while I finished up the frosting. 

These aren't cupcakes for kiddos btw...

And remember, the booze you cook with should be good enough to drink.  If anyone ever tells you to use cheap stuff to cook with, that don't know what they're talking about.

Margarita Cupcakes with Lime and Tequila Cream Cheese frosting

Adapted from Homemade by Holman

Cupcakes:1 box white cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)

7 1/2 ounces margarita mix
2 ounces tequila
1/2 ounce orange juice
3 large egg whites
2 T vegetable oil
Zest of 1 lime

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffin tins with paper liners or spray with baking spray. Mix together margarita mix, tequila and orange juice in a large measuring cup. Add cake mix to mixing bowl and add egg whites, oil, lime zest and tequila mix. Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds until dry ingredients are incorporated and then beat on medium high speed for 2 minutes. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups, filling about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool about 5 minutes in the pan and then cool completely on wire racks. Brush additional tequila over cupcakes while warm.

Icing:8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 T lime juice
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp lime zest
3-4 drops green food coloring
Tequila

Beat cream cheese and butter on medium high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 2 T lime juice and lime zest and beat until combined. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed until incorporated. Add Tequila to taste. Add food coloring a couple drops at a time and beat on medium high speed until desired color is reached and icing is smooth. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes as desired.

I wish I got a picture of A cooking with me!

After I got the cupcake mess all cleaned up, I started dinner.  I just used the rest of the chicken we had left over from the other night.  It's a store bought rotersseri.  Put a little olive oil and stirred in onion and green pepper with some salsa.  Added drained can of black beans and the chicken with a little more salsa.  It made the best tacos.  I'll have to remember that one again...