Mocha Whoopie Cupcakes with Whipped Cream – Frosting for the Cause
08 Oct 2011 6 Comments
in Bake, Cupcake, Lisa the Rock Star, Serendipitous Adventures
Today I have the honor of writing a guest post on Frosting for the Cause and to share with all of you about one of the most important women in my life, my beautiful sister Lisa. It’s not the first time I’m writing’s about Lisa and paying tribute to how incredible I thought she was and it certainly will not be the last.
Lisa
One of my earliest and fondest memories is of my third birthday when I got an easy bake oven. Despite the several years in our age difference, Lisa would pretend and make pies with me. I remember my first day of kindergarten when Lisa walked hand and hand with me to class, introducing me to my teacher. I went to my very first movie with Lisa, riding the bus through the south side of Chicago. Going to my first rock concert to see Kiss the band. Shopping for dresses for my first school dance. And my first driving lesson, I think she was frightened. I had many firsts with Lisa by my side, you can see why she’s somewhat of an iconic image for me and always will be.
I’m super lucky I had her in my life, she taught me so much. Lisa was talented in so many ways… a writer, a peacemaker, an attorney, an artist, a musician, a chef and a baker. Picking a recipe to share with you today was not easy, we shared a love for all desserts. I had the help of her lovely daughter Elizabeth in narrowing down the selection. We knew one thing, Lisa was a chocolate lover – so we settled on these mocha whoopie cupcakes with a whipped cream topping in honor of her memory. I think she would have loved them.
Mocha Whoopie Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Topping
I would also like to take a moment to reflect on some other wonderful people in my life who have been affected by cancer too, Christosimos Michelson, Peter & Petros Angelakos & Lisa Cocchia - you will always hold the sweetest memories in my heart.
Mocha Whoopie Cupcakes with Whipped Cream
Mocha Whoopie Cupcakes: (makes 12 cupcakes)
2 tablespoons of instant espresso powder
6 tablespoons of butter
3/8 cup superfine sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup water
1 5/8 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons milk
1 large egg (lightly beaten)
Whipped Cream Topping: (makes 2 cups)
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Recipe adapted from “Delicious Cupcakes” cookbook given to me by my sister Lisa’s daughter, Elizabeth.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with baking cup liners.
Mocha Whoopie Cupcake
Combine espresso coffee powder, butter, sugar, honey, and water in a sauce pan on medium heat, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into heatproof bowl and let cool until ready to use.
Once the mixture has cooled, sift in the flour and cocoa. Dissolve the baking soda in the milk, then add to mixture with egg and beat together until smooth. Spoon the batter into cupcake cups.
Bake the cupcakes in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until well risen and firm to touch. Transfer to wire rack and let cool.
Whipped Cream Topping
While cupcakes cool, prepare the whipped cream topping. In a mixing bowl combine the heavy whipping cream, vanilla and sugar, mix well. Cover and chill the bowl and wire whisk in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Once chilled, beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.
Fill a pastry bag with whipped cream topping and pipe onto cupcakes in large swirls. Sift with unsweetened cocoa dusting lightly. Eat immediately!
Whoopie Cupcakes with Whipped Cream
These came out light and fluffy, a recipe my sister would have made on a regular basis for her family. I can’t share these with my sister’s family as we live in different states. Part of the commitment for writing at Frosting for the Cause is donating your baked goods to a hospice or cancer center. I’m donating these scrumptious cupcakes to the VA nursing home down the street, where some pretty incredible heroes get to spend the evening of their lives.
I’m grateful I had the opportunity to get involved with this cause – it was fun! If you’re interested please check out how you can help too at Join Us @ Frosting for the Cause.
You’re Beautiful to me…
04 Mar 2011 11 Comments
in Lisa the Rock Star, Serendipitous Adventures, What I think... Tags: Cancer, jezebel, Patti Smith, pioneer woman, punk rock
My sister Lisa… is so beautiful!
Lisa c.1979
It has been almost a year since Lisa passed away and gone to sleep forever, losing her battle with cancer. I was lucky to have spent the last few months with her and deeply grateful for having this time to reminisce with one another, while telling the stories of our lives.
I got to soak up her incredible infectious smile and let it wrap itself around me giving me the courage to continue being a sister, an aunt to her children and friend to her husband.
For most of my life, my sister was to me a Greek goddess, incredibly smart, talented and beautiful. For a while she was bigger than life itself, I looked up to her, following in her footsteps, doing everything she did, some of it well before my time and Lisa in turn took care of me. That’s what sisters do, we take care of each other. How I miss her… in a way it’s like losing a little piece of yourself forever.
Lisa & Georgie's First Rock Band
This is the first time I can actually articulate a thought, a sentence regarding her, without getting emotional. Sharing with the world how incredibly cool she was and how much you would have thought so too!
The things I miss most about her could occupy this blog for decades, though for now, for today, I miss her mostly because she was an incredible listener, a great friend and we could talk for hours about anything. I suppose it’s why she became an attorney, with her compassionate demeanor and desire to help people.
Although, I think she missed her calling, her sense of style was exquisite and her storytelling was eloquent, that she could have easily been a chief editor for any magazine. I would have loved that… it would have meant glorious samples of clothing, shoes, jewelry and she would have shared them with me – as she always has.
Lisa & Georgie
This is one of the last photo’s I took with Lisa, eating dinner at the swanky Canyon Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, followed by shopping at Jezebels, what a great night.
What finally inspired me to write about Lisa today is a photo project on Pioneer Woman about sisters. I looked through old wonderful photo’s of Lisa and I to submit to the photo assignment. This one above was my favorite, well, because it’s the last photo taken of us together – it’s us being real and shows how much we loved each other. Hanging out at our favorite places, spending time with good friends eating and shopping.
Lisa Punk Royalty
Lisa was talented in so many ways… a writer, a peacemaker, an attorney, a chef, an artist, a musician – a genuine rock star – she’s Punk Royalty ! We had so much fun growing up on Fort Lauderdale beach in the middle of the music scene, which was a big part of our lives. Lisa took me to my first Patti Smith concert in 1979 – what a turning point for me. It was a time when my life really began to take shape. It helped define who I am today, those moments are laced with lovely remnants of my beautiful sister.
Punk Queen Lisa
I will love her always!
10 years ago Lisa was diagnosed with cancer, surviving the first sign of this wicked disease. Her cancer going into remission, she began the healing and recovery process. During this time she began a beautiful scrapbook for each of the children in our family, there’s 5 of us, three boys and two girls.
Scrapbook Brother & Sister
I’m a twin to one of the boys, though Lisa and I seemed more like twins then Peter and I. Throughout the years, Lisa would add new photo’s, events and milestones to each of our books. It was as though she was keeping them open ended, she never had the chance to finish them.
I Remember
Her lovely daughter Elizabeth, my beautiful niece, surprised me this past holiday by completing the scrapbook and sending it to me.
Lisa - Jeff - Georgie
It brought tears to my eyes and always will. I’m no longer crying tears of sadness but tears of joy. I want to celebrate Lisa and hope that one day I may be as beautiful as she was.
Punks
