Saffer - The dollop book of frosting : sweet and savory icings, spreads, meringues, and ganaches for dessert and beyond

To unabashed frosting lovers everywhere: Never stop fighting for that corner piece.

And to Mom and Dad: Thank you for always scraping off your own frosting so that I could have more.

Ever had Smore Frosting? Honey Mustard Frosting? A frosting that tastes just like gingersnap stout? Have you had hot Vanilla Buttermilk Waffles slathered with fresh Maple Bacon Frosting? Or a scrumptious fruit salad topped with a creamy Lemon Glaze Frosting? No? Well, it sounds like The Dollop Book of Frosting might just change your life! Throughout this book youll find forty-five frosting recipes for classics like Vanilla Buttercream; unusual frostings with a twist like Chocolate Chipotle Frosting; and crazy, out-of-the-box frosting flavors like Cheddar Bacon Frosting, Tahini Currant Frosting, and Cashew Sriracha Frosting.

Why frosting? you ask. Isnt that just something you put on something else as an afterthought? Absolutely not! Although frosting can double as spreads for cupcakes, pies, pretzels, popcorn, and even saladssee the forty-five supplemental recipes paired with each frosting if you need proofits also pretty amazing on its own. After all, its a fact that many frosting lovers sneak to the fridge in the middle of the night and secretly grab a spoonful of frosting, praying they dont get caught. How do I know? Well, lets just say that frosting has played a main role in how I came to find not only my calling in life but my center.

My name is Heather Cupcakes Saffer, but most people just call me Cupcakes, a nickname for which I consider myself fortunate (living in New York you tend to meet plenty of people with interesting nicknames, and I think Cupcakes beats Jimmy the Chin any day). Today, I tend to think of a cupcake as just an FDV (Frosting Delivery Vehicle), but cupcakes have played a big role in my life. Back in 2008, I opened a cupcake business, the Cupcake Dreamery, and after the Dreamery closed, I opened Dollop Gourmet Cupcake Creationsa cupcake bar located in the heart of Rochester, New York. When I started Dollop in 2010, buoyed by a ton of enthusiastic and supportive press, I auditioned for the Food Networks Cupcake Wars. I wasnt chosen, but in 2011 Cupcake Wars called again with a second chance at an audition. This time I made the cut.

I always said that I would put my cupcakes up against anyones, anywhere. On Cupcake Wars I did just that. And you know what? I won! The frostings that I created on the show were a major reason that I took home the win, and youll find a variety of those recipesincluding the Clove Buttercream, Brown Sugar Frosting, and Peanut Butter Buttercreamalong with the recipes for the winning cupcakes throughout the book marked with this Cupcake Wars icon.

But even though I live cupcakes, I love frosting, and in 2012, I closed Dollop Gourmet Cupcake Creations to open Dollop Gourmet, a frosting company that has recently created a line of all-natural, gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan ready-to-eat frostings that are crazy delicious and coming soon to a supermarket near you.

Its a big change, but over the years, my philosophy for baking and living is basically that the best part of the cupcake is what you put on top of it. So start whipping up these little bowls of sugary heavenand remember: Its what you dollop your life with that really matters. Enjoy!

Throughout my years of frosting making, researching, and perfecting, Ive learned a lot about how to make the fluffiest, creamiest frosting and how to avoid ending up with a dead bowl of clumpy, unusable buttered sugar. Frosting can be heavenly delicious and fantastically fun to make, especially if you have the correct tools and follow some of my swear by tricks in order to avoid the doldrums of trial and error. Youll find this info in this part along with some baking tips for making the best FDVs that you can because, no matter how much you may want to, you cant always eat frosting with your fingers! So take a read through, check your cupboards, hit the store, and use this section for reference as you work through each delicious recipe!

I dont like buying tools, and Im not a gadget freak. Im actually a minimalist at heart, and one of the best things about making frostingand all the other delicious recipes that youll find throughout the bookis that its not super complicated. You probably have a lot of the items on the following list in your kitchen already, and if not, theyre easy to find. Take some time to take stock of what you haveand buy what you dontbefore you end up wrist-deep in frosting. I tend to make many runs to the grocery store, but you can avoid this by always having the basics on hand. Or you can do as I do and bake above a barwith a willing errand-running assistant by your side. Try not to yell at your assistant, and always bribe him or her with the finished frosting-filled product at the end. After all, once you get an idea of how delicious your frosting is going to be, you dont want anything holding you up!

• Alcohol: beer (stouts, porters, ales), wine, tequila, Cointreau, your favorite alcohol of choice
• Brownie pans: 8 8 and 9 13
• Candy thermometer: Youll need this to cook caramel to make sure it hits the right temperature.
• Cookie sheets
• Cooling racks
• Cupcake tins: mini and standard size
• Food processor: I swear by my Ninja Express Chop food chopper, in fact, I have three. Theyre cheap, reliable, and fast. Youll be chopping lots of things, so do yourself a major favor and get one.
• Ice cream scoops: Youll need a standard size scoop and a mini scoop for truffles and cookies.
• Knives, forks, and spoons: Youll need all kinds of knives, but if you have a butcher block of knives, then you surely have everything you need. Youll also need forks to eat the food and spoons to scoop and taste.
• Measuring cups and spoons: Glass, metal, or plasticwhichever you fancy, make sure you have a full set each of cups and spoons. If you have multiple sets, thats even better as it will save you time on dish washing as you go.
• Music: Baking is always better with music.
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Parchment paper and wax paper: These are not the same things. Wax paper has a coating that is not meant for use in the oven whereas parchment paper is the perfect baking tray liner for oven usage. Most of the time youll be using parchment paper, so invest in a couple of rolls.
• Pie pans: 8 or 9 for large pies or mini pans for individual pies. You can even use disposable foil pans.
• Piping bags or Ziploc bags
• Push-pop containers: Remember the old-school ice cream containers? You can buy them online or at Target.