A Southern Girls Destiny

I finally did it. I made red velvet cupcakes and... wait for it... they were good! They were better than good, they were a divine gift sent from God Himself! I shouldn't sound so shocked, really. Without sounding too boastful or arrogant with my skills in the kitchen, I'm a good baker (I get that from my Mom). But I have never... never ever ever ever, made red velvet before.

Red Velvet Cupcakes (Paula Dean)
with a Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting (Baked Perfection)

As a southern girl, I knew this was a slight crime to have never at least attempted it. Red velvet is a staple in any southern person's baking archives and I've certainly tasted my fair share of other's. I know I originally said I was going to make the red velvet recipe from Baked Perfection, but there was something very important missing from her recipe: cocoa. YUP, she had not one teaspoon of cocoa; I thought that was strange. So, my Mom sent me Paula Dean's (you may have heard of her? southern woman with excellent baking credentials) and as I scrolled down her list of ingredients, boom, I found the cocoa... but only 1 teaspoon? Again, I found that to be strange.

Happy Easter!

But with my faith in all things Paula Dean, I continued to mix and add, mix and add until finally! they were done. Oh, and did I mention I did a little remix and still used Baked Perfection's BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING?! Nope, I'm not kidding--they are out of this world.... If I do say so myself.

Happy baking,
Lauren

Easter is For Jesus.... and Baking!

I've had the itch to bake for weeks now! Check that, months! Maybe it's because with my new life style (aka gym 4 days a week + a trainer + massive amounts of protein and goodforya body stuff) I don't/can't eat all the yummy yum yums I want. So to supplement this urge - this need - I've been researching new cupcake recipes to try and new decorating skills to perfect. And yes, I'll even admit I've been increasingly inspired by how Georgetown Cupcakes DECORATES (I didn't say taste juuust yet) their cupcakes; so simple, so cute and just my speed.


Georgetown Cupcakes



My Mom, knowing how much of a cupcake fanatic I am, sent me this link to an amazing blog and the red velvet cupcakes she made (see link below). Since, not only am I in the serious mood to bake, but I have to make red velvet cupcakes for a friends Bridal Shower, I figure this coming week of spring break for me (HAIL YES!) will be the perfect time to hunker down and get 'ta bakin'!

Red Velvet Cupcakes



Wish me luck! Although I don't really believe in luck... soooo, wish me good baking! I'll post pictures once they've been made.

Happy baking,

Lauren

Cupcake Blurp...

Sitting here on a Friday night and I'm watching DC Cupcakes. All I have to say is that, "I'm trying!" I'm really REALLY trying to like GDubbs. They are so friggin' cute and they "rep for ma citaaayy!" But they're just.... they're just.... okay, all good things....

 I wonder if their red velvet (pictured below) is any good....



GTC Red Velvet



I will say, there is a golden rule of thumb - or shall I say, cupcake - that goes something like this (I'm paraphrasing):

"Thou frosting mustn't be sweeter than thou cake. Tis nobler if frosting and cake doth have a harmonious balance in flavor... art thou."

Miracle on the 17th Green by James Patterson

"I put such a pure sweet roll on it, the ball traveled over the grass like a bead of mercury rolls across the floor after you break a thermometer. The beginning of a miracle. A harbinger. A sign. The little white ball dropped into the little white cup for eagle... I must tell you right now, however, that this isn't the so called Miracle on 17. Not even close."

- Travis McKinley

I don't know golf. I can't play it. I don't know the lingo or specifics on how to play other than hitting a tiny ball with a metal stick all so that it can reach a tiny hole. And I think the least amount of hits it takes you to reach the hole, the better? And I'm pretty sure there are birds involved? I don't know.

So when I picked this book while in line at Borders with 4 others in my arms, I was skeptical. Not that it would be good, but that I'd like it and/or understand it. But I had faith in James; he's proven me wrong a time before.

I can't say I was thrilled and engaged the entire time I read it, however. For a book that is half the size of books I normally read, it should have taken me only a week to read it. But instead, it took me a month or so. The problem was that when I started reading it I had this idea of what it was going to be about and when it became pretty clear that it wasn't entirely what I'd imagined, it was a lot easier to leave it on my night stand and "save it for another night."

But miracles do happen...

Half way through it, in fact, just yesterday, I sat and something was different. By golly the book got good! I sat for a couple of hours and devoured it; finished the whole thing in the blink of an eye. I knew it wasn't exactly what I thought but it was good. It IS good!

Doesn't matter if you know a thing about golf. Doesn't even matter if you like it. James explores the reevaluation and rediscovery of a character we all can relate to. So I say go for it! Couldn't hurt.

Happy reading.

What is The Literary Cupcake?

I know what you're thinking. "Literary Cupcake? What the?" But as I thought and thought and thought and thought, it was the most logical choice for a name of my new and most certainly improved blog.

You see, there are many layers, similiar to a cake, that make up who I am. Some have been known to say I'm complex and/or intricate (I'm pretty sure they mean basically the same thing). But to know me well is to know two things: 1. I love books and 2. I love cupcakes. See, not too complex!..

So I thought, "Why not just smoosh 'em both together?" Combine two of my favorite things into one blog. And before you start, I get it. Finding any areas of symmetry between books and cupcakes will be far fetched and difficult at best. But that's not what I'm trying to do here, people! I'm trying to LIVE! I'm trying to SPEAK MY MIND! I'm trying to... ahhh, who am I kidding? It ain't that serious. I like reading and I love eatting cupcakes so that's exactly what you're gonna get.

Without further delay, ladies and gentle-bloggers, I present... The Literary Cupcake.

“What is patriotism but the love of the Cupcakes one ate as a child?"  - Anonymous