Cupcake 46 - Tropical Storm - Guava, Coconut, Macadamia Nut Cupcake with Guava Buttercream

I entered into this weeks' cupcake without the slightest idea of what I was going to bake. Earlier in the week I was thinking fig, the whole fig thing was turning complicated so I moved on. I've mentioned my stockpile of "inspirational" ingredients waiting for a call to action. This week I turned to my pantry for help. The guava paste caught my eye, I like the odd shape of the can, but no experience with guavas. I also grabbed some coconut milk, guava nectar and macadamia nuts. I picked up a fresh guava at the market too.

Cupcakes - to your favorite vanilla cupcake recipe add the following, substituting the coconut milk and guava nectar for the liquid in the recipe.

1 c chopped macadamia nuts
1 c peeled and chopped guava, blotted with paper towel to remove most moisture
1/2 c coconut milk
1/2 c guava nectar

Frosting
1/2 c mashed guava paste
2 T guava nectar
1 c butter, room temperature
3 1/2 c powder sugar
pinch of salt

Combine butter and guava paste in bowl of standing mixer. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Add salt and first of three increments of powdered sugar, mixing well between additions. Add guava nectar and beat on high for 4 minutes.

Cupcake 45 - Crackerjack Cupcakes

Do you think Cracker Jack prizes have become lame? As a kid I remember getting trinkets, maybe a ring or magnifying glass, compass or a tiny flip book. Now its only a mini baseball card . Come to think of it cereal prizes have ratcheted down a bit too. Along with breakfast, you'd net out with a Dawn doll, refrigerator magnet, Hot Wheels car, or bobble head. Along with the in-box prize, the cereal folks would up sell with mail-in offers galore. I spent several summers collecting box tops, UPC codes and labels in an effort to "send away" for all sorts of wonderful merchandise. Thanks to Funny Face drink mix I consumed a tanker truck of sugar laden colored water to get the set of mugs. The next summer they offered up iron on decals, I was there. 9-Lives cat food hyped Morris t-shirts in return for zillions of cat food can labels, I was on it. Later they expanded the offering with a laundry list of goods from cat bowls to tote bags more shirts and even and watches - all for the taking with just enough labels. Christmas ornaments from Campbell Soup, Bazooka Joe notebooks, Jiff measuring cups, Camel Joe watches. The mailman should have worn a Santa Suit (and possibly a back brace) when delivering our mail. And my Mom should have worn a strait jacket to grocery shop. I had needs in the grocery store and they didn't always involve products we liked, used or needed. Patience was not my strong suite either. Before the groceries were put away, I'd cut the much needed box top off long before the contents were consumed. Our cabinets were littered with labeless cans and boxes with a gaping holes.

This week brings Cracker Jack Cupcakes - vanilla cupcakes topped with cracker jacks drizzled with caramel and a prize!

I used the Magnolia Yellow Cupcake recipe, before baking I added 1 T crushed Cracker Jacks to the top of each cupcake.

Carmel Frosting

1/2 c butter
1 c light brown sugar
1/4 c whole milk + 3 T milk
1 3/4 c powdered sugar, sifted or your frosting may be lumpy
pinch of salt

Melt butter and brown sugar in saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 c milk, return to boil and stir again for two minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in powdered sugar and salt. Add additional milk as needed.

Pour 1 T onto each cupcake as soon as you remove from oven, it will fill all the nooks and crannies. Top with additional crackerjacks. Cool on wire racks.

Note: I used 7 boxes of Cracker Jacks for 24 cupcakes.

Omnivore 100

Omnivore 100

Here’s a chance for a little interactivity for all the bloggers out there. Below is a list of 100 things that every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognise everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers.
Here’s what I want you to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

The Omnivore’s Hundred:
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (I really hate mayo)
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant (hell yeah)
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

58, I've got some work to do!