Tea Party & World Travel

I just so happen to have a wonderful group of friends that gets together once a month for themed dinner parties. As much as I'd like to dress up like a dinosaur or in a Princess Leia costume, this is more of a regional theme. Last month was Mexican (if you remember those deliciously light & tart margarita cupcakes I made), but this month was Asian. And the moment the e-mail went out that it was Asian themed, I just knew I would to finally re-use the matcha powder that has been sitting in my pantry for ages!

Lucky for me, that means a deliciously light and earthy cupcake. Which, if you didn't know, is code for "you better have one helluva frosting!" And lucky for me, my experiences with the Asian culture have left me with one major bit of knowledge: all sweets include coconut. Whether it be the flesh or the milk, it's used in almost every Asian dish that I love. So, I opted for a honey coconut frosting. And wow. Just...wow. The cupcakes were a huge hit at the dinner party, and since I ended up with so much left over frosting, I got to practice my rose piping on a plate. And the rest of it was a huge hit with my boyfriend and the spatula. No judgement, it really was that good!

This was the beautiful outcome of my rose piping practice. Not bad for a first timer.

And here we have the lovely cupcakes, all lined up and piped just right.

I couldn't resist the perfect opportunity to top each cupcake with a fortune cookie! After all, what better way to end a night than with talks of success, love, and life?

Oh, and did I mention I leave for Argentina TOMORROW?? I'm going with Belmont University's MBA program, and I couldn't be more thrilled. The trip is being led by the infamous Dr. Jeff Cornwall. I'm beyond excited to see Buenos Aires, eat gelato and alfajores, tour the VW plant, and pick the brain of one of the most talented entrepreneurs in Nashville. Not to mention, I've already found a few local bakeries nearby - like you had any doubts!

Lucky for my class, I baked these last week for our pre-trip meeting. Classic alfajores, light shortbread cookies filled with sweet and sticky dulce de leche. Mmmm, mm! See y'all in a week!