Oscar weekend!! This is our super bowl y’all. Hello, I AM a film major (that hasn’t seen any of the nominated movies)! Our Oscar parties are a tradition that started before my time. Started with my mom and her mother. Well, my grandmother is no longer with us, but my mom and I carry on the tradition every year. We usually rotate who hosts and it is a pot luck. This year, my mom is hosting in her new condo. Although, I will be helping out a lot with the appetizers, decorations and favors!The Oscars are an excuse for us gals to get together, watch the red carpet and be overly judgmental and catty, all in the name of Oscars! Oh, and an excuse to eat a lot of good food and drink a lot of wine!
For the Oscars, we always bet on the winners. Helps to make the evening more interesting. You can print ballots here. Up to you, but we don’t usually bet on all the categories, gets a bit much to keep track of, especially after the wine has been flowing. We usually do the main categories and then throw in some more technical ones to up the difficultly level. We typically do a 10-buck pot, but hey, if you’re a high roller make it 20! I never win, go figure, all that money on film school! My mom usually takes the pot. She is the one that sees all the movies. I tend to vote on what I think is Oscar worthy, that’s a bad strategy. Don’t do that. Pick the nominees that are critics choice, even if they stink! I’ll let you know how that goes, I have a feeling this will be my year!
For the party, I like to create some dishes that go along with the theme. I will be making red velvet rope high-hat cupcakes with a gold leaf decoration, because, “we fancy”.
Then for the favors, I found these adorable Oscar statue cookie cutters, along with a film camera. How cute are these! Perfect for the guests to take home. I just use a simple shortbread cookie recipe and decorate with royal icing.
For the decorations, I like to have a color theme of golds and reds. I also bought these Oscar statues to strategically place around my food and settings.I like to label my food, so everyone knows what they are eating. I like these star chalkboard labels for that. You can find on Amazon.You have to have popcorn to snack on for the Oscars too. So, I use these popcorn cups from Crate and Barrel that go perfectly with my theme. This year I am doing salted caramel corn.Remember to place your goodies around the entertaining space to create an atmosphere of mingling and using the entire space. Also, Different heights and textures for your display will add interest as well.
Another fun party idea is to use these face apps to create glammed out movie posters and getting your star on the walk of fame! Print out your guests’ stars and place them around the room! Another fun take home! You could also hole punch the pictures and tie around your party favors as name tags for your guests.
Look mom, I finally got my star on the Walk of Fame! 🙂
Voilà, there you have it, the makings of the perfect Oscar Party! Below is what my food contribution will be, I tend to go overboard!
Candied prosciutto (Recipe Below)
Red Velvet Rope High-hat Cupcakes (Recipe Below)
Oscar Shortbread Cookie Favors
- 3 oz. prosciutto
- 4 tbsp. date nectar for brushing (can sub, maple syrup, honey or olive oil)
- 4 tbsp. coconut sugar
- ⅛ to ¼ tsp. cayenne
- ⅛ tsp. all spice
- Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking pad.
- Mix the sugar and spices together in a small bowl.
- Lay prosciutto slices in even layer on baking sheet. Brush both lightly with date nectar. Sprinkle prosciutto with sugar/spice mixture.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until crisp. Allow to cool completely.
- Enjoy
- 1⅔ cups cake flower
- 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup milk whole – room temp
- 2 eggs – room temp
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter – room temp
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- ¼ cup Mascarpone – room temp
- Red gel food coloring
- For the Buttercream:
- 5 egg whites
- 1½ cups sugar
- 4 sticks of unsalted butter - room temp
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients and whisk to combine, then set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth about 2 minutes. Slowly add in the sugar and continue to beat for another 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the mascarpone and beat until combined.
- Add the oil and incorporate.
- Beat the egg whites until slightly foamy. Add to the butter sugar mixture in three pours. Beat after each addition until incorporated.
- Add the vanilla extract.
- Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Add half of the wet mixture and combine. Add another third of the dry and mix. Then add the rest of the wet mixture and combine. Last, add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Do not over mix.
- Using an ice-cream scoop or about ⅓ cup, fill each cupcake liner ⅔rds full. Gently even out tops with offset spatula or knife.
- Bake on middle rack of the oven for 16 to 18 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes in pan on rack. Then remove from pan and allow to cool completely on the rack.
- For the Buttercream:
- Separate whites from yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Pour sugar in bowl with the egg whites.
- Place bowl over, not touching, a pot with simmering water.
- Whisk constantly until sugar has completely dissolved around 160 degrees. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you can tell it’s done when you rub a little of the mixture between your fingers and it is completely smooth with no graininess. Should take about 10 minutes.
- Then return bowl to stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
- Begin beating the eggs and sugar until whites are glossy and stiff peaks have formed.
- The bowl should be cool to the touch, this will take around 10 minutes.
- Next switch to the paddle attachment and beat on medium high speed.
- Add the butter slowly one piece at a time to incorporate. The mixture will look like it’s curdled, keep mixing, that is normal.
- Mix until frosting is smooth and shiny.
- Add in the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- In a large pastry bag fitted with a large round tip, pipe tall swirls on the cupcakes.
- Place frosted cupcakes in fridge for at least two hours to chill.
- Melt the chocolate coating in 30 second intervals in the microwave until smooth.
- Place melted chocolate in large, deep cup, for dipping the cupcakes.
- Take chilled frosted cupcake and invert into the chocolate until all of the frosting is coated.
- Allow excess to drip off, then place on parchment paper.
- Allow to dry and set. Add your edible gold leaf and edible gold luster dust to the tips of the chocolate shell.
- Store covered at room temp for 3 days or covered in the fridge for 5 days.
- Enjoy!
Leave a Reply