Food Adventures and August Monsoons

It's not often that I host a dinner party, but I enjoy it when I do. Our church congregation instituted Dinners for Six, which actually turns out to be the perfect number of people when you're trying to get to know someone beyond the "Hi, what's your name?" conversation that seems to happen over and over each week when there are 300 people milling around.  Roommate and I pulled out our colorful bowls and had a fiesta last August.  She was recently returned from summer adventures, and it was maybe a house-warming of sorts.  I'm getting hungry just looking at this picture.

A week or so later I saw this recipe that I just had to try - Almond Hazelnut Cupcakes with a Chocolate Ganache frosting.  It took a few hours, but totally worth it!

You start by toasting the almonds and hazelnuts.  Toasted nuts are soooo good.

Then you grind those up, mix them with flour and sugar to make the base.  First time using our KitchenAid; I can finally see why everyone wants one one their wedding registries.

In another bowl you fluff some eggs and fold that into the nut mixture.

Time to start melting the chocolate!

Cupcakes are done - and don't they look like multigrain muffins and seem sorta good for you?  If only.

Chocolate melted - almost done.

The finished product!

Which I enjoyed while sitting on balcony and watching the rains come down.

A few minutes later it was sunny skies and beautiful flowers.  Hard to think that it was still 100+ degrees at this point!