Cupcake-a-licious!

My latest cupcakes from Cupcakes Galore! Tarte Tatin Apple cupcakes - with caramalised apples and delicious vanilla glazing [which maybe should have been clear from the photo, but turned out a kinda pastel coffee colour ...]

This was a much more adventurous cupcake for me - not just mixing stuff and throwing in the oven - there were glazes to make and apples to caramalise.

My tips;
1. Make about a third of the glaze from the recipe - I threw loads away.
2. Only fill the muffin cases about 1/2 full to make room for the apples - the cupcakes rose muffin-stylee over the top of the cases, and it was quite hard to balance the apples on!
3. Slice the apples thin so they can 'drape' over the cupcake.
4. Where it says lay the apple slices out on the surface of a large pan and maybe do them in 2 batches - do this! Don't just throw them into a large vat of fizzing melting butter and hope it'll be OK - they more stew than turn a golden brown... [lesson learned!]

Why is it that my first thought when tackling new hobbies is too think 'there must be another/better/quicker/more logical way'.

Then I try my 'better' way and learn that the way written or shown by another is done that way for a reason - i.e. they have already made these mistakes and learned from them!

When I'm explaining how to research law and government publications at work I am frequently asked about the quicker / better ways;
"surely I can just get a list of every Dept. of Health publication from the dawn of time until today?", "surely there is an easier way to find a case?"

... and I think "listen to me! I know best - there isn't an easier way OK! This is the most logical / quickest way, trust me." I can't understand why they don't trust me but yet I do exactly the same thing and have to make my own mistakes rather than just listen to those that know better.