How to Fake a Birthday Party (Spoiler Alert: Sparkler Cupcakes)

What starts as a real birthday party can sometimes turn into a fake birthday party. It’s ok. It happens. It’ll make lovely photos for a this-is-my-fake-beautiful-life blog post.

I learned a few significant lessons on this day, one of them in reverse:

1. Fake parties are just as enjoyable as real parties.
2. Any fake party can be turned into a real party immediately with the addition of sparklers.

 

Sparklers are so amazing. They fix everything. They are the best.

Tip on sparkler cupcake cakes: Get a few volunteers to help light the sparklers. They take a while to catch, and you don’t want half of them to burn out while you’re lighting the rest.

Another tip on sparkler cupcake cakes: Don’t use too many sparklers. Or you might start your cake on fire.

 

These are my real, beautiful friends in my fake beautiful life. HI GUYS.

 

Stay tuned for the cupcake recipe tomorrow.

 

You’re my,

L

Favorite Shots: This Please, Every Day

Amirite?

All I ever post about is sugar and flowers. This is it. This is the blog in summer.

Who am I kidding? This is always the blog. The blog is this always. This is how the blog always is.

L

Pipe Dream #288: To Get Het Up – Ham n’ Cheese Cornbread

Het: dialect past of heat
First known use: 1909

But which dialect? I am asking myself.

Possibly a Southern dialect? Why do I think that? Because this is a cornbread recipe? Because it sounds like a phrase from To Kill a Mockingbird?

I don’t know how politically correct I am in saying “het up,” and I am actually deeply sorry if I am offending anyone with my words, but that phrase just keeps repeating itself in my mind when I think of this amazingly wonderful savory gooey crispy spicy flavorful cornbread that features chunks of honey-baked ham, gobs of melty cheese and a healthy dose of red pepper flakes for interest.

Mam, I’m gettin’ het up with emotion just remembering it now. It is in my dialect past palate.

This is like a turbo version of those ham n’ cheese oven sandwiches you used to get in school lunch. I think I forgot those existed, and that I loved them until this moment. Most school lunches were terrible. Just another reason I am glad to be an adult. Do you remember chicken patties? Ok, I can’t even talk about that right now. Haha, processed meat is so touchy for me. Good thing this is a baking blog that only features meat occasionally. If you want, you can focus on the CHEESE aspect of this bread/blog instead. See below:

Don’t underbake this if you can help it. I did, and it wasn’t the worst, but it would have looked less sunken and sliced far better if I had minded the times in the recipe and let it cool properly. It’s my second underbaked item this week, sorry guys. It’s like I’ve never baked anything before.

All het up one last time, and now I’ve used up my quota,

L

Ham n’ Cheese Cornbread

Adapted from smitten kitchen

1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (145 grams) yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream (you could likely sub greek yogurt thinned with a bit of milk)
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces diced ham
4 ounces shredded cheese (I used a “Mexican blend” from Target)

Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Generously butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or coat it with a nonstick spray.

Whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, red pepper flakes and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in the ham and cheese. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg, sour cream, buttermilk and olive oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones, mixing until just barely combined. Spread the batter in your prepared pan and bake for 22 to 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.