Eggnog and a Champagne Cocktail

When I kicked off bubbles&sprinkles, I kicked it off with an aggressive bang. There were no introductory weeks of basic instructions around- ‘How to Bake Cupcakes in General’, ‘Smart Baking Tips’, or ‘Classic Cupcakes– Learning the Basics’. Instead I dove in with flavors like ‘Dark Chocolate Sour Cream’….like, week two. Coming in hot.

This means that retroactively I’m looking back at cupcakes I’ve made and realizing that where I’ve paired two or three dominant ingredients, I can focus on just one and really build the cupcake around that. So while 2013 featured Gingerbread Cupcakes with Eggnog Frosting… 2015 is all about just the Eggnog.

I had a jam-packed weekend of holiday parties and enjoyed each of them immensely. Sunday- a close girlfriend’s GORGEOUS family holiday party, hosted at Paragon, one of my favorite Portland restaurants. Saturday- my first Santacon experience. Good grief. Holiday debauchery at its absolute finest.

Friday saw a potluck with some of my most favorite ladies and mentors that I used to work with at adidas. The cupcakes were for this special occasion. The lovely Lauren welcomed us into her stunning home and made sure that delicious food and drinks were aplenty. This included a Blackberry Rosemary Sparkler upon arrival. Not that she could have known it (although her telepathic skills have been known to be on point), but it was the perfect match to the cupcakes. Not too sweet, a nice hint of herb, tart and bubbly. No Champs this past week… a focus instead on a beautiful cocktail for your next bubbly night:

Blackberry Rosemary Sparkler:

• 1 part blackberry simple syrup
• 2 parts sparkling wine of your choice
• Spring of rosemary

Easy-peasy. So delicious.

^Some of the very best girls that I know.

Cupcakes (makes 12):

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups white flour
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup egg nog
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Frosting:

• 16 oz confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup egg nog
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Combine ingredients and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Whip frosting ingredients into a frenzy and frost cupcakes once cooled. Find awesome Christmas (holiday)-themed cupcake toppers and share. Or don’t.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week, and if you’re celebrating- a very Merry Christmas!

Cheers,
Jenna