Lundi: Recipes

It's Independence Day here in the States and I thought I’d share one of my favorite Southern treats that I completely forgot to make for this afternoon’s barbeque: Red Velvet Cupcakes.

2 ½ cups sifted flour

1 ½ cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 ½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

2 tbsps red food coloring

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp champagne vinegar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with cupcake wrappers. 

Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Add dry ingredients and mix using a spoon or hand mixer.  Be careful not to get this batter on any clothing or towels that you care about; that red food coloring packs a punch!

Spoon batter into cupcake cups, about two thirds full.  I like to use a gravy ladle for this process as it seems to pick up just the right amount of batter.  Bake cupcakes for approximately 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the top comes out clean.  Let cupcakes cool before frosting with this awesome cream cheese frosting:

4 oz cream cheese, softened

4 oz butter, softened

Confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Cream together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until thoroughly combined.  Add powdered sugar by tablespoons until the frosting takes on an appropriate consistency.  Frost those cupcakes and let the kids lick the spoon and the bowl.  Bon appetite ~

Header: The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer c 1657