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<\/img><\/div><\/div><\/p>\nI am so honored to be guest posting over at Frosting for the Cause<\/a> today! This is such an amazing project: bloggers uniting to raise money and awareness for cancer. \u00a0With so many people being affected by cancer more and more every year, it\u2019s great to know we can all help. \u00a0Please consider donating to my favorite cancer charity: St. Jude\u2019s Children\u2019s Research Hospital<\/a>.<\/p>\n Have a cup of tea, and enjoy the cupcakes!<\/p>\n {Frosting for the Cause Post}:<\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t already met Jackie of\u00a0La Casa de Sweets<\/a>\u00a0then you are in for a treat! \u00a0With barely a year of blogging under her *apron* this young mother and middle school teacher has already been featured on Foodista,\u00a0Taste Spotting<\/a>,\u00a0Dessert Stalking<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0LA Times\u00a0<\/a>(there\u2019s more too). \u00a0Her crisp, precise and\u00a0beautifully photographed<\/a>\u00a0blog is a pleasure to read and her drop down category menu just further entices one to click on every section. \u00a0As passionate as Jackie is about baking and cooking, her involvement in supporting\u00a0hunger relief organizations<\/a>\u00a0is very near and dear to her heart. \u00a0 She currently, very proudly supports four such organizations and utilizes her baking and cooking site to further educate, promote and\u00a0raise awareness<\/a>\u00a0for\u00a0the need to help end world hunger. \u00a0I am so pleased that she is here today sharing her story and recipe with us. \u00a0You can follow Jackie on Twitter @lacasadesweets<\/p>\n \u2665 \u2665 \u2665 \u2665 \u2665<\/p>\n What an amazing project this is. I can\u2019t think of a better way to get bloggers and food-lovers from around the world together than this project. As soon as I heard about Frosting for the Cause, I knew I had to be a part of it. Not only do I love baking, blogging, and connecting with readers from all over, but this is where my true calling lies: baking for a higher cause. My blog readers and I are trying to do everything we can to help make the world a better place, and this will definitely help! Thank you, Paula, for all you\u2019ve done to get us all together. You are amazing.<\/p>\n Cancer. No one wants to hear that word, in any context. Unfortunately, we\u2019ve all heard that word too many times, about too many people. We\u2019ve heard it a lot in my family, too. My great-aunt died from it, my mother-in-law and grandmother survived it (praise God!), and several family members, including my mom, have had cancer scares throughout the years. And, then, there was my Titi Eva\u2026<\/p>\n My Titi Eva was my dad\u2019s aunt, and the closest relative we had while I was growing up. We would go visit her and my uncle for the weekend once a month. We\u2019d get in the car and drive the few hours to their home in Virginia. It was my absolute favorite thing to do. I spent so much time with her during my childhood, I actually thought she was my grandmother until I was about 10 or 12 years old!<\/p>\n She was the most poised, elegant, fun, humble, loving person I have ever known. Everyone loved her. And, she loved everyone right back. Her eyes were always shining bright with love, and her arms open for a hug. I never heard her say anything negative, about anyone. If something bad happened, she would just say, \u201cDon\u2019t worry. It\u2019s ok.\u201d<\/p>\n She taught me so many things. Things I didn\u2019t even know were important until later in life, when she was already gone. Thank God I listened. She taught me to be honest with myself, and that all girls are beautiful. And that every woman needs a little black dress\u2026and a smile. It\u2019s because of her that I became a teacher, and it\u2019s because of her that I pray I will be a good person, a good woman, a good mother.<\/p>\n She also passed on something else: her love of tea! Every weekend we visited her, as soon as we had unpacked our things, my Titi Eva would make some tea, and my mom, sister, and I would sit down with her at the table and have our very own tea party. We\u2019d talk about things, people we created, events we wanted to attend, and we would have a blast. She remembered every conversation we had, every imaginary friend my sister and I came up with. And we\u2019d go back for more, every time. Until, one day, we couldn\u2019t anymore.<\/p>\n The cancer spread so quickly, most of us didn\u2019t even have a chance to say goodbye to her. I wrote her a letter, and my dad read it to her, and he said she smiled, which makes me happy. She died on my dad\u2019s birthday.<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t get to see me in my wedding dress, or see my face glow with joy when I told my family I named my oldest daughter after her, Natalia Eva, so there would be another Eva in the family. She won\u2019t be here to see my daughters grow up, or to see me teaching in a classroom. But, you know what? It doesn\u2019t matter. I know she would be proud. I know she would be happy. And, I know she would smile and say, \u201cDon\u2019t worry. It\u2019s ok.\u201d<\/p>\n In her honor, I\u2019ve made Vanilla Chai-Tea Cupcakes, which are just perfect with a nice cup of tea. They are rich and have a hint of spice behind every bite, sweetened with a delicate icing. Thanks for joining my little tea party. Have a cupcake, and smile: every day is a blessing, and so are you!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Vanilla Chai-Tea Cupcake Recipe<\/strong><\/p>\n Makes 12 cupcakes. Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.<\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Cupcakes<\/em>:<\/p>\n \u00be cup milk<\/p>\n 2 black tea bags<\/p>\n 2 cups flour<\/p>\n 1 \u00bd teaspoon baking powder<\/p>\n Pinch of salt<\/p>\n \u00bc teaspoon ground pepper<\/p>\n \u00bc teaspoon cinnamon<\/p>\n \u00bc teaspoon ground ginger<\/p>\n Pinch of nutmeg<\/p>\n \u00bd stick unsalted butter, at room temperature<\/p>\n \u00be cup dark brown sugar<\/p>\n 2 eggs<\/p>\n 1 tablespoon vanilla<\/p>\n Icing<\/strong><\/em>:<\/p>\n \u00bd stick unsalted butter, at room temperature<\/p>\n \u00bd cup, plus 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk<\/p>\n \u00be cup powdered sugar<\/p>\n Instructions<\/strong>:<\/p>\n 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tray with paper liners, and set aside.<\/p>\n 2. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the milk for 1-2 minutes, or until very hot. Add the tea bags, and let them steep for 15 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and let the milk cool completely.<\/p>\n 3. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and spices. I asked my trusty assistant to help; my 2 year old is my favorite baking buddy!<\/p>\n 4. With an electric mixer, on medium-high speed, mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in the eggs, one at a time.<\/p>\n 5. On low, add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the tea-infused milk.<\/p>\n 6. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, about 2\/3 full.<\/p>\n 7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cupcakes are lightly golden. Let cool completely before frosting.<\/p>\nJackie\u2019s Vanilla Chai-Tea Cupcakes<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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