Christmastime Caffeine

Nothing says Chistmas quite like a hot, pepperminty mocha in a red Starbucks cup. It's just missing one thing: crushed candy cane on top! The chocolate curls are devine... but they just don't seal the deal. As an ammature barista myself ( Santa gave me an espresso machine last Christmas), I think I've gone and created that perfect holiday drink. Mmm, mmm good. As I sip on this tasty treat I thought a fitting blog post would be to share this heavenly creation. Ok, it's really not that hard to create, but it's tasty and doesn't require any fancy ingredients or syrups that you need to purchase.

To make one steaming delicious mug of Jen's Candy Cane Mocha Latte:

1. Prep your favourite Christmas mug with 1 tblsp of chocolate sauce (hershey's, nesquik...whatever you've got), a teaspoon of splenda or sugar (if you like your lattes sweet), and a couple drops of peppermint extract (the little clear bottles with the orange cap that most extracts come in). Turn your espresso maker on so it can heat up while you're doing this.

2. Put a full unwrapped candy cane into a ziplock bag. Use the flat side of a meat tenderizer to crush the candy cane in the bag.

3. Brew yourself a double shot of espresso (if you don't have an espresso machine, you could try this with hot chocolate or coffee). Add your espresso to your Christmas cup, and stir to mix in the chocolate sauce, splenda and extract.

4. Steam your milk. Make lots of foam for the top. Pour your steamed frothy milk over your mixture in your Christmas cup. Using the ziplock bag, sprinkle the enitre candy cane onto your latte. Yes, that's right, the whole thing. Why? Because candy canes are delicious and you can never have enough. This way some of the pieces will sink to the bottom and give you a little surprise when you sip your last sip. For an extra exciting touch, toss a hershey's kiss in the bottom, and top with whipped cream. Enjoy by the fire, and try not to think about the calorie content. It is Christmas, so calories don't count...right?

Rum and Eggnog Cupcakes: The Recipe

Mmmm mmmm good.

These tasty little holiday treats were actually born from my in-the-making Christmas Bella Bash (consider this a sneak peak). Although I probably won't be throwing my own Christmas party this year (shocking, I know), I wanted to make my Bella Bash photo shoot realistic so I brainstormed some festive goodies I would have served were I to have played hostess. Well, lets just say the photo shoot is days away, and the cupcakes are ready right now. Thank goodness it was my mom's birthday tonight, because it definitely saved me from eating them all (and I didn't have to bake her a birthday cake- yay!)

Why rum and eggnog cupcakes? Rum cake is a family birthday staple in my household, and well, eggnog is eggnog, it doesn't need any explanation because it's just that good. The rum cake all started with my dad, who likes a little bit more rum than cake, but got us all hooked after requesting this moist and delicious treat for every one of his birthdays. My mom makes the best rum cake, and for those who have tasted Tortuga Rum Cake from the Caribbean, well, her's puts it to shame. She just uses boxed cake mix, putting a little spin on it by adding vanilla pudding powder and substituting rum for some of the water in the directions. She uses a rum/sugar glaze for the actual bundt cake, but for cupcakes, we'll stick with the eggnog buttercream.

To make the rum cupcake batter:

• 1 package yellow cake mix
• 1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup dark rum
• 
  

Follow instructions on cake box and spoon into cupcake cups.

To make the eggnog buttercream icing:

1 C. room temp. butter

6-8 C. powdered sugar

2 t. vanilla

1/2 C. eggnog

1-2 t. nutmeg

(for an extra punch, add a few drops of rum flavoured extract. If you find your buttercream too thin, add more icing sugar, or a little meringue powder to stiffin it).

Cream the butter for 30 seconds until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix until combined. Use a pastry bag and round tip to pipe onto cupcakes, and sprinkle with a bit more nutmeg.

Because of the eggnog in the icing, the buttercream will expire so make sure to use it up quick (like that will be a problem). Also, the cupcakes are best served chilled, straight out of the fridge. The icing will get fairly soft if left at room temp because of the amount of liquid and butter in it ;)

Enjoy!