Getting to Know The Busty Baker: Six Unimportant Things That I Love

As I was checking my emails the other day, I saw that Jane of Foodzilla had left me a comment on my Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcakes, tagging me in an internet quiz that's floating around among blogs. Six Unimportant Things I Love. Well you know how much I like quizzes! (Or maybe you don't... but I love quizzes! Hmm.. Maybe that should have been on my list too.) I sat for awhile trying to come up with things that didn't seem too important that I just adore. It took a bit of time, but I finally finished my list. So here it is--another Getting to Know The Busty Baker post. Thanks Jane!

1. Harry Potter. I was actually sitting outside reading The Goblet of Fire when I got the email, so naturally, this had to go as the first thing on my list. I just love HP! I read through the whole series once a year. It would probably be more than that if I didn't limit myself. I can read these over and over again and never get tired of it. I just started reading them again about 2 weeks ago, and just started the 4th yesterday. I have to get through at least The Half Blood Prince before the movie comes out! And yes. I will be there at the movie at midnight, just like I have been for the last 2.

2. Singing along to the radio. It doesn't matter whether it's in the car, at home, or in the middle of the grocery store; if there's music on, I have to sing to it. I'm really glad I live alone now, so I can sing as loud as I want, but I'm sure my neighbors aren't too happy.

3. Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers. These aren't a huge chain yet, but there are some scattered around the country. If you're lucky enough to live near one and you haven't tried it, what on Earth are you waiting for?? If you don't have one around you, move! They're that good. Mmm. Chicken Fingers. And definitely don't skip the Cane's sauce. I've been known to stockpile these in my fridge and eat it with everything.

4. While we're on the subject of food, Jeni's Ice Cream. This is a local thing here in Columbus. Again, if you're anywhere near it, give it a try. If not, you should anyway. (Hey they deliver nationwide, so no excuses.) I was never a very big fan of ice cream, but Jeni turned me into a believer. Now I have to have it anytime I'm even close to a shop. Even if I'm stuffed so full of food from dinner that one more bite will do me in. I'll suffer through the pain for Jeni's.

5. Flipflops. I would wear flipflops all day, everyday if I could. I love the freedom of them. I'm not a fan of shoes, and even less of a fan of socks. Flipflops are about as close as you can get to being barefoot without breaking that no shoes, no shirt, no service rule. And I'm all for it. I have more pairs of flipflops than anything else. I just wish I could wear them to work. And in the winter, but I'm not that hardcore. It's a little too cold for me to wear them in the snow.

6. Hello Kitty. I'm totally the girl who wears a Hello Kitty pin on her nametag at work and carries her lunch in a Hello Kitty metal lunchbox. I have a Hello Kitty background on my computer, and write grocery lists on Hello Kitty notepads. There are Hello Kitty icepacks in my freezer (I love the $1 section at Target.) and Hello Kitty bandaids in my medicine cabinet. I even lock my stuff up at the gym with a Hello Kitty combination lock. Obsessed? Me? Nooo.. Not at all. But I so want this bike I passed the other day outside a store near work. I would risk life and limb on the main road near my house to ride this thing everywhere. Well. Maybe not. Those people are crazy on that road.

So there you have it. Six Unimportant Things that I Love. Now who else wants to take the quiz? I won't pass it on to anyone specific, but feel free grab this and do it for yourself! And let me know if you did, so I can learn more about you too!

Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcakes

Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcakes
From Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
Makes 12

8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
½ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
12 small (1 ½-inch) chocolate-covered peppermint patties, such as York Peppermint Patties

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. Place chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally just until melted, 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Remove bowl from heat. Whisk in sugar and salt until mixture is smooth; whisk in eggs to combine. Gently whisk in flour and cocoa until just smooth (do not overmix.)
3. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of batter into each lined cup. Place one peppermint patty on top, gently pressing into batter. Top with 2 tablespoons batter, covering patty completely. Bake, rotating tin halfway through, until a cake tester inserted halfway in centers (above mint patty) comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Transfer tin to a wire rack to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.

Mint Frosting
From Joy of Baking.com
Makes enough to spread a thin layer on 12 cupcakes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract or 1-2 tablespoons creme de menthe
green food coloring (optional)

1. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat all the ingredients until smooth. Add a few drops of green food coloring if you want the frosting green. If the frosting is too thick, add a little extra cream. (The frosting should be just thin enough to spread.) Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled brownies.

Chocolate Glaze
From Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
Makes 1 ¼ cups
(I halved this recipe)

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1. Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring cream and corn syrup just to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium high heat; pour mixture over chocolate. Let stand, without stirring, until chocolate begins to melt.
2. Using a flexible spatula, gently stir chocolate and cream until totally combined; begin near the center of the bowl and gradually work your way toward the edge, pulling in as much chocolate as possible, until the mixture is smooth and glossy. (If any chocolate pieces remain, strain mixture through a fine sieve and discard solids.) If not using immediately, glaze can be refrigerated up to 5 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently before using.

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My dad is seriously the hardest person to buy gifts for. He’s not your typical dad-like guy. He doesn’t care for sports, unless it’s Nascar or involves guns. He’s not a Master Griller. In fact, he doesn’t even touch the grill. He doesn’t drink beer or play poker. He’s not big into reading unless it’s a magazine like Field and Stream or Aviation History, and the only ones he reads he’s already subscribed to. He doesn’t wear ties, and he’s got way too many coffee mugs as it is. My mom’s a piece of cake. She likes lighthouses, cookbooks, and handheld electronic games she can play while my dad is watching whatever hunting show is on at the time. If she had her way, she’d read a romance book a day while sitting on the deck enjoying the sunny afternoon. I never have any trouble finding something for her. But my dad? It’s next to impossible. I know for sure he likes hunting, old guns, cowboy action shooting, and building airplanes. And not just the models. Real, life-sized, flyable airplanes. In the garage. (We’ve always been the interesting [aka: crazy] neighbors because of it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been rudely awakened at 8am to help hold a wing up. Nothing like being half asleep next to an airplane in the front yard in polka dot pajamas for the whole neighborhood to see.) But I know nothing about guns, and where on Earth do I buy airplane parts? See my dilemma? I always feel bad when holidays and birthdays roll around, because I can shower my mom with gifts, but my dad always ends up with a gift card to a sporting goods store. How completely unoriginal. So, I decided to switch it up. This year, he’s getting baked goods.

I made cutout sugar cookies for my dad last year for Father’s Day in the shape of cowboy boots and hats, but I didn’t have time to do it again this year. This year, I spent the whole Father’s Day weekend at work. (I did the same for Mother’s Day… so my mom still hadn’t gotten her new skillet.) I decided on Tuesday to celebrate a belated Father’s Day, but I didn’t have the energy to put into making and icing cutouts again, so I had to think of another recipe that my dad would love. During my dozen or so reads through the Martha Stewart Cupcake book, I had marked to try the Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcakes. This sounded like the perfect treat for my dad. He always has York Peppermint Patties stashed, and he can devour an entire pan of brownies in a day. Plus, it’s the perfect excuse to break in my Martha book!

The recipe is totally 1 bowl-simple. I melted my chocolate and butter in the microwave to make it even easier. Mix all your other ingredients in the same bowl, fill the cupcake liners halfway, plop a York Peppermint Patty on top, and fill about 2/3 full. Bake for 35 minutes, and Ta-Da! Greatness! I’m sure these would be wonderful just plain, but I wanted to take the minty goodness even further, so I topped my cupcakes with a thin layer of mint frosting, and drizzled a chocolate glaze over top. They were so good. Very fudgy and minty and delicious. Definitely a brownie to eat with a tall glass of milk to wash down the fudginess.


I took them to my parent’s, along with my mom’s Mother’s Day skillet, but my dad had just had a piece of cake right before we arrived, so the cupcakes weren’t tasted while we were there. Hopefully I’ll hear from someone soon about how it went. I did, however, save a couple for Boyfriend since he didn’t get to try the Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes I made last week, and he gave them an A+! But as he found out, if you put them in the fridge, the paper liner kind of sticks… So go ahead and leave them out at room temperature. Or pop them in the microwave for a few seconds. It makes the insides all “yum and warmy.” Apparently they’re just too good for real words.

Also, the morning I baked, I saw on Twitter that Heavenly Housewife had made some sugar cookies that looked fantastic, so I decided to whip some of those up too to take with me. My dad is a big fan of sugar cookies, and would constantly steal handfuls of my cutouts, before they were even iced, so I thought these would be perfect! Simple little yummy sugar cookies that I didn't have to roll out and make icing for! These did get eaten while I was there, and everyone loved them! They're chewy in the center with the edges just a little crunchy. Mmm! I’m definitely going to be making these again! Just make sure your dough is well chilled before you bake them. Mine spread a bit, but it was also creeping past 80 degrees in the house at the time.. But guess what? My AC is fixed!! (We'll see how long that lasts..) So no more sweating in the apartment! And I've figured out the secret to getting the maintenance people to show up. Throw some cookies or cupcakes in the oven. They seem to magically appear every time I'm baking something, so I think they're drawn to the smell of baked goods! So next time you're stuck waiting for hours for the cable guy, head over to From Donuts to Delirium for Heavenly Housewife's recipe, and they'll be ringing your doorbell in no time. Thanks HH!

Cookbook Review: Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
Published in 2008 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang
ISBN: 978-1-58479-721-0
List Price: $29.95
207pp

Rating	(1 = Worst,	5 = Best)
Presentation		Illustrations
Depth of Information		Practicality
Value		Permanent Library
Gift Giving		Level of Difficulty	Average
Overall

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Item #483 on my list of things to do if I ever make it to New York City: Visit Baked, the bakery in Red Hook. I’m going to have to spend an entire month or more in NYC, if I ever get there, just to do all the things I want to do, but hitting up Baked is definitely going to be one of them. I have no idea how they taste, but just by looking through their cookbook, I’m already hooked. It all looks so tasty! And they can’t be all that bad if they were featured in Oprah’s magazine, O, making the list of her favorite things with their Baked Brownie. But if you’re not one of the masses that take Oprah’s word as gospel, maybe the accolades of America’s Test Kitchen, the Today show, or my own beloved Martha Stewart will help dispel any skepticism.

If they hadn’t shared the story behind opening their bakery in a storefront church in an industrialized section of Brooklyn, I totally would have assumed that Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito were baking up tasty treats in some wooded area of upstate New York or something. With the 70s retro look of the book and its penchant for deer, squirrels, wood grain, and vintage food styling, it simply screams “cabin in the woods” to me. But it’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s got a certain charm to it that I totally love. (It even inspired me to go out and buy new backgrounds for my own pictures!) It gives the book a unique feel to it—a lot less of the feminine vibe you get with other books. No pink swirly frosting here. Just beautiful Lemon Meringue Tarts sitting on a tree stump, or a rogue garden gnome checking out the amazing Red Hot Velvet Cake. It’s probably one of the better presentations I’ve seen in a cookbook lately! And the little stick figure demo drawings on some of the recipes? Completely adorable.

Broken down into 7 categories (Breakfast, Cakes and Cupcakes, Pies and Tarts, Brownies and Bars, Cookies, Chocolates/Candies/Confections, and Drinks) there’s something for everyone to bake—or not bake. Enjoy an Espresso Martini while someone else bakes! Even though they’ve garnered a lot of praise for the bakery, and made the rounds to all the major media outlets promote the book, it has a very unpretentious and very laid back feel to it. (They’ve got stick figures! How much more unpretentious could you get?) The recipes are no different. They are straightforward and don’t really require any special ingredients that the local grocery store wouldn’t stock. The recipes even stick with the retro idea. Most are updated takes on old classics, such as the Grasshopper Cake, Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie, or the Classic Diner-Style Chocolate Pie. Some are even based on classic candies and drinks like the Root Beer Bundt Cake, the Red Hot Velvet Cake, the Milk Chocolate Malt Ball Cake, or the Coconut Snowball Cupcakes. (Which is why I'm not really sure what "New Frontiers" they're referring to in their title.. A lot look like rediscovered frontiers to me.. But whatever!) None of the techniques seem to be more than an average baker can handle. Each recipe also has a “Baked Note” in the sidebar giving tips and substitutions for the recipes.

At $29.95, it’s a decent value. You’d pay that much or more for almost any hardcover cookbook, and this one’s got quite an assortment of goodies to make. From breakfast to dessert to cocktails, you’ve got plenty to choose from here! I’m definitely going to have to buy this one for myself because I really enjoy it. And it would make a great gift for those manly bakers who cringe at cookbooks full of pastel swirls. Definitely check this one out if you get a chance!

Stand Out Recipes:

• Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits
• Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl
• Sweet and Salty Cake
• Root Beer Bundt Cake
• Butterscotch Pudding Tarts
• The Baked Brownie
• Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
• Chocolate Stout Milkshake

Guest Post: Cherry Chip Cupcakes with Cherry Frosting

Cherry Chip Cupcakes with Cherry Frosting
Made by Boyfriend!

1 Box Betty Crocker Super Moist Cherry Chip cake mix.
1 Can Betty Crocker cherry frosting.

Preparation & Steps
Read box. Don’t mess up.

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My first guest blogger! It's so exciting! And guess who it is? Boyfriend! That's right! I'm letting him have a voice! He made me some cupcakes the other day, and when I came over, he made a joke about wanting to take pictures and write a post about it to put up here.. Well I didn't think of it as a joke! I made him actually write it! So here he is! Take it away Boyfriend! (Oh. PS: Since you know I can't keep my mouth shut about anything, any of my comments will be in pink from here on.)

As the first guest on the Busty Baker’s blog, it is only right that I write about my attempt to make cupcakes for her. These cupcakes were about 2 years in the making due to various reasons, the primary one being that I’m just lazy. As she is the baker, I could never actually hope to live up to her expectations and actually make something from scratch so what you see here is something straight from the box. That’s right; there is a review of a boxed cake mix here on the Busty Baker. (*gasp*)

To begin, the story began many months ago when I actually purchased this cake mix for the purpose of making cupcakes. This was the second time I purchased these items as about a year and a half earlier, I purchased the items to make them then, only to find that I would eat the frosting over the course of 2 weeks. This I might add, was me eating it by the spoonful or putting it between graham crackers. I blame my mother for teaching me this little trick to make the most of an open can of frosting. (My mom does the same thing! Oh and he eats through jars of peanut butter this way too..) Either way, the actual box of cake mix sat for about 12 months in the cupboard until I moved out of that apartment. It was thrown out in defeat.

Forward to the latest purchases of the products in which I was to make cupcakes for the Busty Baker. (For my birthday.) As this had become almost a little joke between the two of us, the purchase was met with a sense of determination. I was going to finally break down and do this. I do cook for her sometimes but I really never went as far as to actually bake something. As a person, I’m not much for experimentation for baking. I like pretty much anything she makes for me, but for myself, the most I’ve ever done is white cake with vanilla frosting. For myself, plain is fine. As such, although the Busty Baker has scores of baking cookbooks to use, we decided that her favorite boxed flavor, cherry chip, would be what I would finally make. (Baby steps.)

As one would think, there really wasn’t too much to the actual preparation and making of the cupcakes. Of course, this would not happen without some sort of setback. (It just wouldn't be the Busty Baker's blog if there wasn't at least 1 thing that goes wrong!) On the day I was going to make the items (*ahem* a month after my birthday), I found I had lost the blades for my hand mixer. Luckily, I had only opened the box of the mix and did not start the process of actually trying to mix the items. The Busty Baker came to the rescue and brought her hand mixer over. This was the only piece of not personally owned equipment that was used.

Personally, I am a fan of batter. This batter though just did not taste right. Granted, I am not sure if this mix included any baking soda in it, but that’s exactly what it tasted like was spilled in it. After everything, I think it was the actual cherry chips that were used in the mix that added this flavor but it was pretty noticeable. (It tasted fine to me.) As such, I did not eat my customary spoonfuls of batter or even lick the blades of the mixer. That job was left to the Busty Baker and she made quick work of the leftovers. (It was tasty!! What can I say?) I ended up making enough to fill up the 24 possible cupcakes holes I had in my tray. (Believe it or not, he actually has more cupcake pans than I do. I had to borrow his for CupcakeCamp.) Exact science was not used in the measuring of the batter so of course we ended up with the full range of sizes. Cooking was straight forward as one would expect. I did let them cook for a few minutes past the recommended time on the box as they did not seem firm enough for me. The Busty Baker was not allowed to make any comments or suggestions during this entire event so if I screwed up, it was totally my fault. As I did not have a toothpick or tester to see if everything was done, it was all eyeballed. In the end, they came out exactly how I figured they would. Fine.

Icing was a very casual affair. As we both are fans of icing, I was very liberal on the application. (I did have to open my mouth and make a suggestion once during the event.. The cupcakes weren't cool enough when he wanted to start icing, so the first 2 kind of melted a bit before I suggested we wait a little while longer.) Of course, there were already a few cupcakes eaten before the icing even started. To me, the baking soda taste still persisted but was not as strong. The Busty Baker said they were fine and exactly how she liked them. Now, the Busty Baker provided sprinkles and goodies to top the cupcakes as she has about 100 different containers of items to choose from. Don’t even get me started on her collection of sprinkles. (It's not THAT bad. There's not anywhere near 100. It's probably only about 10 or 15.) Again, the application of sprinkles was not an exact science but it was fairly messy.



In the end, we each probably ate about 5 cupcakes apiece that evening. (I only felt slightly sick.) These were made for her so she ended up taking most of them home. I am not a huge fan of cherry flavored anything so in the end, this is best. (I ate the rest of them in like 2 days..) Would I make these again? For her, of course, but for myself, probably not. I will next branch out to actually attempt to make something from scratch. This time I promise it won’t take two years. (It better not!)

-Boyfriend

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
From 125 Best Cupcake Recipes by Julie Hasson
Makes 12 cupcakes (Mine actually made a little over 18)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup frozen raspberries, not thawed
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat sugar and oil until well combined. Add milk, frozen raspberries, and vanilla, being just until raspberries are mashed and well incorporated. Add flour mixture, beating until well blended. Mix in balsamic vinegar.
4. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting.

White Chocolate Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
Adapted from Maple Buttercream by Julie Hasson
Makes 2 cups (Enough for 18 cupcakes)

2 cups confectioners’ sugar
¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup melted white chocolate
1/4 tsp raspberry extract
¼ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

1. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together confectioners’ sugar, butter, melted chocolate, raspberry and vanilla extracts, and salt until smooth.
2. Spread frosting over cooled cupcakes and set aside at room temperature until ready to serve or for up to 8 hours.

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With all the trouble I had with my Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes for the IronCupcake: Earth June challenge, I was a little upset that I had basically thrown away the greatest category I was going to get anytime soon. I still had a container of raspberries left in the freezer from stocking up when they were on sale, so I decided to give the category one more go. This time, there was no lemon involved. It was time to combine it with the most classic pairing of all. Chocolate. How could I possibly go wrong? Everything’s better with chocolate!

The Baking Gods must have gotten their fill of messing with me last time, because this time was smooth sailing. I had everything I needed already—no grocery store runs for me! I had time to bake, and no one interrupted me! Well except for some door-to-door sales guy trying to get me to switch my gas company. I answered because he looked a LOT like the maintenance guy and I thought he was here to try to fix my AC again. But that was in the middle of baking, and I got him to go away quickly enough that it didn’t screw anything up. And there were only minor bumps along the way! My first batch had a small little crater in the middle of each where it had sunken ever so slightly. But nothing major and nothing a little frosting on top couldn’t hide. I left my second batch on a minute longer, and they came out a little overdone. Oh well… No one seemed to notice!

The recipe I used had the suggestion of pairing it with a Chocolate Fudge frosting. Mmm… Fudge. However, when I looked at the recipe, it didn’t seem like it would be as good as it sounded. It also called for some kind of alcohol that I didn’t have, and didn’t want to buy, so I decided to find another frosting to try. I liked the idea of a chocolate frosting, but I also wanted the cupcake to look really pretty, and thought a white frosting would look really good against the dark cupcake and the red raspberry on top. Hmm. Maybe I’d give White Chocolate frosting a try! I found a recipe for Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting that sounded really good, but when I tried it out with white chocolate, it came out a sickeningly sweet greasy mess. So into the trash that one went, and I decided to give my old stand-by a shot. My beloved Maple Buttercream recipe turned into a White Chocolate Buttercream recipe very easily! (This is seriously the best recipe ever! I can make it into anything!) I even added a bit of raspberry extract to it to give it a little boost of flavor! It turned out pretty good! A little (or a lot..) too sweet for my own personal taste, but still good!

There was no way I was going to be able to eat 18 of these myself (I was already half sick from the icing on 1 of them!) so I packed them up and took them to work with me. Everyone seemed to really like them! My coworkers kept stopping me all night telling me they loved them! The café even sent one of the girls up to the breakroom to sneak a couple more back down. And one of the managers said it was one of the best cupcakes she’d ever had. Yay! Apparently the frosting wasn’t too sweet for everyone else! One person did suggest using a cream cheese icing on top since I thought it was too sweet, which I’m definitely going to have to try out. Philly makes a REALLY good raspberry cream cheese that I adore, so that’s going on the list to try again later. Especially since I didn’t save one of the originals for Boyfriend… Oops.

In a way, I’m kind of glad my Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes sort of sucked, because I probably wouldn’t have tried these out if they hadn’t. These were really good: chocolatey with a burst of sweet raspberry flavor. The only tiny problem I had, besides the sweetness of the icing, was the fact that you threw in whole, frozen raspberries to mix in, so there was no chance to get rid of the seeds, and every now and then you’d bite into one in the cupcake. But I don’t know if raspberry puree would have worked out the same, or whether it was the reason I was having so much trouble in my other cupcakes. Guess I’ll have to try that variation too and see if it makes a difference at all. Also, if I made these again the exact same way, next time I will put only as many raspberries as I need for the batter in the freezer, and leave the rest in the fridge. I topped my cupcakes with some half frozen raspberries, and as they thawed, they bled their red juice all the way down my frosting. It looked kind of cool, but not really what I had in mind.

As with all the IronCupcake: Earth Challenges, I’ll let you know the voting details when it opens, so check back for the scoop! Also check out the mess I made of Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes for this challenge too! And don’t forget to scope out the awesome prizes I could win.

Our June ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:

• A sweet cupcake ID bracelet by INSANEJELLYFISH, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5021935
• A groovy linocut piece from BLOCKHEAD PRESS http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6108705
• a sweet surprise from Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Cupcakery, http://www.acupcakery.com/
• PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com .

Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Summer is finally within reach! The pools are open (but still kind of chilly) and the sun is shining! It's even getting warm enough that I’m starting to sweat in my apartment! (my air conditioning is still broken.) And of course, with summer officially approaching, it means loads of fresh produce in our gardens, farmers' markets, and grocery stores. I think it’s probably because of this that IronCupcake: Earth announced the June challenge of Summer Berries! Yay! I absolutely adore berries! They’re both sweet and tart and pair beautifully with so many things. One of my favorite combinations is ripe red raspberries paired with lemon. There’s just something about the tartness of the lemon mixed with the sweet tang of the berry that explodes on your tongue in a purely delightful burst of flavor! The greatest example of this is in a tall glass of ice cold Raspberry Lemonade—the perfect summertime refreshment. Take that inspiration and turn it into a cupcake and you’ve got one incredibly tasty treat! Or at least I thought so. The Baking Gods seem to have thought differently.

Cookbook Review: Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes
Published in 2009 by Clarkson Potter/Publishers
ISBN: 978-0-307-46044-8
List Price: $24.99
352pp

Rating	(1 = Worst,	5 = Best)
Presentation		Illustrations
Depth of Information		Practicality
Value		Permanent Library
Gift Giving		Level of Difficulty	Average
Overall

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I’ve waited in anticipation—at a level reserved only for Harry Potter and Chuck Palahniuk—for months for this book! If you’ve read pretty much any of my other posts, you know I have an almost unhealthy love for all things Martha. So when I heard Martha was coming out with a cupcake book? Martha + Cupcakes = OMG. My head just exploded. How could I possibly not love this book? I absolutely adore her cookie book, and the Baking Handbook is my bible. There’s no way this book could be anything less than perfection, right?


I know I’m obviously more than a little biased when it comes to writing this review, but I’ll try my best to push aside my Martha love for a moment, and view the book as I would any other. It’ll be hard, and I might slip up once or twice, but bear with me. I’ll try to make this as fair as possible.

The first thing I noticed about this book? It’s gorgeous; I mean it’s absolutely beautiful. Every single recipe has a full page color picture to go along with it. I love being able to see what I’m making! That’s really how I figure out what I want to make! Does it look amazing? Does it make me want to lick the page? With these recipes, yes it does. Every single one of them. These pictures are fabulous. The whole book is laid out very well. Separated into 8 categories, such as Swirled and Sprinkled, Filled and Layered, Piped and Topped, Holidays, and Celebrations, there’s a cupcake for every occasion, or even just because.

I’m kind of jumping the gun here doing a review without trying out some recipes first… Forgive me. I’m just so excited about this book! But I promise, there will be recipes made—many of them. I’ve had the book for 4 days and I’ve already gone through it cover to cover at least a dozen times. I have about 15 recipes marked to try immediately! I just can’t decide which one to try first! So I can’t say right away how the recipes turn out, but if it’s anything like past experiences, they’ll be great. Martha has never failed me. I’ve made many of her recipes in the past from several books, magazines, shows, and her website, and they’ve almost all turned out beautifully. There have been some close calls, but I know that those were all my doing, rather than Martha’s. I trust that this book will be no different in its level of research and testing to bring the very best to you. The recipes are written clearly and simply, with the beginning to average baker in mind. There are a few recipes in the mix that may push the boundaries up into the above average baking category though. I can’t see a lot beginning bakers feeling confident creating Spun Sugar Crowns or Candied Hazelnut Spears, no matter how easy Martha makes it seem. Honestly, I don’t know how confident I feel making Spun Sugar Crowns… or even serving the bird’s nest looking things to others… Sorry Martha. It’s just a little too “elegant” for me.

In true Martha style, not only does she give you great recipes to make, but also creative ways to package and present your creations. There’s a whole section in the back called Displaying and Giving. There are a lot of cute ideas such as using photos to top your cupcakes, or using them as place settings at a dinner party. I absolutely love the idea of using the Chinese Food Take-Out box as a to-go container for cupcakes. Just stick a small cardstock insert with a hole in it down in the bottom. Sit the cupcake in the hole, and now it won’t fall over and wreck the icing! I’ll totally have to remember that if I ever open a bakery. I can definitely see myself using those! There’s even a section of templates and clip art to copy and cut out! And of course, there’s the obligatory section for true beginning bakers, identifying various ingredients and tools you’ll use in the course of your baking. Every book has this, so it's not a real surprise to find it. And they're even showcased with pretty pictures... But these are definitely meant for beginners. Or even less than beginners... If you need a picture to help identify chocolate, maybe you shouldn't be playing with the fiery box those of us not living in a cave call an oven. There is some good information about what to look for in ingredients, and which brands may be best, but most average bakers won’t find a lot of new information in this section. I do however, like the page that shows the different piping tips and designs they create. This is really helpful for those bakers who don’t do a lot of decorating with icing. I know when I was first ventured into the world of piping, I had a whole set of tips, and no idea what any of them did. At least this shows you the styles you’ll get using each one.

With 175 ideas, there’s a lot in this book to come back to over and over again. It’s slightly on the high end of a trade (soft cover) cookbook at $24.99—most run anywhere from $15 to $20—but there’s a ton of stuff in here to make it worth it. It’s definitely one that I would recommend owning if you’re a baker, and definitely if you’re a cupcake lover! With its multitude of beautiful pictures, it makes a great gift as well! I say definitely check this one out! And get ready to see a lot more cupcakes featured on the blog, cause I’ve got a lot of baking to do! I think I’ll start with these. Mmm… Snickerdoodles...

Stand-Out Recipes:

• Tiramisu Cupcakes
• Tres Leches Cupcakes
• Stout Cupcakes
• Raspberry Marble Cheesecakes
• Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes
• Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
• Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcakes
• Black Forest Cupcakes
• Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
• Chocolate Salted Caramel Mini Cupcakes
• Smores Cupcakes
• Gingerbread Cupcakes

Cookbook Reviews

I have a slight addiction--I love cookbooks. I love looking through them, staring at the beautiful pictures, marking the best recipes to try. I especially love displaying them on my shelf. I take great pride in my cookbooks and try to take great care of them. But I also have a confession—I don’t use most of them. They’re merely a collection to display, much like my collection of Littlest Pet Shop animals. (I worked in a toy store for 7 years. Don’t judge.) I bought most of them on a whim (and a sale), but once I got them home, I realized they weren’t as great as I had hoped. Now that I work at a bookstore, I’m surrounded by hundreds of cookbooks, taunting me with their pretty pictures relentlessly from their shelves, just feet behind me. I’ve had to instill some discipline (or a lot...) in myself not to go crazy and buy everything I see. I can’t afford to spend $20-40 on a book that’ll just sit on my shelf unused! And at this point, I’m sure none of us really can. With so many choices (and who knew there were so many choices!), how do you know if you’re really getting your money’s worth? That’s where I come in. I’m going to attempt to help you weed through the bad, and find those books that are the cream of the crop!

Click on the cover to read the review!

Each week or so (I hope), I’ll sit down with a cookbook, pick it apart, and tell you all about it. Each review will feature a rating scale from 1 to 5 cupcakes, with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. I’ll rate each book on several criteria: presentation, illustrations, depth of information, practicality, value, permanent library, gift giving, and an overall rating.

Rating	(1 = Worst,	5 = Best)
Presentation		Illustrations
Depth of Information		Practicality
Value		Permanent Library
Gift Giving		Level of Difficulty	Average
Overall

Presentation: How is the book laid out? Is it written in a clear, concise manner? Is it easy to use and understand? How does it look overall?

Illustrations: Are there pictures or photos? How many? Are they good pictures? In books, as well as blogs, you eat with your eyes. The pictures have to sell it for me to want to make it. Are the pictures of the finished product appetizing? Are the pictures of the process informative?

Depth of Information: Does it give good information to help me enhance and improve my baking? Is it merely a list of ingredients and directions, or does it tell me why I’m doing certain things? Is it comprehensive, or limited in concepts? It may be a book completely about cupcakes or cookies, but are there a variety of different techniques used within the book? A variety of recipes to master?

Practicality: Is this something everyone can use, or is it targeting a specific crowd? Is it something to refer to often (a go-to guide), or something that will sit on a shelf as a collector’s item?

Value: Is it worth the price the publisher suggests? Would I pay full price for it? Am I going to get my money’s worth from it with years of use?

Permanent Library: Is this something I would own? Is it worthy to sit on my shelves? Is it something I will refer to again and again?

Gift Giving: Would I give this away as a gift to a friend?

Overall: How do I feel about the book as a whole? Is it something I fell in love with? Or something I wanted to throw away?

I will also be taking the level of difficulty in the recipes into consideration. Is the book written for beginning bakers-- those that only bake on weekends or for birthday parties? Are the recipes and ideas for bakers of an average skill level—those who are comfortable baking regularly and have acquired a bit more skill, but are still learning with each batch baked (I consider myself to be part of this category), or for more serious bakers—those who are on the level of professionals?

I’ll also feature recipes that I feel to be Stand-Out Recipes. These are recipes that sound amazingly good to me. They’re the recipes that make me excited to bake them.

As I do more reviews, I'll link all the pages here, making this the main page to check out all my reviews, so keep stopping back to see what's next!

Have a cookbook you love? Hated? Want to see what I think about it? Leave me the title in a comment, or send me an email at the.mistress [at] bustybaker [dot] com and let me know which cookbook you want to see!