No Cupcakes for Christmas + GIVEAWAY!!!

Anybody who knows me, even a little bit, knows I love King Diamond. He's just so great! Besides being a founding member of the infinitely influental band Mercyful Fate, then continuing to break new ground with his amazing solo career, he's just a really awesome person.
He's insanely brilliant, a completely gifted artist, and very polite. I don't think I've ever read or seen an interview with him where he was anything less than gracious. And his last album was entitled Give Me Your Soul... PLEASE.  He is truly a King amongst Metalheads.
Also: best make-up in the biz!

After Mercyful Fate broke up due to creative differences, King Diamond took a few members of the band with him, and launched his solo career. He released his first single on December 25, 1985. It was entitled "No Presents For Christmas," and it remains a classic to this day. 

In case you haven't heard, this single was just re-released by Roadrunner after 27 years! Because I love King Diamond almost as much as you, my darling readers, I'm giving away one reissued vinyl picture disc of King Diamond's "No Presents For Christmas." 
Yes, it's true!

All you have to do to enter this giveaway is:

• Leave a comment in the comments section below telling me what your favorite thing about King Diamond is.
• I will then print out all the comments, and literally draw one out of a hat to select the winner. 
• Everyone is eligible to enter (meaning I have no problem shipping internationally), but you are only allowed to enter once.
• The deadline to enter is Noon (Chicago time) on Tuesday, December 25th, 2012. That way if Satan Claws fails you that morning, you'll still have time to enter the giveaway.
• I will announce the winner here, shortly after the deadline.
• Good luck! 

And the winner is:

(the sound cuts out briefly in the middle, and I'm a total dork)



Jeff Williams!
Congratulations! Thanks again to everyone who entered, and to everyone who has ever read Metalcakes or tried a recipe! I'd be nothing without you.


Long live the King.

King Diamond:
No Cupcakes For Christmas

Makes 12

Metal Constituents:

For the pie crusts:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons ice water

For the pie filling:

• 3 1/4 cups fresh cranberries (12 ounces)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons blood orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup blood orange juice

For the whipped cream:

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

*If you're lazy, you can substitute frozen pie crust and whipped cream from a can. But c'mon... live a little!

 

Merciless Instructions: 

1. Make the pie dough first: Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor to combine.
2. Add butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds.
3. Add egg yolk, and pulse a few times again.
4. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream
5. Process until dough just holds together, no longer than 30 seconds.
6. Remove dough and shape into a disk.
7. Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
9. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick.
10. Cut out 12,  4 1/8-inch wide rounds (I used a large, wide-mouth coffee mug that was just about the right size and worked great), and fit into the cups of a standard 12-cup, cupcake tin. 
11. Flute the edges of the crust using a fork or your fingers.
12. Pierce bottoms with a fork about 3 times.
13. Freeze 15 minutes.
14. Line each shell with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans to prevent the bottoms from puffing up during baking.
15. Bake 15 minutes.
16. Remove weights and parchment, and bake again for 5 minutes or until bottoms are just turning golden,
17. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing pie crusts to a wire rack to cool completely.
18. To make the pie filling: Bring 2 cups cranberries, 1 cup sugar, and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
19. Reduce heat, and simmer mixture, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have burst, about 5 minutes.
20. Pour through a fine sieve and discard solids. You should have about 1 3/4 cups. If you have less, add water.
21. Bring strained cranberry juice, 1/4 cup sugar, zest, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and remaining 1 1/4 cups cranberries to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring occasionally.
22. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries are soft but have not burst, about 3 minutes.
23. Strain mixture again, and return to the pot.
24. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch, blood orange juice, and 1/4 cup water.
25. Whisk blood orange juice mixture into cranberry mixture.
26. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
27. Cook, stirring, until translucent and kinda gelatinous, about 1 minute.
28. Pour into completely cooled, prepared shells.
29. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour, or as long as overnight.
30. To make the whipped cream topping: Chill your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the fridge for 20 minutes before using- 5 minutes in the freezer if you're pressed for time.
31. Pour the cream into the cold mixing bowl, and whisk on medium-high speed until it starts to thicken.
32. Slow the mixer to medium speed, and gradually add powdered sugar.
33. Continue to whisk until soft peaks form.
34. Add vanilla, and whisk until stiff peaks form.
35. Pipe whipped cream onto each mini pie.
36. There's no cupcakes, not this Christmas!

Here's some live footage of King Diamond playing "No Presents For Christmas." 

Happy Holidays from Metalcakes!