‘Cupcakes!’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Visit: Sweet Bakery {Boston, MA}

June 3, 2016 · Narrative

When I was compiling a completely unrealistically long list of Things to Do for our quick trip to Boston during Spring Break, someone mentioned Sweet Bakery was a must-visit.

And, of course, I was all ears.

Because, cupcakes.

There are several locations in the Boston area, so I quickly put each address into the Waze app to see which one made the most sense and had the best hope of parking, and the Charles Street location was it.

We amazingly found a parking space right in front of the store, which I decided was fate. Or that, despite the fact that I obsessively read all the street signs looking for why I shouldn’t be parking there, I would come out and my car would be towed.

Luckily the worry was for nothing.

#dodgedbullet

As soon as we opened the door to the bakery, it smelled like sugar and baked goods all at once, swirling around our heads and inviting us into the storefront. Which is exactly what I want to smell when I go into a bakery. Just absolutely divine.

Their display case was full and everything looked so good. There are many seasonal flavors and traditional favorites to choose from, even frosting shots. Fancy schmancy flavors like Madagascar bourbon vanilla and plain old awesome chocolate. Yes, please. We each choose a mini and got them packed up to enjoy later that evening.

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Make: St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes {Lucky Charms}

March 15, 2014 · Narrative

A fun DIY cupcake celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and Lucky Charms cereal. Perfection.

Growing up, Lucky Charms was one of my favorite cereals. It still is, actually, and although I don’t eat it nearly as often as I used to, I have been known to sneak a marshmallow or three from the kids’ bowls when I’m pouring it.

Old habits die hard.

When I saw that Lucky Charms had a special all green, more marshmallows in every spoon edition, well, I got just a little excited.

As I’m sure you understand.

And, hey, Happy 50th Birthday to Lucky Charms!

But this time, the excitement involved a little out of the box thinking.

Or, more to the point, out of the bowl thinking.

As in, how else can we enjoy this magically delicious cereal besides just straight up with milk?

Well, I’m glad you asked!

How about as a fun cupcake topper?

I know! Perfect, right?

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Recipe: Chocolate S’mores Cookies

February 20, 2012 · Narrative

When we were over my sister’s today to celebrate her birthday, her mother-in-law and I started talking about Pinterest. Oh how I love Pinterest, let me count the ways. And even better to converse with a fellow pinning addict. Over the past week, a lot of my inspiration (and output from my kitchen) came from Pinterest. The Jell-O recipe, Valentine’s Day cards, and a new painting project all started from Pinterest. And tonight’s cookie recipe? Pinterest.

When I first saw the cookie recipe a few weeks back, I made a mental note that it would be perfect for our Bloggers Valentine’s Feast this past weekend. Since Joanne was coming early on Saturday, and has a way with a piping bag that I have no interest (or time or motivation) in having, I convinced her to pipe hearts on the top of the cookies, instead of just frosting the whole top. We She did half the batch with the hearts and half the batch with the full frosting top.

And then the extra frosting got hidden in the freezer.

Well, halfway during dinner, we dug out the frosting to put more on the cookies.

I’m ridiculously picky about frosting. To the point that I may or may not have expressed my distaste for the canned stuff in the baking aisle at the grocery store. And I may or may not have said how easy and better it was to make your own homemade frosting. And I may or may not have handed my business card to the stranger I was talking to, directing her to the best buttercream frosting ever.

Ok, I totally did all that. And I have no shame about it.

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Recipe: Honey Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

September 27, 2011 · Narrative

When food bloggers come to visit, they invariably bear food gifts. I love that. When Joanne came to “the country” a few weeks ago, she came with a container full of cupcakes. Not that she needed to win my kids over, but cupcakes are a sure-fire way to make them her besties, no doubt.

The original recipe that she used (from Whole Foods Market) was for Honey Walnut Pumpkin Bread. Dropping the walnuts, subbing olive oil, adding a cream cheese frosting, and making them cupcakes turned them into Honey Pumpkin Cupcakes and little bites of deliciousness. They are utterly and ridiculously moist, and absolutely worth making. And heck, given most of the ingredients, they’re a sweet treat you can feel good about. I can’t say I’m upset that she left a few behind when she headed back to NYC. Now it’s my turn to fill up the container for our next meet-up in October.

*Original recipe is here.

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Review: Ava’s Cupcake Shoppe & Cafe, Rockaway, NJ

September 12, 2011 · Narrative

I have exactly four cupcake shops to review for you. That means two things. One, I’m really behind. And two, if you like cupcakes, you should continue to hang out here.

Today? Ava’s Cupcake Shoppe & Cafe in Rockaway Borough.

The first time we went there was a few weeks ago for a mid-day can’t-believe-summer-is-almost-over pick-me-up. Which is one of the very best kind of mid-day pick-me-ups one can have, don’t you think?

Located on a side street off the small downtown section, there is ample parking right in front of the store, on the street, or in a nearby parking lot. The inside of the store is cheery and bright with a retro, 1950s style vibe to it.

There are several tables and chairs for you to sit and enjoy your sweet treat, although there was quite a bit of grab-and-go foot traffic while we were there.

The cupcakes are $3.00 each, and if you buy five, the six one is free. I think it’s about average for cupcake pricing. Let’s face it, folks, cupcakes are not really a huge bargain, but in the terms of splurge snacks, it’s right there with your Mocha Frappuccino. Oh wait. That might be just me.

There are a number of cupcake places within a five mile radius, and several are higher priced than Ava’s. I think only one is lower. Ava’s perk of the sixth cupcake free is a nice bonus.

Wanna know another fun bonus? Ava’s delivers. I think we need a moment of silence. Only cupcake shop in the area to stake that claim and I can think of nothing more fun at the moment than a cupcake delivery, can you?

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Weekend Photos in Review

August 1, 2010 · Narrative

I hope you’re not hungry. Or tempted by visions of sugary treats. If you are, on either count, this might not be a good day for you. For the rest, let’s go!

I celebrated my birthday last weekend with my family, and the kids were with The Ex this weekend, so my actual birthday (Saturday) was filled with friends. I seriously think this might have been my favorite birthday to date, from the time the clock struck 12:01 am until the time I went to bed. Just a great day on so many different levels. I’m a very lucky girl.

Once a month, I get together with a group of friends from high school. For our July get-together, the date that happened to work for everyone was my birthday. We started our night out with dinner at a new-to-me Japanese buffet. An amazing array of food, I had my first foray with octopus and Japanese eggplant (both successful).

My friends are very used to me taking pictures of ~~everything~~ food, so they have gotten into the habit of styling their plates now, for the very best possible shot. Love that! These shots are my friends’ plates because my own was way too messy each time I refilled it to share it with you.

(my octopus, so yummy!)

After dinner, we headed back here for cupcakes, cocktails and chick flicks. And all were plentiful. We actually ended up collecting cupcakes from five different cupcake shops, C’Mere Cupcake, Hey Cupcake, Sugar Mommy Cupcakes, Crumbs and Stuffed Cupcakes. So many choices, where to start?

A Big Birthday …

Review: C’mere Cupcake

September 28, 2009 · Narrative

You might say I have a soft spot for cupcakes. It’s very possible. Always on the hunt for the newest cupcake spot to try out, I was happy to see a review in our newspaper of a new place, C’mere Cupcake. Don’tcha just love the name? Star-Ledger’s Munchmobile went on a day-long journey over the summer, visiting cupcake places all over the Garden State (Hello? I’m still waiting for my invite!), and C’mere Cupcake was one of their stops.

The kids and I first visited the shop about a month ago, and we recently returned when Sarah was here. Although not necessarily an important criteria when evaluating cupcake shops, it’s worthy to note: this place, so far, has the best parking. It’s not on a crazy-busy street with parallel parking like Billy’s. It’s not on a downtown street with a 3-spot parking lot like Mr. Cupcakes. It’s tucked into a quiet little strip mall that gets very little traffic. While that is good for us when we visit the cupcake shop, I hope they get enough traffic to remain viable.

I love the owners. A father and daughter team, they are friendly, down-to-earth and willing to engage in conversation. And their staff? Just the same. The first time I went, I was talking to the owner about prices of cupcakes, and we both agreed that they have gotten a little bit out of hand. When I mentioned a recent $4 cupcake I discovered, he knew exactly which place I was talking about.

When you enter the shop, it’s got a cute little lounge-y vibe to it, with comfortable seating in the front by the glass window. They have a fish tank, a chess game set up and books out for your perusal; it’s set up to beckon you to sit, enjoy your dessert and stay awhile. Love that.

When I went with the kids, Nick got a chocolate cupcake with peppermint buttercream frosting and I got a peanut butter and jelly one. He picked off all the frosting and just ate his cake. No, I don’t know what’s wrong with him. I took a bite of his frosting and promptly went off to get one of my own. Amazing mint buttercream frosting.

For Madeline? They have naked cupcakes. I love that idea. Cupcakes without the frosting are perfect for her. That day, they had a carrot cake version, which she loved.

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Review: Mr. Cupcakes

September 3, 2009 · Narrative

If you’ve been coming here for awhile, you may have noticed a theme of topics … food, of course, a little bit of life, kids, the color pink … and oh yes, cupcakes! I don’t know how or when the cupcake obsession started, but it’s been going strong for many years now and shows no signs of letting it up. Whether we’re making them at home or hunting down the newest cupcake spot, it’s a popular topic.

I can’t remember how I first discovered Mr. Cupcakes, but think it might have been a local write-up in the paper or some such. The first time I tasted cupcakes from there, it was at a cupcake-themed Supper Club gathering last year. The Neighbor Wife, always eager to avoid baking, offered to pick some up since the place was on our to-visit list but we had yet … to visit. She brought an assortment and I’m fairly certain there were none left by the end of the evening. Quel surprise!

Last weekend, when I was planning our first “formal” dinner in the new house for the kids, I had decided on cupcakes for dessert. What better way to cap off our first meal? I mentioned to Nick that I’d be picking some up, and that was the first thing he was looking for when he walked in the door.

Armed with my handy dandy GPS, I found the store quite easily. Parking, on the other hand, is another issue. There are a few spots on the street in front of the place, and there is a little parking lot one door down. This is fine as long as you don’t drive an SUV. If you do, the lot is small enough that it’s quite the juggle to get out of the space.

The store is small. Actually, it’s about as big as Billy’s in the city, but they use their space way less creatively. There is one small bistro table to seat two if you want to eat there, but that’s also right in the middle of where the line forms, when there is one, so it’s not somewhere you want to sit. So pretty much a grab-and-go joint. They could use some help in the decorating department, but since we’re going for the cupcakes and the cupcakes alone, we’ll turn a blind eye.

The cupcake varieties fill the display case, sitting in labeled black trays. The store sells “Executive” cupcakes, those flavors that are always available, and “Interns,” those that are there for a limited time only. Cute concept.

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Malted Milk Ball Cupcakes

April 23, 2009 · Narrative

Today an old acquaintance from high school mentioned cupcakes, and I immediately perked up. Not just at the mere mention of cupcakes, but she went on to tell me about a store that’s about 30 minutes from here that is a “sprinkle selection paradise.” A store specializing in everything a baker or candymaker would need? Dangerous waters for me indeed. Every time I go to a food store, I always take a quick peek at their baking aisle to see if there are any special sprinkles or odd items I might not find elsewhere. And now to find out that there’s an entire store dedicated to such things? Mark my words, I’ll be making a trip there very soon.

Now speaking of cupcakes, I’ve got another one to introduce you to … Malted Milk Ball Cupcakes. This is the second recipe I’ve tried from Anne Byrn’s book, Cupcakes!, and although I loved the Orange Marmalade Ricotta cupcakes I made a few weeks back, one bite into this one, and those memories were quickly erased. OMG good. Know this: I’m very careful with deeming a finished recipe OMG-worthy. If there’s too many, you might not trust me, you know? And I want you to trust me. At least when it comes to food. Out of the nearly thousand recipes I’ve written about here, the list of OMG recipes is still quite short, so you know I take it seriously.

I had to ration myself one of these little malted milk ball babies a day, and quickly gave away half the batch to resist any further temptation. Like Anne’s other recipes, this one is quick and easy and you probably have most of the ingredients on hand already. The addition of the sour cream makes these cupcakes crazymoist, and I daresay this might be my new go-to recipe when it comes to needing to make cupcakes.

Her recipes tend to be a bit lengthy, but only in the wordy sense, not in time expended. She just goes into a little more detail than most when it comes to the recipes’ instructions, so while it may look long, I promise you, it’s worth it to jump in. Honestly, it didn’t take more than 10-15 minutes to get the cupcakes in the oven, and that seems about perfect when the results are this good. I mean, seriously, did you see that picture? Dig in!

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Orange Marmalade Ricotta Cupcakes

March 29, 2009 · Narrative

My mom has been working her way through a cupcake cookbook recently. Two recipes down, and so far I haven’t had the chance to taste any yet. She was killing me; she knows how much I like cupcakes! I asked which cookbook it was and when she told me it was Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor, I went online to order a copy for myself. As soon as I saw the cover, I stopped for a second. I could swear I have that book somewhere. I searched through all my cookbook shelves, one title at a time. Nothing. So either I’m losing my mind, I lost the book during the move, or I just remember seeing the cover online, perhaps from looking at Anne’s other books, and never actually purchased it. After making sure I really didn’t have it, I ordered it. You know how I am with cupcakes. I couldn’t not order it, right?

I had to go to Nick‘s school for a function last week, and I thought that would be the perfect opportunity to try out my first recipe from the cookbook. I chose a recipe that my mom had already made, the Orange Marmalade Ricotta Cupcakes with Marmalade Buttercream Frosting. She raved about it when she made it, so it seemed only right to start there, especially since I had all the ingredients on hand already.

Because Anne is “doctoring” a cake mix, you get to skip all those pesky steps of measuring flour, baking soda, baking powder and what have you. In just a few minutes, the batter was in the oven, peacefully doing its thing. Once they come out, you brush them with a marmalade glaze and then after they’ve cooled, you slather marmalade-enhanced buttercream frosting over the tops.

Some of us couldn’t wait that long. Madeline is becoming quite the cupcake aficionado like the rest of us and as soon as she saw the rows of cupcakes sitting on the counter, she started shrieking for one. She has inherited my mom’s sweet tooth, no doubt, and nothing was going to stand in her way. She pushed the stepstool over to the counter and started climbing up to reach them. I rescued the batch and started peeling off the liner of one of the frosting-free ones for her.

Hands down, these have got to be the moistest cupcakes I have ever had or made to date. They are to-die-for moist. The buttercream frosting was good, though I added a bit more sugar because I like mine a little stiffer (a la Billy’s Bakery). With this being my first introduction to the Cupcakes! cookbook, I think we might be in a little trouble here.

*Besides being a popular cookbook author, Anne Byrn is also a contributor to Cottage Living magazine, among other places. When I saw some of her recipes up on the MyRecipes site (part of the Cooking Light family), that reminded me that I’m a little tardy in telling you of some of my recent articles over there. You can check out a favorite salad, this piece on cooking classes, a delicious homemade pizza, chocolate covered pretzel rods, and … well, there’s plenty more, but that should keep you busy for now. :)

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