fambly, the friends that are forced upon you.

I'm sure that by now I have given you the (entirely correct) assumption that my various family members exhibit a wide range of psychotic phenomena and would certainly be an excellent psychiatric case study and perhaps cautionary tale for 'the youth'. But every now and then they will surprise me with a genuinely sweet or normal act. Or a completely bizarre act that nonetheless is hilarious and makes you chuckle, shake your head in amusement and say "you guys".

As I mentioned in the last post, I've been averaging about a recipe a week from the 500 cupcakes book. The aunt I live with is a keen cook, in fact most of my family are, and she has been solving a few cupcake related dilemmas, e.g: cakes not rising properly. While the initial hypothesis was that there was too much sugar in the recipe, after consultation with another more reliable baker (Rose Levy Berenbaum, author of several blasphemously delicious baking bibles), she proposed some changes to the basic method which have indeed resulted in much fluffier cupcakes. And I think the rising problem is a simple matter of getting the right size patty pans. For science!

Anywhatthefuckimpostingaboutbakingiamanoldlady
andnextpostwillbeaboutthedogjumperiknitted
yesitsfuckingamazingillpostphotos. So it's helpful to have a family that is interested in kitchen experiments. Unfortunately we are bad at giving constructive criticism, advice or feedback without it coming out as an insult. So I was wary when I got home from work tonight to find a little note left on top of the tin of cupcakes I made on Tuesday (vanilla with chocolate rum icing - which I created myself, I am a golden god! - if anyone cares). The dreaded feedback!

OK cupcakes, 6/10. Prefer more wholesome - less fluffy (nice touch with the heart shapes). :-) Uncle.
P.S Could do with deeper choc icing.
P.P.S - the pineapple ones* crystallised a bit on the bottom after 3 days.
P.P.P.S - when's the next batch - can't wait!!

*the last batch were pineapple upside-down cupcakes

They make me ragey, they make me teary, they make me kick-things-in-frustration-y, but you have to kind of sort of find it within your cold dead heart to love a family who will give you this kind of feedback on your cupcakes.