These bourbon laden treats were inspired by two things:  those still spring, but almost summer days that give you a hint at just how blazing hot this summer is going to be, and… this weekend’s Kentucky Derby.

Here’s what I know about Spring:

It’s green.  Once we get past the Easter Bunny stage, it’s all about blooming flowers and May showers.  Spring makes me feel like I’m in love with the world… probably because I am.

Here’s what I know about the Kentucky Derby:

Horses.  Hats.  Mint Juleps.

Here’s what I know about bourbon:

Dang, it’s good!

Here, for your Spring and Derby pleasure, are Mint Julep two ways.

The first is a classic Mint Julep cocktail.  If you’re from the South and think that somehow this recipe is not a classic version, then please accept my humble apologies as a native Californian.  This is the (ooooh so delicious) way I’ve had Mint Juleps foreva-eva-eva.

The second version is all of the Mint Julep fix-ins on watermelon cubes.  Brilliant, right?  So refreshing, so fun, and just the perfect way to get ready for the summer sun.

Mint Julep, the cocktail

makes 1 drink  adapted from Chow

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• 3 sprigs fresh mint
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
• 2 ounces bourbon
• club soda or filtered water
• sprinkle of powdered sugar

Muddle the leaves from two mint sprigs with teaspoons of water and sugar in a highball or collins glass.

Once the mint is bruised and the mixtures is super fragrant, fill the cup with ice cubes.  Pour in bourbon, and top with club soda or water and garnish with the remaining mint sprig and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Mint Julep, the watermelon

adapted from Gourmet May 2005

• 2 tablespoons bourbon or blended whiskey
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint plus 2 tablespoons whole small fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 small, seedless watermelon (about 2 pounds of diced watermelon, I just used a small mixing bowl full of diced melon)

Stir together bourbon, chopped mint, and sugar in a small bowl. Let stand 20 minutes (to allow flavors to develop).

Meanwhile, trim, peel, and dice a watermelon.  Place in a medium mixing bowl.  Pour bourbon mixture through a sieve onto watermelon. If you leave the chopped mint in the mixture, pour it all over the watermelon, and don’t serve it immediately, they’ll eventually turn brown and icky.  I learned the hard way.  Add whole mint leaves and gently toss to combine.  Place in the fridge to chill until serving.

Three things are true.  Let’s go over some facts.

I’m gullible.  I prefer to think of it as less naive and more trusting.  If you tell me something, in all likelihood, I’ll believe you.  For this reason, let’s keep the April foolery to a minimum this morning.  It’s not really my style, and chances are, if you try to fool me with falsehoods or pranks today, it’ll work.  Let’s not and say we did.

This day reminds me of one particular April Fool’s Day many years back.   I thought playing a prank on my little sister would be ripe with comedy.  It involved a toilet seat, petroleum jelly, and her resulting slippery bum.  As I giggled with success, my little sister busted out her fake (but oh so convincing) cry and I was in a heap of trouble with Mom.  She’s brilliant with the fake cry… award winning.  Well played little sister… I see how you turned that around… Well played.

Lastly, and this is no petroleum jelly joke-  I was featured in the London Times this week!  Check out the interview and the photos… and say hello to London.  Normally I’d tell you how being in the London Times makes me want to yell, and jump and otherwise spaz with excitement.. but I’m trying to play it cool.  You know.. like wearing sunglasses at night, or wearing Converse sneakers with a fancy dress, or putting ham and mustard in cookies…. cool.  Let’s play it cool.

A friend affectionately called these savory pastries, Ham Cookies.  While the name is less than enticing, the description is just about right.  I combined my favorite Dufour Puff Pastry with lovely Dijon mustard, thinly sliced prosciutto and Gruyere cheese.  Roll the dough in towards each other like you would a Palmier, and you’ve got a savory breakfast snack, or a super easy appetizer.  Easy and impressive… that means we all win!

Prosciutto Dijon and Gruyere Puffs

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1 package Dufour Puff Pastry (It’s the best store bought pastry around.  If you can’t find it, go for a brand that uses all butter, and not the fake fat stuff.)

8 slices Prosciutto di Parma

3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

flour for dusting

fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Thaw puff pastry in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.  Once thawed, carefully unfold and lay on a floured work surface.  If the pastry tears at the seam in the unfolding process, it’s not the end of the world, but try to keep it in one un-torn piece.  Dust flour on top of the pastry as well.

Puff pastry will already be very flat, but with a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 11×9-inches.  Layer the eight slices of prosciutto on top of the puff pastry.  Using a butter knife, layer the mustard on top of the prosciutto slices.  Top with grated cheese, and as much fresh ground black pepper as you like.

Begin to roll the right side of the pastry in towards the center.  Next roll the left side of the pastry in towards the center.  Press together.  Dough will not stick together, but if you brush away some of the excess flour on the center dough pieces, they will stay together better during baking.

With a sharp knife, slice the dough into 1/2-inch thick slices.  Place on a baking sheet lines with parchment paper.  Bake at 400 degrees F for about 12-15 minutes, until a deep golden brown.  Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from baking sheet and serve warm or at room temperature.

Please allow me this last party post. You won’t have to hear a word about it after this. Promise. But what’s a party without cupcakes? And what’s a chocolate cupcake without The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting? Tragedy, I suppose.

It should go without saying that these super soft chocolate cupcakes were a hit at the party. But there is one mystery. Around about 2 in the morning, as I was somehow making my way around the room collecting dirty plates, I ran across a plate with a discarded cupcake on it. The cupcake had one bite taken out of it, and then the remainder of the cupcake was smashed upside down onto the dirty paper plate. WHAT!? Who would do that!? Seriously… not cool.

Super Soft Chocolate Cupcakes

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makes about 4 dozen cupcakes… maybe more.. lots of cupcakes!

3 cups sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups sour cream

1  cup strong coffee, cooled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with cupcake papers. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute in between each addition. Scrape down bowl after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the creamed butter and sugar alternately with the sour cream. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Beat to incorporate.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cooled strong coffee to the batter. Add in a slow steady stream to prevent splashing. The batter will become fairly thing and smooth. Scrape down bowl and beat for 1 minute to ensure the batter is completely mixed.

Pour into cupcake papers and bake on middle rack for 15 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.

Remove from oven and set on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool to room temperature on wire racks.

Now, as promised- The best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, with a secret ingredient- Ovaltine. Yes, rich chocolate Ovaltine. When combined with heavy cream, it gives the frosting the most luscious flavor and spreadable consistency. So yum!

The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

adapted from Delilah Bakery

1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup Ovaltine

Cream together butter, cocoa powder and salt. Butter mixture will be very thick. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add powdered sugar. Turn mixer on low and mix in powdered sugar while adding milk and vanilla extract. As the sugar incorporates, raise the speed of the mixer to beat the frosting. Beat until smooth. In a 2 cup measuring glass, stir together heavy cream and Ovaltine. Turn mixer speed to medium and pour cream mixture into frosting in a slow, steady stream, until you’ve reached your desired consistency.  You may not need the full amount of Ovaltine and cream.

Remember how I was lamenting about my sometimes insane Martha Stewart tendencies? Well the craft gene, handed down to me from my mother, came out in full force with these drink umbrellas. The instructions are from Martha Stewart- which pretty much makes her the instigator. Should I shake my fist in the air with displeasure? No, I have to admit, these umbrellas might have been worth the 5 hours it took to make them. They’re pretty cute.

And yes, there were people at this party. But I can’t be sure they all want to be immortalized on this blog. I’ll spare them that pain, if you’ll allow it.

Here is my question to you?  When exactly are you supposed to find time to take good pictures when you’re hosting a party of 35 in a one bedroom apartment?  I think the answer to that question is simple.  Take pictures before everyone shows up.  More importantly, take pictures before you’re 3 margaritas into the party because even auto focus can’t help you then.

What could be better than a party with margaritas, chocolate cupcakes and loads of friends and family?  Probably the same party, but with beautiful pictures as evidence.  Throw in some homemade,  16 avocado guacamole and wonton empanadas and why ever would anyone want to leave?

Let’s start with the guacamole-

Making guacamole is very different from making a batch of cookies.  I know I don’t have to tell you this, but things like guacamole are more like “A little of this.  A little of that.  Mmmmmm!  That’s yummy!”  Let’s just say I never have my teaspoons out when I’m making chunky guacamole.  It’s not an exact science to me.

Guacamole For an Army

Print these recipes!

16 (yes 16) ripe avocados

1 small yellow onion, diced fine, very fine

2 tomatoes on the vine, seeded and diced fine, very fine

small handful of of cilantro, chopped

juice of 1 lime, maybe 1 1/2 limes

salt and pepper to taste.

Peel and pit the avocados and throw them in a large bowl.  Add the diced onion, tomato and cilantro.  Stir and mash.  Add the lime, salt and pepper.  Stir.  Taste and add more seasoning, lime and cilantro as needed.

These wonton empanadas barely made it to the table.  I was practically eating them right out of the fryer.

I’m not kidding.

I used wonton wrappers because I couldn’t find the pre-made empanada circles in the grocery.  I certainly could have made my own empanada dough, but I was so busy making drink umbrellas that the dough just didn’t make it.  More on how I fill my time with insane crafts like drink umbrellas later.

The recipe for the beef filling is so good, I’m already thinking about other dishes to use it in.  The filling has two secret ingredients- green olives and raisins.  Sounds crazy, yes, but they add the sweet and salty mix that is just outta sight.

Beef Wonton Empanadas

adapted from Epicurious.com

1/2 medium onion finely chopped

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

3/4 pound ground beef chuck

2 Tablespoons raisins

1 1/2 Tablespoon chopped pimiento-stuffed olives

1 (14-ounce) can whole tomato in juice, drained, reserving 2 tablespoons of juice, and chopped

1 package frozen empanada pastry disks, thawed, or 1 package wonton wrappers

4 cups vegetable oil

1 egg, for an egg wash

Cook onion in olive oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened. Add garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in beef and cook, breaking up lumps with a fork, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

Add raisins, olives, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and tomatoes with reserved juice, then cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced but mixture is still moist, about 5 minutes. Spread on a plate to cool.

Preheat oven to 200°F with rack in middle.

In a small bowl, beat an egg for a egg wash.

Unwrap wonton wrappers and 6-12 square pastry pieces out at a time.  Spoon 1 teaspoon of cooled meet filling into the center of each wonton wrapper.  Using a pastry brush, brush two joining sides of the wonton wrapper.  Gently fold the dry ends of the wrapper onto the moistened ends.  Press with a fork to seal.

If using thawed empanada dough, lay a large sheet of plastic wrap on a dampened work surface (to help keep plastic in place), then roll out an empanada disk on plastic wrap to measure about 6 inches. Place 3 tablespoons meat mixture on disk and top with 2 slices of egg. Moisten edges of disk with water and fold over to form a semicircle, then crimp with a fork. Make more empanadas in same manner.

Heat 3/4 inch vegetable oil in a deep 12-inch skillet over medium heat until it registers 360°F on thermometer. Fry empanadas, 2 or 3 at a time, turning once, until crisp and golden, 2 minutes for wontons and 4 to 6 minutes for empanada pastry.

Transfer to a shallow baking pan and keep warm in oven. Return oil to 360°F between batches.

Cooks’ note: Empanadas can be brushed with oil and baked on an oiled baking sheet in a 425°F oven until golden, about 10 minutes. (They will not be as crisp as fried empanadas.)

Yes, we had a burro pinata at the party.  Burro = donkey in Spanish.  Immortalized above is a mini donkey pinata.  Festive.  His full sized companion we named William S. Burro at about 2am.  Awesome.

Thank you to Andrew my party co-host and to all the friends and family that came to crowd a tiny apartment.  We ate.  We drank. We laughed loudly- without apology.  We welcomed summer.  We made the neighbors jealous.  Mission accomplished.

More on the amazing chocolate cupcakes (Sonia you had 3(!) which is two too many! Ha!) tomorrow!

I haven’t been baking much this week because I’m getting ready for a party I’m throwing this weekend.  Yes!  Joy the Baker is throwing a summer party!  I’m beside myself with excitement!  And it’s not just any party-  I feel like I’m in full Martha Stewart mode.  To kick off summer, I’m throwing a margarita and cupcake party.  It’s the only civilized thing to do. 

To tell you the truth,  I’ve been a nearly consumed with the decorations for this weekend’s gathering.  Crazy.. I know.  But I’ve spent several hours for the past few nights with glue stick in hand making handmade drink umbrellas and colorful paper flowers.  I made drink umbrellas!  What kind of madness is that!?   

When this craft kick slows to a halt, I’ll get cooking.  Get ready for beef empanadas, chunky guacamole and  red velvet buttermilk cupcakes with chocolate frosting.  Like the ones up top but with rich, dark chocolate frosting.  They’re on the to-do list, right after I finish these paper flowers.  I’ll be back in the kitchen cooking for you soon.  But don’t let me keep you from playing in the kitchen-  how about you randomly make some delicious oatmeal sandwich cookies!  They’re winners.

I remember first making  these flowers for Cinco de Mayo in grade school.  There was something about how fun and colorful they were, I just never forgot how to make them.  I’m revisiting the old tissue paper into flower trick as an economical but ultra hip way to decorate my margarita party. And keep in mind- in my world,  where there are margaritas, there is at least one stuffed pinata.   I’ll leave you with that pretty thought.