Carrot Cake Cutie Pies with Spiced Rum

I sometimes have a tough time naming my BIWB creations...This one is no exception.  This recipe if based on a carrot cake whoopie pie recipe in Whoopie Pies.  But then, I changed it.  Added the booze and tweaked the dry ingredients a bit. 

My original recipe adaptation goal being to by-pass the base recipe's instructions to refrigerate the batter for an hour.  Truthfully, I didn't have an hour on my furlough day...

The resultant "cutie pie" is more like a carrot cake cookie than a "traditional" whoopie pie.  These are much more "perky"...Chocked full of flavor with all the spices...Is it a cookie sandwich, a sandwich cookie, a whoopie pie or a carrot cake-what?

Which led me to another discovery during the photo shoot and subsequent sharing of my carrot cake creations...  

I'm sure, if you follow enough food blogs, you know that "props" are all the rage.  We've been counseled to add more props in our photos.  We've been told my photos suck.  At this point, I think I do my best and really focus on the recipe and end results.  If my photos are still too yellow, please excuse me.  Do I sound a bit defensive? 

Sorry, I digress...Back to props...I had purchased some baker's twine years and years ago (pre-blog) and who knew it would be used so much as a prop?  It's typically used to tie-up a stack of cookies or a loaf of bread.  I wanted to use it but couldn't wait for the next cookie post.  So, I tied up my cutie pies!

The results were like little Cutie Pies in Bondage.  The hula girl on the rum bottle doesn't hurt the image either...Definitely a conversation starter...And, a new subtitle...However, and much to my disappointment, I just don't think our media partners would have approved...

Maybe next time...And, yes, 2012 was my year of 50 Shades.

In the future, look for more BIWB in Bondage!  ;-)

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Pistachio and Orange Liqueur Cake {Watergate Cake}

Okay, so raise your hand if you were alive when President Richard Nixon resigned?  How many of you watched his speech on TV?  Ah, even fewer...Okay, how many of you (or your parents) saved the newspaper announcing the resignation?  As I thought...Not a lot of you.

That's okay my friends, because we have the Watergate Cake to bring back that very pivotal time in political history.  And, just for the record: I can answer "yes" to each of those questions.  Yup, I'm that old.  :)  This single event in our history was my first real introduction into politics at a very young age.  We were living in Northern Virginia at the time of the Watergate Scandal and I was learning about U.S. History, so this had real meaning for me as a young history geek.  I'll never forget those times...

So, most of you don't know that I am a history geek.  Yeah, I read those really long and fairly dry presidential biographies and such.  The people on my commuter bus just roll their eyes when they see my books...I've received some flack for my geekness.  It could be worse...

This cake was developed by the folks at Jello when they introduced pistachio pudding.  The date coincided with the Watergate Scandal, so coming up with a name was pretty easy.  It's quite likely the only green cake widely known, but I think most folks have lost its original name.  So, pretty cool for me that this cake covers both my hobbies: the blog and reading history books...A true win-win for this geek.

Blog baking lore has it that this cake is so aptly named Watergate cake because Jello's pistachio cake was filled with nuts and covered in fluff much like the Nixon administration has been admonished.   Go ahead...Roll your eyes...

Watergate Complex, U.S. National Register on Historic Places

I really wanted to try a pistachio cake for a while, just sounded so good...This one is easy and the ingredients are simple.  I used salted pistachios which really added a huge pistachio flavor.  Very moist and holds up well to all that frosting. 

I used the ombre' frosting style that you see all over Pinterest.  I learned how to make the ombre' frosting from a video by Stephanie at 52 Kitchen Adventures (link below).  I highly recommend watching her video if you are a visual person, like me. 

You'll see this cake again sometime soon in its "scratch" version.  I bought myself a cookbook for my birthday this year: Vintage Cakes.  So, the cake is really "Part 1: Watergate Cake" with its "scratch" cousin coming soon. 

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Almond and Orange Liqueur Cake {Gluten Free}

Yes, you read correctly: Bake It With Booze has gone gluten free again!  And, honestly, I'm beginning to think this gluten free baking thing is a great way to change up your favorite recipes.  This cake is super moist...Full of orange flavors...And has a very, very pretty presentation -- The Oooh and Aaah affect!

I made this cake for my boss's retirement reception and it was a huge hit with the crowd.  She is gluten free so I had to come up with a extra special cake just for her.  She's been such a wonderful boss, even though I've only had the chance to work for her these last 8 months. 

This yummy and elegant cake was all gone by the end of the reception (we did save a piece for my boss to take home) and I'm not even sure whether I got a piece!  I do have a vague memory of moist almond cake surrounded by soft and billowy orange frosting...

And, I am sorry, but I have no pics of the cut cake as it was gone before I could "stage" a good shot.  You'll just have to trust me that it was as pretty on the inside as on the outside!

One more eye-candy shot of all our sweets at the retirement reception...Sugar commmaaa!! 

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Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

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Grocery shopping, or cupcake concocting?

You can guess how it turned out, but that was the dilemma I toiled over last night as I made my way home from work. Sensibility was gaining the lead as I considered all of the preparation I need to do for Christmas Eve dinner, which I'll be hosting at my house. I very sensibly considered all of the things I could accomplish early by getting my grocery shopping done that very night. Frivolity, however, edged out a narrow win - I think the bumper to bumper traffic and kamikaze-esque drivers wore me down. By the time I got home, I was in full denial mode. Christmas Eve, looming only three days away? No big deal. I have LOTS of time, right??