Jaclyn's Cocktail Shower and Margarita Cupcakes

Jaclyn and I have known each other for just over four years. We met during an interview in 2008 where she was considering me for a job that would end up being my first "real" job and a position that I held for over 3 years. She took me under her wing and taught me just about everything over many those long days in the office, weekend events, and difficult client personalities and demands. She handles every situation with a level head, professionalism, and logic and I couldn't have picked a better person to learn from. She and I now work together at the Battleship Missouri - the best job ever. Thanks AGAIN for guiding my path Jaclyn, you've truly been my Career Fairy Godmother. 

It's not all business with us, though. In that first interview we were wearing the same Tiffany's bracelet and she excitedly asked me (in casual conversation following the important questions of course) if I was in a sorority! I wasn't, we laughed together, and have had many, many laughs, good times, and great memories outside of work since. Although not a regular, she's been known to frequent the Bitches Who Brunch.

Jaclyn and Chris, her fiance, will get married this Friday after being together for over nine years! Last Sunday I threw her a surprise bridal shower. She's not your traditional bridezilla type who'd enjoy gifts for her home/kitchen (aka: me!), but more of a fun-loving, laid back, stiff-cocktail-sipping bride. We nixed the toilet paper bride game and bow bouquet and threw a Cocktail Shower, complete with margarita cupcakes!

Margarita Cupcakes and Frosting

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Adapted from the Brown Eyed Baker

Makes 12 - 16 cupcakes

necessary items

cupcake tins and paper cupcake liners

limes for garnish (optional)

cupcake batter

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 stick of butter

1 cup of sugar

2 eggs

the zest and juice of 1 1/2 limes

1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons of tequila

1/2 cup of [buttermilk or] sour milk (1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar and the rest milk - let sit for 5 minutes)

Begin by setting your butter and eggs out to bring them to room temperature. Combine the vinegar and milk to make sour milk. Line the tins with paper liners.

Combine and whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium until they're light and fluffy. Turn the mixer speed down to low and add the eggs one at a time. Mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then incorporate the lime zest and juice, vanilla extract, and tequila, mixing until well combined. At this point the mixture may get really gross looking, as taking shots of tequila tends to make things, but don't worry!

Go ahead and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

With the mixer on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients with the sour milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, then distribute evenly in cupcake liners. (This recipe makes between 12 - 16 cupcakes, depending on the size you prefer.)

Bake for 25 - 28 minutes, until a toothpick comes out dry and edges are just golden brown.

frosting

2 sticks of butter

2 3/4 cups of powdered sugar, sifted

juice from the remaining 1/2 of a lime

2 Tablespoons of tequila

a pinch of salt

Using the whisk attachment on an electric mixer, whip the butter on medium-high for 5 minutes. Knock the speed down to medium-low and add the powdered sugar in small batches until incorporated well, scraping the sides all the while. Add the lime juice, tequila, and salt, and mix for the final time.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, top them with the frosting and your decoration or garnish of choice.

They make look like your average cupcake, but they're filled with tequila and lime juice!

This is the first time I've ever used a piping bag for frosting. I was somewhat pleased with the result, it's certainly better than my old method of sloppily smearing icing around with a butter knife while sobbing and mumbling about not having the patience for baking! Cute papers, right?!

Since these grown up cupcakes look super plain, I wanted to showcase their awesome-ness by adding lime wedges! I've seen variations of this recipe with shot glasses atop of each one, but knew they'd never survive the car ride (in secret) to the restaurant.

Once the cupcakes, other ladies, and I were successfully in place for the surprise, we admired the cupcake display [on 2 of the 3 tiers of the Pampered Chef stand - 1 broke, unfortunately], sipped cocktails, and anticipated her arrival!

Although an nontraditional one, no shower is complete without games. Keeping with the theme, we had adult mad libs filled out prior to Jaclyn's arrival: party girl and advice to the bride-to-be!

Drum roll please... the surprise was a success! Her honey, Chris, was in on it with us and Bailey, their dog, was just happy to see everyone. Gotcha Jaclyn!

Bailey is seriously the cutest dog ever. He's one of the ring bearers and will be wearing a bow-tie to the wedding :) His humans make a pretty good looking couple, too!

We promptly kicked the guys out and got to having fun! Because it was a cocktail shower we left no drink untouched. We had animal charms, crazy straws, coasters, hilarious stickers and napkins to enhance our adult beverages.

The mad libs were hysterical! Jaclyn's clearly enjoying herself. Per Hawaii tradition, she received lei instead of a traditional bouquet of flowers. [Let's play I spy: can you spy a giraffe and her gorgeous engagement ring?]

Who knew Mona Lisa was a martini drinker!

We had a fabulous time celebrating our fun loving friend as she prepares for her big day. Congratulations Jaclyn, we love you!




Even the balloons matched the cocktail shower theme! I've never thrown a traditional bridal shower before although I'm sure this one won't easily be beat.

Cheers, Jaclyn and Chris!