Red Velvet Cupcakes

My sister made red velvet cupcakes as our family’s 4^th of July treat.  This is exciting because not only is this cake, but it’s cake made with an egg.  That means that it didn’t fall apart when I took a bite! That means I was able to enjoy the whole cupcake (and then another one!) without worrying how much of a mess I was making, how many crumbs were stuck to my chin and my shirt.  (Or maybe I just didn’t care about the mess because it was so delicious!)

There isn’t any way to describe these cupcakes without using the very words its name: RED VELVET.  They are RED – not stoplight red, but an enticing red, a crushed VELVET RED – subtle, yet mysterious enough to draw you in, tempt you take another look.  And they are VELVET to the taste too – smooth, not overpowering like some chocolate cakes are.  My sister said they are “chocolate, but not chocolately chocolate.”

And she’s right; red velvet cupcakes are the perfect balance of chocolate and sugary cake. And my sister, the culinary goddess that she is, topped them off with sweet butter cream (soy free!) icing, complete with blue sprinkles. Yet another reason to celebrate the red, white, and blue.

Birthday Brownies

My mother-in-law made me her famous brownies for my birthday.  I didn’t think I liked chocolate until now.  These brownies were so delicious that I think they would make anyone a believer in the emotional healing powers of chocolate.  Hard day at work?  One  of these brownies will make you forget that work exists.  Headache? One of these tasty morsels will completely cure it.  (OK, so this isn’t scientifically proven, but I like to believe it anyway!)

Has anything ever made you want to curl into your own toes and just stay there to revel in the bliss?  The sweet taste of sugar mixed with a bit of butter flavor along with the deep, richness of this chocolate brownie will do it.  It’s bliss from the taste buds to the toes.

Whoever invented the brownie is a culinary genius.  My mother-in-law is a culinary genius for adding her special touch on a delightful dessert.

(All brownies were eaten before I could snap a picture!  The brownie may be an endangered species rarely left alone on a plate and rarely captured on film.)