And the Oscar goes to …

Well why would I spoil it for you? Truth be told, the only nominated movie we saw this year was “Michael Clayton” and we watched that on PPV about four days ago. But if you were curious to know what classic Hollywood food we ate to commemorate the evening, it was beef stir fry.

And then there’s dessert. I’ve been meaning to test out the new silicone muffin tins I received for Christmas (if they are made from silicone, they aren’t really tins anymore, now are they). I’ve been carrying around a grocery list for the ingredients of “Lemon Cream Cupcakes” for some time now, though each time I mentioned them to the husband he would look like he was going to throw up. So today I recycled that list and started new … Banana Cupcakes with Amaretto Buttercream. It was the amaretto that made the decision for me. Great excuse to pick up a bottle of my favorite liqueur.

Banana Cupcakes with Amaretto Buttercream

Really great and fun to make. I don’t make frosting very often. And, after seeing the ingredients I combined to make the Amaretto Buttercream I remember why. I had a sugar headache for 20 minutes after finishing my cupcake. But my, does it make a difference. What makes a banana cupcake a cupcake, and not a banana muffin? It’s the frosting, stupid. As theĀ “too cool for school” kids at Cupcake Royale are known to say, Legalize Frostitution!

(banana muffins)
banana muffins

(banana cupcakes!)
banana cupcakes! via flickr

For 2008 I resolve …

… to perfect the art of a good pie crust. I thought I was getting good at it. But I’m a bit rusty, and the evidence below clearly shows I am not living up to my potential:

sad looking apple pie via Flickr.com

What brought about the pie baking in the first place, you ask? For Christmas this year the husband gave me the Waitress DVD. We watched last night, and I loved it just as much as I did in the theater. Plus, the film makes you want to bake pies. Of course, the pie I baked in my mind was WAY better that what you see here.

So, my new year’s resolution will be to improve upon my existing pie-making skills. Preferably using our Cuisinart rather than the pastry blender (I am blaming technology on my poor baking skills. It couldn’t possibly be me. I mean, really.)