Cupcake Club Page 11
“I don’t know,” whimpered Meredith. “After the water-balloon toss? Or maybe right before lunch?”
After fifteen minutes, there still was no sign of Meredith’s M—and she was inconsolable.
“I’m sure your mom will buy you another one,” Emily tried to comfort her.
“No. I’m grounded.” Meredith glared at Kylie. “No shopping for the rest of the semester.”
Kylie walked away. She wanted to gloat, but part of her felt bad for Meredith, who was simply devastated by losing her favorite necklace. Kylie remembered when she was eight and had lost the iPod her parents bought her for her birthday. She knew she had it with her when they went to the park, but when she checked her pockets…gone. She had cried for two days, especially because her mom and dad had said she couldn’t have another one because she had been careless. It had taken her a whole year of saving her allowance to afford a replacement.
She glanced back at Meredith sobbing on the soccer field. Her mom would probably be even tougher on her than Kylie’s parents had been. Mrs. Mitchell didn’t seem like a person you wanted mad at you.
“What happened to Meredith?” asked Sadie.
“She lost her bling,” Kylie replied. “You know—her diamond M necklace?”
“Ouch. That thing probably cost a fortune!” said Jenna, whistling through her teeth.
“We looked everywhere. It’s just gone,” said Kylie.
“So are all the cupcakes,” interrupted Juliette, holding up the last empty tray. “I think you girls should clean up now. Great job, Peace, Love, and Cupcakes!”
As Kylie began to stack the empty trays on the table, she felt something hard crunch under her sneaker. She saw a glint of something in the dirt.
“Meredith’s necklace!” she said, gingerly picking it out of the grass and dusting it off.
“No way!” said Jenna. “What are you going to do with it?”
Kylie cradled the necklace in her palm. The chain had broken, but the M was just fine.
“What do you think I should do?” she asked her fellow club members.
Sadie bit her lip. “I want to say keep it for a week and make Meredith sweat, but I guess that’s not the nicest thing to do, right?”
“Sell it on eBay?” Jenna joked.
Kylie thought about how she’d felt when she lost her iPod—and that didn’t even have any sentimental value. She pictured her most precious, prized possession: a pearl ring that her great-grandma Chicky had given to her. Kylie kept it carefully locked away in her jewelry box. It was more than one hundred years old and had belonged to Mama Chicky as a child. Right before she died, she’d told Kylie she wanted her to have it. If she lost that ring, her heart would be broken.
“Meredith!” Kylie shouted from across the field. She ran toward her, her hand extended.
“What do you want?” sniffed Meredith when Kylie was standing only inches away.
“I found this—by the picnic table. You must have dropped it at lunch.” She handed Meredith her necklace.
“Oh my gosh! My necklace!” Meredith squealed. Then she did something Kylie never saw coming: she grabbed her and hugged her. It was a sneak attack, all right, but not the kind Kylie had envisioned!
She was speechless. She had expected Meredith to accuse her of stealing the necklace—or at the very least, to scold her for taking so long to find it. But instead Meredith just smiled and ran off to show Ms. Shottlan that her pendant had been found.
Kylie’s head was spinning. Jenna, Lexi, and Sadie looked equally stunned when she came back to the picnic area.
“Did I just see what I think I saw?” asked Sadie.
Jenna peered over Kylie’s shoulder. “Just checking to make sure she didn’t put a ‘Kick Me’ sign on you or something.” She giggled. “Nope, you’re clear!”
“I think she learned her lesson,” said Kylie. “Who knows, maybe Meredith and I are going to be BFFs from now on.”
The girls looked at each other then burst out laughing.
“Nah.” Kylie laughed as well. “But it doesn’t matter—because I have the best friends any cupcake-club president could ever ask for. You guys wanna come over tonight for a sleepover? I have a great DVD—Annie Get Your Gun—and an amazing recipe I want to try for key lime pie cupcakes.”
“Cupcakes? Count me in!” said Jenna.
“Sounds fun,” said Lexi.
Then Sadie took off three of her Field Day gold medals and placed one around each girl’s neck.
“What’s this for?” asked Kylie.
“For the coolest cupcake bakers at Blakely,” she said.
“In New Fairfield,” said Lexi.
“In the entire world!” exclaimed Jenna.
Kylie smiled. Not yet, but someday…soon.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Makes 18
½ cup vegetable shortening
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1¼ cup buttermilk
Red food coloring
(Note: We like gel food coloring, as it creates clearer colors. If using liquid coloring, reduce milk by the same amount so you don’t add too much liquid.)
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and buttermilk.
4. Carefully add food coloring until you reach your desired color.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
6. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.
7. Spoon mixture into cupcake pan prepared with paper liners, filling each cup two-thirds full.
8. Bake for 20–25 minutes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
9. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick butter
1 cup cream cheese
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Brown sugar for topping (optional)
Directions
1. Using an electric mixer, whip butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
2. Add 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar, starting with the mixer on slow and speeding up until well mixed.
3. Add vanilla, salt, and maple syrup. Mix well.
4. Add remaining confectioners’ sugar, 1 cup at a time. Whip on high speed.
5. If frosting is too soft, add more confectioners’ sugar ½ cup at a time until desired consistency. If frosting is too thick, add a splash of maple syrup.
6. Generously frost the top of cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with brown sugar to add a delicious crunch.
Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 18
1¼ cups flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup organic cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup sour cream
2 sticks butter
1¾ cups sugar
2 eggs
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium bowl, measure flour, baking soda, and salt to make the flour mixture. Whisk together, and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, add boiling water to cocoa powder. Be very
careful not to burn yourself! Whisk until smooth. Add vanilla and sour cream and stir to combine to make the chocolate mixture.
4. In a third bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg.
6. With the mixer on low, alternate adding a third of the flour mixture and a third of the chocolate mixture. Continue until all is added. Be careful not to over mix.
7. Spoon mixture into cupcake pan prepared with paper liners, filling each cup two-thirds full.
8. Bake for 20–25 minutes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
9. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.
Organic Chocolate Frosting
9 ounces organic chocolate
2 sticks butter
cup light corn syrup
Pinch of salt
Chocolate nibs or mini chocolate chips (optional, for decoration)
Mint leaves (optional, for garnish)
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave, and stir until smooth. Heat in 30-second increments, stirring between each, and being careful not to burn the chocolate.
2. When the chocolate is melted, add corn syrup and salt, and stir until well combined.
3. Let sit to cool. Stir occasionally until frosting is thick enough to spread.
4. Dip the top of a cooled cupcake into the frosting and remove while twisting the cupcake to allow any excess to drip off.
5. Before the frosting sets, sprinkle with chocolate nibs or mini chocolate chips and garnish with a mint leaf.
Vanilla Cupcakes
Makes 12
1 stick butter, at room temperature
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup + 2 tablespoons milk
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Using an electric mixer, mix butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt to make the flour mixture.
5. Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk, adding each in three separate parts and beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until combined after each addition.
6. Spoon mixture into cupcake pan prepared with paper liners, filling each cup two-thirds full.
7. Bake until golden brown. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
8. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.
Ricotta Frosting
1 stick butter, at room temperature
½ cup ricotta cheese
4½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Splash of milk
Pinch of salt
Mini chocolate chips (for decoration)
Pinch of cinnamon (for decoration)
Crumbled ice cream cone (for decoration)
Directions
1. Using an electric mixer, whip butter and ricotta cheese until combined.
2. Add 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar to the butter mixture, and starting with the mixer on a slow speed and speeding up until well mixed.
3. Add vanilla, milk, and salt, and mix until combined.
4. Add remaining confectioners’ sugar, 1 cup at a time. Whip on high speed.
5. If frosting is too soft, add more confectioners’ sugar ½ cup at a time until desired consistency. If frosting is too thick, add a splash of milk.
6. Fill cupcake with a scoop of ricotta frosting.
7. Frost cupcakes, and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and a pinch of cinnamon.
8. Break an ice cream cone and sprinkle on top of cupcake.
Recipes developed by Jessi Walter, CEO and Chief Bud at Taste Buds (www.tastebudscook.com).
1. Make sure you have all the ingredients. Read the whole list first and check off everything carefully. Sometimes a recipe may call for whole milk and you only have skim in the fridge. But using skim can make a big difference in the way the cupcake tastes.
2. Fill your cupcake with something fun. I like to put a surprise in the middle of my cupcakes: like frosting in a bright green color or chocolate fudge that oozes out when you take a bite. That way, you never know what you’re going to get!
3. Piping tips can be a fun way to get a great look for your frosting. Try out your tip before you use it on a cupcake, though. Sometimes it will make a pattern you don’t love. My favorite is a star tip.
4. Use real fresh fruit in your cupcakes. My favorites are banana, strawberries, blueberries, and apple. They can make a plain vanilla cupcake taste yummy. And it’s healthier too!
5. Don’t pile too much frosting on your cupcake. I don’t like a mountain on mine. I think you should be able to taste both the cake and the frosting, not just the frosting.
6. Don’t forget to dress up your cupcakes. I love pretty wrappers, toppers, picks, sprinkles, and colored sugar. I also love making things out of fondant—it looks so professional!
7. Let your cupcakes cool before you frost them. If you don’t, the icing will melt and roll off the cupcake and you’ll have a sticky mess!
8. If you’re using a piping bag, fasten the top with a rubber band or a clip. Otherwise the frosting squeezes out the top, and you have to lick it off your hands. (Well, not a bad thing…)
9. Pipe in one smooth circular motion—not little squeezes, which will look uneven. The smoother you go, the more professional your cupcake will look.
10. Share your cupcakes! It’s the best way to get feedback on your recipes and learn what you need to do to improve. Give some to your neighbors, your teachers, and your friends, and ask for their critique.
For more tips and cupcake info, go to www.carriescupcakecritique.shutterfly.com. You can also email Carrie at carrieplcclub@aol.com
We couldn’t have written this book without the love and support of the following people:
Peter/Daddy: Thank you for taking us to all those cupcake stores for research and for being the best husband and father in the world! We love you to the moon!
Our family: Gaga Judy Kahn (the world’s best playdate!) and Aunt Debbie; Papa and Gram Bobbi; Charles, Peggy, Brad, and all the Saperstones: Nancy, Peter, Emily, Jack, and Jason. Hugs and sprinkles to you all! And Mama Chickie: a great baker and a great lady.
Our brilliant recipe developer, Jessi Walter of Taste Buds. Working with you is so yummy, and we are so grateful to have you be a part of this series!
Our PS 6 Family: Lauren Fontana, Amy Santucci, Daniel Kim, Emily Schottland, Jackie Levenherz, Michelle Fein, Rachel Stander, Rachel Weis, Kim Bader, Rebecca Satten, and the PS 6 Eric Dutt Eco Center. Thank you all for teaching Carrie to reach for the stars and write from the heart.
Carrie’s BFFs, who inspire us (and make us smile!): Darby Dutter, Jaimie Ludwig, Bella Camaj, Abby Johnson, Ava Nobandegani, Sadie and Lila Goldstein, and Juliette Andre.
Sheryl’s BFFs, who cheerlead her onward and upward always: Kathy Passero, Holly Russell, Stacy Polsky, and Debbie Skolnik.
The sweet professionals who have been so supportive of Carrie’s Cupcake Critique blog: Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne of DC Cupcakes; Cake Boss Buddy Valastro; Staten Island Cake’s Vinny Buzzetta; Sticky Fingers’ Doron Peterson; Crumbs CEO Jason Bauer; Sprinkles founder and Cupcake Wars judge Candace Nelson; Rachel Kramer Bussell and Nichelle Stephens of Cupcakes Take the Cake blog; and Dylan Lauren of Dylan’s Candy Bar.
Our editors at Sourcebooks/Jabberwoc
ky, who have made working on this fiction series such a delectable experience: Leah Hultenschmidt and Rebecca Frazer. And all the support from Aubrey Poole, Kelly Barrales-Saylor, Steve Geck, Kristin Zelazko, and Todd Stocke.
Our agents at The Literary Group: Frank Weimann, Katherine Latshaw, and Elyse Tanzillo.
To read Carrie’s Cupcake Critique blog, go to www.carriescupcakecritique.shutterfly.com and follow her on Twitter @CBCupcakeCritic.
To make a donation to the PS 6 Eric Dutt Eco Center, send a check payable to PS 6 Alumni Foundation Co. with Eco Center noted on the memo line to:
PS 6 Alumni Foundation Co.
45 East 81st Street
New York, NY 10028
Photo by Heidi Green
New York Times bestselling author Sheryl Berk was the founding editor in chief of Life & Style Weekly as well as a contributor to InStyle, Martha Stewart, and other publications. She has written dozens of books with celebrities, including Britney Spears, Whitney Port, Bethany Hamilton (Soul Surfer), Tia Mowry, and Jersey Shore’s JWOWW. Her nine-year-old daughter, Carrie Berk, a cupcake connoisseur and blogger, cooked up the idea for the PLC series in second grade. Together they have invented dozens of crazy cupcake recipes in their New York City kitchen (Can you say “purple velvet”?) and have the frosting stains on the ceiling to prove it. They love writing together and have many more adventures in store for the PLC girls!