Page 114 Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

"Boston Cream Pie - which, of course, is not a pie at all - originated at the Parker House Hotel in Boston in the 1850's. When home cooks replicated the dessert, they baked the soft yellow sponge cake in pie tins (hence the name), which were more readily available than cake pans. This petite variation is at once familiar and novel." - Martha

Interestingly, when looking at the photo in the cookbook I noticed that the cake seemed to be crisp and hard-looking. The cut that halves the cupcake is pristine, no crumbs, pricise edges, and I wondered...sponge cake looks like that? I remember making jelly rolls with my mom and our sponge cake always looked rather "spongy." I was worried that the cake was going to be flavorless, and frankly, it was. I followed the recipe to the tee this time...can you believe it?...and these cupcakes were tough and unforgiving. The only thing I did diferently is that according to the recipe, Martha wanted these baked directly into the muffin tin and I chose to use silicone baking cups instead. At least that gave me a softer outside crust, because if had I baked them in the tins, I would have had a crustier crust and I think that would have made them even more tough to eat. The pastry cream just sat on the cake never introducing itself to the baked batter. It began to drip off as you can see by my photo so that by the time one would eat a cake, it had all but schmooshed out already just from the weight of the topper.

Now don't get me wrong, the pastry cream is the best thing since sliced bread! So creamy, so comforting, and the ganache is to die for! But combining them with this sponge cake just didn't work for me. The look is lovely and it seems as though it would be heaven-on-earth to eat, but the cupcake is dry and not very sponge-like. These were too hard to eat as cupcakes; definitely needed a fork to accomplish the task.

Page 71 Pumpkin-Brown Butter Cupcakes

"These cupcakes are made with a combination of ingredients, commonly found in a beloved autumn pie - pumpkiin, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves - and enhanced with brown butter and fresh sage. To cut sage into chiffonade, or very fine strips, stack the leaves, then roll up tightly before slicing thinly crosswise with a sharp knife." - Martha

Here it is the first week of Fall and there couldn't be anything better to remind me of the fantastic comfort food that goes hand in hand with this season than to smell cinnamon and spices baking into a delicious pumpkin pie. These cupcakes, while baking, emit the same flavorful scents which deliver the same mouth-watering sensation as pumpkin pie itself. We have been inundated with rain for the past couple of weeks, after a droughtful spring and summer, and so the hint of Autumn creeping into our lives has settled.

These cakes were a breeze to make. The ingredients are standard (albeit, the fresh sage) and the process not too bad considering you must brown the butter first. I was sceptical about performing this task...why is brown butter so much different than simply creaming butter in to the batter as many of the recipes call out? But it's true. The flavor of the butter did change hence the flavor of the cupcakes is pronounced. Martha says you don't have to add the sage to the butter browning process; since I didn't have any fresh sage, I didn't. I thought about adding dried sage, but chose not to do that either. Funny thing though, I had just returned from a home improvement store earlier in the day and almost bought a sage plant for my garden. When I got home my middle son suggested I make the pumpkin cupcakes, and I regretted not having the sage in hand.

I also chose not to make the Brown-butter Icing that the recipe suggests because I had previously made it on another cupcake early on. So instead I made a pumpkin buttercream frosting, which I placed in the microwave for 30 seconds before applying to the cake. I like to do this with some buttercreams because it makes a glaze rather than an opaque frosting. FYI...The color in the photo is true-to-life. These are very bright pumpkin-colored cupcakes and the glaze is just as bright too! A perfect treat for the months ahead.

Page 151 S'mores Cupcakes

"The old campfire classic takes on a new identity as a charming cupcake. Graham flour, available at health-food stores and specialty markets, flavors the cupcake base, which is topped with chocolate glaze and piled high with piped sticky marshmallow frosting, browned to mimic the effects of toasting over a fire." - Martha

For everyone who knows me, they know that over the past weekend I won a recipe contest for making s'mores! Guess what I used for the inspiration of today's cupcakes? That's right, my winning recipe. My winning recipe was titled German Chocolate S'mores; I changed up this cupcake recipe by adding some ingredients not found in the original. Just like the coconut-pecan frosting most bakers would make for topping their German Chocolate cakes, I smeared this frosting on my grahams and coupled it with the standard Hershey bar and toasted marshmallow. (Of course, getting the toasting perfect is an art. Caramel colored mallow, not too dark, certainly no charring at all and rotating the skewer as if it's a rotisserie for marshmallows is the best technique.)

In this cupcake recipe, I added about 1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips, a 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut and a 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Otherwise the recipe could have stayed the same. However, it falls back to not having all of the ingredients in the house to complete Martha's recipe, specifically, no graham flour. One might say that with no graham flour you'd be defeating the purpose of the s'mores flavor. But, I subbed a cup for cup of graham cracker crumbs (very finely pulsed in the food processor) and reduced the baking powder by a tad. The cupcakes baked a little quicker than the 25 minutes stated but they look and taste just fine.

I made the recommended marshmallow frosting to go with the cupcakes (Would they be s'mores without the marshamllows?) but right after I completed the mixing, my husband called, long distance, and so I took the phone call. The recipe directions say that you must use the frosting immediately because it hardens. I bet you can guess what happened when I returned to frost my cupcakes. So, when viewing my photo, keep in mind the frosting turned out perfect, at first, then it became exactly like the texture of a store-bought marshmallow...unrelenting in its mobility.

Page 117 Jam Tea Cakes

"You can use any variety of jam to fill these versatile little cakes, as well as, vary the type of citrus used in the batter and in the glaze. You could also substitute milk glaze for the citrus glaze used here." - Martha

I was having a ladies luncheon at my home today and I needed a treat to serve that would be appropriate to such an event. OK, super easy recipe; great tasting cupcakes. There isn't much to be said for these because they are so simple and sweet. I chose to use orange zest as my citrus flavor in both the cupcake batter and in the glaze to frost them. I also chose to use peach jam as the filling. Peach is one of those flavors that to me is just flavor-ful enough to give you the taste and scent of its existence, but it is also just plain enough to be able to add other flavors with it to enhance a new taste.

For instance, you can use peach jam in stir fry just as easily as you can use honey, or orange marmalade and pair it with crushed red pepper flakes or teriyake. By itself, it's delicious; but always with an additive, it's better. So in this case, the peach jam didn't hinder the experience of the citrus (orange) glaze or muffin; it only made it better.

As a side note, I have really enjoyed taking the photos of my cupcakes just as much as baking them. In this photo, I hoped to achieve the look of a full-sized cupcake, but indeed these are minis. I have a very tiny spoon in the picture with which I drizzled my glaze. The drip pan is toaster-oven sized.

Page 95 Cookie Cupcakes

"Inspired by everyone's favorite cookies, these (packable) cupcakes were created with bake sales in mind. Chocolate Chunk cookies are transformed into golden brown cupcakes..." - Martha

Right off the bat, I took this recipe and gave it a twist because I had aleady made her chocolate chip cupcakes and I thought this would be similar to that recipe. As I found out it was a different texture of a cake, though. Packable, indeed. These are dense and the fact that you shouldn't fill them as high in the cup, helps with the travel aspect.

I call these my "Heath Bar Cupcakes." In lieu of the chocolate chunks, I added Heath bar chips to the batter and then I also sprinkled the tops with Heath bar chips. I chose to add a swirl of deep chocolate ganache to frost so that true 'chocolate-toffee' taste would reign. They looked so good that I couldn't resist before I took the picture!

Page 38 Tiramisu Cupcakes

"Ethereal mascarpone frosting blankets sponge cake in this adaptation of a famous Italian dessert. Extra yolks in the batter make the cake sturdy enough to hold a generous dose of coffee-liqueur syrup without becoming too soggy. Freshly brewed coffee or espresso would be a natural accompaniment, as would little glasses of marsala, a fortified Italian wine used in the soaking syrup." - Martha

My plan was to make these cupcakes on Friday night to serve on Saturday morning as I was having some ladies over to perform an audit on one of the charitable groups in which I am involved. I could bake them and soak them on Friday PM and then frost them in the AM very quickly; since I don't drink coffee I had asked them to bring their own as they usually are holding a Starbucks cup at each meeting. What an appropriate treat to go with their cappaccinos or their lattes...a tiramisu cupcake.

This began as a another recipe with multiple bowls and pots to simmer and mix and fluff and fold this and that. I didn't want another disaster like the previous one so I held my ground and followed this recipe. The only thing I did differently was to cut the recipe in half. I didn't need any extra cupcakes lying around after the meeting so instead of the 18 it mentions; I made a dozen. Just enough.

My problem ensued when it was midnight and I hadn't yet begun to make them. So, at that late hour I proceeded with the sifting and mixing and heating and beating. Oh my, they looked so light and airy as I filled each muffin cup. The extra yolks fluffed up so silky smooth and the vanilla scented my entire kitchen. However, while waiting for the cupcakes to bake, the whole 20 minutes, I decided to lay down on the couch and watch a little late night TV. I set the timer on the stove, laid down, snuggled with my couch blanket...and fell asleep! Why did I use that blanket? I know what it does to me. It calls my name so discreetly that I don't even realize the trap I am falling into!

Needless to say, I slept right through the beeper and the cupcakes baked for an extra hour and a half. Now the sweet smell of vanilla bean had turned to the putrid scent of burnt batter. No wonder I finally woke up! I had to do something and I wanted to make it quick because I was definitely tired but wanted to have a treat to serve the next morning. I got up and made a doctored box mix, white cake, added whole eggs not just whites, added other ingredients to make it taste a bit better than a box then completed the tiramisu cupcakes as if they were original. They turned out fine. But that's it, fine. An easy replacement for a botched job; no one knew but me...and now you.

Page 26 Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes

"You will likely make these cupakes again and again, varying the frosting and sprinkles to suit your whim or fancy. Two types of flour contribute to the cupcakes' singular texture: Cake flour makes for a delicate crumb, while all-purpose flour keeps them from being too tender." - Martha

I can't say much about these cupcakes...either I really did something wrong or this isn't the best recipe! I have been wondering how things would turn out with this recipe, since it called for so much buttermilk (hence the name) and I had hoped not to do any subbing on that issue as well. I had everything I needed for these golden treasures. But something definitely went wrong!

The batter was tasty; I always eat leftover batter from the bowl as a test...right! But the finished product was dense, thick, dry and all-around uneventful. I made the chocolate buttercream frosting and added jimmies as a garnish, so they looked so perfect. But one bite said, "Put me down!" And I have never said that about many cupcakes! I went over all of my work and couldn't find my mistake. I guess someday I will make them again to see if it was Martha or Marie!

Page 222 Hummingbird Cupcakes

"Some say the hummingbird cake, a Southern specialty replete with pineapple chunks, bananas, coconut, and walnuts, earned its name because each otherworldly bite makes you hum with delight. Others hold that the cake is as sweet as the sugared water used to attract the tiny birds. Adorned with dried pineapple 'flowers,' the cupcake variation makes a beautiful presentation for Mother's Day. To give the flowers a cupped shape, cool them in muffin tins." - Martha

So, I was attracted to this recipe because of the gorgeous photo that is in the book. I tried my best to duplicate the photo for your pleasure, but you'll see by reading below, the pitfalls I had. Also, a point to be noted, I was baking these cupcakes specifically for a ladies luncheon, not Mother's Day, as Martha would suggest. I thought they definitely made a great presentation though.

This cupcake was, par for the course, a super delicious treat! I decided against the walnuts this time because of the allergy factor since I was supplying them for a luncheon. I imagine they would have only gotten better had they contained the nuts. It is a very easy, albeit many ingredients on the list, recipe. But again, with that many ingredients, there are just as many bowls mentioned to use. I didn't use that many. I beat the butter and sugars, added the eggs, then instead of mixing separately the coconut, bananas, pineapple etc,.; I simply added each to the egg/sugar mix and whipped it. Alternately, instead of sifting my flour mix into a bowl then adding it to the batter, I sifted my flour, soda, salt & cinnamon directly into the fruit/eggs. Very easy; I didn't see what could have posed a problem doing it that way or the other.

But when it came around to making the pineapple "flowers," it took WAY MORE TIME than the book says it would. The recipe states to layout and dry in the oven the thinly sliced pineapple pieces on parchment for 30 minutes and then flip for another 30 or possibly more. I did that, and then did it again and again before I thought the rounds were dry enough to use. Luckily, I had begun that process first, but it turned out to be finsished last.

Page 67 Coconut-Pecan Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

"The batter for these candy-bar-like cupcakes is laden with ground sweetened coconut and pecans; to further enhance their appeal, the cupcakes are dipped in a bittersweet chocolate glaze, then sprinkled with toasted coconut flakes. Creamed coconut, usually sold in jars at natural food stores or online, differs from "cream of coconut," which has added sugar and is typically used in cocktails. If you can not locate creamed coconut, you can use another quarter cup of butter in its place." - Martha

I loved making these cupakes best so far! They are a very rich treat and should be devourved...slowly! As much as I love ganache, the cake itself was so appealing to my pallette, I did feel as though I had invented a candy bar. The cupcakes is a creamy colored cake with ground pecans and coconut in it. The coconut milk definitely makes the cake's texture fluffy and moist. I didn't have the coconut butter so I did what she suggests and I added an extra bit of butter. Rich, rich ,rich! Save these for a special occassion.

Page 111 Allergen-free Chocolate Cupcakes

"Anyone allergic to nuts, eggs or dairy shouldn't miss out on all the fun. Whether someone in your family has dietary restrictions or you're making treats for a whole classroom of kids, these chocolate cupcakes should suit most needs. Divvies Bakery, which specializes in allergen-free sweets, kindly shared this recipe on The Martha Stewart Show." - Martha

Amazingly the cupcakes were very tasty and moist! There is no eggs or dairy in them and yet the chocolate treat is just that...a treat to eat! Distilled white vinegar, or the rice vinegar which I used, is the trick to making the moist content. The rest of the recipe is pretty straight forward, all of the usual suspects of ingredients. As usual, though I did not have cake flour so I naturally used all-purpose flour and they seemed to have turned out OK.

A super simple recipe for a super simple snack. I used some non-dairy whipped cream for the garnish on top trying to stay away from the dairy and egg content. Unless you have an allergy to gluten or wheat, these are the perfect cupcakes for whatever circumstances you may need.

Page 134 Black Forest Cupcakes

"Chocolate and cherries are a match made in heaven - or, in this case - the Black Forest region of Germany, where the original layer cake was created (and cherries are abundant.) These miniature versions of the classic German dessert are saturated with cherry liqueur, layered with sweet pastry cream and preserved cherrries, and drizzled with rich chocolate ganache." - Martha

Today was Labor Day and I was entertaining for the afternoon. My planned dessert, Black Forest Cupcakes, an attempt at an elegant dessert to "Wow!" my friends. I made the chocolate cakes according to directions with minor changes, no buttermilk, and I used light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar. I also chose to bake six in my mini-bundt pans but the rest I made in a standard cupcake tin. I thought it was a great choice because the designs are so pretty and again, I was thinking to "Wow!" my guests. I think it worked; everybody enjoyed the cherries and chocolate treat so much there was no conversation for about 5 minutes!

The recipe calls for pastry cream and chocolate ganache of which I made the ganache just like recipe says: heavy cream, corn syrup and semi-sweet chocolate pieces, but the pastry cream I copped out and used some instant vanilla pudding with a little leftover buttercream frosting mixed in. I've made pastry cream a ton before and I knew what it takes to do so. I had guests in the house and wanted to serve the dessert before it got too late. Pastry cream requires cooking and cooling; didn't have the time. As you can see by my picture, the look came out the same and the taste was sufficient. Pastry cream when made correctly is so smooth and rich, you can hardly taste it; that's the difference between my fake version and the real thing...mine was tasty, but not smooth or rich.

Page 103 Blackberry-Cornmeal Cupcakes

"Succulent blackberries, picked fresh from a farm or bought at a local market, are baked into golden cornmeal cupcakes for a delicious taste of summer. Serve the cakes warm from the oven or at room temperature, and pair with ice cream, if desired. Oven temperature is crucial here: If it is any cooler than 375 degrees, the berries will sink to the bottom." - Martha

I didn't have any blackberries, fresh or otherwise. I did have frozen cherries in the freezer so, of course that's the road I took...not the one to the market or farm. I also didn't have yellow cornmeal (is that something most people have at home?), but I did have white cornmeal. Don't ask me why, but I found it in my pantry towards the back. I suppose at one point I had planned to make "Fry Bread" or something similar and just never did.

Also, about 3 out of every 5 recipes call for buttermilk. I still haven't broken down to buy any of that either. I usually replace it with 1% or 2% milk, this time I used a mix of heavy whipping cream and 1% milk. Each time I've substituted out the buttermilk, my cupcakes seem to turn out OK so I don't really know what I'm missing. However, there is a recipe in the book called "Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes" for which I will have to "suck it up" and buy the buttermilk. I mean, you shouldn't really sub-out the main ingredient of a recipe, right?

Whenever I think about serving cornbread or muffins, I always remember the best meal I ever had at school. At St. Elizabeth's School in Granite City, Illinois, one of the Friday meal choices was usually Navy Bean Soup with Cornbread and Applesauce. Ever since then, I have always chosen to serve applesauce with my cornbread. Talk about comfort food! What a great contrast of tastes to my young pallette; the applesauce placed on top of the cornbread and the steaming hot pasty soup was heavenly!

These cupcakes help bring back sound memories. I placed cherries in a few, made some plain, but I also placed a tablespoon of apricot jam in a few knowing that the sweet taste and grainy texture would surely compliment each other. And it does.

Page 141 Roasted Banana Cupcakes

"Roasting the fruit before folding it into the batter gives these cupcakes a pronounced banana flavor and keeps them very moist. Honey, paired with bananas, is added to the frosting." -Martha

I had never heard of roasting bananas before; I was anxious to give it a try. I placed the bananas on a small cookie sheet and placed them in the 400 degree oven for the 20 minutes Martha suggests. I was surprised to see the fruit seeping with a syrupy liquid that was beginning to fill the pan. The recipe says to fold in the bananas at the end of the mixing process and that's where my confusion began. I had this wonderfully fragrant syrup that I was not sure what to do with it. Was this flavorful liquid something that was going to enhance the batter? Should I add it or leave it in the pan? Surely, Martha would know that the bananas weep when roasted? She doesn't say what to do.

I made the decision to not add the syrup to the batter but I did save the banana syrup to put into the frosting. Why not, right? I added an extra banana to the batter hoping to get a flavor boost, and in retrospect it may have been too much: not flavor, but pulp. The cupcakes, albeit very tasty, were not as fluffy as I thought they should be. The texture was almost chewy and I attribute that to the extra banana. (When I have made banana bread in the past, I always add an extra piece of fruit for flavor and it has always been a great decision. This time, not so much!)

I also decided against the choice of cinnamon buttercream frosting suggested by Martha, because I chose to go with a "Banana Pie" idea so I made a meringue top flavored with that syrup that weeped from my roasted bananas. It was pretty darn good! I also placed a banana slice on top of the cupcake before AND after I iced it then I toasted the meringue...can't get enough banana!

Page 157 Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

"Mint-infused milk, along with mint extract, adds flavor (but no color) to pale buttercream, the dark chocolate cupcakes are also flavored with mint. A cluster of (chocolate) mint leaves on top suggests the primary flavor component of the finished treat. The leaves may admittedly not be an 'anyday' endeavor, but they can be prepared a day or so in advance. You can, of course, serve the cupcakes without any topping other than the frosting, or garnish them with a few chocolate curls shaved from a mint bar." - Martha

If you read her words closely, you may have noticed that I didn't use the "chocolate" mint leaves as my garnish. I simply washed and dried a few small fresh mint leaves from my garden for the garnish along with a raspberry (frozen). These happen to have the look of something one might expect to serve during the holiday season, but the color scheme aside, they are perfect for a summer afternoon treat.

I used my rosette cupcake pan for these and was hoping to have the buttercream "glaze" them a bit more to show off the design of the rosettes. However, once I started to frost them, I really liked the thickness of the drip and left them alone. The cupcake was still warm...just enough to allow a bit of the design on top to peak through. I am totally satisfied with the end result. I also embellished the recipe by adding one of my favorite cookies to the cupcke...a Girl Scout Thin Mint. So after I filled the cupcake pan, I placed a cookie on top and pushed it into the batter...not too far. That way, when you turn out the cupcakes after baking the thin mint is actually toward the bottom of the cupcake and it's a surprise when you bite. I think it's a great addition!

Martha has a wonderful recipe for true buttercream frosting: separating eggs, heating each with sugar and whipping the whites to fluff and then add the yolk base. Totally worth it, but so many steps and pots and bowls! I have a simple recipe for buttercream frosting that next time I will go back to using. Those in the know would appreciate the difference in taste, but for the most part, not many are in that category. Sorry folks!