So, last night on SYTYCD… Loved getting to see the LXD show. I’ve been a big fan for years. When it first started, I was a little disappointed, as the lead female performer was kind of anti-energy, which is so not LXD’s style. But by the time Tutting Girl came out, then those ridiculously in sync dual gymnastic runs….wow. Kept me from hitting the FF button. (Unfortunately, Gaga didn’t warrant the same slavish devotion.) And yeah, yeah, Ellen & Portia in the house, as was Katie Holmes and Stevie Nicks.…but who did I get all excited to see in the front row?? Yep, Alex Freaking Wong!!! SO glad to see he’s already working hard on recovery.

Once we learned that, like last week, there would be 2 girls and 2 guys in the bottom, and the judges were sending two home, I didn’t expect any surprises. It was going to be Marko, Melanie, Tadd, and Sasha in the Top 4, end of story. Then it was just about how the judges were going to rationalize saving Jordan again. So, it was definitely a bit of an eyebrow raiser when Ricky was safe and Tadd was in jeopardy. Except, we knew he wasn’t after last night’s performances, and if anything, his Dance for Your Life nailed that down. It was a shame, really, because Ricky was the hands down vote for elimination, and Jess was starting to build, so I hated to see him go, but - of those two - I’d have done the same.

Over on the girls side, the only surprise for me was that, after a seriously lackluster Dance for Your Life from Jordan and Caitlynn…I’d have honestly sent Caitlynn packing first. Jordan might lack maturity, but in this case, they both do. So, beyond that, you have to look at technique, and in that dept, Jordan has it all over Pageant Girl. However, given that America has all but shouted down the judges on wanting Jordan out of there, they had no choice really, but to send her out. Nigel even said they went with America’s vote…

More entertaining, but only slightly…was the Season 9 premiere of Project Runway. I watched Our Tim’s pre game show, intro’ing us to the designers, and while there was talent there that I admired, none of the personalities really popped out at all. Maybe it’s just design show fatigue on my part, but it all seemed like kind of a yawn. Once the show itself got underway, certain personalities started to emerge and names began to stick.

I liked Olivier a lot. Quiet confidence, that one, and I loved his peekaboo menswear. He’s an interesting contrast between structured engineer and playful tease. (Lots of menswear guys this year…so that was different.) I liked Anya, the Miss Trinidad & Tobago girl. I was rooting for her to be that freak madd skillz chick, who learned to sew in a few months, and she didn’t disappoint. I like her work and she seems genuinely nice. And I did like the old guy…loved that he won the first challenge using his boxer shorts for a dress…. HA! I loved his aesthetic when he was first introducing his work to the judges, so I’m glad he’s starting off well. (Agreed on the Bardot styling nightmare, though!)

I was happy with who they sent home….watching the Jordan trainwreck really made me wish they’d kept that last girl they let go in the first group elimination. (I know, not a good week to be a Jordan on a reality show!) I wanted Colorado Girl to be better. Maybe she’ll improve…but not holding breath. The surprise for me was Fundamentalist Cult Girl. Her background made me want to root for her, that’s a lot to overcome. But she’s the exact type I normally don’t like, picturing whiny, condescension. But, not so much, or maybe I just liked her version of it….and I kept liking her. And kept being surprised that I did. So….that will be interesting to see where that goes.

Was glad they sent The Giggler home, straight off, was not happy they kept Camille...I think that’s her name. The last girl they saved in the group cut. She’s a “I didn’t come here to make friends” sort that I could do without. And Cancer Survivor Guy…I don’t know. I want to like him, I have family history from Louisiana, so there’s an added plus….I want to root for him. But I thought his outfit was horrible. I was stunned it made Top 3. I kept thinking about Tim’s comment about the front of his skirt, which looked exactly, to me, to be what Tim most feared. It must have played waaaay better in person. And I love that he’s a survivor, but I hope they back away from that sooner rather than later. (Right. That’ll happen.) I have the feeling that you peel back a layer or two, and he’s going to get real annoying, real fast. And the whole survivor thing isn’t going to save him here. I dunno. We’ll see….

What did you think? Are you In? Or are you Out? And were you surprised to hear there was only two more weeks on SYTYCD?? Next week we go from Top 6 to Final 4….then I guess it’s all over and done the following week. Wow. Maybe it’s a good thing we have designers to play with now….

I do know one thing that’s IN and that’s the winner of this week’s Free Stuff Friday contest!! Thanks for all of your entries….and this week’s winning blog babe and proud new owner of a book from my website bookshelf is….? Teresa M!!! Woo hoo, Teresa!!! Congratulations! Send me an email to donna@donnakauffman.com with a few title ideas (in case I’m out of your top pick) and I’ll get your prize out to you!

I hope you all have a great weekend. Stay cool…read something hot! And hang out here and DISH about your favorite summer guilty reality show pleasure!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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Was last night perfect on SYTYCD. No. But was it the best show so far this season? ::Waving hand!!::

I didn’t always agree with the judges, but I don’t think I cared as much. We have 8 dancers left. And we kinda sorta know who is going to end up in the final four. Ish. So in what order the other four go…does it really matter? So I decided to just get over the fact that they will never send Jordan home until all that’s left is Marko, Sasha, and Melanie.

I read a lot of criticism about Gaga’s judgery last night, but I was okay with it. Mostly because she pretty much kept Nigel in check. And I adored Rob Marshall. I thought, overall, the choreographers shone last night, mostly because of Mandy Moore and Sonja Tayeh. There were many highlights last night, as there should be with quality talent like this, plus the All Star’s chiming in. All in all, I thought the All Star paired performances were stronger.

Of the Second Round of contestant/contestant routines, the only real super slam dunk was Sasha/Melanie. And…duh. I loved that they paired them up. Now, to be honest, the music, for me, though strong/eletronic stuff, was too…electronic. It kind of killed the power of the piece, rather than enhanced it. Your mileage may vary on that, but I wish it had way more musicality to off set their amazing athletic prowess. It was very industrial, almost overkill with the music there too. But I did very much enjoy watching the two powerhouses duel it out. For me? Melanie was the hands down victor, but both were compelling to watch. Second best of this round was Marko/Ricky. I, like Gaga, was a little over the props, but I very much enjoyed the fun they had. It wasn’t a long-term memorable routine, but infectious and fun while it was going on. And I loved Marko in this!! That’s entertainment, folks.

The waltz with Tadd & Caitlynn was a little too slow, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the uber suave Tadd, so I managed to get through it. I loved the Gaga continued to try and get Caitlynn out of Pageant Girl Mode. I think she’s in the Bottom “FIll in the Number” tonight. We have no idea who is sending how many home. And we don’t really care, because it’s not Melanie, Marko, or Tadd.

That leaves the Jess/Jordan rhumba, which didn’t move me, but I did enjoy Jess, and it’s great to see, readign the bb’s today, how much of a following he’s developed. I loved that Rob Marshall lauded his career on Broadway, and, for that matter, lauded Broadway, itself. Love that guy.

Now, the wowza stuff of the night was to be found in the All Star First Round pairings.

Middle of the road for me was Pasha/Sasha ballroom. Fun to watch, because, duh, Pasha, but otherwise, in the middle. Anya/Ricky ballroom was fun to watch, nice to see Anya, and poor Ricky trying to keep up with her. Entertainment, but not Top 3 material. Caitlynn/Ivan hiphop I really enjoyed….because of Ivan. So, that ends up in the middle, but really fun to see him again. Jordan & Ade…now the judges went ape over this. I thought the choreo was really, really random (Tyce) and Nutbush City Limits tanked any good this routine had going for it. Seriously, I do not get how that song was ever popular, even for Tina Turner. So, while Jordan once again proves she’s Human Gumby Girl, and it was great to see Ade…I didn’t go nuts for this like they did. In fact, I had to refrain from fast forwarding when it never settled into to any real pace/style. Sorry.

Jess/Lauren’s hip hop was in the top half for me. Well delivered, compelling to watch and I really thought Jess did a good job with this. Then we watched Tadd suave all over the place in his cat burglar meets Michael Jackson dance, and it was fun seeing the Other Lauren, too. Enjoyed both of those and thought they were solid pieces.

But then…then we had the ones that made me remember why I watch this show. Melanie & Neil to Bonnie Tyler? I literally have goosebumps on my arms, as I type, remembering that launching leap into his arms. And half naked Neil only sealed this as one of my favorites for the season. Truly tremendous routine and performance. Love you, Mandy Moore. And then Marko & Alison? They were SO evenly matched/paced/marked all throughout that dance. For the complexity of it, that was truly amazing. I thought it was wonderful and Marko matched up with the powerhouse Alison really well.

Top Three Performances, were the two just listed above and Melanie/Sasha, but the middle pack was truly enjoyable. For me, if Bottom Three comes from the pack of 8, gender non-specific, then it would be Jordan, Caitlyn, and…Ricky. Top Three Dancers this week would be Melanie, who was the only one who really owned both performances, followed by Marko, who owned the Alison-paired piece and did a damn good job in hip hop for a contemporary guy. Third place would be Tadd, who did well with his part in both his routines.

Which leaves Ricky and Sash in the middle (and I know most would place Sasha much higher, but, for me, not based on both performances last night. I would even go so far as to say, that though she has mondo stage presence and madd skillz, that Pasha and Melanie truly elevated her “shine” in both performances…. But that’s just me.)

Who goes home? If it’s just one dancer, for me Jordan. Though will probably be RIcky. Possibly Caitlynn. Any order there is okay by me. And sorry, Ricky, you’re adorable, but you won’t win up against the Tadd/Marko team, and Jess really has a foundation going.

What say you Blog Babes? Who do you want to win? (Melanie all the way for me…most overall deserving.) Who should go home? What did you think about Gaga? AND! Most important, who is tuning in to the season launch of Project Runway tonight? Are you still all on board, even after they let Wretched Gretchen win last year over Mondo?? I am watching…but with one eye on the door. I still love My Tim.

Don’t forget to enter the Free Stuff Friday contest! See Monday’s post for details. Winner announced here tomorrow with all the Project Runway & SYTYCD recap rant you can stand!

But for right now? DISH!!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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Seriously, does it get any more decadent than combining cheesecake with your rich, dark chocolate cupcake? I think not. And did I mention it’s chocolate chip cheesecake filling? I know!

Hello Happy Bakers!!

I am so excited to share this new recipe with you. This one comes from Stephanie Gamverona, in South Korea, who, you might recall, WON our Original Cupcake Recipe contest last month and will be seeing her Sweet Peach Tea recipe published in the back of the upcoming SWEET STUFF, the second book in my Cupcake Club Romance series. You have to wait for the book release to get your hands on that amazing recipe, but, being the amazing baker she is, she also submitted a second recipe, which I’m sharing with you today. And, trust me, now you all are the winners!!

This recipe didn’t make the finalist selection, but that was only because, as a baking competition, and with so many recipes to choose from, I went with recipes that were entirely from scratch. This is a recipe that begins with a boxed cake mix….but it goes SO much farther from there! It was hard to give this one a finalist pass, but I knew I would have the chance to share it with all of you, eventually, and I’m thrilled to get the chance to do so now!

I made this for my family reunion over the 4th of July and they were a major hit.

Here’s the recipe:

Sweet Ebony Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 package dark chocolate cake mix
(as well as necessary ingredients listed on package such as water, oil, eggs, etc)
*Note: I used a dark devil’s food mix…mmmmm!
¼ cup dark cocoa powder
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 egg, beaten slightly
¼ cup sugar
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line cupcake tins with paper or foil baking cups and spray lightly over top with cooking spray.
3. Mix chocolate cake mix according to package directions. Add in additional cocoa powder, then pour batter into prepared cupcake cups.
4. Combine cream cheese, beaten egg, and sugar. Mix well, then gently stir in chocolate chips.
5. Drop 1 teaspoon full of cream cheese mixture onto center of each cupcake (batter). Make sure the cream cheese is carefully in the center. It will miraculously sink to the bottom of the cupcake when baked!
6. Bake for 23-28 minutes. Let cool before icing.

And what better to put on the cream cheese filled cupcake? Cream cheese frosting, of course!

Cream Cheese Icing

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1-pound box powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Blend all ingredients together until smooth.
2. Frost fully cooled cupcakes.

And voila! Decadence in a cup, I tell you!! And the thing I loved about this cupcake is that the filling is so easily “inserted” into the cake. I love the “plop-a-dollop-and-bake” method. It might be my new favorite. For as easy as these are to make and as rich and amazing they look and taste when done, folks will think you are a rock star baker in the kitchen. You’ll have to let me know how yours come out!

Okay, now that we’re done working up a serious craving for chocolate and cheesecake, let’s give away some free stuff! Thanks to all who entered this week’s Cupcake Blog Candy contest over at Cakes by the Cup Blog. The winner of the free book from my Big Time Author Bookshelf is? Drum roll……..Nancy C!!! Congratulations!! Just send me an email to donna@donnakauffman.com with a few title ideas (in case I’m out of your first choice) and an address and your prize will wing its way to you!

Didn’t win? Don’t fret! Have a cupcake, and enter this weeks’ Cupcake Blog Candy Contest!! Check out all the details at Cakes by the Cup! Contest is open until the new recipe is posted next week! Winner gets a book of their choice from my Big TIme Author Bookshelf! You’ll be the envy of all of your friends!!

And don’t forget, you have until Friday to enter to win a book here. I know, I’m just GIVING them away!! See Monday’s post for the details.

See you next week, and happy baking and happy reading!!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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I hope you all survived the sweltering blast furnace that has been our national weather of late. Wow, am I ready to shovel some snow. Or at least watch the leaves change color and fall from the trees because it’s autumn…and not because they’ve been baked to death.

Well, if things are going to stay scorching on the outside, then we might as well stay inside, grab a glass of something cold and thirst quenching…and opt for another kind of scorching heat. And I can help with that plan!

Yep, the new Free Stuff Friday Contest!! Just send an email to donna@donnakauffman.com with “Send me the scorcher!” in the subject line. I’ll draw a name from the entry pile and announce it here Friday. Winner gets a copy of any book from my website bookshelf!

You also have until tomorrow to enter to win a free book over on Cakes by the Cup Blog. That’s when the new cupcake recipe goes up…and the latest winner will be announced!

Good luck to all!! Stay cool….and read something hot!

Tags: Writing by Donna
1 Comment »

So, last night on SYTYCD Top 10 Elimination night, we find out that no, our votes won’t send home the dancer with the least votes. And we’re sending home two dancers. But not necessarily the two with the least votes, either. Our votes simply sliced four from the herd. (That’s almost half of the remaining dancers….just sayin. Where there could be a rather wide range of actual voting totals…)

Then Nigel & Co decided who went home from that group, and, oh look, it’s back to 1 guy and 1 girl. Though, since we have All Stars for them all to dance with, why is it still gender specific? We don’t need matchy matchy anymore…

So, the whole night left a bad taste for me. And a twitchy fast forward finger. I lasted about a minute into the ballet mime guy, and ten seconds into Snoop Dogg (which is nine more seconds that it warranted.) The solos are completely irrelevant with this group, so results night isn’t all that exciting. Even the opening group number was like Fosse-less Fosse. My lease fave of the season, by far.

I know, I sound so grumpy. And yet, I’m so not wanting to be!

Now, the Bottom Four were no real surprise. (Right, suddenly it’s a Bottom 4, not Bottom 3….I know.) America and I seem to be on the same track. Clarice and Jordan made the bottom two as did Mitchell and Ricky. (Which brings up another question…was it bottom two girls, and bottom two guys? Or did those four get the bottom votes overall and it just happened to be two of each gender? I really don’t random rules….) And, buh bye, Clarice & Mitchell.

Now, of the 10 remaining, those would be at the bottom half of the pack for me, so I can’t quibble in that regard. But I’d have likely sent Jordan packing over Clarice, given her repeated saves. Eventually the judges are going to have to obey us and send her packing, too, so it’s just a matter of time. Unless, of course, Nigel changes the rules again…. I do agree with the Mitchell pick. It’s a shame he went out on the Tyce routine, but being up against Ricky for elimination, I think Ricky is improving and climbing, which is something Tyce’s routine prevented Mitchell from doing this week at a critical moment. From that Bottom 4, Ricky is pretty much the only one I could see rising above imminent elimination, but then…up against the likes of Marko and Tadd? Yeah, he’s not winning this thing either. So…it’s just a matter of what order all the rest go home.

I think Top 4 at this point would be Marko, Melanie, Tadd and Sasha. If we’re sticking with gender equality, anyway. Or even if we’re not, come to think of it…

Of course, who knows. The rules could change again next week.

So, Blog Babes… who are your picks to win?? Who should have been send packing this week? And are you excited about next week’s Top 8 All Stars? I am!! Hello, Ivan (Season 2), Jaimie (Season 3), Anya (Season 3), Pasha (Season 3), Lauren G (Season 3), Neil (Season 3), Ade (Season 5), Lauren F (Season 7)!! Pasha is sure getting a work out this season. And I’m all about working Pasha.

Okay, time to do fun stuff and give away a free book!! Thank you all for entering this week’s shortened Free Stuff Friday contest with such enthusiasm! The winning blog babe this week is? Shelia M!!! Woo hoo, Shelia! Just drop me a note to donna@donnakauffman.com with a few title ideas from my website bookshelf (in case I’m out of your top choice.)

Don’t forget you have a second chance to enter to win a free book at the still on-going weekly Cupcake Blog Candy contest over on Cakes by the Cup Blog. Get your entries in, winner chosen when the next cupcake recipe is posted!

Hope everyone is staying safe from the heat today!! I recommend a tall glass of something icy, a big fan, and a fun read. (I could recommend a few titles. You know, if you need a good book. ) See you Monday! No, really!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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Finally, the real season of SYTYCD has arrived. Were all the paired dances magnifico? No. But almost all of them were way more fun to watch than the bulk of the previous routines thus far. I was struck by several things while watching last night…

First, I do understand why they have the solo’s in the dance for your life bit, but, otherwise, what’s the point? Did a single solo change your mind about any of the contestants? I just don’t really see any value in them. I’d rather they combine all the solo time and have them do a brief group number or something. I know, that’s even more rehearsal, etc, but they’re heading that way, doing more routines, anyway. And that said, while some solos shone more than others (Sasha, Mitchell, Tadd…) I was altogether meh about watching them.

Another thing I noticed was that the All Stars, who have ostensibly been performing in some professional capacity for some time now, for the most part bring a whole new level of energy, charisma, and presence to the routines. In almost all cases, this elevated the contestants performances as well. I think they just needed to see it, be prompted by it comparatively, to know how to deliver it. I don’t know if I agree with the judges about a number of them outshining their All Star partners, but in almost all cases, they sure as heck kept up with them!

Okay, so here’s how the top ten dancers w/ their respective All Stars worked it out….

First up, Marko & Chelsie doing a samba: Chelsie certainly delivered the bulk of the eye catchy stuff, as the girls do in this combo, but I thought Marko handled it all pretty well. He put his charm and swivel out there and kept up with her, which in a piece as fast as that one, is actually saying a lot for someone who has never done ballroom before. It wasn’t as sharp from him as it might have been, but he is a charming, talented guy, and I very much enjoyed watching this.

Up next, Jordan & Brandon in a contemporary piece. Now, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to see Brandon leap and twirl again, wow, but Jordan, while technically beyond competent and talented, does absolutely zero for me. While I understood the praise for their technical execution - that was flawless and it was a demanding piece - there was utterly nothing between them, at all. No chemistry, no zing, no pop, no connection with audience, nada. And that is my complaint about her. I watch and admire her skill set, but am otherwise always left unmoved. A maturity issue most likely. I think some faction of America agrees as she’s been in the bottom for weeks. Will be interesting to see where she lands tonight. On skill, she doesn’t deserve the bottom, but who of the ten does on that merit alone?

Tadd & Comfort’s hip hop: So, did he outdance her? Well, other than when she lost the beat there in one section, not really. But she didn’t outdance him. I thought they were well matched. It was a relentless routine, intricately choreographed, and they did it very, very well. But I honestly never got into it, because of the “music” and I use that term loosely. Wow, but was that almost impossible to listen to, much less get “in the groove” of. I actually hated it. The routine itself was fascinating. I just wish there had been some kind of bass driven groove to jerk us fully into it. Love Tadd, love Comfort, but not near the top of my list on the enjoyment scale. A shame, because it was otherwise pretty cool. Lesson again on how the song choice can kill a routine.

Next up, Mitchell & Melody in a Tyce Broadway routine that, for me, was an epic fail, from clunky concept to a music selection that not only didn’t help the dancers, but hurt them, in my opinion. Also, apparently, in guest judge Neil Patrick Harris’ opinion. I truly enjoyed him last night, in ways I hadn’t expected to. I thought he’d be more Jesse Tyler Ferguson fan-boy, and he’s definitely that, but this guy didn’t pull any punches, and he sure as heck didn’t here. He thrashed the routine, respectfully, but still. And essentially told Tyce, “What the hell was that??” I had no problems with that and actually championed his comments, because all the blame for that off piece was on Tyce, not the dancers. Go, NPH! Mary and Nigel tried to shift blame to Mitchell, but it wasn’t anywhere in the ballpark of his fault. Unfortunately, I do think Mitchell is in danger tonight with that one.

Then we had Caitlynn & Pasha in an Argentine tango. I love this style of tango, and Pasha….yowza. Now, I thought Caitlynn acquitted herself very well in this dance, given who she was paired with, and that it’s not her skill set. Just to keep any attention focused on her at all was a feat. However, I thought it was rather slow and stodgy, her kicks weren’t sharply delivered, nor was it sensuous enough for me, and never fully pulled me in. I did get the story and I thought it was most of the way there in delivery, it was certainly pretty enough to look at, but it didn’t smolder for me (or NPH, apparently) and, overall, was more of an excuse to enjoy Pasha than anything else. I want more from my Argentine tango than they delivered. It wasn’t choreo or music in this case. Sorry, Caitlynn. Overpraised, I thought.

Sasha & Twitch/Hip Hop: Now this was the first true attention grabber of the night for me. An interesting concept with original and challenging choreo, set to a good, compelling music….and two dancers who were completely and utterly in sync with one another. That was two All Stars right there. Loved the piece and, at that point, was my fave of the night by a mile and then some. That is the kind of dance, charisma, and energy that I’ve been missing this entire season. Loved. it.

Jess & Kathryn’s contemporary piece. I thought this did well for Jess, and Kathryn is always lovely to watch. It was moody, well danced, believable. Maybe not my big fave of the night, but certainly at the top end for me. More of that, please. I hope he hangs in.

Melanie & almost shirtless Pasha in the Viennese waltz. This was light, airy, flowy, gorgeous and they made it look utterly effortless. I was a teeny bit let down with the choreo as I kept waiting on them to do sections of a more tradtional waltz, but for what they were given, it was visually stunning. And not just Pasha’s bare chest, though no complaints from me, there! Ethereal and lovely. Top three on the night for me.

Ricky & Allison with Tyce’s contemporary jazz piece was the surprise of the night for me. I love watching Allison dance and she is exactly what I meant about pushing her partner to up his/her game. She is fully engaged in every single movement she delivers and it’s always simply riveting to watch. All the dancers could take lessons from her delivery. RIcky surely did, because wow! I thought he did a great job. I was as captivated by him as I was by her. I was worried for him going into this week, but I think that might have saved him. I hope so! And, nice save, Tyce, after that abomination of a first routine. Loved this one, from choreo to music selection. Well done.

We finish the night with a very tasty Bollywood dish from Clarice and Robert. Okay, who am I kidding, I was watching Robert pretty much beginning to end. Between him and Pasha, thanks for the eye candy last night, SYTYCD! This certainly only helped Clarice. Again, I agree whole-heartedly with NPH when he said she hasn’t drawn him in this entire season, but this was infectious, flirty, the kiss definitely helped, and with some other not so great routines, plus closing the show…she might still be here next week.

Which leaves the final countdown for tonight. Now that we’re voting for individual dancers and the judges don’t get to save them, it will be very interesting to see who heads out tonight. It’s just one dancer going home, I believe, and so gender is out of it, too. For me, I think Mitchell is definitely in danger, and though the routine and performance was solid, I don’t know if America will heed Nigel’s urging to keep Jordan in the mix. Beyond those two, however, I don’t know who will round out the Bottom Three. I do know I’ll be tuning in to find out!

What say you, Blog Babes? Who should be Bottom Three? Who would you send packing? Which All Stars do you hope to see next week? I am SO happy they are in All Star zone here on out. Last night was my favorite of the season so far, and can’t wait to see group routine tonight.

Don’t forget to enter this week’s Free Stuff Friday contest! Details in yesterday’s blog. WInner chosen tomorrow, so hurrrrrry!! (And, for a second chance, check out Cakes by the Cup Blog and enter there, too!) Then head back over here, and DISH!!!

Tags: Writing by Donna
2 Comments »

Hello Happy Readers and Erstwhile Cupcake Bakers!

It’s crazy hot here in the DC Metropolitan area, so this week I’m baking something light and fluffy….with floaty chips! But first, I thought I’d share my Hump Day Hottie! Did anyone catch this episode of Covert Affairs last night? Forever known now as the Half Naked Auggie episode. Yowza!! Thank you, USA Network!

Okay, so those of you who have been with me on my Cupcake Club Romance series baking research odyssey from the very beginning, you might remember my quest to make chocolate chip cupcakes where the chips didn’t sink to the bottom every time. I tried coating them in flour, sprinkling them on top, baking at a shorter, higher temperature…and while I got varying results, none of them truly had chips nestled throughout a light, airy cupcake.

Until now.

I should have known all along where to turn. I just needed to Trust In The Martha. I know! And you know what the secret turned out to be? Whipped egg whites. Yep. Yes, I did still coat the chips in flour before folding them in, but I’ve done that before with less than stellar results. In Martha’s delicious recipe, she takes five egg whites (yes, five. Martha doesn’t do anything halfway.) and whips them into a frenzy, then carefully folds them in last, just before the chips. The result is a very light, foamy, airy batter, that doesn’t lose any of its rich flavor. In fact, the cupcake itself is moist, yummy….and filled, top to bottom with chocolate chips!

Behold!

Want to make your own? Well, of course I’m going to share the recipe. And did I mention we top the cakes with her dark chocolate frosting? Pair one of these with a cold glass of milk and it’s the ultimate yum on a hot summer day.

Martha Stewart’s Chocolate Chip Cupcakes:

3 1/4 cups + 1 tablespoon sifted cake flour Not self rising. (Martha loves random measurements, but this one has purpose)
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (does that seem like a lot to you? It did me….but it worked!)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (again, a seemingly abundant quantity, but it’s not overkill in the final result. Trust the Martha.)
1 cup + 2 tablespoons milk (again with the random…no obvious purpose this time. Ah, Martha….)
1/2 cup + 6 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) room temperature butter. (I know, I give up…)
1 3/4 cups sugar (no plusses, woot woot!)
5 large egg whites, room temperature
2 cups (12 ounce bag) semisweet chocolate chips (note from me: go for the premium chips here, you won’t be disappointed. I used Ghirardelli)

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line standard size muffin tins with 30 liners.
2. Whisk together 3 1/4 cups cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Stir vanilla into the milk to combine.
4. With an electric mixer on medium-high, cream butter until smooth.
5. Add sugar in a steady stream, beating until pale and fluffy.
6. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk mixture. Beat until just combined after each addition.
7. In another bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Do not overmix. Fold one third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten. Gently fold in the remaining whites until just combined.
8. Toss chocolate chips with the remaining tablespoon of flour, then gently fold into the batter.
9. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. (My note: I used the squeeze handle-ejecting ice cream scooper. Keeps batter in round mounds to drop in and doesn’t unnecessarily smoosh chips and batter. Yes, these are all highly technical culinary terms. Use wisely.)
10. Bake approx 22 minutes, rotating halfway through. Test cupcakes for doneness with toothpick. Tops should be springy to the touch. Transfer tins to wire rack to cool completely before removing cupcakes and frosting.

And, speaking of frosting!!!

Martha’s frosting recipes are..abundant. Either she always makes a batallion of cupcakes…or she likes to take an occasional dip with a spoon. (I have no idea why I would suspect anyone would do this. Nope….not me.) This recipe yields 5 cups. Proportion your batch accordingly…or keep a spoon handy!

Dark Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (I know, I’m not even going there. Also? Spring for the real deal Dutched cocoa here, not the standard Hershey, which is only partially Dutch-process. The result is truly decadent.)
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon boiling water
2 1/4 cups (4 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds best quality semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled (and if you’re going for top notch Dutched cocoa, spring for the best here, too. I went with Ghirardelli. Incredible results.)

Steps:
1. Combine the cocoa and boiling water, stirring until the cocoa has dissolved.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter, confectioners sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy
3. Reduce speed to low, add melted and cooled chocolate, beating until combined. Scrape sides as needed.
4. Beat in cocoa mixture.
5. Frost cakes!

Frosting can be refrigerated up to five days or frozen up to one month in an airtight container. Bring to room temp before using.

So, I have ended my search for the best floaty chips cupcake recipe with this one. It’s fantastic and easy to make. And the frosting is to die for. I hope you give it a try!!

And now? Time to give away stuff again! (And if you entered last week’s Cupcake Blog Candy contest over on my Cupcake Club Romance site - Cakes by the Cup Blog - click over there to see if you won! And enter the new contest! (Yep, it’s separate from the one here, so you have two chances to win!)

And yes, even though it’s already Wednesday, I will have Free Stuff Friday this week. You just have to be speedy and enter already! Just send me an email to donna@donnakauffman.com with “Yes, it’s hot, but I want it to get hotter, send me a free book!” in the subject line. I’ll draw one name and announce it here Friday. Winner gets book of choice from my website bookshelf!

Tune in tomorrow for all the So You Think You Can Dance dish you can stand. We have All Stars this week!! I hope it livens up the performances. I’m also excited to see the dancers with new contestant partners as well. Also tonight, my guilty summer pleasure, Love in the Wild. I know, I resisted season after season of The Bachelor/ette but no, I caved to this. It’s actually been harmless, non-squicky, watchable fun, and comes complete with gorgeous views of Costa Rica! Check it out, then come by tomorrow and….DISH!!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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Hello Happy Readers…

So, on SYTYCD last night, it was mildly surprising who all were in the bottom three couples, but not hugely so. (Ryan/Ricky, Caitlyn/Mitchell, Sasha/Alexander) but it wasn’t really at all surprising who they sent home. Bye Ryan, bye Alexander! I think that was the safe call there.

They also announced 9 of the All Stars who will be on next week,(Pasha, Twitch, Robert, Allison, Comfort, Chelsie, Brandon, Melody…who am I forgetting?) and that Neil Patrick Harris is the guest judge. Fun! There was supposed to be a 10th All Star announced….and yes, it was supposed to be Alex Wong. !!!!!!!!! But in a very cruel twist, literally, he snapped his other Achilles tendon this past Saturday while trying out for a different program, so is now looking at yet another full year of recovery. I was horrified for him. That’s just cruel beyond cruel. I hope he can find the mental strength to battle through this kind of incredibly challenging recovery, yet again. Wow, just…so wrongly wow.

So…that kind of put a damper on the All Star enthusiasm for me. I will be looking forward to watching next week. Each dancer will dance once with an All Star, and once with another contestant, name drawn out of a hat. So, at the very least, it should be a step in the right direction of breathing some new life into this surprisingly lackluster season.

They did garner a bunch of Emmy nods, the one for Cat thrilled me as did the one for Travis Wall. Woohoo!! But was it just me or when they showed the clip package of all the dances that had garnered nominations for Emmy’s this year (others were from Mia Michaels, Mandy Moore, and Stacy Tookey) didn’t they all seem like super memorable and wonderful….and made the routines this year seemingly pale in comparison? I know it did, me.

Ah well…we’ll see where next week takes us…..

In the meantime, let’s give away some free books!! Thanks to all who entered the Free Stuff Friday contest here. WInner receives an advance review copy of the fall Christmas anthology, UNWRAPPED, which features Shay’s story and wraps up the Hot Scot trilogy. And the winner is…….Kathleen from Ontario (we had lots of Kathleen’s this week!)

Tune in next week for a new contest!!

And, if you weren’t the lucky Blog Babe but still want a chance to win a copy, click over to my Cakes by the Cup blog and enter the weekly contest there. That one runs until Monday when I post a new cupcake recipe and announce the winner!!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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Yeah, I watched it. I watched those Top 12 SYTYCD dancers dance their last dances as partners. And, in the case of two of them, their last dances evah.

The thing I loved most about this installment wasn’t even on stage. He was sitting behind the judges panel, being delightful, and witty, and the biggest fanboy of SYTYCD, yes, evah! And if I didn’t already heart Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson–which I totally did–I would love him even more now for his impassioned plea for Cat Deeley to finally get her Emmy Bestest Hostess nod. Which, this morning…they finally got it right, and did!! ABOUT TIME! Congratulations, Cat!! So deserved!!

What, you didn’t know the Emmy nominations were announced this morning? Go here and check them out! It was a weirdly interesting blend of network and cable nods that, with a few exceptions in a few random categories, didn’t excite me a whole lot. But then, I don’t watch Boardwalk Empire or Mad Men, so maybe that’s why. They were everywhere.

Okay, so back to dancing… It’s been an interesting season of new and interesting choreographers and very skilled dancers which has somehow failed to generate the kind of buzzing enthusiasm in me for Wednesday nights that it has in the past. I mean, I watch, I enjoy, but then I forget the dances almost immediately after the show is over. It didn’t used to be like that. Last night was kind of more of the same. Nice dances nicely danced. Some better than others, none horribly, and one or two quite goodly. But the only pair I will miss seeing dance together is Melanie & Marko. They have a clearly sincere bond and are quite fond and respectful of one another, and they dance with an utter joy and abandonment that is honestly compelling.

The other five pairs….eh. Mitchell and Caitlyn come the closest to compelling for me, but the rest I find myself truly enjoying one half of the pair, and the other not so much. The surprise for me this season has been how much I can’t take my eyes off of Jess when he dances, but could happily never see Clarice dance again. I realize I differ greatly with the judges on this, but that’s how it is for me.

So, a rundown…

Tadd and Jordan had a fierce first dance that I enjoyed a great deal, as memorable as they can be, they were. Their second dance, however, was unfulfilling and softly generic. I think Jordan does well when she’s performing, but she isn’t truly grabbing me, despite the fact that she’s one of the better girls up there skill wise. Tadd however, grabs me and never lets go. I cannot wait to see him unfettered by Jordan.

I feel the same about Jess and Clarice. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him in either of their numbers and thought Jess truly brought it to the jive last night, but all Clarice brought was a flashy dress. I thought her very studied and tentative and Jess so easy, smooth, and natural. Clearly the judges watched some other performance entirely. I felt bad that Nigel called out Jess for the imbalance in the picture they make when he lifts Clarice, who is bigger than he is. Not much he can do about that, and should be applauded for how smoothly he manages to do so despite the disparity. A disparity he can’t fix or change. And that the show handed to him in the first place. Seriously, Nigel? I can’t wait to see Jess cut loose from Clarice and will be surprised if she has any real following of her own, despite what the judges seem to think about where the strength is in their partnership.

Ditto for Ricky and Ryan. I like Ryan more than some viewers seem to, but Ricky is a light that needs to shine without his bold, blonde partner overdancing around him. He’s all sinew and grace and needs a partner who can compliment that. Actually, despite my comments just now, matching him with the sinewy Clarice might be interesting…. I think Ryan will suffer and Ricky will soar when they are apart. That said, I enjoyed the Frank Sinatra jazz routine a great deal last night, precisely because it was understated and smooth. I love 50’s movies and this brought that feel to me, so maybe it was the remembered nostalgia that made me smile, but it was one of my more enjoyable times watching them. Ricky nailed, and I mean, nailed the cha cha. Yowza. Ryan did over dance it, but wasn’t as bad as they made her seem. And who knows, maybe she will shine more with an All Star partner. I doubt she’ll go home tonight, so perhaps we’ll find out!

That brings us to Sasha and Alexander. Sasha is a presence on stage, that is true, but if you go back and watch that paso, she didn’t have much energy through her legs and lower body, it was all upper body posturing. I was really surprised the judges didn’t call her out on that. And Alexander did really shine this week, but I can’t wait for him to get separated from Sasha and allowed to shine a bit on his own. Will he? Hard to tell, but I’d like the opportunity to find out. I never felt chemistry from them, which was sadly the case with almost every pairing this season.

Except Melanie/Marko, who danced the daylights out of both performances last night. Marko’s hold in the tango wasn’t great, but the choreography Louis (Louis!!) gave them was so difficult (and so cool and interesting and unique!!) that I was really drawn in throughout the performance. They had execution issues, but they sold it so well, I enjoyed every bit of it. Ditto with their last routine. So evocative and honest. Love love love these two. I know they will shine independently, but hope they get to dance together again as well.

Mitchell and Caitlyn also have great faith in each other, and it shows when they dance. They don’t have the compelling, deep connection Mel and Marko do, but their trust in one another is so complete, that it does carry through on stage. However, I can’t say I’m dying to see them dance together again, though I am very, very interested to see how they do with their All Star partners.

So, that leaves us with who goes home this week…

Bottom Three Girls: I think that’s a really tough call. Of the six remaining girls, for me, it would be Clarice. She simply doesn’t connect with me at all as a dancer and I don’t think she brings anything beyond serviceable to her performances. Also in the bottom three girls would be Ryan and, for me, Jordan. Now, Jordan does bring it, but it’s repetitive and I don’t know that she truly sinks into her character - though that Vulture Dance was powerful. But so was Ryan’s fashion dance last week…and look where that got her. I don’t think it’s about individual performances at this point, but who you truly want to watch. I want to watch Mel, Caitlyn, and Sasha, more than I want to watch Clarice, Ryan, or Jordan. So….there ya go.

Bottom Three Guys: On the men’s side, Marko, Jess, and Tadd are the ones that most compel me. With Mitchell and Ricky being right in there. That leaves Alexander going home for me. I honestly don’t know who will be in the bottom with him. But of the six, he’s the obvious out for me. A shame, he’s wonderful, but not as memorable.

What say you, SYTYCD Blog Babes? Who do you anxiously await to see dance? Are you hoping for an Alex Freaking Wong All Star pop up? What All Stars would you like to see? Who would you pair with Mel? With Marko? I am VERY excited about next week, to get to see some old favorites and find out what they can elicit from our current crop. But first, we find out who goes home.

Tune in tomorrow for my SYTYCD Send Off blog rant, AND the winner of this week’s Free Stuff Friday! See details on how to enter in Tuesdays blog post here…or over on Cakes by the Cup Blog. Yes, you have TWO chances this week to win an advance review copy of UNWRAPPED, Shay’s story and the finale of the Hot Scot trilogy. So what are yo uwaiting for? Go enter…then come back here an DISH!!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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Hello Happy Readers and Erstswhile Cupcake Bakers!

I am back from the Hinterlands (aka rural North Carolina) well rested, and ready to get back to work!! I’m currently putting together the proposals for Books 3 & 4 in the Cupcake Club Romance series! And, I’m ready to get back in the cupcake test kitchen!

This week I am going to treat you all with the recipe from one of the three Original Cupcake Recipe Contest finalists. Behold, the Chocolate Meringue Cupcake recipe, sent in from Laura Fulcher in Virginia. This is a family recipe, passed down from her grandmother, Jean. And trust me, you’ll wish Jean was your grammy, too, once you taste these!!

I have never baked meringue before, so this was a new experience for me. I thought it was going to be trickier than it was, and was happily surprised that my first attempt came out just right. Here is the recipe, straight from Laura, via her mom, and her Grandma Jean. Three generations of meringue baking goodness can’t be wrong!

Chocolate Meringue Cupcakes:

Cake Batter:
1/3 C. Shortening
2/3 C. Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
1/3 C. Condensed milk
1/4 C. Water
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 1/4 C. Flour
1/3 C. Cocoa
1/4 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Baking powder

Meringue Topping:
2 Egg whites
1/2 C. Sugar

Cream shortening and sugar together until smooth. Add in yolks, milk, water and vanilla. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add to wet mixture a little at a time. Put batter into 18 muffin cups.

Beat egg whites and sugar until stiff. Spoon onto raw cake batter.

Bake 350 for 20 minutes.

Best if eaten while fresh. Don’t store well.

Notes from Laura’s mom - This is an old-fashioned recipe. Mom used solid Crisco for shortening. Condensed milk was a typical ingredient. You’ll notice that these are inexpensive ingredients.

Notes from Donna: I saw Laura’s grandmother’s admonition about them not storing well, and I couldn’t figure that out, as the ingredients used would store just fine in a sealed container, and I wondered if that was a note from long ago, when storage wasn’t as consistent. What I found out was that, given the “frosting” is a baked topping in this case, what happens is that, after a day, the meringue draws the moisture up from the cake, which makes the cake dry out a little, and the meringue a bit gummy (instead of crunchy.) So, these are definitely best if eaten fresh, but I can say, with whole-hearted endorsement, that fresh? They are moist cake with crunchy topping yumminess that you will absolutely love!! I hope you give it a try. It’s a great way to try out a meringue if you’ve never done it before.

Now, on to this week’s Free Stuff Friday givewaway! I happen to have, in my hot little hands, advance review galleys of my October release, UNWRAPPED!! This is an anthology that features two other authors’ stories (unrelated to each other), all in a Christmas theme. Consider this my Christmas in July present to the winner! My story in the anthology wraps up my current “Hot Scot” series, that started with SOME LIKE IT SCOT last year, and was followed by OFF KILTER earlier this year. (Click on those titles to see more about the books!) And yes, this is Shay’s story, for all who have been salivating! (When you aren’t salivating over cupcakes!!)

To enter to win, just drop me an email to donna@donnakauffman.com with “Hot cakes? I want a Hot Scot!” in the subject line. I will choose a name from the pile and announce it here this Friday! Good luck!

And if you bake your own Chocolate Meringue cupcakes, let me know how they turn out for you!!

Also, for all who have asked (okay, so it was a lot more like whining… ) YES, I will be recapping So You Think You Can Dance this week, along with Expedition: Impossible Are you watching that? It’s like Amazing Race on Crack! Even the host as a certain Phil-liciousnous to him. Just sayin! I know one thing…I wouldn’t last a day!! And, yay! My cable guilty pleasures are all officially on now. Burn Notice, Covert Affairs, Drop Dead Diva, Rizzoli & Isles, Next HGTV Star… I love summer programming! What’s currently piling up on your DVR?? DISH!!

Tags: Writing by Donna
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