Robicelli’s: A Love Story, with Cupcakes: with 50 Decidedly Grown-up Recipes

Acclaimed purveyors of the “Best Cupcakes in New York City” (according to the blog Serious Eats) and humorous bloggers Allison and Matt Robicelli (who also worked at Lutèce, a respected French restaurant in Manhattan) present a cookbook that reveals the secrets behind the obscenely delicious cupcakes at their eponymous Brooklyn bakery. The Robicellis are dyed-in-the-wool Brooklynites whose refashioned cupcakes go beyond “glitter-enhanced pure-sugar bombs” and the “pink and cutesy... girly aesthetic.” Their naughty-but-nice confections are miniature upscale cakes for one, with attitude and adult appeal. By way of themed “Love Letters,” the Robicelli’s pay homage to the iconic cupcake as more than a flash-in-the-pan trend and show how to fashion single servings of love through a witty narrative. Recipe notes, often R-rated, consist of tales of lovers’ spats and family foibles; comic strips offer instruction; and in “Matt Says” sidebars, bakers get tips and encouragement. Recipes commemorate people, events, and food products: an Elvis-inspired cupcake includes candied bacon and overripe bananas; a sophisticated combination of fig, goat cheese, prosciutto, and balsamic vinegar gastrique honors a favorite teacher; chocolate peanut butter pretzel cupcakes showcase a rich buttercream that demands continued tasting until “your eyes roll into the back of your head.” Chicken ’n’ waffles cupcakes are a savory nondessert option, and there are numerous booze-infused cupcakes as well. Photos are lick-the-page enticing and proof that home bakers are going to enjoy the best bleeping cupcakes their side of the Brooklyn Bridge. (Oct.)