Another friend’s birthday so in my way predictable manner: more cupcakes. I like giving cupcakes better than cakes because it makes sharing easier .. no cake cutting and plates and such, just grab a cupcake and eat out of hand. These are summery with the raspberries (local ones are just coming into season) but would be easy enough to make in January too, with the overload of chocolate.
You guys know me: always putting slightly odd ingredients in sweet, baked dishes. Sometimes it is by mistake (i.e. the chili powder that accidentally replaced the cinnamon in an apple pie — though that was a happy accident as it was really good) and sometimes intentional (pepper and bitters in strawberry pie the other day; also really good). This time I thought I would do another “intentional experiment”: red wine and Chinese 5-spice powder in cherry pie. While there is some dispute about what is even in five spice powder (some mixtures have anise, cinnamon, star nnise, cloves, and ginger while others replace the ginger with Sichuan peppercorns or fennel. And then there are other 5-spice mixtures what have all of those, which would actually make it 7 spice mix, but who’s counting?!?). And the red wine of course goes great with the cherries. So, another happy experiment.
I’m not sure this is tremendously “summery” really. I guess this strikes me more as an autumn pie, but cherries are harder to come by then, but you could always used jarred cherries, I suppose.
With one week to go before Independence Day weekend, I thought I would throw some “patriotic” recipes into the mix. OK, linzer cookies aren’t really patriotic in the slightest and I make them all the time, but I always make new versions, if not in taste combinations, in new shapes. And that is where the “patriotic” comes in this time. Stars! Fireworks! And I guess all-American blueberries and raspberries (the blueberry jam is homemade). Just something cute and fun to add to your 4th of July picnic!
