Baking with Booze

by Nicole Watts

Millionaire Pie is a southern dish that is basically a type of ambrosia  served up in a graham cracker crust, made famous at Furr’s Cafeteria of Texas. My personal preference for these is to serve them up as mini-cupcakes so that you get all of the flavors in one bite.

For the cake

1 white cake mix

1 cup of pineapple vodka

3 eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

8 oz can of crushed pineapple plus juice

11 oz can mandarin oranges (chopped)

1 jar maraschino cherries (chopped)

8 oz cream cheese (softened)

¼ cup finely chopped pecans

1 cup of coconut

Mix cream cheese, crushed pineapple and juice, mandarin oranges, chopped cherries

Add cake mix, pineapple vodka, eggs and vegetable oil

Add pecans and coconut, mix until combined.

Fill cupcake papers 2/3 full

Bake for 15-17 minutes @ 350

Bake mini-cupcakes for 7-9 minutes @ 350

For the topping

Travis Hasse’s Cherry Pie Liqueur

Cool Whip

Graham cracker crumbs

Maraschino cherries

Once cupcakes have cooled, simmer 1 cup of Travis Hasse’s Cherry Pie liqueur until it has thickened to a syrup. Brush syrup over the tops of the cupcakes.

Pipe Cool Whip topping on to cupcakes and sprinkle with crushed graham crackers.

Top with a maraschino cherry or maraschino cherry half for minis.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.