Baileys Buddies

Baking is my drug of choice. Of course, it's even better when it's spiked with something. How about the Baileys that's been in the fridge? No doubt, it'll be a great way to wind down a brutal day of analytical labbing and mamphys cramming. I present to you the perfect remedy for any ailment. This is the day when betty meets baileys, and ta da! We get Bailey Buddies.

The recipe is simple. Pick up a Betty Crocker white cake mix, and let the baking begin. For the most part, follow the instruction on the back of the box, which calls for 1 1/4 c. water, 1/3 c. vegetable oil, 3 egg whites. The only that I changed was the water. Instead of measuring the full amount, I measured out approximately 1 cup then added 2 tbs. Baileys Irish cream and filled to 1 1/4 mark on the measuring cup. The rest is described in detail on the box.

For the chocolate frosting on top, you will need 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, 3 tbs butter, 2 1/2 c. of powdered sugar, 4-9 tbs total of both Baileys and milk. The relative amounts of the two will determine how alcoholic the frosting tastes. In these cupcakes I added approximately 2 tbs Baileys. (In my humble opinion, I believe more could be used. -lai) First, melt and mix the chocolate and the butter until a creamy, smooth texture and let it cool for approximately 5 minutes. After which, you mix in the powdered sugar into the chocolate mixture with an electric beater on medium speed. The chocolate and the powdered milk won't be fully incorporated into each other, so it will look chunky. At this point, you add milk/Baileys while beating on medium speed until the frosting is fluffy and lumpless. Now you are ready to decorate the cupcakes!

Above: Wrestling match between the spoon and the electric hand-held mixer. This is better than a jello fight. But, who is going to win?

L'amie Limon

3 lemons are used. I couldn't have made it without my roommates, Lai and Tina. Lai assumed (or perhaps was forced into) the position of bottle opener and lemon zester while Tina acted the part of recipe reciter and raspberry washer. With all three of us, the cupcakes were completed in no time.

We followed the recipe closely, but the cupcakes did not rise as much as anticipated. My suggestion would be to add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in addition to the baking powder to get them to rise more.

For the recipe, check out this site:

http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2009/08/30/lemon-limoncello-cupcakes/

P.S. I forgot one roommate. Nancy did not partake in the making, but was designated taste tester and helped in the consumption.

POM Pals

Just as many metabolic processes are often coupled with the hydrolysis of ATP, my workload relates to my inclination to bake in the same way. I want you to meet POM Pals - the kind that just might give you a heart attack. I made them while studying for my psyc midterm. UPDATE: Got an A in psyc, thanks to these babies.

For the cake,

1 box french vanilla cake mix

1 pomegranate

3 eggs, room temperature

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

For the frosting,

1/2 stick butter, room temperature

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup powder sugar

1 ts. vanilla extract

2-3 drops red food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Juice 3/4 of the pomegranate seed, reserving some for garnish.
3. Mix the batter according to the instruction from the cake mix for 2/3 of the mix. For the remaining 1/3, add pomegranate juice instead of water. A couple drops of red food coloring can be added to enhance the color. Pour the french vanilla batter into 2 12-cupcake pan to about 1/2 full. Then, add a spoon of pomegranate batter on top. To distribute, cut the batter with the back of the spoon using a zig zag motion.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350F. After baking, cool cupcakes for 30 minutes or so.
5. While cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting by whipping cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and food coloring with an electric mixer until fluffy and light (approximately 2-3 minute on med speed). Then, add the powder sugar 1/4 cup at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition.
6. Top cupcake with the frosting, and garnish with the reserve of pomegranate seed from before.