This Calls for Cupcakes
July 25, 2008 | Filed under: "The Pot Licker"
“Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first. ” ~Ernestine Ulmer
It was about a month ago when I went to Martha’s Vineyard for the weekend and remarked that that trip had turned the LOSE YOUR SHIT switch in my head to the off position. And there it remained in the upright and locked position until the last several weeks slowly unraveled every lose thread in my brain. It’s as if there was that one tiny piece of string that begged to be tugged but once it was tugged there went a perfect hemline.
Since that weekend I’ve been to Denver, Chicago, San Francisco and I just left New Orleans. It’s that last trip that makes me bite my tongue when lamenting how hard my life is right now and how much stress I am under and how I’d really like to just bathe in a large bath of Swedish Fish while a butler fans me and brings me bottles of Peroni and beignets. Because if I want to see or feel hard, the people of the Gulf Coast of Louisiana can show me hard.
I go back to the Vineyard later this week during my mandatory vacation. I think it is forced upon us so that we don’t get all disgruntle and ornery or feel the need to take a swan dive into the Hudson with weights strapped to our ankles. The last time I went it was for my mother’s birthday and after she begged and pleaded with me to come out there, I brought with me a large bottle of Prosecco – her favorite – and a dozen lemon-raspberry cupcakes. Because love means willingly grating lemon peels for five hours and losing a knuckle in the process. It’s like please ignore the stubs of my once lovely fingers and enjoy the refreshing lemon flavor and the surprise bit of raspberry in the center. These are my new favorite cupcakes not just because they proved to my mother that I have other talents, besides being annoying as fuck. I think the only reason she won’t disown me now is because when she says JUMP, I say HOW HIGH and then provide her with goodies. I’ve been meaning to write about these for weeks because they are divine and easy to make and are a little bit of comfort and heaven topped with a fresh raspberry.
I think that right now I deserve cupcakes but after the last three weeks of enjoying French fries and beer as a meal, I’d much prefer a vat of lettuce, avocado and tomatoes. But I am totally not kidding about the Swedish Fish bath.
Lemon-Rasperry Cupcakes (from Epicurious) (Yields 12)
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar, divided
4 ½ teaspoons finely grated lemon peel, divided
2 large eggs
1 ¼ cups self-rising flour
¼ cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
12 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon seedless raspberry jam
Fresh raspberries (for garnish)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Using electric mixer, beat butter, 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, and 3 teaspoons lemon peel in large bowl until blended, then beat until fluffy and pale yellow. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat in half of flour. Add buttermilk and 2 tablespoons lemon juice; beat to blend. Beat in remaining flour.
Drop 1 rounded tablespoonful batter into each muffin liner. Spoon one teaspoon raspberry jam over. Cover with remaining batter, dividing equally.
Bake cupcakes until tester inserted halfway into centers comes out clean, about 23 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan on rack. Meanwhile, whisk remaining 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, two tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 ½ teaspoons lemon peel in small bowl. Spoon half of icing over 6 cupcakes. Whisk one tablespoon raspberry jam into remaining icing. Spoon over remaining cupcakes. Let stand until icing sets, about 30 minutes. Garnish with raspberries.
anne says:
Mmmm Swedish fish. And also? How sad, and tired, and incredibly hot is NOLA in July? Even on a good day.
Mary Beth says:
These cupcakes sound divine. Have you tried using a microplane that you can get at the hardware store or now at a lot of markets?
http://www.amazon.com/Microplane-40020-Grater-Zester/dp/B00004S7V8
It makes grating food so much easier and I have yet to lose skin on it.
mary says:
I really don’t know what could be better than a bath of swedish fish. Oh, I know Peronis and Beignets brought to me on a silver platter.
Those cupcakes look divine but there’s no way they’d turn out if I attempted them. Baking and me, it’s just not pretty. I can’t figure out why.
Angella says:
Your Mom makes the Kissy Face! She is destined to be my friend.
Jakki says:
My mouth watered looking at these…now your Mother, I can see where you look like her…but not Mocha…
Nic says:
The only thing that I don’t like about this post is that these cupcakes are not in my kitchen right now.
(also, you’re mother is gorgeous! You look just like her!)
Momo Fali says:
That picture is way sweeter than any cupcakes. Excuse me. I have to go hug my Mom.
ali says:
swedish fish bath? cupcakes?
um. yum.
enjoy your mandatory vacation!!!
and ps. when i saw that picture i totally thought…Angella’s kissy face! hahah.
camels + chocolate says:
YUM. I drool from the las vegas airport as I nosh on salt water taffy, dreaming it were lemon raspberry cupcakes baked with love by HB.
Shamelessly Sassy says:
so when is your mom going to start a blog? I am ready to read.
Toby says:
I’ve making these cup cakes all summer and love them .. as do the people I’ve shared them with! Try changing jams for a switch in taste. I’ve used blueberries with blueberries as the fruit topping. Yum.
Daisy says:
Mmmm. I copied this into my recipe file. I just bought fresh blueberries and raspberries from the farmers’ market. Mmmm. Oh, I’m repeating myself! Again!
Kristabella says:
Next time you come here, I’m taking you to this martini bar that has Swedish Fish martinis. They are AS GOOD AS THEY SOUND.
AND! They put Swedish fish in the bottom of the glass.
slynnro says:
Remember that time my car got Swedish Fished? Or are you too famous to read my blog?
I’m sorry, but who are you?
slynnro says:
Also, next time you are in Chicago, I will be too and I shall drink of the martinis.
Susie says:
LOVE your blog! I recently discovered it and have spent many a time procrastinating reading this. I hope you don’t mind if I linked to your site on my blog.
Kristin says:
This is my first time here and what do I find? A post mentioning, Swedish fish, butlers and cupcakes… this is now my official “happy place”.
Maria says:
Can I have your shirt?
I would take the cupcakes but damn…my thighs hate me enough already…
HeathPie says:
I have the same Threadless shirt! Can’t wait to make the cupcakes…
Raychelle says:
Stumbled upon your site today…and am SO happy I did
These cupcakes look amazing. I got a new mixer as a wedding gift and have only used it once. I think these cupcakes are reason enough for me to bust it out!
Wacky Mommy says:
yay YAY!!!! thank you. Yeah, I agree. Your ma needs a blog, too.
Raychelle says:
So, I made these cupcakes this weekend. Mine don’t look quite as lovely as yours…but wow are these deeeeelicious! Definitely a new favorite.