Easier than Homemade: Treats from King Arthur

A cupcake is a rare and special treat for my sons. Making them together is a treat for all of us. Until it is time to clean up and then I am the one faced with a mountain of dishes in addition to a flour-laden kitchen. But I just can't summon up the courage to use the mixes at the supermarket as so many are laden with chemicals that taste of metal.

I have frequently blogged about my love of King Arthur products, and especially their White Whole Wheat flour. I use it in equal substitute for white flour and have rarely sacrificed taste for whole grains. I rely heavily on their cookbook, the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion Cookbook, and have planned to buy the Whole Grain version for ever. Their blog is my go-to for any baking recipe, including my absolute favorite cinnamon rolls ever. And each time I get their catalogue in the mail I circle item after item that I want to buy.

Fellow food bloggers are just as aware that King Arthur, located in Vermont, is a great company that makes great products. In fact, Meghan of Delicious Dishings arranged a blogger trip to take a class up at King Arthur. You can read her series of posts about the event here. I wanted to go to buy nearly everything at their store, to learn from their baking experts and to just enjoy being with knowledgeable bakers. And I was so disappointed that I couldn't attend.

However, Alison Furbish, Media Coordinator at King Arthur kindly sent me a few samples to cook up with my kids. The best part? As you can see in the pictures, the Deliciously Simple Chocolate Cake Mix was easy to cook with the kids, and, better still, clean up was minimal!!! Best of all, everyone that ate them agreed that the cupcakes were moist, delicious, chocolatey and not too sweet. Honestly, I was most impressed by the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. I didn't even know that you could buy a mix of frosting, and was pleased with how good it was. My kids loved the Spider Greaseproof Cupcake papers that were festive for fall and Halloween.

So will I still head up to the King Arthur Flour Company to raid their store and take classes? Absolutely. But in the meantime, I am glad to know that I can purchase many of their items at local stores, and that their mixes can make my life just a bit easier!

King Arthur Flour Company and Catalogue