Just Baking

Quickly piling flour, sugar, and spices into the mixing bowl, cranking up the oven, and doling out paper liners at the speed of light, I had no time to stop and think about what I was really doing- Baked goods were expected to appear at a party in just a few short hours! Deciding instantly upon the best sweet concoction, cupcake would take no time to slap together and everyone loves them. The only caveat: It’s a good idea to measure your ingredients. “Why, who on earth would go about willy-nilly and not measure their ingredients?! Don’t you know that could lead to some horrible cupcake tragedy?” Um…. that would be me.

So, out of the oven came these mini cakes that looked like ground zero for multiple atomic bombs, and I only have so much time before the whole family piles into the car and takes off for Grandma’s house. Crap. Okay, should you ever find yourself in this sort of mess, don’t panic: go back to basics and think, what makes everything better? Chocolate, of course!

Good, good, they’re looking better already! Fill up those cavernous indents with ganache and I seriously doubt anyone would complain. Give ‘em a quick chill in the fridge, and you’re ready to cover up your error with a nice thick pile of creamy frosting. No one will be the wiser to your baking faults! If you’re not so keen on chocolate or just want something a little different, I’m betting that a good dollop of jam would also fit the bill quite nicely.

Then, just to tie it all together, a cheerful nonpareil makes it look like you intended to include a chocolate filling all along. Nice work, now you don’t have to come to the party empty handed!

[This article was written for BitterSweet and The Well Fed Network.  Please do not reproduce elsewhere without permission from the author.]