[Wine Social] Relax + Indulge

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Earlier in November, our members had the pleasure of attending our legendary Wine Social! Hosted by the charming and charismatic Tim Bradley, ladies learned about different wines and various pairings while enjoying some tasty treats! You can find the recipe for our popular red velvet cupcakes below. Thanks to generous sponsorship by Okanagan Crush Pad Winery, our members enjoyed:

  • Haywire Rose 2010
  • Haywire Switchback Pino Gris 2011
  • Haywire Chardonnay 2011
  • Haywire Pinot Noir 2010

Tim Bradley is one of Burnaby Height's most well-known wine experts. His extensive knowledge in winery stems from his incredible passion for wine tasting and food pairing. He is currently the Tasting Bar Manager at Bottle Jockey. Always attracting a crowd wherever he goes with his energetic personality, Tim is a wine professional that will leave you with fine-drinking facts everyone is desperate to know about. Connect with Tim on Twitter @timmehbee.

Also, a huge thank you to our other sponsors, Lush Cosmetics and Starbucks Canada.

As promised, here is the recipe for the red velvet cupcakes, with cream cheese icing:

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cocoa powder 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature 2 large eggs, room temperature 2 tablespoons red food coloring 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, softened 2 sticks butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.Garnish with chopped pecans and a fresh raspberry or strawberry.Cook's Note: Frost the cupcakes with a butter knife or pipe it on with a big star tip.