Cupcakes: From the Cake Mix Doctor Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I don't often give cookbooks a 5 star, just because many of them have only a few new recipes that I would try, or because the format is poor. Oftentimes, I check out cookbooks from my local library, pick out the recipes that I want to try, and jot them down. When I started to do that with this book, however, I noticed that I was marking several pages in a row, and pretty soon had most of the pages bookmarked! I stopped marking, returned the book to the library, and purchased my own copy.
What makes this seemingly simple concept so special? Well, as the author points out, most people love cupcakes. They are versatile, portable, and easy to create. You can make cupcakes as simple or as creative as you would like. And this great book of over 135 recipes can help in any situation. Need 2 dozen cupcakes for the class bake sale and want the cupcakes to look incredible? Want to impress your dinner guests but not spend hours in the kitchen? Want to wow your kids with a special treat after school? You can make up a batch of cupcakes that will accomplish all of these tasks.
I loved the fact that most of the recipes start with a box of cake mix, and ingredients that I keep in my pantry and refrigerator. Some of my family's favorites include: Red Velvet Cupcakes, Coconut Snowballs, Caramel Spiced Apple Cupcakes, Fresh Raspberry Cream Cakes, and the Marshmallow Frosting.
The author has 2 other books that are also worth a try, "The Cake Mix Doctor" and "The Dinner Doctor". Enjoy!


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The cupcake is America’s darling. It’s celebrated in upscale bakeries, on Sex in the City, on the cover of Gourmet, and in thou-sands of classrooms—where every day, it seems, a parent has sent in a batch for the kids to share. The very word conjures up whimsy, coziness, pleasure, nostalgia. Not to mention the fact that their diminutive size means you can eat a lot of them. Once upon a time, a family had only two recipes for cupcakes—chocolate and vanilla. Not anymore. Now Anne Byrn brings them to the next level. And who better? Recognized as the master of cake-mix baking, Anne is the author of The Cake Mix Doctor and Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor, which have a total of over 1.8 million copies in print. In Cupcakes she offers 135 tempting recipes for children and grown-ups, for special days and everyday, lunch bags, holiday festivities, and an unexpected dinner party dessert. You’ll never believe these artful little cakes started with a mix. Coconut Snowballs, Jelly Doughnut Cupcakes, Kiss Me Cakes, Warm Chocolate Cupcakes with Molten Centers, Red Velvet Cupcakes with White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting. There are surprising additions (tuck a chocolate kiss orpiece of cookie dough into the batter). Creative toppings and easy from-scratch frostings (whipped cream spiked with Kahlua; miniature M&Ms; a creamy malted frosting with crushed malted milk balls).Terrific decorating ideas, from glittering golden dragees or elegant chocolate curls to yellow peeps for an Easter cupcake or—for Groundhog’s Day—a groundhog’s face made out of chocolate frosting and jimmies. Includes a 16-page full-color opening essay.

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Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First, what this book is NOT: an introduction to classical French cuisine. Or even modern French cuisine. As Greenspan herself points out in a post at the eGullet forums,
"Here's what the book isn't: It's not Escoffier. It's not Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It's not a by-the-rules book. It's not a textbook. It's too personal to be any of those things."
This is a collection of recipes that feels like it comes straight out of Greenspan's kitchen: which means that if your cooking style and tastes run with hers, you will like this book. If they don't, you won't. So despite my four-star rating, that is purely a reflection of how well my cooking style agrees with Ms. Greenspan's. I strongly encourage you to check out the table of contents before clicking "Buy" on this one. There are a lot of braises, including three different recipes for what amount to roast chicken. There are two veal stews, and two beef daubes. If that's the food you like to eat, you would be hard-pressed to find clearer, better-written recipes. Naturally Greenspan is not breaking any new culinary ground here: if you have even a medium-sized cookbook collection, you probably already have most of the recipes she presents. What you probably don't have is the exquisite photography (by Alan Richardson), or the extremely well-written recipe instructions. The production values of this book are very high indeed: I am astonished at how low the price is all things considered.
A few favorite recipes of the dozen or so I've made so far: Chicken Breasts Diable, Veal Marengo, Lamb and Dried Apricot Tagine, and the Chard-Stuffed Pork Roast are all very good. In particular I think that the Lamb and Dried Apricot Tagine would be a wonderful dish for an evening with guests: just exotic enough on the US palate to be different, without being totally out of left field. But all of those dishes would go over very well on a typical US dinner table, and some, like the Chicken Diable, are quick-and-easy weeknight meals.
Pros:
* Exceptionally well-written recipes
* High percentage of excellent dishes
* Fantastic production qualities
Cons:
* Not a "learn to cook French Cuisine" book (it doesn't try to be, though)
* Three roast chickens? Really?

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Southern Living Christmas Cookbook: All-New Ultimate Holiday Entertaining Guide Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this book and planned a week's worth of menus for Christmas company around these menus. Fortunately, for me and my guests -- they were detained because of snow, and my husband and I were the only ones to eat the food. I made eight recipes -- cookies, pie, bread, salads, salad dressing -- food one should not be able to mess up. Without exception, the cooking times were way off (not just oven variances), the ingredients did not blend well, and the cookies, pie, and bread were bland or the textures not pleasant. Did the authors actually test these recipes? I'm not sure. Buy another book; this one was pretty but totally unmemorable.

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Throwing a party—big or small, simple or extravagant—just got easier. Whether you're planning your first big holiday celebration or your twentieth, you'll find this memory-making treasury an invaluable hospitality guide for all occasions.Over350 recipes, 32 menus, and nearly 250 color photographs team up to make this the ultimate holiday entertaining guide. Take the guesswork out of meal planning with complete menus and time-saving game plans–one for every menu. Make entertaining a joy with casual-fare menus, for when you're entertaining family and close friends, and more dressed-up menus, for when you want to go all out.You'll love the make-ahead ease of the Harvest Fare menu that features Bourbon-Glazed Ham and Out-of-this-World Scalloped Potatoes. The Easygoing, Family Breakfast, with its Breakfast Pizza and Cheesy Baked Grits, will delight the entire family. Don't miss the Coffee and Chocolate Party that offers such indulgences as Mocha Fondue, in addition to tips on setting up a coffee bar. The Classic Christmas Dinner, with its entrée choice of Marinated Cornish Hens or Marinated Turkey Breast, will have you preparing this meal year-round rather than waiting for Christmas Day! You'll be ready for every Yuletide event with menus for brunches, buffets, and cocktail parties, as well as a New Year's Day feast.A full-to-overflowing "Holiday Cooking" section encompasses every food category from appetizers and beverages to main dishes and sides; there are breads, as well as cakes, pies, and candies. Treats for Early Risers gives you at-a-glance breakfast and brunch ideas, from Basic Buttery Biscuits to Bananas Foster French Toast and cute, little Mini Sausage-and-Egg Casseroles baked in coffee mugs. You'll refer again and again to Simple Supper Solutions as a year-round source for family-friendly dishes. Whether it's Fiesta Turkey Soup and Green Chili Biscuits or Spicy Coleslaw Reubens, you'll discover a treasure trove of easy weeknight meals. Convenient prep and cook times are listed with every recipe to help you plan ahead.A bonus gift section—"5 Ingredient 15 Minute Gifts From the Kitchen"—shares a dozen quick-and-easy gifts from the heart of the home. Each recipe either has just 5 ingredients or takes only 15 minutes to prepare—and some feature both. Colorful photos show simple packaging ideas, so whether it's Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix or Red-and-Green Pistachio Bark, you'll have delicious solutions to satisfy everyone on your gift list.Be sure to check out the "Holiday Entertaining Guide" for inspiring table-setting ideas, hostess tips, and a special selection of 12 year-round, all-occasion, mix-and-match menu ideas that will have you in good standing for party planning any season of the year.

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