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February 21, 2008

Better with Booze: Vodka-Laced Mango Cupcakes

"It's better with booze" has always been a personal motto of mine.

Plain ol' pot roast for dinner? It's better with booze!

Boring baby shower? It's better with booze!

A cold winter night? It's better with booze!

Church? It's better with booze!

So, when I saw that the theme for this month's Cupcake Hero event was booze, I decided to whip up some liquor-laced goodies because....DESSERT IS BETTER WITH BOOZE!

I actually invented a recipe for this event, one which I am very proud of because--as I've said before--I'm no baker. I knew I wanted to do something with Absolut New Orleans, a mango & black pepper flavored vodka. So, this is a vanilla cupcake with a vodka-soaked mango center and vodka buttercream icing.

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Never heard of Absolut New Orleans? It was released last fall, the first in a series to honor American cities. The flavors are supposed to represent the cities' cultural spirit, and all proceeds are donated to those cities.

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Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
1 ripe mango
1/2 cup Absolut New Orleans vodka
  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Peel and finely chop mango. Marinate mango in the vodka (use enough to cover completely) for 1/2 hour or more. Drain but save the juice for cocktails!
  • Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in extract.
  • Add flour & milk, alternately, to sugar mixture.
  • Fill 12 cupcake liners with 1 heaping tablespoon of batter.
  • Add 1 teaspoon of mango to each cupcake.
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  • Top each with another heaving tablespoon of batter. Add more batter to each to fill liners 3/4 full.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until cupcakes are done.
  • Remove from pan and let cool completely before icing.
For the icing:

1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons Absolut New Orleans vodka
  • Cream butter, salt, & vanilla until light and fluffy.
  • Add sugar, gradually.
  • Add vodka, one tablespoon at a time, and beat until smooth.
  • If you're feeling sassy, add a couple cranks of black pepper to the icing.
  • Ice cupcakes.
  • Eat a bunch and catch a buzz.
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2 comments:

  1. Whoa! These look very cool. I have to agree~ everything is better with booze. ;-) Especially church~ HA!
    I can't believe I didn't get a taste test. You so would have had your in. Oh well, no buttering up the judge I guess. I do still accept offers of cold hard cash. Just don't tell the other entries.

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  2. Yum! I love that vodka. It inspired me to make a fun sorbet over the summer! I never thought of it in cupcakes. May have to try it. I love mango! I love cupcakes! I love vodka! It's meant to be...

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