A 24 Hour Cupcake Machine?

I have to admit when I first heard the amazing Sprinkles Cupcakery was going to install a 24 hour “ATM” sort of machine to dispense cupcakes I was a little  impressed!!  As you all know, Sprinkles has always been a leader of the cupcake industry and I always give them props for being a step ahead and really setting trends.  They have incredible flavors and I have always looked up to them.  They have always been such an inspiration to me personally and starting my own Cupcakery, Goodie Girls.

After thinking about this idea for a while, I am a little concerned as to this new idea coming into play.  To me, a Cupcakery is supposed to be the freshest product.  You are supposed to be able to come into your local Cupcakery and become a regular and get to know each other as a family.  To walk into a Cupcakery is an experience in itself from the smell of the amazing baked goods being baked to the color scheme and design of the cute little shops.  These make for such great family memories and traditions.  Don’t get me wrong, I definitely give props to Sprinkles making this move from a business decision standpoint.  I bet there are PLENTY of people who are out and about and crazy that sweet little cupcake at midnight or the customer in the middle of the day that feels guilty grabbing a 2nd cupcake and so not to be seen they can rush on over to the “ATM” style cupcake dispenser to not be seen or judged. Haha…I definitely could imagine myself doing that!

But in reality, I down right feel our sense of community is being diluted with this “fast food” style eating and we don’t get to sit and enjoy the conversation.  We are all so rushed and looking for the fastest ways to get from point A to point B.  My favorite memories are encounters with people who I would have never met just by standing in line, eating at a restaurant instead of fast take out, or talking with the sales associates behind the counters who in turn can offer some amazing suggestions of what is the new flavors to get.  I probably wouldn’t have tried half of the food I have gotten if it weren’t for recommendations from the employees who work there.

I am really torn on whether I think it’s a good decision or bad.  From a business standpoint I think it’s such a cool new trendy idea, its setting a new style, and it’s definitely press worthy.  From a personal standpoint, I don’t think I would ever use it.  I would rather go into the store, stand in line, experience it in a whole…

I am curious to know what are your thoughts?  Do you think it’s a good idea to install something like this?

Kentucky Derby Mint Julep Cupcake Recipe – Cupcake Wars

My Display at the Kentucky Derby on the Red Carpet w/Mint Julep Cupcakes

Hello!

I have had a lot of requests for the recipes on my Food Network’s Cupcake Wars episode, especially the Mint Julep Cupcake!  I am honored by all of your requests and I am truly sorry it has taken a bit to post some.  As most of you know, I have been a busy girl opening my first store front location in Glendale, Ca.  Actually I think I saw a lot of you there!!  That night was incredibly magical and I owe it to each and every one of you who have supported me and indulged in my hand crafted cupcakes!  It has been a real dream come true to be able to open my store front and bake for all of you.  It has definitely been quite a challenge.  Who knew about all these things – schedules, what time to be open, what days to be open, delivery or not, etc…there has definitely been a lot of learning going on over here on owning your own cupcakery but I am intrigued and I have been blessed to have amazing fans such as yourself who have given advice or even just been patient with us through our growing process.  THANK YOU!

Without further ado… here is the Mint Julep recipe from our Cupcake Wars episode!  This gives you plenty of time before the next Kentucky Derby on the May 5th, 2012 – 131 days to be exact!  Happy Baking and please let me know if you have any questions or even share some of your experience with the recipe and pictures!!

Xxoo…Annette

Winning Cupcake from Cupcake Wars - Mint Julep

Mint Julep Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon mint extract
• 4 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup bourbon (or whiskey)
• 1/4 cup clear Crème de Menthe

Bourbon and Mint Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Butter – Room Temperature
• 1/3 cup Bourbon (or whiskey)
• ¼ cup Green Crème de Menthe
• Dash of Salt
• 4 cups Powdered Sugar

Extra Ingredients:

• A little extra Bourbon for Soaking
• Fresh Mint for Garnish (or a chocolate mint)

Directions:

Cupcakes:

Pre-heat oven to 350 Degrees (F).  Place 36 liners in a cupcake pans.  Whisk salt, baking powder, and 1 3/4 cups of the flour.  Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and extracts in a large mixing bowl until creamy (make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl).  Gradually beat in the flour mixture.  Add the milk and liquors to the batter, then the rest of the flour (1 cup).  Mix as little as possible until the batter comes together.  Fill paper lined cupcake pan with large ice cream scoop.  Bake at 350 degrees (F) for 18 to 20 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans.  Place on wire rack and cool completely before frosting.

When cooled and before frosting, brush extra bourbon over the tops of all cupcakes to give a little added kick of bourbon.

Bourbon and Mint Frosting:

With paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth.  Add salt and 2 cups powdered sugar.  Slowly beat in until smooth, add Bourbon and Crème de Menthe and mix on low speed.  Add remaining sugar until smooth.  Adjust sugar for consistency variances depending on desired outcome of frosting.  Frost.  Garnish with fresh mint leaf or chocolate mint mold.  I also like to add a little green disco dust to make it glitter!

Here are a few photos from my experience…. Hope you enjoy!

My Display for Kentucky Derby on Cupcake Wars that took the win!

Bonnie Jill Laflin and me at the 137th Kentucky Derby!

Maria Menounos enjoying one of our Cupcakes at the Kentucky Derby 2011

CBS “The Talk” Pumpkin Pancake Cupcake Recipe

Here is the Pumpkin Pancake Cupcake Recipe as seen on CBS “The Talk” with Annette Starbuck giving a demonstration to Debi Mazar and julie Chen.

Pumpkin Pancake Cupcakes
Recipe courtesy of Annette Starbuck, founder of The Goodie Girls

Pumpkin Cupcakes Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda ­
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup Brown Sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup solid packed, canned pumpkin puree

Pumpkin Cupcakes Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 (convection) or 350 (regular oven) degrees F. Line Cupcake Pan with 12 paper liners.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground spices, and salt.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and pumpkin puree, in three sections.

Fill the Cupcake liners evenly with the batter about 3/4 full (I recommend using an ice cream scoop for even scooping). Place in the oven and bake for about 18 – 20 minutes, or until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Maple Frosting Ingredients:
1 pound of unsalted butter
5-6 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/4 cup of Grade B Pure Maple Syrup
Dash of Salt

Toasted pecans to garnish

Maple Frosting Directions:
In a stand mixer, cream the butter and salt. Sift 3 cups of Powdered Sugar and add to the butter with the mixer on low. Mix until smooth and creamy on medium speed. Add the maple syrup and continue to mix until well incorporated. Add the remaining powdered sugar with the mixer on low. Mix until you reach a creamy consistency but do not over mix as you don’t want to incorporate too much air to reach a silky consistency. Your frosting should be able to hold its shape in the bowl. If it is still too soft, add an additional cup of powdered sugar until you reach your desired piping consistency.

Assembly:
Take the cupcakes and line them up in front of you. Put a portion of the unused maple syrup in a squeeze bottle and slightly drizzle over the cupcake before frosting. Take your frosting and pipe on top of the cupcake (you may opt to spread with a knife as well). Garnish with another small drizzle of maple syrup and a handful of toasted pecans. Viola!

Cake-Ups:
To make Cake-Ups, bake mini cupcake versions of the standard Pumpkin Pancake Cupcakes.  Take one mini cupcake, unwrap it and place in the bottom of the Cake-Up container (plastic containers may be purchased online or at a local bakery supply shop), top with a generous amount of frosting, drizzle with some maple syrup.  Then place a second mini cupcake unwrapped on top and repeat finishing by topping with a lid.  You can add any sort of labels or bows to the container as you wish.

 

And the winner is…. Annette – Cupcake Wars Season 3 Premiere

Wow.  So the last few months I have been pretty quiet in this blogging world.  I was under strict agreement I couldn’t say anything, but now it’s out!!  We have been filming Cupcake Wars!!!  The season premiere aired this past Tuesday on Food Network Channel and for all of you who haven’t seen it yet….WE WON!!!!  Yes, I just spoiled it for you!  SORRY!  I can’t help but be so proud and amazed and I just want to shout it from the roof tops.  Although we DID have REALLY tough competition from Just Cupcakes, Knead Sugar, and Brown’s Bakery!  All three of them are amazing!

I get a LOT of questions asking about my experience, what it was like, what happens, etc.  All I can say is it was the SINGLE MOST intense moment in my entire life and YES I would do it again!  Cupcake Wars really inspired me to keep going forward and it helped me realize by Candace Nelson of Sprinkles and Florian Bellanger of Mad Macs NYC that my cupcakes are outstanding and incredible.  None of the judges had anything bad to say other then a slight comment about using some fresh mint.

When I watched the show for the first time with the rest of the country, I couldn’t believe my ears when at one point Florian said that it was the “cleanest displays they have had on the show”.  Words could not describe what i felt when I heard that.  I was thrilled and overwhelmed by him noticing all of my attention to detail from the moss, fresh roses, antique trophies… I wanted to make sure I captured the true elegance that goes with this amazing traditional Kentucky Derby.  And then I can’t even describe what an amazing opportunity it was to be able to have our cupcakes on the Red Carpet at the 137th Kentucky Derby!!  To meet people like Guy Fieri, Bobby Flay, Nick Lachey, Vanessa Minnillo, and Salt N Pepa is indescribable!  And they all LOVED the cupcakes and were so sweet!!!  It’s not everyday you are able to have critics like them!

If you don’t have cable (I know a lot of you use Netflix and Hulu) you can watch the winning scene here: http://youtu.be/y8DY-9_-X6Y

Now comes the aftermath of winning Cupcake Wars!  That night, I was overwhelmed with texts, emails, Facebook posts, Tweets, Phone Calls, and so much more…I have tried my best to make sure I answered each and every one of you personally.  I can’t be more thankful to all my fans and supporters out there.  As far as future as Goodie Girls, we are in the process of opening our store front in Glendale, CA.   It is located just 3 blocks from Americana at 415 East Broadway St #100, Glendale, CA 91205.  Until the store opens, we are doing mail orders for our HOTTEST new product called the Cake-Up, which are push up cakes!!  They are divine and SHIPPABLE!!  Other than that we have been busy with some very large events including at The Grove for the “Judy Moody Not so Bummer Summer” movie premiere with Radio Disney, the Sephora Girls night Out for Fox Searchlight Movie “The Art of Getting By”, The “Malibu Wine & Food Festival”, and also we are at the Friday Food Fair every Friday at the Chefs Center in Pasadena, CA at 45 N. San Gabriel Blvd, Pasadena, CA (which we sell out at so get there early)!!  🙂

Please sign up for our “Sweet List” at www.thegoodiegirls.com if you would like to keep up with us, our news, updates, and an invite to our Grand Opening Party for our store soon to come.

We appreciate ALL of you and would love to hear from you each one of you whenever you can!  Again…we are only here because of YOU!

And I MUST give a HUGE shout out and THANK YOU to my assistant on the show, Jackie Brubaker.  She was unbelievable!!  Please check her out in her band called Jackie Brubaker and The Ex-Boyrfriends!  Also to my Dad, Doug Starbuck (owner of Starside Designs in Riverside, CA), Step Mom Stephanie, and my unbelievably supportive Pop Star husband A.N.T. (www.poptronicant.com)!  Without all of their help and support, I would never have gotten to where I am today.  They push me, the help me, the encourage me and tell me I CAN do it!!!  So THANK YOU AGAIN ALL!!!

Please visit us at www.thegoodiegirls.com, our Facebook at www.facebook.com/goodiegirls, and our twitter at www.twitter.com/goodiegirlcooks or email us at info@thegoodiegirls.com.  🙂

❤ all of you… Annette Starbuck …GG