Tag Archives: Poets

Here’s a Synopsis of Our Burns Night Supper and the Recipe for My Vanilla-Blueberry-Bacon Cupcakes, with Mouthwatering Photos

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Our 2013 Burns Night Supper was a rousing success. It was a great reminder of what a wonderful, loyal, hilarious group of friends we have. The Chef and I spent months assembling every piece of the puzzle: the menu, music, guest list, drinks, poetry, toasts. Finally, on 25th January, everything locked into place: we had an amazing time. Once our friends started arriving, I more or less put my camera down for the night. Good photos are in short supply, but I plan on posting a video of the winning toast soon. To make up for lack of photographic evidence that the party, indeed, took place, I have decided to share my famous cupcake recipe. These cupcakes are, to be honest if a bit immodest, scrumptious. After concocting this dessert, I spent 2+ years refining the method and ingredients. Now you, dear readers, can benefit from my diligence. A few words of warning, however: one taste, and your friends and family will pounce on your cupcakes like a pack of wild beasties, leaving behind nothing but shreds of cupcake liners, pools of drool, and their dignity. The Burns Night revelers would tell you as much

VANILLA-BLUEBERRY-BACON CUPCAKES WITH CARAMEL ICING AND BLUEBERRY COMPOTE* (Makes 24 cupcakes)

Fear not: although this recipe is comprised of three components, with each one made entirely from scratch, it is easy. Trust me. Because of setting time, we’re going to cook backwards and assemble forwards. Continue reading →

Shopping for the Bookworm: Robert Burns Edition

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Happy Burns Day! Good old Rabbie Burns, Scotland’s darling, was born on 25 January 1759. As I am certain you know by now, The Chef and I are throwing our annual Burns Supper tonight. Yay, the revelry is almost upon us! I have last-minute party preparations to handle but you, lucky ones, can sit back with a cuppa whilst reading this special edition of Shopping for the Bookworm. Enjoy! Continue reading →

Counting Down to Our Burns Night Supper, Part Four: The Music…

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…is eclectic. I compiled the playlist earlier tonight, and had a finger in nearly every pie. While there are several Scottish or Scottish-born musicians in the mix, my goal was to keep the list as unpredictable and interesting as possible. We’ll see how well I succeeded on Friday. Want a sneak peek? Continue reading →

Counting Down to Our Burns Night Supper, Part Three: Scottish Libations

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This morning, The Chef made a trip to the party store to pick up what he calls Produce of Scotland, which is a crucial component of our Burns Night Supper. Although we will also serve wine, beer, and miscellaneous alcohol, next to these lovelies they matter not.

Produce of Scotland

Produce of Scotland. Photo by The Chef.

The McClelland’s, although not our favourite, is perfect for the Scotch Tasting event: there’s a Lowland, a Highland, and an Islay. The wee bottles of Glenfiddich are the Toasting Contest Prize. The Glenrothes on the right is just because. The Botanist Gin on the left is for the odd person who isn’t into whisky but still wants to enjoy a sip of sweet Scotland’s finest.