Let the good times roll! As we approach Mardi Gras, that’s the cry that millions of party goers will be yelling in the streets of New Orleans. The parades, the King Cakes and the beads.

Everyone I know has a “story” about the time they visited New Orleans and most of them include Bourbon Street, an alligator, a BAB (Big Ass Beer), a hooker and Pat O’Brien’s. I’ve got a few stories too. I spent Y2K New Year’s Eve in the Big Easy and let me tell you there was nothing easy about that night! But that’s night time.

Catch NOLA in the daytime and the city is very romantic and oozing with history. One of my favorite traditions is visiting Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter at Jackson Square. Lines wrap around this outdoor coffee stand for days with patrons waiting for a Cafe Au Lait and a Beignet.

A can of Cafe Du Monde chicory coffee has been in my pantry for months. I brewed up a pot awhile back, not remembering how strong the flavor of chicory is/was.

The strong flavor of the chicory I thought would be perfect in a chocolate cupcake with a subtle vanilla buttercream frosting to help the cake not be too overwhelming. What makes this cupcake extra special is the fresh powered sugar covered beignet on top.

Besides the mess from frying the beignet, I think I worked out a great cheat.

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez Cupcakes
Original recipe from PrissyCook!

For the cupcake:
Take one box of Devil’s food cake mix and substitute one cup of strongly brewed Cafe Du Monde coffee. Bake according to the directions.

For the frosting:
Take one container of vanilla buttercream prepared frosting and add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix well.

For the beignet:
Fry according to the directions on the box. I prepared a 1/4 of the recipe and more than enough to top each cupcake.

Cupcake Hero January: Coffee

Fa-la-la-la! Do you think there is such a thing as Christmas Song Attention Deficit Disorder? Baking away today I’d find myself singing one song and before I knew it I was on a totally different song.

But it’s not a bad thing to have happy songs running through your head. For two days in a row we (in Phoenix) had temperatures that were in the 60s. It’s Holiday-time Folks! Yippee!

Peppermint was the flavor of the day.

Peppermint Mocha Bark

Crushed candy canes, to yield 1 cup
1 pounds semi-sweet chocolate
Peppermint flavorings, optional

Place candy canes in a plastic bag and hammer into 1/4-inch chunks or smaller. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Combine candy cane chunks with chocolate (add peppermint flavoring at this point if desired.) Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet layered with parchment or waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or until firm. Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces (like peanut brittle.)

To make the Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes I made a mocha cake recipe from Hey There Cupcake, used a white frosting and placed a piece of bark on each cupcake.

On another note, I got a new phone. I’m not too much of a gadget girl. I had my last phone for two years and would still have the one before that, but everyone kept calling me Zack Morris because it was huge. This phone has a pretty good camera. I couldn’t help but capture this picture this morning. Remember we got the dogs new beds and they were having a hard time figuring out that they’re supposed to actually LAY on the bed. Bidi is getting closer, but she’s not there yet.