Memories are a funny thing. Some fade away instantly, falling into the corners of the mind as soon as the moment is gone. Others come back as fragmented pieces, allowing you to recall an event or a time, but leaving the details behind. And then there are the memories that stick with you. Perfectly preserved, as clear as the moment they happened. Like everyone else, I have my share of all three of these types of memories. But it is those few perfectly clear ones that seem to have had the most impact. One of my clearest memories occurred three yeas ago. It was a small moment between my Grandparents, my cousins and I, but it’s one I recall nearly every day. My grandparents were more in love than any pair I’ve ever known. They have the type of love story that you read about in books, the type of story that everyone hopes to have. And I remember, as clear as the moment it occurred, a speech my Grandma gave to her five grandchildren about the bond they shared. It was Christmas of 2009 when my Grandma shared her hopes for us. She looked adoringly at her husband, like she always did and said “This is what I want for all of you. For you to find someone that you love this deeply, and have this much fun with. I hope each of you finds your best friend to share your life with. Because when you find this… it is when your life really begins.” Her small speech struck me. Because although I never really considered myself a romantic, the words she spoke resonated with me, because I knew that is what I hoped for too. And then, much to my chagrin, a friend came to mind. Someone I had just met a few months earlier, but was quickly becoming quite smitten with. His name was Eric and even after a few months of knowing him it was clear that he was one of the kindest people I had ever met. I had never really felt quite as comfortable or at ease than when I was with my new friend Eric. And it wasn’t long after that night with my grandparents that it became clear that he was that best friend that my Grandma had described. People always say that when you meet your match you just know. Before Eric, I wasn’t quite sure if I believed that. I thought those amazing love stories were just for a lucky few, and for some reason I wasn’t quite sure if I would find that type of love. But after mere weeks of knowing this kind, generous man, I just knew that in Eric, I’d found my home. And after three wonderful years together, Eric asked me to be his wife. On the Friday before Christmas, he took me to Campus Martius in downtown Detroit, and proposed in front of the biggest, most beautiful Christmas tree around.

We were standing in front of the tree, and Eric told me to look up at the lights. When I looked back at him, he was down on one knee with a ring in his hand. I was shocked and elated and immediately said “Yes!” He then surprised me yet again, by having both of our families meet us downtown to share such a special night with us. It was truly a night I will never forget.

And since every New Year’s Eve we often celebrate the new year with  bottle of champagne, I thought Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes would be the perfect dessert to celebrate this new step in our lives. The cupcakes have a subtle champagne flavor and are the perfect dessert when topped with a touch of cream cheese frosting. Enjoy!

Ingredients: Makes 36 mini cupcakes, recipe from The Cupcake Diaries

• 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, diced
• 1/2 cup champagne
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons softened butter
• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• seeds from 1 vanilla bean
• 1 1/4 cup milk

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a mini cupcake pan with 36 cupcake liners
2. In a small bowl, soak diced strawberries in champagne and set aside
3. In a medium bowl, sift dry ingredients together (flour through salt) and set aside
4. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until soft and creamy
5. Add eggs, one at a time to butter mixture
6. Combine vanilla, vanilla bean seeds and milk in a large liquid measuring cup, set aside
7. Add one third of flour mixture into butter mixture and beat until well incorporated. Follow by adding one third of the milk mixture. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk mixture into batter until all is well incorporated
8. Drain the strawberries of excess champagne and pat lightly with a paper towel
9. Gently fold strawberries into cake batter until well mixed.
10. Scoop batter into cupcake pan and bake for 10 minutes
11. To make frosting, beat cream cheese and butter together until well incorporated
12. Slowly add powdered sugar to butter mixture until all is well incorporated
13. Stir in vanilla
14. Use a pastry bag to pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes