Page 228 Creepcakes

"For Halloween, create silly and scary-looking faces with buttercream, candy, marshmallows, and, of course, cupcakes. Decorating the cakes is a great activity for kids and parents to do together. Set out cupcakes and bowls of colored frostings and assorted candies and leet everyone create his or her own aliens, monsters, and beasts." - Martha

These treats were fun for everyone to make; I baked some Devil's Food Cupcakes for these funny friends. It seemed appropriate. I wish I would have found some string licorice in the grocery store but I guess I was shopping too fast and too late. I used some Mike and Ikes', Good 'n Plentys, Candy Corn, Red Hots, a Fruit Roll-up, mini marshamllows, and buttercream frosting and melted chocolate in decorating parchment triangles. It was easy to do and quite challenging too; once you made one monster, it wouldn't be right to make another with the same look! Happy halloweenie!

Page 152 One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes with Gumdrops

"Piped buttercream starbursts and chewy gumdrops make playful toppings for these ever-popular chocolate cupcakes. As the name of the recipe implies, all the ingredients come together in one bowl. Using vegetable oil instead of butter makes an exceptionally moist cake; good quality cocoa powder, such as Valrhona, produces a deep, dark color and the best flavor. White icing and clear gumdrops combine to make this elegant monochromatic motif; use multi-colored gumdrops for a more whimsical effect. You can customize the cake flavor by using a different extract in place of the vanilla; for example, anise would compliment the clear gumdrops used here (increase the amount of extract to 1 1/2 teaspoons.)" - Martha

The funny, possibly, ironic thing here is, that for the most part all along I have been making these recipes in one bowl. Normally, Martha's recipes go something like this: Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl together; in another bowl, cream together the butter (oil) and sugars then adding to it the eggs and vanilla while mixing; when fluffy, add the flour mixture to the butter and mix until combined. So there are always at least two bowls used in every recipe. Some recipes, however, there are many more bowls used...and pots...and pans. This recipe starts out with the flour sifting as usual, but then simply has the baker add the eggs and oil, etc. to the flour and mix. Easy-schmezy.

I folowed the recipe as is, but I didn't have enough cocoa powder. (I haven't used this much cocoa powder as in the past three months as I have used my ENTIRE life!) So, to compensate, I added a more flour and after I had the batter in the baking tins, I added some mini semi-sweet chocolate chips ontop of each cupcake. Martha taught me that if you coat the chips in flour prior to adding them to batter, that the chips would not sink to the bottom of the cupcake. They would float on top or in the center. I chose not to add more flour to this cupcake (since I had already over-dosed the recipe with it) instead I used a portion of an opened box of a white cake mix a coated my chips in that instead. I knew it would add tastiness but would still "do the trick." The cupcake batter was very thin, which it doesn't say anything about that in the recipe book, a I was concerned about it. But they baked up just fine...moist and delicious.

I didn't have any gumdrops, but since Halloween is around the corner, I dressed these with jellybeans and chocolate icing instead. The licorice and chocolate compliment each other so nicely!

Page Martha's Meyer Lemon Cupcakes

"The mild and sweet flavor of Meyer lemon is one of Martha's favorites; these zest-flecked cupcakes are filled with Meyer lemon curd, which peeks out from the tops. The fruit, which is actually a lemon-orange hybrid, is generally available at specialty stores in winter and early spring. If you can't find Meyer lemons, use regular lemons instead. The recipe yields a lot of cupckes, so you may want to consider these for a bake sale or large gathering, such as a shower or specialty birthday celebration." - Martha

My picture doesn't do justice to these flavorful cupcakes. Although, even though there were Meyer lemons in my grocery store, I opted against using them. I have already made a couple of lemon cupcake recipes from this book and one of the things missing from this book is the taste of lime. Key Lime. To me, Key limes are the flavor-equivalent to Meyer lemons; so why not experiment for the sake of another cupcake that wouldn't be duplicated. (There is a recipe upcoming that is titled "Citrus Cupcakes", but it's not the same as a Key Lime cupcake by itself.

So what you see peeking out of the top of this cupcake is Key lime curd, and if you have ever had Key lime pie and have found it to be a pure green color; it most likely wasn't really Key lime. It was lime flavoring with some green color added. Key lime is actually less green than one would think, but more delicious than imaginable. Granted, my Key lime cupcakes aren't as deadly as the pie served in "Dexter, season 3", but it is what he was searching for without a doubt!

Page 118 Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

"An abundance of creamy peanut-butter filling renders these cupcakes extra-rich and irresistible. The batter and filling -- each whisked together by hand -- are layered, then swirled to create the marbelized pattern on top." - Martha

Holy cow! These were too much trouble too make! You needed two bowls, one for the chocolate batter and one for the peanut butter batter, a pan for simmering water and a pan for heating the butters and chocolate together, and then if you desire, a bowl into which you'd sift your flour mixture. After I began these cupcakes, I realized the mess was beginning. But I did everything right (sort of, we'll get to that later) and the batters both tasted pretty good, but OMG! These are horrible! I couldn't eat a whole one! I didn't mind the chocolate part so much, it tasted like a brownie...kind of. But the peanut butter filling/swirl was ransid tasting. Perhaps my peanut butter was ransid, but you couldn't tell by the taste of it plain nor when it was in the batter. Maybe, as it cooked, the terrible taste was accentuated, I don'tknow, but I had to throw them all out. (Except, before I got a chance to taste them, I gave some to my neighbor...I hope I didn't make anyone sick in their house.)

So my substitutions were as follows: I only had a 1/4 cup of smooth peanut butter in the pantry so I used that PLUS another peanut butter called PB2 which is a dry powder peanut butter that you add water to make it moist again. This is a fat free product. Also, I didn't have any unsweetened chocolate squares so I used the standard substitution of 3T of dutch cocoa powder with 1 T of shortening to make 1 oz. of unsweetened chocolate. I needed 2 ounces of it. Otherwise everything was great, and like I said, the batter was good, just not the finished product.

Page 72 Apricot-Glazed Black & White Cheesecakes

"With their cookie-crumb crust, creamy filling, and fruity topping, individual cheesecakes are a delightful spin on the full-sized dessert. Glossy apricot jam gives the desserts a golden glow, while store-bought chocolate wafers provide a crisp, quick-to-assemble base." - Martha

These cheesecakes were easy to make and they baked up nicely. I don't know if you have read my entire blog or not, but WAY BACK a couple of months ago, I made some raspberry swirled cheesecakes and they never baked right; they never ended up setting up even after days in the frig! These however, baked beautifully, set up nice and creamy but firm, and everyone that tasted them said they were heavenly.

The recipe calls for crumbled chocolate wafer cookies as a base for the crust, the cheesecake mixture and then heated and strained apricot jam for the topping. Sounded good and looked even better. But I was running out of time this particular day; I wanted to serve them for dessert to my family for our irregular "Everyone Come Back Home for Sunday Night Dinner" dinner. The recipe says to refrigerate them for 4 hours or overnight. I didn't have overnight and I didn't even have 4 hours! So my shortcut was to use Oreo cookies (whole) as the crust rather than crumbling cookies and mixing them with sugar and butter over the heat then to press some into each cupcake tin, etc. Way too much time involved when you are in a hurry! The cookies were a dream and a hit! I did use the jam though, but I know my family, and jam wouldn't have been enough to entice them to eat these dreamcakes. So I added a dollop of hot fudge to the top of the jam...how can you resist a chocolate-dipped apricot? 'Cause that's what these tasted like only with a cheeesecake attached.

I made the entire recipe of 18 cheesecakes; there aren't any left. I will be making these again someday soon. They would be cute for Halloween if you decorate them with mini chocolate chips on top of the jam in the design of a jack-o-lantern's face!

Page 68 Iced Pistachio Cupcakes

"These cupcakes are made with a triple dose of pistachio. Some nuts are ground to a paste and mixed into the batter, others are chopped and folded in at the end for added texture. Even more nuts are sprinkled on top as a colorful garnish. Slivered pistachios are available at specialty markets and baking-supply stores, if you can't find them, use chopped pistachios instead." - Martha

I really wasn't too sure about how this particular cupcake would taste. I like eating pistachios; I like eating them right out of the shell as well as roasted and salted. But neither of those translated to my brain as a good cupcake. I was sceptical, but how could I doubt Martha?

Let me tell you, these are so fresh and sweet and delicious! With or without the icing, they are so moist and tasty. I even used fat free cream cheese and margarine instead of butter during the course of making them. I was sort of trying to reduce the caloric value but mainly because it's what I had available.

Page 44 Zucchini-Spice Cupcakes

"Bake an unexpected alternative batch of treats using abundant seasonal zucchini from the farmstand or local market. Like their carrot counterparts, these are finished with cream cheese frosting. For a more wholesome snack, forgo the frosting and lightly dust cupcakes with confectioner's sugar instead." - Martha

I am to the point in the book where it isn't as easy to choose a cupcake that my family will enjoy by listening to the name of the treat. Picky eaters them all, the sound of things like "zucchini cupcakes" will certainly turn them off just thinking about trying it. But since I had some cousins driving in from Missouri this week, I thought at the very least they would help me polish off the cakes. But I must say, once I did my best convincing to my boys that zucchini in the muffins tastes so much like carrot cake or banana bread, they were willing to take a bite to taste-test these cupcakes. Moreover, they aactually liked them! Little pleasures in life, you know? As what seems to be habit now, I only made half a recipe thinking to myself, "Why would I need a few dozen cupcakes around the house if no one but me will eat them?" So a dozen plus I made. Naturally, the boys and my cousins managed to help out quite a bit in the chewandswallow dept.

My findings this week is surrounded about the zucchini itself. The full recipe calls for 3 cups of packed, grated zucchini or about 1 1/2 fruits. Since I was making a half recipe, I made 1 1/2 cups of finely grated squash, but to make that much I used 2 - 8" zucchini. So if my two zucchinis made 1 1/2 cups, how many zucchini would it take to make 3 cups for a full recipe? And how big are they supposed to be if 3 cups is equivalent to 1 1/2 zucchini? I was confused so when I was mixing in the zucchini to the batter, I wasn't sure if I was adding too much or not. The cupcakes are delicious and moist. So, if I included too much zucchini, you'd never know.

Page 37 Chocolate Malted Cupcakes

"Malted milk powder gives these chocolate cupcakes a nostalgic flavor reminiscent of a soda fountain favorite. So as not to overpower the taste of the malt, use a mild-tasting Dutch-process cocoa powder such as Droste." - Martha

This is one of those particular occassions where I did not have the malted milk powder in the house. As opposed to subbing a different ingredient in the recipe, I chose to go to the store and buy some malt powder so that the essence of the recipe was intact. I guess I could have used some powdered milk as a substitute just to see how the cupcakes would have turned out, but since the name is Chocolate Malted Cupcakes, it was OK by me this time to buy something special. When all of the ingredients are pretty standard for any pantry, it's hard to say you'll substitute something. This recipe is pretty standard and it tastes just like you'd think. Great cupcakes for those holiday parties upcoming at the end of the month.

I found the look of Martha's photographed cupcakes very intriguing, so I copied it, to a point. My favorite holiday in the world world is Halloween! So if you see many more postings depicting this theme, don't be surprised. By the way, the spider isn't real! Mwa-ha-ha!

Page 29 Coconut Cupcakes

"Calling all coconut lovers: These cupcakes get intense flavor from ground sweetened coconut and coconut milk in the batter, billowy seven-minute frosting sppiked with coconut extract, and a garnish of unsweetened coconut flakes (available at natural food stores.) Be sure to buy only unsweetened coconut milk, not the sweeter varieties (such as Coco Lopez) used to make mixed drinks." -- Martha

Easy, schmeezy, breezy coconut cupcakes! The flavor is dreamy and the taste is heavenly. Coconut lovers will definitely fall for this one, and I didn't even use all I should have of the flavor possibilities!

In preparation for this treat I didn't have any sweetened coconut in the house nor did I have the coconut extract for the frosting. I did have the unsweetened coconut, in shreds not flakes. Isn't that weird? Most cooks probably keep the sweetened coconut on hand because most recipes designate it or no particular kind so most folks use the pre-sweetened. I ran out of it when I made the hummingbird cakes and hadn't yet gone to buy more before now. So, even though I love the flavor in the cupcakes I made here, I am sure the real deal would have been even more tasty!

Also, whenever I have made coconut cream pie, I always toasted the coconut before applying it as a garnish; I decided to do that tonight as well. Although Martha's photo of the all-white cupcake is divine, I really like how the toasted coconut makes a stand on the piled high fluffy frosting. I could eat that frosting all night as is...Mm-mm good!

Page 30 Red Velvet Cupcakes

"Food historians may differ about the origin of red velvet cake, but one thing is certain: The cupcakes have gained widespread popularity in recent years. Many believe the name comes from the naturally reddish hue of cocoa powder, which is enhanced by a chemical reaction between vinegar and baking soda. Today, most versions rely on food color (although some bakers use beet juice) to achieve a vivid shade. Gel-paste food color is more concentrated than the supermarket liquid variety; if you substitute the liquid, you may need to add an entire bottle (1.5 ounces) to achieve the desired shade. Cream-cheese frosting is the classic choice." - Martha

I can't remember the last time I made a Red Velvet cake or cupcakes. Time flies so fast, memories fade, and children grow up. I do remember that one of my aunts used to make Red Velvet cake all of the time for birthdays or other occassions when we would gather as an extended family. There is no better choice for a frosting than the cream-cheese icing. When I asked my husband which cupcake I should make from the book, he popped up with Red Velvet almost immediately. I couldn't believe that he said that because like I said, I don't even know when the last time was that I made it, so how could it have been on his mind?

Anyway, this time around I sort of followed Martha's recipe and then.....I used regular all-purpose flour instead of cake flour and I didn't have any buttermilk, again. Funny thing though, the batter which is usually the best didn't taste half as good as the cupcakes do! I think that's attributed to the baking soda/vinegar reaction that happens in the batter. And speaking of forgetting things, I had to run out of the house to go to church just as I put the cupcakes in the oven. I asked my husband to keep an eye on them while I was gone. I set the timer on the oven, set the portable timer and placed it in front of my husband as he lie on the couch watching football, and I told him how to test for doneness. When I arrived home, 1 1/2 hours later, I found my husband on the couch asleep, the cupcakes in the oven, oven turned off, and a crisp cupcake tops. Too bad that he actually got off the couch to turn off the oven timer and the oven temperature but neglected to take the cupcakes from the hot oven. Forgetfulness is haunting!