Prohibition was a ban on the sale and production of alcoholic beverages. Though it was difficult to get a drink, it was not impossible, and bootlegging and speakeasies were common. We don’t need to sneak into a speakeasy to get a drink these days, but there is still a little thrill when you find alcohol in an unexpected place. In this case, that place is in Prohibition Bakery, a book that is packed with recipes for wonderfully boozy cupcakes.
The cookbook is divided into chapters by base spirit or other alcohol: vodka, rum, whiskey, gin, tequila, wine, beer/cider and liqueur. Each chapter contains cupcake recipes based on popular cocktails. In the rum chapter, you’ll find Mojito and Pina Colada cupcakes, while you’ll find a Corpse Reviver in the gin section and a Paloma in with the tequila options. If you’re a cocktail enthusiast, you’ll definitely find at least a few of your favorite drinks in dessert form. The cupcakes all include a generous pour of whiskey, wine, etc. so that you really get the sense of the cocktail in the cupcake. The book also includes a variety of fillings that are made to enhance the flavor of the cupcake, so you’ll find a coffee jelly inside the White Russian cupcake. Towards the end of the book, you’ll also find a selection of cocktails that you can make using the bar you’ve built up as you baked your way through each chapter.
The recipes are very detailed, but the instructions are easy to follow and produce results that are well worth the effort. There are also plenty of tips that will help you troubleshoot any problems that you might encounter and suggestions for putting together your own flavor combinations. There are plenty of “eye candy” photos throughout the book, but the recipes sound indulgent enough that you might not even need them to inspire you.
What do you think?