Happy New Year! And A Cocktail

Medically reviewed by Christiana George Updated Date: June 8, 2023

Hello friends! How was your last week? I just wanted to check in here briefly to let you know that I’m still alive, and well, and enjoying California immensely. Though, by the end of this trip, I’m going to need another vacation so I can unwind from this one. I’m sure many of you can relate.

We’ve been doing a lot of coastal driving, my favorite kind of all. It makes me miss having a car, and the mobility and carefreeness it affords. The photo above (yup, Instagram, because sometimes I just don’t want to lug my camera around) was taken in Fort Bragg, about three-and-a-half hours north of San Francisco. The trees here are shaped by the wind, which is relentless all times of the year, but especially so in the winter. It’s something I’ve missed, the coast, the wind, the ocean, the wildness of it all. I imagine the first settlers to this area trying to make sense of it all, constructing their neat little houses and churches to emulate those places from which they came. I wonder how successful they were.

I’ve also missed the trees. Redwoods are my favorite because they shoot into the sky straight and proud. Can’t get enough of them.

And the reason behind all the driving: we’re trying to find the perfect wedding venue. Apparently we’re kind of picky. Thank god our families love us.

Before I leave, I wanted to share a festive cocktail recipe I shot for Serious Eats that would be great to make tomorrow night. It’s from PDT, a bar whose appeal is heightened by the fact that it’s only accessible through a phone booth in the corner of a hot dog shop in the East Village. I’ve got to admit, there’s something kind of fun about slinking in to a hidden back room, even if the secret’s out. Anyway, they call this the Cranberry Cobbler, and you’ve got to make it with the ice pebbles. Then drink it, quick!

Get the recipe here.

My other favorite drink was the Winter Wassail, an ode to cider. It’s something you would savor, beside a blazing fire maybe. Or radiator. Or whatever.

And finally, dear readers, I just want to thank you all for a great year. This blog has definitely been a defining event of 2012, and I’ve loved all of it.

Happy New Year! See you in 2013.

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Rice Krispie Cupcake Pops

Recipes

Christiana George

Updated Date:
December 17, 2022

Been busy around here with graduations and birthdays. Here is a cute treat I made for my daughter’s class to celebrate her birthday this month. It’s quick, easy, and no bake. Perfect for a summer birthday. And who doesn’t like Rice Krispie treats.

I bought this cute set of cupcake cookie cutters as Walmart, fully intending to bake up some cookies, but I really didn’t want to turn on the oven and heat up the whole kitchen. So I came up with this idea.

You just make a batch of Rice Krispie treats, cut out the cupcake shape and decorate with candy melt. I put mine on popsicle sticks for some extra fun.

I used Wilton #1 decorating tip to outline and fill in the cupcake design.

I really like how they came out and the kids loved them too.

Rice Krispie Cupcake Pops

by The Sweet Chick

Prep Time: 20-30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Keywords: no bake dessert rice krispies birthday Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients (about 12 cupcake pops)

For Rice Krispie Treats

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 package (10 oz.) regular marshmallows or 4 cups of mini marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

For Decorating

2 cups white or pink candy melt wafers
2 cups light or dark chocolate candy melt wafers
1 cup red candy melt wafers
sprinkles

Also needed

cupcake cookie cutter
disposable cake/candy decorating bags
Wilton cake decorating tip #1 (optional)
popsicle sticks

Instructions

1. Melt butter over low heat in a large pot. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until cereal is all coated with the marshmallow/butter.

3. Using a buttered spatula or wax paper, spread the Rice Krispies mixture onto a wax paper on a flat surface or in a greased jelly roll pan till about a half inch thick.

4. Use your cookie cutter to cut out shapes. You should be able to to yield 12 cupcake shapes. Use every last bit of mixture. Just keep compressing it together to cut out your shapes.

5. Place completed cupcakes into the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up before decorating.

6. Meanwhile melt the white/pink candy wafers one cup at a time in the microwave, preferably in a glass container as per instructions on package. ( I use a glass measuring cup, because it makes it easier to pour the melted candy into the decorating bags later.) Dip the popsicle sticks in the candy melt (only a small dab) and insert in the firmed up Rice Krispie cupcakes.

7. Then pour the remainder of the candy melt into a disposable decorating bags. Using a Wilton #1 cake decorating tip or cutting a very small hole in the tip of the decorating bag, outline the frosting part of the cupcake shape on the top of the Rice Krispie treat, then fill in.

8. Carefully add sprinkles to the white/pink candy melt and place cupcakes back in fridge for 5 minutes to harden the candy melt.

9. Next melt the chocolate candy melt and outline and fill in the bottom half of the cupcake design in the same fashion. While the chocolate candy melt is hardening, prepare your red candy melt and pipe on a small red circle on top of the cupcake design for the cherry.

10. You can store the treats in an air tight container for two days at room temperature or in the fridge for up to five days.