Now some would say that I am a fairly decent baker and most days I would agree with that statement. That being said, most of my friends are not. Most don’t cook if there is not a crock pot involved, and baking seems to scare them to death.
Enter Beth.
When Beth Lipton of Cookie Pie asked me if I wanted to be apart of her upcoming book blog tour to feature her new book, I of course, said yes…it’s a dessert book, duh! You Made That Dessert?: Create Fabulous Treats, Even If You Can Barely Boil Water is what the book is called and it’s a God send for a good portion of the people I know. Those who want to bake but fear it.
This book gives you the building blocks to make tasty desserts, and that ladies and gentleman is all that you need to get some dessert making self confidence under your belt. There are pictures, pictures, pictures in this book. Which is awesome since it is geared towards those you don’t bake that often but want to. A picture is always nice to look and say “oh good, mine looks like it’ suppose to”. The directions are written really well. Step by step but not to complicated and written in everyday language, no super culinary speak.
My husband takes his lunch to work everyday. He likes cupcakes but when they are frosted they don’t travel well, as he stuffs his lunch into his work bag every morning as I cringe. So I am always on the lookout for muffins or cupcakes that can stand alone. That’s why I chose these Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cupcakes. Perfect for what I needed.
Now enter the tragedy in my household. While making these cupcakes, out of nowhere, the motor part of my Kitchen Aid just dropped, straight down into the batter. There were many, many, many, many curse words spoken. Many. Did I say many? Many. And then I started to cry. My husband came downstairs to see what was the matter. I pointed to the mixer. He knew all was not good.
Now lucky for me I still have my original KA from 13 years ago. So I was able to start again. The only problem was, now I was out of butter to make frosting. So I had some frosting in the fridge from something the other day (yes, I have frosting in my fridge), so I ended up using that instead of something from the book. 🙁 I only frosted a couple of them for photos. The rest are for the hubby’s lunch.
These are nice and dense and chocolaty. I found them to be a little more muffin like than cupcake like, which makes sense, since the method used to make them is very similar to that of making a muffin. So if you have kids or a husband who crushes his lunch daily, these are a great snack to make for them.
If you or someone you know is a little afraid of the baking world, but really wants to make desserts, I recommend this book whole heartedly!
Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup hot strongly brewed coffee
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
8 TBSP unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F. Line all the cups with standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.
Place the cocoa powder in small bowl. Whisk in hot coffee until smooth and let cool until the mixture is lukewarm, about 5 minutes. In a separate small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt with a fork.
In a medium bowl, using and electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. After beating in the second egg, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a flexible spatula and beat the mixture again, until just combined. Beat in vanilla and coffee mixture.
Using the flexible spatula, stir in the flour mixture. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour is incorporated, but try to mix as little as possible- the more you mix, the tougher your cupcakes will be. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Use an ice cream scoop or two TBSP to divide the batter evenly among the cupcake cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Do not over bake them, or they’ll be too dry. Transfer the muffin tin to a wire rack for 20 minutes to cool, then remove the cupcakes from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe from: You Made That Dessert? Create Fabulous Treats, Even if You Can Barely Boil Water by Beth Lipton
Eliana says
Thanks so much for sharing a recipe from the book with us. The book is officially on my Amazon wishlist.
cindy says
i would cry too…and possibly throw a mini tantrum.
my fiance, sean, always smashes his lunch too…he just doesn’t care about presentable food i guess 😉
Jen @ MaplenCornbread says
None of my friends cook either. What happened to good home cooking?
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe and the book info!!! I would LOVE that!! Those cupcakes look amazing!
Niki Theo says
I don’t know what i would do if my KA broke!!! I’d have a heart attack. I have my mom’s very very very very very old stand mixer, but there is a good reason we bought a new one. That one smells like it is about to explode when we use it. And we have a hand mixer, but eh, who wants to hold a hand mixer???
Katrina says
I have Beth’s book on order–well, on my wish list, but I’m heading over to Amazon right now to just get it!
Love Beth and her blog and now I want to love that book! 😉
Great looking cupcakes!
Mrs. L says
Sounds like a perfect cookbook for me. Thanks for the heads up!
The Cooking Bride says
Wait a minute. The motor just fell out? Just like that? How does that happen? I mean they only weigh about 900 lbs. I thought for sure every KA mixer was guaranteed to survive the apocolypse. In fact, I’m sure it says that somewhere in the user’s manual.
Felice says
Another book on my wish list. I need another bookcase before I buy any more cookbooks or there could be a collapse. Most of my friends are amazed by any type of baking too. I quite often hear did you make that? When I tell them how easy it is they don’t believe me. I think I know what they all need in their Christmas stockings this year and that is this book.
The cupcakes look great!
snooky doodle says
Simply delicious, this books look very promising I love cookie pie s blog.
I m drooling
Irene says
I should get this book for my husband! I *think* he can boil water……….. 🙂
VeggieGirl says
Hang in there with the lack of KA, my dear!!
Love Beth’s new cookbook – I can’t wait for it to arrive at my home!!
snooky doodle says
visit my new blog at http://snookysrecipedoodles.blogspot.com/
chocolatechic says
Oh….I sure hope your KA was laid to rest in a proper manner.
So very sorry about your loss….
However…it is a great time to get a bigger and better KA now. 😉
Alisa - Frugal Foodie says
Sounds like a great book!
There is never frosting in my refrigerator as it never makes it that far! Cake, I can live without, but frosting .. oh my!
dawn says
you have a backup KA? Ok I hate you now.
Dana says
I sold my backup KA and to tell you the truth, sometimes I miss it. I’m not sure I like the large one. RIP to yours – I know it got a good workout! There must be some kind of warranty, right?
Kara says
So sorry about your KA. That is the pits. But at least you had some of these yummy cupcakes to cheer you up!
Donna says
You must have a KA. It sounds like you need a little retail therapy!
Krissy says
haha! wow, Nicole of Baking Bites just reviewed this book the other day too!
I guess great minds think alike.
The cupcake/muffins look absolutely delicious. yum!
Cricket says
You have a backup Kitchen…what dawn said!? There are bakers who live without one KA on a daily basis.
Your cupcakes are beautiful! And the cookbook is brilliant. I remember when I started baking, I refused the make something unless I had a photo to look at. If my dessert did not look like said photo I would be so mad at myself. I’ve become less neurotic (thankfully) but this kind of cookbook would have been perfect. 🙂
Irina@PastryPal says
Oh! Sorry about that KitchenAid problem. Shouldn’t they fix it for you gratis? Anyway, there’s the old-fashioned way of baking that we sometimes forget about — by hand 🙂 Love the idea of the book as there are so few true beginner’s books out there. People are always asking me to point them to one, and now I can!
Shoshana says
So sad about the KitchenAid. I don’t think it is strange at all to have extra frosting lying around. Rarely am I without at least two different flavors in the fridge or freezer.
ErinsFoodFiles says
I know a lot of people that could use that book too! I’m so sorry to hear about your KA Mixer! How awful!
Lynn says
Many condolences on the death of the KA! You keep frosting in your fridge, too? I knew there was a reason I like you.
The cupcakes look fab!
Nutmeg Nanny says
Yummy cupcakes!!!
Happy Cook says
Here my friends think there is something reriously wrong with me as I make everything from scratch.
Beautiful and yumm cupcake.
Meeta says
by now i should know not to come here in the mornings – it leaves me craving for gooey goodness the whole day! but i am an addict! can’t help myself! this looks really good – chocolatey yumminess!
Anda says
Why don’t I have those in my lunchbox?? The first photo looks adorable – like a smiling cupcake.
HeartofGlass says
This is such a prescient post! I just started my own blog (partially inspired by yours). Right now it is more about food culture, but I hope to morph into cooking and baking soon, and it sounds like that is a good book to use as a launching pad.
What did you do with the batter that was half-mixed? Was it salvageable?
Kristine says
Those look fab! And my husband does the SAME thing every morning!
Debbie says
I would have been cursing like crazy. I don’t have a lot of patience when things start going wrong. The cupcakes look good and the book sounds like a winner to me!
Paula says
Sorry about your KA! I think mine is on its last leg too and I’ve got no back up! AAHHH I don’t think I can live without it. Your cuppies look great however. Thanks for sharing the cook book sounds like a great one.
Barbara says
I’m so sorry about your Kitchen Aid. I would have cried too! The cupcakes look fabulous. I’ll have to check out this book.
Elizabeth says
Damn KA! That chocolate cupcake looks divine Peabody!
Dolce says
They look great by themselves and to-drool-for with the frosting 🙂
HoneyB says
Beautiful photos! This just may have to be next on my list of what to make from the book!
maria says
I can’t wait to try these next! I am adding your link now:)
Kate says
O perfect! I’m doing some insane 12 person, 200 mile relay next weekend and I wanted to bake something sweet to bring, but icing would definitely not work. I’ll definitely try these out!
Margaret says
Those look amazing, even without frosting. If you call it a muffin, it’s healthy, right?
So sorry to hear about your KA…I would cry if that happened to me.
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) says
I am famously bake-o-phobic, so this definitely sounds like the book for me. And yes, I too have more than one KA mixer… just in case.
JIll says
Those cupcakes look really good, but why do you put the swirl of frosting on it? I’m sure it must be easier or something, but isn’t your cupcake going to feel half dressed? I don’t even like frosting, but it really bugs me.
Julia M. says
These look wonderful… even without the frosting. I’m thinking they’d be pretty good individually wrapped and thrown in the freezer. Then you could take them out one (or two) at a time for lunches and snacks. Love your pictures and your blog. It did remind of these cupcake holders:
http://www.amazon.com/Cup-Cake-Cupcake-Holder-Set/dp/B000MYD150/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1253144587&sr=8-7
I actually saw the same ones at Williams & Sonoma, but couldn’t
find them on their website. Again, thanks for keeping us all so entertained and inspired!
joey says
These look like they would be perfect for picnics too 🙂
Katie says
The cupcakes look fab, especially once frosted. You are a girl after my own heart – frosting in the fridge!
Patricia Scarpin says
Pea, I can completely relate – I love my KA so much I’d cry too!
These cupcakes are adorable and I love how neatly piped the icing is – I need to learn how to do that!
deeba says
Oh dear, poor KA! May the poor thing RIP! I love the reviews of this beautiful book that I have seen today, & yours is wonderful Peabody! These are just the sort of muffins I like to pop into the kids snack boxes – unfrosted & delicious. Love the brewed coffee within. YUM!
Mimi says
Lol!! Why am not surprised that your KA broke from over use?
Sorry to laugh at you. Mine is a little dusty at the moment. :0)
Susan says
This is a bit of a snarky remark, but I always laugh that some people think that a box cake is baking. When you sign up for a bake sale, box cakes and cookies should not be allowed. Hello-it’s not. It’s full of chemicals. That said, sometimes it’s easier not to make the icing, because it’s one less dirty dish. These look good. I’m going to make them.
Harita says
The number of eggs havent been mentioned in the recipe list…
You have a wonderful blog….
Monica H says
Frosted or not, these look delicious. Now I want to check out that book!
Sorry to hear about your mixer. I would have cried too.
Aimee says
Sucks about your KA. Will you put one on your Christmas list?
I em enjoying this book as well–go Beth!
Sarah says
i think frosting in the fridge is as much a staple as milk and eggs…you never know when you will need it to spread on graham crackers as a quick dinner! 🙂
Laurel says
You’re lucky that your KA took you 13 years to die! I’m on my 3rd in 5 years. When this one kicks the bucket I’m searching high and low for one from the 70’s that was built by Hobart, not cheap-o KA trying to save a buck by building transmissions out of plastic. /rant
Debbie says
Hi, I want to make this recipe today and I think you forgot to put the amount of sugar in the recipe! Thanks, I really enjoy your blog!
Debbie says
oops nevermind