Bonnie Marcus is a busy mother of three and former high-end New York events planner. Recently she has turned her skills to designing and has created a range of practical yet fashionable cook books, food journals and notebooks, which have taken the US by storm.
Cupcakes and Cocktails is a beautiful hardback book, published by Parragon, which showcases Bonnie’s design skills, featuring stunning patterned pages, chic cartoons and high-resolution pictures. The book contains what it says on the cover, it is bursting with cupcake and cocktail recipes for any occasion. I have to admit that the concept of pairing cocktails and cupcakes is something I’ve been playing with for a long time, so I was very excited to get stuck into this book.
Bonnie begins by giving an insight into the two phenomenons, both of which have grown substantially in popularity over recent years. Outlining the true versatility of both elements to create the perfect atmosphere for any celebration – from a birthday, to a new job to simply celebrating a night with the girls.
It doesn’t matter whether you are an experienced mixologist or if the most you’ve mixed is adding gin to tonic, this book has some great, simple recipes and really breaks them down in an easy-to-follow way.
In terms of the recipes, you will find all of the classic cocktail recipes, such as Pina Colada, Martini, Margarita, Bellini or Long Island Iced Tea to dessert inspired drinks like Strawberrini or a Chocolate Diva. The cupcake recipes are a mix of cocktail-inspired recipes (try the Caramel Appletini Cupcakes or the Malibu Bay Cupcakes) and there are some additional dessert recipes for when you want to add a wow factor – who could resist Coconut & Pineapple Macaroons or Chocolate Meringue Kisses? From weddings to Valentine’s to Christmas, you can find a suitable treat and there is even a handful of skinny recipes for those watching their waistline!
The book is available from Amazon now, for what I think is a pretty bargain price of £4.75!
Bonnie’s stylish stationery, available in the UK this Spring, has found her a host of celebrity fans including Cindy Crawford, Brooke Shields, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Eva Longoria, Marcia Cross and many others. Check out other products on Amazon.