The Home Cook: White Rum Frosting

As January has passed well into February, I'm finding that time has been steadily flowing by me at an alarming rate. I get up, go to work, come home, make supper, clean up and then hit the books before retiring to bed. Repeat, repeat, repeat until you don't know where the last month and half have gone! The only variation are the weekends when I skip the going to work part in favor of more studying and maybe the occassional trip to the grocery store for pesky things like food. There are also the odd evenings here and there where I do things like clean my house in favor of study guides and notepads, but for the most part there has been little variation to our lives since Christmas. It's hasn't been all bad...in a way the constant quiet that's settled over our house in part because I can't watch TV and study and in part because there has been nothing on TV has been quite lovely. Tim's new laptop has also gotten it's use, allowing us to at least be in the same space while we each do our own thing. And by our own thing I mean on-line gaming and studying.

This week was a bit of an exception. Just in case you weren't aware Thursday was St. Valentine's Day (also known as Singles Awareness Day in some circles.). And while I'm not sure how a Roman Catholic Feast Day honoring martyred Saints became a day for lovers, the tradition still stands. February 14th is a day for flowers, candies, cards, elaborate dinners and tokens of affection between sweethearts. It's also a darn good reason to bake stuff. In this case "stuff" is a box each of dark chocolate and french vanilla cupcakes. But in this case, it's not the cupcake that's impressive. In this case, it's all about the frosting. And I do mean ALL ABOUT THE FROSTING. This isn't just any white frosting...this is rum frosting. And it is good. However in all fairness, I must warn you that despite it's finger-licking deliciousness there is one danger (one that does not involve a spoon and a vat of icing)...it's that there are raw egg-whites in it. And while this is a most delicious frosting...it probably shouldn't be fed to small children, elderly or immuno-challenged people. I will say that I have made and eaten this stuff many times and no one has gotten ill, but recognize that this is probably something that should be used sparingly and with caution. In my humble opinion, this frosting is well worth the risk.

White Rum Frosting

3 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar, divided
1/2 cup Shortening
2 Egg Whites
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon clear Rum or Rum Flavoring
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Beat shortening till fluffy then beat in 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar. Add egg whites, salt, rum & vanilla and mix until smooth. Beat in remaining powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until frosting is a spreading consistency. Frost's 18-24 cupcakes, one sheet cake or a two layer cake.