Red Velvet Cupcakes with Creme de Cacao Frosting

When my husband and I were married, the top layer of our wedding cake was red velvet with a vanilla buttercream.  As per tradition, we saved the top layer of our cake to share on our first anniversary.  For twelve months, that cake has been taking up valuable real estate in our freezer.  I admit that on several occasions of frenzied kitchen-purging-fever, I was tempted to dispose of our wedding cake in order to free up room in the freezer.  But I resisted, knowing how disappointed my husband would be to learn that I had thrown out our wedding cake.  That would have been pretty heartless.   

On Sunday, one year after we were married, we finally defrosted our cake.  We invited my husband's family over for dinner and needed to have a dessert on hand.  They were coming to celebrate our anniversary as well as his birthday, which just so happen to be the same day.  I had been worried that the cake would taste terrible, given that it had been in the freezer for so very long. Surely it would be stale, or bland, or freezer-burned.  Surely, no one would want to eat year-old cake, right?

Pina Colada Macaroons

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been baking lots of wedding-related desserts this week.  My husband and I will celebrate our first anniversary over the weekend, and I thought it would be fun to relive our wedding and honeymoon through desserts.  Monday's post featured a Skinny Shirley Temple Float, and today's dessert is a Pina Colada Macaroon.

My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Key West and greatly enjoyed our time there.  The Florida Keys feel so tropical that it was almost hard to believe we hadn't left the United States.  The culture was so relaxed and the pace was much more leisurely than the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  Whenever life feels particularly busy or stressful, I find myself yearning to return to Key West.

While on our honeymoon, we were certain to sample plenty of Key Lime Pie, of course.  In addition, I was served one of the best Pina Coladas that I've ever had.  It was sweet, tart, and refreshing, with a shake-like consistency and a beautiful garnish.  These Pina Colada macaroons transport me back to our brief time in Key West.  Even better -- the alcohol is so minimal that you don't have to wait until 5:00 to enjoy them!

Skinny Shirley Temple Float

Next Sunday, my husband and I will celebrate our first anniversary.  As cliche as it sounds, I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by.  It feels like just yesterday that I was thinking about invitation designs, dress fittings, and seating arrangements.  And yet, I also feel like we've gone through quite a bit of change in a short amount of time.  We've adapted to living with one another.  My husband started a new job.  I acquired a new last name.  And just recently, we inherited/adopted a pet.  

To celebrate our upcoming anniversary, I decided to make a number of desserts related to our wedding and/or honeymoon.  The first is this Skinny Shirley Temple Float.  My husband has fond childhood memories of Shirley Temples.  Apparently, he once drank sixteen (yes, sixteen!) of them at a friend's birthday party.  The man can clearly appreciate a good Shirley Temple, folks.  He likes them so much that, at our wedding reception, we served Shirley Temples as our signature beverage, alongside the alcoholic options.    

Fudgy Beet Brownies

Recently, I've been commuting to work via train.  This extends my commute by about 30-40 minutes round trip, but honestly, I don't mind.  Taking the train is so much more peaceful and relaxing than driving.  And even though the trip is longer, I'm able to use the time more productively.  For instance...

Chinese Moon Festival (Jasmine Lychee Sorbet)

Today is the Chinese Moon Festival, one of my favorite days of the year.  The Moon Festival -- or Mid-Autumn Festival, as some call it -- celebrates the autumn harvest and is typically observed when the moon is the fullest.  


I'm Chinese on my mother's side, and I always look forward to the traditions surrounding this holiday.  Mostly, I love savoring tiny slivers of mooncake -- a dense pastry filled with a sweet filling (I prefer red bean or lotus paste) and a salted dried egg yolk.  The dark filling represents the night sky, and the egg yolk represents the moon.  The salty-sweet flavor of mooncake is definitely an acquired taste, and one that I've come to love.   

German Chocolate Macaroons

Hi friends!   As you may have noticed, this blog got a bit of a facelift over the weekend. The most exciting change is the spiffy new header. Isn’t it lovely?   The header was designed by WinchesterLambourne, whose clipart also appears elsewhere on this blog.   Working with her was an absolute pleasure, and I am thrilled with the end result.   I would highly recommend her work to anyone.

The sidebar got a little makeover as well, and I’ve also added new social media buttons -- including a “pin it” button embedded in each post.  I'm still working on adding/improving a few gadgets, but I hope to have everything worked out by the end of the week.  Thanks for your patience!

Now, onto the desserts!   Last week, when I posted these Homemade Graham Crackers with Maple-Walnut Glaze, I promised to share more desserts featuring black walnut extract. When I bought this extract from the Savory Spice Shop, I wanted to be certain that I would find multiple ways to use it.   One of the easiest uses may be these German Chocolate Macaroons. 

Peach Bellini Cupcakes

I remember when my bellini obsession began.  I was in middle school and my family was eating dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.  I always loved eating at the Cheesecake Factory because of the extensive dessert selection.  An entire restaurant whose premise was to serve inventive cheesecakes?  How could I not love that?

Anyway, after selecting my entree (fettucine alfredo, most likely) I flipped to the drink menu, just out of curiosity.  There were lots of drinks that sounded terrible to me.  I was 13, after all.  But then, something caught my eye: a peach bellini, with sparkling wine and peaches blended together.  It sounded like dessert in liquid form.  Suddenly, I wasn't very interested in cheesecake any longer.  Instead, I was wishing I were 21 so I could try a bellini for myself.

Homemade Graham Crackers with Maple-Walnut Glaze

I love graham crackers, but I rarely think to buy them when I'm grocery shopping.  It turns out that they're quite easy to make for yourself, so long as you have graham flour on hand (I've also seen recipes using wheat germ).  To make my homemade graham crackers more appropriate for fall, I topped them with a simple maple-walnut glaze and a sprinkle of chopped walnuts.  The end result tasted like a cross between a graham cracker and a maple donut.  Who could resist that?  

Cherry Cola Cupcakes with Maraschino Buttercream

 Aren't maraschino cherries fun?  Something about their bright red color and long stems just leaves me feeling nostalgic.  But how does one use a maraschino cherry, other than in a Shirley Temple or an ice cream sundae?  And after you've eaten all the cherries, what does one do with all the leftover sticky cherry syrup?  

Care to try a cherry cola cupcake with maraschino buttercream?  

Chocolate-Drizzled Almond Biscotti

When I was in elementary school, I relished going to Starbucks with my dad.  It was the mid 1990s, and Starbucks hadn't yet taken off in the area where we lived.  The nearest shop was at least an hour round trip from our house.  But I didn't mind the long drive; I just loved the father-daughter time.  And, to be completely honest, I knew that if I came along for the ride, there would be a chocolate-covered biscotti and kid-sized hot chocolate with my name on it.   Both the time with my dad and the chocolate-y treats made the entire experience feel like a special occasion.

Buttermilk Balsamic Ice Cream with Brandied Figs

My husband and I have entirely different preferences when it comes to ice cream.  He appreciates the tried-and-true favorites like vanilla and chocolate.  On the other hand, I gravitate towards flavor combinations that are a bit more unique, such as this buttermilk balsamic ice cream