Since I started doing classic cocktails on Fridays people have inquired if there were certain ones I’d made. Some, like the martini I had already done and others, like the sazerac, I hadn’t. Of course when asked about a certain cocktail that I had yet to post, I made it my mission to try and get that post up as soon as possible. The sazerac was one, and this Moscow Mule was another. I hadn’t done a sazerac because I had never heard of it before. But the reason it took me this long to do a Moscow Mule was because I didn’t have the cup necessary to make the cocktail. While it’s true you can use a high ball glass for this drink, I wanted the classic copper mug for the photo. I have the man who asked me about the cocktail, Mitch Allen, to thank for the cup. See, he had a few and was nice enough to send me one.

The Moscow Mule was created in the mid-40′s when two men, John G. Martin and Jack Morgan, came up with a brainstorm. See, before 1940 gin was the only clear alcohol available in the states. Then vodka came on the scene but didn’t sell well. Martin was a distributor for the alcohol and was sitting in the Cock ‘n’ Bull bar in Hollywood commiserating with the bar’s owner, Morgan, who also had a drink he was having trouble selling, his ginger beer. They decided to put the two liquors together with a little lime juice and serve the drink in a copper mug. Then Martin made his way around the country’s bars selling not only his new concoction, but Smirnoff vodka as well. It was actually this cocktail that finally made vodka popular in America.

And it’s no wonder since the drink is ridiculously easy to make: you only need three ingredients and it’s perfect any time of year. So if you’re looking for something a little more refreshing, but aren’t in the mood for the rum-based Cuba Libre, try the Moscow Mule instead.

Moscow Mule

Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

• 1/2 ounce lime juice
• 2 ounces vodka
• 4 – 6 ounces ginger beer

Directions:

1. Pour the lime juice into a copper mug (or high ball glass). Add a few ice cubes. Pour in the vodka. Top with ginger beer, garnish with a lime wedge and serve.

If you know anything about me you know I love cheese. Soft cheeses, hard cheeses, even those cheese slices wrapped in cellophane. Yes, it’s true I do like those Kraft slices, please don’t judge me. But back to the cheese. I love trying new cheeses on their own and also creating recipes with those cheeses. So when the Italian company behind Grana Padano contacted me and asked if I’d like to sample their cheese, I responded with a resounding YES! And guess what? About a week ago I got two big blocks of cheese.

I received the Grana Padano and the Riserva. The Grana Padano has been aged for 10 months and is better for sauces and gratin dishes or shaving over a plate of carpaccio. The Riserva which is aged twice as long, for 20 months, is best grated over pastas and soups like minestrone.

Since I received my two blocks, I’ve been using them in everything. Both the Grana Padano and the Riserva are hard cheeses much like Parmesan or Gruyere, so it’s not really the kind of cheese you have on a cracker. Instead it’s best grated over pasta or melted in a risotto. If you do like to have cheese by itself as an appetizer or dessert, I’d recommend taking it out of the fridge about an hour before you plan on serving it. Then slice and serve with figs, apples or even olives. It was delicious!

Since I thoroughly enjoy combining cheese and fruit, I decided to create an appetizer that would be an easy snack for a few friends, but fancy enough to make for a nice dinner party. Dying to try this cheese, but worried the only way to get it is by traveling to Italy? Don’t fret. Turns out the blocks are available at Whole Foods, Costco or online. That way you too can indulge in this wonderfully delectable dairy product and these evil little blankets.

Cheesy Apricots in Blankets

Ingredients:

• 8 sheets filo dough, thawed
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, melted
• 24 dried apricots (or 12 fresh apricots, seeded and halved)
• 1/2 cup grated Riserva Grana Padano
• 2 tablespoons honey

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Slice each pastry sheet lengthwise so you have 2 rectangles. Brush each piece with butter, then layer another sheet on top. Fold the pastry in half lengthwise.
3. Lay 2 dried or fresh apricots end to end at one end of the of the pastry. Sprinkle with 1-2 teaspoons of grated cheese. Roll apricots and cheese up in filo and place, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining filo dough, apricots and cheese until you have 12 apricot filled blankets.
4. Brush each blanket with butter and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Drizzle honey over each appetizer and serve.

One of my favorite salads of all time is the Greek salad. I’m a big fan because my version doesn’t have lettuce… of any kind. It has heirloom tomatoes, Japanese cucumbers and lots and lots of feta cheese. I then top the whole thing with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It’s a delicious summer lunch, especially when packed inside a piece of pita bread. I can’t get enough of this salad and it’s definitely healthier than a deli sandwich.

I didn’t think anything could top my Greek salad until Sunset Magazine suggested turning that salad into a pasta dish. It still had all the things I love about the salad, but now it was on top of spaghetti. I’d never thought about turning my salad into a dinner dish. I’d always been satisfied eating it for lunch. But thanks to Sunset,  I now have a dinner that’s just as easy as my favorite lunch recipe.

If you’re a big fan of Greek salad, give this pasta version I made for She Knows a try. Who knows maybe it’ll become one of your favorite dinner dishes too.

And if you’re looking for other dinner recipes for the week, check out my Saturday wrap up. They’re all good, this Greek Chicken Spaghetti just happens to be last week’s favorite.

The Angel’s Kiss. I’ve been wanting to make this cocktail for awhile. But since “kiss” is in the name I thought the drink deserved to be saved for the holiday that’s all about kissing. The fact that it’s made of chocolate, cream and cherries, makes it the perfect dessert cocktail for Valentine’s Day, don’t you think?

Now you may wonder why I have two of them here. Well because depending on how you’re feeling you may want the “nice” version or the “naughty” version. Yes, it’s true. Just like all of us there are two sides to this drink. Sometimes we want to be a little bit nicer and sometimes, especially the later the evening gets, we want to be a little bit more naughty. So for early in the evening why not start with the White Angel which is made with light cremé de cacao and toward the end of the evening when things start to get hot and heavy, end with the angel’s evil twin by drinking the Dark Angel, which, you guessed it, is made with dark cremé de cacao.

Although it’s been difficult for me to find a lot of history on this cocktail, I can tell you it dates back to at least the Prohibition and was one of the more popular after dinner drinks. Since it’s so sweet and made with chocolate liqueur, it would also sometimes act as the dessert itself. And with a float of heavy cream, and a cherry on top are you surprised? Nope, me neither.

White Angel’s Kiss

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 ounces white cremé de cacao
• 3/4 ounce heavy cream
• 1 maraschino cherry

Directions:

1. Pour the cremé de cacao in a cocktail glass.
2. Carefully float the heavy cream on top, garnish with a maraschino cherry and sip to your heart’s content.

Dark Angel’s Kiss

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 ounces dark cremé de cacao
• 3/4 ounce heavy cream
• 1 Maraschino cherry

Directions:

1. Pour the cremé de cacao in a cocktail glass.
2. Carefully float the heavy cream on top, garnish with a maraschino cherry and sip to your heart’s content.

It’s Valentine’s Day next week and that means your mailbox is probably going to be full of red envelopes, heart-shaped cards, chocolate and flowers. While I like chocolate any time of the day or night 365 days a year, next Tuesday is the day when chocolate sales seem to go through the roof. And why not? The sweet treat seems to put a smile on everyone’s face whether they’re single or in a relationship. And the varieties are endless: you could get a heart-shaped box filled with the little goodies, you could have a rich, thick mousse, entice a loved one with chocolate covered strawberries or simply devour a pan of homemade brownies. I’ve had each and every one of these options on Valentine’s Days over the years. But my favorite is always something homemade.

While my go-to chocolate recipe is usually brownie based, I’ve been wanting to try and make whoopie pies for awhile. I’d seen several recipes on blogs and in magazines and everyone always talks about how much better the homemade version is vs. the store bought version, so I thought what the hell? Now seemed as good a time as any to make a batch. Plus if I made my own, I could fill them with whatever flavored cream I desired. Sure the standard is a white marshmallow cream, but who says that’s the only option? No one! I mean, the plain marshmallow cream is awesome, but a strawberry or cherry flavored cream would be heavenly. And since both fruits go so well with chocolate they seemed like the perfect choice for a Valentine’s Day dessert.

But I didn’t just want to make your basic chocolate cookie with red cherry flavored frosting. I wanted to do something adult special with it. I still had all that maraschino liqueur from when I made my Maraschino Cherries, and since I knew I wanted to use cherries in my creamy filling, why not give that cherry flavor a little kick? It was the perfect combination and the perfect grownup treat to share with that special someone.

Maraschino Whoopie Pies

Ingredients:

For the pies:

• 1-2/3 cup flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/4 cups milk

For the filling:

• 1-1/2 cups marshmallow fluff
• 1-1/4 cups vegetable shortening
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons Maraschino liqueur
• 2-4 drops red food coloring (depending how pink you want your filling)

Directions:

For the pies:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, shortening and brown sugar until just combined. Increase speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture and milk, alternating between the two until both are in the bowl and combined.
5. Drop the batter with a spoon onto the baking sheets, spacing at least 1 inch apart, as the cookies will spread. Bake one sheet at a time for 10 minutes or until pies spring back when pressed gently. Let the pies cool for 10 minutes.

For the filling:

1. In a medium bowl beat together the fluff and shortening for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
2. Add the sugar, maraschino liqueur and food coloring and beat until well combined and the filling is a nice pink color.

To assemble:

1. Spread the filling on the flat side of 1 pie. Lay a second pie on top and press together so it becomes a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining pies and filling. Serve.

A little over a year ago I started working for Sheknows.com writing a daily dinner column called “Tonight’s Dinner”. I’ve had such a good time writing for them and creating these recipes, I thought I’d start sharing some of my favorites with you.  From now on every Monday I will pick my favorite recipe from the previous week and share the adventure I had in creating it.

As some of you may know, I’m a huge Top Chef fan.  As a fan, I not only love watching the chefs bicker over what they’re going to make, I adore watching them create recipes out of whatever they can find in the kitchen that day. Every so often one of the cheftestants makes something so interesting, I have to make it myself; and that’s exactly what happened a few weeks ago when Sarah made an Amarone Risotto with lamb heart for Charlize Theron. I’d never had risotto with red wine before, and since I love risotto, I just had to make it.  Although the end result was delicious, I did hit a couple snags while recreating it.

First, I had no idea where to get lamb’s heart. Since I don’t know of a butcher in the area I decided to forgo the lamb’s heart and go with a shellfish instead. There may not be a local butcher, but there is Captain Kidd’s – a wonderful fish market just a mile or so from my house which is where I purchase all my seafood. They’re very knowledgeable, so if I’m ever unsure of what fish to use or how to prepare it, they’re ready and willing to answers all my questions.  This visit was no different. I told the man behind the counter I was making a red wine risotto and didn’t know what shellfish to use. I was thinking shrimp but they seem to pair better with white wine. He agreed and told me clams were absolutely the way to go. I followed his advice, bought two pounds of clams and added them to the dish.

The first snag taken care of, I went to tackle the second issue: where on earth to get an Amarone wine… after I discover what the hell Amarone wine is, of course. I knew it was a red wine based on the blood red color of Sarah’s risotto, but I didn’t know if it was in the Merlot family or the pinot family. Turns out it’s neither. Amarone uses the same grapes that are used to make Valpolicella. But the reason it’s an Amarone and not a Valpolicella is because the fruit that’s used is harvested early and then left in boxes for a few months to dry out. The grapes actually turn into raisins and it’s those raisins that are then crushed and fermented to make the wine. It’s a delicious wine but this process also makes it a very expensive wine. The average price of a bottle runs at least 50 dollars. Since I wasn’t about to spend that much money on a bottle of wine I was going to use to cook with, I opted for an Allegrini Palazzo della Torre which dries only half of it’s fruit. The benefit of using this wine was I got a similar tasting wine for about half the cost.

Both snags taken care of, I was able to create a risotto similar to Sarah’s that you can find here. It tasted amazing and made me want to make it again and again.

I know I normally do cocktails on Fridays, but Sunday is the Super Bowl and I thought a beer drink would be more suitable than a cocktail made with hard alcohol. While most people drink beer out of the bottle during football season, there are those that choose to consume the elixir from a nice pilsner glass. Drinking the beer from a glass allows you to not only enjoy a good draft beef, but also allows the drinker to have those specialty drinks like a Black and Tan.

A Black and Tan is probably one of the simplest drinks to mix together as it’s half Bass Pale Ale and half Guinness. That’s all there is to it… which is why it tends to be one of the more popular drinks found in bars and pubs across the world.

The Black and Tan has a long history. It’s been around since the late-1800′s and was created in English pubs by combining a porter and a pale ale. While most Americans hear “Black and Tan” and think of the drink and its color combination, the Irish hear the term and think of something else entirely: the English paramilitary soldiers recruited by the British government around 1920 to help put down the Irish uprising that led to the Irish War of Independence.  The soldiers were called black and tans because their uniforms were a mix of black and tan khaki. They were accused of some of the worst atrocities of the Irish War of Independence, including burning villages, torture, abduction and political murder.

No matter what you think of when you hear the term Black and Tan, it’s still a delicious drink that deserves to be consumed on game day. Even better, it’s definitely classier than that same old bottle of Bud.

Black and Tan

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces pale ale (such as Harps or Bass)
• 8 ounces stout (such as Guinness)

Directions:

1. Pour the pale ale into a chilled pilsner glass. Gradually pour the stout on top and serve.

If you know anything about me, you know that I love chocolate. It doesn’t matter if it comes in ice cream, cake, brownie or bar. If it’s chocolate (dark or milk) I’m devouring it. My favorite chocolate dessert though is the brownie, hands down. So when I find new recipes for brownies, I run right out and get the chocolate I need to make the little bars. (That is if I don’t already have the chocolate sitting on the shelf.)

Well a week or so ago, a very good friend of mine delivered some recipes that she thought I’d like to sample. One of the recipes were for stout brownies. Brownies made with beer. I’ve always heard that cakes and cupcakes made with stout make the chocolate richer and the cake fudgier.  Because a heavier beer is being used, the chocolate isn’t nearly as sweet, giving it more of a dark chocolate flavor which makes me a very happy chocoholic.

Anyway, I’d heard about stout chocolate cake or brownies and I’d been wanting to make them, but never had a reason. Well, as I’m sure you know, Sunday is the Super Bowl. A day that’s dedicated to football, beer and men screaming at the TV. So what better time to make brownies that are beer based than on a day that’s all about football and beer? I couldn’t think of one.

The brownies sounded amazing. But they included a chocolate beer glaze. I thought that much chocolate and beer was just too much. Even for me. So in order to make the brownies really resemble a mug of stout, I decided to top them with a vanilla buttercream frosting. If you’ve ever ordered a glass of Guinness you know the mug is three-quarters black stout and one quarter white head. The white frosting would simulate the head perfectly. Yes, it’d be much sweeter than your standard head of beer, but it’d look the part and actually cut the richness of the brownie. It was perfect. And better yet, delicious.

Stout Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup stout (like Guiness)
• 14 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, divided
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsps vanilla, divided
• 1/2 cup pastry flour
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 inch metal pan with parchment paper.
2. Boil stout in a medium sauce pan and cook until reduced to a half cup.
3. Stir together the chocolate and 2 sticks of butter in a double boiler until melted and smooth.
4. Whisk together the sugar, eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the chocolate and stout until combined. Fold in the flour and salt. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let cool.
5. While the brownies cool, beat together the remaining stick of butter, powdered sugar and remaining teaspoon of vanilla until smooth and creamy.
6. Once the brownies are cooled, frost the brownies with the vanilla frosting, cut and serve.

I’m a big fan of bourbon. But having tried numerous different kinds over the past year due to all the different cocktails I’ve concocted, I’ve come to discover that so far Woodford Reserve is my favorite. Now I know there are plenty more out there that I have yet to try, but this is what I’ve discerned thus far. Why am I talking about different kinds of bourbon? Because the type of bourbon you use makes all the difference in the drink you’re mixing up. If you don’t like the bourbon, chances are you’re not gonna like the drink. So no matter what drink you’re making, be sure you like the alcohol you’re using.

I made this discovery this week when I created my very first Whiskey Sour. It was just too strong for me and I really don’t believe it had anything to do with the cocktail itself. Others that tasted the drink (my husband and mother-in-law) both loved it. But I felt the drink was just too strong for my palate. In case you haven’t guessed, I did not use Woodford. I was out of Woodford (which I need to remedy ASAP). So I used Blanton’s because that’s what we had. This is the third or fourth time I’ve used the Blanton’s and I gotta tell you, not one of my favorite bourbons. I couldn’t tell you why exactly, just that it’s not for me.

Now, that’s not to say the Whiskey Sour is not a great drink. As with all my cocktails, this one is a classic. And anything that’s been around for over 100 years can’t be all bad. But as with your favorite brownie or chocolate chip cookie, everyone has their preferred chocolate to use. And everyone (including myself) believe that their specific chocolate makes their brownie or cookie better than all the others. So if you’re a fan or Bulleit or Blanton’s or another bourbon I haven’t heard of (and I’m sure there are many) then use that to make this fantastic drink.

The Whiskey Sour is a smooth cocktail that’s definitely not for the weak. It may have a serious kick, but the tart flavor from the lemon juice make it the perfect choice this time of year when citrus can be found at every corner grocery store. You could use grapefruit, limes or even oranges in this cocktail. But if you want the original, then lemons are absolutely the way to go.  While it’s true the Whiskey Sour wasn’t found in print until the late 1800′s, many believe the cocktail was created decades before when sailors added citrus fruit to their alcohol to help prevent scurvy. Of course it’s been updated over the years by adding sour mix or a variety of citrus fruits and even herbs. But at this blog nothing compares to the original and the original is just four ingredients: bourbon, simple syrup, lemon juice and a maraschino cherry.

Whiskey Sour Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 2 ounces bourbon
• 1 maraschino cherry
• 1 lemon slice (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine syrup, lemon juice and bourbon over ice in a cocktail shaker. Vigorously shake for about 15 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with the cherry and lemon slice.

Last year I was lucky enough to attend Charlie Palmer’s Pigs & Pinot event in Healdsburg. If you don’t know about Pigs & Pinot, it’s a weekend long charity event that’s devoted to pinot noir and pork. While it lasts all weekend, hubby and I only attended the Taste of Pigs and Pinot which is a night dedicated to tasting 60 different pinot noirs and the delicious pork tidbits to go with them. They had everything from roasted pork loin to grilled pork chops. But they didn’t just have appetizers and main courses dedicated to the pig. Every dessert that was presented also had some semblance of the swine attached to it.  There was chocolate covered bacon, bacon chocolate chip cookies and my favorite, Twinkies filled with a bacon bourbon cream. These little Twinkies were so delicious, I must’ve had at least half a dozen. I wanted to go back for more, but they disappeared quickly.

Anyway, they left such an indelible mark on my palate, I just had to try and recreate them; and what better time than a few weeks before Super Bowl Sunday. Why did I want to make them for the Super Bowl? Because if you’re having a party there’s going to be plenty of savory tidbits for people to munch. So why not add something sweet they can pop in their mouths when they’re done with the burgers and chili? And since there’s both bacon and bourbon involved, it’s really the perfect sports-themed dessert.

But as you can see from the photos I didn’t want to make Twinkies. They’re just too big to pop in your mouth while you’re watching the game. I thought it’d be easier to make mini-cupcakes. But just because they’re cupcakes doesn’t mean you can’t stuff them full of bacon, bourbon whipped cream. I mean Hostess did it. Well, without the bacon or bourbon but imagine how good those chocolate cupcakes would be if they did.  Hey, there’s an idea… But I digress.

These little morsels are the perfect size to grab one or two or three, pop ‘em in your mouth, and take a swig of beer without missing a single play. So if you’re full up on chips, dips, and potato skins, add these sweet & salty cupcakes to your table. They’ll be gone before the end of the half.

Mini Vanilla Cupcakes with Bacon Bourbon Cream

Ingredients:

For Cupcakes

• 1/2 cup pastry flour
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

For Bacon Bourbon Cream

• 3-4 slices thick cut bacon
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 tablespoon sugar

For Salted Caramel Frosting

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons smoked sea salt
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

For Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray mini muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Whisk the flours, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat, add the vanilla and set aside.
4. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup of sugar and the cream of tartar and continue to beat until the whites reach soft, moist peaks, set aside.
5. Beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until the mixture is very thick and a pale yellow color, about 5 minutes. Add the beaten egg whites to the yolks, but do not mix. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg whites and then mix everything on low speed until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold the melted butter mixture into the egg mixture until everything is evenly mixed, about 15 strokes.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin and bake until the cake tops are light brown and spring back when touched, 12 to 15 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool for at least 10 minutes.

While the cupcakes bake make the Bacon, Bourbon Cream:

1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until nice and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel to drain.
2. Pour the bacon grease, bourbon, whipping cream and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Beat on high until cream is stiff, about 5 minutes.

To fill the cupcakes:

1. Once the cupcakes are cooled, take an apple corer and gently push it into the center of your cupcake. Rotate the corer a full 360 degrees and pull it out of the cupcakes. Remove the tiny cake round from the corer and repeat with the rest of the cupcakes. Make sure not to go all the way to the bottom of the cupcake as this will cause your filling to leak out.
2. Pipe the bacon bourbon cream into each cupcake and frost with the Salted Caramel Frosting.

For the Frosting:

1. Stir together sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and continue cooking, swirling pan occasionally, for 5 minutes until the mixture turns a dark amber color.
2. Reduce the heat to low and slowly pour in the vanilla and cream. Stir until combined and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
3. While the caramel cools, beat the salt and butter together in a large mixing bowl on high speed for about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add powdered sugar. Continue mixing until completely combined.
4. Pour the caramel into the butter mixture and mix for another 3 minutes.
5. Frost your cream-filled cupcakes and top each with a little piece of bacon. Serve immediately.

Note: If you’re rushing the day of the big game, and don’t have time to make these cupcakes, you can make the cupcakes, bacon bourbon cream and frosting all a day or two ahead. Then just assemble the day of the big game.