Champagne Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 (12 count) muffin tins with cute and festive cupcakes liners. I like to double up, with a plain white on the inside and the decorative liner on the outside.
2. Set your jar of coconut oil in a mixing bowl filled with hot water. After a few minutes the coconut oil should liquefy and pour out like water.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk the mixture by hand to ensure the ingredients are completely mixed and airy.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, blend the eggs, sugar, and vanilla together on medium speed for one minute. With your mixer on low speed, drizzle the liquified coconut oil into the mixture until well combined, it should look smooth and velvety.
5. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the champagne in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. After each addition, mix until just barely blended and stop and scrape the sides of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thin and runny.
6. Stop the mixer before the last of the flour has been incorporated and finish the blending by hand with a silicone spatula to ensure you do not over-beat the batter. Mix until the flour is just combined.
7. Divide the batter evenly among 24 lined muffin tins, filling them about 3/4 of the way full with batter.
8. Place the filled muffin tins on baking sheets and bake in the center racks of the oven for 16-20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Meringue Frosting

1. In a small saucepan, combine the 2/3 cup of sugar with the water. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Using a brush dipped in cold water, wash down any sugar crystals from the side of the pan. Boil the syrup without stirring over moderately high heat until the syrup reaches 240° on a candy thermometer, about 7-9 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar at medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat until the whites are firm.
3. With the mixer on a slow-medium speed, quickly and carefully drizzle the boiling syrup down the side of the mixing bowl, avoiding the whisk. Beat at low speed for about 3 minutes until stiff, glossy peaks form when the whisk is lifted. Beat in vanilla and 2-3 tablespoons of champagne. Then blend in a couple of dots of red or pink food coloring until a lovely blush color is achieved. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
4. Fill a piping bag with the prepared meringue frosting and pipe onto the cupcakes as desired. Gently blow a kiss of edible gold dust over the cupcakes.
5. Serve immediately with a 2nd bottle of something fizzy!