Laura asked me to make some chocolatey-choco-chocolate cupcakes for her husband Frank's birthday today. Happy birthday Frank! And thankyou Laura for the order!
I think they turned out pretty well, don't you?
I think these were my most perfect batch yet: each cupcake came out pretty much the same size, and rose beautifully. I've had issues with some of them falling flat, while others came out mysteriously slanted. I've now realised that is due to my trusty cupcake tin getting dinged on the move from NY to LA. Damn you UPS!
I've actually never made a chocolate buttercream frosting before, and while I ended up using a simple butter-powdered sugar-melted chocolate recipe from trusty ol' Cooks Illustrated (thanks Kuv! Yup, I'm still using your login!! hahahahahaaaa!), my next adventure in chocolate frosting is probably going to involve some sour cream. Having poured over Chowhound message boards looking for the perfect recipe, and finding posting after posting about the depth of flavour sour cream adds, I'm intrigued. I can't imagine what that tang would do to the old tastebud, especially since it's already freaking out over the insanely-good chocolate I use (Mum & Dad & Crish -- don't worry, I'm totally making these for you when you come).
The LA Times wrote last week about how the cupcake craze is still in full effect here in LA.
Dammit.
Why? Well, because that means the pure joy of turning out cupcakes, that sweet slightly kitschy product of what I imagine as a gingham-apron'ed mum back in the 50s... has become somewhat of a sweat-inducing business. I look at mine, I feel happy, even a swell of pride. Then I see a photo of Sprinkles' smooth beauties -- we drove past the shop on Saturday and there was STILL a line of folks down the block, each of them just waiting to spend THREE DOLLARS for a cupcake. But, even though they look astonishingly like boobs, I can't help but like the look of them better than the look of mine. And then, and then... gasp... today, I brought a batch to the yoga studio where I was running the desk, and a woman looked at them and said, "oh look how homemade those look."
From Cashmere PapersI shake my frosting-splattered fist at you Sprinkles!
But, as my friend Karen likes to remind me, I need to stop comparing. Just end it. Right. Now.
(Deep breath)
-x-
aarti
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11 comments:
How dare you compare your hard work to mass produced product!
I should've hopped right over to get that last cupcake!
*drooling*
I have had the pleasure, the joy, the pure delight in having an Aarti cupcake and it was so, so, so, so much better than any Sprinkles cupcake could ever be!! I would stand in line and pay 3 bucks a cupcake any day over one of those "other" guys!
hahahaha thanks guys!!!!!
i posted on your facebook page...and you should see the word is spreading!
: )
Aarti, This comment would probably be more suited to your "Are you there?" post on June 1st, but I wanted to make sure you saw this so I am simply putting in in your most recent entry.
I just discovered your blog and your Quick Bites videos. I am really enjoying these!!
The last couple days I've been browsing through your old posts and videos and I love love love this blog. I don't have much experience with Indian food, other than a Tikka Masala recipe that I love (but don't know how authentic it is) and home made curries that use the "curry powder" spice jar from Penzeys (not the proper curries you explain about their difficulty in your post) which I make regularly.
I can't wait to experiment, your recipes sound so so good and I really enjoy your presentation and writing style!!! It seems you have a blend (I suppose the foodie word is "fusion") of cooking styles and ingredients with Indian spices being in the forefront. Num!
If I try an older recipe and want to talk about it, is it better if I comment on that corresponding older post or the newest post?
Thanks for giving me a new playground :)
you just made my day! thankyou so much cjucoder!!!
um, let's see... go ahead and leave the comment on the recipe itself. i'll still get it. and let me know how it goes! send photos!!!!
and how did you find me? that is so sweet of you to leave me a comment. so comforting and encouraging! woohoo!
Doh! Now I can't find how I found you! Tee hee. I do so much clicking around :) It was on some food message board (AKA forum) where someone posted a thread saying "See my friend on YouTube who just started a new cooking series" so I did and liked it! There were a handfull of positive responses on that thread after other people checked it out.
Oh, and one other thing that makes us sisters outside of food. I have a ukulele! But don't know how to play it, I just love musical instruments, I've dabbled with the guitar and piano.
oh i think i know what you're talking about. so cool!
i LOVE THE UKULELE! and the piano actually! as you can see in this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdID9_hgnwI
You forgot to mention the drums Aarth:))
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