Valentine's Day is approaching and these mini lava cakes are simple and decadent...Sure to melt your honey's heart and set the right mood for the night! *Wink*
I've wanted to make lava cakes for a while, something simple and small. I think decadent and super rich chocolate has its place. I wanted to create something small, luscious and just the right amount of chocolate to compliment the subtle Kahlua flavor. Rockin' it next to some vanilla bean ice cream was also a must.
And, I'll be honest, I'm not a huge chocolate fan...Not even a great dark chocolate fan. Except with coconut, of course. I know...what happened to me at birth? Aren't all girls supposed to be in love with chocolate?
I also wanted to use heart shaped sprinkles and VDay seems to be the only holiday that I can use heart sprinkles. I got my sprinkles at Target...And, in true Target fashion these sprinkles were a deal...Let me show you why...
See?! Why on earth would they combine blue teal hearts with red, pink and white hearts I ask you? Good thing I had some time on my hands (home sick with bronchitis), plus I'm truly anal retentive when it comes to sprinkles. Yeah, you know me so well by now... :)
I can guarantee that these little lovelies are super easy, super full-proof and super delish. I'm not a chocolate fan, right? Well, these have just the right amount of "chocolaty-ness" for both the chocolate and the less-than-over-the-top chocolate lovers in your life.
A nice glass of champagne should seal this deal. *Wink*
I'm sharing this in the coffee liqueur challenge over at Baking With Spirit!
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So, have you ever watched Hoarders? I know, not something you'd expect me to talk about on this blog. But, I ~more often than I'd like to admit~ find myself glued to the TV watching these very, very sad people trapped by all their STUFF. I have stuff, do you?
Good thing for me, though, is that Hoarders makes me feel okay with my stuff. I do need to purge this fall and make some changes to my life plans with all my stuff. For example: Do I need 10 plastic lawn chairs and 2 tables for the next back yard bbq bash? Probably not. I think my large party days are over and to "draw" a crowd like that probably isn't in the cards. Maybe next big bash will be a "Bring Your Own Chair" party...I don't know.
And, I will admit: there is a method to all this purging madness. The simple truth is I need MORE room for all my BAKING STUFF! Baking stuff before party furniture? I think yes!
The Giveaway!
Yes, you read it correctly: OUR FIRST GIVEAWAY!! So, we have a few little this and thats for one of you--to add to YOUR baking STUFF! We're very excited to start our giveaways and we hope you can come back over the next few months to see what else we're giving away. Our friends at Sur La Table are helping us gather up some of these goodies--We can't wait to share!
We're giving away these two fun cupcake items from Meri Meri: 3 cupcake boxes and cupcake liners. Pretty cute, huh? All you have to do is leave us a comment with your contact information. You have until Sunday, Nov. 11th at 9pm (PST). Open to everyone, no matter where you live cuz that's just how we roll. Sorry, the giveaway is closed...Stay tuned for the winner annoucement coming soon!
Now, on to the cupcakes!
I made these cupcakes using a few recipes. The most special part is the blueberry compote that I learned to make from my friend, Susan, over at My Mother's Apron Strings. Susan is amazing...I just wished I was as generous as her. She's so creative and a great baker. Someday we're gonna meet up and enjoy some tea and treats...I have hope. :)
Extra special blueberry and mascarpone filled cupcakes with yummy blueberry mascarpone frosting...And, yes, there is booze in these: blueberry infused gin!
Baking with Spirit Feature
I'm also sharing this recipe as part of our friend's, Janine, blog Cake of the Week, which features a monthly Baking with Spirit challenge. This month it's GIN! I'm excited to be able to share these blueberry-gin inspired treats! Please check out Janine's fun creations...Reading her blog always bring out the Anglophile in me!
So much is happening!!!
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