Good Golly, Miss Molly!

I have officially celebrated living three decades on earth.  That's right - I'm thirty.  Thirty sounds so damned old when you're younger.  But when you actually get here - when you actually wake up one morning and you're magically the dreaded "30"... it's not so bad.  Not so different than when you're 29 - well, maybe just a little.  There's definitely something weird about saying "I'm 30."  The connotations of that word (for me) were: responsible, old, settled, successful, figured stuff out, life is over.  Of course those were all BEFORE October 2, the day I entered my 30's.  Now, the number connotes: contentment, achievement, happiness, youth, and...really good cupcakes.  

In celebration of my big birthday, my family and I took a trip to Chicago.  Many people asked us "Hmmm, why Chicago?"  It seems like such a random place to go on a trip - at least to those who have never been.  My husbo and I have been wanting to go to Chicago for a couple of years.  We have heard nothing but positive things about the place, and wanted to see what all the chatter was about!  We had a GREAT time - so much to do, such nice people, and such a walkable city.   

Of course, before we went, in addition to scouting out the sights to visit, I wanted to find a cupcakery.  This cupcakery, my friends, was the find of the century.  When I Googled "Cupcakes in Chicago", Molly's was the first to pop up.  Once I read a bit about them, I was in love, and knew I would be visiting.  Get this:

Miss Molly: Molly was my third-grade teacher. Whenever one of us had a birthday, she would bake us cupcakes. I still remember how good they were. She had her own special recipe for chocolate and vanilla. Just about everyone who tries them thinks they're the best cupcakes ever.
	Our Mission: In honor of Molly and as a way to help our children, a portion of our profits is donated directly to schools in our community. Every time you eat a cupcake or sip a latte, you help our kids. So eat up!

  

Oh my gawd.  How SWEET is this?  What a story.  I loved it.  I didn't, actually, research any more.  I just read that, on their home page, and I knew I had to go there.  I didn't know about the amazing flavors that would await me once I opened that door!

The ambiance of Molly's is kitchy, crazy and funky, which I didn't expect having read that the guy named it after his third grade teacher.  Not to mention how demure and sweet the front entrance is.  However, we enter and they are blasting Pit Bull; the cupcake dealers are tatted out to the nines.  They have swing seats at a bar.  The walls are stacked, floor to ceiling, with take out boxes.  Tucked into a few nooks and crannies are stacks of old school board games.  Think Connect 4.  Marbles.  Clue.  There are framed pieces of childhood memorabilia littering the walls.  It is eclectic and very cool.  

Their sign was on a chalk board - how very third grade.  Loved it.  (this is a crappy picture, but you get the idea!)

Then, I see it.  The amazing collection of cupcakes awaiting my taste buds.  How could I choose just one?  Just two?  Just three?  I had to have five.  That's right.  Five.  Didn't you read my earlier paragraph?  Chicago is a walkable city.  I EARNED those cupcakes.  

I loved their case - each cupcake had a little graphic explaining what was inside.  They were really fun to look at, and had there not been a huge line behind me, I would have cobbed a squat and sat there reading all afternoon.  They had some classics (red velvet) but then some crazy ones I have never heard of, nor will ever hear of, again (Ron Bennington).




I also really liked their funky decorations >>.
I really appreciated the reminder to not frolic with your cupcake.  People are so careless these days.


They had an option where you could choose your base cake, and your frosting.  It was a "make your own" type of deal.  But, I went with what the experts had already put together for me.  Five combinations of sweet amazing loveliness.  Washed down with a bottle of milk.

Starring (from L to R): Ron Bennington, Red Velvet, Spice World, Khalua, Cookie Monster

 Let's start with good ole' Ron.  OMG, Ron.  You are amazing.  With your crunched up Butterfinger top, moist cake and your peanut butter filling.  I love you.  We shall meet again.

Next, the Red Velvet.  Voted the best in Chicago, so I had pretty high expectations.  Expectations = exceeded.  Moist cake - rich creamy frosting.  Pure cream cheese - not too much sugar.  A bit bright, but overall amazing.  Next.

Cookie Monster.  Like its namesake, this baby is packed with cookie yumminess.  Cookie dough center, and a cookie on the top.  IMH, not as delish as this one, but I still ate every crumb, so overall, pretty legit!










 The Khalua came next - a beautiful little cupcake, dipped in ganache, topped with chocolate shavings. Again, super moist and just enough Khalua to make you want a mud slide.










And finally, Spice World.  Not my favorite - similar to a carrot cake, filled with autumnal spices (nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon).  Perhaps it was because the previous FOUR had been so different and delish, but this one was kind of a let down.

A+ for Chi town, and A+ for Molly's.  I would give this place.  Their flavors were amazing, cupcakes were moist and perfect, ambiance was fun and funky.  Minus a cupcake for the clutter and Spice Cake, but still, a MUST if you are within 3,000 miles of Chicago.  

Cookie Dough Heaven - A.K.A. The Best Cupcake I Have Ever Made!!

Yikes - it's been a while.  I know.  But, I had a baby, and that kind of takes up some time!  Not to say I haven't been sampling cupcakes - I have.  But I haven't been writing about it!  I have not, however, baked a single thing since my last update in May...sad.  But, this weekend, on the eve of returning to glorious Fremont High School to begin my 7th year of teaching, I tied on my favorite apron, and pulled up a Pinterest recipe that made my mouth WATER!!

As I have posted before, I make cupcakes for my students (only 1 class, actually) once a month.  I have had a class of students for the last four years - we have had lots of highs and lows together, and this year is their senior year.  So, of course, the first cupcakes have to be that much more special than they have been all the other years!  This recipe seemed like a good way to bid farewell to a glorious summer, filled with trips, relaxation and most importantly, the birth of my amazing daughter.  And also a sweet ringing in of a new year - one that will surely be full of adventures both at school and at home.

On Pinterest, the poster said that she decided on French Vanilla cupcakes so as not to be too overly sweet.  WHAT?  How is that even possible?  I followed the OG recipe and went cookie dough - top to bottom: Frosting, Inside Stash and Cake.   And the result? These are the best cupcakes I have EVER made.  Ever.

They are so good, in fact, that I am making them for two events I have coming up this weekend!



The recipe can be found here - lots of dishes and lots of steps, but so worth it.  (And the batter and frosting are yummy too!!)

Crawlin' Through Santa Barbara - Cupcakin' Style!

For the past three years we embark on a Santa Barbara adventure with our wonderful friends, The Roses. The first year was for our engagement pictures, the next for a marathon, and this past year, for a half marathon (Emily and I left our crazy marathon pants behind us!)  Emily wrote about our wonderful tradition here - it's so true.  Traditions are such a great thing, especially ones that you create with your friends.

When the trip was still in its planning stage, I had the idea to embark on a Cupcake Crawl - something Em and I have been thinking about doing in San Francisco.  Sure, SB is a much smaller canvas, but there are still great eats to be eaten!  We plotted out 2 spots and planned much of our day around when we would stop in and enjoy our sweet treats!

On our first night, imagine our delight, when we stumbled upon the uber fun and super whimsical Whodidily Cupcakes!  We were shopping around in the beautiful Paseo Nuevo, an outdoor mall, when we turned the corner, and it appeared before us!




The website describes their cakes as "'Willy Wonkaish' with a dollop of Dr. Seuss."  Never has a more accurate description existed.  You walk in to a brightly colored space, with candy-laden tables, lollipops hanging from the ceiling, a "frost your own cupcake" station replete with a topping bar, and of course - a funky array of crazy flavors and eclectic decorations.  Em and I put our heads together to make the most important decision of the day: which flavors to try...


Dough Dough Bird

I like how the frosting looks like a cocked hat :)

OMG YUM.  Chocolate cake.  Cookie dough center.  Enough said.  I could have done without the bright blue frosting - I am kind of partial to more natural coloring, but whatever.  This was a yummy cupcake.  The cake itself was super moist, and when you got a bite of that cookie dough?  Heavenly....so good.  I would definitely get this one again.  I might even try to bake it myself!  I also appreciate the fun naming of all of the flavors.  It definitely fits in with the vibe of the place!

Rum a Dum Dum

Bright yellow frosting hints at the overly sweet taste...

Ok, not a huge fan of this one.  But it looked pretty and sounded cute!  Don't be fooled!  It was way too sweet for my taste, and kind of artificial tasting (obviously they aren't against it - please reference blue frosting in previous photo).  It was supposed to be like a pinapple upsidedown cake.  But, to me, it was a flop.  And of all of the flavors, this was the one that had the most left over at the end!

 Pumpkin


I am a huge fan of pumpkin anything.  Huge.  Big.  The cake is usually really moist, and it just tastes like fall to me.  Love it.  This cupcake was no exception.  Very moist, and the frosting was light as air, drizzled with caramel.  More please!

Overall, I really liked this place.  Certainly not what I would have for my own shop, but super fun and funky all the same.  They even had a space in the back for parties - if I was a kid, I would be all over that.  

Tastes: 

The Rum a Dum Dum is what kept this from being a five cupcaker for me.  

Decor 

So fun and crazy - you can't help 

Decorations: 

The bright colors kind of don't sit right with me (though it didn't stop me from eating them...)

Definitely worth a stop if you are in Santa Barbara, if for no other reason than to feel like you visited the castle of Wonka  Seuss for a day :)

Stay tuned for our second stop...at Crushcakes!