Mini Elvis Sandwich Bites

I had an idea the other day. My boyfriend and I recently moved, which means a housewarming party is in order. A party! With appetizers and snacks and treats and drinks (oh, the drinks!) and all sorts of fun things to plan in the summer. As I was milling about my kitchen, I was trying to come up with some sort of creative mini snack delight. I was in the middle of making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (I know, real mature, ML) and I was thinking about mini PB&Js. Seems cute! But not very exciting. Eventually the mini PB&J idea changed to a mini Elvis sandwich idea.

What's an Elvis sandwich? Traditionally it's a sandwich of peanut butter, banana, honey and bacon... sort of. The inclusion of either bacon or honey is up for grabs. Some places include both. Some places include just honey. I like to think bacon is also a crucial part of that combination, but you will find places that tend to forget that tasty little element. But I digress. So my thinking is, what if this was a mini open-faced Elvis?

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A slice of baguette, toasted. Schmeared with delicious sweet and salty peanut butter. A slice of banana sits on top, then a piece of candied bacon, and then a drizzle (or glob, as in the illustration) of honey and perhaps a sprinkling of sea salt. The order could change, depending on what will hold together best. And the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of chopped pieces of candied bacon instead of a slice, but I was just too lazy to redraw that. Overall, what do you think? Good idea? Bad idea? I probably need to give this a test drive before making a whole slew of them. Although, maybe that's just my excuse to make them sooner. :-)

Lemon Rosemary Polenta Sables, Just Because

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Every now and then I have a cookie idea and go crazy until I get to try it. I saw some ritzy cookies at Katzinger's Deli awhile ago and was oh so tempted to make a purchase. There were two varieties calling my name: polenta pennies and salted rosemary shortbread. However, I also thought "Well, this is dumb. I can do that." No only can I do that, I can yield 3 times the amount by doing it myself. These "polenta pennies" seemed easy enough, your basic butter sable or shortbread cookie injected with texturally fabulous polenta grains. The salted rosemary shortbread? Also a brilliant idea. I love a buttery cookie with a bit of salt, and then aromatic rosemary on top of that? Sure! Why not? So as I stood there, being enticed by the silent but deadly cookies, I was also getting super jazzed about my next baking adventure.

Instead of tackling one cookie at a time, I just combined the two concepts. All the flavors go well together so it seemed like a natural improvement on the originals. Also, I added lemon zest. I'm an absolute sucker for citrus zest in sables. I used my favorite sable recipe from Joy the Baker for the basic recipe, though left out the lime zest from her version (I actually like them better than Martha's, believe it or not). I also reduced the flour, using yellow corn meal in its place. You know what? This is going to get too complicated for a paragraph. Here we go:

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Lemon Rosemary Polenta Sables

Adapted from Joy the Baker's Citrus Sables

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature


1/2 cup granulated sugar


1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar


1 teaspoon salt, preferably sea salt


2 large egg yolks, preferably at room temperature


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow corn meal

zest of 1 lemon

1 tbsp rosemary, ground or finely chopped

For glitzing up the edges:


1 egg yolk

turbinado sugar

Joy does an excellent job of the instructions, so seriously, go check out her post and just adapt the above ingredients. No point in me retyping directions, right? (To be perfectly honest, I'm feeling a bit lazy, too!) I do recommend slicing up a batch for now and saving the other rolled log in the freezer for a later date. I know, you'll have to resist the urge to devour the cookies in a quick minute, but trust me. You never know when you will a) get a random craving again and hallelujah! you're prepared! or b) need an emergency house-warming gift/party contribution/dessert for an event. Have a barbecue to go to all of the sudden? Need something to bring? Well luckily, you have those cookies in the freezer! See what I mean?

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The results are fabulous, especially now that it's spring (when the rain pauses and it heats up beyond 50° anyway). They're the perfect light treat with coffee or tea. Or perhaps an easy way to say "Thanks, Mom!" now that this weekend is Mother's Day! Or maybe even for a Kentucky Derby Party? So get in touch with your butter-lovin' Paula Deen side and make these delicious cookies. Ready, set, go!

30 Before 30: The Recipe To Do List REVISED!

I may have just finished my 30 Before 30: Recipe To Do List! Wait. Hang on. Let me rephrase that. I may have just finished WRITING my Recipe To Do List. Hah. Let's not get ahead of ourselves!

You may remember, I left off at number 24 with room to spare. I've come up with a few additions here and there, but haven't added them yet b/c what's the point of blogging one little list entry at a time? We'll we're ready now. Here is the COMPLETE list (with a few revisions):

1. Mocha Crepe Cake
2. Braised Short Ribs
3. Tiramisu (formerly Red Velvet Funnel Cake*, but I'm feeling a more urgent need for the Tiramisu right now)
4. Chocolate-Covered Caramel Pretzel Cupcakes (I'm excited for this one, and you should be too!)*
5. Meyer Lemon Tart
6. Ginger-infused Limoncello*
7. Croissants, from scratch
8. Chocolate Babka
9. Gordon Ramsey's Raspberry Souffle
10. S'more Cookie Bars
11. My own version of Petit Fours*
12. French 75 cocktail
13. Blackberry Champagne Baklava (Yeah, sounds good, right?)*
14. Ina Garten's Scalloped Tomatoes
15. Mini fruit-filled Kiss Pies (only, w/out using Hershey Kisses. Yuck...)
16. Cuban Potato Balls (inspired by this on Oh Joy!)
17. Caramel Stout Frosting*
18. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake (I'll probably end up altering this, too)
19. Homemade gnocchi
20. Vietnamese Coffee
21. Crunchy crust ice cream bars
22. Ice Cream. Possibly peanut butter... or something...
23. Beef Wellington
24. Mini Grilled Cheese on a Stick
25. Lemongrass Ginger Soda… or popsicles. Whichever comes first.
26. Biscuit Beignets with Strawberry Sauce
27. Upside-down cake (pineapple? peach?)
28. Dinner rolls—good, yeasty, delicious ones—from scratch.
29. Madeleines
30. Blondies (I know, so simple, but it's been YEARS) or Chocolate Pots de Creme... I can't decide

I've already made the French 75 cocktail, and I have a peach upside-down cake ready to blog so I'm off to a good start! But the REAL question is: am I happy with this? Sure, I think so. At least for now. I can always change it... right? But I promise, I'll only change it if it's something I really want to make—I won't cheat!

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30 Before 30 Recipes: French 75

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Remember the 30 Before 30: Recipe To Do List? It's hard to decide where to start. Dip your toe in the shallow end with something quick and easy? Or just jump in head first? All that deliberation can make a girl thirsty, so why not kick it off with a cocktail? The classic French 75, specifically.

"The drink was created in 1915 at the Paris landmark, Harry's New York Bar by barman Harry MacElhone. The combination was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm howitzer artillery piece, also called a "75 Cocktail", or "Soixante Quinze" in French. The French 75 was popularized in America at the Stork Club." - Wikipedia: French 75

Fascinating, right? Okay, maybe not so much but it all starts with gin and champagne, and that's fascinating enough for me! Now that the vintage cocktail revival is finally starting to make it's way mainstream, you can occasionally find them in your local (quality) bar. Or if you're like me and don't want to wait for some bartender to pour one your way, you can use the super simple instructions below to shake one for yourself. This drink packs a wollop; it is not for the faint of heart. If you like your drinks fruity and frilly, then this isn't for you. But if you appreciate old school cocktails with an intriguing flavor combination, then this will not disappoint!

:::The French 75:::

2 oz. gin

1 oz. simple syrup (or 2 tsp. superfine sugar)

1 oz. lemon juice

Brut Champagne or other dry sparkling wine

Shake gin, simple syrup, and lemon juice in cocktail shaker with ice for 10-15 seconds. Strain into glass, and top with champagne (or sparkling wine). And if you want to add a little something extra, garnish with a lemon twist or maraschino cherry. I like the pop of color so I added a cherry (though actually, I don't like maraschino cherries!).

Results? FABULOUS. According to some recipes, this drink can also be made with cognac instead of gin. I've had it both ways and really? They're both delicious. Cognac is much sweeter than gin, so let that decide which route you go.

You know what else is fabulous? The 30 Before 30 Recipe adventure has begun! Oy, I hope I can fit all this in. I'll be updating my list soon so stay tuned! And in the meantime, drink up! ;-)

Oscar Ready: Ruby Red Carpet Cocktail

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Glamour and glitter, fashion and fame! (Thank you, Jem.) It's the OSCARS—the perfect excuse to gild everything you can in gold, drink champagne and fancy cocktails, and wear obnoxious jewelry that weighs you down… unless you're a guy, in which case a bow tie will suffice. :-)

So who's with me? Who's pumped? I may not know much about the nominees, but I do know that I have my predictions filled out and I'm more than excited to hear what Joan Rivers will have to say on Fashion Police tomorrow. Even better, I have an arsenal of schmancy ingredients (sort of) to indulge in a few glamorous cocktails.

Champagne (or sparkling wine) is a must, but I'm planning on kicking off festivities with this exquisite gem: the Ruby Red Carpet Cocktail. It's delicious and incredibly simple. What more could you want?

Ruby Red Carpet Cocktail

• 2-3 ice cubes

• 1 ounce gin

• 1 ounce Campari

• Top off with ruby red grapefruit juice (approx 2-3 ounces)

Pour ingredients in a cocktail shaker, shake it like you mean it for about 10 seconds, and pour into your most fabulous glass. See? Easy. And no, the photo does not display my most fabulous glass, but it is the easiest to photograph. ;-)

I'm always a sucker for Campari, a sweet, herbal, citrus-y appertif with a gorgeous red color. And then there's gin—I'm a gin girl 100%. The gin and Campari complement each other beautifully, then the sour, fruity grapefruit juice just blends right in (in a good way, of course!). If you're not a gin fan like I am, you can use vodka. It would also be delicious with cognac, but the flavor of cognac may get lost when paired with Campari's strong presence. Just depends on what you're going for.

If you want to take the cocktail one step further, switch out the grapefruit for one ounce of sweet vermouth—you'll have my absolute favorite drink, the classic Italian Negroni.

So tell me—anyone else have Oscar plans? Fun drinks on the menu? Appetizers, perhaps? Or just a fun party theme? I'd love to hear about it—I'm always looking for ways to inject a little fabulousity into my every day life and the Oscars are just the time to do it.

Valentine's Day Recap. Cupcakes Galore!

I won't bore you with the stories of the Valentine's Day cupcakes because, luckily, everything went smoothly. Instead I'll just give you a quick photo recap. That way I can start talking about other fun stuff. Like swirls and sprinkles. No idea what that means? Never fear—you'll find out soon enough. :-)

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Mint leaves used as garnish on the chocolate-covered strawberry cupcakes.

Pink malt ball toppers for red velvet-vanilla malt cupcakes.

Boxed up and ready to go!

Red velvet cupcakes with vanilla malt frosting—a lush classic!

Chocolate-covered strawberry cupcakes: strawberry cake, strawberry frosting, dipped in ganache and garnished with a mint leaf.

Superbowl Party Perfect Dips.

I would like to interrupt your regularly scheduled Valentine's Day offer to talk about my latest idea. PARTY DIPS!! As you may have heard, there's this thing called the Superbowl. People tend to celebrate this event with a party. You know what'd be perfect for that party? These insanely tasty party dips. Check it out.

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So what's the deal? Each dip is an 8 ounce tub layered with delicious Sugarlush confections.

[1] Salted Caramel Pretzel Dip: A thick layer of salted caramel frosting, a thin layer of cream cheese, topped with ooey gooey chocolate ganache. It's amazing on pretzels, but perfect on just about anything.

[2] Vanilla Strawberry Cookie Dip: Two classic flavors joined at the hip for one delicious dip! Vanilla malt frosting is topped with strawberry puree. Inspired by a Nilla Wafer fiend, but also great for graham crackers, shortbread, ginger snaps, the list goes on and on!

Each tub is $6. Pick-up is required on Sunday, February 6th before 4pm. Want to order? Send me an email. All orders must be placed by END OF DAY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4th! If you have any questions, you know how to reach me.

Want to download the PDF with information? Click here and hit "download."

You're dreaming of these now, aren't you? Salty pretzels with caramel and chocolate… sweet Nilla Wafers covered in vanilla malt frosting and strawberry goodness… Oh yes. Don't hold back. Be the hit of your party and be a lush!

VALENTINE'S DAY 2011 SPECIAL!

click image to see full-size

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The Valentine's Day Special is back!

Here's the deal. Like it says, $10 for one box of 6 (that's a half-dozen) cupcakes. There are two flavor combo options:

[1] Strawberry cupcake with strawberry frosting, dipped in chocolate

[2] Red velvet cupcake with vanilla malt frosting

You choose either one flavor combo, or opt for the popular "3 & 3" box. You pick them up on Saturday, February 12 between 2pm-4pm. That way you can enjoy them all weekend long!

Want to order? OF COURSE you do. Send me an email at sugarlushcupcakes@gmail.com.

Orders must be made by THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3rd! That's NEXT WEEK, PEEPS! I take cash & Paypal. I'll send out Paypal invoices so both of us have a record of your order and payment status, but feel free to pay with cash if you prefer (just let me know that that's how you plan to pay).

Sounds good? Have any questions? If so, you know how to reach me. Ready? Set... Order! XOXO ;-)

PS: In case you want a recap of last year's goods, read this post.