My favorite cupcakes

While I love to cook, I don't bake very often.  With just two people in the house and lots of health-conscious friends, having an entire batch of baked goods lying around is dangerous.  Skinny jeans are still in, you know.  Besides, with so many wonderful bakeries, cupcake shops, patisseries, etc. within the city, it's easy to buy just enough pie slices or cupcakes to satisfy a craving.  No need to mess up the kitchen or your waistline.

But when I do bake, these two cupcakes are among my favorite recipes:

	Ina Garten's Coconut Cupcakes.  Cream cheese in the frosting and buttermilk in the cake give a little tang that balances the shredded coconut, which can sometimes be cloyingly sweet.
	Chocolate Orange Cupcakes by Fran Gage for Williams-Sonoma.  If you love the pairing of orange and chocolate as I do, you'll be addicted to these.  Be sure to use high quality Dutch-process cocoa...this is not a time to skimp!