What's New Cupcake?

Hello!  It's Friday!  I hope you have a super weekend planned, and that your boss lets you go home early this afternoon.

Allison and I have been walking around with stupid grins on our faces this week because of each and every one of you.  Whether you've found us through Joy or Food Gawker or good old fashioned web surfing, you're reading and writing comments and just saying the nicest things, and it makes us feel all warm and happy inside.  Please keep visiting, and we'll keep baking and sharing.  It's good stuff.

Speaking of good stuff...  We've decided to try something out.  It's called "stuff we love".  Each Friday Al and I will bring you something that inspires us, makes life easier, or just plain strikes our fancy.  Sometimes it'll be related to baking, and sometimes not.  No one's giving us freebies, so don't worry, it's all above board.

Which brings me to this moose.

And these apples.

And this Chinese takeout.

They are CUPCAKES!!!  Last Saturday I picked up What's New, Cupcake? in Sign of the Bear Kitchenware in Sonoma, and I literally couldn't put it down.  I stood awkwardly in the corner of the store, in the way of the other shoppers, flipping through the pages and gasping audibly with each new creation.  I foisted it upon Jill and my mom, and in all of our ooohing and aaahing, one word was used over and over again.  Genius.  Karen Tack and Alan Richardson are cupcake geniuses.

While these cupcakes are elaborate and festive, they're also totally doable.  Each cupcake comes with step-by-step decorating instructions, and all of the ingredients can be found on your next trip to the candy aisle at your local grocery store.

Did you know that you can microwave tootsie rolls and caramel chews, and then roll them out?  I didn't know that either.  Genius!

I'm always looking for new sources of inspiration when I'm baking, and these decorating projects make me want to take my cupcakes to the next level.  I can't wait to share the results with you!

In the meantime, badminton anyone?

How bout some eggs?

What's New, Cupcake? is written by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson.  Buy it here.  They also have a video on Amazon.com demonstrating their oh so adorable fur balls and string monsters.