Betty Crocker-me-up

I've been living here in the grand old U.S. of A for just over a year now and I'm really get into the swing of these 'holidays'. As a Brit, back home in London 'Christmas' (which we basically refer to everything that happens been the end of November and the beginning of January) means going out drinking after work with colleagues and friends several times a week, going into the office a little later than usual the following morning, all leading up to a few days of eating and drinking non-stop with your family. The same is true over here but I think people take more pride in it all over here, perhaps taking it all a little more seriously and literally too.

When I think of 'Christmas' back home - I think of... booze, parties, turkey, chocolate, more booze, family, more booze, left overs and that's it. Maybe with some Christmas music and shopping thrown into the mix.

Over here in New York the 'holiday season' takes on a whole new meaning. It's more structured, there seams to be more meaning to all too. We went to see 'THE tree' outside the Rockefeller center. We put up our Christmas decorations on Dec 1st, on the spot. People write Christmas cards to each other, every one seems to do it! Ice skating rinks have popped up all over the City, the stores are covered literally all over in Christmas lights.

I don't know, maybe the grass is just greener over here.  The same sort of things happened each Christmas back home in England but I feel that over here I'm more at ease 'getting into the holiday swing'.

Anyway, on to the title of this blog post, we're having a Christmas party this weekend. A proper friends over for dinner and drinks with a Christmas theme, Christmas party. While this would usually just have me making sure there are a few crates of beer in the kitchen and a big bowl of crisps (potato chip, sorry! ;) for everyone to snack on we're going all out, taking it pretty seriously in comparison and what's more... I AM taking it very seriously!! I'm finding myself totally caught up in it all.

So...

Betty Crocker-me-up? Yes. I'm baking. Baking like it's my mission to feed the masses with sweet cakes and mouth watering frosted covered STUFF. Here's my first attempt at cupcakes... Pumpkin Spice cupcakes with vanilla cream-cheese frosting with white chocolate drops and they are AWESOME.

They were so good, I'm chuffed to bits that I actually managed to pull them off. First attempt!!

I can't take the praise though. I came across this awesome blog called Patent and the Pantry (check her out at http://patentandthepantry.wordpress.com/). This girl can cook!! (Plus her red shoes look rude, I like them... might get me some of those for Miss Musical!! ;)

Anyway, Mrs P. Pantry clearly knows her way around the kitchen and I'm hooked...

The first pumpkin and apple cupcakes are Mrs Pantry's, well basically. I've tweaked them a little just to see what happens. And the other couple of ideas she has totally inspired me to come up with... For our Christmas party this weekend I'm going to try making:

1. MORE pumpkin spice cupcakes with vanilla cream-cheese frosting
2. Red velvet cupcakes with a white chocolate frosting
3. Rocky Road cupcakes - chocolate sponge filled with marshmallow with a chocolate graham cracker and chocolate chip filled peppermint chocolate frosting.... *drool*
4. Apple spice cupcakes with an apple crumble flavoured cream-cheese frosting.

Plus, having just gone back to Patent and Pantry to make sure I got the web address correct, I saw Egg Nog Sugar Cookies?! WHAT?! HELL YES I'll be trying to make these too....!!!!

BRING

IT

ON