Showing posts with label yummy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yummy. Show all posts

Monday, April 23, 2012

Cupcakes: From the Cake Mix Doctor Review

Cupcakes: From the Cake Mix Doctor
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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Wednesday, April 4, 2012

5 Ingredients or Less Fresh Recipes for Every Season Plus Clever Tips for Celebrating Every Day (Gooseberry Patch) Review

5 Ingredients or Less Fresh Recipes for Every Season Plus Clever Tips for Celebrating Every Day (Gooseberry Patch)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Thus far, everything in this cookbook is GOOD and HANDY (I have only had it a week or so, and have already used it three times, to the neglect of my other Gooseberry Patch cookbooks!) It's lots of fun just to read the recipes, which are both mouth-watering and almost TOO easy. Clear, simple instructions will please even the most novice cooks. I also loved how this book was organized by season: lighter, fresher dishes in the summer section; cozier, comfort-food dishes in the fall and winter.
The recipes are also extremely inexpensive to make, and in many cases, by using the staples you probably already have. In other words, this book is a no-lose situation! I'd choose it as a gift for any newlywed, college student, or family-on-the-go.
There are even really cute ideas for dressing up and changing flea-market finds, and other simple crafts and decorating ideas that even a fumble-fingers such as myself can handily accomplish.
Only one very minor complaint...it seemed that some seasonings were left out of a few the recipes, simply to keep them under 5 ingredients. But the basics here are so good I wouldn't have minded if they called for 10 ingredients.
UPDATE: Today I made the recipe for BIG Chocolate Cookies on Page 57. Something went wrong, or there was poor editing in temperature or ingredients, or SOMETHING. I ended up with a huge, gloppy, inedible mess. I've been baking since age 9 and have never had such a failure as this particular recipe. Gah!!

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Fresh recipes for every season plus clever tips for celebrating every day. More than 200 recipes all using 5 ingredients or less!Hardcover, 224 pages.

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