Spooky, Boozy, Bloody (Cupcakes)

10.30.15

I’m pretty sure ‘Spooky, Boozy, Bloody,’  was the back up title for TLC’s ‘Crazy, Sexy, Cool’ in the 90’s.  Guess it didn’t make the cut.

Well Happy Halloween to all you grown ups who will be inappropriately dressed up tomorrow. It’s a time for watching Hocus Pocus and wishing the Great Pumpkin King was real.  And while all you drunken dressed up idiots will be at parties clad as Donald Trump, Marty McFly, or that atrociously inaccurate slide from the Planned Parenthood trial (which would’ve been my costume, you can steal it), this idiot will be asleep.  Sleeping so hard, because I have voluntarily chosen to run 26.2 miles the following morning through the boroughs of New York City. And what better to carbo load with than cupcakes?? 

I decided to make cupcakes that look like a precious little ghost is sitting on top, and yet when you cut into it, it oozes blood. Scary. These didn’t have the potent coffee taste I wanted so ho hum, I’ll try again.  But man are they tasty on the chocolate side. The Bailey’s frosting is delicious (and strong) and the raspberry compote on the inside gives it a nice fruity surprise when you bite into it.

For the Raspberry Compote

For the Cupcakes

For the Frosting

I’d love for one of you to make this and tell me if my recipe adjustments worked.  I’ll probably try again myself as well. I also think using high quality rich cocoa powder might have overpowered any coffee taste that tried to eek through.

SIFT YOUR DRY INGREDIENTS! It makes your batter not lumpy. I didn’t realize it was so important, til I did it.

I love learning new things, don’t you? That’s actually only true sometimes, but I did have fun slowly learning how to use the self timer on my camera.  My normal photographer (aka husband) and I’s schedule were just not going to match up with daylight hours before Halloween.  So it was time to take matters into my own hands and take my own pictures.  I’m still figuring things out, so bear with me.  Or don’t.  Whatever.

I finally got to bust out this little black dress I got from Stitch Fix (which I also featured here and here). I requested, and I received, and I like how it’s fitted around the waist. Confession time: I’m not a huge fan of Halloween.  I don’t know why.  My mom made me amazing costumes when I was a kid, but nowadays, I really don’t care. I used this occasion to pair my dress with a comfy oversized orange cardigan and fun patterned tights and called it a day.  I love the outfit, and I’m glad I was able to use this holiday as an excuse to show it. And I am a big fan of the season, especially with all the trees turning colors.

I’m all about going all black.  It’s chic and sexy (as I’ve mentioned in previous posts), and then gives you tons of room to add pops of color and/or accessorize to your hearts content.  I worked out a ring, some dangle earrings and a great pendant necklace (which are everywhere right now).

I got these Chelsea Crew shoes ages ago from Ruche. Kind of like heeled smoking shoes? They’re a little tight, but I’ll bite through the pain when they’re so cute. They don’t sell them anymore, but their entire line of shoes is easy to fall in love with.

Can we talked about this ring??? I can’t get enough of it.  It was gifted to my by a few great friends as a belated birthday present.  And since they both live out of town, I finally had it in my hands 5 months after my birthday (personally delivered by one of them visiting!!!).  What is it you ask? It’s is my zodiac sign constellation.  So those dots are the Taurus constellation.  How awesome is that? I wear it as much as I can.

**UPDATE: As my wonderful friend has informed me, this ring is Julie Nolan Jewelry. So please check her shop out here because her pieces are beautiful and unique. I should’ve been better at keeping the info from the ring in the box….but I wasn’t.**

Stitch Fix Collective Concepts black dress (similar) / Chelsea Crew Shoes (similar) / H&M Orange Cardigan (similar)

 

Boozy Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Raspberry Compote

• 2 Cups of Raspberries
• 1/4 cup of white sugar
• 1/4 tsp cornstarch
• squeeze of half a lemon

For the Cupcakes

• Just under 1 cup of AP flour
• 1/2 cup of white sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup strong coffee
• 2 tsp instant coffee

For the Frosting

• 1 cup of butter, room temperature
• 3 cups Confectioners sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 Tbsp Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur
• 1 Tbsp cream (as needed)
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

For the Raspberry Compote

• In a medium saucepan, mix all ingredients
• Stirring with rubber spatula occasionally, on medium heat, allow the raspberries to break down
• Once broken down and thickened to desired consistency, remove from heat and allow to cool

For the Cupcakes

• Line your cupcake pan with liners, or spray with cooking spray
• Preheat oven to 350
• In a medium bowl sift together flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder, set aside
• In an electric mixer with a paddle attachment on low, mix vegetable oil, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla
• Slowly add dry ingredients to wet and continue to mix on low-medium, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed
• Add instant coffee and hot coffee to mix until just combined
• Pour batter evenly into cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes
• Allow to cool completely before coring and frosting

For the Frosting

• In electric mixer, beat confectioners sugar and butter until fluffy
• Slowly add remainder of ingredients and allow each to incorporate fully, waiting to add the cream and adding accordingly
• Buttercream frosting show be thick and delicious, be cautious on adding too much cream so it’s not watery

To Assemble

• Once cooled, use a grapefruit knife, an apple corer, or spoon and carefully cut out the middle of each cupcake making sure not to cut through the bottom, feel free to eat the middle you removed
• Spoon raspberries into the center of each cupcake
• Using a piping bag or a ziplock bag with a round tip, fill with Bailey’s frosting and squeeze onto the top of each cupcake, circling to make a tower on top of each

P.S.

*Reduce the Baily’s for a less strong taste
*This recipe is adjusted slightly from what I originally did to create what I think will be a better cupcake, I don’t think my coffee was strong enough, and some of the ways I mixed things could’ve been better
*If you overstuff the cupcakes with compote, it may give it a bleeding effect, which could be scary and Halloween like

Adapted from Cupcakes only: from My Baking Addiction