Steph's Virtual Bridal Shower - Risotto and Cupcakes!

Have you heard?  Steph from Steph's Bite by Bite is getting married!  October 29^th is her big day!  Kita from Pass the Sushi had the wonderful idea of having a Virtual Bridal Shower for Steph to celebrate.  So today we get to share some of our romantic meals with Steph.  After 10 years of marriage I would like to think I know a little bit about romantic meals.  Today I am giving you my Sausage and Mushroom Risotto with Red Velvet Cupcakes for dessert. 

My husband and I had this risotto 6 years ago at my sister in law’s rehearsal dinner.  It was so good; I had to try to make it at home.  It isn’t quite the same, but it is rich, creamy, and delicious.  Serve with a glass of wine, and you have a romantic dinner, perfect for a cool night.  But you have to have dessert too, right?  Anything red just says sexy to me, so Red Velvet Cupcakes fit the bill.  Plus they are cute and little, so you don’t get too full.

Congrats Steph!  I hope you and Lucas have a long and happy life together!  I can’t wait to see pictures from your special day.

Sausage and Mushroom Risotto

Printable Recipe

3 cups chicken stock

3 cups beef stock

2 Tbls olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz Shitaki Mushrooms

½ tsp thyme

1 lb Italian Sausage

1 Tbls butter

Salt and pepper

2 cups Arborio Rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

Combine Chicken and Beef stock in a sauce pan.  Warm over low heat. 

In a separate skillet, sauté mushrooms and the thyme together.  Sprinkle mushrooms with salt and pepper once lightly browned.  Set aside. 

In another skillet brown the sausage.  Discard the fat, and set aside. 

In a large skillet heat 2 Tbls oil over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic.  Sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the rice and coat well with the oil.  Lightly toast the rice, about 2 minutes.  Stir in wine, and cook until it is almost evaporated.  Ladle about 1 cup of warm stock into the rice and stir.  Once it is mostly absorbed add in more stock (1 ladle full each time).  Continue this process until the rice is cooked through and nice and creamy.  You might have a little stock left over, but not much. 

Once cooked through, add mushrooms and sausage to the pan.  Stir in the Parmesan Cheese and butter.  Top with additional cheese if desired. 

For the Red Velvet Cupcakes go to Dessert For Two for the recipe!  The recipe makes 4 cupcakes - how perfect is that!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Spiced Buttercream

Things are about to go Halloween around here next week.  I have something special planned for you tomorrow, and then next week prepare for Orange, and Spiders, and all things Gross!  In the meantime though I have these amazing Cupcakes I want to share with you.  They are pumpkin, so they are the perfect prelude to Halloween! 

I made these for a Teacher’s Appreciation Lunch at my son’s school.  There were a few teachers around when I brought them in, and these little treats  were oohed  and awed over like crazy.  I am not sure they even made it until lunch time!  If you follow me on facebook, you may remember me not being able to find powdered sugar.  This is why I needed it!  Seriously!  It took 3 stores to find powdered sugar.  But it was well worth all the trips, because this frosting was amazing!! 

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Spiced Buttercream

Adapted from Annie’s Eats

PrintableRecipe

Cupcakes:
2 2/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup canola

4 eggs

Buttercream Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
5 tbsp. butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

2½ cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cupcake pans, makes approximately 30 cupcakes. 

To make the cupcakes

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt together. Set aside.  In the bowl for an electric mixer, blend together the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each.  With the mixer on low, add the flour in slowly, until just combined. 

Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3^rd of the way full.  Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

To make the frosting

Using an electric mixer cream together cream cheese and butter, until smooth.  Mix in vanilla.  Gradually stir in the powdered sugar and cinnamon.  Beat on medium until smooth.  Frost cooled cupcakes.

Margarita Cupcakes

I brought these to the family reunion this weekend.  They seemed to go over well.  I left the tequila out of the frosting because lots of little kids would be around, and didn't want to have to monitor who was eating what.  I wanted to be outside having fun!  My 6 year old spent as much time as he could over the weekend.  He was in the water pretty much from 10:30-7:30 on Saturday.  Even then it was tough to get him out!

Here are a couple pictures of him having fun! 

Margarita Cupcakes
Adapted from A Cup Full of Cake
Printable Recipe

1/4 cup margarita mix
1 cup milk
3 egg whites
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tsp tequila
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

In large bowl, mix together margarita mix, milk, egg whites, oil, tequila, vanilla and sugar together. 

In a small bowl mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add to liquids and stir until just combined.  Divide evenly into 12 muffin tins. 

Bake for 18 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed. 

Turn onto wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Lime Frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tbls milk
3 tbls margarita mix
1 tbls tequila (optional)
2 cups powdered sugar
lime zest (optional)

Cream everything together.  Add in more sugar or milk to make the frosting spreadable.   Frost cupcakes and Enjoy!