Come Join Our Party, See How We Play

1969. The year when peace, love and music ruled at Woodstock. The year when Charles Manson would gain infamy. The year when the NY Mets won their first World Series, “Midnight Cowboy” ruled at the box office, The Beatles’ “Come Together” rocked the charts, Sesame Street debuted on TV and Penthouse on the newsstands, the Concorde took its first flight and another Kennedy in the news: this time, young Teddy who drove his car off a bridge in Chappaquiddick.

1969. The year when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin captured the attention of millions of TV viewers the world over as they walked on the moon. “That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." It was also the year that yours came truly came into the world.



My mother’s due date was in fact 20 July 1969. I was to be born the day the lunar landing module touched down on the moon’s surface. Thankfully I had hunkered down in the uterus and came out 3 days late...barely escaping a fate that would have had me going by the name of “Luna.” No kidding. It’s the name my mom had picked out. Over the years, I have imagined hundreds of times my walk through the school hallways to the shouts of “Hey, here comes looney Luna!” You know how cruel kids can be.

Thankfully, in the days between the moon walk and my actual delivery, my mother happened to watch a film that starred Catherine Deneuve, and in seeing this beautiful actress grace the screen, she decided that would be a fitting first name. Or at least that’s the story as I have heard it.



What have I learned from this story? That try as you might, life will not always go as planned and you need to be flexible and take it all with a grain of salt. That if you are open to it, inspiration will come from the unlikeliest places. And that “One and one and one is three. Got to be good-looking ‘cause he’s so hard to see.”



I’ve also learned a few other things in the 40 years I have lived and loved and dreamed and done on this planet. And in honor of my 40th birthday, I thought I would share them with you, accompanied by some cupcakes I created specially for the occasion: Snickers Cupcakes – Peanut Butter Cupcakes with a Salted Caramel Center, Caramel/Milk Chocolate Ganache and Chopped Peanuts, & Lavender Loves Lemon Celebration Cupcakes for the IC:E July challenge, Herbs(recipe below). These are Lemon Verbena Poppyseed Cupcakes with a Lavender Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting. And they are delicious! Light, creamy and lemony sweet with a fragrant lavender under-current.



40 Things I Have Learned in My 40 Trips Around the Sun, and Then Some…

1. Childbirth hurts…a lot! Though thankfully the body has a wonderful capacity for forgetting pain. Once they put that bundle of joy down on your chest for the very first time, you’ll be ready to do it all over again.

2. It does get easier the second time around.

3. You can never change a man.

4. Use sunscreen liberally and get that suspicious freckle checked out. It could save your life; it saved mine.

5. Fresh marker can be easily removed from a fabric couch with plain old milk dabbed on the stain with a washcloth.

6. Time really does heal all wounds.

7. Keep xeroxed copies of your (and your family members’) birth certificate, driver’s license, social security card, etc. somewhere safe; it will come in handy one day.

8. If you are renting a property in a remote corner of Italy and you have cat allergies, always make sure to ask if a cat has been living inside the house before reserving and traveling all the way to said location.

9. Nothing brings a smile to someone’s face faster than the gift of cupcakes!



10. It’s true that you can’t pick your family but you can choose your friends. The true ones will be at your side through thick and thin, and when you need them the most. Ditch the others and fast!

11. If a guy can’t be bothered to return your phone calls within a reasonable amount of time, thank you for something nice you’ve done or regularly breaks/”forgets” dates to hang out with his friends, play video games, etc., he’s giving you a hint. Move on!

12. Despite all the tears, time, anguish and nights gone without sleep stressing over your wedding planning, your wedding day will probably be just one long happy blur in the end. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

13. No matter what your age, you can reinvent yourself. If you have a passion, go for it! Realize it on a small scale if a larger scale just isn’t possible. If you apply yourself, you can be anything you dream of being.

14. 20 ounces tomato juice, 6 ounces (pepper) vodka, 2 dashes Tabasco, 1 dash Worcestershire sauce, a pinch celery salt, 2 twists fresh cracked pepper, and juice of 1 lemon. Combine all together with ice and shake. Perfect kick-ass Bloody Mary every time.

15. You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need.

16. Never wake a sleeping baby.

17. Those grates you see in the sidewalk all over Paris? The ones where the exhaust from the subway escapes? Don’t walk over those wearing a skirt unless you want to re-enact that famous Marilyn Monroe moment.

18. No matter how much you are drooling over those Manolo Blahniks, Jimmy Choos, (insert your fetish shoe brand here) that you’ve seen all the stars wear in the celebrity pages this season…the ones you have just found on sale for half price….if they don’t fit properly in the store, they never will. Do your feet (and your wallet) a favor and keep walking.

19. In the US, when you receive a negative response like “No, we can’t do that” or “I’m very sorry but it’s just not possible” it’s usually the end of a conversation. In France, it’s the opening salvo in a negotiation where it‘s more than likely you will ultimately get your way.

20. A lot of it boils down to being in the right place at the right time….and who you know. So get out there as often as you can, and schmooze!

21. The book is usually better than the movie. Though the movie better than the Broadway show.

22. When you are wrong, admit it. And learn from your mistakes! There is nothing more annoying than someone who always tries to put the blame on others, or who keeps doing the same stupid things over and over.

23. Learn how to take a compliment graciously.

24. No one will respect you unless you respect yourself. The same goes for believing in yourself.

25. You can’t cram a semester’s worth of lessons into one night of studying. No matter how much NoDoz you ingest or what your roommates may tell you.

26. 20 (hell even 5!) years after the fact, no one will really care what your major was in college. They in fact might not even care where you went to college. A study published a few years back in Fortune demonstrated the only thing that does matter is that you have a college degree, not where it came from.

27. Always remember, there is no reset button in life.

28. There’s nothing like a good night of sleep to give you a fresh perspective on a dilemma.

29. If you are going to lie, maintain eye contact. A sure give-away is looking up and to the right which indicates you are accessing the creative side of your brain.

30. Always have one great perfect dress at the ready. You never know when you may be invited to a last minute party or when that cute guy from the creative department is going to ask you out.

31. A tattoo is forever; choose your design wisely. If you are going to get inked with your significant other’s name or your favorite motto, for god’s sake, check the spelling on the outline before it’s permanently etched on your body.

32. While the occasional shopping spree may be good mental therapy, don’t live beyond your means. I’ve seen too many friends declare personal bankruptcy (some before the ripe old age of 30) to erase their debt. It’s tragic.

33. It’s never too early to teach your kids proper manners, the value of hard work, the difference between right and wrong, to be altruistic, how to practice good personal hygiene, and a love of baking.

34. Learn how to make one good dish and make it well. I happen to like this one. The same goes for a knock-out cocktail. See #14.

35. Liquor before beer, never fear. Beer before liquor, never sicker!

36. Never show up for a party empty-handed. See #9.

37. Love and be loved. Live and let live!

38. Be grateful for what you have instead of looking with envy at that which others possess. Be generous to those who are less fortunate than you -- remember, what you sow, you reap. I’ve always been a firm believer in what goes around comes around.

39. There is only so much you can blame on your parents, or your dysfunctional home life, or the manner in which you were raised, or that “trauma” that affected you as a teenager. (Like your sister stealing your 9th grade boyfriend, I’m not talking about abuse and other sick, serious crimes people commit against children here). Take responsibility for the person you are today; if you’re not happy with the way you look or a certain behavior you have, etc., stop sniveling, get off the couch and change it! TODAY! You are the master of your own destiny.

40. Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow, don’t stop, it’ll soon be here. It’ll be better than before. Yesterday’s gone. Yesterday’s gone.

41. If you have the chance to participate in a study abroad program while in college, do it! If you hate it, you’ll be home when the semester is over but at least you have given yourself the chance to see the world, experience a new culture, learn new customs and flirt in a foreign language!

42. When making baked goods, always use the best quality ingredients you can afford. You really can taste the difference.

43. Strive to learn one new thing every day. Okay, at least once a week if you are lazy like me.



44. Know how to throw a party: invite all your close friends and cool people you want to know better, buy several bottles of bubbly, bake up some cupcakes (or have someone bake them for you!), slip into something sexy and fun, break out your favorite I-pod Playlist and party all night long!



I'm still working on the "learn to age gracefully" bit. My brain is having a hard time processing the fact that I am actually 40 years old today. In my heart and mind, I am still that wild, free-spirited 25 year-old I used to know. Though I guess it is all relative; as my mother-in-law told me yesterday, "Wait until you are 50, 60 or 65 years-old! I would do anything to be 40 again!"


Lavender Loves Lemon Celebration Cupcakes
Makes about 1 Dozen

4 ozs. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup hot water
1 teabag verbena
2 tsps. poppy seeds

1. Place verbena in the 1/4 cup hot water and allow to steep while you prepare the batter.
2. Cream sugar and butter until light and moussey. Add egg and mix.
3. Add baking soda, salt and vanilla and mix again.
4. Add 1/3 flour and mix. Add 1/2 buttermilk and mix. Alternate adding flour and buttermilk and mixing after each, ending on a flour addition.
5. Discard teabag, add verbena infused water and mix.
6. Mix in lemon zest, juice and poppy seeds.
7. Fill cupcake liners 2/3rds full and place in a 350 degree oven for about 18 minutes. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven and let cupcakes cool on a grill.

Lavender Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 stick butter
1 8oz package of cream cheese
1/2 vanilla bean
2-3 cups confectioner's sugar
3-4 drops of purple food coloring
1 tbsp. lavender flowers
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Heat cream over medium heat, add lavender and allow to sit undisturbed for a few minutes while flowers steep. Remove from heat and let cool 30 minutes, strain cream, discard flowers, set aside.
2. Combine softened butter and cream cheese and mix well.
3. Add about half of the confectioner's sugar and lavender-infused cream to the butter/cream cheese mixture and beat to combine.
4. Using the point of a sharp knife, remove vanilla beans from pod and mix in well.
5. Add remaining confectioner's sugar in stages until desired consistency and sweetness is achieved.
6. Add purple food coloring (I like Wilton's gel) and mix until consistent color is reached.

Last but not least, I am competing for the June ETSY PRIZE-PACK:

* A sweet cupcake ID bracelet by INSANEJELLYFISH
* A delicious treat from CIRCLEMONKEY
* a sweet surprise from Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Cupcakery
* PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, JESSIE STEELE APRONS, TASTE OF HOME books, and a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers.

You're Out of Touch, I'm Out of Time

I have had this little Hall & Oates ditty circling 'round my brain for the past week as on several occasions I've realized just how far removed I am from my former life and native country. I've always considered myself to be a pretty savvy girl, so you can imagine my surprise when I found out waaaaaay after the fact that Jay Leno had taped his final Tonight Show. When did this happen? And why wasn't I told? And this wasn't the only incident!

I've been looking for an apartment to rent in my old neighborhood for a trip later this year, and wouldn't you know when I asked the owner of one potential place if she was down the street from x restaurant...you know the one...where all the celebs on Page 6 (the NY Post still exists doesn't it?) are photographed, there was just radio silence on the other end. Followed by a "Oh, I think I know which one you mean. Yeah, they closed a loooong time ago. There's a Starbuck's there now."

So, no, I don't know why everyone is gaga over Lady Gaga. Or who this Jon and Kate really are (except I gather they have lots of kids and he has some commitment issues!). I don't know who won American Idol or Dancing with the Stars, and has Izzie (whoever that is) been killed off of Grey's Anatomy yet?



It's tough being an expat sometimes and being so far from where I came from. It's like living in a time warp or a parallel universe where the place I started at still exists but for me it's the NY/America of 2003 while for everyone else, time has moved on and life has continued.

This is a roundabout way to get to the cupcakes today but just wanted to get that off my chest. It's had me kind of down lately and guess I'm feeling a little "out of touch." Thankfully, I have expat friends here who can totally relate to the America of long, long ago that we all come from! Many of our conversations include the "Did you ever watch/see/go to/eat etc.?" and there will inevitably be lots of "Yes, I love those!" in response. One of these recent conversations centered on a good old American favorite - the Reese's Peanut Butter cup - which I gather is one of our most coveted and missed snack foods here (though being the savvy girl I am, know that these can be found at Monoprix from time to time on Ave des Ternes - pass it on!).



An expat friend (though she is Franco-American, so only half of her qualifies) invited us to a BBQ this weekend to which I offered to bring cupcakes. I know she loves peanut butter - in fact, security check took 2 jars off her mom at the airport recently cause apparently it's not allowed in your check-on - and was in on the Peanut Butter cup conversation. I headed to my "go to" site for recipes to find something suitable. The following comes from Chockylit who I wish with all my heart would come back to cupcake blogging. She truly knows how to work a cupcake! Maybe in a parallel universe she is hard at work, happy and blogging away, and one of these days, "out of touch" me will finally discover this!

This is the cupcake version of a Reese's Peanut Butter cup and is one of the most delicious cupcakes you will ever taste. It takes some time to bake, make and assemble but I guarantee it is worth the effort. Creamy peanut butter filling, rich chocolate ganache and a light, airy chocolate cake which balances it all out. I'm reposting the recipe but gotta give Chockylit 2 whisks up for this excellent recipe!

Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven



5.4 ounces dark chocolate or 3/4 of a 200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cocao
22 tablespoons butter
1-3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
4-1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

1. Melt chocolate and butter over a water bath.
2. Add sugar and stir, let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
3. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
4. Add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each
5. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended.
6. Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Peanut Butter Filling
(note and update via Chockylit)

4 ounces or 1/2 package of Philly cream cheese
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

1. Beat cream cheese and peanut butter until combined.
2. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until combined.
3. Add the milk and beat until combined.



Note: This makes a pretty stiff mixture, like the center of a peanut butter cup. If you want something pipe-able, you could add more milk. I wanted to retain the strong peanut butter flavor, so I kept the milk to a minimum.

Update: I think that the filling was too thick. As I was eating a cupcake (I managed to resist them until late last night) the peanut butter filling fell out onto the plate. It wasn't too terribly hard to stick back on the cupcake, but if I were to do these again, I would add more milk to the filling.

Chocolate Ganache

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
5 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar

1. Chop chocolates and transfer into a heat proof bowl.
2. Heat cream until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, pour cream over the chocolate.
3. Let sit for 1 minute then stir until combined.
4. Add butter and vanilla and stir until combined.
5. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixture and let cool for 10 minutes.
6. Sift powdered sugar into the mixture and beat until combined.
7. Continue to beat with an electric mixer until lighter in color and creamy.

Assembly
1. Using a small pairing knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over and cut off the cone.
2. Fill the cavity with a teaspoon or so of peanut butter filling.
3. Replace top.
4. Frost with ganache.
5. Decorate as you wish. I topped the cupcakes with fondant and peanut butter flowers.

Oh, La Vache, C'est Vraiment Bon..

..said my husband as he bit into one of the cocoa matcha cupcakes I just whipped up. I had been intrigued with this flavor combination ever since Jamieanne of The Cupcake Review took home the goods as the winner of the Iron Cupcake : Earth Chocolate with a Twist challenge back in December.

Visions of her marbelized chocolate and matcha (that's powdered green tea for all you coffee drinkers) cupcake haven been dancing in my head for quite some time and it's topped the list of "recipes I want to try" when I had a free moment. Well, that free moment came today as my in-laws unexpectedly swept in and trotted our son off to the Louvre for the afternoon. And luckily for me, Mariage Freres, the mecca of tea and all related accessories is open today...on a Sunday...in France (which is practically unheard of)!



So no sooner had my in-laws left that I dashed over to Mariage Freres to pick up some of their matcha powder.



Since it was almost 3 by the time I got in and nearing the gouter (that's snack for you Anglophones) hour, which is traditionally 4PM, I was under the gun and had less than an hour to whip up the whole shebang before my husband started groveling. I decided to forgo Jamieanne's Swiss Meringue Buttercream, although I gotta admit that hers does look lovely, but it would have taken too much time. Truth be told, I used her creation as a guide but modified my own standard cupcake batter and buttercream recipes to suit my needs.

The result : a beautifully marbled cake -- the matcha half cooked up much lighter and fluffier than usual due to the added matcha powder, combined with a luscious chocolate ganache (this was really a nice touch that perfectly complemented the green tea flavor) and topped with a creamy, delicate buttercream that dialed up the flavor just a notch. Thanks Jamieanne for inspiring this delicious afternoon treat (and I gotta tell you my husband, the French food snob, LOVED these! The "Oh la Vache" comment is really the highest form of flattery.). For those of you who may feel equally inspired, here's Jamieanne's recipe from The Cupcake Review:



Chocolate & Matcha Marbled Cupcakes
(adapted from La Tartine Gourmande)
makes 10-12 regular sized cupcakes

Ingredients
8 Tbsp butter, melted (1 stick)
3 oz dark chocolate, melted
3 eggs, large
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 + 2/3 cups flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1.5 tsp sifted unsweetened cocoa, diluted with 2 Tbsp whole milk
1.5 tsp Matcha powder

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter and set aside. Melt the chocolate using a double-boiler.

Beat the eggs with the sugar until blended. Add the melted the butter and vanill extract and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and add to the butter/egg mixture. Beat until blended, but do not overbeat.

Divide the batter in two halves. In the first half, add the Matcha tea, in the second the chocolate and cocoa diluted in milk. Stir each half until thorougly incorporated.

Spoon chocolate mixture into cupcake liners, and spoon matcha mixture on top of the chocolate. Fill liners about 1/2 - 2/3 full. You can use a toothpick or knife to gently stir the colors together for a marbled effect, or you can leave as is.

Bake in a preheated oven for 20-22 minutes. Test with a toothpick to make sure they are done.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients
3oz dark chocolate
3oz heavy whipping cream

Method
Heat the whipping cream and chocolate in a small pan over low heat unti melted. Do not boil. Remove from heat and sit aside until cooler. Dip tops of cupcakes into the ganache and sit aside to let ganache harden, or put into the refrigerator to harden it quicker!

Matcha Swiss Meringue Buttercream
(method adapte from How To Eat A Cupcake)

2.4oz egg whites
4.8oz sugar
5.3oz unsalted butter, room temperature
1.5 tablespoons matcha (use more or less to suit your taste)

Method
Put egg whites and sugar into the top of a double boiler over a pan of simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm (about 160 degrees).

Pour heated egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg white mixture on high speed until it forms stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until fluffy and cooled, about 7 minutes.

Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low, add butter two tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Increase speed to medium-high; continue beating until frosting appears thick, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; add matcha powder and continue beating 2 minutes to eliminate air bubbles.

Drunken Pear Cupcakes

(This is my second entry in the Iron Cupcake:Earth challenge for January in which the Ingredient is Wine. Please see my UltraViolette Kir Royale posting for more info on IC:E).

In Paris, most buildings are maintained by a live-in employee better known as a gardien or a concierge. The gardien is kind of like a jack-of-all-trades fulfilling a hodge podge of duties such as those normally done by a superintendent, doorman, porter, handyman, building manager, janitor, etc. It varies from building-to-building and person-to-person. We've learned the hard way that being on good relations with your gardien should be one of your highest priorities when it comes to Parisian apartment living. Thankfully, we have a charming couple from Portugal who fill the role of gardiens in our building, so it would be very difficult not to like them.

As is their tradition every Christmas, they offer us a bottle of porto from Portugal. And believe me, they know their porto as witnessed by their jovial manner and usually red faces anytime we knock on their door after-hours. They usually offer us something a little off-beat that you won't find in the corner liquor store. This year, it was a sweet, dry white porto called Ramos Pinto Lagrima. (I just love their mascot who looks a little "spiritual" if you know what I mean).



I noticed a lot of bakers in this month's competition making cupcakes with champagne (which had been my first inclination too) and red wines, so I wanted to try something a little different. Since we had the port opened and on-hand.....I had several ideas going on at once for this cupcake...poached pear, chocolate, caramel. It is a rather lengthy recipe if you are going to try it at home so I would recommend making it in steps. But the final results are so worth it! I am not usually a big pear fan but this was one of the dreamiest combinations I have ever whipped up.



I offered some to my gardiens as well and though I am pretty sure they have never seen a cupcake before, when I explained what was in them, well I got a smile and after the first bite, a big thumbs up! So here is my recipe for Portugese-approved Drunken Pear cupcakes:

Drunken Pear Cupcakes (makes 16)

For Poached, Caramelized Pears:
3 cups Port (I used Ramos Pinto Lagrima which is a dry, white port)
½ cup sugar
Rind of 2 oranges
4 cinnamon sticks
10 whole cloves
6 firm pears peeled and sliced about an 1/8“ thick
3 ozs. unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

- In a medium saucepan, combine the Port, the cinnamon sticks, the cloves, and the rind, bring the liquid to a boil, and boil the mixture for 5 minutes. Add the sugar and simmer the syrup, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved.


- Add the pear slices and simmer them for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are tender. Remove pears and let the infused port syrup simmer down til there is approximately one cup. Sieve port reduction and set aside for cupcakes, discard cloves, cinnamon and rinds.
- Melt butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Once butter foams, add sugar and cook until bubbling and dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add pears and cook, stirring rarely, until mixture is caramelized and pears are well coated. Remove from heat and let pears cool.


For 16 cupcakes:
4 ozs. unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. baking soda
½ vanilla bean
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups flour
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup infused port reduction (left-over from poached pears)

- Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C. Grease or place cupcake liners into cupcake tins.
- To make cupcakes, cream together sugar and butter until smooth. Add egg, seeds scraped from vanilla bean, baking soda, salt and mix until well-combined. Alternate adding flour and buttermilk in 3 batches, mix well until smooth. Add port reduction last and mix to combine
- Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from tin and let cool on wire rack.

For Chocolate Ganache Filling :
2 bars dark chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 oz. unsalted butter

- For chocolate ganache filling, heat butter and cream in a small saucepan over low heat until butter is dissolved. Stir often and do not let boil! Add in chocolate and remove from heat. Stir until smooth. Let cool several minutes.
- Using a small sharp knife, cut a small cone shape out of the top of each cooled cupcake and set aside. Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of ganache into each cupcake and replace top (you may need to cut away part of the cone to get a good fit). The cupcakes are now ready to be frosted.

For Caramel Buttercream (from Martha Stewart. Note I halved the recipe that follows and had more than enough to frost 16 cupcakes):
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 pounds (6 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
9 large egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Make caramel for buttercream (can be done several days ahead): combine granulated sugar and 1/2 cup water in medium saucepan; bring to boil over medium-high heat. Brush down sides with damp pastry brush to prevent crystallization. Continue cooking, without stirring, until dark amber color. Remove from heat; slowly stir in cream with wooden spoon until completely smooth; set aside until cool to touch.
- In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until fluffy and pale. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- Whisk together remaining 1 cup sugar and egg whites in clean bowl of mixer. Set over pot of simmering water; whisk gently until completely dissolved, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer bowl to mixer stand. Using whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until fluffy and cooled, about 10 minutes. Increase speed to high; whisk until stiff peaks form. Reduce speed to medium-low; add butter 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla.
- Switch to paddle. Add caramel; beat on lowest speed 3 to 5 minutes. Leave at room temperature if using same day. Refrigerate in airtight container up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature; beat until smooth.



To assemble cupcake, scoop about 1 tablespoon caramel buttercream on to each cupcake and spread to cover. Assemble pear slices in fan shape on top of cupcakes. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Enjoy!

You Say It's Your Birthday!

One of my oldest and dearest friends is a fiery redhead named Jen. We met over 20 years ago at summer camp in Maine and while we didn't hit it off immediately, we were brought together on an outing to Sugarloaf Mountain and have been like sisters ever since. Like an old married couple, we have been together through the good and bad, in sickness and in health, through thick (or should I say fat?) and thin. We've lived through braces and bad hair-dos, first dates and summer crushes, job searches, apartment searches, dysfunctional families, heartbreak, the struggle to shed "those few pesky pounds," more family drama, bad fashion of the '80's and '90's and more recently, finding the "one." Jen has always had my back, and I've had hers.

Since I grew up in the City, and Jen on Long Island, much of our teenage years' time together was limited to weekends and summers. During our college years, Jen headed out West to Boulder where I spent an unforgettable Halloween with her and her friends. In our senior year, Jen attended the Junior Year Abroad Program run through my college so we were able to get into all sorts of trouble here in France...including several hilarious trips to neighboring Spain and Amsterdam (where Jaywalking Jen was almost cut down by a speeding bicyclist), as well as starring in a short film, Sans Rire, as two lost American tourists written and directed by then still undiscovered French talent Mathieu Amalric (who you all probably know better as the latest Bond villain, Dominic Greene, in Quantum of Solace).

Since I moved to Paris 5 years ago, our time together has been brief. While distance may be hard on some relationships, I find we can pick up where we left off and it's as if we had just seen each other the day before. We last got together about two years ago when I was pregnant with my second. Since then, I've given birth (and my how that little munchkin has grown) and Jen's gotten engaged. I still find it hard to believe she has yet to meet my daughter, and I haven't had the chance to congratulate her in-person, or lay my eyes on her rock which I hear is absolutely breath-taking! But Jen and her true love are getting married in 2009 and so I know we'll all hook up then.

Today is Jen's birthday and here are some special cupcakes baked just for her. I'm calling them "French Kiss" cause it was baked with love here in Paris. And because, a French Kiss was our cocktail of choice one hot summer in Manhattan. It was introduced to us by our favorite bartender, Kathy, at the now defunct Mugamba Bay on the Upper West Side. A French Kiss is a cocktail made from a mixture of vodka, chambord, creme de cacao and half and half (or cream). This is a chocolate cupcake, stuffed with a creme de cacao ganache and topped with raspberry Chambord buttercream and a hand-made marzipan rose. To finish it off, I sprinkled some Wilton's edible silver glitter which I found from a seller on ebay.co.uk who (lucky for me!) carries lots of the those hard to find cupcake decorations I have been ogling on US sites.

Happy Birthday, Jen! Wish there was some way to bridge the distance so we could be together on your special day (and you could try one of these babies for yourself!). Have no fear though; in the time it has taken me to type up this post, my dear husband has already finished three of these off and is starting to look for more....


Here's how to make a French Kiss at home (ganache and buttercream will be enough for 12-14 cupcakes):

1 batch chocolate cupcakes (I posted a very simple one-bowl recipe from Martha Stewart here. It's a great recipe if you are a novice cupcake baker.).

Creme de Cacao Ganache:
1 lb. white chocolate, chopped and melted
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tsps. white creme de cacao

Chambord Buttercream
4 ozs. softened unsalted butter
4-6 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsps. milk
2 tbsps. raspberry liquor such as Chambord

1) Prepare chocolate cupcakes and allow to cool on a wire rack.

2) Prepare ganache. Make ganache by combining all ganache ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Stir until well mixed. Ganache will be about as thick as frosting. If it is too thick, thin with a little cream or milk.

3) Once cupcakes have cooled, cut a small cone from the top of each cupcake and set aside. I usually place the top next to its respective cupcake on a baking sheet so I can get an exact fit when rebuilding them. Place about a teaspoon of the creme de cacao ganache in each and replace top. You may need to cut a little bit off the bottom of the cone portion if you have really stuffed the cucpcakes with ganache.

4) Meanwhile, to make frosting, sift 4 cups sugar into a large bowl. Add butter and beat until light and fluffy. Add milk and Chambord and continue beating until frosting is of good spreading consistency. If too runny, add more sugar in half-cup increments. Frost cooled cupcakes.

Les 16H Gouter Cupcakes

About 7 years ago, Ferrero Rocher ran a series of ads in the US for its Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread. They featured Kobe Bryant and billed the product as an energy food. Chocolate as an energy food? True, but a bit of an outlandish and unusual advertising claim. Now that we have been living in the country where Nutella originated for several years, I am starting to understand a bit why they chose to use this platform to promote their brand.

Here in France, the 16H "gouter" is an institution. Considered an official 4th meal of the day, wherever you are when 4PM rolls around, you'll see children (and even some adults too) snacking on cookies, fruit, pastries and other sweet treats destined to give energy and get over the hurdle to dinner. I once read an article that said the most energy rich, filling and "healthy" gouter choice consists of a baguette and a few squares of dark chocolate. This is meant to be eaten like a sandwich, and I presume it is from this logic that the pain au chocolat was created.

This may also explain the Nutella phenomenon. For those of you who haven't sampled it, it's akin to how us Americans consume peanut butter or those from down under think of vegemite. My husband spreads it on his daily morning toast and most households in France have a jar stocked away somewhere in the pantry.

Since said husband is home today enjoying a 4-day weekend (which has nothing to do with Nutella incidentally!), I thought I would bake him something special. Voila a batch of cupcakes that are perfectly suited for the 16H gouter, though he could barely keep from eating them while taking the lovely photo above at 11 AM this morning. These are vanilla cupcakes filled with a cream of Nutella and frosted with a cocoa-hazelnut ganache. These got a big thumbs up from my husband, who by the way is my biggest critic. While scarfing them down, he asked, "I think you're on to something here....can you make more?"