PUDDINGS WITH PROOF

ot to be confused with cupcakes for school sales and children’s parties, the recipes in Simone Balman’s Cupcakes with a Kick (Metz Press, R185) are strictly for adults. You could substitute non-alcoholic flavourings for tots, but that would be a pity and probably far less delicious.

Our only complaint about this book is that the garish pink cover doesn’t do it justice. Almost all the images inside are far more beautiful. Perhaps the choice was made after a day of testing boozy cupcakes and the designers were pie-eyed, or perhaps it is simply proof of the adage that you can’t judge a book by its cover.

You can’t judge a cake by its icing either. The confections in this book might look as innocent as a buttered baby, but beneath each pretty topping lurks a lethal embrace.

Balman, a professional South African baker, has used her eye for colour and flair for flavour to combine the joys of bottles and baking powder. Almost every type of alcohol is represented in 53 recipes. There are cupcakes with Pimm’s, orange and lemonade (pictured); with red wine and blackberries; milk stout and gingerbread; Kahlua, chocolate and peanut butter; milk tart and tequila; Amaretto, lemon and thyme; Frangelico, pear and hazelnut … it’s a sensational stumble through the liquor aisles.

By the way, it is a myth that alcohol evaporates during cooking. Boiling something for three hours might get rid of all traces of ethanol, says Balman, but brandy, beer and other such beverages retain their intoxicating vigour when baked. Remember to warn your guests. — Sue de Groot