Cupcakes might just be taking the place of cookies as America's favorite gourmet treat. Made popular by the infamous Magnolia Bakery in New York City and Sprinkles in California, there are now more than 300 cupcake stores throughout the United States. On this "Maggie Monday," Maggie Crane introduces us to one popping up right here in Southwest Florida.

Naples is jumping on the gourmet-cupcake bandwagon with Simply Cupcakes.

A "cup" cake in 19th century America were called that because the ingredients were measured in cups.

Here's the take on all things cupcake.

We're cooking in the kitchen with Joanne Glasgow, creator of a simple recipe with wide appeal.

"I think it started probably back with Sex and the City in New York. Magnolia's Bakery was the one that was spotlighted, and people ran and they're still running!" Glasgow says. "They just bring you back to a really fun time. Everybody remembers the Hostess cupcake. I went to a Catholic school, and every Friday I had a tuna fish sandwich and a Hostess cupcake!"

She's graduated to gourmet. Creator of Simply Cupcakes, this retired pediatrician is taking her hobby to new heights, logging on to let you in on her sweet treats.

"They can order, and if they're confused, they can call me," Glasgow says of her website.

"It's fun - you can be creative and change up the flavors as long as you have a good base recipe, which I believe I do."

A cup of this, two cups of that mixed together create a cupcake. Joanne says it's as easy as one, two, three, four.

Pour in one pound of butter, two cups of sugar, three dry ingredients and four eggs.

"Here is the flour, the baking powder and the salt."

Pour in a teaspoon of vanilla and a cup of milk, and we've now made simply delicious cupcake batter.

"It looks good -- nice and smooth, no lumps," Glasgow says.

Next, just bake...

"Three-hundred-fifty degrees for 25 minutes."

Then, decorate with a butter-cream frosting.

"I prefer it because it holds up nicely and it's not as sweet -- a lot of people don't like a real sweet, sweet cupcake," Glasgow says.

Joanne's keylime cupcake comes in on top of the cupcakery's best bets.

"We're just going to take a little curd and fill it up," Joanne explains. "It's a vanilla sour cream cake, and it has key lime curd and Italian butter-cream with just a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs and lime zest."

And raspberry waltz and mocha espresso have nothing on this next creation --

"This is Maggie's Magic," Glasgow says.

That's right -- a sweet surprise for our Maggie Monday trip. It's a vanilla cupcake filled with frosting and freshly sliced strawberries. Delicious!

Joanne has created more than 10 different tastes to tempt your taste buds.

For more information about Simply Cupcakes or to order some for yourself, go to simplycupcakes.net or give Joanne a call at (239) 207-7170.

There is not an actual store yet, but you can sample the cupcakes at Bayshore Coffee Company.

If you have an idea for a "Maggie Monday," send Maggie an email at maggie.crane@winktv.com.

Joanne has also agreed to share her Orange Blossom Cupcake recipe with you!

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RECIPE

Orange Blossom Cupcakes:

*Cake Ingredients:
1/2 lb. unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs at room temperature
1 cup milk at room temperature
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 tablespoons orange zest
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

*Ganache Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 lb. chocolate pieces
2 sticks unsalted butter
Optional: thin strips of orange rinds or orange frosting to make flowers for decorating the top of each cupcake


*Cake Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside
Mix together butter and sugar in a mixer until creamy
Add eggs one at a time into the butter and continue mixing
Scrape sides of mixer to blend everything together
Add orange flavoring to mixture and blend
Alternate the dry ingredients with the milk and add into the mixture, mix well

Place cupcake liners into the cupcake pans
Fill each liner half full with batter
Bake for 30 minutes or until tester comes out clean in the middle of a cupcake
Cool before icing with ganache

*Ganache Preparation:
Put chocolate into a bowl
Put heavy cream into a pot and bring to an easy boil
Pour the cream over the chocolate and blend
Add butter and mix well
Allow mixture to firm up in the refrigerator
Once firm, remove from fridge and allow mixture to warm to room temperature
Spread the ganache on each cupcake
garnish with a small strip of orange rind or a frosting or an orange flower

Makes 20-22