Brown butter, known as “beurre noisette” (that is, “hazelnut butter”) in French, is butter that has been whisked in a saucepan over medium heat until it browns and acquires a lightly nutty scent and flavor. It’s quite heavenly. The French use it rather often in pastry making, and you can also use it to make some delicious savory sauces. Basically…it tastes incredible in pretty much anything, and you can use it just like you would regular butter. So you should…

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Not all cake recipes I try come out perfectly the first time I try them. In fact, it often takes me three or four times to get a recipe just right. I tend to try out cake recipes by baking cupcakes, which means I (somewhat) often have to find something to do with cupcakes that are too sticky, not risen enough, too dense, too crumbly…you get the picture. Anyhow, I find that it’s always great to have a backup plan…

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So…I had a recipe I tested this weekend not work out. The solution? Teach you a nice frosting technique instead! Ignore the sub-par cake part, okay? Ever wondered how people frost cupcakes so that they have that nifty swirl effect? Well, a friend of mine who used to work at a bakery taught me how. One disclaimer—I apologize that I don’t have tutorial photos for this one! This technique, however, is really simple, so you probably don’t need them anyway.…

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Just a quick post on how to toast coconut flakes. I purposely made it so that you toast your coconut flakes at the same temperature that you use when baking cupcakes. Which is pretty convenient, methinks. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the coconut flakes in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 minutes. Keep an eye on ’em, as the burn easily. My favorite way to use this is as a garnish…

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