Wishing you a Happy New Year with a Cherry on Top!
Why we Celebrate New Years:
Have you caught yourself saying, “ I can not wait until next year”? Dates and events hold significance to years and we remember the big events in relation to the year that it occurred.
New Years represents a new beginning. We are hopeful that it will bring peace, health and wealth. We enter into the New Year with positive thoughts, new dreams and hopes.
It is the one-day of the year when people will reflect on their lives and make goals for the upcoming months of the New Year ahead. It is a time for a self-assessment and planning to improve shortcomings.
Many celebrate the hours leading up to the stroke of midnight of the New Year. People gather with food and drink to optimistically say goodbye to the current year. The New Year is welcomed in with singing of the song Auld Lang Syne.
Why is Auld Lang Syne Sung
Guy Lombardo is credited with making a Scottish poem transformed into a song (Auld Lang Syne ) the official song for ringing in the New Year. From his first performance of the song in 1929 over the radio nationwide, until his death in 1977, Guy and his band rang in the New Year at the stroke of midnight performing Auld Lang Syne.
What does Auld Lang Syne Mean
The words and music of Auld Lang Syne have changed over the years. The best translation of the Scottish words is “for the sake of old times” and the lyrics remind us of feelings, memories and nostalgic times from days of the past.
What are the Lyrics to Auld Lang Syne in English?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne ?
CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !
and surely I’ll buy mine !
And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
CHORUS
We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.
CHORUS
We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine† ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.
CHORUS
And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.
Sparkling Champagne Cupcake with Cherry Filling and Champagne Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
- stand mixer
- apple core
- saucepan
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
The Cupcake
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 cup champagne
The Cherry Filling
- 1 cup cherries ( fresh or frozen that have been thawed)
- 3/4 cup sugar
The Frosting/Icing
- 1 cup softened unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoons reduced champagne- instructions below will need one cup of champagne
Instructions
To Start
- Preheat oven to 350 degree and place cupcake liners ito a cupcake baking pan
- Reduce champagne for frosting and make cherry filling before starting with the cupcakes
Champagne Reduction
- Place one cup of champagne into a saucepan and boil down the liquid to about 1/4 cup. Set aside and allow to completely cool
Cherry Filling
- Place one cup of cherries and 3/4 cup of sugar into a saucepan. Stir until sugar melts. Simmer until the mixture starts to thcken into a jam (it will coat the back of a spoon without rolling off). Remove from heat and allow to cool completly.
Making the Cupcakes
- in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, add sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla and sour cream.Mix until well blended scraping down the side of the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl ( flour, baking pwder and salt) Mixing well and adding in the champagne and heavy cream. Continue to mix until the batter comes together without any lumps.
- Divide the batter into the cupcake liners. Filling the liners about 2/3 to 3/4 full.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. Check for doneness at 12 minutes and add additional time if needed. Do not over bake. The cupcakes will be light in color and bounce back when touched. Check for doneness with a toothpick. Cool the cupcakes completely before filling them.
Making the Champagne Buttercream Frosting
- In a stand mixer cream the butter until light and fluffy
- Add vanilla, and reduced champagne. Mix well
- Add powdered sugar slowly
- Adjust the frosting consistancy as needed. If too thin, add more powdered sugar. If to thick, add more reduced champagne ( one teaspoon at a time)
- Place frosting into a piping bag
Filling the Center of the Cupcakes
- Using a apple core, remove the center of the cupcakes. Keep the centers to cap off the hole that is made
- Place the cherry jam into a piping bag and cut off the end of the bag. Fill each cupcake with the cherry jam
- Replace the center cake that was removed to cap off the cupcake
Decorating the New Years cupcake
- This is where your imagination can go wild and you can be very elaborate or simplistic as you like.
- I decided that I wanted the cupcakes to have the new year 2021 in chocolate, add sprinkles and top the cupcake off with a cherry.
- The champagne buttercream frosting was piped onto the cupcakes using a piping bag.
- The year 2021 was first written on parchment paper. Chocolate waffers were melted and placed into a piping bag. The numbers were traced with the chocloate ensuring that each number connected. The parchment paper was set aside allowing the chocolate to harden.
- Sprinkles were placed on top of the frosting and the chocolate year 2021 was added along with a cherry
Goodbye 2020… for many of us it has been a year like none other!!
Wishing everyone happiness, joy, peace, health and love in 2021.
Cheers and Happy Baking
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