The Cupcake Diaries: Recipes and Memories from the Sisters of Georgetown Cupcake [Hardcover]

Katherine Kallinis Berman (Author), Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 8, 2011

The sister stars of TLC’s hit show DC Cupcakes givefans a look inside their lives and into their kitchen. The Cupcake Diaries deliversthe tales, recipes, and life lessons from Katherine Kallinisand Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne,including the life lessons learned from their grandmother—lessons that helpedthem fulfill their wildest dreams. For fans of ReeDrummond’s The Pioneer Woman Cooks, Adriana Trigiani’sDon’t Sing at the Table, and Karen Tack’s What’s New, Cupcake?,this inspiring recipe book and memoir from the two-sister pastry team whosecupcakes “beat Magnolia Bakery’s by miles and miles,” according to Frank Bruni of the New York Times, is destined to be yourgo-to guide to blissful baking. Chicken Soup for the Soul might make agood meal—but now it’s time to give yourself a treat with The CupcakeDiaries, your ticket to sweet satisfaction.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“I can’t say enough good things about this cupcakery....These cupcakes beat Magnolia Bakery’s by miles and miles.” (Frank Bruni, New York Times )

From the Back Cover

In this delectable cookbook and memoir, sisters and stars of the hit TLC series DC Cupcakes inspire readers with their recipe for success: equal parts determination, smarts, and the belief that if you do what you love, you can’t fail.

When sisters Katherine Kallinis and Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne took a leap of faith and quit their secure jobs in fashion and finance to open a small cupcakery together, they knew they were risking it all. But from when they were little, their Greek grandmother Babee instilled in them a love of baking and the fire to follow their dreams. From the moment they opened the doors to Georgetown Cupcake, crowds have been clamoring for their sweet, wholesome treats; they sell as many as 10,000 cupcakes a day. And for two seasons, fans have been following their escapades—including making a giant bra, a slot machine, and a wedding gown out of cupcakes—on the hit TLC series DC Cupcakes.

Georgetown Cupcake’s meteoric rise is the realization of a dream rooted in the special bond that Sophie and Katherine formed with each other from childhood. The Cupcake Diaries is a tribute to that bond, the memories they share, and the important lessons they learned, both about baking and about life. The book follows the sisters’ personal journey that started in their grandmother’s kitchen years ago. They reveal secrets of their business success and include over thirty delicious recipes, including their bestselling Red Velvet cupcake and their grandmother’s delicious Greek Easter bread. The Cupcake Diaries celebrates what it takes—luck, courage, family support, and determination—to go from dreaming to doing.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (November 8, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062090607
• ISBN-13: 978-0062090607
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #33 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Baking > Cakes
  • #69 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Baking > Desserts
  • #87 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Business

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for GTC/DC Cupcakes Fans November 12, 2011

By Rae K.

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have followed DC Cupcakes religiously and have ordered the cupcakes for shipping numerous times. This cookbook is indeed heartwarming and there are lots from their actual memoirs. There are also numerous recipes for some of their best cupcakes, including Red Velvet, Pumpkin Spice, and Cherry Blossom. They also have several recipes that were exclusive to their show.

Overall, I'm so glad I bought this. My only criticism is that I wish it was organized better. I wish there was a list of all the recipes and the corresponding page number because you do have to look through the entire book to find the recipe or go hunting in the back index, which includes everything else too.

The only recipe I've made so far is the Salted Caramel. It came out well but the recipe made 24 cupcakes instead of 12. I've never seen a cookbook off by that much (and I am using standard size cupcake pans!). Though I guess making more is better than making less!

However, I highly suggest this book. If you're looking for a certain recipe/cupcake, leave me a comment and I'll check to see if the book has it!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming!! November 9, 2011

By Christie Meyer

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I love this book!! The girls let us in on family memories and stories. There are wonderful personal photographs included and the "staged" photographs specifically completed for the book are also great. This book has a lot of information packed into it. I have not read the entire book from cover to cover just yet but I have definitely read a significant part and the information seems on point. Of course, there are a lot of cupcake recipes but there are also different recipes from their Babee like Baklava and other sweet treats! The family memories that go with them are heartwarming.

I have not tried any of the recipes in the book yet. I am going to bake the vanilla cupcakes with the vanilla buttercream frosting tonight so I will update my review and let you know how they turned out. I have high hopes that the girls have taken just as much effort into these recipes as they have with the ones that they use for their cupcakery.

Update 11/13:

I have now made the Vanilla cupcakes w/ Vanilla Buttercream frosting and the Red Velvet cupcakes with the Vanilla Cream Cheese frosting. I took the Vanilla cupcakes to work and everyone was raving. They were still talking about them the next day! I made the Red Velvets over the weekend because this type of cake has been my nemesis!! However, these were moist and flavorful...two things that were missing in previous tries. My family really enjoyed them and my mom took 6 of them home! My next experiment will be w/ the Chocolate cupcake recipe from the Chocolate Goo-nache recipe w/ the chocolate ganache and the carmelized hazelnuts. I am very hopeful and excited.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting April 22, 2012

By Epicurean Goddess

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is interesting to me. I'll start with the not-so-great aspect and then move on to the greater aspects. Amazon had this book on my "Recommended" list based on another cupcake book I had purchased. I had never heard of the authors nor their television show nor their bakery. The book sat in my cart for nearly a month as I waited for some reviews to be posted before I bought it. The opinions seemed a bit split, so I decided I'd go ahead and buy it. Before making any recipes, I read the book from cover to cover. Then, on to the recipes. I have made four of the recipes: red velvet, irish cream, coconut, lemon blossom. I did not like any of them. The texture for both the irish cream and the lemon blossom were far too light. The crumb just was not what I typically like in a cupcake. The red velvet, irish cream, and lemon blossom all had minimal flavor. I suspect incredible marketing must be a huge part of their success. I do plan to try the cherry blossom soon and hope I will have better luck. If I do, I'll come back and modify this review. As nearly all the other reviewers have pointed out, you'll end up with more cupcakes than the book indicates. I didn't get uptight about that. Keep them to eat later or give them away? Well, that's the bad news, now on to the good.

I actually liked the frostings. The frostings are very good. I'll definitely use them with someone else's recipes. I also enjoyed the narrative. The book is more than just a book of recipes. They tell their "story." They talk about baking with their grandmother and having to sacrifice to open a business that they both really wanted. I was excited to read about their grand opening and all of the challenges and opportunities they've faced on their journey. I'm proud of them. I'm also fairly amazed by their creativity. The way they decorate the cupcakes are very cute, and the flavor combinations (at least in theory) are wonderful.

I do not know if the recipes are authentic; I doubt it. Despite what we might think, most bakers and chefs do not reveal their actual recipes in their cookbooks. Instead they give modified versions (not just scaled-down versions but modified ingredient versions). I don't have a problem with that; I don't expect them to give away all the secrets that keep them in business.

Overall, I'm just not impressed with the cupcakes, which I feel is the major point of the book. At the end of the day, it's not about cuteness or popularity--it's about tasty food. So, I have to give it 3 stars.