blackberry mojito

 

mojito? mojito! MOJITO!

no.. no one get my OC reference? should i just stick to gilmore girls? okay, so it's pie day & here i am making us some fancy blackberry mojitos to kick off this gloomy monday. i don't know, i don't think i will ever nail one of these trendy or national food days. with how hot the weather has been here lately, i have to accept that winter is over & embrace spring to it's fullest.. starting with these fruity cocktails & fruit pies galore. as if a regular mojito wasn't good enough, i decided to crush some fresh blackerries into the mix. it makes more the most beautiful ombre drink! & everyone knows how much i love my ombre. serving it in the commons hand blown glassware just sweetens the deal even more!

ingredients

(makes one drink)

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon fine sugar
  • 8 fresh mint leaves
  • 8 fresh blackberries
  • 1/2 cup crushed ice
  • 2 ounces white rum
  • 2 ounces club soda

directions

  • in a clear glass add the lime juice, sugar, mint & blackberries. using a muddle, gentley press down ensuring the blackberries are sufficiently muddled & the juices have been released.
  • add ice, white rum & club soda.
  • stir & garnish with fresh mint & a slice of lime.

thank you so much to THE-COMMONS for the gorgeous hand blown glassware. check out the collection here!

MINI EGG EASTER CUPCAKES

 

it's that time of year again.. chocolate mini eggs season! instead of just eating them by the mouth full, i decided it was time to bake with them. this shoot quickly turned into a full blown mini egg shoot, i think i could have done a whole blog post on them alone! cupcakes seemed like the perfect little treat for me.. err the easter bunny. a vanilla based cake with chunks of mini eggs, topped with a creamy vanilla buttercream swirl.

ingredients
(makes 12 cupcakes)

for the cake

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cups sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup chocolate mini eggs, roughly chopped

for the frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups icing sugar, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2-3 drops blue food colouring
  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut, for topping
  • 36 mini eggs, for topping

directions

  • preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • in the bowl of a stand mixer cream butter and sugar.
  • add the egg & egg white, mix until light and fluffy.
  • mix in vanilla and oil until combined.
  • in a separate bowl sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. gradually add to stand mixer at low speed, alternating with the milk.
  • beat until batter is smooth & fold in mini eggs.
  • divide batter evenly amongst 12 lined cupcake tins.
  • for the frosting add all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until light and fluffy, about 8-10 minutes.
  • frost as desired. sprinkle with shredded coconut & top with mini eggs.

like what you see? get it here. ceramics by the freaky raku!

vanilla earl grey waffles

 

last night i was part of my first stag & doe for one of my best friends getting married this spring. it was so nice to be back home with everyone & feel those small town vibes again. oh how i miss those living in a big city! i stayed up the latest i have in a long time (grandma marce), ate more pizza then i ever knew i was capable of eating & ran a darts game that became more & more competitive as the night went on. now after ALL that, i think a big brunch is in order! so i bring you these vanilla earl grey waffles, sweetened with honey & made with stash tea’s loose leaf tea. these just might be the best waffles to date. they turned out so crispy on the outside & fluffy on the inside! it is important to set the waffle iron to high heat, i think that really helps to achieve a crispy exterior. since earl grey tea is a strong flavoured tea with a very distinctive taste, the flavours really came through. i decided to drizzle the waffles with honey instead of syrup because tea + honey just belongs together.

ingredients
(makes 6-8 waffles)

directions

  • in a sauce pot on low heat add the butter, milk, vanilla, honey & tea leaves. simmer on low heat for 5 minutes (or longer if you want a stronger earl grey flavour to come through). strain & let cool to room temperature.
  • in a mixing bowl sift flour, baking powder, salt & sugar. add egg yolk followed by the earl grey mixture. stir until combined leaving the batter a bit lumpy.
  • beat egg white to a medium peak & gently fold into the batter.
  • heat waffle iron to high & cook until golden.
  • serve with powdered sugar, honey, whipped cream & tea!

this post was created in partnership with stash tea! the loose leaf tea, tea cups & honey can all be found on stashtea.com