Hellomy Foodie Friends!
I know it’s a cliché’ but time does go by so quickly. This coming week is our daughter Aubrey’s birthday. It just seems like yesterday we were sitting at the Saratoga Race Track with her sitting on her foldable Barbie chair with a Saratoga umbrella watching the spectacular racing horses walking by. We are blessed to have our daughter still in the Saratoga area serving our community as a doctor of Physical Therapy on the Wesley community campus.
One of our favorite desserts to have to celebrate is with a cupcake that allows us to each choose our own creative flavor. With so many special events such as baby and bridal showers, birthdays, and weddings, bakeries and small businesses have been busy making delectable desserts for these events. Making your own cupcakes can be an endearing gift that you can make for yourself or for someone special. So, what is your cupcake personality? Do you prefer to indulge in rich double chocolate or simply vanilla? Perhaps a wonderful red velvet or carrot cake with cream cheese frosting? Peanut butter fudge sounds delicious or even salted caramel, mocha, or coconut. Whether your personality is fun and festive, salt and sweet, business like, lovey-dovey, colorful, adventurous, or serious, there is a cupcake flavor for you. Since their creation, cupcakes have become a pop culture trend in the culinary world. They have spawned dozens of bakeries devoted entirely to them. While chocolate and vanilla remain classic favorites, fancy flavors such as raspberry meringue and espresso fudge can be found on menus.
When selecting a muffin pan for your cupcakes, size is important to consider. Muffin pans come in three sizes: standard, mini, and jumbo.
Standard: A standard-sized muffin pan will hold about one-half cup of batter or slightly less in each muffin cup. This is the most common size for homemade cupcakes or muffins.
Mini: Mini cupcake pans are roughly half the size of a standard size. You should be able to put somewhere between one eighth to one-fourth cup of batter in each cup. These cupcakes/muffins will be just one or two bites. They are great for portion control if you’re watching caloric intake, or for light eaters like kids who never finish a whole standard-sized.
Jumbo: These tins are much larger than your standard size. They will vary in size based on the manufacturer. Jumbo muffin pans will hold somewhere between one half to 1 cup of batter. If you are trying to make a bakery-style muffin at home, you may want to try the jumbo-sized pan.
At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, we carry various accessories to assist you with making your favorite cupcake recipe. Cupcakes are a sweet way to please a crowd, and to say “thank you” or “I love you” to your little cupcake and to celebrate “another” birthday!! Happy Birthday to our beautiful, talented, amazing daughter Aubrey. You continue to illuminate our lives with your beautiful heart and smile. May all your wishes come true.
Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”
Our daughter loves vanilla cupcakes with vanilla butter cream frosting. This is a recipe that she requires Paula to bake for her birthday every year.
Take Care, John & Paula
