This is one of my staple cookie recipes for holiday baking. I’m sure I’m not the only one who bakes similar cookies around Christmas. Nevertheless, I thought I’d share the foolproof recipe that’s been tweaked and perfected over the years. I love using a combination of toasted (always toasted) walnuts and pecans, but either one will [...]
Baking
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Most Topular Stories
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Mexican Wedding Cookies
Baking Obsession19 Dec 2011 | 10:32 pm -
SOJA, The Green and Anuhea in Kaka’ako
Nonstop Honolulu » Baker’s Hours22 Jan 2012 | 11:00 amConcert pics ◄ Back Next ► Anuhea (1 of 33) The Green and Anuhea join SOJA on stage for an encore performance www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO1LPQb7XRs -
Have supper with us: A taste of The Baking Sheet
King Arthur Flour - Baking Banter27 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amIs there anything more comforting in winter than a pot of soup on the stove and bread in the oven? Bakers, by their very nature, possess the perfect antidote to winter’s cold and dark. As the seasons turn, The Baking Sheet features original recipes to suit. I get lots of emails from readers telling me the arrival of their latest issue is an event that causes them to carve out some time in their favorite chair, hot beverage nearby, to read, enjoy, and plan meals to come. From Sylvia S. in Chester, SC: I love The Baking Sheet! The comments along with the recipes give a lot of insight into… -
Iconic memory
Inkwatu16 Jan 2012 | 4:56 pmCountless childhood trips from Illinois down to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Florida, and New Orleans and always, even more than the water, this was the image that I identified with the deep South. Yes, I know, moss is bad for the tree and it’s full of chiggers! Nevertheless… Most images link to larger images. click on larger image for closeup Copyright © 2012 Inkwatu. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal@inkwatu.com… -
Baked Boston Brown Bread
Andrea Meyers: making life delicious25 Jan 2012 | 8:01 pm“Mommy, you make the best bread!” Top Gun said as he happily munched on a slice of baked Boston brown bread. We made this to go with our slow cooker Boston baked beans, and the boys later enjoyed slices of it with butter as an after school snack. And like those baked beans, this bread [...] Visit www.andreasrecipes.com for the full story.
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Nonstop Honolulu » Baker’s Hours
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SOJA, The Green and Anuhea in Kaka’ako
22 Jan 2012 | 11:00 amConcert pics ◄ Back Next ► Anuhea (1 of 33) The Green and Anuhea join SOJA on stage for an encore performance www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO1LPQb7XRs -
One Strong Ohana Launch
20 Jan 2012 | 9:00 amThe Hawaii Children’s Trust Fund held a tweetup Thursday night at P.F. Chang’s to spread the word about its “One Strong Ohana” campaign. With the help of a partnership with the Joyful Heart Foundation, Jamba Juice, Whole Foods Market and Fun Factory, the nonprofit advocacy organization hopes to reduce the number of cases of childhood neglect and abuse by fostering a strong family support network. ◄ Back Next ► One Strong Ohana launch (1 of 14) Photo by Melissa Chang www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8cnzqCLyoQ -
Taste of Ag at HiSAM
12 Jan 2012 | 10:00 amThe Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation gathered ingredients from 14 local farms to showcase the diversity of Hawaii’s agriculture at Wednesday’s Taste of Ag event held at the Hawaii State Art Museum. Chef Hiroshi Fukui, with the assistance of students from Waipahu High School’s culinary program, prepared a great array of dishes that highlighted the freshness and flavors of locally grown products. Participating farms included Fat Law’s Farm, Ho Farms, Nozawa Farms, Kats Higa Farm, Keawa Nui Farms, Koguchi Farm, Kula Country Farms, Marine AgriFuture, Naked Cow Dairy, Nalo… -
First Thursday January highlights
6 Jan 2012 | 10:00 amFeatured Performer: Kit Yan www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGOR91ErNJU First Place Performer: “Tui-Z” Scanlan www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNhdZcbaKB0 Highlights www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5un9GAGm-Q -
Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson tribute
29 Dec 2011 | 10:00 amWhile in Vegas this week, I attended Cirque du Soleil’s tribute show, “Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour.” As I exited the Mandalay Bay arena on closing night, I contemplated which tribute show — “Beatles LOVE,” “Viva Elvis” or “Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour” — I liked best. With Cirque’s announcement that it was to close at the end of 2012, “Viva Elvis” wasn’t in the running, so it came down to The Beatles vs. Michael Jackson. Both “LOVE” and “Immortal” are phenomenal…
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King Arthur Flour - Baking Banter
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Have supper with us: A taste of The Baking Sheet
27 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amIs there anything more comforting in winter than a pot of soup on the stove and bread in the oven? Bakers, by their very nature, possess the perfect antidote to winter’s cold and dark. As the seasons turn, The Baking Sheet features original recipes to suit. I get lots of emails from readers telling me the arrival of their latest issue is an event that causes them to carve out some time in their favorite chair, hot beverage nearby, to read, enjoy, and plan meals to come. From Sylvia S. in Chester, SC: I love The Baking Sheet! The comments along with the recipes give a lot of insight into… -
Homemade lemon curd in under 10 minutes? No joke – here’s how.
23 Jan 2012 | 11:16 amSo, I was browsing through my Modern Baking magazine last night, and came across the slickest little recipe ever: Microwave lemon curd. I mean, I know you can make lemon curd at home, but doesn’t it involve egg yolks, and stirring a pot on the stove, and transferring some of the hot liquid from one bowl to another and back again… No thanks – too busy! But THIS lemon curd, made simply by stirring everything together and cooking in the microwave for 7 minutes? I can do that. Modern Baking, since I know you’re wondering, is the main trade magazine of bakery professionals:… -
Mini King Cakes: Good times to make a roll with your Krewe
23 Jan 2012 | 3:27 amJust like everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day and all the world is in love on Valentine’s Day, everybody is part Cajun on Mardi Gras. True, is it not cherè? Maybe it is the colors that draw us in, the rich purple and green, the flashes of bright gold. Perhaps it is the freedom of a little wine and a lot of good food that calls our spirits. True Mardi Gras has nothing to do with inebriated co-eds flashing their …er… um… cupcakes to earn beads. It is a family-based FREE celebration of joy, fellowship and heritage. King Arthur Flour’s King Cake mix and… -
Grissini: breadsticks for grownups.
19 Jan 2012 | 3:47 pmSnap, crackle, pop! Captain Crunch. Extra crispy Kentucky fried chicken… Seems like food companies are always playing on our addiction to snap-crackle-pop-crunch-crisp in our foods. Think potato chips. Crackers. Oreos. And the whole range of “munchies” (popcorn, pretzels, granola bars, peanuts) that’ve become a serious part of our on-the-go culinary culture. When it comes to most of us, any time is crunch time. Sure, there are advocates of smooth as well. Who doesn’t love a silky crème brulée? Or the sinuous curve of thick hot fudge oozing over a scoop of vanilla ice cream? -
Lemon Sugar Crunch Buns: a non-traditional take on Tiger Bread
18 Jan 2012 | 3:52 amAdd a little lemon to your favorite sugar cookie recipe, and you’ve got lemon cookies. Add a little sugar to your favorite dough recipe, and you’ve got basic sweet dough. But what would happen if they were to collide head on? You would get Lemon Sugar Crunch Buns, that’s what. A tender and soft sweet dough bun with a crunchy lemon sugar cookie style topping. A funky, chunky, crazy pavement of lemon topped with the extra crunch of coarse sugar makes for an addicting taste and texture that keeps you coming back, bite after bite. Quite a few of our taste testers said it was the…
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Inkwatu
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Iconic memory
16 Jan 2012 | 4:56 pmCountless childhood trips from Illinois down to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Florida, and New Orleans and always, even more than the water, this was the image that I identified with the deep South. Yes, I know, moss is bad for the tree and it’s full of chiggers! Nevertheless… Most images link to larger images. click on larger image for closeup Copyright © 2012 Inkwatu. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal@inkwatu.com… -
Year ’round Holiday decorations
30 Dec 2011 | 10:26 amI think I will leave up my holiday decorations year ’round. Why not? They make me feel good. Long, long ago, there used to be a small, downtown cafe in St. Pete that was decorated with year ’round Christmas tree lights strung around the ceiling. I could almost swear it was where the Central Coffee Shoppe is now, but not certain. That was more than 30 years ago. This particular decoration, pictured above, is my favorite, even after all these years. Thank you, Nathan. I think I may drag out my Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Easter Bunny decorations, too, while I’m at it. Most… -
Homegrown lettuce from a neighborhood garden
20 Dec 2011 | 4:36 pmA friend brought me a great gift today: fresh lettuce she picked herself from a plot she maintains in a community garden at the end of her street. Although I, personally, lack the drive for such industry, I’m certainly glad she doesn’t! Isn’t it great to know where your food comes from? The word, “community,” in that phrase really strikes a resonant chord with me. There’s something “right” about it being grown by real people, not a monolithic corporation in some distant state or country. This salad has got to be fresher than anything on earth. -
Happy Holidays!
13 Dec 2011 | 7:20 amMost images link to larger images. click on larger image for closeup Copyright © 2012 Inkwatu. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal@inkwatu.com so we can take legal action immediately.Plugin by Taragana InkwatuDelightsNearAndFar -
Variation on a Butternut Squash Soup Zack Shack recipe
5 Dec 2011 | 9:47 amA fellow blogger (he publishes Zack Shack) and friend has posted several recipes that have made my mouth water. Recently, Zack had a recipe for Brined Turkey Butternut Squash Soup that I simply had to try since I only recently learned how to cook winter squash. To me, it seemed that the heart of Zack’s recipe was the use of lite creamed cheese instead of cream, which is what typical recipes call for. In checking around online, I noticed some additions that I had laying around that I wanted to use up: carrots and apples. I took that idea from this AllRecipes recipe: Butternut and Apple…
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Andrea Meyers: making life delicious
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Baked Boston Brown Bread
25 Jan 2012 | 8:01 pm“Mommy, you make the best bread!” Top Gun said as he happily munched on a slice of baked Boston brown bread. We made this to go with our slow cooker Boston baked beans, and the boys later enjoyed slices of it with butter as an after school snack. And like those baked beans, this bread [...] Visit www.andreasrecipes.com for the full story. -
Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans (Kids Cook Monday)
23 Jan 2012 | 8:14 pmPutting a pot of beans in the slow cooker overnight is a great way to cook a meal and have it ready the next day, and it’s also a good way to get the kids to help make the meal, too. Our son Hockey Guy, 9 years old, helped make a pot of Boston baked [...] Visit www.andreasrecipes.com for the full story. -
Moroccan Preserved Lemons (Limoun Marakad)
21 Jan 2012 | 2:54 pmMichael and I have pursued our dream of turning our back yard into an edible landscape for several years. We’ve replaced inedible bushes with blueberries, raspberries, and grape vines, and planted apple, cherry, plum, peach, fig, and pecan trees. But there are two trees I wish we could grow in our yard and can’t due [...] Visit www.andreasrecipes.com for the full story. -
Spiced Pumpkin Layer Cake with Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting and Toasted Coconut, and a Where Women Cook: Celebrate! Giveaway
16 Jan 2012 | 6:01 pm2012 has already started off as a busy year. On January 1st I took a big leap of faith and did something I’ve been thinking about for a long time; I officially started my own business, a photography business. So while I’ve been busy wrapping up one project I’ve also been doing all the things [...] Visit www.andreasrecipes.com for the full story. -
Warm Green Lentil Salad with Caramelized Onions, Feta Cheese, and Pears
10 Jan 2012 | 1:11 pmWhen the cold of winter comes on, I don’t crave cold salads and raw vegetables, I like my vegetables cooked and my salads warm, or at least want some warmth, and cooked lentil salads are perfect for winter. The thing I like about this lentil dish is they can be a bowl of comfort food [...] Visit www.andreasrecipes.com for the full story.
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The Fresh Loaf
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Burns Night Baking...
28 Jan 2012 | 6:59 amWe are invited tonight to a Burns Night supper - long-running, we've been going for years! I thought this time I should try to take some bread (though I wasn't confident enough to stop them buying bread - must be more confident!) I recently purchased Bertinet's Crust, and Hanseata (I think) mentioned the Breton Bread, so I thought I'd give that a go, as unusually I had some fresh yeast. As this was a new recipe, I decided to also do DSnyder's Pugliese as usually that works really well for me. 18 people so it felt like a big quantity was required - so I did around 2kg of… -
Cracking of dough during proving
28 Jan 2012 | 4:31 amPrepared dough for a Spelt, Wheatgerm &Oat Loaf last night at about 7pm. Now Saturday 28 Jan 10am. Flour mix is 500gms white spelt / 100gms wheatgerm / 100gms pinhead oats / 300 gms dark rye Put three loaves into our very cold conservatory overnight and this morning the dough looks like this : Is this cracking more common in certain types of bread ? and does it effect the baking time as the loaf "opens" in the oven. Any comments welcome I like the look when baked Thanks for comments -
' Heavenly manna ' = sprouted grain? Help me - I want criticism!
28 Jan 2012 | 12:21 amI'm an author of this article. It's translated for you and the vast English-speaking world. There are inserts from the book of leading Israeli archeologists says that the Bible did not occur in their earth. I beg you find weak points, give new idea, and check grammar ... Short: Investigating> 50 bibles of different times and nations, I have found that 'manna' is sprouted grain - malt. an article: http://www.bible-exodus.narod2.ru/articles/manna/manna_english.html#menu Translation in progress ... :-) Thanks for attention and help!Sasha Poltavsky -
Bacon Rolls?
27 Jan 2012 | 10:28 pmHey Everybody, My brother is coming home from living in Czech and he wants me to make these "bacon rolls". He said they are sooo good, but expensive. He said the bacon kinda bakes into the bread and all the oils drizzle down. Looks pretty good to me! He said they are awesome!!! Any ideas? I was just going to try PR's kaiser roll bread, make it into a hot dog bun shape and slap a piece of bacon on it. What are your thoughts? Thanks so much! Faith -
Sourdough Covered Pizza
27 Jan 2012 | 10:16 pmHi Gang, I'm nuts for starters lately...I got 3 going! Today we made a covered pizza with my first starter I started, I have 2 more on the ready! I'm NUTS for the starters. Tomorrow I'm making Chad Robertson's French Country Bread, levain is rising as we type, but for now if you have time, please check out the wife's blog, she posted nice pics of the covered pizza!!! you gotta try one http://jewelsinnaples.blogspot.com/2012/01/tonite-on-menupizzacome-oooona-cold.html Cya, Frank
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Sugarlaws
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four tips for healthy skin
28 Jan 2012 | 5:45 amThe last few weeks and the next few weeks are just about the busiest I’ve ever been, so it’s no surprise that I have to take extra special care of my skin when things are extra crazy! So it was perfect timing when this box of Simple Skincare goodies arrived last weekend — I couldn’t wait to try them! These will be available in stores in February, but lucky me got to try the whole line a few weeks ahead of the official launch! So far I’m obsessed with the Kind to Skin Vital Vitamin Night Cream and the Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturizer —… -
fashionable kindness
27 Jan 2012 | 9:52 amI took these at about 8 a.m. on my way to work the other day, so please excuse the bleary sleepy eyes. I tried on this dress way back in September and came really close to buying it, but I held out (it was full price) and managed to find it on sale for 40 or 50 percent off on the Kate Spade website two days after Christmas. I’d almost resigned myself to living without it, so I was pretty psyched to find it in my size so heavily on sale. It’s conservative enough for work, but still incredibly fun — it’s pretty rare to actually find a great work-to-play… -
scan and sip with noritake!
25 Jan 2012 | 4:28 amI know I’m a broken record on this, but I really don’t think you can say it enough. I am so, so lucky and so grateful for all the amazing opportunities that Sugarlaws has brought me — I can never quite get it out of my mind that if I hadn’t started this blog back in 2007, I probably would never have had so many incredible experiences that I’ve gotten to have just because of Sugarlaws. And one of those really incredible experiences was this video I shot last week, along with Noritake, Macy’s, and the Knot! We had so much fun shooting this segment on china… -
cinnamon and white chocolate soufflé
23 Jan 2012 | 4:31 amIf you guys learn one thing from this blog, I want it to be this: Soufflés are not hard! Really! I mean, I wouldn’t want to make them for a stadium full of people, and in a restaurant there are obviously kitchen-to-table service issues that are out of the cook’s control, but for just your family or a couple of friends, they’re actually a pretty simple dish. And holy cow, just wait until you see your guests’ faces when you whip up one of these babies! Or one of these, or these, or these! A perfect soufflé doesn’t have to rise six inches in the… -
in my dreams
20 Jan 2012 | 4:37 amThe first time I tried this dress on, it was on sale for 30 percent off, and I couldn’t even come close to justifying buying it. Nonetheless, I was in love. It was close enough to Christmas that I thought a second markdown might be a possibility, so I gave the saleswoman my number and told her to let me know if it was still around when the next sale hit. She called me back that night — it was scheduled to get marked down to 60% off that weekend, and she could hold it for me if I still wanted it. Still, oh my gosh, we’re talking Balenciaga here. This…
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My Sweet and Saucy
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Crew’s Ombre Surf 1st Birthday Party
2 Jan 2012 | 4:30 pmTo start off the New Year right I thought I would blog one of my favorite kid’s parties yet! My sweet friend and photographer Ashley Rose’s little boy, Crew, turned 1 this year and I was lucky enough to be a part of this amazing party! Ashley is a super mom and basically did all of the design, decorating, projects, etc for the whole day! Some of my best girlfriends Elizabeth and Karrie from Posh Paperie created the fabulous invitations and the Wedding Chicks made these adorable printed bags! How cute is this cereal and breakfast bar… Chocolate milk shot glasses anyone… -
sTORIbook Weddings Episode Tonight: A Marie Antoinette Wedding
27 Dec 2011 | 11:33 amA couple months back we had the pleasure of doing two of the weddings for Tori & Dean’s new show sTORIbook Weddings and we are excited to announce that the final wedding we worked on with them is airing for the first time TONIGHT December 27th at 10/9c on the Oxygen Network. I have to say that this is my favorite wedding yet that we got to be a part of and we made a TON of desserts and cakes for it! The theme was Marie Antoinette and we pulled out all the stops for it. I even had a fun time filming a private cake tasting at Tori & Dean’s house for the bride and groom,… -
A Gorgeous Rustic, Elegant Wedding at The Villa!
22 Dec 2011 | 3:16 pmI am just in love with this next wedding that I got to be a part of! The couple are good friends of Carissa, from JL Designs, who did all the floral design and clearly you can tell that they are have fabulous taste! They wanted their wedding design to be early southern california history mixed with some masculine texan details. I love the rich color scheme and the rustic touches here and there. The talented Ashley Rose photographed the whole wedding and I love think the photos are dreamy! The Villa at San Juan Capistrano was the fantastic venue it was held at. How cute are these… -
Featured in Southern Wedding Magazines: Mini Desserts
16 Dec 2011 | 6:29 pmWe were so excited to be featured in Southern Wedding Magazine for our Southern Style Mini Desserts! We chatted with the ladies over at the magazine about what their top favorite desserts were and then we created them in mini dessert form. We were lucky enough to have Brandon Flynn shoot the gorgeous photos for us…I had a lot of fun styling these mini treats! Mini Banana Cream Pie Shot Glass Desserts Heart Shaped Blueberry Pies w/Initials Mini Vanilla Bean Pound Cake w/Fresh Raspberries Mini Strawberry Rhubarb Lattice Pies Mini Key Lime Pies Mini Skillet Blueberry Crumble w/Vanilla… -
Scout’s 1st Birthday Party
9 Dec 2011 | 12:50 pmOne thing I love about being in the wedding industry is all the amazing vendors I get to meet and sometimes even share in their families special day as well! These gorgeous photos were taken by the amazing photographer Chenin, from Boutwell Studios! Chenin put on this fabulous rainbow birthday party for her little girl Scout’s 1st birthday! We were lucky enough to be able to do the two cakes for her, but all the rest was Chenin’s magic We based the cake design off of her invites and I just love how it turned out with the rainbow chevron pattern We also did a little buttercream…
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Jenny Bakes
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Po'e - Tahitian Fruit Pudding
15 Jan 2012 | 10:34 pmThis month for the Around the World challenge, I visited Tahiti by reading Frangipani by Celestine Vaite. Two recipes come up for baked goods and desserts, at least in internet searching - coconut bread that seems to be a hotel or maybe French influenced tradition, and po'e. I was very interested in po'e, which was described as a fruit pudding, typically served as part of the traditional tamara'a barbecues, after being baked in the fire pit. A very poetic description of po'e within its meal context can be read on Islands.com.The main recipe I found online for po'e is posted… -
Caraway Seed Cake
8 Jan 2012 | 3:26 pmIn Dubliners by James Joyce, there is a story called Counterparts. The main character, Farrington, moves in and out of pubs in Dublin. As I was reading the stories in this volume, I started marking the food words that I hadn't experienced so I could research them later - barmbracks, blancmange, and then what is mentioned in this passage:"The curate brought him a glass of plain porter. The man drank it at a gulp and asked for a caraway seed. He put his penny on the counter and, leaving the curate to grope for it in the gloom, retreated out of the snug as furtively as he had entered… -
Croatian Black Pepper Cookies (Paprenjaci)
2 Jan 2012 | 9:11 pmThis year, I am doing a reading challenge called Around the World in 52 Books with a group in GoodReads. Making the list of what I wanted to read and hunting down the books online and in used book stores has been a blast, and I will be posting reviews in GoodReads and in my reading blog, Reading Envy.Of course, reading 52 books didn't seem like enough. I started to wonder if I could challenge myself to do a baked good from every country too. Either a bread or a dessert. I'm not sure I'll have time every week, but I'm going to try! Most of the time, I will hunt… -
Holiday Cookie Redux
30 Dec 2011 | 11:48 pmIt turns out that I got so excited about my gingerbread trees with lemon icing, I forgot to talk about the other cookies I made for the holidays!I made a new kind of swirl cookie, trying to top last year's orange-nutella pinwheels. I instead made Alton Brown's Chocolate Peppermint Swirl Cookies, but they weren't quite as good. The peppermint candies get too hot in the cookie and the carmelized sugar can overbake the cookie itself.The chocolate crinkle cookies, or what my family always called "wagon wheel cookies," is just a recipe I make every year. I absolutely can't celebrate December… -
Looking Back at 2011
30 Dec 2011 | 11:36 pmResolutions are made to be broken! In my case, resolutions are made to be gleefully ignored, stomped on, and tossed out the window the minute something shiny comes along. So this will not be my wrap-up post detailing how I fulfilled my 2011 Culinary Resolutions. Nope. Move along. Nothing to see here.Okay, wait, come back. Just for a bit. Let's talk about what I did accomplish, what I've learned, and what tasty treats I've unleashed onto the world in 2011. (That's more like it!)Favorites of 2011I went with a top 5. I couldn't exclude any of…
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Real Baking with Rose Levy Beranbaum
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My New Top of the World Office Tree House in Hope
21 Jan 2012 | 8:30 amMy office in Hope was a 6 foot deep space at the end of a narrow cat walk. If I had gained 5 pounds I would no longer have been able to squeeze into the space between the back of my desk chair and the front of my desk. It never seemed like a good time to commit to construction but this summer, in between book projects, it seemed like it was now or never. My friend Patty Maertons asked her husband Edgar for a recommendation as he is the local dry wall expert. He suggested Chris Smigel, saying everyone has wonderful things to say about him. Now I know why! Not only did he go above and beyond my… -
Rose's Heavenly Cake Strip Rated #1!
17 Jan 2012 | 1:43 pmRose Levy Beranbaum Bakeware Rose's Heavenly Cake Strip, Silicone My friend Mike Quinlan of Nordic Ware just gave me the great news that The Best of America's Test Kitchen - Best Recipes & Reviews 2012" issue (page 94), listed my Rose's Heavenly Cake Strip as their "the best strip." They also mentioned that its one downfall is that it will not fit larger pans (it will fit a 10-inch pan) so I should add that they can be connected easily using silicone loops that are also great for myriad kitchen activities such as trussing a chicken, and replacing the usual string for wrapping roasts. -
Book Signing in Rhinebeck , New York
14 Jan 2012 | 8:30 amBen Fink, photographer of Rose's Heavenly Cakes, has set up a terrific event near his second home in upstate NY, the Bluecashew Kitchen Pharmacy, on February 4th, just in time for Valentine's Day. Here is the invitation and description of the event. invitation -
It's Safe to Go Back in the Batter
7 Jan 2012 | 8:30 amand the cookie dough, and the buttercream, and the whipped cream. Yes! The long cherished tradition of handing the beaters and bowl to the kids to lick is once again reestablished thanks to the availability of Safest Choice™ pasteurized eggs for the consumer. So many times, in recent years, when people have questioned me about the safety of making buttercream, I sadly had to advise them that no buttercream made with eggs (and almost all are) is considered to be safe due to the risk of salmonella which potentially could be seriously dangerous for children under 10, pregnant women, older… -
My Chocolate Cake for the UK
31 Dec 2011 | 8:30 amRecently, Green & Black's Chocolate has published its second recipe book and publisher Kyle Cathie, who was my dear editor for the UK edition of The Cake Bible, once again asked me for a contribution. I offered one of my favorite chocolate cakes, hoping that it would work well with the UK flour which is always unbleached. On a recent visit to Kate Coldrick in Devon, England, I spied a copy of the book and quickly turned to my recipe. To my delight, there was a gorgeous photo of the cake and the crumb looked absolutely perfect, but when I scrutinized the recipe I saw that self-raising flour…
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Nosh With Me
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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake
23 Jan 2012 | 11:08 pmI’m not sure how I came across this recipe, but I’m sure glad I did! Not only did I think it was fantastic, but it was it a huge hit at the office as well. And since it’s yet another spectacular recipe from Baked, you can believe I’ll be checking out the bakery next time [...] -
OXO Egg Beater Giveaway
22 Jan 2012 | 6:57 pmAs I mentioned in in my Brown Sugar Cupcakes post, OXO provided me with an additional egg beater to give away to a reader and now is your chance to win it! This egg beater is perfect for those times you have to mix a few ingredients but don’t want to break out the stand [...] -
Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting
17 Jan 2012 | 9:33 pmBy now you’re probably aware of my love of sweets with brown sugar, especially the Brown Sugar Cookies. So when I saw Bake or Break post about these cupcakes, it was a no-brainer. I was a little nervous because the recipe is from Martha Stewart, and I’ve made some recipes of hers that left a [...] -
Pop Chips Giveaway and Facebook Sweeps
10 Jan 2012 | 8:34 pmOn January 1, I began counting points (again). For those of you who have no idea what points are, consider yourself lucky. Not only does counting points mean I eat a lot less of everything I make (fortunately I have coworkers willing to inhale everything I bring in), it also means a return to stocking [...] -
Double Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
3 Jan 2012 | 2:49 pmHappy new year! I hope 2012 is starting out well for everyone. I had a fun time at my friend’s party and the champagne cupcakes were a huge hit. I think next time I may try them with the Pop Rocks on top. Fun, huh? Because the cupcakes only required 1/2 cup of sour cream, [...]
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Baking Bites
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Coconut Custard Pie
27 Jan 2012 | 5:46 pmAs a fan of coconut, I like it in most types of desserts and baked goods. This includes cakes, cookies, muffins and pies. Coconut cream pie is probably the most common type of coconut pie you’ll find. It is made with a pudding-like filling that is packed with shredded coconut and poured into a prebaked pie shell, very similar to a chocolate cream pie. Coconut Custard Pie is a little different than a cream pie and just might be a better way to enjoy coconut. Coconut Custard Pie has an eggy custard base that is not pre-cooked, but baked right in the pie shell. Rather than having a… -
Garden Cookie Cutters
27 Jan 2012 | 8:19 amIt may not be time for spring as far as the flowers in your garden are concerned (even during a mild winter), but with this set of Garden Cookie Cutters you can get spring started in the comfort of your kitchen. These cookie cutters are some of the cutest cutters I’ve seen in a long time because the plastic is shaped just like the finished cookies. The cutters punch out very detailed cookies not just the outlines of cookies – in eight different designs, including a rose, daisy, tulip, dahlia, ladybug, butterfly, bumble bee and dragonfly. They’re easy to grip and kids will… -
What does it mean to temper chocolate?
26 Jan 2012 | 5:24 pmTempering is a word that means improving the consistency, durability or hardness of a substance by heating and cooling it. Many substances, including metals, are tempered but the most important one might be chocolate. Tempered chocolate is very glossy, has a firm finish and melts smoothly at around body temperature. It is chocolate at its very best, and tempered chocolate is what most good quality chocolate candies, candy bars and bon bons are made out of. Tempering is done by melting solid chocolate to a temperature high enough that the crystals in the cocoa butter (yes, there are tiny… -
Nordic Ware Sweetheart Rose Cake Pan
26 Jan 2012 | 8:59 amWhat could be better than a bouquet of roses on a holiday like Valentine’s Day? How about a bouquet of edible roses made from cake? The Nordic Ware Sweetheart Rose Cake Pan is a nonstick, cast aluminum pan that bakes cakes into a dozen detailed roses. Each rose looks like a bloom that hasn’t quite opened yet, and while they are very detailed, but the details of the petals are well planned out so it is still easy to get the cakes out of the pan with the design intact. The cavities of the pan each hold a half cup of batter, which makes them about the same size as your standard…
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Cream Puffs In Venice
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Magazine Mondays: Citrus!
23 Jan 2012 | 10:24 pmWelcome to the first edition of Magazine Mondays for 2012! I have slowly been easing my way back into my work schedule as I’m still trying to come down from the tremendous high of my holiday trip to Italy. As always, the highlight of that trip was the food. When I’m in Italy and I’m eating (which is pretty much 23 hours a day), I try to be very mindful of what I’m eating and how it was prepared. My aunts are all tremendous cooks and of course they all cook instinctively, having spent an entire lifetime in the kitchen. You don’t see any cookbooks lying around in… -
What I Did on My Christmas Vacation …
6 Jan 2012 | 5:53 pmI am back from an unbelievably beautiful holiday in Italy where my mom, my brother and I spent Christmas and New Year’s with my father’s family in Ascoli Piceno, Le Marche. We had such a beautiful time, filled with so much laughter and talk and of course … food! So. Much. Food. Being away from the usual holiday hustle and bustle of a big city reminded me that Christmas is not about buying stuff. Most of our time was spent either cooking or baking or gathered around the table sharing a glass of wine. I feel so blessed. I think my favourite moments, though, were the nights in… -
My Wish For You
20 Dec 2011 | 9:45 amVery soon, I will be boarding a plane for a flight to Rome. I will be spending my very first Christmas outside Canada. I will be spending my holidays, along with my mother and brother, in the loving company of my father’s family in Ascoli Piceno. We’ve been planning this trip for months and even though the time to depart is here, it still seems a bit unbelievable to me. Then again, it’s hard for me to believe that it’s been ten years since my beloved papa’ left us. Most often, at this time of year, I find myself trying to focus on the year that was and the year… -
Magazine Mondays: Where did 2011 Go?
19 Dec 2011 | 1:30 amWowza! What exactly happened to 2011? I feel like it was just yesterday that I was making all sorts of plans for 2011, imagining what the year ahead would hold. Well … here we are. Once again I find myself staring out at the horizon as a new year slowly starts to make itself known. Like every year, 2011 was unique. It had its good moments and bad, it had its ups and downs, it had its highlights and its moments that I’d rather forget. My family is with me and everyone is safe and moving forward so that, in of itself, is a blessing. I once had a boss who gave me a very helpful bit… -
It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year!
3 Dec 2011 | 9:26 pmDecember 1st is probably one of my favourite days of the year. Not only does it mark the end of November (always a tough month for my family), but it marks the beginning of the holiday season. I always give people fair warning. If you’re in my presence from December 1st onward you are more than likely to be exposed to 24-hour Christmas music stations, non-stop discussion of cookie baking, musings about what the best options are for Christmas Eve dessert and incessant calendar-watching as I strategize about what days are best to make the various holiday treats that my family makes every…
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Cupcake Project
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Parmesan Sour Cream Cupcakes with Raspberry Whipped Cream Frosting
26 Jan 2012 | 2:07 pmCross a cheese biscuit with angel food cake and you get Parmesan sour cream cupcakes. They're buttery, airy, sticky and sugary on the edges, and they have a tang from Parmesan that works in a cupcake so much better than you would ever expect. If you like the combination of sweet and salty, this is a cupcake for you. The Parmesan sour cream cake recipe came from Susan at LunaCafe. She was inspired to develop the recipe after trying Parmesan pound cake at Metrovino in Portland, Oregon. Susan had the following to say about her version of the Parmesan cake: This is… -
Business Time: Announcing New Save Recipe and Pinterest Buttons - Plus a MOO Card Giveaway
23 Jan 2012 | 7:12 amMy MOO cards Let's talk business for a few minutes. Cupcake Project has a couple of new features designed to make your life easier. First, I'll share them with you, and then I'll tell you about a sweet MOO card giveaway (MOO cards are business cards, but you'll love them even if you don't have a business - I'll explain why later). Saving Recipes I've teamed up with ZipList to add a new feature to Cupcake Project that allows you to save recipes and create shopping lists (both on Ziplist's site and also using their free mobile app). To save Cupcake Project recipes, just click… -
Buffalo Chicken Super Bowl Cupcakes
17 Jan 2012 | 10:05 pmAfter hearing that I was going to bake buffalo chicken Super Bowl cupcakes (with hot sauce and blue cheese in the cake and a blue cheese buttercream frosting), one of my friends asked if I would be baking the cupcakes as as a joke. "Are they just supposed to be funny, or will you actually enjoy eating buffalo chicken cupcakes?" Having not yet baked the Super Bowl cupcakes, I told them that I was baking them mostly for the fun of it. I didn't expect them to be particularly good. When my house started to smell like buffalo wings (there was no chicken involved at this point), I… -
Shoofly Pie Cupcakes
13 Jan 2012 | 1:25 pmIf you saw my post on shoofly pie bars, you now know what shoofly pie is (if you didn't see the post, have a look). I could say that shoofly pie cupcakes are my cupcake interpretation of shoofly pie. But, it's more fun to say that shoofly pie cupcakes are the cupcake version of shoofly pie bars, which are the bar version of shoofly pie. Shoofly pie cupcakes are sticky sweet cupcakes made with sugar syrup and brown sugar crumbs. They are best served warm with whipped cream or à la mode. Shoofly Pie Cupcake Recipe The recipe for my shoofly pie cupcakes comes from Sallie's… -
Shoofly Pie Bars
11 Jan 2012 | 3:04 pmShoofly pie (or Shoo-Fly pie) bars are a modern twist on the classic Pennsylvania Dutch pie made with sugar syrup (more on which kind of syrup later). Shoofly pie bars start with a buttery oatmeal shortbread base - solid enough for you to hand-hold the bars. Above the shortbread is a blend of spiced brown sugar crumbs and sugary syrup that solidifies into a moist/spongy cake layer (it's what coffee cake wishes it could be). The top is scattered with a few more of those brown sugar crumbs for good measure. Though you may never have tried shoofly pie (and I can almost guarantee that…
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David Lebovitz
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I’m not complaining…
27 Jan 2012 | 1:15 amDuring my first week of French class, many years ago, one of the very first words we learned was râleur, or complainer. Back then, I wasn’t sure why our teacher was making sure we understood that particular word, but I’ve come to realize why it’s so important now. I’m not one to râle, or complain (although there are likely scores of people I’ve worked with over the years who would say otherwise), but this last week has been really hard. At the beginning of the week, I walked into my place under full construction – everything covered with plaster dust, tarps… -
Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Lemon-Tahini Dressing
25 Jan 2012 | 4:47 amOver the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to use up things I already have in the cupboard, plus eat seasonally, plus make things that are relatively easy to make – and this salad fit the bill on all counts. It combines tahini with wild rice and used up some of the marvelous root vegetables that I can’t help buying at the market, even though I should be using up what I’ve already got on hand. It’s not the prettiest salad in the world, but compared to what I didn’t show you of my refrigerator, that bowl should be hanging in the Louvre. Speaking of which,… -
Ma lampe de cuisine
22 Jan 2012 | 1:56 amExcuse the pun, but it’s been very illuminating hunting down a light for my kitchen. I’m not sure if it’s because of the high price of electricity in France, or what, but sometimes it feels like I’m living in a country of Jewish mothers whose goal it to keep lights off as much as possible. Yet with the high price of electricity, and the debate over the proliferation of nuclear power plants in France – (we’re #2!), it’s no wonder people are happy to be kept in the dark. Every time I go to my eye doctor for an exam, I’m always surprised when I… -
Le Siffleur de Ballons
19 Jan 2012 | 12:39 amIt wouldn’t be the first time, but I almost had an accident on my bike when I was heading to yet another tile store (who knew is was going to be so hard to find plain, white tiles?), and raced past a new place on my list. I had the usual 4 second debate in my head whether I should stop and grab a bite and a glass of wine, before I made the decision to grind myself to a halt and hitch my bike to a signpost. Fortunately no one else was injured, but let’s just say that I think I need to lower my bike seat a little in case I have to brake unexpectedly in the future. (Well, at least if… -
New Digs
16 Jan 2012 | 12:38 amWell, I did it. After nearly ten years of living in Paris, I am finally going to have a place that I can call my own. After dipping my feet in, and checking apartments from time-to-time, I decided that it was time I went ahead and did it. So I bought my own apartment. Hunting for an apartment in Paris is quite an adventure; there’s no multiple listings like there are in other countries (and it’s estimated that over half the apartments in Paris get sold directly by the owners), so you need to spend an inordinate amount of time searching online, in the newspapers, and in real estate…
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Jim's Chocolate Mission
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January 25th: Midweek Mini Cadbury Dairy Milk Bubbly
25 Jan 2012 | 1:00 amOur 'Midweek Mini' today comes courtesy of our pals at Cadbury UK and their new 'Bubbly' chocolates. I first heard of these new bars about two weeks ago (See HERE), and it didn't take me long to track them down in my local Tesco supermarket on sale for their RRP £1.42 each. Described as 'Milk chocolate with an aerated milk/white chocolate centre', I have to say I found the prospect of these so called 'New' chocolates rather unexciting. Given the presence of the blocked Cadbury Dairy Milk Bubbly bar and Cadbury Wispa already on our UK shelves, I found it somewhat surprising Cadbury chose… -
January 23rd: Kit Kat Strawberry Cheesecake / Yatsuhashi
23 Jan 2012 | 1:00 amWe started the year looking at two of the latest flavours to be gracing the ever expanding Japanese world of Kit Kats with the Wasabi & Black Honey flavours (See HERE). Well since this time I've been trying out yet another two flavours which you will see reviews for below today. Please do remember, if any of these take your fancy, you can try them out for yourselves by heading over to J-List and paying my friend Peter a visit. Please be warned that some of the content on that site isn't suitable for younger viewers ;) (J-List HERE) -----Kit Kat Strawberry Cheesecake (Yokohama Edition)Kcal… -
January 19th: Kit Kat Chunky Peanut Butter
19 Jan 2012 | 1:00 amKcal 260 Fat 15.2g Carbs 26.2gAnyone who doubted me saving the best until last obviously doesn't know how things work round here :D This was one of the first ever bars I reviewed on ChocolateMission way waaaaaay back in February 2009 - See HERE. At the time I had no idea that the bar would then go on to be axed for the release of the Kit Kat Chunky Caramel - a decision which many of us today still bemoan :D 'Crispy wafer finger with a creamed peanut topping, covered in milk chocolate' - this not only sounded the business, but the familiar peanut scents smelt just as lovely as I remembered. -
January 18th: Kit Kat Chunky Double Choc
18 Jan 2012 | 1:00 amKcal 256 Fat 14.8g Carbs 28.0g Our penultimate review this weeks has me taking me a look at another flavour that has never been present here in the UK. Looking elsewhere online I have managed to track this bar down to Australia - See HERE, where it appears to have once made up the triple variant Chunky range over there. Interestingly enough, a quick look at the Australian Nestle website revealed that it has obviously been axed, as it no longer appears listed as part of the range - See HERE.Described as a 'crisp wafer finger with a chocolate flavour topping, covered in milk chocolate', this… -
January 17th: Kit Kat Chunky Orange
17 Jan 2012 | 1:00 amKcal 247 Fat 12.5g Carbs 30.2g Day Two, and becuase it's a Tuesday I've decided to throw my least favourite of the selection in to the mix (I don't like Tuesdays :D). Today the Kit Kat Chunky Orange takes it's stab at the JCM rating system. As far as I'm aware this is a bar that is new to the Chunky format, and has only previously appeared in it's two finger form - See HERE. I was interested to see how the bar would do in this 48.0g form - Just for your information all of the new four bars weigh in at 48.0g. Out of the four this the strongest smelling of the selection, the orange scents…
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Cookie baker lynn
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What To Eat
19 Jan 2012 | 4:49 pmOne of the hardest parts about going grain-free is menu planning. I'm such a creature of habit that it's hard for me to think outside of my standard menu go-to's: hamburgers, tacos, and pizza.Pizza is particularly hard as we've had a tradition in our house of having pizza every Saturday night. Ever since I learned how to make a good pizza dough, we've had pizza and a show on Saturdays. We had pizza with Star Trek- The Next Generation. We had pizza with The New Adventures of Lois and Clark. And now we have pizza with whatever we've Tivo'd (that's a verb, right?) You can… -
What's New
15 Jan 2012 | 9:08 amIt's strange how some arbitrary things become meaningful. Birthdays that end in zero have much more importance than the rest of the decade. Anniversaries that are divisible by 5 are held in higher esteem than the others. And buying a new calendar makes us feel that somehow there's a new start; everything's new, fresh, and open to reinvention.One of the things I've been reinventing is our diet. I'm constantly tinkering to see what will help us all be our healthiest. This past Christmas we spent passing the flu around like a White Elephant gift being regifted over and over. We were sick of… -
Happy New Year!
31 Dec 2011 | 3:05 pmCan it be that another year has already whizzed past? It's been a busy year. Between baking, homeschooling, vacationing, hosting cooking camps, and watching my granddaughter grow up, I haven't been posting nearly as much as I would've liked to. I'm not making a resolution of it, but I will try to be a bit more consistent in the coming year.So here's a toast to the year gone by and the one yet to come. May the joy increase, the inevitable pains be productive, the lessons be learned quickly, and the calories not count.I'm toasting with a glass of the best eggnog I've ever had. I've never been a… -
Christmas Crack
22 Dec 2011 | 9:32 amIt's been 4 years now since I shared on my blog the perilous substance known as Killer Crack Peanut Butter Fudge. I've been strong and resisted the temptation to make it for quite a while now, but I've gotten some terrific comments from readers who have. My favorite was this:This is the fudge my husband rebukes, the way any good evangelical man rebukes sin, fearing and secretly lusting after it. He literally carries plates of this stuff to the neighbors so that it will not dwell under his roof, or on his waist. And yet I keep making it. The making AND the rebuking; a weird holiday tradition… -
Eureka!
8 Dec 2011 | 2:35 pmOh, man, I thought I was all set for Christmas. All of the planning and shopping done, just wrapping and shipping left to do. Wrong. Someone went and did something amazing, transferring their name from Santa's Good List to the Most Excellent List.When I was typing up my last post I looked and looked for the recipe. I searched in all of the likely spots -the shelves that holds my cookbooks, the other other shelves that hold my cookbooks, the other other shelves that hold my cookbooks (what do you think, too many cookbooks?) and in the magazine holders that hold all my old Bon Appetite's and…
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CakeJournal
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Handcrafted Sugar Flowers with Jacqueline Butler
24 Jan 2012 | 4:05 amYou may know Jacqueline Butler as the artist behind beautiful handcrafted sugar flowers like Ranunculus, Peonies and Hydrangeas. She is a highly requested sugar craft teacher and have now started working together with Craftsy, where she is taking online video courses to a whole new level. With Craftsy, you can now sit home and learn how to make two of Jacqueline’s favorite sugar flowers: The Hydrangea and the small filler flowers. These two flowers are often to be found in the sweet floral bouquet that Jacqueline makes. She will also teach you how to make the gum paste that she is using… -
Classic vanilla cupcake recipe
18 Jan 2012 | 1:41 pmThere are tons of recipes for the most classic cupcake of them all. The vanilla cupcake! I have lost track on how many different recipes, that I have tried to myself. Some was good, some was bad and some failed to a disaster. There are many different opinions on what makes a good vanilla cupcake. So, no wonder why there are thousands of vanilla cupcake recipes out there. Yesterday I was going through a stack of old recipes, and I was thrilled to find an old recipe for vanilla cupcakes. I remember them as a bit too greasy but with a good taste. So I decided to make some small modifications to… -
The gingerbread house
27 Dec 2011 | 9:49 amIt’s been some very busy days around Christmas but I still wanted to share my little gingerbread house with you. It is inspired by a gingerbread house that I saw in the Martha Stewart Holiday Sweets magazine from 2009. The roof is all glittered with lots of sugar. I have used gelatin sheets for the windows, which I like better than the melted candy windows. Inside is a small string of holiday bulbs, which gives the house a nice glow. I have only piped a little white royal icing on the house as I do like my gingerbread house simple. Here you can see how it looks when it’s getting… -
How to make a gingerbread Christmas cookie tree
12 Dec 2011 | 3:49 pmThis is a tutorial for the gingerbread Christmas cookie tree that I made last year. I used my Christmas cookie tree as a centerpiece on our buffet and there were such a wonderful smell of cinnamon, ginger and cloves during the Christmas days. You could also make a little forest with tree’s in different sizes and use them for a Christmas winter scenery? I have used the Christmas cookie tree kit from Wilton. But any kind of nesting star cookie cutters can be used. To get more height to the tree, use 2 stars in the same size for each “layer”. Also remember to cut out 3 of the… -
CakeJournals November favourites
24 Nov 2011 | 6:57 amIt’s time for another round of CakeJournals favourites. This month it’s about snowflakes and smart storage. Snowflake cookie cutters: My newest buy are these two snowflake cookie cutter sets. You can make the most beautiful laced snowflake cookies with the cutters. It’s just like a puzzle. Mix the cutters, with star cookie cutters and you will get beautiful laced snowflakes. The large set comes with 5 snowflake cutters and 3 small insert cutters and the small tin box set, comes with 3 snowflake cutters and 2 insert cutters. The photo above are just some test samples, since I…
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Ice Cream Ireland
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John Street Wren
16 Jan 2012 | 9:37 amClick here to view the embedded video. Sorry for the delay in posting this, but here’s the John Street Wren out on the day! Technorati tags: wren, dreoilín, day, St. Stephen, Dingle, Kerry Bookmark to (click here): Hide Sites -
Fundraising – A Little Way to Go
28 Dec 2011 | 11:12 amWe’ve been busy in the wintery world of ice cream, trying to tie up a BES scheme to help us expand. The BES has been set up (and will be managed) by Quintas in Cork, and although we have a fund that approved a chunk of the amount we’re looking for, it was less then we had hoped, so we’re short in terms of getting the BES fully subscribed. So… if you know anyone who has been grumbling about their taxes and might be interested in an ice cream investment (there’s a sweetener of equity as well as the usual tax relief), please spread the word. I’d be happy to… -
Dingle Aquarium
21 Dec 2011 | 6:39 pmClick here to view the embedded video. I made this video a while back but forgot to post it. It’s Róisín at the Dingle Aquarium. Worth a visit if you’re in town and have little ones! Bookmark to (click here): Hide Sites -
Granny’s Christmas Pudding Ice Cream
20 Dec 2011 | 10:32 amSome months ago, I was contacted by Geoffrey, a customer in our Dublin shop, who asked would I be interested in making Christmas pudding ice cream, made from puddings he cooked up using a recipe from his grandmother, Bridget (photo above, also supplied by Geoffrey). Needless to say, this was the kind of opportunity I love – it combined a good story with a customer and an Irish tradition. Geoffrey was kind enough to seek out a registered kitchen for his cooking so that we could be covered in terms of food safety, and soon I had some of the most tasty pudding in my hands. He’s… -
Job Opportunity in Dingle
6 Dec 2011 | 1:00 pmI’m sorry to announce that we’re losing our fabulous Dingle shop manager, Claire, who is off to travel foreign lands. We wish her well, and it means that a position has opened up in Dingle. Please see below. Bookmark to (click here): Hide Sites
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Simply Sweets Cake Studio, Scottsdale/Phoenix, AZ - custom cakes, cupcakes & chocolates
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Shabby Chic Baby Shower - ruffles and lace
27 Jan 2012 | 2:37 pmWe recently created these lace decorated chocolate dipped oreos and cream, peach and light aqua colored ruffle mini cupcakes for a shabby chic baby shower. Our customer also ordered our clear rock candy sticks for the dessert buffet.Our customer was inspired by the Tre Shabby Chic baby shower she posted on the Hostess with the Mostess blog -
80th Birthday Pink Rose Themed Cupcake Tower
26 Jan 2012 | 1:33 pmThis cupcake tower was ordered for a 80th birthday celebration for a woman who loves roses and pink. Everything was iced pink and decorated with roses and simple flowers in two shades of pink and yellow. The topper cake had an 80 on top and everything was displayed on our 3 tier cupcake tower.Inspiration cupcake towers: -
Its a Boy Baby Shower
26 Jan 2012 | 12:26 pmWe created these party favors and cupcakes for a baby shower for a baby boy who decided to arrive a few days before his shower and the shower was post poned a few weeks. The decorations for the shower were all in blue and white and we added some monkeys to the cupcakes for the jungle themed nursery. -
Pink and Purple Polka Dot 2 Tier Baby Shower Cake
26 Jan 2012 | 11:23 amPink and purple polka dots! This one is topped with our popular fondant baby shoes. -
4th Birthday Racecar Party Favors
26 Jan 2012 | 10:19 amWe created these party favors for a boy turning 4 who loves cars! Each bag contained one milk chocolate and one white chocolate dipped pretzel sprinkled with car shaped confetti. We added a coordinating ribbon and a custom tag.
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Cupcakes Take The Cake
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Neopolitan cupcake by Kara's Cupcakes
27 Jan 2012 | 7:00 pmI would say when it comes to ice cream and cupcakes, I prefer my chocolate, vanilla and strawberry to be eaten separately but I don't think I've ever actually eaten a Neopolitan cupcake, so I can't say for sure. Must fix that in 2012! I will also say that I think Neopolitan cupcakes are gorgeous. This one's by Kara's Cupcakes in the San Francisco Bay Area, via their Facebook page. Also via their Facebook page: Happy National Chocolate Cake Day! Every day is a food holiday, apparently. See karascupcakes.com for store locations and ordering information. -
Free cupcake alert, streetcar popup shopedition: tomorrow in Toronto
27 Jan 2012 | 5:33 pmFrom Post City, the scoop on tomorrow's free cupcake giveaway in Toronto. If you go, we'd love a photo, either email us at cupcakestakethecake at gmail.com or Tweet us @cupcakeblog - this is definitely upping the cupcake popup shop ante!For the few who don’t tune in to W Network (i.e. straight dudes), Heather White and Lori Joyce are Gemini-award-winning, Dragon’s-Den-triumphing, Canadian reality TV royalty right now. Their “docu-soap,” The Cupcake Girls, is the story of how the best friends build their B.C. cupcake franchise, Cupcakes by Heather and Lori. Put simply, the show rocks. -
Chocolate cherry cupcakes and recipe link
27 Jan 2012 | 4:56 pmI used to dye my hair Feria's Chocolate Cherry so I like the way those two words sound together. Personally, I enjoy fresh cherries but not "cherry flavor" though I think cherries on top of cupcakes are beautiful. These chocolate cherry cupcakes are by blogger Food Snots, where you can get the recipe! They say: "A perfect balance of chocolate, cherry, and frosting. "Via Flickr. -
Parmesan Sour Cream Cupcakes with Raspberry Whipped Cream
27 Jan 2012 | 1:02 pmInteresting....Made by Stef at the cupcakeproject.com.I may have to try these babies out just to see what they actually taste like! It sounds like a Cupcake Wars ingredients challenge!For the full recipe, click here! -
Pancakes and bacon, salty chocolate trail mix, piňa colada, chocolate coconut custard, blueberry cream cheese, chocolate chip and many more cupcakes by Brandon Cakes in Kailua, Hawaii
27 Jan 2012 | 1:00 pmBefore I share these beautiful cupcake photos that make me want to just be in a room with all these gorgeous cupcakes, I want to say that one of the things I love most about cupcake blogging is the community of bloggers, bakers, and eaters. I've been very impressed with how collegial the bakers I've corresponded with in Hawaii are, and this is a case in point: I discovered Brandon Cakes, the company whose custom cupcakes are seen below, because Angel Cakes Hawaii posted on our Facebook page. Pretty cool, right? Also cool is Tuesday night's Honolulu Cupcakes Take the Cake meetup with free…
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KUIDAORE
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Happy New Year, Mont Blanc and 11 Cookbook Musthaves of 2011
12 Jan 2012 | 7:43 pmHappy New Year! I hope your 2012 has gotten off to a fantastic start. And I hope 2011 was as momentous a year for you as it was for me. May 2012 be an even more outrageously great year for everyone! We celebrated the eve with a wonderful potluck with a few good friends. Every contribution was superfragilisticexpialidocious, I exaggerate not. I volunteered dessert, keen as I was to have a gander at a Mont Blanc recipe I'd flagged as mustmake from William Curley's Couture Chocolate. If it is any indication, it is but one flag amidst the thickets of other similarly intentioned… -
Handcrafted Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen
8 Oct 2011 | 1:58 pmIs it just me or did 2011 zip by in a blinding flash? One morning, I woke up, rubbed my eyes, and realized it was high time to start thinking about a holiday class menu. This high time being sometime in July, that is. I'll be the first to admit that I never get off to a flying start. Rather, it takes quite a while warming up...you know, to thinking creatively about Christmas in the most swelteringly hot period of the year and all that jazz. A failsafe kickstart is to crank up the AC to near freezing temperatures, put on Nat King Cole's festive tunes, huddle under a cashmere throw, and sip a… -
Nouveau Nostalgic Sweets: Heirloom Flavours Reinvented
1 Jul 2011 | 12:58 amI'll be teaching a new demo class at Shermay's Cooking School on 23 July 2011 (Saturday) and 24 July 2011 (Sunday). For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or 6479 8414, or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sgThe menu revolves around fresh takes on nostalgic heirloom flavours like palm sugar, coconut, pandan and malted milk, putting a new spin on treasured favourites.Sticky Cinnamon Rolls with Palm Sugar & Pecans Cinnabon addicts, take heart. Meet your ultimate sticky, gooey, decadent match in the form of a brioche-like yeasted roll lavished with crunchy pecans… -
Nostalgia Is The Most Powerful Seasoning: My Book! And A Party!
23 May 2011 | 1:38 amI've been bursting to say something sooner, but kept it close to my chest out of sheer personal superstition. Well, the cat is out of the bag, my book has gone to print, and it will be released very shortly.I am so excited and thrilled that I'm practically speechless...the operating word here being practically, of course! The modesty of the book's size and scope - "Nostalgia Is The Most Powerful Seasoning" is a concise collection of my food essays with a sprinkling of heirloom family recipes published by Ate Media - belies its gestation period, to me at least. I very much feel as if the… -
Sinfully Sinless Superfood Sweets
17 Apr 2011 | 1:18 pmInspiration is everywhere. It can be as randomly encountered as some scrumptious slice of polenta cake grabbed from an unassuming gem of an Italian deli in Clerkenwell and eaten on-the-go.Or as deliberately masticated as a sliver of divine sesame halva that's tiding you over as you stand in ridiculously long line for the most awesome (and messy) falafel sandwich from rue des Rosiers in the Marais.As Emerson said, though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.Fortunately, just as often, you don't have to wander far from…
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CakeItaly
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Some italian video recipe of DESSERTS
14 Jan 2012 | 7:44 amSome italian video recipe of DESSERTS – – Download our iPhone app about Italian food My Italian recipes. -
Create you app for your business
6 Jan 2012 | 2:36 pmMobintegro is mobile development company who can provide you the way to success. I can tell you my experience in this field. I created an app regarding italian food and i published it in the app store at the end of summer. In one week it became the first app in the 25 top italian app. The numbers of download arrived to 1000 per days and different newspapers (corriere della sera, l’eco di bergamo, giornale di bergamo) stared to speak about RICETTE DOLIC. If you look for “ricette Dolci” (Italian recipe) inthe app store, you can find my app and try a different way to collect… -
All the 2011 movie with italian recipes by ex pasticcere
4 Jan 2012 | 1:56 pmAll the 2011 movies with italian recipes by ex pasticcere – – Download our iPhone app about Italian food My Italian recipes. -
Some delicious strack for you pc
4 Jan 2012 | 1:54 pmDo you use itunes in order to dowload your favorite songs? I found this delicious site where you can find thousand of tracks. In the last european chart you can download, for exemple: -Take That – Progress Progress (by Take That) - Loud (by Rihanna) - Some Kind Of Trouble (by James Blunt) - The Sun Comes Out (by Shakira) and many other tracks There are a lot of Lady Gaga songs like - A Very Gaga Holiday - lady gaga (Gaga Takeover Pt 1) - Paparazzi (Cdm) - Telephone (Remixes) - Gaga Mash Up - The Monster Ball Tour (Live In Camden) - Bad Romance (Remix) - The Fame Monster Also Pink with… -
A delicious collaboration with Cakeitaly
1 Jan 2012 | 2:05 pmDo you want to improve your image in the internet world? i found Netpeak. It has helped me with SEO Software in order to improve my position in the search engine. They provide you a PPC improvement. Their portfolio is composed by these famous companies: - MP3mixx.com - kalinka-store.com - morpher.com - Education4drivers.com - mgpheathrow.co.uk - farcont.com - odessarentaflat.com - renaissancesuitesodessa.com They are now using the PPC strategy and othe instrument to become the new cocacola brand. NETPEAK has 5 years of work experience in Internet marketing, it has a staff of more than 70…
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Cookie Madness
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Mary’s Rye Quick Bread
27 Jan 2012 | 4:49 pmThis has been one of those crazy, insane weeks where I barely have time to brush my teeth let alone post a cookie. Given the circumstances, I reached out to my friend Mary at Chew The Fat (creator of awesome breakfast cereal personality tests) and asked if she’d like to share a recipe here on Cookie [...] -
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies with Kelapo Coconut Oil
25 Jan 2012 | 8:13 amIt’s safe to say coconut oil is my new favorite baking product. It won’t replace the flavor of butter, but I love how coconut oil makes pie crusts flakey, gives cookies crispy edges, and adds a dense, soft, moist quality to quick breads. And wouldn’t it be nice if its purported health benefits were true? [...] -
Pink Lemonade Biscotti
23 Jan 2012 | 12:18 pmIt seems like forever since I last posted an actual cookie, so here’s one from this morning. I needed something pink and cheery and these fit the bill. They’re fairly lemony with the tablespoon of lemon zest, but if you want to try adding something like a bit of pink lemonade powder or lemon extract, [...]
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Pink Cake Box Wedding Cakes & more
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Pea in the Pod Baby Shower Cupcake Stand
27 Jan 2012 | 7:47 pmPea in the Pod Bab Shower Cupcake Tiers Melissa saw our baby in a pod cupcake topper online and wanted us to replicate something similar for her upcoming baby shower. We decorated the top of cake with a pea pod and umbrella daisy. Peering out of the pea pod is a little baby’s head. The cake tier is covered in white with stripes in purple, green & yellow. Cupcakes for Baby Shower Pea in the Pod Topper With the red velvet topper cake we also included one hundred cupcakes which included the following flavors – vanilla with chocolate buttercream, chocolate with raspberry chambord… -
Pink Zebra Print Cupcake Tower
25 Jan 2012 | 9:29 pmPink Zebra Print Cupcake Tower Kate celebrated her six birthday with this hot pink zebra print cupcake stand and cupcakes. The topper was covered in pink fondant and black zebra stripes with a black bow. Inside the topper was vanilla cake dyed hot pink with raspberry chambord buttercream. Zebra Birthday Cupcake Tiers The cupcakes were vanilla dyed hot pink with hot pink vanilla buttercream. Each cupcake was placed in a zebra print liner to match the party’s theme. We were also fortunate enough to create Kate’s 4th birthday cake as well! Happy Birthday Kate! Michele left us this… -
Pink Ombré Wedding Cake
24 Jan 2012 | 9:33 pmPink Ombré Wedding Cake This past weekend we had the pleasure of participating in the Country Club Bride Seasonal Wedding Showcase at the beautiful TPC Jasna Polana in Princeton, NJ. Calla Lilies, Tulips, Roses, Peonies, and Hydrangea adorn this Pink Ombre Wedding Cake We created this pink ombré wedding cake for the event. The cake included six tiers of varying heights along with several bouquets of included calla lilies, tulips, roses, peonies and hydrangea. Very Pink Flowers! We hope to do more pink ombré wedding cakes this year! An alternative option for brides that like the pink… -
Green Hydrangea Wedding Cake
23 Jan 2012 | 8:14 pmGreen Hydrangea Wedding Cake We had the opportunity to deliver another cake to the beautiful Stonehouse at Stirling Ridge in Warren, NJ this weekend. The 4 tier round wedding cake was decorated in green hydrangea which was coordinated with the bride’s bouquet. The base of each tier was covered in a black fondant band with white piped pearls. The bride and groom provided a crystal monogram “S” for the top of the cake. Flavors and fillings included chocolate with raspberry chambord and vanilla buttercream, pink velvet with vanilla buttercream, vanilla with vanilla buttercream,… -
Tutu Dress & Ballerina Shoe Cookies
21 Jan 2012 | 10:16 pmTutu Dress Cookies This past weekend we created black, white and pink ballerina shoes and tutu dress cookies for a girls birthday party. The ballerina cookies were decorated in fondant with a fondant bow at the top. Ballerina Dress Cookies The dress cookies were covered in white fondant with a combination of pink gumpaste decorations and black ruffled decorations. Black ruffled dress cookie with white top
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Beantown Baker
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Cheesey Mushroom Pull Apart Bread
27 Jan 2012 | 8:36 amI'm just going to come out and say this bread is AMAZING. Seriously. If you are looking for ideas for the Superbowl, MAKE THIS BREAD. Actually, you should make it this weekend to test it out and play with what flavors you want to use as a practice run. Then make it again next weekend to share with your friends at the Superbowl. But be warned, it's quite addictive. In fact, maybe you should plan to bring two to your Superbowl party. It's seriously so gooey from the melted cheese. The butter, green onion, and poppy seed sauce on top really takes this bread to the next level. When I saw this… -
Pretzel Bites
26 Jan 2012 | 10:23 amHave you guys been noticing the theme around here recently? That's right - it's time to start thinking about Superbowl party food. To me, football means finger foods and appetizers. And bacon. We'll get the bacon soon enough. First, let's talk about pretzels. I love making homemade soft pretzels, but I think I love these little pretzel bites even more. First of all, you don't have to shape them into pretzels, just roll the dough into a long snake and snip off little pieces. Easy peasy. And for whatever reason, as bites, the pretzels are even more additictive. What is it about small foods that… -
Amped Up Rice Krispies Treats
25 Jan 2012 | 9:20 amYou know how certain foods can just take you back. Whether it's to a time or place, sometimes even the scent of a food can really trigger a memory. One random memory I have is eating applesauce to the tune of Jeopardy. Every time I see a jar of applesauce, that song just runs through my head. I think it's because Jeopardy was on around dinner time growing up. And I hated applesauce. Blech. But my sister Brooke loved it. She ate it by itself, one her hamburgers, on her spaghetti. She's weird. Anyways, the whole reason for my tangent was thinking how Rice Krispies treats take us all back to our… -
Mini Roast Beef, Goat Cheese, and Radish Sandwiches
24 Jan 2012 | 11:04 amI made these little sandwiches for a party we had at our house a while ago. They were a HUGE hit and would be perfect for the Superbowl in a couple weeks. You could really use whatever sandwich combinations you enjoy in some little puff pastry buns. Making the little puff pastry buns took a bit of time just because after they cooled, they all had to be cut in half. I made the puff pastry buns one day and assembled the sandwiches the next day. Hubby requested roast beef and I decided to pair it with some creamy herbed goat cheese and a thin slice of radish to give it some bite and crunch. The… -
White Chocolate Frito Popcorn
23 Jan 2012 | 10:07 amI like love Frito's. In fact, I'm pretty sure they have crack in them. Especially the Frito's Scoops. They simply have a perfect amount salt and corn and crunch. They're perfect. If you've been reading for a while, you may have picked up on my love of Frito's. I made Frito Candy over four years ago! I think that was the first time I had Frito's and chocolate. Then I was inspired about a year and a half later to take a stab at putting Frito's into a cupcake. They were delicious but not very pretty. Then last year, I perfected the Frito Cupcake. Seriously, those guys are dangerously…
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Tartelette
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Apple Cinnamon Doughnuts
27 Jan 2012 | 12:39 amSoft, fragrant, pillowy morsels of dough encasing a cinnamon scented ring of apple goodness. Apple Cinnamon Doughnuts. These will make you turn into the worst poet. Granted. But oh sweetness, they... -
Currently...
24 Jan 2012 | 4:52 pmHeirloom Book Company, downtown Charleston. If you are looking for me, I am currently going through 1009 shots taken this past weekend for One Kings Lane. The online site will have a Tag Sale for... -
Champagne Sorbet With Red Currant Syrup
17 Jan 2012 | 12:38 amFirst thing before today's post and recipe: the winner of the Squam Workshop Giveaway is Patti from Peppermint Ph.D! Congratulations! please send me your mailing address at mytartelette AT gmail DOT... -
Not One But Two Three Days - Four Nights Food Photography Workshops in Charleston, South Carolina!
11 Jan 2012 | 9:00 amI have to say, so far the year has kicked in high gear right from the start with great projects after great projects. Work wise, the calendar looks like a well packed tin of sardines. Fun wise, I am... -
June, September & October Squam Food Photography Workshops, A Giveaway, A Ratatouille Tart & A Blackberry Cobbler
9 Jan 2012 | 8:54 amThe first time I heard about Squam Lake and Squam Workshops I said outloud "Ugh?". That was last year. Now, when I hear those words, something inside of me lights up and I say "heck yes!" Squam is...
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Baking Obsession
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Oatmeal Coconut Raisin Cookies
21 Jan 2012 | 9:35 pmAfter all fancy holiday cooking and baking, and overindulging (pigging-out is actually the word), I crave simple things. These are as good as it gets. Freshly baked, they have a great texture – crispy outside and chewy interior. The following day the crispiness, unfortunately, is gone, but the flavor gets even better, so I think [...] -
Gingerbread Pizzelle with Eggnog Buttercream Filling
1 Jan 2012 | 1:38 amI hope everyone had truly wonderful Christmas. I wish you a prosperous and joyful 2012, and the most amazing New Year celebration! There are dozens of possible filling choices for pizzelle. The buttercream has a major advantage – it doesn’t soften a crispy pizzelle shell even if they were filled a day in advance. There’s just [...] -
Chocolate Cocoa Nib Cherry Biscotti and Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Nut Biscotti
21 Dec 2011 | 7:24 pmHere I am speeding up the baking process. These two different in taste biscotti are made from one chocolate dough. Makes about 1½ dozen of each kind Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup fine granulated sugar 2 [...] -
Mexican Wedding Cookies
19 Dec 2011 | 10:32 pmThis is one of my staple cookie recipes for holiday baking. I’m sure I’m not the only one who bakes similar cookies around Christmas. Nevertheless, I thought I’d share the foolproof recipe that’s been tweaked and perfected over the years. I love using a combination of toasted (always toasted) walnuts and pecans, but either one will [...] -
Prosciutto Parmesan Puff Pastry Straws
11 Dec 2011 | 12:30 amThese are perfect for an easy entertaining menu. The recipe itself is super-easy. The straws can be made in advance and frozen unbaked for up to a week, or just put in the fridge overnight before baking. You can shove them in the oven when your guests are at the door and serve the straws [...]
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Crazy Baking Girl
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Experimenting with a different template...
21 Jan 2012 | 5:02 pmJust experimenting with a different template. Please bear with me if things don't work quite as they should! Hope you had a great Christmas and New Years. Life has been really busy here. Hoping to get back to some blogging soon, but if not, it's been a fun ride! :) -
Cinnamon Oat Coconut Choc Chip Cookies
26 Nov 2011 | 5:12 amThe cinnamon adds a pleasant depth of flavour and warmth. I cooked half of this batch and rolled the rest into a log and froze it. You can slice and bake them with minimal fuss and washing up! Particularly good when you have people come over unexpectedly and don't have ingredients to make something quickly (I usually run out of eggs or butter).Makes about 24 cookiesIngredients:125g butter1/2 cup brown sugar1/2 cup caster sugar1 egg1 tsp vanilla 1 cup Self Raising flour1/2 cup coconut1/3 cup rolled oats1/2 tsp cinnamon1 cup choc chipsMethod:Preheat oven to 180… -
Healthier Oat and Date Cokies
24 Oct 2011 | 6:23 amThese cookies came into existence because I was thinking about how to make cookies healthier. I love butter as much as the next person, but unfortunately, my love of cookies means I probably eat way too much butter. Not a problem except for the whole weight-gain factor. (That's probably not just the butter though, I'm sure sugar is a culprit as well). So here is what I came up with: Healthier Oat and Date Cookies. Am I kidding myself by classing these as "roughage"?If you don't like dates, try replacing them with some other type of dried fruit. Apricots,… -
Chai Choc Chip Cheesecake Cookies
4 Oct 2011 | 5:37 amI've been on a bit of a chai kick of late. So I thought I would combine chai with some other of my favourite things: cheesecake, choc chips and cookies. Thus, these cookies were born! They are delicious right from the oven, but I actually think these cookies are better after a couple of days. Chai Choc Chip Cheesecake CookiesIngredients250g butter250g cream cheese1 cup white sugar½ cup brown sugar1 egg1 tablespoon vanilla extract2 ½ cups plain flour1 teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon salt2 tsp ground ginger3 tsp cinnamon1/4 tsp cardamom2 pinches nutmeg2 cups… -
Chai Tea Cake
10 Sep 2011 | 5:28 amWow, how busy is life! So many things going on I haven't had a lot of time for blogging lately.I have a bit of a back log of things to blog. This cake is one such recipe....This cake far exceeded my expectations.I really love chai tea, so this really hits the spot for me. I didn't expect the chai flavour to be so pronounced, but was very pleasantly surprised! You can ice it with cream cheese icing, or warm with custard (which is what I did).Ingredients2 Chai tea bags1 cup boiling water1 cup caster sugar1 tsp salt1 tsp bi-carb soda1 tsp mixed spice60g butter1/4 cup…
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RecipeGirl.com
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Caramel Brownies
27 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amThere are times when you need a dessert, you need it now, you need it QUICK and you don’t want to fuss with a bunch of ingredients. Those are the times when I pull out a good boxed mix and mess with it a little. I grabbed a box of Ghirardelli brownie mix and some chocolate covered Dove candies recently, and combined them to make super simple, no-brainer, almost-embarrassed-to-call-this-a-recipe: Caramel Brownies I know that there are folks out there who don’t like to bake and who are intimidated by baking and all of the ingredients and terms involved. I love to show people that… -
10 New Recipes to Try for Dinner
25 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amSo, here’s the deal: I make dinner for my family most nights, and I secretly sneak most of those dinner recipes onto RecipeGirl.com without sharing them on the blog. So you may be browsing through the recipe index once in a while and think, “Hmmmm, I don’t remember seeing that one on the blog!” That’s right. Some recipes are delicious and worthy enough to make for dinner, but I don’t necessarily share them all on the blog. I’ve decided to share 10 dinners that we’ve enjoyed in the last couple of weeks that have not been a feature on the blog. -
Cucumber Salad
23 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amI’m knee deep in sugar. Literally! I’ve been testing and re-testing and dreaming about and sampling many, many DESSERT recipes for the “Sweet Treats” chapter of The Recipe Girl Cookbook. The past few weeks have been delicious and full of some pretty major gym workouts to manage all of those “tasting” calories. This Cucumber Salad recipe was a welcome, healthy reprieve, for sure. The recipe comes from a new cookbook by Bee Yin Low, the writer behind the popular food blog: Rasa Malaysia. The cookbook is called, “Easy Chinese Recipes: Family Favorites… -
Crab Guacamole
18 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amAvocado lovers are very happy to live in Southern California, where avocados are plentiful and fairly inexpensive all year long. We have just the right weather to nurture them along, and we can enjoy them in January just as much as we enjoy them in July. If you can’t find them around where you live this time of year, you can always order them online. Or you can enter the giveaway I’m hosting today for California Avocados Direct- maybe you’ll get lucky! Their family farm is just 20 minutes from my house! See the end of this post for details. Let’s talk about what… -
Cauliflower Crust Hawaiian Pizza
16 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amThis is the best invention ever: Cauliflower Crust Pizza. Yes, you heard that right… pizza crust made out of cauliflower. I saw it on Beth’s blog, and she got the idea from a friend who got the idea from a low-carb bulletin board. It’s apparently been an idea that has been floating around for a while, but I’ve just gotten wind of it and I’m sure glad I did. This stuff is (shockingly) good! I topped mine Hawaiian style. This entire thing is incredibly simple to make!Continue Reading Cauliflower Crust Hawaiian Pizza... ©2012 RecipeGirl.com | Permalink | 94…
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Half Baked
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Ombre Petal Cake
24 Jan 2012 | 5:44 pmOmbre is in, in a big way. Ombre, which just means a gradation in color, has been everywhere in fashion this this year. Even in hair color. Which is great for me because now I can just pretend... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Hummus Dip
17 Jan 2012 | 4:49 pmYes you read that title right. It says hummus ... please don't run away! I haven't lost my mind, well not completely anyway, but that's not what's going on here!... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Apple Pie Oatmeal
3 Jan 2012 | 2:11 pmIt's a new year, the holiday's and all the non-stop eating that goes along with them have past. Fresh starts and resolutions abound. Eat more veggies, get more exercise, lose a few pounds... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
A look back at 2011
29 Dec 2011 | 8:44 pmI love watching the year in review type stories that are everywhere this time of the year. I'm always amazed at all the things that happen in that 365 days. This is my look back at the year that... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Merry Christmas!
24 Dec 2011 | 11:25 ama2a_linkname="half baked";a2a_linkurl="www.half-bakedbaker.blogspot.com"; [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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Free Online Recipes | Free Recipes
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French Dip Burgers Recipe
23 Jan 2012 | 1:51 pmThese French dip burgers make a delicious dinner or they can also be made into sliders and served as an appetizer. These burgers are topped with Swiss cheese and sautéed mushrooms. The mushrooms are sautéed in garlic and butter. There is no need for a slow cooker in this recipe. The Au Jus is made in the pan using water, vegetables, and better than beef bouillon. You can either cook the burgers on the stove top or you can grill them, it’s your choice. Serve with French fries. Enjoy. Ingredients: 2lbs ground beef salt and pepper (to taste) 4 slices Swiss cheese (each slice cut into 4… -
Shells and Cheese Recipe
20 Jan 2012 | 5:20 pmShells and cheese make a great dinner or side dish. This recipe is perfect if you have little time and are looking for an easy meal. These shells and cheese can be prepared in about 30 minutes. No baking is required because everything is done on the stove top. This recipe does not use expensive cheeses, only shredded cheddar. In my opinion cheddar cheese adds the perfect flavor and no additional cheeses are needed. There is a good chance a lot of these ingredients you already have on hand so you will not have to do much shopping. You can pretty much use whatever type of pasta you like;… -
Bacon and Cheese Fries Recipe
17 Jan 2012 | 4:43 pmFrench fries always make a great appetizer and they are even more delicious loaded with bacon and cheese. These bacon and cheese fries are French fries topped with bacon, nacho cheese sauce, creamy ranch dressing, and green onions. This is not much of a recipe but more of an idea on how to make some delicious fries. You can either cook the French fries in the deep fryer or bake them in the oven. For the bacon, there are a few methods you can use to cook it; on the stove top, in the oven, or in the microwave. For a detailed explanation on how to do each, see my article on How to Cook Crispy… -
Honey Hot Wings Recipe
13 Jan 2012 | 1:42 pmYou pretty much cannot have a game day party without hot wings. These hot chicken wings are both sweet and spicy. The sauce is basically a sweet buffalo sauce. It combines hot sauce, butter, and honey. The wings are first seasoned with cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. The wings are then brushed with honey while grilling, tossed with the sauce mixture, and then placed back onto the grill for a couple minutes. You can adjust the amount of heat by the type of hot sauce you use and the amount of cayenne pepper you season the wings with. These honey hot wings go great served with blue… -
Pizza Dip Recipe
10 Jan 2012 | 11:49 amThis pizza dip makes a great appetizer for parties. It takes all of your favorite pizza ingredients and puts them into a hot dip. Anyone who enjoys pizza is sure to love this recipe. Best of all, It is not very hard to make; a cream cheese mixture is spread onto the bottom of a glass dish, topped with mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and pizza sauce. The dip is then topped off with more cheese, pepperoni, green pepper, and black olives. You can add additional toppings as well such as chopped onion and mushrooms. The dip can then either be baked in the oven or it can be cooked in the…
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Bake My Day!
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Burnt orange skirt / rok 20 Knip November 2011
21 Jan 2012 | 9:07 amWorking on this skirt (Knip no. 20, november 2011) in a bouclé or almost felted wool. Rather heavy fabric but very easy to work with, even on the curved seams. These pics are showing the front panel only, back panel is ready to have the zipper installed (center back zipper). Debating on the color… rummaging through my stash I found a plethora of zippers in all sizes and colors but none even close to this color of course. I think I will use an invisible zipper which I think is easier to install and with this fabric I don’t want any extra bulk added. The one that comes closest is a… -
New fabric!
19 Jan 2012 | 7:48 amStarted this grey and rainy Thursday morning with an introduction Pilates class (ouch!) and went home all energized. Vacuumed the second floor, rearranged the “study”, all our administration from my sewing room (yay! I have a sewingroom now. Need to make pics.) back to the study again. I need the space the ordners take up in the sewing room after all. Thought it was a good idea to have it all together within easy access so we could pay bills and file away all that paperwork right away. Not going to happen. As it is, my work table is occupied by fabric and sewing machine and stuff. -
Amazing Babe bread in two hours! {Cuban Bread}
16 Jan 2012 | 1:30 amFor this instalment of the Babes Baking Bread Ilva put us on the track for a different bread. The usual suspects; flour, yeast, water, salt nothing new. But this gem only requires a very short fermentation and after shaping it goes right into the oven.... Into a COLD oven. Yes that is right, the rise-after-shape part takes place in the oven heating up. Isn't that amazing? Let me assure you that it is quite eh different but the amazing part is that the result is a great loaf of bread. A real one, crackly crisp crust, nicely browned and a soft but firm interior. Like you'd spent half a… -
Baby Diaper Bike
14 Jan 2012 | 9:43 amFor my sis.. or rather for her baby! Yesterday (yes indeed, that was Friday 13th) she delivered a healthy little baby boy. So yesterday night I dove head first into the newborn diapers... to wrestle them into this: I think it's pretty darn cute! This tutorial was a great help to put it together, so happy I found it. Of course I put off making it until the last moment, (as if I didn't know my sis was pregnant haha) but still happy! This feed contains copyrighted photos and text from Bake My Day!. If you are not reading this material in a feeds aggregator or by e-mail subscription, the site you… -
Yes, We Have No Bananas. {An ABC chocolate swirl cake}
8 Jan 2012 | 1:22 pmThis is my second year of ABC-baking where we choose to bake a recipe each month from one book. In 2012 you’ll see us baking through: The Weekend Baker by Abby Dodge. (I ordered my copy here btw, excellent customer service, great prices, no shipping costs! I’m just saying…) First let me get into a little introduction about the book, don’t let the title fool you into believing you’ll be getting recipes here that can only be baked when you have two days with nothing to do on your hands… No! This is a book that is written with busy people in mind. The author breaks…
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Sweet Tooth
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More Books
16 Jan 2012 | 7:39 amMy heart goes pitter patter while my pocketbook groans from getting too much exercise. In a span of a month and a half I managed to haul in 11...ELEVEN books!!! I didn't realize it until now how much I spent on books in just a short period of time. I'm so out of control after my last purchased I promised NOT to buy anymore books for ATLEAST 2 months! I know...even as I wrote that down I am very doubtful but I have to perceiver, I'm trying to save up for a new Macbook since my current one is moving like an old lady. One thing I'm thankful for is that most new cookbooks comes out in… -
Hi-Hat Cupcake
20 Nov 2011 | 7:52 amGrowing up my favorite treat is the Mallows. Mallows is a biscuit based treat topped with marshmallow then covered with thin coating of chocolate, wrapped in silver aluminum foil. Yum! One was never enough. I can easily eat 3 without feeling any guilt. During my grade school days, my weekly allowance was 500 pesos and most of the time I rather spend it on tasty treats like the Mallows rather than buying lunch. My pocket then was full of chocolates and girly hair accessories. Fast forward to the present, after seeing Martha show wherein they featured the Elinor Klivans’ Hi-Hat Cupcake… -
Bite Size Chocolate Chip Cookies
20 Nov 2011 | 3:13 amRegular readers of this blog probably knows by now that I'm a cookie monster! I love them big, chewy and chocolatety, I just cannot resist making this little cuties! They are so small that in 5 minutes they are baked and ready to eat! The recipe for these little babies are found in my previous Brookies post, yup these are the left over cookie dough from that project I just added a handful or so of mini callebaut chocolate chips. I know baking is precise however how can you go wrong with chocolates right? To make it extra special I used the soft easy melt kind that is why when they were fresh… -
Brookster or Brookie...whatever!
14 Nov 2011 | 8:27 amThinking back, I've been baking for TEN years!!! Oh my! hehe...now I feel so old. During my early years of baking, I started out though box mixes, not just any box mixes it has to be the toaster kind box mixes. Meaning they are 'baked' using an oven toaster. Yup I had many pitfalls with my toaster. The one incident that comes into mind was when the wax paper caught on fire!!! I know what you are going to say why the h... am I using a WAX PAPER??? Well, in my defense back then I had no idea what parchment paper is and I don't believe that they are. Watching local food shows they always said… -
Book Organizer
1 Nov 2011 | 9:00 amLike any other food lovers out there, it is safe for me to assume that you have an extensive collection of cookbooks. After the tragic typhoon Ondoy that came and went more than 2 years ago, after ruining my extensive collection of hard to find cookbooks, I'm happy to see that I'm regaining my footing and managed to rebuild my collection. Being a bit of an control freak I want to have a list on what books I have and want to have. I actually have an amazon wishlist of this but then I want an offline version of this and I found a freeware called Book. As you can see from the screenshot above…
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Cheese Underground
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Widmer's Brick & Colby: Wisconsin Originals
21 Jan 2012 | 8:35 pmBrick and Colby: perhaps two of the most underrated cheeses in America. Some folks call them boring. Others simply write them off as commodities. After all, Colby is really just Mild Cheddar, right? And blocks of Cheddar sell on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, along with cattle, corn and cotton. So why should these cheeses even be considered interesting, much less blog-worthy? Ladies and gentlemen, I give you three reasons: 1) Joe Widmer, 2) Joe Widmer, and 3) Joe Widmer. Every once in a while, I teach a class on what I call "Wisconsin Classics." Attendance is usually down because… -
Learning to Cook
7 Jan 2012 | 3:58 pmThere are two types of people in this world: those who like to cook and those who don't. Those of us (like me) who don't particularly enjoy spending time in a kitchen unless it's to lick cookie dough from a beater, tend to seek out people who do. Take my husband, for example. He is a marvelous cook. I'd like to say I sought him out for this particular feature, but it unfortunately took me a while to discover his hidden kitchen skills. In fact, for almost the first full year we were married, I did almost all the cooking, as I was a new wife, a stay-at-home mom, and thought I could pull off the… -
New Year's Eve Party Cheese Trays: Then and Now
26 Dec 2011 | 5:36 pmTHEN: My parents' card club poses at the farmhouse for a photo on New Year's Eve in front of my mother's groovy macrame lamp and owl wall hanging in our orange-curtained, fake-wood-paneled, velvet flowered-covered-sofa living room. While I'm pretty sure this picture was taken circa 1986, the '70s lived on until the house was torn down a few years ago. When I was a kid, serving a “cheese tray” at the annual New Year's Eve card club party at our farmhouse in southwest Wisconsin usually meant one of two things: 1. An hour before the party started, my mother unboxed the… -
Marijuana Cheese? Um, No.
22 Dec 2011 | 3:57 pmBack in September, Cheese Underground partnered with cheesemaker Brenda Jensen at Hidden Springs Creamery in Westby, Wisconsin to develop a new flavor of her Driftless cheese. Deliciously simple, consisting of just sheep's milk, culture, rennet and salt, Driftless is a light, creamy and spreadable fresh cheese that routinely sweeps (for the last four years running) the Fresh Sheep's Milk Cheese class at the American Cheese Society competition. Available in an ever-evolving blend of flavors, including perennial favorites Basil & Olive Oil, Tomato & Garlic, and Honey &… -
Dear Santa: Please Deliver Dunbarton Gold
10 Dec 2011 | 9:40 amThe price of gold may be at a record high, but one new holiday cheese won't set you back $1,700 an ounce. Roelli Cheese introduces its new Dunbarton Gold, a grass-fed raw milk beauty. Just like its sister Dunbarton Blue, this cheddar carries a hint of blue, sports a rustic, natural rind and is cured to perfection on wooden shelves in Cheesemaker Chris Roelli's man-made caves between Shullsburg and Darlington, Wis. "The cheese surprised me," Roelli says of his new Dunbarton Gold. "It's not as earthy as the traditional Dunbarton, and it carries a sweeter flavor from the grass profile."…
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Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
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Lou Sang Episode 3 - Golden Phoenix, Equatorial
18 Jan 2012 | 10:53 pmSome restaurants have been around forever. And Golden Phoenix at Equatorial is one of them. For those who love strolling down memory lane, you better stroll quickly, for the whole hotel will be closing it's doors at the end of March, to be torn down and rebuilt. While the Phoenix may rise from the ashes, it will be at least another 3 years before you can tantalize your palate with its offerings. Gasp, I will be close to half a century by the time the new Equatorial is ready.But despair not, while the Dragon may herald the end of the Phoenix in its current form, there is still one last hurrah,… -
LouSang No 2 at Chef Choi in 2012, A Feast Of Feasts
17 Jan 2012 | 9:18 amDo you know that 10 minutes of reading time before an examination begins, where you're supposed to read the questions? That is like an eternity, because, it gives you an idea what lies in store, and whether or not the road ahead is going to be a struggle, or a breeze (though I have never experienced the latter)...and sometimes, the road ahead seems so insurmountable that you just want to stab yourself with the pen.Well, it might not have evoked quite the same reaction, but certainly, when I read Chef Thye Seng's menu for the night, I thought WOW, that is A LOT of food. Insurmountable! Don't… -
My First Lou Sang for 2012, At Elegant Inn, Menara Hap Seng
16 Jan 2012 | 5:04 amIn a blink of an eye, almost exactly 2 years to the day, Providence smiled upon me again, when once again, Eu Hooi Khaw, that iconic food writer and makan fairy godmother, extended me an invite to once again dine at ELEGANT INN, in Menara Hap Seng. Checking out my previous post on Elegant Inn was very deja vu. Almost scary, to realise that two years had zipped by just like that.Well, the main cast look no worse for wear, the proprietess, Jeannette Han, looks younger, and that handsome young chef, looks exactly the same. (if he looked any younger he'd have to don on a white shirt and olive… -
Chinese New Year Treats by A Slice Of Heaven
15 Jan 2012 | 6:30 amDonch know what to give your loved ones this Chinese New Year? Fret no morrrre! Check out the delectable selection by A SLICE OF HEAVEN and give you recipients a taste of heaven.Ts & Cs are simple. Ordering is 4 working days in advance but there are instore items that people can purchase should they find that they haven't ordered. The hampers need to be ordered 4 working days in advance, and are not available for walk in customers.The Scarlett (as in Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the wind) is a Valentine's Day bouquet of Roses for the thinking person to give to his beloved. In many ways,… -
TWG Teas at Sheraton Imperial
6 Dec 2011 | 8:49 pmThat institution known as afternoon tea cannot be more British than the queen herself, I feel. (As in Queen Elizabeth). So much so, everytime I am invited for an ahfternoon tee, I will feel compelled to polish up my English speaking skills and find myself reciting Henry Higgin's "How kind of yooo tooo let me come". When Evelyn of Sheraton Imperial invited me for a Tiers of Heaven Afternoon Tea at the Pavilion Lounge with TWG Teas, I first reaction was to say, "Why, how kind of yooo to let me come".A vast spread of sweets lay before us, but not before some fun and games.TWG as actually stands…
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The Canadian Baker
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Gunn's Cheese Onion Buns
23 Jan 2012 | 3:43 pmI've been wanting to make these for a long while. Every time I read the recipe I could imagine how the the cheesey-oniony goodness would just melt in my mouth. I was not disappointed.If you're comfortable with yeast and shaping dough then making these buns will be a rewarding experience. Just give yourself time to complete the whole process and be prepared to amaze yourself and anyone you care to share with. Next time I think I'll add more cheese.The recipe comes from Gunn's in Winnipeg, They make tons of yummy goodies and now you can too.Gunn's Cheese Onion… -
Chocolate Chocolate Muffins
10 Jan 2012 | 2:55 pmChocolate and more chocolate is pretty much what you'll get if you make these muffins. They remind me of the chocolate fudge muffin from Mmmuffins - dense and dark. I made them a little healthier by replacing some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat. No one knew. Don't overbake them or they'll be dry and a dry chocolate muffin is no fun at all.Chocolate Chocolate Muffins2 cups all-purpose flour1 cup granulated sugar1 tsp baking soda1/2 cup butter3 squares unsweetened chocolate1 cup buttermilk1 egg2 tsp vanilla1 cup semisweet chocolate chipsPreheat oven to 400F. Grease a 12-cup muffin… -
Accidental Trifle
1 Jan 2012 | 3:01 pmHappy New Year! To start things off with a bang here is the trifle I made for Christmas. Contrary to its name, it was no accident - every component was planned out. It was sweet, creamy delicious and massive. I only have one glass bowl so I had to almost double it so it wouldn't look wimpy. There are hundreds of trifle recipes out there and no doubt you have a favourite one. If you're new to trifle-making, this is a good recipe to try out. The basics are there - cake, custard, whipped cream and fruit. Total yumminess in every bite. -
Gingerbread Men
24 Dec 2011 | 12:04 pmMaking your own gingerbread is rewarding and simple to do. It's most likely better than anything you could buy at your local coffee shop or grocery. You can bake to your desired doneness - softer for dunking but firm enough to hold whatever shape you make. Yummy!Wishing everyone a safe and happy Holiday Season! Gingerbread Men1 egg1/2 cup molasses1 cup granulated sugar1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening, melted1 1/2 tsp baking soda2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 tsp cinnamon1/4 tsp ground gingerIn a large bowl, mix together the egg, molasses, sugar, melted shortening and baking soda. Beat… -
Mini Panettone Cookies
19 Dec 2011 | 9:13 amThe Holiday Season is here and with it comes all the smells and flavours we associate with this time of the year. I don't think you can go into a grocery store without seeing boxes of Panettone stacked like a mountain. If you like this seasonal bread then you'll enjoy these cookies flavoured with fennel, almond and orange.The cookies are very petite and the batter is thin-ish so when you make them try to put even amounts of the cherries, nuts and raisins in each so they end up being roughly the same size. Mini Panettone Cookies1/4 cup salted butter, softened1/2 cup packed…
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Technicolor Kitchen - English version
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Peach cobbler + Mr. Clooney
27 Jan 2012 | 4:33 amOne of my all time favorite cookbooks is "Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes" – it’s beautiful and packed with great layer cake recipes; I’ve tried several cakes so far and they were delicious. Therefore, when I saw that Alisa Huntsman was the mind behind this book I bought it immediately – and I have not regretted doing so. Being a crumble addict – I do love fruit desserts – I thought -
Caramelized pecan-orange biscotti
25 Jan 2012 | 4:21 amI was writing something about my newest obsession – biscotti – but then I heard the news that Gary Oldman has finally been nominated for an Academy Award and I simply forgot what I was doing. :) Being the walking contradiction that I am – someone who doesn’t care for the Oscars but always hopes that her favorites win – my heart just lit up. ♥ Oh, the biscotti: these are delicious beyond -
Golden mixed greens pie
23 Jan 2012 | 5:45 amIt might look like I live on sweets, but no – I eat savory food, too, and try to eat my greens as frequently as possible. :) This tart is delicious and not difficult to make – you just need to plan accordingly so the dough has time to rise and the good thing is: you can make it in advance and reheat it before serving. Golden mixed greens pie slightly adapted from the absolutely gorgeous Home -
Dulce de leche pound cake
20 Jan 2012 | 5:32 amAs I was updating my list of books – a couple of new additions as I told you a while ago – I kept thinking of ways to make it more functional and interesting: therefore, I’ve changed it a bit. I hope you all like it. Oh, aside from books, there is cake here today, too – and it is absolutely divine. :) Dulce de leche pound cake slightly adapted from O, The Oprah Magazine 1 ½ cups (340g/3 -
Coconut chews - delicious and very easy to make
18 Jan 2012 | 3:55 amI have never baked nor cooked any of Paula Deen’s recipes – and that is something I deeply regret after surfing her website – but I have heard of her before, dozens of times, and every time I see her name I think of a lot of butter and cream and sugar. And fried food. Yum. I should give this woman’s recipes a try. Soon. :D While going through the beautiful Loveless Cafe cookbook and deciding
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The Bumbling Baker
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Banana-Nutella Muffins
19 Jan 2012 | 8:53 amI love banana muffins. I love Nutella. So putting the two together just makes sense to me.The addition of Nutella makes these moist muffins special enough to serve as a casual dessert. But the bran gives them a healthier boost than your average muffin. These are perfect to take along as a snack or make a wonderful on-the-go breakfast option. And now that I'm back to work from maternity leave, quick breakfast options are absolutely essential!Enjoy!Banana-Nutella MuffinsIngredients:1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1/2 cup bran1 tbsp. baking powder1/4 tsp. salt2 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed2… -
Eggnog Ice Cream
7 Jan 2012 | 1:21 pmHappy New Year!I've been pretty busy over the past few weeks visiting with friends, family and celebrating the holidays, which is why I haven't posted anything new.Also, I've never felt as sick of sweets after the holidays as I did this year. Clearly, I overdid it and now have (almost) zero interest in eating anything dessert-like.However, I did have a nearly-full carton of eggnog sitting in my fridge, and I hated to simply pour it down the drain. Instead, I opted to make something cold and creamy to keep in the freezer until the sweet craving strikes again.I adapted this recipe slightly from… -
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
20 Dec 2011 | 11:15 amEveryone has holiday traditions. For me, Christmas isn't Christmas without eggnog, decorating the Christmas tree, Anne Murray holiday tunes in the background, and baking.Oh, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls.This is my mom's recipe, and she always and only made these at Christmas. When we were little, my sisters used to help her by rolling the peanut butter mixture and dipping them in chocolate. Now that I'm older, I try to make them every year. Both of my sisters also make a batch each year.A very similar version to this recipe is popular in the United States, called Buckeyes. Whatever… -
Snickerdoodles
15 Dec 2011 | 8:00 amWhat the heck is a Snickerdoodle anyway?Before making these, I had never tried one before, which is pretty surprising considering their history and popularity. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they don't have any chocolate in them? Essentially, Snickerdoodles are soft and chewy sugar cookies characterized by their sugar-cinnamon coating. I love sugar-cinnamon combos and these are so pillowy inside - almost like little cakes. These are so delicious with a cup of coffee and freeze really well, making them the perfect addition for company!Enjoy!Recipe from Martha… -
Shortbread Cookies
8 Dec 2011 | 9:00 pmShortbread cookies are a holiday staple on my baking list - watching my mom bake up batches of shortbread is one of my most vivid memories and one that I try to recreate every year. I love the rich, buttery texture paired with a steaming mug of my favourite tea.This is my mom's traditional recipe, using only four ingredients and a very straightforward process. I prefer these simple and unadorned, but my mom always added some kind of embellishment to her shortbread: cherries, sprinkles, or even chocolate kisses. Be as creative as you want with these, and don't forget to share them with those…
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ZOMG, Candy!
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Brookside Dark Chocolate Goji with Raspberry
27 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amI bought this bag of Brookside Dark Chocolate Goji with Raspberry at a Bed Bath & Beyond because I needed a few more dollars to use my coupon. It turned out to be a great unplanned addition to my shopping list. The bag described them as “smooth dark chocolate surrounding a sweetened real fruit juice piece, made from a blend of goji berry juice, raspberry juice and other select fruit juices.” They were shiny chocolate balls with these little flat jelly candy centers. The jelly centers were comprised of two little discs. The discs were pressed flat side to flat side, then… -
Watch out for candy health halos
26 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amHere’s a study I wish I had done: a new study in the journal of Social Psychological & Personality Science reports that consumers believe that chocolate labeled as Fair Trade has fewer calories than non-Fair Trade chocolate. This is an example of the halo effect, in which one positive trait bleeds over and influences perceptions of other traits. Remember, Fair Trade chocolate is better for its workers but not any healthier for your body! -
Duc d’O Pates de Fruits
25 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amA Belgian friend of mine in Rochester was kind enough to remember me on his latest trip back to his homeland. He brought me back a box of Belgian Pates de Fruits from Duc d’O (also available online!) Pates de fruits, also known as fruit jellies and fruit pate, are much better than gummi candies. They’re usually made from no more than pureed fruit, sugar, and gelatin. The real fruit part is what makes them special. The entirety of this box was made from pureed apricots plus “flavours” and “colouring”. Interestingly enough, none of these were apricot… -
Cybele’s Fancy Food Show Recaps
24 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amLast week, Cybele was at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. She took some great photos and wrote some jealousy inducing recaps. You can check them out here, here, and here. Sort of wishing I’d moved to California for grad school instead… -
Surf Sweets Fruity Hearts
23 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amI received a bag of Surf Sweets Fruity Hearts as free samples from the manufacturer. The press release said that they were launched in time for Valentine’s Day, though it was never explicit about whether these were a limited holiday edition or not. They were, however, explicit about touting all the benefits to the Surf Sweets line. These are organic, gluten-free, and vegan. No big surprise: they’re available at Whole Foods. The Fruity Hearts were watermelon and cherry flavored. They were difficult to visually distinguish. Both were pink though my lighting made them look red in the…
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Chocablog
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Philadelphia With Cadbury: Death Of A Brand?
28 Jan 2012 | 5:34 amIt’s my sad duty to report the death of the once great British chocolate making icon Cadbury. It will be buried on Monday following a short ceremony at “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” in Piccadilly Circus. This is the coffin it will be laid to rest in. Yes, that’s Philadelphia cheese with Cadbury chocolate. In the same tub. But it’s not the product itself that symbolises the final, inevitable death of Cadbury, it’s what it stands for. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Cadbury wasn’t just the nation’s best loved chocolate… -
Nestlé KitKat Chunky
25 Jan 2012 | 5:45 amThose of you who have been following Chocablog for a while may remember that the original KitKat Chunky Peanut Butter got one of the worst reviews we’ve ever given on Chocablog. Perhaps unsurprisingly, that original wasn’t around for very long, and now Nestlé have come up with a new range of ‘chunky’ KitKats – Orange, Double Choc, White, and Peanut Butter is back in a new form. So let’s start with the peanut butter version. It’s a similar format with a thick layer of peanut butter on top of the wafer and generally seems to be an improvement on the… -
Divine White Chocolate & Strawberry Hearts
24 Jan 2012 | 4:30 amValentine’s Day is nearly upon us, which means vast arrays of pink, heart shaped products from all the big chocolate companies. Divine sent us these white chocolate hearts with strawberry pieces to review, but they also do 70% dark chocolate and milk chocolate hearts. Being Divine, the cocoa butter and sugar are of course, Fairtrade (Kuapa Kokoo, the Fairtrade Certified Cocoa Farmers Co-operative owns 45% of Divine). In total, 71% of the ingredients are certified themselves. The hearts themselves are simple affairs. Just a couple of centimetres across and wrapped in silver foil. The… -
White Chocolate & Raspberry Muffins
23 Jan 2012 | 2:51 amTo make 12 of these yummy muffins you will need: 125g butter, softened 1/2 cup (125g) caster (fine) sugar 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 cups (400g) self raising flour 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup (100g) white chocolate, chips or roughly chopped block 120g raspberries (fresh or frozen) Method Preheat oven to 180ºC and line with patty paper a 12 x 1/3 cup capacity muffin pan. Cream the butter and sugar by beating them at a high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, mixing well after each addition. Add the flour and milk and stir until combined. Fold through the chocolate and… -
Teapigs Chocolate Flake Tea
20 Jan 2012 | 4:02 amI drink a lot of tea. Sometimes I think if “chocolate” and “tea” were the only two food groups left on Earth, I would be quite happy. In fact, my diet would probably be pretty much the same as it is now. But just because I like tea, doesn’t mean I have good taste in tea, and I rarely try more exotic blends. As long as I have my constant supply of PG Tips, and a little Rare Tea Company Silver Tip for special occasions, I’m quite happy. So while was excited when the lovely people at Teapigs sent me this Chocolate Flake Tea to try, I can’t say I was…
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Wendy's Cake Space
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$100 Amazon Giveaway, Enter Now Via Rafflecopter!
14 Jan 2012 | 11:02 pmIt's finally time to enter this much anticipated giveaway event! A big thanks to host Makobi Scribe who organized this amazing giveaway. A handful of awesome bloggers have come together to offer one fortunate, randomly chosen winner $100 to everyone's favorite online marketplace. Ready, set, go! Enter now using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck and happy following! Oh... and if you can't get through the widget in one day, be sure to come back before the deadline to snag every entry possible. Rafflecopter will remember where you left off! Just be sure you finish before the deadline to… -
Twitter Blast $100 Amazon Giveaway!
14 Jan 2012 | 3:00 amWe're just hours away from go time folks! Be sure to bookmark this post and come back Sunday, January 15th to enter to win $100 to Amazon.com! For each and every blog you opt to Follow on Twitter, using the convenient Raffllecopter widget below, you'll gain an additional entry into this random giveaway. If you're short on time and can't Follow all 100 bloggers in a single sitting, simply come back before the giveaway concludes and finish as time permits. Rafflecopter will remember where you left off, so you'll not have to! How awesome is that? If you're content only following a few blogs,… -
Jewelry Cake
14 Dec 2011 | 10:35 pmRandom beads around the cake, with a fondant beaded "Ella" necklace and small fondant beaded bracelet. -
Merry Christmas from Cake Space!
6 Dec 2011 | 6:05 pmHappy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2012! -
Happy Halloween from Cake Space! A Gluten Free Cake...
31 Oct 2011 | 12:10 pmI made this cake with my son in mind. He's on a gluten-free, casein-free (milk protein) free diet. Thanks to Betty Crocker (yes I cheated), I was able to make this cake with very little effort. Their gluten-free boxed mix is also free of casein and tastes delicious! This single layer cake came from a single box, and the frosting (another cheat) came from a tub of Pillsbury chocolate frosting, which is also gluten and casein free! Yummy and fun, we're still enjoying this cake today. I highly recommend Betty Crocker's gluten-free cake mix, and no... I'm not being paid to say so! lol
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Oiyi's Crafts
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A Shawl for My Little Princess
18 Jan 2012 | 10:40 amLast week, the Winter issue of Petite Purls went live. It's an adorable issue filled with accessories for the little ones in your life. My Princess Shawl is one of the fifteen patterns included in this issue. I am proud to be published in Petite Purls for the 3rd time in a row. Plus, this time my name made it on the front cover. It's a real honor to be included on that list of names.As you all know, Melody adores shawls and hand knit items. She loves to be part of the design process when I am working. One day while perusing my stitch dictionary, she picked out a crown picot edging and told me… -
My Little Girl
13 Jan 2012 | 11:45 pmI hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Things have been quiet on the blog because of holiday traveling and due to all my dead lines. I have been knitting away at a furious pace and also working on some new and exciting projects. But I had to pop in to wish my little girl a Happy Birthday! Yes, it's that time of year again. Her annual photos with Baby Bobbi Bear and Elijah are a tradition now. This was last year's and this was the year before.She turns 4 yrs old today. As you can see, she is no longer a toddler. She has grown into a wonderful, charming and caring little girl. The joy that my… -
Knit Simple Winter 2011/2012
7 Dec 2011 | 11:03 amKnit Simple Winter 2011/2012 just hit the newsstands yesterday. I am so excited that my Lace-Panel Wrap made it onto the front cover of the magazine. My first cover! The Lace-Panel Wrap is part of the Shawl We Knit? story. There is a workshop section in the magazine that teaches you how to work the simple lace stitches for all 4 of the shawls in that story. Right now, Knit Simple is having a contest. You can win a yarn kit to make my Lace-Panel Wrap. The yarn used is "Ecco" yarn from Zitron/Skacel Collection. Enter the contest HERE. You can add the project to your Ravelry queue or favorite… -
Rustic Tuscan Apple Cake
28 Nov 2011 | 9:45 amApparently, I didn't get enough of baking last week. The day after Thanksgiving, I was ready to fire up the oven again. I had book marked this recipe, Rustic Tuscan Apple Cake, a few weeks ago and it has been calling to me. The recipe was quick and easy to make. You just mix up the batter and throw in the apples. It was the perfect activity to do with Melody. She was so happy that she got to help make the cake.The recipe calls for 00 Flour, but I used All Purpose Flour and it was fine. Since I had plenty of heavy cream leftover from the Thanksgiving baking, I whipped up some fresh whipped… -
Thanksgiving
24 Nov 2011 | 12:33 pmI have a lot to be thankful for this year. This year we are spending Thanksgiving at my friend's house in Brooklyn, NY. I am looking forward to spending time with friends I haven't seen in a while. We have been so busy with work and every day life that it's nice to slow down and relax for a bit.This is my contribution to the Thanksgiving desserts this year. I had a lot of fun making these treats and hope everyone will enjoy them.Maple Nut Tart ready to go into the oven.Making the chocolate ganache for the Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles.The finished Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles.Mini Pumpkin…
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Cupcake Culture
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New order
1 Jan 2012 | 8:04 amA friend of Justin and Yuka has a taste of the wedding cupcakes and wanted to get some for her birthday. Since the chief baker has the support of the mister (who promised to take care of mini-baker while mummy bakes), baked she did!Chocolatey chocolate mini-me's -
Justin and Yuka's wedding
21 Nov 2011 | 8:29 amAnother friend's wedding cupcakes. It's been a long time since I took up orders, but this order was refreshing and skills are not lost after not baking for so long..Chocolatey chocolate Mini-me's for Justin and Yuka's church weddingClose up shot -
Oh how my little girl has grown!
4 Jul 2011 | 10:21 amShe's 3 months old now!Newborn Day 1On her baby shower party @ 1 month oldLittle EinsteinHer favourite time of the day, bath time!Cheeky little girl during playtimeLook Ma, no hair! -
The reason for being absent...
27 May 2011 | 10:10 amThe blog has been dead for a real long time because the chief baker has a mini helper now! Yes! There's a new addition to the family with effect from 28 March 2011.. and so... chief baker has no time at all for sleep, not to mention baking escapades.. anyway..here's some photos of my mini helper, Vanessa..Chubby cheeks, just like mummy!Yay! It's milk time! -
The monotonous post
8 Feb 2010 | 7:09 amOk, this is going to be a monotonous post. Why[question mark] That's because there's something wrong with the chief baker's laptop. For some funny reason, the shift key on the laptop is not working at all...Nonetheless, there's going to be update[exclamation] This post will talk about our trip to Bangkok[exclamation] Yes, the mister and I went to Bangkok in December for a short getaway from the hustle and bustle of life. But it was even more hustle bustle in the land of smiles[exclamation]Here's what we did, eat and saw...The plane ride to Bangkok. The sky was awesome[exclamation]Finally…
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Dessertbuzz
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Recommended New York City hot chocolate: as a meal or easy-to-drink?
25 Jan 2012 | 9:20 amI have found that New Yorkers are particular about their hot chocolate. Usually, they fall in one of two camps: 1) The hot-chocolate-as-dessert camp. These people believe that no hot chocolate is too thick or too sludge-like. They’re happy if a plastic spoon can be stood on end, supported only by the pudding-like contents. They view hot chooclate as a meal. 2) The hot-chocolate-is-a-drink-like-coffee camp. These people are no less fussy about quality, percent cacao, etc. but they believe that you should be able to drink hot chocolate easily in any situation where you would… -
(Mas) La Grillade: great savory, superb desserts
21 Jan 2012 | 10:14 pmBaked stuffed apple with almonds and cranberries cider caramel ice cream and cider reduction Guest post by DessertBuzz contributor Doctore: Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending another remarkable lunch with Niko from DessertBuzz. This was the third in an incredible string of dessert tastings over the past three weeks that included Johnny Iuzinni’s fifteen-course blockbuster at Jean Georges and Michael Laskonis’ refined art-like desserts at Le Bernadin. Now, we were in the creative hands of executive chef Galen Zamarra, chef de cuisine David Sturgeon and the rapidly… -
Killed by Dessert takes its first 50 victims
17 Jan 2012 | 10:06 pmEveryone has to go sometime, you might as well be killed by dessert. Francisco Migoya's eclair On Monday night DessertBuzz attended “Killed by Dessert”. Six of the country’s top pastry chefs came together to create and serve their “favorite things” in a special meal to benefit Share Our Strength. The evening was a unqualified success. There was something really special about the contrast of the casual dining environment of an industrial kitchen and the fastidiousness of top-level chefs and their teams working as if they were feeding the president. Bill Corbett,… -
Last call: Michael Laiskonis’ last desserts at Le Bernardin
13 Jan 2012 | 7:05 amThe beautiful black sesame panna cotta, sour cherry sphere, mandarin sorbet 2011 has to go down as one of the most exciting and tumultuous years ever for the top end of the New York pastry chef world. On the exciting side: Bravo’s Top Chef : Just Desserts franchise finished its second season with NYC’s own Johnny Iuzzini as the head judge and a bevy of New York based pastry chefs as guest judges and hosts. Alex Stupak, another of NYC’s elite pastry chefs, finally got the praise he deserved for his restaurant Empellon, proving once again that pastry chefs can make the… -
What makes doughnut Plant creme brulee doughnuts so good?
9 Jan 2012 | 7:40 pmThe Doughnut Plant creme brulee doughnut In October the Doughnut Plant stole the show at the New York Food and Wine “Sweet” event. They brought a selection of doughnuts, including a delicious jelly doughnut, but their creme brulee doughnut, which was hand-blow-torched on the spot was the hit of the show and netted them the prize for best dessert at the 2011 Sweet event. Doughnut Plant Creme Brulee doughnut Here’s a twenty-second video of just how they do it. Warning: don’t try this at home. More from the Doughnut Plant on Dessertbuzz. The Doughnut plant is…
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Everyone's Blog Posts - Dessert Professional
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writing article on transformed dairy (caramelized milk solids, smoked chocolate, flour, butter
26 Jan 2012 | 11:42 amAny pastry chefs out there who are working on the use of transformed dairy, smoked chocolate, butter, flour in their desserts; please contact me at gourtogo@aol.com for an article that I am writing for Dessert Professional magazine. Tight deadline so respond quickly please. thanks. Robert Wemischner www.RobertWemischner.com author of The Dessert Architect -
Chef Jaime VanderWoude
2 Jan 2012 | 10:21 pmI'm a messy pastry chef. I enjoy making, eating, and even talking about everything bakery. From bread to cake I love to learn and teach. Please leave commments if you would like to see somthing I've made or you would like me to make. -
Napolean
2 Jan 2012 | 10:19 pmA new trend? Working as a French Pastry Chef I am beginnig to see the classics coming back. One of these happens to be the Napolean. This is a classic French dessert recipe that never fails to impress! The French name for a Napoleon dessert is Mille Feuille, meaning "a thousand sheets" acurately describing this layered crispy puff pastry lined with a contrasting butter cream filling… absolutely delicious and oh so satisfying! You can prepare this dessert individually or as one large rectangular pastry.Preparation Time: about 30 minutes Cooking Time: about 20 minutes Refrigeration Time:… -
Pumpkin Cookies
2 Jan 2012 | 10:16 pmI know pumpkin cookies are out of season but they are a favorite in my house all year long. Over the years I have tried different recipes but always go back to the original recipe I created. Some recipes call for nuts, chocolate chips, and raisins. However, my boys love the soft and spongy texture with the earthy flavor of pumpkin and its complimentary spices (ground cinnamon and nutmeg). I frost these cookies with either a sweet tangy cream cheese frosting (can is ok), or a can of your favorite vanilla frosting. To give it a rustic homemade look I also grate fresh nutmeg on top… -
Virtual Chocolate Museum on www.chocomana.com
27 Dec 2011 | 12:49 amDear Friends & ChocoholicsI updated my website www.chocomana.com with a brandnew section called VIRTUAL CHOCOLATE MUSEUM. A lot of people asked me to share my collected items on my site, so I started to take pictures and uploaded them to the museum. I'm not finished yet, so please visit me again to check the updates. Hope to welcome you soon on www.chocomana.com…
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Dessert First
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{SF} All The Cupcakes You Can Handle: At The SF Cupcake Challenge
26 Jan 2012 | 2:48 amIs the cupcake craze over? Apparently not in the Bay Area, where new cupcakeries are still proliferating. A couple weeks ago DrinkEatPlay invited me to judge at the 2nd Annual Bay Area Cupcake Challenge, where 13 cupcake bakeries competed for Best Cupcake and Best Bakery. Two cupcakes from each competitor equaled a whole lot of cupcakes to taste! Above, about half of the cupcakes I tasted. Fortunately all the cupcakes came in mini size for tasting, since I don’t think I could have made it through 26 full size cupcakes! As it was, even with careful rationing of bites and deliberate… -
Hong Kong and Happy Chinese New Year
20 Jan 2012 | 2:51 amIt’s almost New Year again – Chinese New Year! The Year of the Dragon starts on Monday, Jan 23. Just in time for me to share some (mostly food-related) snapshots of my trip to Hong Kong. Along with the usual rounds of family, holidays, and general gluttony, I also went on an egg custard tart-eating quest. This traditional dessert now appears in all sorts of variations around town – flaky crust, cookie crust, mini size, Portuguese style…they get really addictive! Egg custard tarts, mini size. The lighter colored one in the back is made with egg whites – the… -
Venice: Farewell Honeymoon, Hello New Year
11 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amHappy New Year! I hope your 2012 is off to a wonderful start. I’m back from Hong Kong and Vietnam, and eager to write a post about that trip, but first I need to finish another vacation post…about the last stop on my honeymoon. Thanks for your patience and I hope you’ve been enjoying the recaps…it took longer than I thought but I hope I did the trip justice! The last stop on our honeymoon was Venice, that classic city for romantics. One of the best things about being on a cruise ship was that we got to enter the city from the sea, and essentially sail along the entire… -
A Chocolate Mint Tart to Round Out the Year
30 Dec 2011 | 4:21 amHello dear readers, In a couple of hours I’ll be boarding a plane to fly back to the US, so I’ll be ringing in the new year at home. It’s been a great two weeks in Vietnam and Hong Kong, filled with family and, as always, a surfeit of good food. Below is one of my favorite photos I took during my trip, on a bus ride rounding the Hong Kong harbor – one of the prettiest views in the world, in my quite-biased opinion: I didn’t get to bake while I was in Hong Kong (although I ate way more egg custard tarts than was probably good for my cholesterol), so for my last… -
Holiday Greetings from Hong Kong
19 Dec 2011 | 8:41 pmHello from Hong Kong! If it seems like I was just here…it’s kind of true. I usually make a trip here every other year, but family events mean that I’ll have made two trips here in 2011. I’m certainly not going to complain about twice the opportunities to eat egg custard tarts, xiao long bao, dim sum, and, well, just about everything else. The eating never really stops here. I’m also making a short jaunt to Vietnam for the next few days, so the posting schedule will unfortunately be delayed. If you want to keep abreast of what I’m doing, I’ll be…
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The Financial Brand: Marketing Insights for Banks & Credit Unions
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Bank’s Innovative Charity Portal Gives Gift Cards The Right Way
26 Jan 2012 | 8:32 pmATB Financial has launched a new corporate giving initiative centered around an innovative online charity portal. ATBCares.com is the bank’s own proprietary destination website where people can purchase charitable gift cards that allow recipients to choose where their donation goes. The problem with most charitable gift cards is that the “donation on your behalf” usually goes to a cause important to the giver, not the receiver. But with ATBcares.com, it’s up to the recipient to choose which charity they want to support from among a list of 84,000 different organizations. The recipient… -
Customers Hold Grudge Against The Banks That Blew Their Trust
25 Jan 2012 | 10:47 pm“The banking industry as a whole still has a long way to go to rebuild its reputation and win back the advocacy of its customers.” Peter Kirk — Accenture According to a study from Accenture, banks still have a long way to go to repair and improve relationships with their customers. The study suggests consumers who got burned in the financial meltdown are holding a grudge against the banks they blame for today’s economic mess. Accenture’s research revealed that banking customers are less likely to recommend their provider than last year, despite being more satisfied with the… -
The Nominees For Oscars In The Financial Industry Are…
24 Jan 2012 | 2:01 amThe Financial Brand looked at hundreds of bank and credit union videos produced in 2011. Here are 15 of the best. (Please note: This article embeds YouTube videos.) Best Use of a Celebrity Spokesperson Financial Institution: DnB, Norway Title: Good Morning Mrs. Clooney This spot is like a 30-second version of “The Hangover” for women. You wake up in a hotel room. You’ve obviously had a rough night. You look down at this ginormous rock on your ring finger. You’re married? You weren’t yesterday. You pick a wedding dress off the floor. Before you can think “What have I done???”… -
Financial Firm Green Lights Social Media For All 1,000 Employees
23 Jan 2012 | 2:01 amThis isn’t the first time a financial firm has entrusted its employees with social media. Other banks and credit unions, mostly small ones, have given the social media go-ahead to a few select staff members. But Wedbush Securities, with 1,000 employees distributed across 100 different offices, is anything but small. And they’ve given the thumbs-up on social media across their entire company. Everyone. Wedbush describes their approach as a “compliance friendly way for financial professionals to actively join the dialogue.” The company is encouraging all of its financial advisors,… -
Your Insights & Quotes Needed: In-House Marketing, Creativity, Ad Agencies
20 Jan 2012 | 12:38 pmWant to get quoted on The Financial Brand? Here’s your chance. Your insights are needed for a few potential stories The Financial Brand would like to publish. If you have something you’d like to contribute, either leave a comment below, or send an email to the editor. If you’d prefer your quotes remain anonymous, that’s fine. But if you want attribution for your insights, please be sure to provide your full name, title and current employer. Article #1: Keeping Creativity Alive in Financial Marketing A recent guest post on The Financial Brand raised some really good…
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Joe Pastry
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Back from Wisconsin…
25 Jan 2012 | 6:58 pm…but tomorrow I’ll judging a science fair much of the day. Hope there are some buttercream exhibits. Don’t be surprised if it turns out to be a light posting week all the way around. More soon I promise! – Joe -
Pork Product Pick-Up
23 Jan 2012 | 10:14 amGotta go bring home some bacon…but as it happens it’s all the way up in Janesville, Wisconsin. Which means I’ll be gone a coupla days. Sorry about that, Joe readers! -
Making Banana Leaf Tamales
20 Jan 2012 | 8:49 amRick Bayless calls these Juchitán-style tamales, which is a word I love to say: "hoochie-TAHN." Juchitán is a city located in the southeastern Mexican state of Oaxaca (also fun to say: wah-HOCK-ah). It's a town known for food, art, cross-dressing and indigenous languages. Don't ask me about the third thing, it's a long story...Mrs. Pastry will tell you all about it if you ask her, she was in Juchitán in November on a research project. ...Read on... -
Making Classic Tamales
19 Jan 2012 | 1:41 pmNow just to be clear, I don't have to eat the wrapping too, do I? I remember quite clearly asking that question when I was first confronted with non-convenience store tamales. How the heck do you eat these things? It's a fair question for any inexperienced tamale-eater, since very few foods land on our dinner plates still in the wrapping...unless of course Dad got lazy dishing up the Happy Meals at the kitchen table this week (something you can pretty much count on at our house). ...Read on... -
Nixtamalization and Nutrition
19 Jan 2012 | 8:33 amThe functional advantages of nixtamalization are just the beginning of what the process brought to the ancient Mesoamericans. For in the act of making their corn easier to handle and eat, Mesoamerican cooks accidentally unleashed a torrent of nutrients that would otherwise have been unavailable to them. For nixtamalization, it turns out, vastly increases the amount of free niacin present in corn, and renders the protein that it contains much more absorbable by the body. What's niacin? We know it as vitamin B3. It's an essential nutrient, without which the body's metabolism begins to slow…
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Cake Talk
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When Life Hands You Lemons...
14 Jan 2012 | 11:55 amMom and dad have a lemon tree in their backyard. As fate would have it, I visit once a year, in January when the lemons are ripe. And, there are only so many lemons my parents can use or give... -
BYOB: Bring Your Own Bag
14 Jan 2012 | 9:15 amIt started with an email titled "Do any of these sound interesting?" Included in the list of possible activities while visiting family in California was a tote-making workshop with my sister-in-law, Lucy. "There's a new bag ordinance" she explained. But... -
Cake: A New Years Tradition
28 Dec 2011 | 8:44 amCake and bread are lucky foods for New Years. Along with greens (which resemble folded money) and peas (a symbol of wealth), pork (forward progress), and salt (for good luck). Cakes, especially those with a coin hidden inside, are considered... -
The Christmas Angel
23 Dec 2011 | 7:50 amThis has absolutely nothing to do with the bakery, but everything to do with the spirit of Christmas. -
Rosie's Cinnamon Raisin Nut Bread
8 Dec 2011 | 11:19 pmI've been waiting months to make this. Ever since the Retail Bakers Association conference last summer where I heard about cinnamon chips as a way to add a burst of cinnamon flavor to breads and other baked goods. At lunch,...
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Get Off Your Butt and BAKE!
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FROSTED BANANA BARS
25 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amIt seems I always have bananas in my kitchen. I like to peel & eat this funny yellow fruit, as long as they are still green. Speckled Yellow bananas . . . yuck! My sweet half much prefers his favorite Banana Bread. I prefer CAKE. It’s moist & delish! My sweet half even ate it! -
RHODES ROLL ROUND-UP
19 Jan 2012 | 11:43 amIt’s roundup time. My girls & I used to cringe when we heard the word “round-up.” Yes . . . like the Pioneer Woman, we also had to round-up cattle and help with the branding. It’s not as easy as it looks or sounds, as they can be a royal pain in the _ _ [...] -
PETAL PULL-APARTS
19 Jan 2012 | 11:18 amYou’re going to be happy that you dropped by today. Really you are. It’s very difficult to choose a recipe from Rhodes new fabulous Cookbook. Home Baked Family Favorites is jam packed full of scrumptious recipes & beautiful pictures. I finally narrowed it down, and made PETAL PULL-APARTS. Trust me, they are darn good! They [...] -
CHERRY CRUNCH DESSERT
16 Jan 2012 | 1:48 pmDecadently Delicious. Prepared in a snap. That pretty much describes this Cherry Crunch Dessert. I thought it might be fun, to highlight some of my very favorite recipes. Cherry Crunch has to be one of my top 5 desserts! You could make this with Blueberry, Peach or use any pie filling you choose. The crumble [...] -
Slow Cooker – CHICKEN CORDON BLEU
13 Jan 2012 | 4:13 pmDo you need an easy, delicious meal . . . fit for a king? It’s very good, but quite difficult to take a picture of. You’ll get the picture! This slow cooker version creates very tender chicken and scrumptious golden sauce. If you don’t have a slow cooker, that’s o.k. You can just bake [...]
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Wild Yeast
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YeastSpotting 1.27.12
27 Jan 2012 | 2:01 amLoaves and Rolls, First Batch Loaves and Rolls, Second Batch Flat Breads, Sweet Breads, and More YeastSpotting is a weekly collective showcase of yeasted baked goods and dishes with bread as a main ingredient. For more bread inspiration, and information on how to submit your bread, please visit the YeastSpotting archive. © Wild Yeast, 2012. | Permalink | No comment -
Cuban Bread
26 Jan 2012 | 3:51 pmWe are the Bread Baking Babes, and we love to bake bread. Sometimes we do other things too, which is why Ilva’s choice for us this month is a welcome addition to our repertoire. This Cuban Bread, from Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book of Breads, calls for a good amount of yeast and rolls the final proof into the baking step by starting the bake in a cold oven. This means we can have a delicious boule with a unique bronze-colored crust and a soft, close, sweet crumb in two hours from start to finish, leaving us time for various other things like working, spending time with our… -
YeastSpotting 1.20.12
20 Jan 2012 | 1:32 pmLoaves and Rolls, First Batch Loaves and Rolls, Second Batch Flat Breads, Sweet Breads, and More YeastSpotting is a weekly collective showcase of yeasted baked goods and dishes with bread as a main ingredient. For more bread inspiration, and information on how to submit your bread, please visit the YeastSpotting archive. © Wild Yeast, 2012. | Permalink | 2 comments -
YeastSpotting 1.13.12
13 Jan 2012 | 2:01 amLoaves and Rolls, First Batch Loaves and Rolls, Second Batch Flat Breads, Sweet Breads, and More YeastSpotting is a weekly collective showcase of yeasted baked goods and dishes with bread as a main ingredient. For more bread inspiration, and information on how to submit your bread, please visit the YeastSpotting archive. © Wild Yeast, 2012. | Permalink | No comment -
YeastSpotting 1.6.12
6 Jan 2012 | 9:09 pmLoaves and Rolls, First Batch Loaves and Rolls, Second Batch Flat Breads, Sweet Breads, and More YeastSpotting is a weekly collective showcase of yeasted baked goods and dishes with bread as a main ingredient. For more bread inspiration, and information on how to submit your bread, please visit the YeastSpotting archive. © Wild Yeast, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
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The Cupcake Blog
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Denim Blue Jeans Cupcakes
27 Jan 2012 | 4:47 pmvia Joanna Lo at The Caking Girl -
Sunshine and Rainbows Cupcakes
27 Jan 2012 | 3:44 pmvia Lambanh.info -
Animal Print Teal Hairdresser Cupcakes
27 Jan 2012 | 2:39 pmvia Doreen Nakama of Little Sweeties Cupcakes -
Girly Skull Cupcake
27 Jan 2012 | 1:35 pmvia A Sweet Design -
Lamington Cupcakes
27 Jan 2012 | 12:31 pmvia Juji at Juji Chews
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Dessert First
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Book Review: Adventures with Chocolate
3 Jan 2012 | 4:20 pmWhether ganache feels boringly familiar or frighteningly challenging, Adventures with Chocolate has a recipe for you. Though the book (from Kyle Books, 2011), looks—and is—geared toward experienced cooks eager to experiment, Paul Young has provided a surprising number of simple recipes. Simple to execute, anyway—these recipes bring complex, bold flavors to the table, with ways to work with chocolate that may be new even for experienced home bakers. Young, who worked under chef Marco Pierre White before opening three chocolate shops in London, starts with some intimidating chocolate… -
Book Review: My Family Table
1 Nov 2011 | 6:16 amJohn Besh doesn’t mince words. Making a “passionate plea” in his introduction to My Family Table (Andrews McMeel, November 1, 2011) he writes of his alarm at the “terrifying wasteland of food options” sprawling between home kitchen stoves and restaurants. Bemoaning high-salt, high-sugar packaged foods, drugged-up meat, and pesticide-laden produce, he calls fast-food options “the devil’s work.” And, he says (while acknowledging that he is part of the problem): “I worry that the more cooking becomes entertainment and a spectator sport (instead of a family activity) and the… -
Book Review: Lidia’s Italy in America
26 Oct 2011 | 9:50 pmFor decades, “Italian” food has been the fallback for many in the kitchen who don’t consider themselves terrific cooks. Those recipes—usually Italian-American more than classic Italian—provided straightforward flavors with few exotic ingredients required. In Lidia’s Italy in America (Knopf, October 26, 2011), Lidia Bastianich takes readers on a tour of those recipes and their origins in Italian enclaves across the country, providing accessible, clear instructions and a hefty dollop of nostalgia for those enclaves’ neighborhood delis, bakeries, salumerias, and restaurants. The… -
Book Review: Maman’s Homesick Pie:A Persian Heart in an American Kitchen
11 Oct 2011 | 8:26 amDonia Bijan opens Maman’s Homesick Pie (Algonquin, October 11, 2011) in sorrow, starting her cooking memoir a few days after her mother’s brutal death, run over while she was out for a walk. It’s a sorrow woven throughout the book, chronicling the brutal changes that came to Iran with the revolution and the exile that followed for Ms. Bijan’s family, their bewilderment when faced with American culture, and returning, at book’s end, to Ms. Bijan’s longing for her mother and the comfort she finds in her mother’s old recipes. The push-pull of Ms. Bijan’s relationship with her… -
Book Review: One Sweet Cookie
5 Oct 2011 | 1:08 pmPlease excuse the crumbs: It’s hard to type a cookbook review while contentedly munching a result of a recipe test for that book. With One Sweet Cookie (Rizzoli, October 4, 2011) the recipes may not be amazing or terribly original, but they certainly are tasty. With the idea of writing a book for the ultimate cookie swap—one with perfect, cheflike confections—author Tracey Zabar began hitting up mostly New York chefs and bakers for their best recipes. Too many chef recipes could easily spell disaster—so many chefs, so many terrible cookbooks—but One Sweet Cookie, a calm, graceful…
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The Cake Mistress
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Banana Bread
18 Jan 2012 | 3:39 amOh my gosh you guys, Bananas are so cheap now!!! I’ve been counting the days until I didn’t need a personal loan to afford a bunch of these golden beauties. My morning porridge has been looking forlorn without its tropical friend added to the breakfast party mix. And banana lollies just don’t cut it these days.On a serious note, I’m glad that our northern friends in Queensland are getting back to some semblance of normal after the terrible flooding of 2011 wiped out much of their banana crops (tropical Queensland being the banana-crop heaven of Australia).I might be… -
Mum’s Easy Chocolate Cake
10 Jan 2012 | 2:44 amThis week marks two years of The Cake Mistress. Thanks for reading, sharing your comments and emails, and just being generally awesome. Since switching to a charity aim mid last year, where 100% of this site’s income goes to a food-related charity, over $500 has been donated. So thank you also for helping reach that mark!To celebrate I was going to bake the mother-of-all cakes with crazy layers and such, then I thought going back to my cake-y origins instead would be more fun. Having just flown back from spending time with my family over Christmas, I wanted a nostalgic taste from… -
Mini Christmas Cake Bites
14 Dec 2011 | 9:00 pmSo it’s getting to the business end of the Festive Season, and you’ve been to so many Christmas parties already. The food, so much food! Although Christmas Cake is a splendid thing indeed, fatigue can set in. Well, we’ve stumbled across a recipe for darling little Christmas Cake bites. In one mouthful you get all the festive flavours, without OD-ing on cake yet again.This recipe for mini Christmas cake bites is kid-friendly in that there’s no alcohol added. So if you need a quick dish to whip up for the Playgroup Christmas Party, this has your bases covered. For… -
Mum’s Christmas Pudding
11 Dec 2011 | 3:03 amHeard of the Magic Pudding? His name is Albert and he’s a bottomless pit of pudding, constantly replenishing himself as people have a taste. He’s so delicious he’s got three friends keeping him safe from Pudding Thieves: a koala, a sailor and a penguin. I loved reading the 1918 story and flicking through the illustrations of The Magic Pudding by Australian Norman Lindsay as a kid. Who wouldn’t want a never -ending pudding all for themselves? Although this one was a little cranky – I suppose I would be too if people only wanted me for my delicious insides:… -
Gingerbread Christmas Trees
3 Dec 2011 | 9:19 pmOne day you’re innocently going about your business – next thing you know, you’re standing in a supermarket subconsciously humming The Little Drummer Boy in November, wondering how it came to this. Christmas creeps up slowly at first, with a few benign bits of green and red dotting the aisles. Then, seemingly overnight, they undergo some kind of festive mitoses, invading every physical space and corner of your mind. Where did these festive customs come from? Here’s some research: I read it on the internet, so it must be true…FUN CHRISTMAS FACTS ACCORDING TO THE…
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Bunny's Warm Oven
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Praline Apple Bread
14 Jan 2012 | 8:10 pmI was trying to remember how many times I've made this bread in the last couple of months. I think the first time was in the begining of October. My husband loved this so much he asked me to make it for his birthday, which is the end of October. I've made it two more times since then. I've never blogged about it because it never stuck around long enough for me to get pictures. I made a point of doing that today. Everyone that's tasted it has absolutely loved it, hands down this is one fantastic quick bread. You'll notice that the recipe for the bread… -
Cheddar Potato and Bacon Soup with Roast Beef Club Sandwich
11 Jan 2012 | 3:32 pmThe winters here in Kentucky are definitely milder that what I'm use to in Pennsylvania. In Pa. winter starts at the end of October and hangs around till April. Yesterday I was hanging clothes out on the line. BIG contrast, and I'm gonna take it and run with it. Whatever the temperature is, soup is always welcome. Whether you make it as a light accompaniment in the summer with a salad or a hearty soup with a sandwich to warm your bones with in the winter, we love it. And if you put cheese in the soup , it'll make me absolutely giddy. This… -
Apple Brown Butter Jalousie
4 Jan 2012 | 8:00 pmI've always loved pastries like this. I'd go to the grocery store and drool over Entenmanns danish thinking one of these days I'm gonna make one. It's one of those things you put on that ever growing list you keep of things you want to bake someday. Fine Cooking helped me bump it up the list when I saw it was made with frozen puff pastry. I made the apple filling as the recipe states, rolled the puff pastry out, layered the apples and sealed it up. It's truly amazing. So flaky and delicious! I sprinkled this with granulated sugar this time,… -
Celebrating Shelby's Blog Anniversary and Her Giveaway!
27 Dec 2011 | 7:27 amOne of the first blogs I discovered in the cooking/baking blog community was Shelby's - The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch. Shelby has been sharing her family and her recipes with us for 4 years, and now we get to celebrate her anniversary with her $50.00 gift certificate giveaway! Leave a comment on my blog for one entry in the giveaway, visit Shelby on her blog to see who helped her celebrate and learn how you can earn more entries in her giveaway! Shelby has been a wonderful friend. Thank you girlfriend for your blog and the love you put into it! I wish you… -
Hershey's Best Brownie
20 Dec 2011 | 12:07 pmWe had company coming, dinner was taken care of but....dessert? All the Petite Macaroons Cups with Almonds were just about gone. I needed something quick, delicious and FAST! This brownie recipe filled all those requirements. I didn't have my square 9 inch baking pan available. Since moving to Kentucky some of my baking pans are still being stored, so I made this in a round pan. With only two of us in the house, I was happy this recipe was just our size! My husband isn't crazy about chocolate, but Hershey certainly won him over with this recipe. He loved…
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loveandflour.com
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Daring Bakers’ Challenge – Scones…a.k.a Biscuits
27 Jan 2012 | 7:07 amAfter neglecting to participate in last month’s Daring Baker’s Challenge due to holiday hustle and bustle, I was very pleased to start the year off right with a new challenge. Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches [...] -
Delicioso! Tres Leches Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Buttercream
25 Jan 2012 | 7:45 amBack in June, I received a request for Tres Leches cake. I was looking through Warren Brown’s Cake Love when my phone chirped and alerted me to a text message that contained the said request. I’d never made a Tres Leches cake, and it sounded like one of those cakes a baking-focused blog should feature, [...] -
Souper Bowl Sunday: Hot & Sour Soup with DIY Ramen Noodles
22 Jan 2012 | 12:47 pmDIY Ramen Noodles? I had no idea there was such a thing until I read a post saying it could be done on Oiyi’s Crafts. I have wanted to try making my own Ramen noodles for months, and since I experienced such recent success making my own dulce de leche, I figured I would use [...] -
Dulce de Leche {and a Giveaway Winner}
21 Jan 2012 | 7:16 amDeep in the midst of January, I began to wonder what to do with the cans of condensed milk I had left over from my holiday baking. The answer turned out to be homemade dulce de leche. A simple internet search on what to do with leftover condensed milk conveniently reveled a can of sweetened condensed milk placed [...] -
Snow Day! Carrot Cake Coconut Snowballs
18 Jan 2012 | 7:38 amI have made this pronouncement this before, but I’ll say it again. I am not a foodie. Then why in heaven’s name write a food blog? I started a blog to combat white collar boredom. I chose food to blog about since I eat every day, and I truly enjoy to bake. More importantly, food [...]
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Cakies
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Pastry Course Day Eighteen: Structures, Bow and Drapery
25 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pmThis week we learned all about working with different types of structures. We also made a different kind of bow than last week and we made draperies. It was really fun to do, but for some reason, my draperies weren’t working, my fondant kept breaking. My curtains were probably a bit heavy, ’cause the last drapery I made I rolled out really thinly and that gave a much better result. Cake with a bow and drapery Working with all the different kinds of structures really was a lot of fun as well. In a relatively easy way you can give your cake a completely different look! Patterns and… -
Pastry Course Day Seventeen: Sugarpaste, Covering Cake, Frill Techniques
25 Jan 2012 | 2:37 pmI know, I know, I’m a week late with my update. I’ve been super busy last week and just didn’t get around to writing a new post. Last week we received a lot of instructions on making sugarpaste roses, bows, working with crimpers and frilling. This resulted in having only al little bit of time left to cover a dummy cake with fondant and try out some of the techniques. I worked quite fast, which resulted in having a not so neat end result. I did get a grip of the techniques though, so all I need to do next time is fine-tune and perfect it! Cake with Frills and Bows -
Pastry Course Day Sixteen: Bas Relief Sugar Piece
15 Jan 2012 | 4:20 pmThis week we started with the fifth module instead of the fourth. This is because we have two groups on the same day and only one group at a time can do the fourth module. So our group has gone ahead and started with the fifth module. Once that’s finished the groups will switch modules. The fifth module is all about decorating cakes again. This time, we learned about bas relief. A sort of embossing technique, that gives a little 3d effect to your decoration. The technique makes your decoration stand out slightly from the background. We created a bas relief sugar piece. We were given a… -
Pastry Course Day Fifteen: Decorating a Two Tiered Cake
24 Dec 2011 | 11:11 amThis week it was final assignment week. The final assignment of the third module was filling and decorating a two tiered cake. I had decided to bake my own cakes which I filled and decorated. I, ofcourse, wasn’t very lucky again this week, by the time I got around filling my cake with buttercream we were all out so we had to make some from scratch. By the time I got around decorating my cake most of the group was well underway. Because I had less time to decorate I had to adjust my plans slightly. First we had to ice the filled cakes and cover them with fondant. Meanwhile we were also… -
Pastry Course Day Fourteen: Pressure Piping and Decorating Cake
21 Dec 2011 | 4:13 pmI’ve been extremely busy these last few days, thus the short ‘silence’ on my blog, but this week I’ll be picking up where I’ve left inbetween all the busy days ahead! First things first, let’s do a quick recap on the adventures I had last week on my pastry course. Last week it was the week before the final assignment of our third module. During that day we learned all about piping figurines and we had to decorate a real cake. First of all we started piping all different types of figurines with the pressure piping technique. I decided to pipe a little piggy,…
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Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog
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Snowflake Cookie Designs & Decorating Ideas
27 Jan 2012 | 11:57 amThe weather outside may be dreadful, but the cookies are so delightful. Winter is the perfect time to practice and perfect the art of baking delicious, beautiful gourmet cookies. Your friends and family will be supportive of this endeavor, you can be sure! Snowflake cookies are a great way to make the winter months a little more palatable or to treat yourself to something warm and soothing after a day of skiing, snowshoeing, or building snowmen. Here are some snowflake cookie designs and decorating tips. A good cookie needs good dough. For snowflake cookies, the best choices are… -
Using Luster Dust To Decorate Cookies
12 Jan 2012 | 11:57 amYou are about to discover the secret to exceptional cookies; cookies that not only taste wonderful but that look like they just came out of an upscale bakery. It's luster dust. Perfect for special occasions, or when you just want to show off your stellar baking skills, this wonderful sugary dust adds sparkle, shine, and elegance to your cookies. Here are some tips for using luster dust to decorate cookies that look too good to eat and too good to resist. It's also used to decorate cakes too, but we're going to focus on cookies! What is luster dust? It sounds magical, doesn't it? … -
How To Set-Up & Sell Girl Scout Cookies At A Booth
28 Dec 2011 | 2:38 pmSince Girl Scout cookies can only be sold by registered Girl Scouts, chances are you’re going to want to get out there in the public and promote your troop’s offerings. If you have a scout in the family and want to know how to help her set up a booth in town, here are some suggestions. Adults are allowed to facilitate but not sell the cookies. There must be a scout present at all times to do the selling. So plan on having several scouts to volunteer at different times of the day so girls won’t get tired. Ask a local food store, strip mall owner, restaurant or other local store if your… -
Raise Money For Charity - Have A Holiday Cookie Bake Sale
14 Dec 2011 | 12:23 pmHave you ever thought that you could turn your baking talents into cash for a good cause? Hosting a bake sale is not what it used to be. Gone are the days when you made a few dollars and that was the end of it. Now you can join an organization called the Share our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale and raise money to help end childhood hunger. This new concept has taken off recently as grass roots organizations like local PTOs have started to contribute to it. All you have to do is hold a bake sale and donate your proceeds to the Great American Bake Sale. The non-profit organization then… -
How To Make A Cookie Box
1 Dec 2011 | 1:50 pmIt gets harder and harder to find just the right holiday gift as we are increasingly surrounded by electronic gadgets and more high-tech toys. What do you get for people to show them your appreciation without spending a fortune? How do you get people who seem to have everything a gift they will like? It’s easy! Cookies. It's the perfect gift for virtually any occasion and any recipient. Sure, there are people who don’t like cookies – but do you know any personally? We didn’t think so! Even if the recipient isn’t overly fond of sweets, he/she can take them home and…
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anecdotes and apple cores - Eats and Treats
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Easy Tiger
27 Jan 2012 | 9:35 amSo I didn't wake up yesterday to run around my apartment, snatching up clothes and throwing together a poorly aligned sandwich (you know what I'm talking about...tomatoes are sliding out of one side, a thick glob of mustard pools near the northern crust.) No, I woke up and went to acupuncture.RELAXING.Then, I decided to go to work late. And when you go to work late, you revel in the freedom of making a less-than-practical choice. So you make another.I stopped by Easy Tiger yesterday because I wanted a croissant and a 3 dollar cup of coffee. This bake shop and beer garden has been getting buzz… -
Cats and Cake
26 Jan 2012 | 7:35 amWhat am I doing this week?Taking quiet moments to sit and think. A cat in your lap is welcome encouragement to rest a little longer. Baking cakes. Spiderman birthday last Saturday. Wedding cake testing this Saturday. I'm dreaming of buttercream and perfectly flat cake layers.Learning how to stay alert during mid-afternoon slumps.-10 minutes of sun.-A walk -A cup of ginger tea-Conversation with mom-Triscuits with melted cheeseReading. Always reading. Adoring Karen Russel's book of short stories and praying her mad skills will seep in through the contact of my thumbs with her fantabulous… -
Animal Cracker Cupcakes
22 Jan 2012 | 9:54 pmTwo of my latest obsessions:-Goodwill Excursions-Porcelain AnimalsFor the former, I credit my husband. Because growing up, I didn't go thrift-store shopping. Not ever. Not once. Now mind you, my mom is one of the most budget-conscious people I know, but with four girls to clothe, she didn't have time to rummage for treasures. So when I met my husband, I also discovered the excitement of finding something special amongst....well, let's say it...trash. Ryan and I been to Goodwill four times in the last two weeks, and we've found our share of vintage wares. The second obsession--my porcelain… -
Cubicles and Cake
18 Jan 2012 | 8:14 amI may not have time to write more than one post each week, but I do have time to share pictures like this:A blackberry cake in my cubicle at work. (Forgive the lightning. We're dealing with florescent, my friends.) Because sometimes, we need a little sweetness to get through our day. And I've needed A LOT lately. "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." Anne Frank -
Lean Bread
15 Jan 2012 | 10:45 pmWhy do I bake bread?1. Because the world can be a scary place. For me, the process of measuring, kneading, and waiting allows my mind to settle on a singular purpose--creating something whole out of a collection of disparate parts. 2. Because I like my house to smell good. Forget synthetic room fresheners or heavily scented candles. Give me the aroma of baking bread and melted butter. Nothing, and I'll stand behind this, smells better than freshly baked bread.3. Because bread brings people together. This morning, I visited a local bakery in Austin. As I sat with friends, I watched…
