Pound Cake

The last time I can remember having pound cake was the Sara Lee variety and about 15 years ago. I loved it. I have no idea why I have never made it or even bought it since then. I made this one from the Cook's Illustrated recipe, and I don't want to wait for it to cool to taste it. But I'm going to. Hooray for self-restraint!

I'm going to have it tomorrow with Jacques Pepin's recipe for caramelized peaches (which someone has shared with the world here). I've been dreaming of making that since I saw him do it on Fast Food My Way a couple years ago. Again, no excuse for never having made it.

Ultimate chocolate cupcakes with ganache filling and creamy malted milk chocolate frosting

I made Cook's Illustrated's Ultimate chocolate cupcakes with ganache filling with creamy malted milk chocolate frosting for Aaron's birthday party, and while gorging on the frosting decided that it’s what I want to eat right before I die. These cupcakes make me so angry at all other cupcakes for being inferior. I don’t understand why, if cupcakes can taste like this, anyone puts up with cupcakes that:

• Have a huge, chewy, muffin-like crumb
• Have sandy, greasy frosting
• Are way way way too sweet
• Look infinitely better than they taste
• Are dry
• Taste like chemicals
• Taste like nothing

My love for these cupcakes has shot my future-plan of being a baker to the head of the list of options. Seriously. I’m going to look for a job in a bakery.