very pretty cupcakes and i'm sorry they don't taste as good as they look. i've also had the same problem trying to blend up sugar to get caster sugar. doesn't work at all. now, i'm totally going to buy some black cocoa powder! yum.

Wow! New blog look, I'm trying to manuever around here, but I like it.
Where did you find black cocoa powder? I want nearly black cupcakes. I always think I have the ingredients but then realize I don't have the maple syrup.

Why are you not testing for the new cookbook, by the way?? That boggles me.

I forgot to add, everyone else loved them more than I did. I liked them, but wasn't about to eat more than 1, which all my friends were doing the 2 times I've made them.

kickpleat - Yeah, the caster sugar thing was a complete failure. I'll probably make these again in the future with some modifications - they're too cute not to.

jess - Yeah, I thought it was time for a change. :) I found black cocoa powder at a candy store, of all places. They make fudge and peanut butter and carry some baking supplies in addition to all the candy. I wasn't even looking for it when we went in, but it was an awesome find, since I thought I was going to have to order it online.

I didn't like using all that maple syrup for 12 cupcakes.

I'm not testing for the new cookbook because I totally missed that boat. I didn't post much on the PPK until recently, and by then it was too late.

I getcha. That's what happened to me with the cupcake book. I'm still sad about that. Seriously, I think Isa is going to be calling for more testers in the future rounds - we're not even halfway through the recipes yet - maybe a 1/4.

Love the new look, vc! Great updated style. That cupcake looks so sweet, me wants to eat!!!!

jess - I would have LOVED to test for cupcake book, but it's probably for the best that I didn't. I can't be trusted with that many cupcakes. If she does put out a call for more testers, I'd love to help out.

kleo - Thanks! The cupcakes are definitely adorable, at least. :)

OMG! I love your new design! I am now sooooo jealous. I was diggin my green and black design but this totally makes me want a white background!

This is similar to how I want/try to rearrange my room seasonally. I get the urge to redesign my blog seasonally too but just haven't let myself succumb to the urge. You are weakening my resolve. The only thing that might save me now is the fact that i am about to go back to school and that will suck up all my free time. But that isn't a sure savior because even now I am thinking about it.

well, the cupcakes LOOK REALLY GOOD.. nice review of your of your experience.. I have thought about making them, but they do look really long and involved..and some pretty darn specific ingredients i just don't have on hand..

jessiegirl - Don't be jealous! It's still kind of fucked up. I considered using a dark background, but I've always liked the clean look that white gives. I don't know, I'm already wanting to change it but I probably won't since it's kind of a pain.

If you redesign your blog seasonally, then I'll want to change mine every time you change yours. But you should do it anyway if you want to. Blog with the seasons, young woman.

madeinalaska - Yeah, they're a bit of trouble to make. Lots of dishes. With some changes I think they'd be awesome, though.

I am really curious to try these cupcakes. I'm thinking I'll have to order black cocoa on line though. You should e-mail Isa about the troubles you had. She's very helpful and she answers! At least you've made them and know what to do to make them the way you'd like them. The picture looks very tasty.
I like your new look. The top part of the front page is hidden by the Blogger bar, but you should be able to get that fixed up by playing around with it. I change my lay out every once and a while to avoid boredom on my part. I really like your new colour scheme.

You should try them, because by all accounts they're supposed to be magical. Magically delicious, anyway. I don't want to bug Isa with stuff like this, because it's probably my own fault (the caster sugar situation) and mostly just a matter of taste. My boyfriend loved them, so what do I know?

The top banner part looks fine on all of the browsers I've viewed it on, so I'm not sure what the deal is there. That's part of why web design drives me crazy. It's all so subjective, in the worst possible way.

cupcakes look delish
too bad they didn't taste as good as they looked.
I like the page changes!
it takes me forever to do mine. I've actually been putting it off b.c of that

yuck

have a good weekend!

Teddy

Thanks! Yeah, the cuppers were a little disappointing. That's okay. They made up for it by being really photogenic. :)

Redesigning is fun but also kind of a drag.