The buttercream was an accident. Tabitha Meready was experimenting in her kitchen, and she’d gotten distracted. While her back was turned, the mixer transformed powdered sugar and butter into something incredibly light and smooth.
At Meready’s downtown Wilmington shop, The Peppered Cupcake, that magic buttercream is the crowning glory on light, moist cupcakes in flavors like peach-and-lavender cobbler and banana pudding.
And the kitchen experiments continue: Meready never uses food coloring — she might add turmeric for a hint of yellow, raspberries for pink, or roasted sweet potatoes for orange.
For her signature cupcakes, inspired by a family recipe for Jezebel sauce, she stuffs vanilla cupcakes with a preserve of the day, frosts them, then adds a spoonful of mango-chili or peach-habanero pepper jelly on top for a sweet-and-spicy surprise.
The Peppered Cupcake
105 South Front Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
(910) 399-1088
thepepperedcupcake.com
When it comes to spreading holiday cheer, the residents of this Chatham County town start early.
Our editor in chief shares a few treasured memories from her childhood home, a Christmas Eve night being one of the very first.
We took some, ahem, creative liberties when we combed through Our State’s archives to find a few favorite stories that carry the tune of a Christmas classic.
From decades-old family recipes to a centuries-old Carolina cookie, we’re filling our holiday tables with dishes that have stood the test of time.
