The beginning of my friendship with Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan, the powerhouse behind wildly successful culinary blog The Kitchn, was steeped in Kahlua.  She was probably in the fifth grade.  It’s a fun story.

My boutique PR firm had Kahlua as a client for many years.  Pretty yummy work; our best PR efforts were culinary-focused.  Over time, our library of Kahlua food recipes grew to more than 500.  I still have the whole collection (and promise to share plenty), but I wasn’t the person who developed them.  Part of my job included dreaming up Kahlua recipe concepts and themes.  I then hired the incredibly talented and calm Karen Gillingham, Sara Kate’s mommy, to bring the ideas to life.  And she had lots of ideas herself.

Before freelancing, Karen was a food editor with the LA Times.  We are both home economists, so I knew her from that circle of food pros.  Karen was perfect to work with after I first endured a nut case of a recipe developer and stylist inherited with the account.  Quickly, I disinherited that whack job and landed Karen because I was in awe of her ability and style.  Did I mention she was calm?

Long hours together results in lots of family talk.  Little Sara Kate was an engaging, freckle faced cutie patootie.  Seeing her now as a businesswoman and mother, Karen should probably write a parenting book.

Besides creating recipes, Karen and I shot volumes of food photos together.  On occasion, Sara Kate was there; her mom claims I gave her a straw hat prop which she hung on the wall in their family cabin.  If she still has that hat, I won’t tell the Kahlua people.

Time to think about baking oooey chocolaty Kahlua things.  Here is a Karen-created recipe, great for grownup fun like a Hollywood Bowl picnic. 

Kahlua Chocolate Cupcakes with Kahlua Buttercream Frosting

• 3 eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 cup strong cold coffee
• 3/4 cup Kahlua
• Kahlua Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a medium bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat egg whites until frothy; then beat in sugar until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.  Cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy.  Beat in egg yolks one at a time.  Sift flour, cocoa and baking soda together.  Add to creamed mixture alternately with coffee and Kahlua; blend well.  Fold egg whites into batter.  Fill prepared cupcake cups to 2/3 full.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove cupcakes from tins and cool on rack completely before frosting.  Makes 2 dozen cupcakes.

Kahlua Buttercream Frosting

• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1 lb. powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 Tbsp. Kahlua
• 2-3 Tbsp. hot coffee

In large bowl, cream together butter and powdered sugar.  Add cocoa powder, Kahlua and hot coffee.  Beat until smooth.  Frosts 2 dozen cupcakes.

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