Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! To all of you who share Irish blood with me you know the importance of this day for commemorating our heritage. For all of you who don't have Irish blood flowing through your veins, this is a grand holiday for you as well! Good food, good drinks, good friends are the three main staples of this holiday and what could be better than that? O I know, 
maybe the holiday not coinciding with the middle of finals week? (But I'm sure that won't stop most Santa Barbarians)
When I was younger, it was my goal every year to catch a leprechaun. I wanted to find the end of the rainbow and steal his pot of gold. I have yet to be so lucky. But that's not stopping me from pursuing my goal... I will find that little green man one day! One of my good friends always set elaborate traps around her house; she was really creative about it too. But those little man are tricky rascals and have eluded her for years. So this year I decided to take another course of action. Instead of trying to capture a leprechaun by setting a trap with gold coins, I've decided to use scrumptious sweets to entice him.
Maybe his sweet tooth is as big as mine and he won't be able to resist a good cupcake. So in honor of my heritage, I decided to make St. Patty's day carrot cupcakes! I think the orange color of the cupcake and the bright green icing is fitting for the day. It reminds me of an Irish man wearing a green hat. Okay, I'm not stereotyping Irish people, I'm Irish and I don't have red hair. However, that's the image recalled for a lot of people-- BRIGHT RED FUZZY HAIR! Think of Harry Potter's Weasley's... vibrant red hair. And I'm not hating, my grandmother's hair was red when she was younger and she's beautiful, not to mention Irish.
Because my brain is fried from writing a paper about the domestication of cacao, I will leave you with this final thought. The Irish have it right. There's so much good food, beer, and fun that is associated with the Irish culture who could not go out and enjoy March 17. Happy St. Patty's everyone!
maybe the holiday not coinciding with the middle of finals week? (But I'm sure that won't stop most Santa Barbarians)
When I was younger, it was my goal every year to catch a leprechaun. I wanted to find the end of the rainbow and steal his pot of gold. I have yet to be so lucky. But that's not stopping me from pursuing my goal... I will find that little green man one day! One of my good friends always set elaborate traps around her house; she was really creative about it too. But those little man are tricky rascals and have eluded her for years. So this year I decided to take another course of action. Instead of trying to capture a leprechaun by setting a trap with gold coins, I've decided to use scrumptious sweets to entice him.Maybe his sweet tooth is as big as mine and he won't be able to resist a good cupcake. So in honor of my heritage, I decided to make St. Patty's day carrot cupcakes! I think the orange color of the cupcake and the bright green icing is fitting for the day. It reminds me of an Irish man wearing a green hat. Okay, I'm not stereotyping Irish people, I'm Irish and I don't have red hair. However, that's the image recalled for a lot of people-- BRIGHT RED FUZZY HAIR! Think of Harry Potter's Weasley's... vibrant red hair. And I'm not hating, my grandmother's hair was red when she was younger and she's beautiful, not to mention Irish.
Because my brain is fried from writing a paper about the domestication of cacao, I will leave you with this final thought. The Irish have it right. There's so much good food, beer, and fun that is associated with the Irish culture who could not go out and enjoy March 17. Happy St. Patty's everyone!
Carrot Cake
(adapted from a recipe by Allysa Torey)
Preheat oven to 350
Line 1 cupcake tin with 12 cupcake papers
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted)
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup packed shredded carrots
3/4 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In a large bowl beat together the melted butter and sugar (on medium if using an electric mixer). Add the egg and vanilla and beat until think and light yellow. Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients and beat until they are well incorporated. Stir in carrots, apple sauce, and walnuts. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tooth pick in the center comes out clean.
Buttercream Icing
1/2 stick unsalted softened butter1/4 cup milk
3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Beat the butter until smooth. Add 2 cups of the sugar and beat until well combined. Add the milk and vanilla and beat for 2-4 minutes. Gradually add the rest of the sugar until you reach a consistency that is thick enough to frost the cupcakes. Stir in the food coloring.
P.S. I'm going to keep searching for a leprechaun and his gold!
-Caroline
P.S. I'm going to keep searching for a leprechaun and his gold!
-Caroline
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