Since I don't do enough baking as it is, I've joined the Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Club, started by Betty of Eat My Cupcake. It's basically a club for those who own the Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook and want to bake their way through it. I don't know about you, but I love cupcakes, so I bought this book as soon as I heard about it.
There are so many recipes in there that I've already made and so many I want to try that I figured joining this club might be a more systematic way for me to do so. There are also a ton of decorating techiniques in the book that I'd like to work on, and belonging to the club will hopefully give me an extra push there as well. We'll be posting a new cupcake on the 15th of every month.
This is my first month in the club, which I think started last month, so I'm only one cupcake behind -- and I actually plan to make last month's cupcake later this week, so I'll be catching right up!
Tracey of Tracey's Culinary Adventures made the September pick: Zucchini-Spice Cupcakes (p. 44 if you have the book). I have to be completely honest and say that I was a little disappointed to see that September 15th's cupcake was a zucchini cupcake for one very simple reason: Today is my birthday! And well, when you picture your ideal birthday cupcake, I don't think zucchini is the first thing that comes to mind.
However, I also decided that just because I was making cupcakes on my birthday, that didn't mean they had to be for my birthday. So I made them for a little party we are having at work tomorrow instead to celebrate my friend Kim's recent marriage! For some reason, the white frosting just seems so wedding-appropriate.
You'll have to get the book for the recipe, but I can tell you it's definitely worth having.
While I may have wrinkled my nose a bit at the thought of zucchini cupcakes, when you slather these with a sugary cream cheese frosting and throw in some chocolate chunks (my own addition), they can be just as fun and exciting as any other cupcake. And if you want to think of these as a healthy snack or breakfast treat, you can forgo the frosting and use that term cupcake really loosely.
Plenty of baked goods are made with zucchini because it helps keep them really moist. These cupcakes were no exception. Make minis like I did for a sweet, flavorful bite perked up with chocolate and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves).
P.S. Did you notice my new cookbook stand? It's one of my birthday gifts from my super-thoughtful boyfriend. Now I don't have to find things to weigh the pages down and hold the book open, and maybe my cookbooks will stay cleaner!
Other Martha Stewart cupcakes I've made:
Ladybug Cupcakes
Mini Peanut Butter Cookie Cupcakes With Chocolate Chips