Back to basics… Chocolate cupcakes

March 22, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Cupcakes Tags: chocolate buttercream frosting, chocolate cupcakes 22 Comments

It would take days to exhaust the chocolate cupcake recipes in print and on the web. I started with the few cookbooks I have here in Hamburg (about 30). My baking books and of course “Joy of Cooking”. Unsatisfied with what I had in print, I spent far too long online. It’s like shopping for a dress or a CAR. These chocolate cupcakes were going to be sold in a ‘Taste of the Globe’ sale after all. My daughter’s reputation first, then mine on the line at the tenuous age of 8th grade and borderline mid-life… assuming I live till 88. Oh my god, I’m potentially over the half way mark. This isn’t about me though. Well it is MY blog. Right. Car shopping. You find one you love in the first go round but you are required to continue searching and cross-referencing to confirm your initial gut feeling.

The Joy of Baking came up within the top five on the first page of a google search for ‘chocolate cupcakes’. The recipe is simple and clean. And so good. I made them yesterday to give them that day of rest. Cupcakes, in my opinion, peak after a 24 hour rest and are delicious for a solid day maybe two, then start to dry out. Of course they rarely last too long unless you keep making 2 doz for 3 people. This batch though was for export… well minus three…. or four.

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Say it with me… Triple chocolate chunk Banana nut cupfin

March 17, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Cupcakes, Fruits Tags: banana, chocolate, cream cheese, walnut 7 Comments

It was either cupfin or muffcake. I just don’t think the latter works. Are you with me? Somehow I don’t think it will be the next “cake pop”

I’ve migrated from the deep philosophical ponderings of the last post. Although maybe these little bundles of yum might think differently. Maybe they feel a need to explore their various expressions. Am I a muffin? Am I a cupcake? Am I bread? Am I teacake? I digress.

I’ve just spent a few moments trying to learn if there IS a definite distinction between cupcakes and muffins. It was a few moments too many. I have different images and feelings about each more than a concrete verbal definition for them individually or in comparison. Muffins can be healthy if they aren’t wrapped in plastic with an expiration date 18 months out. Cupcakes are for the most part little cakes with frosting. I did like this anonymous quote I found.

“If you threw a cupcake against the wall, you would hear something of a “poof!” If you threw a muffin, you would hear a “thud!””

As you might have noticed, I make a lot of banana bread/muffins/tea cake. I just love it and so does the family. And today, well yesterday I threw in three chocolates. White, milk and dark cut up from bars.

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Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes

February 1, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Cupcakes Tags: cream cheese, cupcakes, lemon, poppy seeds 6 Comments

And for your viewing pleasure…..(well maybe) – Check out this video… do you like it? Is it boring? Would love to get some feedback. thx….wt

See what happens as soon as you say the word diet? When it was just me eating lots of protein and not a lot of bread, things were pretty good. But then I wrote that damn diet post, and my brain wrecked rebellious, emotional upheaval. Well that and our pooch died. All I could think of was baking. Then I thought, just because I make yummy things, I don’t have to eat it all. Yeah right.