National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day- Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcake Recipe

Momma Told Me: You never know what's in store.


Today is the first day in weeks where I've taken a deep breath and felt entirely myself. After weeks of fighting this season's flu, and a few tumultuous days of work and social affairs, I've emerged to that 'New Year's shine' everyone is so buzzing about. I'll admit, I have not been myself these past few weeks; and that did make the holidays rough- but here I am fresh and once again invigorated for all that lies ahead. In fact, we're kicking off 2016 with our first installment of a new blog series covering entirely random, picked at whim, 'National Day of Celebration' posts. Every week in 2016 you can tune into Momma Told Me for a unique recipe or project celebrating something completely arbitrary based on a little known National holiday.

While I so very much wanted to make some Wookiee Cream Puffs for National Science Fiction Day and National Cream Puff Day (January 2, 2016) I only just recovered in time for today's post. It's my hope, as we move through the year, that I will get the scheduling in order enough to share these fun recipes and crafts with you days, if not a week, in advance of the holiday so that you can follow along and celebrate too. I'm a little late to the celebration this week- but these Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcakes will taste just as good any other day of the year as well.

I thought National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day (January 3rd, 2016) was a great fit for this week's feature because they are often associated with seasonal gifting. That is, you see them emerge on shelves early November for the holiday season, and find them appearing in heart shaped boxes come February. Now, there is some debate over what qualifies as a Chocolate Covered Cherry- most argue that cherries simply dipped in chocolate so not count, but we won't fault you for celebrating that if you wish.

Yes, the 'real' chocolate covered cherries are actually a liquor style confection that is actually quite impressive to make. The technique for making such a candy with the perfectly liquid center, and sweet Maraschino core is actually rather frustrating- Believe me, I'll show you some time, I promise. The first Chocolate Covered Cherries, however, were introduced to the modern world in 1929 by Cella's Confections in New York. And the original recipe is still very much alive and in production 85 years later, surprisingly by Tootsie Roll.

When it comes to chocolate covered cherries, themselves, you either love them or hate them. I, personally don't care for liquid, or cream, center chocolates and find the Maraschino cherries featured inside this confection are too syrup sweet for my tastes. But the combination of chocolate and cherry? A classic winner without a doubt. Black Cherry Chip ice cream remains one of my all time favorite 31 Flavors varieties. There's something about the tart bite of real cherry juice that plays up the bittersweet notes of cacao that I find intoxicating.

So, I offer you this Chocolate Covered Cherry cupcake recipe, which reminds me of my Cherry Cola Cupcake recipe- but has an entirely different flavor and sophistication. The secret's in the real Organic tart cherry juice, reduced down to a syrup for a heavenly buttercream frosting that's every bit as surprising as the center of a real chocolate covered cherry. Of course, we added some cherry to the cupcakes as well- but it didn't quite draw out as much beautiful color as I'd liked. In the interest of cutting back on artificial colors, we kept this recipe au-natural.

If a decadent dark chocolate devil's food cherry infused cupcake topped with a mountain of tart cherry buttercream frosting isn't enough we've added a cherry on top (quite literally) with a simple semi-sweet ganache and stemmed Maraschino cherry. I'd made this recipe prior with a  liquor sponge style base- but find this alcohol free variation is just as moist and actually draws the cherry flavor out more than the original.

Does the world really need a Chocolate Covered Cherry day? No- but all of those boxes of cordial cherries sitting on holiday clearance shelves might argue yes. For now, I'm content enjoying the celebration with a foil wrapped and some chocolate crumbs. This would be a wonderful Valentine's recipe *hint, hint* but really, it's just a deliciously fun way to dress up a classic devil's food cake. You can even use the boxed cake mix as a base- I'm not telling! Now dish- Do you like chocolate covered cherries or are you more of a chocolate dipped cherry fan?

What Daughter Says: Life may be like a box of chocolates, but these cupcakes never disappoint!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcakes

***Click here for printable Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcakes recipe.

Spaghetti And Meatballs Cupcakes

Momma Told Me: If you don't stop playing with your food you're going to end up wearing it!

In our family photo album is a snapshot of a strawberry blonde, 2 year old me, in a booster chair that has somehow managed to work it's way out during every first 'dinner with the boyfriend,' throughout my life. There I sit, in nothing but my Pull-Ups alone, smeared head to toe in tomato sauce. The story goes; Momma turned around for but one second and I decided to flip my Barney bowl on top of my head, resulting in a wig made of spaghetti. It's not a moment on film I'm particularly proud of, but it does foster my fond memories of childhood and spaghetti. Honestly, whether you are a fan or not, you can't deny the fun in a dish like Spaghetti and Meatballs.

As you all know, I bake something new each week for my Thursday night bowling league. In the beginning it was an on and off kind of thing- I'd only bring in leftovers from recipes for the blog if I had them on hand. Now I search out specific treats to attempt, and even take requests from my fellow league-mates. Since April Fools just happens to be one of my favorite 'holidays,' I decided, this month, I would make some sweet imitations. What that means for you, my darling readers, is the proceeding 4 weeks of fun and zany 'faux' food concepts being rolled out here on the blog; starting with my Spaghetti + Meatballs cupcakes.

As if spaghetti wasn't a fun enough dish already, these sweet treats are entirely, well, sweet, and have absolutely no 'trick' other than they're playful look. Not only were these a blast to make with some readily available baking items, but I now have the intense desire to stage an entire Lady And The Tramp themed party. Of course these would also be great for any fans of Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, or general Italian food lover's birthday; but we prefer the final option- making them just because.

While I'd love to take credit for being a foodie mastermind, these playful cupcakes are pretty simple to replicate. First, choose whether you want to go the traditional 'white noodle' route, or the more tongue in cheek yellow noodle route and make your cupcakes accordingly. A cream cheese frosting will work great for white or off white noodles, while a few drops of yellow food coloring will give them a more dramatic pop. Place your frosting in a piping bag with a narrow tip and simply zig-zag, swirl, and twist ribbons of icing across the top of your cupcake. For your spaghetti sauce, strawberry jam or preserves will do just fine. (I found preserves have a more rich red color, but tend to require thinning with a little fruit juice.) Plop some 'sauce' atop your noodles and dip a Ferrero Rocher chocolate hazelnut ball in some remaining 'sauce' and set it atop. Shave a white chocolate bar through a cheese grater for Parmesan cheese; it's as simple as that!

Making sweets that look like savory food items is sort of a thing in our household- just ask my father who has received cakes shaped like a sandwich, pizza, hamburger, and more. What favorite dish or meal would you get a kick out of seeing turned into a sweet treat?

What Daughter Says: Maybe you can't get away with playing with your food anymore, but you can enjoy the playful presentation of these cupcakes!

Thin Mint Cupcake Recipe OR Vanessa Delgado + The Bubble Necklace Incident

Momma Told Me: Not everyone's cut out for cookies and campfires!

As a very little girl Momma would tell me about a magical 'exclusive' group of young women who would sell delicious cookies, camp together and earn beautiful badges they wore upon themselves like a beauty queen's sash. These badges, she'd note, were even more important and revered than those of a beauty queen, however, because good little girls earned them through mastering new skills and making friends. Whether it was Momma's own desire to relive a childhood dream of becoming a Girl Scout, or my own genuine enthusiasm, I eventually broke down and began pleading for her sign me up with this 'elite' group.

Even at 6, I could tell Momma was torn. Placing me in the Scouts would require her to relinquish me to another parent for several hours a week, or become a troop mother and host events herself. As a woman who wished to helicopter parent, yet cared little for children other than her own, it was clearly a tough dilemma. This is all to say, just over a year of being enlisted with our local Brownies chapter and Momma was asking me daily if I still wanted to take part. When my enthusiasm didn't wain, she began using the group as an incentive and threat, all at once. If this all sounds sordid, I assure you it's only something I have revisited as an adult and discussed with Momma, looking back. My perspective at the time was much different!

Then, one fateful day, at school, the Friday of our weekly meeting, Momma found the straw she had needed to justify removing me from the program. At recess, playing with my best friend, I swung a plastic bubble wand necklace into the side of her face. Naturally, we had both been twirling the necklaces around by the string, and it had been a complete accident, but the moment tears began a report was made with the principal and I was informed I had sullied myself as a potential future Girl Scout and Momma would be stripping me of my sash.

It was traumatic, and something I discussed with my best friend, yes, the very one I had offended so grievously, at length through the coming weekend. No matter how I pleaded, Momma would not take her decision back. As I well know now, this had much more to do with Momma than myself, but through most of my younger years I was all a bit bitter towards my fellow Scouts about it. I suppose I too, one day, will be a mother trying to relive a chance lost through a child enrolled in such group activities!

Why have I told you this story? Why, because every year I see those green clad girls standing in front of the grocer I feel a twinge of regret for Vanessa Delgado and the Bubble Necklace Incident. And, even though I know there was little I could have done to fight an exhausted mother looking to lighten her load, I feel a twinge of guilt and buy an extra box of Thin Mints for all those Girl Scout Cookies I should have sold!

In the spirit of all things mint instantly tying into the festivities of St Patrick's Day, honoring the return of the Shamrock Shake, and inspired by my favorite Girl Scout cookie, here's perhaps one of the most delicious cupcake recipes I've ever dabbled with! And, while no Thin Mints are actually IN the recipe, you will surely want to pick up a box for comparison- don't forget you can now support your local troop and buy Girl Scout cookies online!  Were you ever a Girl Scout or Troop Mom? Were you one of those who wish you had been?

What Daughter Says:  I may not have been meant to sell them, but I can certainly EAT them!

Thin Mint Cupcakes

****Click here for the printable Thin Mint Cupcakes recipe.