Crust:

• 1 cup of Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 1 cup of shelled, salted/roasted pistachios
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 1 stick of butter melted

Filling:

• 2 (8 oz blocks) of cream cheese
• 3 oz package of cherry jello
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• 8oz container of whipped topping (thawed)

Topping:

• 1 can of Cherry Pie filling

For crust, once you have the 1 cup of shelled pistachios, place in a large place bag and roughly chop with a hammer.  Yes, I said hammer.  A food processor will make them to fine.  Add pistachios, crumbs, sugar and butter in medium bowl and combine.  Pour mixture into an 9×13″ pan and bake crust at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Cool completely before filling.  After crust is cool, prepare filling.  In large bowl, mix cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and dry cherry jello mix with mixer until smooth.  Then slowly stir in whipped topping by hand.  Spread onto cooled crust and refrigerate at least 1 hr.  Top with Cherry Pie filling before serving.

Halloween is creeping up and I couldn’t be more excited.  If I ruled the world, Halloween, along with Thanksgiving and St. Patty’s Day would be twice a year.  XMas and New Years would be every other year, and we could just eliminate Valentine’s Day all together.  What do you think?  I’d love to know.  I’ll be heading to San Franny with Ms. Cherry in tow to ring in Halloween in style, so see you back at VintageSugarcube in a couple weeks (06 Nov 2010) for more shenanigans and deelicious sweet treats. And ladies, when picking out those Halloween costumes, just keep one thing in mind, your biggest asset is a man’s imagination.

Big thanks to Phil Defalco Photography for having a zest for excitement, as we weren’t suppose to be photographing at only the coolest spot in San Diego.

Where did I score that blouse and killer scarf?  United Cerebral Palsy Thrift Store in City Heights.

Recipe here. You’ve gotta try my latest late night creation, it’s super easy and super dirty deelicious.

• (1) 18oz jar of creamy peanut butter (under no circumstance can you use the all-natural version).  I would skip any brand that says- natural, low fat, organic or healthy.  Buy the kind you ate as a kid.
• 2 sticks of butter (softened at room temperature)
• 1 box (1 lb) of powdered sugar
• 1 large bag (24oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a standing mixer cream peanut butter and butter until well combined.  Add powdered sugar a little bit at a time and mix well. Roll peanut butter mixture into 1 1/2 in. balls. Place on wax paper lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer to firm for 1 hr.  Melt chocolate chips about 1 cup at a time in the microwave, dip frozen balls in the chocolate and return to cookie sheet.  Refrigerate and keep refrigerated*. Makes approximately 40 balls, but that depends on how small or big you like your balls. I’m just say’n.

* Most recipes call for parafin wax to be mixed with the chocolate and a double-boiler.  I think you all know how I feel about double-boilers, and don’t even get me started on the subject of eating an ingredient that should be reserved for a hot date.

Recipe adapted from one of my roommates from the Oh-HIGH-OHH daze!

I dined poolside one night at the ACE hotel in Palm Springs and the ambience was straight up Bates Motel with gaggles of hipsters drinking Vodka snowcones from rock’n vintage Airstreams.  What those kids didn’t know is that Airstreams aren’t from Silverlake, Portland, Austin, or Brooklyn.  Neither is Victoria’s Secret, Oberlin College, Matt Lauer, White Castle, Bow Wow, Coy Bacon, Halle Berry, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, DEVO, The Black Keys, etc, etc, etc, etc,etc….  I’m just say’n.

I’m going back to the OH-HIGH-OH for some true hipness, so see you all in 2 weeks (23OCt) for the next shenanigan & recipe.

Airstream Apron?  Got the fabric from the hip divas at Tonic Living.  Big, big thanks to Phil DeFalco Photography for the hippest shoots ever.

Recipe here!

• I box of Devil’s Food Cake Mix
• 1 1/4 cup of Coca Cola (not diet)
• 1/2 cup of oil
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 eggs (room temp, sit them in a bowl of warm H2O for 10 min)
• 1 bag of Butterfingers and/or Heath Bars crushed

In large mixer, combine all except for candy bars and mix on medium speed until well combined.  Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.  Makes 24 cupcakes.  Cool completely before frosting.  I frost with a homemade Marshmallow Buttercream frosting that you will have to stay tuned to get.  Gotta give ya a little foreplay eh?  Roll in crushed Butterfingers or Heath Bars.

Why the boxed mix?  Because I have more fabulous things to contend to than measuring everything but the kitchen sink.

These cupcakes are why I have an army of friends, and probably why I still manage to keep my day job. When I took a Creative Writing class last year, I wrote about these cupcakes, while others wrote about unrequited love.  I mentioned how they will metallicate your senses and rock your casbah.  I mentioned how they will make your thighs tremble.  You wanna cupcake now don’t ya?  Recipe here.

Vintage slip by Wear it Again Sam.

A decadent thanks to Phil Defalco Photography for the sweetest photos ever.