Behind Brown Eyes
Well I guess you could say with the cupcake craze today, it was only a matter of time before someone took it to the next level. Bakeries that stay open late are wonderful. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Magnolia and Zaro’s in Grand Central, for always making my train rides home more enjoyable. But let’s take it a step further and agree that bakeries offering 24-hour accessibility* to their signature sweets, will have a leg up on the competition—if their vending machine can promise a quick, and more importantly, fresh exchange from B2C.
*If you’ve ever detoured to Zaro’s a few minutes too late, you know what it feels like to sprint to a train empty-handed. At least if you had made it in time, and got your prized Black & White cookie, you’d be sprinting with purpose and determination, instead of aggravation and defeat. If there was no reason to rush because you knew a 24-hour cupcake ATM would be there, wouldn’t it subdue our stress? The answer is yes. Yes it would.
But the point of the matter is, I’m all for receiving edible dough at my local ATM. It’ll be interesting to see how the public receives their all-access pass to Sprinkles’s treats on March 9, when the bakery will open its first cupcake vending machine outside of their Beverly Hills, CA store.
The key to sweet success will be freshness. I can deal with old dough when it comes to money, but if we’re talkin’ treats, I expect them freshly frosted. For $4, credit or debit cards only purchase, you better believe I’ll be first in line at the NY ATM.
[via Chris Isidore @CNNMoney]
Who doesn’t love peanut butter? I can’t resist my new nightly addiction, and dare I admit, routine. Grabbin’ a small spoon, dippin’ it in the Skippy, spreadin’ it on a caramel-corn rice cake—and re-dippin’ for an extra spoonful on the side. Why waste a knife?
But getting back to Magnolia, you really can’t beat their divine desserts. They’re truly wonderful—tested, tried and true. And fast fact for you, my fellow bakers and chefs, room temperature ingredients (i.e., eggs and butter) truly make all of the difference. So make it a pre-prep step!
I own Magnolia’s cookbook; it’s certifiably fabulous and flawless. You better believe after seeing this recipe, I know what I’ll be baking for my post-Lent dessert! Wait for it…Peanut Butter Icebox Pie. Let me prep your palate: Nilla wafer crust, layered with caramel and peanut butter whipped cream cheese filling, topped with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Delicious!” says the Bakery.
“Agreed,” says me.
Welcome back, Krystina Lynne. And from the tip of my tasteful tine to yours, Happy Peanut Butter Lover’s Day.
Magnolia Bakery’s Whoopie Cookie—two Brown Sugar Cookies filled with Maple Cream Cheese Icing. Home-made in Krystina’s Kitchen and oh so delicious!
Knowing these are my all-time favorite Magnolia treat, my mom found the recipe in the New York Daily News for us to try. I have to say, as a lover of this particular cookie, the sweet sugary taste and soft texture was all there. Combined with the mouth-watering taste of the maple syrup and vanilla icing, Howie Mandel, you’ve got yourself a deal.
So if you decide to try this recipe next time you’re in the kitchen—which I highly encourage you to do—here are some suggestions that will promise the perfect whoopie cookie:
- Half the icing recipe per batch of cookies. This is a must. Magnolia has a tendency to leave you with a surplus of icing/frosting. And while we all may want to eat it by the spoonful as a late night snack, I can guarantee you’ll be happier without the excess icing…and stomach-ache. ;)
- I’d also add a bit more confectioners’ sugar to stiffen the icing—to give it a more frosting-like consistency. It was a bit drippy with just 4 cups, so use your judgement, and gradually add the extra sugar as needed. Consider leaving the icing in the fridge the day before to thicken it up, and then taking it out when you’re ready to ice the whoopies.
- The recipe says bake 10-12 minutes. Since 325 is a low temperature, bake them 14 minutes max. Let them cool for two minutes (literally) on the cookie sheet, and then transfer to a wire rack; wait until they are completely cool before you ice. I promise they’ll still be super soft! So soft that when you’re icing them they’ll start to fold like a crispy taco shell in your hand, while maintaining the flexibility of a flour tortilla. I deem that perfection.
Most of all, enjoy this delectable cookie…and wish me luck! I think I just found a contender to help my mom and I defend our “Best in Show” title in the annual United Way bake-sale at work. :) Let’s make it two years in a row, Magnolia. We got this.
“Happy Easter,” from my edible chickadees! The design was inspired by a tweet from the Food Network. However, with an official Magnolia Bakery recipe book on hand at home, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to try one of their delicious batters. For a few weeks now, I’ve been wanting to experiment with Carrot Cake—thanks to Very Vera’s Throwdown-with-Bobby-Flay-winning recipe. I was intrigued by her use of nuts, but especially coconut and pineapple to keep the cake moist. When I found that Magnolia’s Carrot Cake recipe called for many of the same ingredients Vera used, I had to try it! I still have yet to taste it, but my dad agreed it was a moist, flavor-fest! Mmm, I’m waiting for Easter dessert tonight to try it—expect to hear how it comes out! :)
In case you’re interested, I used Magnolia’s Carrot Cake and Creamcheese Frosting recipe, which yielded 24 cupcakes. I died the frosting (a half of the recipe Magnolia gives you is the perfect amount) using a neon blue food coloring. After trying several different ways of decorating, here is the best way to do it:
- Frost the cupcake.
- “Glue” your Peep to the center of the cupcake with the frosting; be sure to ice the sides where any white appears. (Note: When you separate the Peeps, the yellow comes off of the sides, revealing the treat’s white marshmellow center. You’ll want to cover this up for a clean presentation).
- Place several different, pastel colored malted chocolate eggs around the sides of the Peep. (I tried to place them on the sides of the Peep that I had to frost to cover up the white center).
- Put about 2 cups of shredded coconut in a ziplock bag with a few drops of green food coloring. Shake and squeeze the bag until all of the coconut is dyed green, resembling a spring grass color.
- Place the coconut grass around the Peep, covering its sides and mostly all of the frosted cupcake. (I made sure I could still see a touch of the blue frosting because I dyed it a pastel shade just for Easter!)
Whether you make them for today, or for next Easter, the cupcakes are easy to bake and simple to decorate! If you have any deliciously cute Easter treats you’ve made for the holiday, leave a photo reply—I’d love to see them.
Happy Easter, friends! What a blessed day this will be. <3
