The Beginning

I don’t know much about blogging but I guess I’ll learn the way I learn everything else.  The hard way.  I’m not really trying to do a Julia & Julia thing here.  It’s just a coincidence.  I want to be a better baker and I’d like to track it and get some tips from other bakers.  My experience  is you can read all you want but it’s the trying, trying, trying where you really figure it out.  This is my 3^rd real attempt.  I’ve tried strawberry cupcakes but it was a cake mix and store bought icing so I’m not counting that one.  Then, I tried Paula Dean’s Cookie and Cream cupcake recipe.   Made the cupcakes on a Friday night to be iced Saturday before a barbecue I was attending.   Well as luck would have it I got violently ill during the night; wasn’t able to attend the barbecue.  A friend rescued me and as I was explaining the cookies and cream, cream cheese frosting I was going to make she looked at me as only a fellow “jersey girl” would and stated “I ain’t no frigging Betty Crocker like you”, but was willing to buy some store bought icing for them so they wouldn’t go to waste.  I didn’t get to try them so I can’t comment on them.  Everyone said they were great but everyone is polite (most of the time).

My second attempt was pistachio cupcakes.  My daughter made me an awesome pistachio birthday cake so I thought that would be my next cupcake attempt.  Somehow my  daughter got the baking gene that I didn’t. I got the recipe online.  Good flavor but a little too salty and too dry.  We won’t be sharing that recipe, but they looked great!!!  Again everyone else said they were great.  Everyone is polite.  Truth is that “everyone” likes being the guinea pigs and probably don’t want to be crossed off the guinea pig list in anticipation of that moment when I finally get it right.  This is my journey in getting it right.