A little over a year ago, I was introduced to Sangria. Back then, I wasn’t a fan of red wine just yet, but have always liked the sweeter drinks. I’ve been reading for years that red wine is the best alcoholic beverage for your health, and a small glass a day is beneficial to the heart…so I’ve been wanting to make the switch for a while, but just hadn’t done it yet. Well, Sangria helped me along the way of that journey.
After my cousin and I gave birth to our babies (who are exactly 4 weeks apart), we would occasionally go out for a cocktail when I was in town visiting. She would always get red stripe beer, and I would go for something like an apple martini (definitely my favorite!). The irony of the two of us getting those beverages is this: She’s as girly as they come, and I’m still somewhat of a tomboy. So, you would’ve thought our drinks would have been in the other person’s hand, but sometimes you just never know.
One of our evenings out, she mentioned how much she loved Sangria. Even though we have a fully stocked liquor cabinet (that rarely gets touched), I’m somewhat clueless when it comes to the different kinds and brands of liquor. I asked her what it was, and she said it had red wine in it, but was sweeter because of other ingredients. So, the next time I was at the grocery store, I went hunting down the wine aisle, looking for it. She seemed so excited when she talked about it, so I had to give it a shot… And I LOVED it. Not long after that, a childhood friend’s fiance brought some homemade Sangria over to the house for a party we were having, and I still rant and rave to her about how good it was.
So, here I was with a cupcake idea for something different. Only this time though, these cupcakes do not have any alcohol brushed on top after baking or made in the icing. BUT…You can always throw in a little bit of wine in the icing, if preferred. The good thing is that I can take these to my friend’s work and no one will get in trouble. 😉
Recipe:
1 box Duncan Hines orange supreme cake mix
1 small box instant lemon pudding
4 eggs
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup brandy
Combine all ingredients and beat at medium speed for 2-4 minutes using electric mixer. Using medium ice cream scoop, spoon batter evenly throughtout liners in muffin pan. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 24-25 minutes. Cool completely on cooling rack and top with icing.
Icing Recipe:
2 lbs. confectioners sugar
2 sticks butter, softened
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup orange juice
Combine all ingredients (I use a standing mixer) and mix for 5-7 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Put icing in decorator bag, using tip 1M and ice cupcakes.
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