YumSugar

Yum Market Finds: Baked Goods for the Cure

YumSugar — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:43:18 -0700

This time of year, there are many different pink products available to support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. TeamSugar bookmarked a few delicious cookies, tatti33 found these cute cupcakes, and I bookmarked a few more to make the list more robust. From cookies to cupcakes - aren't these Eleni's Reach for the Cure cookies adorable? - there's something out there for every sweet tooth. If you don't have time to actually bake for the cure, then have someone else do it. This way you can help raise money and awareness, and still shove sweets in your face!

pink ribbon gifts	::: Sprinkles Cupcakes ::: Pink Ribbon Cupcake
Breast Cancer Awareness Fortune Cookie - abernook.com	Cookies for a cure - eleni's.com
Cookies for a Cure Occasion Favors at Cheryl&Co.	Amy's Cookies	Shiney Ribbons Cookies

Would You Quit Your Job and Go to Pastry School?

YumSugar — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 05:01:33 -0700

I was listening to NPR the other day, when I heard a story about how many white-collar professionals are swapping their power suits for aprons. The folks behind Sprinkles Cupcakes did it, and they're not the only ones. In fact, the California School of Culinary Arts just added their first evening and weekend patisserie program. Rebecca Mars of CSCA, said:

"They're now wanting to pursue maybe a passion they've always had... Now they've seen some success with other businesses like Sprinkles, and they've seen that they're successful and think they could probably be as well."

Why folks are doing this, no one's really sure. Maybe it's because everyone is currently "self-medicating" with sweets, and people want in on the trend before it's over. No matter what the cause, I think it's fantastic. Although it does make me wonder just how many cupcake shops one town needs...

How about you, would you quit your job and go to pastry school?

Source

Taste Test: Sprinkles Vanilla Cupcake Mix

partysugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:50:38 -0700

Last week I got my hands on a container of Sprinkles vanilla cupcake mix ($14). The LA-based bakery boosts a celebrity following and is famous for its rich cupcakes topped with swirled frosting and signature modern dot. Currently, there are six bakeries sprinkled throughout the Western United States, but thanks to Williams-Sonoma, you can experience the sweetness of Sprinkles in the comfort of your kitchen. The mix comes in seven flavors: chocolate, red velvet, vanilla, lemon, pumpkin, chocolate peppermint, and banana. To find out what I thought of the vanilla variation, read more.

First off, the mix is expensive. It only makes 12 cupcakes and that doesn't include the cost of frosting ingredients. The addition of the signature modern dot is fun, but, be warned, when I opened the plastic container the dots shattered on my counter. By themselves, the dots don't taste very good either: they're chalky and bitter with no apparent taste. The recipe is straightforward and easy to follow.

The final cake is extremely dense with a strong vanilla flavor. Essentially, it tastes exactly like what it is - a gourmet cupcake made from a prepackaged mix.

The frosting was my favorite part: it's thick and creamy with a delightful flavor that's not overly sweet or too buttery.

Since I prefer to make baked goods from scratch, Sprinkles boxed mix will not become a staple in my pantry. If you prefer light, fluffy, moist cupcakes, opt for a different flavor or mix altogether. Has anyone else tried Sprinkles boxed cupcake mixes? What did you think of it?

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Taste Test: Sprinkles Frozen Frosting Shots

partysugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:00:25 -0700

Love frosting? Well, I have news for you! For the Summer, everyone's favorite bakery, Sprinkles, has launched a new product: frozen frosting shots. Yes, your eyes do not deceive you. For $.75, at all Sprinkles locations, you can actually purchase a shot of frosting that's frozen. Earlier this week, we were lucky enough to receive a large sample of the sugary treats from Sprinkles. To find out how they taste, read more.

The shots come in mini paper cups with rounded pointy tips. They come in five flavors: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, and cream cheese. There is nothing special about the frosting, it's the exact same frosting that they use on the cupcakes. When paired with the moist cake, the frosting is creamy and delicious. On its own, however, it's hard to stomach all 2-3 ounces of it. It's very sweet, thick, and extremely buttery.

Although freezing it does provide a nice cooling texture that's similar to ice cream, I could not get through an entire shot. Frosting lovers might go nuts over these, but I was left longing for cake.

Have you ever had a shot of frosting? Is this something you would love to try?

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Taste Test: Sprinkles Vanilla Cupcake Mix

partysugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:44:36 -0700

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Come Party With Me: Annabelle's Birthday - Desserts

partysugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:45:03 -0700

To celebrate her fourth birthday, FabSugar and her Frenchie, Annabelle, are going to make dog-friendly cupcakes. Annabelle loves to cook, so they'll be using Francesca and Sharkey's (Martha Stewart's Frenchies) recipe. The cupcakes are a mixture of ground, dried dog food, carrots, and peas. For the people in attendance, Fab's mom is taking a tip from Giada de Laurentiis and will be putting together a gelato bar!

She'll make a simple chocolate sauce and freshly whipped cream. Then she'll set out an assortment of toppings like chopped nuts, peanut butter chips, and rainbow sprinkles. The guests can make a sundae to their liking. Sound fun? Get the recipe.

What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:00:43 -0700

Ideal for Summer: fast, ultra-fresh spicy tuna poke with guacamole.
Giada De Laurentiis has fun making fregola salad with the rest of her family.
PartySugar plans a picnic for her sister in the city's see-and-be-seen picnic spot.
Taste tested: Sprinkles Cupcakes Frozen Frosting Shots.
Jacques Pépin lends tips for boiling the perfect egg.
Try a sweet-savory poached egg and prosciutto muffinwich for breakfast - or dinner.

Last Chance to Win: The Ultimate Easter Baking Giveaway Ends Today!

partysugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:50:30 -0700

Looks like the cupcake craze isn't over yet: we were so excited about the overwhelming response to our last giveaway, we decided to offer another lucky reader the chance to win the ultimate baking package. This time, we've partnered with Williams-Sonoma to provide everything you'll need for an Easter baking extravaganza. We're giving away a KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer and all of the necessary tools for baking the best cupcakes. Yellow melamine mixing bowls? Check. Yellow silicone spatulas in three sizes? Of course. Yellow apron to ensure that your clothes don't get dirty? Done. If you're not the most sophisticated baker, don't fret; we're including four (chocolate, red velvet, vanilla, and banana) Sprinkles cupcakes mixes and a set of 12 Silicups. To help you channel your inner ace of cakes, we're also giving away beautifully colored decorating sugars.

No prize package is complete without pretty platters; you can place the cakes on vintage bunny band plates or a cupcake stand. Finally, you'll be able to take your baked goods on the go with the ingenious cupcake courier. All of these prizes combine to make a total package worth over $500!

To enter to win this incredible prize, you must log in and take the quiz below. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct; completing the quiz once you are logged in makes you eligible to win. You do, however, need to be a TeamSugar member before taking the quiz. If you're not already a member, register here for an account. One quiz entry per person, all repeat quizzes will be ignored.

The contest is open to US residents only and ends on Wednesday, April 8, at 12:00 noon, PDT. Click here for official rules. Good luck!

Take the quiz

Taste Test: PhillySwirl Ice Cream Cupcakes

partysugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:00:18 -0700

A little while back, I received a box of ice cream cupcakes by PhillySwirl. I put the box in the freezer and totally forgot about them until I saw them featured on the Today Show. So last week, Yum, Molly, and I cracked open the box. There's nothing fancy or pretentious about these cupcakes. They come in two flavors: chocolate and vanilla. Each cupcake has a layer of cake, a layer of ice cream, a hard chocolate candy coating, a frosting topping, and a sprinkle of jimmies. To see what I thought of these frozen treats, read more.

They were absolutely delicious! With its creamy frosting, I preferred the vanilla to the chocolate. Like a blast from elementary school past, the taste is similar to those super-sugary, grocery store cupcakes that come in plastic containers.

The chocolate tasted like a cross between a brownie sundae and a Klondike bar. Both were totally indulgent without being over-the-top sweet.

I especially enjoyed the concept and plan on experimenting with my own ice cream cupcake recipe. Have you tried the PhillySwirl ice cream cupcakes? If so, what did you think?

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Reader Recipe: Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes

YumSugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:15:00 -0700

With the presidential race speeding up and the Fourth of July hot on our heels, it seems like a perfect time to make some red, white, and blue cupcakes. (As if any of us needed an excuse to make cupcakes.)

This recipe comes from TeamSugar member HonestMuffin, who put her namesake muffin pans to good use to make these red-velvet cupcakes. To give the treats a patriotic twist, she topped the cream-cheese frosting with blue star sprinkles. To get the recipe and see how she made them, read more.

Easy Red Velvet Cupcakes
www.recipezaar.com

Super simple. Super fast. Big wow factor. Really fun and kid friendly as well!

Ingredients

1 package yellow cake mix
2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
5 large egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 (1 ounce) bottles red food coloring
1 can cream cheese frosting

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 24 regular-size muffin tins with paper or foil liners.

In a large bowl beat the cake mix with baking cocoa, eggs, oil, buttermilk, and food coloring for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl
occasionally.

Spoon the batter evenly between the muffin tins about two-thirds to three-fourths full.

Bake according to package directions.

Remove from the pans immediately and cool on wire racks.

Frost cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Print recipe with images | without images