Review & Giveaway: Robicelli's: A Love Story, with Cupcakes Cookbook

This is part of what I hope to make into a week or so of giveaways. Stay tuned - I have a lot of great things to share with you. Don't miss my Weelicious Lunches and Dick & Jane Educational Snacks Giveaways! 

I am going to post lunches separate from this review & giveaway, because I wasn't making cupcakes to send in the kids' lunches, no matter how much they would have appreciated them.  When I was asked if I wanted to review the Robicelli's Cupcake cookbook, I of course jumped at the chance, but I didn't know that it would be anything more than your standard, run of the mill cupcake cookbook.

Image courtesy Robicelli's

I can't remember the last time I read a cookbook front to back.  Robicelli's: A Love Story, with Cupcakes is a great read.  It is laugh out loud funny, often irreverent, never shying away from coarse language, I found myself stopping and reading sections aloud to The Hubby.  And, to top it all off, there are recipes - recipes I want to make right now.  French Buttercream in many variations, American "Buttercream," if you must, but really... try the French.

On the top of my list to try are the Dom Deluise (a cannoli inspired cupcake), the Butterbrew cupcake (inspired by a certain boy wizard - The Girl is begging me to make these), and the Carrot Cake Cupcake.  These need to happen.  I already promised a friend I would make the Dom Deluise for her upcoming birthday.

I would count this as a memoir with recipes.  Chronicling the lives and relationship of the Allison and Matt Robicelli, this book makes me want to go back to New York City, and maybe check out Brooklyn instead of just eating my way through Manhattan like last time.

They eschew fondant, food coloring, and cutesy decorations, instead sticking with serious culinary feats, like their famous Chicken & Waffle Cupcake, and making a Buffalo Chicken Cupcake something you actually want to try.  They don't simply make wacky flavors, but delve into the many cultures surrounding them in Brooklyn to find inspiration.  And also, the Golden Girls are represented.

In addition, there is a very funny and informative introduction about ingredients, equipment, and more.  The butter section in particular had me guffawing.

Let it be said that this is NOT a cookbook to hand to the kids and tell them to go to town.  The language is sometimes such that a sailor would blush, and the recipes are complicated (though they do have a one, two, or three whisk difficulty rating).  However, for a good, curl up on the couch and maybe drool a little kind of read, and for some truly crave-worthy looking recipes (I cannot wait to try them!), this cookbook is a masterpiece.  I can't wait to make some real French Buttercream.

Now for the fun part - one lucky ready will win a copy of Robicelli's: A Love Story, With Cupcakes.  Simply enter on the rafflecopter below and good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to check back on the blog for the rest of the week for more reviews and giveaways!