Emmy Lou
I’m sure the four of you that read my blog on a regular basis (hi Mom, Granny, Aunt Monie and JMO!) were thinking I abandoned blogging because of our new family member. Not so! I am back and have cooked some awesome stuff over the last few weeks but just haven’t found the time to write about it until now. So I promise there are new posts coming soon, but in the meantime…meet Emmy Lou!
We went to the farmer’s market for peaches and corn and came home with a new dog!
Our favorite farmer’s market is the one on Tuesdays at Rice University. Its held in the afternoons so it is really convenient to stop by on the way home from work. Atkinson Farms always has great vegetables and we love love love Blue Heron Farms’ goat cheeses. They make this insane goats’ milk feta. And I always stop by the Grateful Bread stand for homemade worcestershire sauce and vanilla extract. You will not see me buying those at H-E-B again. GB also sells yummy pâté and flavored mustards.
Anyway, at the far end of the stalls is the True Blue Friends Animal Rescue. I always make a point to stop there and let the puppies lick the residue of everything I have sampled off of my fingers. Though Whit and I have talked about getting a dog over the past year or so, we never look really seriously.
But on May 24 I was walking up to True Blue and saw Emmy Lou and knew that she would be a perfect addition to our family. After hearing that she was a Havanese (read: non-shedder!!) I had to try to convince Whitney…. Luckily, he took one look at her and fell in love too!
She was really anxious and timid after we brought her home for the first few days. We don’t know much about her background except that she was abandoned this spring and found in a storm drain. I’d probably be a little nutty too if that happened to me. Based on her teeth (who knew?), our vet thinks she is about 1 1/2.
We introduced her to Milo’s sausages and Pupperoni and she warmed up quickly! She’s actually become a pretty chill dog — except when we have great-smelling food around!
pb&j thumbprints
I got this recipe from an email from the Food Network. I am not sure when I signed up for these emails but I am guessing it was in college. The time in my life when I used to drive all of my roommates crazy by watching Food Network 22 hours a day. (The remaining two hours I spent watching Designing Women and Golden Girls reruns on Lifetime.)
Anyway, I had a fresh batch of mayhaw jelly from my mom and knew I had to try this recipe when I saw it.
What is mayhaw jelly you say?
My gosh, if you aren’t lucky enough to have had mayhaw jelly so far in your life then get thee to south Louisiana ASAP and find a jar. Mayhaws are little berries, about the size of a blueberry, with a reddish skin. Once you squeeze the juice out of the berries, you can use it to make jelly, which is about the color of apple jelly and has a smooth, sweet flavor.
It is actually mayhaw season right now and the trees up in Norwood are bursting. We picked a few gallons of berries at Easter so I am looking forward to going home sometime this summer to make jelly with Momma.
Okay, so for the cookies here is what you’ll need:
Beat the butter in the mixer until it is light a fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the peanut butter and sugars and beat until well-combined. Add the vanilla, egg and salt and beat for another minute.
Add the flour slowly, mixing after each addition. Once the dough is completely combined, wrap it into a ball and refrigerate it for at least an hour.
Once you remove the dough from the fridge, roll it into small golf ball-sized balls and then roll the balls in the sugar to coat.
Place the balls of dough on a cookie sheet and press your thumb into each one to make an indention.
Fill the indention with jam.
Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove and let cool before eating.
PB & J Thumbprints
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 c light brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c flour
sugar crystals
fruit jam (I used mayhaw and strawberry)
Beat the butter in the mixer until it is light a fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the peanut butter and sugars and beat until well-combined. Add the vanilla, egg and salt and beat for another minute. Add the flour slowly, mixing after each addition. Once the dough is completely combined, refrigerate it for at least an hour.
Once you remove the dough from the fridge, roll it into small golf ball-sized balls and then roll the balls in the sugar to coat. Place the balls of dough on a cookie sheet and press your thumb into each one to make an indention. Fill the indention with jam.
Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove and let cool before eating — the jam will be SUPER hot!
tomato-feta salad
We have seen our last pretty day here in Houston until October. So it is officially summer. And this salad just screams summer to me. The bright flavor of the tomatoes with the tangy vinegar and feta is really refreshing.
Its really hard to see in this picture but this feta is the world’s best feta. It is made from sheep’s milk and made in France and is super creamy and tangy. I buy it at H-E-B so I don’t think its too hard to find. Its just that I only recently discovered it so I am obsessed.
Slice all of the tomatoes in half. Use a serrated knife so you don’t squish the tomatoes.
In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, pepper and salt until well-combined.
Break the feta off into small cubes but try not to crumble it too much. Add the feta to the bowl with the tomatoes, chopped red onions and chopped herbs. Drizzle the dressing over the feta-tomato mixture and toss to combine.
Taste for seasonings and add more salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately after tossing with dressing.
Tomato-Feta Salad
2 pints cherry tomatoes
3/4 c diced red onion
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 bsp chopped fresh mint
3/4 lb feta cheese
Cut the tomatoes in half and place in a large bowl with the diced onion. Dice the feta into small cubes, crumbling as little as possible. Add the feta to the red onion, tomatoes and chopped herbs. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the feta to the tomatoes and toss with the dressing.
dessert trio
Remember how I mentioned in the last post that the men were the servers at the auction dinner? Look how great they look!
The ladies plated everything absolutely perfectly — like at a gourmet restaurant. Each course looked fabulous but I think the desserts really stood out! Wouldn’t you be so excited if this came to your table?!
On the left is a dark chocolate and orange tart, in the middle is a crème brûlèe martini, and on the right is a bananas foster bread pudding.
Dark Chocolate And Orange Tart With Toasted Almonds
(recipe adapted from Bon Appetit)
Candied Orange Peel
1 orange
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
Crust
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ cup all purpose flour
Filling
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup heavy whipping cream
8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
For Candied Orange Peel: Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) from orange in snips. Cut snips into matchstick-size pieces and place in small saucepan. Cover with cold water; bring to boil. Cook 30 seconds; rain. Rinse saucepan; add ½ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons water, and peel. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer until peel is translucent and syrup is thick, about 20 minutes. Using tines of fork, transfer peel to plate and cool. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature)
For Crust: Using electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl until smooth. Beat in cocoa powder. Add flour and beat until dough comes together in moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, at least 1 hour up to 1 day.
Roll out dough between sheets of waxed paper to 11 inch round. Peel off top sheet of paper. Invert dough over 9-inch diameter tan pan with removable bottom; peel off paper. Gently press dough into pan. Press dough overhang in to form double-thick sides. Pierce dough all over with fork. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake crust until sides look dry and bottom looks bubbly, about 14 minutes. Transfer crust to rack. Using back of spoon, press up sides of dough if falling. Cool completely
For Filling: Toss almonds, sugar, and cinnamon in small bowl. Chop all but 2 snips of peel. Sprinkle chopped orange peel, then almond mixture over bottom of prepared crust. Place cream in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth; mix in Grand Marnier. Pour into crust. Refrigerate until filling is firm, at least 3 hours. Garnish with remaining 2 orange peel strips. (Can be made 1day ahead. Cover loosely with foil and keep refrigerated.)
Using sharp knife, gently loosen crust from pan sides. Remove pan sides. Cut tart into wedges; serve cold.
Serves 12 – 16.
Crème Brûlèe Martini
1 oz vanilla vodka
1 oz Kahlua
3 oz heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp caramel (such as Hershey’s caramel topping)
crushed toffee
Combine vodka, Kahlua and heavy cream in a martini shaker with ice. Shake and pour into martini glass rimmed with caramel and toffee bits.
Serves 1
Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
(recipe adapted from Galatoire’s cookbook)
11 large eggs
11/3 cups granulated sugar
1 quart while milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
24 – 4” slices of French bread baguettes, torn into pieces
1 pound salted butter
1 pound light brown sugar
4 bananas
½ cup praline liqueur
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.
Put the torn pieces of French bread in a large bowl. In another large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, granulated sugar, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon and whisk until well blended. Pour egg mixture over French bread and let it sit until all is absorbed up by the bread.
Bake the pudding mixture for 35 minutes, or until the pudding has turned golden and set in the pan.
While the pudding is in the oven, melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the light brown sugar and whisk over the heat until smooth. Slice the bananas, stir them into the sauce, and add the praline liqueur. Reduce the heat to low to keep the sauce warm.
When the pudding is baked, remove from the oven and allow to sit for 15 minutes to cool. Invert the muffin pan to remove the puddings and expose the custard. Place each on the center of a plate and ladle the sauce onto the pudding. Serve immediately.
Serves 12
mom’s auction dinner and crawfish ravioli
I know everyone that reads this knows my mom, but it really bears saying: she is AMAZING. Also, her friends are amazing — check out what they did recently….
Last year, during Miracle Sunday at her church, my parents and their Monday night Bible study group donated a gourmet dinner for 10 to the silent auction. A few weeks ago, the group that won the dinner came over to my parents house to enjoy it.
While the men donned aprons and graciously served the guests, the ladies cooked an incredible 7-course meal!
Just look at the menu!
Grilled Quail Breast Wrapped in Bacon
New Potatoes Stuffed with Shrimp
Artichoke Puff Pastry Bites
2008 Menage a Trois Chardonnay
2008 Folie a Deux Merlot
Chilled Avocado Soup
Spicy Crab Relish on Blue Corn Tortilla
2010 Sileni Sauvignon Blanc
Crawfish Ravioli
Fire Roasted-Tomato Butter Sauce
2008 Menage a Trois Chardonnay
Hot and Hot Tomato Salad with Chive Vinaigrette
2010 Sileni Sauvignon Blanc
Blood Orange Sorbet
Roasted Beef Tenderloin
Polenta with Tallegio Cheese and Glazed Wild Mushrooms
Haricot Verts
2005 Sawyer Cellars Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
Plat de Fromage
2005 Sawyer Cellars Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
Creme Brulee Martini
Bread Pudding with Banana Sauce
Chocolate Torte
2005 Shafer Firebreak Dessert Wine
Over the next few weeks I am going to post some pictures from the dinner along with the recipes. I imagine that this first recipe would be my favorite from the whole dinner. It is the crawfish ravioli with fire-roasted tomato butter sauce.
Crawfish Ravioli with Fire-Roasted Tomato Butter Sauce
(recipe adapted from Ralph Brennan’s New Orleans Seafood Cookbook)
Crawfish filling
¼ cup olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped onion
¾ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
¾ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
¾ cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
¾ cup finely sliced green onion, white and green parts
1 pound peeled crawfish tails, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoons Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup dry fine breadcrumbs
In a heavy 12-inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until they start becoming translucent, about three minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sweet peppers, green onions, crawfish, Creole seasoning, and pepper sauce, stirring well. Sauté until the peppers are crisp-tender, about four minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the filling from the heat and set it aside at room temperature until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir the eggs into the filling. Gradually add the breadcrumbs, mixing thoroughly. Refrigerate in a covered container at least 2 hours or overnight.
Won tons
Cornmeal
1 egg
96 to 100 won ton wrappers, 3 inches square
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then sprinkle the paper generously with cornmeal.
In a small, shallow bowl, beat the egg with a fork until smooth. Lay a won ton wrapper on a work surface. Using a pastry brush, moisten the top of the wrapper all over with some of the egg.
Mound 1 level tablespoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Line up another wrapper over the top and gently press down around the filling and working outwards to remove air pockets. Repeat to prepare the remaining won tons. (You will have enough filling to make about 50 won tons.)
Place the finished won tons on the prepared baking sheet as formed. Once all the won tons are formed, sprinkle the tops lightly with cornmeal. Refrigerate the won tons for up to four hours. If made further ahead, lay them out on a sheet pan between parchment paper and freeze until firm, then gently transfer them to a self-closing freezer bag, being careful not to break the fragile edges of the won tons. The won tons may be kept frozen for up to one month.
Fire Roasted-Tomato Butter Sauce
1 – 28 ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons minced shallots
¼ cup good-quality sweet vermouth
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 pound cold unsalted butter, cut into about 16 pats, at room temperature
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
Puree the tomatoes and set aside.
In a large heavy, nonreactive saucepan, heat the olive oil over high heat until hot, about two minutes. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about three minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the vermouth and vinegar and cook until the liquid in the mixture reduces by half, one to two minutes. Add the cream, then the tomatoes and mix well.
Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the mixture reduces by about half and is fairly thick, eight to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the butter cubes one at a time, constantly whisking until all of the butter is incorporated into the sauce. Each addition of butter should be almost completely melted in before adding more. This will take about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the kosher salt and pepper.
Serve immediately. If not serving the sauce immediately, transfer it to the top of a double boiler, and serve within two hours, keeping the sauce warm, uncovered, over hot (not simmering) water.
Cooking and serving
Salted water, for cooking the won tons
1 recipe Fire Roasted Tomato Butter Sauce
3 tablespoons very finely sliced green onions, green parts only
1 ripe Creole tomato, peeled, diced, and seeded
Boiled crawfish tails, 4-5 per serving
Boil a large pot of salted water. Ease small batches of the won tons (chilled or directly from the freezer) into the boiling salted water and cook gently, uncovered until the won tons begin to float (indicating they are done) for two to three minutes.
While the won tons are cooking, spoon about 2 tablespoons sauce in the bottom of each heated pasta bowl. As cooked, transfer four or five cooked won tons to each bowl with a slotted spoon. Pour more sauce over won tons and garnish with the green onion tops, diced tomatoes and boiled crawfish tails. Serve immediately.
Note: This can also be made with fresh or frozen sheets of ravioli pasta. Cooking time will be longer than when using won ton wrappers.
simple sunday: popeyes biscuits
These are so good y’all.
Anyone who has had Popeyes biscuits knows that there is not a better biscuit on planet earth. The Popeyes in Baker, LA is conveniently located next to Luie’s Bait & Tackle where we always made a pit stop on the way to go fishing in Norwood. I could make a whole meal out of the biscuits covered in honey.
The first time I made this homemade version of Popeyes biscuits I was 12 years old. Jennifer and I were staying in Carmel at Granny and Paw Paw’s and we were taking a picnic to the park. Granny and I made these biscuits, which I swear taste exactly like the biscuits from Popeyes. I don’t know where she got this recipe but I have had it written down on a sheet of (now crumpled, ripped and butter-stained) paper ever since.
Here are the magical ingredients:
Start by cutting the sour cream into the Bisquick until the mixture is crumbly.
Add the 7Up and mix the dough until it is sticky and well-combined.
Pour the melted butter into a pie dish and tilt it in all directions until it covers the bottom.
Pinch off pieces of the dough and shape into lemon-sized balls. Arrange the biscuits in the dish so they are all touching.
Bake at 450 degrees F for 11-13 minutes, or until they turn golden brown.
Popeyes Biscuits
2 c Bisquick
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c 7Up
1/4 c butter
Cut the sour cream into the Bisquick until the mixture is crumbly. Add the 7Up and mix the dough until it is sticky and well-combined.
Pour the melted butter into a pie dish and tilt it in all directions until it covers the bottom. Pinch off pieces of the dough and shape into lemon-sized balls. Arrange the biscuits in the dish so they are all touching.
Bake at 450 degrees F for 11-13 minutes, or until they turn golden brown.
southwestern bread pudding
3 ears of corn, cut off of the cob
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 c milk
3 eggs
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 baguette, torn into small pieces
In a large saute pan, cook the bell pepper and jalapeno for 5 minutes or until tender. Add corn, green onions, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Remove the vegetable mixture from the pan and add the chorizo to the saute pan. Using your spatula, break up the chorizo and cook for 5-6 minutes, until browned.
Combine salt, cumin, milk, eggs, and chipotle chiles in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.
Combine the corn mixture, bread, chorizo and shredded cheddar cheese in a 9″x13″ baking dish; stir gently to combine. Pour the milk mixture over the bread and let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until pudding is set and lightly browned.
the purple pig in chicago
Cheese, Swine & Wine.
That’s the tagline for The Purple Pig, a FABULOUS restaurant I visited tonight in Chicago. I figured that it had to be good since it featured three of my favorite things, and it didn’t disappoint.
I’m in Chicago for an AFP conference — holla fellow fundraisers — and had a long list of places to try while I’m here. I don’t think that even I can fit 17 meals into a three day trip but I’m trying my hardest!
The restaurant has a nice outdoor dining area that would be great in May when Chicago has the perfect patio weather. Unfortunately it’s currently 43 degrees outside so I opted to sit inside.
There are 8-10 two-top tables inside as well as two long communal tables. I ate at one of the communal tables between two of the friendliest groups of people.
Most of the plates are tapas-sized. There is also an extensive and reasonable wine list. Everything on the menu looked so good that I had trouble choosing so I asked the waitress for her opinion and she did not steer me wrong!
My first course was Shaved Brussel Sprouts with Pecorino Noce and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The shaved brussel sprouts were raw and tossed with the two cheeses and a light vinaigrette. The Pecorino Noce, which is slightly pungent sheep’s milk cheese that reminded me a bit of feta, was really what gave the salad such a great kick.
I had the Jamon Serrano with Oyster & Trumpet Mushrooms on Brioche with a Fried Duck Egg for my entree. It was essentially an open-faced sandwich. The ham was really salty, but not in an overpowering way, and tender. The mushrooms actually gave the dish most of it’s meatiness. And the duck egg…oh the wonderfulness of the fried duck egg. The yolk oozed perfectly over the whole sandwich.
The easiest choice was dessert. I had the Nutella Panini. Whoa! Expect to see a recreation of this on the blog soon. Nutella, marshmallow creme, and sliced bananas wee stuffed between two thick slices of bread, which i think was also brioche, and grilled. The flavors married perfectly and oozed out while I was eating it.
This just forced me to lick the plate. In public.
Just kidding.
Maybe.
Side note: I drank (of course!) two great glasses of red wine but I can’t remember what it was called. It was a San Giovese.
The reason I can’t remember is probably because I also drank on the plane ride up this afternoon.
On that thought, I think I need to go to bed…
But before I do, I’m highly recommending The Purple Pig to anyone in Chicago!
(I took pictures of each dish but can’t load them from my iPhone for some reason…I’ll update this post with the food pics when I get back to H-town)
slow-roasted pork shoulder
Favorite things about this recipe:
1. Its impressive to make a big pork shoulder and have it fall apart perfectly.
2. Its practically impossible to screw it up.
3. Its delicious. Really, really delicious.
The pork has a a great depth of flavor and the crispy exterior creates a really nice contrast to the melt-in-your-mouth interior.
Other than the pork shoulder, you probably have all of the other ingredients:
In a small bowl, combine the salt, brown sugar, thyme, rosemary and cayenne. Pat the rub all over the pork shoulder and let it sit for an hour.
After an hour, use paper towels to remove as much of the rub as possible. Place the pork shoulder in a roasting pan. Fill the bottom of the roasting pan with an inch of water and place in the oven at 425 degrees F for 45 minutes.
The high heat will give it a crispy exterior and seal in the juices. After 45 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 225 degrees F and cook for 7 hours.
Remove the pork shoulder from the oven and tent with aluminum foil for 20 minutes. When you are ready to shred the pork, grab two forks and pull the meat off of the bone. It will fall apart easily and smell so good you’ll consider rubbing it behind your ears and on your wrists.
Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder
1 8-lb bone-in pork shoulder
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c kosher salt
1 tbsp rosemary, chopped
1 tbsp thyme
2 tsp cayenne
In a small bowl, combine the salt, brown sugar, thyme, rosemary and cayenne. Pat the rub all over the pork shoulder and let it sit for an hour.
After an hour, use paper towels to remove as much of the rub as possible. Place the pork shoulder in a roasting pan. Fill the bottom of the roasting pan with an inch of water and place in the oven at 425 degrees F for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 225 degrees F and cook for 7 hours.
Remove the pork shoulder from the oven and tent with aluminum foil for 20 minutes. When you are ready to shred the pork, grab two forks and pull the meat off of the bone. It should fall apart easily.
green velvet cupcakes
I love holiday themed food! Its so fun to see fruit tarts with flags made of raspberries, blueberries and strawberries on the 4th of July and candy cane cookies made with red and white sugar cookie dough at Christmas.
These cupcakes, based off of a red velvet cake recipe, are perfect for your St. Patrick’s Day celebration on Thursday.
These are the ingredients you need…the vinegar is not a mistake! I found recently that adding vinegar and baking soda together to cake batters creates a bubbling reaction that makes a really fluffy crumb. Think of your grade school volcano project.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and vinegar.
Add the entire bottle (yep, you read that right) of green food coloring to the liquid ingredients.
Say! I like green eggs and ham cupcakes! I do!! I like them, Sam-I-am!
Moving on, add the flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa and salt to your mixing bowl.
Turn the mixer on medium-low and slowly pour in the green mixture.
Only mix the batter until it is combined. Fill the cupcake pans about 3/4 way full.
Bake the cupcakes at 350 for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the icing by beating the powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Add the half-and-half slowly to help bind the icing. Don’t add too much half-and-half or you will have runny icing.
Make a pastry bag by filling a ziplock with the icing and snipping one of the corners off. Frost the cupcakes and top with green sprinkles or sugar crystals.
Hope you get lucky this Thursday!
Green Velvet Cupcakes
2 1/2 c all purpose flour
2 c sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 c oil
1 c buttermilk
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1 bottle (.25 oz) green food coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 c softened butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 lb powdered sugar
1/4 c half-and-half (more, as needed)
green sprinkles or sugar crystals
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Add the green food coloring (the whole bottle!) to the liquid mixture.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on medium-low, add the green liquid mixture. Beat until just combined.
Fill the cupcake pans about 3/4 way full and bake the cupcakes at 350 for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the icing by beating the powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Add the half-and-half slowly to help bind the icing.
Make a pastry bag by filling a ziplock with the icing and snipping one of the corners off. Frost the cupcakes and top with green sprinkles or sugar crystals.
Is there any wine left? 
