Cupcakes, anyone?

So I’ve been watching increasingly large amounts of Cupcake Wars on Food Network and I am constantly in awe of what these bakers are capable of.  The first thing I want to do is go to Food Network’s website and try out some of these winning Cupcake Wars recipes.  So I do, and I’m met with this disclaimer:

“This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.”

SERIOUSLY?!  Okay so first things first, you’d think that wouldn’t be a big deal right?  With any other kind of recipe, I would agree with you – all Food Network would need to do is scale down the recipe to be used for a smaller number of people.  However, if you know anything about baking or have ever watched the episode of Barefoot Contessa where she talks about baking huge amounts for the Barefoot Contessa store, you know that recipes for baking should stay the way they are.  Baking has such a specific science to it that recipes don’t double or triple well, nor do they reduce well.  Something about the reactions between the ingredients that makes baked goods so delicious turns wonky and disgusting.

Or something.

And on top of that, how in the world can Food Network justify listing recipes on their website that no one has tested?  I just think that’s nonsense, if you ask me.

Did I also mention that The Man has been watching all of these Cupcake Wars episodes with me?  And now wants me to hold my own Cupcake Wars competition in my kitchen?  Me versus myself?  Weirdo ingredient list, fancy decorations, and everything?  So what’s a pretend baker to do?  Find the best vanilla cupcake recipe in the world and the best chocolate cupcake recipe in the world and begin to use them as a base for all kinds of confectionary concoctions to try and blow The Man’s mind, of course!  So if you have a suggestion for a standard (but ridiculously delicious) vanilla or chocolate cupcake recipe that I could use as a base, I would be so appreciative!

The cupcakes I will make are so going to blow The Man’s mind.

On the menu for Sunday (The Man and my candlelit Valentine’s-ish dinner, since we didn’t really celebrate yesterday because he was working): Chicken Francese with rice and some kind of a vegetable that has yet to be determined, and Valentine’s cupcakes of one kind or another (hopefully decorated prettily so The Man won’t think I’m the worst baker ever). 

Stand by for updates on Sunday!

PS: Making knock off Olive Garden breadsticks to bring to a friend’s house for dinner Friday night – can’t remember if I’ve posted that recipe before, but if I haven’t then that will be up Saturday (and might even include some snazzy iPhone Hipstamatic pictures with my new Foodie lens… wow, I am such a dork)!

Love you to all – hope your Valentine’s Day was wonderful!