9 Ways to Use Tequila

It started with cupcakes.

Though I enjoy baking and spent some years working at a bakery, I’m not the most artistic person when it comes to the presentation of food. Thus I find cupcakes completely daunting.

But two irresistible cupcake recipes challenged me to dive in and put my newly researched piping skills to use. Luckily, the world has given us designer chefs and chef designers who spend their time making delightful guides to boost one’s confidence, such as this:

Confidence boosted! (sort of) (Photo by Allen Hemberger)

We’ve already been over the amazingness of Nutella, so these Nutella Cupcakes via Your Cup of Cake were a no-brainer. (There are a ton of Nutella cupcake recipes out there. I liked this one as she also adds a dollop of Nutella to the batter before baking (versus having to core and fill the cupcake later. Support the amateurs, I say. )) Her Nutella Buttercream frosting combines:

¾  cup Nutella

¼ cup butter, softened

1 ½ -2 ½ cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

(Check out the rest of her post here.) Here are mine, on a white cake base:

The second recipe was the slightly more racy Margarita Cupcakes via Nikki Burns over at Good-bye Gluten. In her Tequila Lime Buttercream frosting, she combines:

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 lb. powdered sugar (1/2 bag- give or take)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons lime zest
2 tablespoons tequila
1/2 tablespoon milk
Green& yellow food coloring: however many drops you want to make the frosting look lime-y- about 1 green drop to every 3 yellow (optional)

(Check out the rest of her post here. I also added a bit of tequila and lime to the batter as well.) The results were a party in the mouth!Post-cupcakes, I have no problem disposing of my jar of Nutella (it’ll be gone within the week), but how to use up my bottle of tequila stumped me. A quick Google search left me with plans for a six-course meal:

1. Start with a leafy green salad adorned by a tequila-orange dressing and a slice of

2. Tequila bread (also featuring coconut and pineapple).

3. Move on to a chilled avocado soup with roasted poblano cream.

4. Introduce a pasta with a tequila lime cream sauce as a side to the

5. Chicken marinaded in tequila, jalapeno and chili powder.

6. Dessert is a tequila lime tart.

Serve with margaritas. The following morning, as you recover, you can make tequila, apple, and dried cranberry compote to fill your crepes or spread across your pancakes.

I’ll keep you posted on how these tequila dishes turn out (though not all at once). What other recipes would you recommend?

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