Citrus Cocktail Cupcakes

I haven't posted in a while. What's that? You hadn't noticed? No worries. I'll make it up to you. Let's have a cocktail and a cupcake. All in one.

The first cocktail that comes to mind when I think about Hawaii is a mai tai. Even though it wasn't actually created here, there's probably not a single bar that doesn't serve them. But if you search the internet for mai tai cupcakes, you'll only find one recipe. It's delicious, but it doesn't taste like a mai tai. I was suspicious immediately, as it didn't contain anything pineapple. So, it's back to the drawing board for the mai tai cupcake, but that didn't stop me from eating about eight of these.

This cupcake is citrusy and boozy all at once. It stays moist for days. There's an orange and almond custard surprise on the inside that all my tasters loved. You can't stop eating them. They're perfect for a girls night or a Tuesday night. Just eat them. Then have a mai tai. You won't regret it.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Pie

If you say you're too old for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I will laugh in your face. It's got to be one of the best foods ever created. Can you believe my husband had never eaten a PB&J until we moved in together? How do you survive for 27 years without PB&J? Of course, he was an immediate fan, even though he wouldn't admit it to any of his friends back home in England. Still, that's what we had for lunch almost every day from that point forward while living in Taiwan.

So, weeks and weeks ago, when I noticed it was nearly pi day, I decided that my next baking project should be a pie. In my weird systematic fashion, I began searching for a pie recipe to try. I'm sure you can guess that life got busy and I didn't get around to making it on or before March 14th, and clearly, I'm just getting around to posting about it now. Yeah, I know, I'm not a real blogger. Whatever. This is real life.

Here's the thing. It absolutely doesn't matter what day of the year it is, this pie is amazeballs. Make sure you cut small slices (ahem... husband...) or else it might kill you. It's a fat cruise to rich city, but it is oh so yummy.

It starts off with a cinnamony graham cracker-tasting pie crust. My husband hates cinnamon and thought it was a bit too strong of a flavor, but he's probably some sort of commie. The peanut butter filling is silky and makes your eyes roll back in your head. And the jelly on top is a punch of sweetness and makes the whole pie look like a jewel.

Unless you've got some sort of tragic peanut allergy, you'd be stupid not to try this pie. It's ridiculously delicious. Invite friends over to help you eat it. You'll want to eat it all, but you will get a stomachache. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Caramel Cheesecake

I first made this cheesecake for my husband's birthday. Caramel and cheesecake are pretty much his two favorite words in the food world. How could I refuse this special request? He dug into it before I could get home from work and immediately declared it the best cheesecake he'd ever eaten. I consider this high praise, indeed.

I made it again for someone's Thanksgiving dinner. She later reported that her guests absolutely loved it.

Trust me, you're going to want to eat this. It's rich and creamy and simply dripping with salted caramel, then wreathed in crushed Heath bar to add a bit of delicious crunch.

Don't wait. Get this cheesecake now. Let me make one for you. It's amazing!

German Chocolate Cake

It was my friend's birthday recently, so naturally, I asked her what kind of cake she wanted. When she responded with German chocolate, I knew I was in for a challenge. I'd never made one before, mostly because I don't like coconut or pecans. When there's German chocolate cake around, I usually pass. But we were making someone else's wishes come true, so here it is!

There are four layers of rich chocolate cake inside. (Unfortunately, it was night when our friend came over to get the cake, so I didn't get any pictures of the inside.) Between each layer is some of that ooey gooey coconut/pecan custard that got slathered on after I doused the cake in some rum-infused syrup. And the entire outside of the cake is covered with dark chocolate ganache frosting. It's pure indulgence. Just the thing to celebrate a birthday.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

In case you haven't noticed from my constant bragging, I live in Honolulu. It is one of the most beautiful cities on earth. And you can't get far in this town without running into a macadamia nut. They even have their own aisle at Walmart. They come in just about every flavor, both sweet and savory. These soft buttery nuts are one of the few varieties I'll tolerate.

It was an atypical grey and rainy day in paradise, so I decided to make cookies, and why not give them a little tropical flair? White chocolate macadamia nut cookies are buttery, crunchy, and have a burst of creamy sweetness from the white chocolate chips. Even if you can't make it to the beach, these are a little taste of paradise.

This was the last recipe I had to make with muscle rather than machinery. The day after these came out of the oven, the most beautiful thing arrived at my door.

You may recall, I broke my pitiful little hand mixer trying to make ice cream without an ice cream maker. Since then, I've been making things the old fashioned way. I am a strong proponent of the idea that you can still make delicious desserts without special equipment, but I'm also a strong proponent of laziness. I pinched pennies for weeks and weeks to earn this boysenberry baby. I can't wait to give it a whirl.

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White Chocolate Raspberry Blondies

I have a dirty little secret. It's bad. Embarrassing. I don't like fruit. At all. Except for the occasional apple, I never eat fruit. I like the flavors of fruit. I love juice, but I just can't eat fruit. Something about the fibrous pulp that's left behind in my mouth after all of the gorgeous juice is squeezed out just grosses me out. I'm a picky eater. It's a curse.

But raspberries are beautiful, and other people love them. I never said I don't like cooking with fruit, I just don't like eating it. I had the raspberries, and they had to be used, so I made you some white chocolate raspberry blondies. And you loved them. Or at least, my husband and all his co-workers did.

It starts out with a gorgeous white chocolate blondie, but then it's studded with white chocolate chips and gorgeous jewel bright fresh raspberries. If you like fruit, you'll love these. There's a burst of tartness from the raspberries that just makes them come alive.

Cheater's Chocolate Mousse

For Valentine's day, my husband and I decided to forego the crowded restaurants and instead we got takeout and had a picnic on the beach. I had to work that day, so I didn't have time to make a meal, but I did have time to whip up the simple chocolate mousse my husband had been requesting. Nothing says love like chocolate.

I also happened to have some graham cracker crumbs lying around due to the fact that digestive biscuits apparently weigh a lot more graham crackers. Do not try to substitute them one for one. Trust me! But you can use those extra crumbs to add some interest and texture to your chocolate mousse. I layered in the crumbs as I put the mousse into the glass. Simple and delicious.

I called this cheater's chocolate mousse because I used a package of plain gelatin to thicken it. It's really foolproof. And if you have an electric mixer, it comes together in no time. If not, your family and friends will know you really love them after you spent ten minutes frantically whisking. Use the best chocolate you can afford. Even if that's only store brand chocolate chips, don't worry. It will still taste amazing.

We loved watching the sunset over the Pacific and stuffing our faces with some of our favorite foods. I put the mousse in a pretty glass for you, but you know I piled a whole mess of it into a plastic container and threw two spoons in our cooler backpack to take to the beach. It's more romantic if you share.

Cheater's Chocolate Mousse
Recipe from 1001 Fast Easy Recipes


1 packet unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or chips
1 tsp vanilla
1 pint heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks

• In a medium saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over the 1/4 cup water. Leave it alone for 2 minutes to let the gelatin absorb.
• Add the corn syrup and cook over low heat for five minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate and vanilla. Keep stirring until the chocolate is melted and everything is smooth.
• Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the whipped cream in two batches. A few streaks are okay. 
• Spoon it in to whatever you want to serve it in. Fancy crystal or a bucket. It doesn't matter. You can also layer in some graham cracker or cookie crumbs or other fun stuff at this point.
• Refrigerate for two hours, then try not to eat it all.