Review Martha Stewart Living app

                            Martha Stewart Living ipad app

With Martha Stewart's move to the Hallmark station we are no longer getting the show in Australia. I for one am "missing Martha", but I'm finding comfort in the new Martha Stewart ipad app.

Open the app and you will see the cover of this months Martha Stewart Living come to life as chocolate sauce pours over the ice-cream... okay, I did think this was very cool & opened the app a few times just to see the chocolate pouring ;) 

chocolate sauce pours until you end up with the full cover shot

navigate the app by scrolling right to left to find the story you're after, then scroll downwards to read the story.

Pros...

For Australians cost is a major factor, a paper subscription to Martha Stewart Living is going to set you back $240.00 whilst the app version is $4.99 ($3.99 US) an edition with the promise of a subscription price shortly. Even without the subscription you will have a saving of $180.12. 

All the usual too, too gorgeous content of the Martha Stewart Magazine with the added bonus of being fully interactive (working links to clipart, suppliers & the like), plus videos and effects.  

a Martha Stewart video shows Martha demonstating how to make a pavlova

find something you'd like to make & access the recipe with one touch of the "recipe button"

Saves space by storing all your magazines in one device.

The portability factor; no more reading those out of date magazines at the dentists office... whip out your ipad and browse your Martha Stewart collection.

Cons;

Whilst I loved the pouring chocolate effect of the front cover, I must be getting old and grumpy because I just found it too much seeing the same type of effect over and over throughout the app. Is it really necessary to see more chocolate pouring, chocolate milk pouring or ice-cream melting? My step son Daniel loved the effects; I on the other hand, was thinking about our internet download levels! 

ice-creams melt away to nothing in this special effect

"Pinch" you can't pinch the text to make it larger, I want to be able to pinch the recipe text to a larger size when I'm cooking from the ipad. 

Bookmarking; there is no bookmarking feature. I can paper bookmark my paper MS Living copies, I should be able to do the same thing with app version so I can find that recipe I'm after quickly. 

If your not Australian you might not be experiencing the price advantage.

All in all

I love "Martha" and I will be buying a subscription as soon as it is offered. By the way the edition I reviewed is February 2011... OMG chocolate desserts in this one guys... a "must have" however you buy it. 

Happy Baking :)

By going to itunes directly and searching "Martha Stewart Living" or by visiting  Martha Stewart's App Page

In Valentine's mode? You might also like Love heart cutters and moulds

My Chocolate Valentine

My Chocolate Valentine cupcake, dark, dark chocolate cupcake with chocolate truffle frosting & sparkly iced chocolate sugar cookies.

With loads of chocolate truffle frosting left from Daniel's cupcake making, I thought I'd make chocolate lovers valentines cupcakes for Valentines Day.

Hope everyone had or is having depending where in the world you are, a HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

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 Valentines Truffle Pops recipe            

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Vintage Valentine Cupcake Picks       

Update on Monday, February 15, 2010 at 12:26PM by The Lone Baker

Whoever you are—I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.

Tennessee Williams

Wow, two of my cupcakes are on Cupcakes Take The Cake blog the most fabulous place to see all things "cupcake".

I was so excited by this I immediately phoned my husband and as soon as he picked up the phone I blurted out the news, including a bio of Cupcakes Take The Cake, which of my cakes were on it etc. Then I paused for a breath, this is when a strange male voice said "You have the wrong number", I stuttered "I'm so sorry" & he said "But I'm very happy for you". 

Lesson learned;  I should not manually dial my husbands number because I apparently don't know it! 

Love is in the air

                 Love is in the air 
                 Everywhere I look around 
                 Love is in the air 
                 Every sight and every sound

                           John Paul Young

Only four days to go to Valentines Day so lets count down with ways to quickly bring romance to any cookie, cupcake or dessert. Today, whether you know them as sprinkles or quins, these pre made small decorations will instantly add the "I love you" to your baking.

Go out and buy yourself love heart sprinkles, they come in a range of sizes in shades of red, rainbow, pink & white. Sprinkle on you cupcakes, cookies, chocolate truffles or even a scoop of ice-cream for an instant Valentine.

Mini hearts by CK Products

Kissing Lips by CK Products

How gorgeous are these! Pink Edible Hearts by Rainbow Dust

Tiny glittery love hearts ready to sprinkle on your cupcakes or apply individually with a damp artists brush. Plus they can be added to liquid, I can see fabulous cocktails in your future!

Happy sprinkling :)

Stockists: Cake Decorating Stores, some supermarkets, gluten free & vegan stores usually carry a range.

For future romance.... Cakes Around Town (AU) Cake Deco (AU) for a range of sprinkles, Little Betsy Baker (AU), Jane Asher (UK) for Pink Edible Glittery Hearts and range of sprinkles, Fancy Flours (US) for large range of quins/sprinkles.

You might also be interested in:   Truffle Pops

Valentines Truffle Pops

Valentines Truffle Pop tops a chocolate & raspberry crème fraiche cupcake

The beauty of this truffle recipe is it's versatility, if you don't like raspberry liqueur, feel free to change it to coffee or orange or perhaps rum. Use vanilla, coffee, green tea, ginger or flavouring oils instead of alcohol. If you are using truffles as cupcake toppers adjust the flavours of your cupcakes accordingly.

Try milk or white chocolate instead of dark, a mix of milk and dark chocolate is my favourite.

Simply toss them in *cocoa, or roll in melted chocolate and then in *crushed toasted nuts, crushed hard candy, sprinkles, coconut, grated chocolate, sanding sugar or dip them in chocolate for a smooth coating.

These truffles have a whipped light texture and keep well when refrigerated for up to two weeks. Today I'm using them on lollipop sticks to make cupcake toppers. 

Valentines Truffle Pops

Ingredients

Makes 24

150ml cream (5 fluid oz)

125g dark eating chocolate (4.4oz) grated (use a food processor if desired)

125g milk eating chocolate (4.4oz) grated

3 tsp Raspberry liqueur (optional)

24 lollipop sticks

24 heart shapes, either make yourself from fondant or buy pre-made. 

24 iced, frosted or glazed cupcakes

plus of 375g (13oz) tempered dark chocolate if planning to chocolate coat the truffles

Method

Place the both the grated milk & dark chocolate into the bowl of your stand mixer. In a medium saucepan bring the cream to the boil. Remove from heat, let cool for a minute or two and then tip in grated chocolate.

Beat on medium high speed for 5 minutes, stop the mixer and the let the chocolate mixture become cool. Add the raspberry liqueur if using and beat a further 5 minutes. The mixture will become lighter in colour and texture. 

Refrigerate the mix for 15 minutes or until chocolate is firm enough to handle. 

Line a baking sheet with baking paper & with clean hands roll 2 tsp's of mixture into a ball, place on baking tray and repeat.

               Rolled truffles before coating

Chill for 5 minutes.

Have your cupcakes ready.

Remove truffle mixture from the refrigerator, insert the lollipop sticks, then dip each truffle one by one into the tempered dark chocolate, place each completed truffle pop into position on the cupcakes. When the pops are set, attach heart decorations with a dab of melted chocolate.

*You will need 75g-2.6oz of dutch process cocoa or crushed nuts to coat 25 truffles

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