Last Fall, a Slashfood reader (thanks Kate!) introduced me to the book Small-Batch Baking by Debby Maugans Nakos in the comment of a post about Flight of the Conchords and Lasagna for One (go read the post if that sentence sounds like Greek to you). I ordered the book sometime soon after she mentioned it, but I didn't get around to using any of the recipes until last week.
Friday night, Scott expressed a longing for cupcakes. Normally I would have just smiled and said "that's unfortunate," but I was feeling sort of generous and so decided to pull out the book and see what I could come up with. There was a recipe in the book for "Just Plain Good Cupcakes" that made exactly four little cakes. I had all the necessary ingredients and so I gave it a try. And they were perfect cupcakes - light, fluffy and moist. I was actually grateful that there weren't more, as it was hard to stop eating them (the recipe is after the jump).
The cupcakes were easy, because I could bake them up in traditional muffin tins. There are also recipes in the book for tiny cakes that get baked in well-cleaned tin cans and mini-loaf pans. I'm already looking forward to trying some of the other recipes in the book, as it's a great way to satisfy a dessert craving without having to make something that serves 12.
D. H. Krahn Gin is 40% abv. / 80 proof and made in the USA in small batches. they use French, custom made, Stupfler alembic copper pot stills, which are considered some of the best stills made. Many gins brag about being triple or quadruple distilled. The multiple distilling is done for a variety of reasons, but usually to make the gin as clear and neutral tasting as possible, before adding the botanicals and redistilling. D. H. Krahn says that they start with clean neutral spirits and then add the botanicals. After which the gin is only distilled once to "preserve the fragile aromas and precious essential oils of the botanicals- essences that are lost each time a spirit is distilled." Then the gin sits for three months after distilling to meld and mellow. 
North Shore Distillery Distiller's Gin No 6 is 45% abv. / 90 proof and is made in Lake Bluff, Il. North Shore Distillery Distiller's Gin No 6 is one of the new, modern, small batch, craft distilled spirits that are becoming a driving force in the market. This isn't your traditional London Dry Style gin, although it definitely uses that as a jumping point. Some of the botanicals used in the gin are Juniper, Cardamom, Angelica root, Lemon zest, and Lavender. Of course, like many distilleries, the other botanicals used are a trade secret.
Lately I have been very interested in the small craft distillery scene in the US. Not to long ago I got an email from a friend discussing how the Mid-Atlantic States are getting on the map for its craft distilling scene. Then I read 
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