Cakewalk Baking

Happy Holidays everyone!

2011-12-23T18:23:00.000-08:00

snowflake sugar cookies for Graham's classmates

I've been busy, busy working and shopping and crafting and baking and candy making and party throwing, but unfortunately can't seem to do all those things and still take interesting photos and blog about it. Oh well, there's always next year...

In case you still have some baking to do, here are my favorite recipes from the season:
1. Homemade peanut butter cups - to D-I-E for! I used milk chocolate and topped off with crushed peanuts and Maldon Salt.
2. Peppermint Bark - I doubled the recipe for a 1/2 sheet pan and added half the oil. Make sure to wrap them it and store in the fridge.
3. Penuche fudge - I tried this recipe with both dark & light sugar and they were both equally as yummy. Make sure to not over cook or it will be crumbly.
4. Gingersnaps - I subbed the cardamon for black pepper and left out the fresh ginger because I didn't have any. I rolled the cookies in raw sugar before baking.
5. English toffee - Using chocolate chips makes this so easy, I prefer it will almonds
6. Mexican wedding cakes (or Russian tea cakes) - my husband's favorite. I added a 1/2 teaspoon of salt because every cookie should have salt.
7. Gingerbread caramels - Perfect!
8. Vanilla Bean marshmallows - I add the seeds from two vanilla beans as well as adding the extract.

I hope your holidays are merry and bright! See you next year...

xoxo,

Gingerbread Decorating

2011-12-20T10:46:00.000-08:00

I hosted a gingerbread decorating class yesterday at Zut! and it was such a blast. I purchased fabulous prebuilt houses from Spun Sugar in Berkeley and provided bowls and bowls of festive candy. Each group was given a tool set and bowls and bags of royal icing. To be honest, I didn't have to do much teaching. After a few quick instructions on how to hold a pastry bag, everyone dug in and started creating their candy masterpieces. I was so impressed with the creativity and passion of each group. To give the houses a finishing touch, we dusted them with disco dust that made everything super sparkly. I can hardly wait to do it again next year! Special thanks to the front of the house crew at Zut! for scraping all the royal icing off the tables and cleaning up the sticky mess after we were all done.

Graham's Pumpkin Patch Party, part II

2011-11-03T21:16:00.000-07:00

As you can see by the wonderful photos by Sherry Heck, full was had by all at the pumkin patch. Special thanks to my partners in crime, Becca of Cake. and Sherry for all of help and support!

Graham's Pumpkin Patch Party - part 1

2011-11-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

I know that Halloween is soooo 3 days ago, but I am finally getting around to posting all the pictures from Graham's party. When we visited G&M farms with his preschool class last year, I decided it would be the perfect spot for a party. Their party "rooms" are an amazing deal (only $20 for 2 hours) and hosting it away from home meant I didn't have to clean up or plan any activities. When the kids arrived, they immediately ran off to the straw bale maze, petal cars and giant corn box (like a sand box, but with corn kernels). After a bit, I rounded up the kids to dig in to their "wicked good" boxed lunches that included PB & J, Pirates Booty, apples and juice. It was definitely a little tricky getting kids (especially mine) to eat their lunch when they were surrounded by goodies! For the sweets, I made chocolate + orange cupcakes, baked pumpkin donuts, and Halloween sugar cookies (the bats were my favorite). The orange cotton candy had unfortunately melted before anyone got to taste it, but the swirly lollipops were a hit. With the added energy from the sugar rush, the kids headed out with wagon in tow to pick out to the vast patch to pick their pumpkins. In addition to their pumpkin, the kids took home a muslin favor bag an adorable hand knit finger puppet, a ghost cookie and a cd of Halloween music. Stay tuned for more pictures of the fun!

Credits:

Cake.:invitations, cd labels, & "wicked good" boxed lunch labels (available for purchase), assisted with styling

Sherry Heck: photography
Cakewalk Baking: baked goods, concept & event styling
WeeKnit: hand knit finger puppets
G & M Farms: location

Graham's Pumpkin Patch Party

2011-10-28T17:35:00.000-07:00

Yipeee! I'm so excited that Graham's party was featured today on Amy Atlas. Stay tuned for more pictures and details Monday on Cake. Super, duper thanks to Sherry Heck for taking all of the fabulous pictures.

Party time!

2011-10-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

I can't believe another year has gone by and it's birthday time for Graham again. After last year's torrential rains, we decided to take a chance and plan another outdoor party. Luckily, it looks like it's going to be prefect. Keep your fingers crossed! Becca from Cake. designed the amazing invite - don't you love it? I'm so lucky to have such talented friends. I've been busy crafting and baking and can hardly wait to share the results with you next week.

I've been busy...

2011-09-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

with this...

My one and only sweet boy starting kindergarten.

and this...

Celebrating the 1 year anniversary of Zut!

I can't believe that it's been a month since I've posted, but it has been hectic around here to say the least. With vacations and school starting and new work schedules, I feel like my life has been turned upside down and I'm just now finding my footing. The beginning of school was so hard - for me. Graham is handling it just fine, but I have been a total mess - anxious and melancholy - and having a really hard time coming to grips with the fact that my little guy is growing up so fast. Sniff, sniff...

On the other hand, restaurant life has been great. We've been slammed all summer and it's not showing signs of slowing down. I love my job and I'm so grateful to be able to do what I love, work side-by-side with my husband and have the flexibility to still be there everyday to pick Graham up from school. I really couldn't ask for more.

No more excuses though! With a wedding, a big birthday, and lots of other fun projects in the works, I will be back to posting more regularly. In the meantime, facebook & pinterest have been receiving more of my love. See you soon!

Yay - ice cream!!

2011-08-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

What's more perfect than ice cream on a hot, summer day? Nothing if you ask me (though photographing it is another story!) I put this party together for my son's graduation from preschool and I think it was my favorite yet. The grownups were just as excited as the kids to indulge and create their favorite sundae combos.

I started with four different flavors of homemade ice cream: vanilla bean, milk chocolate, mint chip & strawberry. Sauces included bittersweet hot fudge, salted caramel, and strawberry. Cherries, candied almonds & rainbow sprinkles were offered as finishing touches. For those who preferred a cone, there were traditional cake cones and chocolate dipped sugar cones. I made ice cream sandwiches and bons bons that were delicious, but very messy and began to melt right away (if the future, I would freeze the these items for a few days to extend their non-'meltyiness'). I also baked ice cream cone cupcakes and offered root beer for root beer floats. The ice cream cone cookies in pink striped bags were given as favors to the kiddos. One of my favorite aspects of the table was the oil cloth tablecloth. It both looked cute (didn't wrinkle!!) and was extremely practical for doing little clean- ups throughout the party.

I'll be back next week to share recipes and more tips.
Many thanks to Becca of Cake. for helping out with the styling of the table and taking all of the pictures.
The incredibly talented Paige of Paiges of Style created all of the party printables and they are available for download FREE! Invitation, ice cream carton labels, toppings labels, 'thank you' tags

Sources:

Striped & polka dot ice cream cups, white wire cake stand: Sur La Table

Wooden ice cream spoons, striped bags, blue polka dot cups: Shop Sweet Lulu

Pint containers: Smart & Final

Parents Party of the Month!

2011-08-11T17:11:00.000-07:00

I'm super excited that Graham's County Fair party was picked as Parents Magazine Party of the Month for August. Check out more pictures on Parents and get the whole story here and here. Now I've got to get busy planning this year's party!

Thanks again to Sherry Heck for capturing all of the wonderful images.

London's cake

2011-08-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

Do you know who Zorua is? How about Zekrom? I certainly didn't until about a week ago when I was asked by Icing Smiles to make a Pokemon cake for London who was celebrating his 11th birthday. Icing Smiles is an amazing organization that provides custom celebration cakes and other treats to families impacted by critical illness of a child. Though this type cake is definitely not my forte, I was thrilled to receive my 'call to action' and make one of London's birthday wishes come true.

Welcome to the new Cakewalk Baking!

2011-08-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

{photo by Sherry Heck}

I'm super excited to share the new look of Cakewalk Baking. I'll be posting lots of exciting stuff this week, but I couldn't wait to share any longer. There's still a little tweaking to do, but I think it's much easier to navigate and definitely more exciting to look at. I hope you like it and would love to here your feedback.

Fig Brûlée

2011-07-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

This picture isn't very inspired, but this little treat I made today was so delicious and simple that I had to share it immediately!

Fig brûlée:
Cut fig in half length wise
Sprinkle with granulated sugar
Using a kitchen torch or in the broiler, melt the sugar on fig until it bubbles and caramelizes (take care to not burn yourself with the hot sugar!)
Top with a dollop of frozen yogurt (I made frozen Greek yogurt) or vanilla bean ice cream
Devour!

Customer photos: a party for baby Amelia

2011-07-06T17:46:00.000-07:00

I recently made cupcakes for a baby shower and when I received the photos from the party, I was blown away with the cuteness of it all. It was a large co-ed shower and I think they did such a great job with creating intimate spaces in a park setting. Activities included writing affirmations for the new baby, face painting for the kiddos as well as eating cupcakes, of course! After a fun cupcake tasting, the couple picked 4 flavors: salted caramel, chocolate chocolate, strawberry lemonade, and raspberry vanilla. The cute party paper goods were created by Olivia Grace Studio.

A recipe and a giveaway!

2011-06-29T20:04:00.000-07:00

I shared my new, favorite recipe for Root Beer Float cupcakes yesterday on Birthday Girl. Now I wanted to share with one lucky reader some essentials to making them: 5 18" striper pastry bags (for making the perfect double swirl), 5 outer pastry bags, and a bottle of yummy root beer extract. Simply leave a comment here and I will choose a winner on Sunday, July 3rd. If you share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter, leave a comment for an additional entry. The winner will be contacted via email. Open to US residents only.
We have a winner - #3 - Magpie! I'll send you an email - congratulations!

Here's the recipe again in case you missed it!
I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen and tweaked it a bit, adding more butter, root beer extract and simplifying the method. I thought that root beer extract would be easier to come by but after searching all my local grocery stores, I finally found it at a homebrew/wine making store. There’s a much better selection online and I think I would try this one from Cooks next time.
For the frosting, I wanted to duplicate the vanilla ice cream, but also wanted to make sure that the overall flavor screamed root beer. I settled on making vanilla & root beer variations of my favorite Swiss meringue buttercream recipe and swirled them together. There are a couple of methods to achieve this effect – using 2 bags in one (see a great tutorial here or you can use these very handy striper bags. Whichever technique you use, it is a little tricky to get the frosting to come out evenly, so plan on taking your time and practicing a few swirls before applying to your cupcakes. Making sure your frosting is on the softer side will make the process much easier. Happy swirling!
Ingredients
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ cups sugar
½ dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp root beer extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cocoa powder (Dutch processed)
2 cups root beer (I used Jones and I would recommend using a similar, natural soda)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and pale.
3. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix until combined
4. Sift together flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda together
5. Stir together root beer & root beer extract
6. Alternately add dry ingredients and root beer to mixing bowl, scraping down after each addition. Start and end with dry ingredients
7. Fill paper-lined muffin tins with batter 2/3 full.
8. Bake at 350° for 20-22 minutes
Root Beer & Vanilla Bean buttercream
Ingredients
1 lb unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
8 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tsp root beer extract (or more to taste)

Directions
1. Combine the sugar & egg whites in mixer bowl and whisk together over simmering water until hot to the touch and all of the sugar has melted and is no longer grainy
2. Transfer bowl to mixer stand and whip on high until fluffy & cool – about 10 minutes
3. With the mixer on low, add the softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time until incorporated. Add in vanilla. Whip until smooth (it may look curdled, but just continue to mix & it will be fine!).
4. Remove ½ of the frosting and add root beer extract to the remaining frosting.

Cookie bribes

2011-06-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I'm at work and need help lugging bags of flour, hulling multiple flats of strawberries or I have made a particularly huge mess, I find that the promise of a sweet treat goes a long way in preserving employee relations. Today I knew I was going to need a lot of favors, so I had to come up with something special.

I started with this recipe and made a few tweaks like adding peanut butter chips and honey roasted peanuts. After the first batch was baked, I tried a light sprinkling of Maldon sea salt on top of the cookie and yowza - a delicious and bribe-worthy cookie!

Double Chocolate Peanut Chip Cookies
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
8 oz butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup ea chocolate chips and peanut butter chips
1 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts
Sea salt of sprinkling (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda. In mixing bowl, cream together butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time until incorporated. Add in vanilla. Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture and mix until combined. Stir chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and honey roasted peanuts. Scoop onto a parchment covered cookie sheet and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Bake approximately 12 minutes. Cool on a baking rack.

Vanilla Perfection

2011-06-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

Head on over to Birthday Girl to check out my first post as a contributor - my quest for the perfect vanilla cupcake and frosting!

Tea Party in the Garden

2011-06-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

The ritual of having tea has been important to me since I was a little girl. Many of my childhood afternoons were spent sitting around my grandmother’s dining room table, sipping milky tea and eating her delicious homemade treats. When she passed away many years ago, I was lucky enough to inherit some of her bone china tea cups which I cherish. Though I am still a daily tea drinker, I rarely have the occasion to break out all of my fancy things. With warm Spring weather (though unpredictable - we had to reschedule once due to rain) and an abundance flowers in our garden, it was the perfect excuse to have a tea party. I kept it small with 5 moms and their children and it was truly delightful afternoon of sipping tea and enjoying goodies. Many thanks to Becca of the fabulous Birthday Girl blog who designed the invites & menus, crafted the cute faux fire and helped out with the styling and Sherry Heck for taking all of the beautiful photos.

Menu:
Tea sandwiches: curried chicken, egg salad, cucumber, caramelized onion & goat cheese, and peanut butter & jam
Sweets: Scones with homemade jam & lemon curd, almond raspberry petit fours, lemon bars, strawberry mini cupcakes, white chocolate cupcakes, raspberry tartlets, meringues, vanilla bean shortbread cookies and mini donuts.

Regardless of the occasion, I love giving party favors. For the ladies, I created a crepe paper party crackers filled with a handcrafted rose ring and a mini Lollia hand cream. For the kiddos, I had a hard time narrowing it down, so they got three - a handmade heart glitter wand, a sparrow ribbon necklace and a small candy bag.

I tried to use mostly things that I already owned for this party, but I did splurge on a few new things...

Vintage tea pots (I was surprisingly lacking!): Home 101, Berkeley
Paper straws, pink milk glass cake stand, glassine bags: Shop Sweet Lulu
Flower fabric for tablecloths: Sew, Mama, Sew!
Drink dispenser: HomeGoods

Many thanks again to Sherry and Becca for all of their help!

Fabulous Forty

2011-05-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

I was asked to make this cake for my client, Emily's 40th birthday. A big birthday definitely deserves a big cake! The top and botton tiers were chocolate agave cake filled with bittersweet ganache, the middle layer was white cake filled with raspberry/rhubarb preserves and vanilla bean buttercream.

(I'm planning on a update to my little blog soon and trying out larger images. I hope it doesn't look too weird in the meantime!)

You put the lime in the coconut...

2011-04-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

I recently created a variety of citrus treats for a lovely dessert table styled by Becca of Birthday Girl. Becca did an amazing job creating the adorable graphics & pulling the table together with simple flowers & fresh lemons. The treats included orange-vanilla bean mini cupcakes, lemon raspberry cupcakes, meyer lemon bars, blood orange meringue tartlets & coconut-lime sandwich cookies. The sleeper hit of the night was definitely the cookies. I have to admit, they were kind of a pain to make. The dough is super soft & required a ton of flour and patience when rolling them out. I skipped the step of freezing the dough before cutting them out and I don't recommend it. That being said, the result was really delicious. The cookies stay soft and chewy and the filling was super limey and refreshing. I might tinker with the recipe to make the dough a little easier to deal with, but they are definitely a keeper!

Coconut Lime Sandwich Cookies ( adapted from Martha Stewart)
Makes 24 or more sandwich cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutter. I used a 1" cutter.

1 cup AP flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
7 ozs. sweetened coconut ( about 1 1/2 cups)

Filling:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp. butter, softened
2 tsp. lime zest
2 tbsp. lime juice
Cookies:
1. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Put butter and granulated sugar into a mixer bowl and beat in medium high speed til pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
4. Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in the flour mixture.
5. Stir in the coconut.
6. Shape dough into 2 discs and wrap each in plastic. Refridgerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 350 and get parchment lined baking sheets ready.
8. Take the discs out of the fridge and roll each out to 1/4" thickness, then pop them into the freezer for about 20 minutes. Then take them out of the freezer and cut out your shapes and pop them back into the freezer for another few minutes to firm up.
9. Place them onto your baking sheet and bake approximately 12 minutes, or til the edges are golden.
10. Cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
11. Fill cookies when cooled.
Filling:
Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and place about one tablespoonful onto one cookie and top with another.
Store cookies in the fridge in an airtight container.

The perfect party

2011-03-22T19:24:00.001-07:00

My weekend was a bit of a let down after having to postpone a tea party that I have been planning with Birthday Girl and fabulous photographer, Sherry Heck due to rain that would just not go away. My little Graham knew that I was disappointed and was determined that the party should go on. While I was away at work Monday, he enlisted my husband's help and orchestrated a tea party of his own in honor of my birthday (a few days early). They baked & decorated a delicious cake (my favorite touch is the raw lemon slices of the outside), made yummy finger sandwiches, and brewed my best-loved tea. Graham invited some friends (Alice, Raggedy Ann, and Rosetta to name a few), set the table and added some lovely flowers from the garden to complete the look. When I arrived home he was so excited and proud of what he had created and I was blown away by the amount of thought and effort that he had put in (long attention span is not usually one of his strong points!).
I often wonder if he will remember the months-of-planning birthday parties that I have thrown for him, but I don't think they will ever be more perfect or more unforgetable than the sweet party he planned for me.

My (enormous) ruffle cake

2011-03-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

I've admired Martha's ruffle cake forever and after seeing it pop up at parties around the blogesphere, I knew I had to try it. We hosted a birthday party for my mother-in-law this weekend so it was the perfect time to give it a shot. I found this video and being a very visual learner, it was extremely helpful. I doubled my cake recipe and made 3 1 1/2 9" layers. I started out with a doubled recipe of Swiss meringue buttercream and ran out with about 1/4 of the cake and the top unfrosted. A third batch (of not quite matching pink buttercream) did the trick.
This cake definitely gives you a big bang for your buck! The method is really simple and quick and the finished product is quite impressive. I decorated it directly on my cake stand which I think was a smart move. I can't imagine trying to transfer the cake once it was piped with pounds of frosting. If I made it again, I would definitely use a smaller tip (I used 121 petal tip) because the amount of frosting was ridiculous - adding about 3" in diameter to this already massive cake.

Be my valentine...

2011-02-18T18:52:00.000-08:00

I know I'm a bit late and this photo is less than inspired, but I just had to share Graham's classroom valentines. After a few trips to the dollar spot at Target, I was able to accumulate the sixteen red mini mailboxes needed for all of his classmates. I made the envelope & heart sugar cookies (he added the sprinkles, I'll be vacuuming them up for months!) & designed the labels. Graham was very excited to deliver the "mail" to all of his friends!

Vote for Cakewalk!

2011-02-03T22:00:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited that Graham's County Fair was picked as a finalist in My Insanity's 3rd Blogiversary Party Party. It would be greatly appreciated if you would pop over there and vote for my party. Many thanks to Sherry Heck for all of the magical pictures.

My (creative) to-do list

2011-01-25T20:04:00.000-08:00

It's a little late for New Year's resolutions (maybe I should be working on procrastination...), but better late than never I guess. I woke up to bright sunny skies a couple of weeks ago and was inspired to make a list of creative goals for year. I'm not much of a list maker, so this in itself was a little bit of an accomplishment! I also figured sharing my goals would keep me more motivated to complete them.

So here are my creative resolutions for 2011:

Attempt the ruffle cake
Finish my 2 year+ arm chair upholstery project
Host a fancy tea party (scheduled for March)
Revamp my blog (must brainstorm & contact Lindsay)
Blog a least once a week (I'm on a roll!)
Host a cooking class for my mom's club (scheduled for February)
Spend more time making my garden beautiful(sweet peas, rannunculus & poppies planted)
Refinish a larger china cabinet to house my ever expanding cake stand collection (not allowed to start until the chair is complete!)
Have a dinner party and use the good silver & china
Perfect my vanilla cake & frosting recipes
Bake for a good cause (need to contact the Family House @ Children's Hospital)
Remake Martha's bubble wedding cake for my 10 year anniversary (hope I can remember how to make those sugar bubbles!)

What are your goals for the year?

Nutella Love

2011-01-20T21:29:00.000-08:00

Nutella is my kryponite. I don't dare have it in my house as I know I could devour a jar in a single bound. When I came across some at work though, I had an excuse - an obligation really - make some delicious with it. I decided on ice cream because it's been unseasonable warm & lovely here and really, who doesn't love ice cream?

I used this Nigella recipe with a slight adaptation - I added an additional cup of cream stirred in with the Nutella. I like to add some unheated cream to all of my ice cream bases because I think it adds a bit of freshness. The result was amazing -rich, super creamy, and Nutellalicious!

Ingredients
•2 cups whole milk
•2 cup heavy cream
•1/2 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup
•4 egg yolks
•1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)

Directions
In a saucepan combine the milk, 1 cup cream, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup of the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir. Add this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture through the strainer. Stir in the remaining cream, vanilla and hazelnut spread until it dissolves. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions to freeze.

Holiday Gift Wrap Party - the treats

2010-12-15T20:58:00.000-08:00

Wrapping presents can be hard work, so lots of yummy treats and drinks were need to keep everyone's energy up. On the beverage side we sipped hot cocoa, spiced cider and a delicious champagne cocktail. I kept everything pretty traditional with the sweets - spicy ginger snaps, chocolate cupcakes with white chocolate peppermint buttercream, English toffee and my favorite, penuche (brown sugar)fudge.

This recipe from Martha Stewart was super easy to make and totally addicting. If you're considering sharing, I would definitely recommend at least doubling the recipe because it goes fast! I remade the recipe today subbing dark muscovado sugar for the light brown sugar and it was equally delicious but had a much deeper molasses flavor.

Penuche Fudge
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
5 ounces (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 ounces toasted walnuts, chopped (optional, I didn't add them)

1. Coat a 5-by-10-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line with plastic wrap leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides.
2. Bring evaporated milk, brown sugar, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture registers 236 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 25 minutes.
3. Transfer to a mixer bowl, and beat in confectioners' sugar on low speed. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium, and beat until mixture is thickened and smooth, 2 to 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add vanilla and walnuts (if using).
4. Spread mixture in pan, smoothing top. Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm, about 25 minutes. Unmold fudge using plastic overhang, and discard plastic. Cut into 18 pieces. Penuche will keep, covered, for up to 1 week.

Also, check out Becca's recipe for the fabulous favors she created.

Holiday Gift Wrap Party

2010-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to share pictures from my weekend collaboration with the amazing Becca of Birthday Girl. We invited our guests to bring unwrapped presents and provided them with everything they needed to create gorgeous, unique packages. Becca choose all of the lovely papers ( primarily from Paper Source) and ribbons and we came up with lots of embellishments - baker's twine, happy tape, glittery letters, antique keys, cupcake liner flowers, miniature mushrooms to name a few. We had the most fun styling the table to look just like a dessert table - right down to the 3-tiered paper cake! Everyone had a fantastic (and productive!) time and we vowed to make this a new holiday tradition.

Of course, it wouldn't be a party for me without lots of goodies, so I'll be back tomorrow with pictures of the treats, fabulous favors and even a signature champagne cocktail.

(photos by Birthday Girl & Cakewalk Baking)

Coming soon: Giftwrap Party

2010-12-09T17:06:00.001-08:00

I've been a bad, bad blogger, but next week I promise to be back with some fabulous pictures and party details. I'm so excited to be co-hosting a party this weekend with Becca from Birthday Girl and can hardly wait to share the results!

Graham's County Fair - recap II

2010-11-18T18:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks again to Sherry Heck for all of the amazing photos (the first one of Graham is my absolute favorite!!).

Sources:
Striped cups, straws, popcorn bags: Hey Yo Yo
Novelty toys, balloons, darts: US Toy
Marquee sign: Homemade with lights from Target & chalkboard paint

County Fair recap, part I

2010-11-16T13:06:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to be sharing all of the pictures from Graham's County Fair party! I was really thrilled with the day despite the major hiccup of having to un-invite most of Graham's preschool class due to torrential rains and not enough room in our house to host an additional 15 kiddos & their families. Weather is usually very predictable at the end of October in the Bay Area and after 4 years of lovely outdoor parties, I never imagined it would rain on his big day. I watched the weather all week alternating between doubting and cursing the weatherman. When things still looked bad on Saturday morning, I knew I needed to scramble and figure out how to make some usable outdoor space. I found some heavy plastic sheeting (we had access to tarps, but I didn't want the blue tone to affect the pictures) at Home Depot. With help from my very patient husband & his friend, we managed to cover our small deck off the living room (thank you, staple gun), so my vision of outdoor games, popcorn maker and straw bale photo booth could be realized. In the end, it all worked out perfectly - the rain added to the ambience of the party and it was nice to have a more smaller, more intimate group - and no one complained about all of the left over goodies!

Next up - fun & games!
Sources:
Photography - Sherry Heck
Invitation & CD label design - Becca of Birthday Girl
Baked Goods - Cakewalk Baking
Bunting, cake bunting & prize ribbons - homemade with vintage tablecloth & ribbon.
Ferris wheel - vinatge found at Summer Cottage Antiques
Salt water taffy & marshmallow ice cream cones - Old Time Candy
Wooden forks & corndog trays - Webstaurant Store
Burlap favor bags - Gifts International
Farm animal onsies - homemade with Avery iron-transfers

Aloha, cupcake!

2010-11-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

Vanilla cupcake with guava buttercream & white chocolate starfish
(Made for Abbey's Luau birthday party)

Graham's party, part II

2010-11-04T16:34:00.000-07:00

Head on over to Birthday Girl to check out some more details & pictures from the "county fair"! I promise to be back soon to post all of the pictures and share my sources.

Graham's County Fair

2010-11-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to have pictures from Graham's party featured on Amy Atlas today! Stay tuned for more fabulous pictures from Sherry Heck and sources for all the goodies. A very special thank you to Becca of Birthday Girl for creating the amazing invites & cd labels (she is offering design services now!) and for her generous help on the day of the party.

Tricks & Treats

2010-10-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

Halloween is taking a backseat to birthday party preparations around here this year, so I thought I would revisit my favorite element from G's party last year - the trick or treat party favors. Guests could choose their favor - a "trick" - fake mice, spider soap, whoppie cushions, squirting rings, etc or a "treat" - spider web sugar cookies. A big hit with the kiddos & grown ups!

Winner, winner!

2010-10-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

#11 Jennifer Chorazy! Congratulations! Please send me you email address Jennifer so we can send you your gift certificate.

A CSN giveaway - Halloween edition

2010-09-29T05:53:00.000-07:00

When I was asked by CSN to host another $40 giveaway, I was thrilled. CSN is truly a one-stop shopping place where you can find everything from dining room chairs to fabulous rain boots.
With Halloween right around the corner, I found a few ways to spend the money if I were the winner...
Like this fantastic 3d cookie cutter set

these adorable jack-o-lantern plates

who (whoooo) doesn't need cool owl chocolate molds?

Whether you want to be practical or frivolous, CSN truly has it all!

Two ways to enter (leave a comment for each entry):
1. Visit CSN and let me know how you would use your gift certificate.
2. Become a fan of Cakewalk on Facebook and share with your friends and let me know.

Enter now through Wednesday, October 6th at noon. I will announce the winner that evening via email.

Open to US and Canadian residents (there may be international shipping charges to Canada)

Good luck!

The great chocolate (frosting) debate

2010-09-28T20:01:00.001-07:00

I posted to Facebook the other night about my quest for the perfect fudgy chocolate frosting recipe. I usually make a Swiss meringue buttercream and add lots of melted chocolate, but I've been in search of old fashioned recipe that tastes like store bought frosting - only better. I received a lot of great tips and was inspired to try some experimentation of my own. I chose 3 recipes to pair with vanilla cupcakes for the official tasters - me and my son.

The first recipe I used was Hershey's "perfectly chocolate" chocolate frosting. It's super simple to make and while it was my least favorite of the three, quite good. I added a tablespoon of coffee to the recipe per the suggestions of my Facebook friends and I think it added a nice touch. I felt that the color was a little anemic and might look nicer using dutched cocoa powder. Maybe adding some melted chocolate would boost the chocolate flavor?

I found my second recipe from Cooks Illustrated found on Chowhound. It's basically made like a ganache with the addition of some powdered sugar & lots of butter. I used a 60% bittersweet chocolate because it was what I had in the house. The result was delicious, but a little too sophisticated for what I had in mind. The recipe calls for 20 oz of chocolate which would make it quite expensive if a large quantity was needed. If I made it again, I would use milk chocolate for a mellower flavor.

My final and favorite was adapted from this recipe . I didn't have any unsweetened chocolate in the house, so I used my 60% bittersweet chocolate and cut back on the powdered sugar. The result was just perfect - fudgy (it gets a little crusty when it cools, just like fudge), not overly sweet with great chocolate flavor. Now I just need to find the perfect chocolate cake to go with it!

Cakewalk's "better than the can" chocolate fudge frosting:
5 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 oz unsalted butter
12 oz powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 oz whole milk

Melt the butter over low heat and stir in the chocolate until melted
Combine the powdered sugar & vanilla in large bowl (or bowl of stand mixer) and add chocolate mixture.
Add the milk, a little at a time until the desired consistency (thick & creamy is reached). The frosting will continue to thicken as is cools.

Be there or be square...

2010-09-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

I am totally honored and thrilled that Becca of Birthday Girl graciously offered to design Graham's party invitations. I gave her a few ideas and she ran with 'em - creating the perfect invite to set the tone for our 'fair' theme and way exceeding my expectations. Thanks again, Becca! I owe you a fabulous 1st birthday cake for Caitlin!

Sources:
Paper & envelopes (paper bag, red) - Paper Source
Address labels (kraft) - Online Labels

More "fair" inspiration

2010-09-14T22:34:00.000-07:00

One tablecloth, four ways

2010-09-11T18:20:00.000-07:00

For my son, Graham's "County Fair" party, I want the dessert table to have a rustic, homespun feel. I love vintage tablecloths and thought using one for different elements would tie things together nicely. I searched Ebay for "cutter" tablecloths (with stains or little holes) and found this beauty for less than $10.00. So far I have used it for the center of the prize ribbon favor bags and little flags inspired by Melanie of you are my fave. Next up, bunting and fancy prize ribbons to adorn the cakes.

Fall leaves

2010-08-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

Another great picture by Sherry Heck for Mesa.

Turning apples into apple cake

2010-08-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

My in-laws have an amazing garden bursting with abundant tomatoes, squash, beans, pears and much more. Everything delicious with the exception of the apple tree - the fruit looks great, but year after year produces the most mouth puckering sour apples. I brought a big bag home this year hoping to coax them into a palatable apple sauce, but with a friend coming over for coffee and not much else in the house, I decided to try to whip up a quick cake. I found this recipe on Martha Stewart and decided to give it a go. I made a couple changes (butter rather than oil) and hoped that the sweetness of a brown sugar glaze would offset the sour apples. It worked! The cake was moist and delicious and allowed the not so perfect apples to shine. With cooler temperatures upon us, this lovely cake will be my new fall favorite.

Brown sugar apple spice cake

• 1 1/3 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 to 4 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (3 cups)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Brown sugar glaze
• Nonstick cooking spray with flour

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray; set aside.
Sift together flour, cinnamon, cardamom, baking soda, and salt
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, sugar, and eggs; mix on high speed until lemon yellow.
With mixer on medium speed, gradually shake in dry ingredients until just incorporated.
Add apples to batter; mix to combine. Add vanilla, mixing until incorporated.
Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 75 to 90 minutes.
Remove from oven, and cool slightly on a wire rack.
Invert cake onto rack; turn cake right-side up to cool completely on rack, and serve drizzled with brown sugar glaze

Brown Sugar Glaze
¼ cup unsalted butter
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cream

Whisk together butter, brown sugar, and cream in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes
Drizzle over warm cake

Zut alors - I have a job!

2010-08-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

(bittersweet chocolate torte with fresh berries and whipped creme fraiche)

Is it possible that my little baby will be turning 5 in two short months? Is it possible that I haven't had a "real" job that entire time? Choosing to be a stay at home mom has been hugely rewarding and by far the most difficult job I've ever had. Now that Graham's happily in preschool, I am very excited to be embarking on a new venture.

When I met my husband ten years ago, he had just graduated from culinary school and was working his way up the ranks at some of San Francisco's most respected restaurants - Boulevard, Rubicon, Zuni, Redwood Park, Kokkari. He reached the level of executive chef a few years ago, but hadn't found the perfect job until now. A brand new restaurant, his own menu, a talented staff of his choosing, closer to home and an opening for a pastry chef! The restaurant, called Zut!, will focus on regional Mediterranean cuisine using seasonal, local ingredients. It's located on the fabulous 4th Street in Berkeley (with a very tempting Anthropologie around the corner).

After focusing on fondant, cupcakes & kids parties for the past few years, it was a little daunting to go back into a restaurant and come up with desserts for the out of preschool palette. After a few weeks of experimentation and the encouragement of a very nice boss (thanks, honey!), we have settled on five desserts for the opening menu - chocolate torte (pictured above), muscovado pot de creme, plum jam crostata, Greek yogurt with walnuts, honey & dried fruit, and fresh strawberry granita with pistachio macarons. Phew!

With less than a week until our grand opening (August 31st), I'm loving my new job and hoping we will have throngs of customers to try out my creations.

Drum roll, please...

2010-08-13T16:08:00.000-07:00

The winner is lucky number 12 - Dani!!! What will she use her gift certificate for? Dani says "there are a million things...I am thinking baking sheets and pans. Very practical, but much needed when it comes to feeding three hungry little boys! Thanks for the great giveaway!"

Congratulations, Dani! I will contact you via email.

Thanks everyone for entering!

Aidan's cake

2010-08-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

Aidan is the sweetest boy with amazing, bouncy blond curls and I loved making this cake to help him celebrate his third birthday.

$40 CSN giveaway!

2010-08-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when Caitlin from CSN stores emailed me to ask if I would be interested in hosting a giveaway. Of course! I love free stuff and I'm sure that you do to - especially really nice stuff like they carry at CSN's 200 + stores. I'm partial to baking (duh!), so their Cookware.com site is right up my alley. From a fabulous dutch oven

gorgeous cake stands

and adorable cookie cutters
Cookware.com is one of the most cohesive cooking sites I've come across. One lucky reader will receive a $40 gift certificate good at Cookware.com or any CSN store.

Two ways to enter (leave a comment for each entry):
1. Visit CSN and let me know how you would use your gift certificate.
2. Become a fan of Cakewalk on Facebook and share with your friends and let me know.

Enter now through Friday, August 13th at noon. I will announce the winner Friday evening via email.

Open to US and Canadian residents (there may be international shipping charges to Canada)

Good luck!

S'more please!

2010-08-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

I spent last week in lovely San Diego (Encinitas to be exact) playing at the beach, visiting favorite high school haunts and hanging out with extended family. On Saturday afternoon, we had a big family gathering with tons of fabulous food (why didn't I know my husband makes the best carnitas?), fabulous mai tais and lots of great company. Though most people had petered out by sundown, a few hardy souls remained to create delicious treats at the s'mores bar (an idea completely ~~ripped off~~ inspired by Michelle of So Wonderful, So Marvelous posted on Birthday Girl).

I included four different chocolates, traditional honey graham crackers, homemade marshmallows, strawberries and bananas, nutella and spices. A menu was provided to get provide some possible "recipes", but I think everyone just dug in and picked their favorite ingredients. I had never toasted homemade marshmallows before and was quite pleased that they acted just like the store bought kind - getting nice and toasty outside and gooey inside.

Barring one drippy marshmallow burn (which might have had something to do with the consumption of above mentioned mai tais), I think that the bar was a success!

(If you would like a copy of my s'mores menu, leave me a comment and I will email you the .pdf. I'm not clever enough to figure out how to link to it!)

Here's my favorite marshmallow recipe from Alton Brown:
Ingredients
3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice cold water, divided
12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Nonstick spray
Directions
Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the
water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt together
Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.
Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a
13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into
the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Using a sharp knife dipped in hot water, cut the marshmallows into 1 ½” squares. Toss in the remaining cornstarch mixture. Store in an air tight container.

Yummy Plum

2010-07-24T15:46:00.000-07:00

What do you get the guy who has everything? Well, in the case of my father-in-law the answer is plum syrup. I make several different kinds of jam during the summer and added plum to my repertoire this year. When I mentioned this to him, he said fresh plum syrup was absolute favorite. Done!

I use a simple formula when making both jam and syrup - equal volume by weight fruit to sugar (2lbs fruit/2lbs sugar) and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Step 1: Wash and cut fruit into approximately 1" pieces (remove pit, stem etc)
Step 2: Add fruit, sugar and lemon juice to a large pot and stir together.
Step 3: Bring to a boil over slow heat, stirring so make sure the fruit doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
Step 4: For syrup, after about 10 minutes, use a ladle to remove some of the juice and strain it into a glass jar.
Step 5: For jam, continue to cook the fruit unit it begins to thicken and gel. Ladle into jars (using a funnel makes this a lot easier). If you plan on storing your jams and syrup, check out the Ball Jar site detailed instructions.

BTW, do you like circus fonts (like on my tag) as much as I do? Check out Magic Jelly for an amazing collection of free fonts.

Inspiration

2010-07-24T07:48:00.001-07:00

My son's 5th birthday is at the end of October and like any obsessive party planner, I've been mulling over ideas for a while now. Something Halloweeny is the obvious theme, but he (alright, I admit it was me with some convincing) wanted to do something a little different this year. After much thought I, I mean he, settled on "Country Fair" - corn dogs, cotton candy, games, petting zoo!! I've been scouring the internet for inspiration - planning the menu, looking for invites, deciding on favors... and then I spotted her - a gorgeous, rusty, 2' tall ferris wheel. I instantly fell in love - the perfect centerpiece for my rustic dessert table. Can't you see cupcakes in those little cups? Or salt water taffy? Or billowy pillows of cotton candy? I found my amazing treasure in the most charming store, Summer Cottage Antiques in Petaluma. To top off my fabulous find, my best friends, Holly & Jessica, splurged and bought it for me as a belated birthday gift. I'm not sure who's more excited about this party - the 5 year old or the 40 year old!

And the winner is....

2010-07-23T18:00:00.001-07:00

Lucky #10 - Jennifer Chorazy who's going to use the pinwheels at her adorable daughter's 1st birthday! Congratulations and thanks to all for entering!

Polka Dot Pinwheels giveaway!

2010-07-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

Erin from Polka Dot Pinwheels has generously offered a Cakewalk reader a set of 8 personalized party pinwheels made to match your party theme and color. Erin adds a personalized message to the center of each pinwheel making them extra special. They are fabulous as party decorations or favors!
Two ways to enter:
Visit Polka Dot Pinwheels then come back and leave a comment about how you would use the pinwheels.
Become a fan of Cakewalk Baking on Facebook and leave a comment letting me know you've done so.
Enter now until Friday, July 23rd by noon pacific time. Winner will be announced Friday evening and will be contacted via email. Open to US residents only.

Score!

2010-07-10T10:58:00.001-07:00

I was thrilled to stumble across these adorable vintage 1/2 pint milk bottles at one of my favorite thrift stores yesterday. They're a perfect size for little kiddos and would look so charming on a dessert table (cookies & milk anyone?). I held back at buying a dozen, but I might have to go back and scoop up a few more.

And they look cute with flowers too!

DiY Fringe Party Hats

2010-07-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hop on over to Birthday Girl to check out my complete party hat tutorial. Thanks to Sherry Heck for all of the fab photos.

For the locals: Cakewalk at Crackerjacks

2010-06-24T21:29:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited to be helping Crackerjacks, children's consignment and boutique, celebrate the grand opening of their new digs at 4009 Piedmont Ave. in Oakland this Saturday. Crackerjacks offers a selection of gently used children's & maternity clothing and baby gear as well as lovely handcrafted toys, organic bath products, adorable shoes and much more. I will bring mini-cupcakes for customers big & small to enjoy while shopping at the new, much larger location. Saturday, June 26th/ 10 am - 6 pm.

Ice Cream

2010-06-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

I love making ice cream at home and I'm always in search for new recipes. I often find when making a custard style recipe the result is too rich and 'eggy' tasting, so I was intrigued when I found this Farm Chicks recipe published in Country Living magazine that used considerably fewer yolks than I'm used to. The recipe also eliminated the time consuming step of tempering the eggs when making the custard and added half & half in addition to cream and milk. The yield was huge so I made two batches adding 1 tsp peppermint extract and itty bitty chocolate chips to one and 1 tbl vanilla to the other. Using my trusty (but incredibly loud - does anyone else have this problem??) Cuisinart Supreme , I whipped up my ice cream. The base is rather thin, so I think a night in the fridge would make it firm up a bit quicker, but I can never be that patient. YUM! I was very happy with the results of both batches - nice texture, perfect sweetness and flavor. I think this will be my go to recipe from now on and I can hardly wait to make the chocolate & peanut butter variations!

Little Lemon Lovelies

2010-06-09T07:53:00.001-07:00

Mini lemon cupcakes two ways: lemon cake with lemon curd buttercream & sprinkles and lemon meringue.

Summertime!

2010-06-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

I was asked by a customer to make a cookie for her to give to co-workers to wish them a happy summer. What epitomizes summer more than watermelon? Nada if you ask me!

For the locals: A diamond in the rough

2010-06-07T16:18:00.000-07:00

After years of driving by Paper Party Plus on San Pablo Ave. in Berkeley, I finally made it in this weekend. There is nothing charming or quaint about this store, but man alive, is it stocked with amazing deals and hidden jewels. Looking for tissue paper for pom poms? They have it - in every color and big sheets too. Tins for cookies - you have your choice of dozens. Crepe paper sheets, cellophane bags, paper plates & napkins (again in every color)- they have it all. You can rent cotton candy machines, popcorn makers - carnival party anyone?? Oh, and my favorite find: the most adorable individual letter and number candles for .30 each!! How cool to have your whole name in candles on your bithday cake. I wasn't looking for balloons, but they have a huge selection of sizes and patterns. So, if you're looking for party supplies and don't mind sifting through a lot of, ahem, stuff check it out!

Do you really want to buy me?

2010-06-03T11:14:00.000-07:00

This lovely 3 tier cake stand from Mesa will be available soon. This picture with my treats will be on the package and hopefully entice lots of buyers. Sherry Heck is the talented photographer.

The elusive macaron

2010-05-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

Hazelnut filled with Nutella

Espresso filled with bittersweet ganache

I've had varying degrees of success with making Parisian macaroons over the years, but have never really figured out what was working and what wasn't. For a cookie with so few ingredients, there are a myriad of things that can (and in my case) usually do go wrong - too flat, too tall, cracky, bumpy, sticky, lumpy (hey, that sounds like Old Hat, New Hat ). Soooo, with a top secret - soon to be divulged - project in the works, the time has come for macaroon domination! My problem is I like things to come out perfectly the first time and I'm not up for a lot of experimentation and failure. I had to come up with a plan to conquer the finicky macaroon without wasting a lot of time or expensive ingredients. My first move involved buying this adorable book. It's a lovely book with great inspiration, but after reading reviews on Amazon I was scared away from using the recipes. Next, I scoured the Internet for other recipes and tricks of the trade. Luckily, we can all benefit from the people out there whom seem to relish in trial and error and have mastered the quirks of the macaroon. I started at David Lebovitz's blog and discovered Veronica and her extensive research. If you are interested in making them for yourself, I highly recommend her thorough instructions. I'm won't bore you with all of the details here, but I will share the recipe that was successful for me and a few tips.

Basic Macaron recipe
125 grams almond powder (ground blanched almonds)
225 grams powdered sugar
100 grams egg whites
25 grams of sugar
pinch of cream of tartar
- For the the espresso variety, I added 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder, for the hazelnut, I substituted half of the almond powder with ground hazelnuts.
- Most recipes instruct to sift the powdered sugar & almond powder together twice. I omitted that step and instead pulsed them together in my food processor.
- The egg whites must be aged. I separated mine the night before and then let them come up to room temperature before using. When whipping the egg whites, make sure they are firm, but not overly stiff and dry.
- After piping out the macarons, give the baking sheet a whack on the counter and let them sit for about 30 minutes before baking. I baked mine at 325 for about 14 minutes.
- Only bake one sheet at a time. I tried to bake 2 and the all of the macarons on the bottom sheet cracked.

After one soggy batch (my egg whites weren't whipped enough), I was very happy with the way these cuties came out. Next up - some brightly colored raspberry & lemon varieties.

Sophia's monkey cake

2010-05-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

Sophia's mom told me that this spunky 10 year old is no shrinking violet. She prefers bright colors to pastels and is a bit of a monkey herself. This was such a fun cake to make and I hope it was great surprise for the birthday girl.

Do you like my new (well, new to me) cake stand? It was a little Mother's Day gift to myself that I picked up at the Paris Flea Market in Livermore. For 4 days a month this amazing shop is open for business and stocked with fabulous vintage finds including furniture, home goods, jewelry and collectibles. They have a sister store, A Room With a Past , in Walnut Creek as well that will be open May 21st - 23rd.

I just realized they have a blog too! Check it out: www.parisfleamarketeer.blogspot.com

Strawberry Soiree

2010-04-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

Okay - I admit it, I'm officially on the dessert table bandwagon. I'm no Amy Atlas, but I had so much fun putting this party together with the help of Ana Gonzales. We left the table design a little loose and deconstructed the pom pom garland to create a less than perfect look. I love the look of the ornate vintage table with the modern light hanging above. Sweet treats included the cake with gumpaste strawberries, mini cupcakes with strawberry buttercream, cream cheese & jam tea sandwiches, homemade meringues, pink swirl marshmallows and giant strawberry sugar cookies. The girls sipped sparkling French pink lemonade (I loved the shape of the bottle from Safeway, but replaced the label and painted the black screw top white) through adorable stripey straws from Bake it Pretty.

Spring blossoms

2010-04-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

Another great shot by Sherry Heck.

The real deal

2010-03-25T20:37:00.001-07:00

Pictures of my goodies with the benefit of an amazing stylist and photographer. Thank you so much Ana & Sherry!

Polka Dots!

2010-03-24T17:17:00.000-07:00

I'm in love with these cupcake liners from Bake it Pretty. They come in regular and mini and in tons of colors - so cute! I wish I would have ordered them in every color.

From here to there, funny things are everywhere...

2010-03-17T22:22:00.000-07:00

My son's best friend, Zeke celebrated his 4th birthday recently. Zeke loves all things Seuss, so it was the perfect theme for his party. I don't have much experience in making gumpaste figures, so I was excited to tackle the Cat. I was happy with the result, but need to work on the construction as he had the tendency lose his limbs!

Coming to a store near you...

2010-03-06T20:19:00.000-08:00

Three-tier cake stand from Mesa Products will be available soon. I was asked by my friend, Ana of anastylist.com to make the treats that are featured on the packaging. Sherry Heck is resposible for the lovely photograph.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T09:37:00.001-08:00

Back in business!

2010-01-25T16:05:00.000-08:00

I've been on a forced hiatus for a few weeks after an unfortunate accident rendered my oven useless. I'm finally up and running again and my husband, the professional chef, is banned from pushing my little stove/oven to it's brink - thank heavens for an extended warranty! Luckily, it was fixed just in time to make these creamsicle cupcakes for my orange-craving cousin's baby shower: vanilla cake filled with orange curd and topped with orange cream chese frosting. It's great to be back in the kitchen.

Cookie Decorating

2009-12-21T08:10:00.001-08:00

There is a long standing tradition in my family of decorating Christmas cookies. We don't use the candied fruit and maraschino cherries that my grandmother insisted on, but everthing else is pretty much the same - too much frosting, too many tooth-breaking dragees, and lots of fun. We're all ready for Santa!

Whoopie!

2009-12-16T17:58:00.001-08:00

What else can I add my fabulous peppermint extract to? Chocolate peppermint whoopie pies! I found the recipe here which I believe is from this American Test Kitchen cookbook. The recipe yields 6 giant pies, but I needed something smaller to bring to a couple of parties. I doubled the recipe and ended up with about 60 silver dollar sized pies. I tried a pastry bag to pipe out the batter to keep a uniform size and it worked great. Once the cakes were baked, I didn't want to fill them all at once, so I made the filling recipe twice adding a few drops of peppermint deliciousness. I thought the candy cane would be a nice addition to the sides, but I ended up skipping it for 2 reasons - I didn't like the texture with the cake and it was just sort of annoying trying to get it to stick uniformly. Yum!! A new holiday favorite!

Peppermint Obsession

2009-12-09T16:08:00.001-08:00

'Tis the season I suppose, but I can't stop putting a little peppermint in everything I make these days. I discovered Nielsen Massey peppermint extract at Whole Foods and it's amazing. These cuties are chocolate cake with white chocolate peppermint buttercream dipped in white chocolate ganache - topped with candy cane & sparkling sugar. Peppermint whoopie pies up next!

cupcakes vs. cake

2009-12-07T07:54:00.000-08:00

The great debate! Rachel of TOTS and PLANS recently asked for my opinion on the controversial subject. Read all about it here.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-07T07:51:00.001-08:00

New flavors!

2009-12-07T07:45:00.000-08:00

Dark chocolate peppermint & salted caramel

Birthday Boy

2009-10-27T23:24:00.001-07:00

Graham's birthday banner and pictures of him in costume the past 3 years.
My fireplace mantle is my favorite place to accessorize in my house - it's quite wide and lends itself to generous displays.
Trick or treat favors.

Super easy stuffed bats made for the kiddos.

The dessert buffet looking more spare than I planned on, but the table looked over crowed with the candy jars added.

Yummy, crunchy caramel corn - recipe courtesy of Martha.
Ghost cake - vanilla cake (dyed green per the birthday boy's specifications) with chocolate buttercream. One problem with offering lots of treats is we had a lot of cake left over!

I can't believe my baby boy is already 4! I had so much fun planning his party and even more fun celebrating with friends & family.

Horray for Halloween!

2009-10-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

October is a big month for my family - my husband would be perfectly happy to forgo all other holidays for Halloween and my son's fourth birthday is on the 29th. I've been planning the details for months and I'm thrilled to begin implementing them. The pop-up ghosty invites went out today, the fireplace mantle received a spooky makeover. Next up - the favors!

iB Crafty

2009-09-29T16:40:00.001-07:00

I participated in iB Crafty, a modern trunk show, in San Francisco over the weekend. It was my first experience selling goodies like this and it was really fun. The logistics are challenging (anyone want to watch a 4 yr old for 10 hours?), but I'd like to try again during the holidays.

Fit for a princess

2009-08-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

For Bella, on the occasion of her 4th birthday.

Let go of my LEGO!

2009-08-13T23:21:00.000-07:00

This is not my usual forte, but a friend requested a LEGO minifigure (the official name - I wasn't aware) cake and I thought it would be fun challenge. I'm anxious to see the pictures from the party - apparently the gaggle of 7 year old boys had fun dismantling it!

Summertime favorite

2009-08-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

S'mores! Chocolate cupcake with graham cracker crust & toasted marshmallow frosting.

Still screaming...

2009-07-20T16:03:00.001-07:00

National Ice Cream Month continues with vanilla bean topped with bittersweet hot fudge and toasted pecans!

It's a girl!

2009-07-20T15:51:00.001-07:00

I made this cutie this weekend for a baby shower. Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.

I scream, you scream

2009-07-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

July is half over and I just discovered it's National Ice Cream month. Gasp - it's time to get busy! I don't really need an excuse like a presidential proclamation (Ronald Reagan in '84 if you're curious) to dust off my Cuisinart Supreme and get churning, but now I feel a responsibility - as an American. For the rest of the month I'll be stocking up on cream, trying to figure out what to do with all the excess egg whites and making lots and lots of ice cream. First up = caramel served with a sprinkling of fleur de sel - delish!

Strawberry goodness

2009-07-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

Making strawberry jam each year is one of my favorite traditions. I'm not a huge fan of the process - especially the endlessly sticky kitchen - yet the result is well worth it! I have branched out and added apricot, blackberry and plum to my repertoire, but there's just something about the strawberry. My husband procured three flats of gorgeous, organic berries (they were so fresh, I made it through about a flat and a half without finding a squishy one) for me, so I made a TON of jam. Want to try it? Leave me a comment by Friday and I will randomly choose 3 people to receive a pint from my reserves (I don't get a lot of comments, so your chances are really good!).

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T23:54:00.001-07:00

We had a lovely and fun-filled 4th. Hope you had a great day too!
(my culinary contributions for the day included French Laundry donut holes for the parade and a peach pie for the BBQ)

Double duty decorations

2009-07-02T19:49:00.001-07:00

I recently hosted two parties - a baby shower benefiting Brighter Beginnings with my mom's club and a birthday party for my fabulous mom, Lois. As luck would have it, the parties were one week apart (with vacation in between) so the decorations did double duty. I didn't have a big budget for the decor so I dug through my crafty supplies and came up with fabric from a previous quilt project for the bunting, scraps of scrapbook paper for the pinwheels & prize ribbons (I found a great tutorial here)and zinnias from my garden. I've promised to pass the the bunting along to a friend, but I'm still not quite ready to part with it. Maybe just one more party...

The first of many...

2009-06-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

teacher 'thank you' gifts. I spotted the adorable smiley apple note cards on Creature Comforts (a free, down-loadable .pdf!) a while back. I made Graham's t-shirt first and then thought they would make great gift tags for the triple-chocolate brownies we made from this , my most favorite baking book.

choo, choo

2009-06-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

Two-year-olds are not too difficult to please. Arjuna likes trains and blue & green - I hope his little friends were equally enamored with his party favors!

Cute cookies/bad pictures

2009-06-03T21:46:00.001-07:00

I came across these on one of my favorite blogs, Party Perfect and knew I wanted to try out the great packaging idea. When I received an order for flower cookies for Miri's 2nd birthday, I knew it was the perfect opportunity. I was thrilled to find the Martha 1" scalloped punch at Michael's - exactly what I had in mind. I also used to punch to make the mini cupcake decorations. I was very happy with the results - except for the photos. The weather was gloomy, the composition dull. Maybe it's time to invest in a SLR...

Thank you, Karl

2009-05-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting (and delivering cupcakes to)Karl Eckel of Delford West Flowers last week. Karl has been a friend of my husband's family for years and always creates the most beautiful arrangements for my mother-in-law for special occasions. We've even worked together before - he did the amazing flowers for my sister-in-law's wedding including the beautiful bouquet for the cake - but I've never had a chance to meet him. As I get my fledgling business off the ground, Karl graciously offered to pass my business card along to brides that he works with. Thanks again, Karl! I truly appreciate your support.

The contenders...

2009-05-06T07:55:00.001-07:00

for new favorite cupcake: chocolate + espresso buttercream + little chocolate stars and chocolate filled with ganache + cream cheese frosting + REAL chocolate jimmies. Yum!

Pretty in pink

2009-05-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not a big fan of cupcakes with too much stuff on them - edible or otherwise... but a little something, like a pinwheel or flag can be a great detail to pull together a theme for a wedding or party. The pinwheel was relatively simple to make, but if you don't have the time or inclination, you'll find an amazing selection here.

Please, please, please eat the daisies

2009-04-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

Finally, after months and months of Hot Wheels and Superman parties, a little girl party – with a flower theme! I love my son, Graham and all of his rambunctious friends, but I’m not as crazy about their stuff (though to be fair, Graham does enjoy wearing a tutu and being a “super princess”). I decided to make her an apron, found the daisy fabric and fell in love. It was so sweet and springy - perfect for Naomi's 4th birthday!

Tony & Monina's wedding

2009-04-17T22:16:00.000-07:00

Tony & Monina got married last summer at Cornerstone Gardens in Sonoma. The place, the weather, the couple - all gorgeous!! The design of the cake was inspired by their invite (which ~~I regrettably don't have a picture of - ugg~~ the lovely bride just sent to me!). The cake was lemony filled with homemade boysenberry jam.

Ode to peep

2009-04-09T22:49:00.000-07:00

Bunny peeps are pretty perfect as is, but with a little adornment they're irresistible!

Max's birthday monkey

2009-04-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

This is a shameless rip-off of a Martha Stewart cake for Max's first birthday. Max, already a good host, sent all of his friends & family home with a palm tree cookie favor. I just got this cute photo of Max with his cake, so I had to add it!

Healthy cake?

2009-04-05T20:44:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure if I would go that far, but maybe healthier than most? I was asked to make a cake without refined sugar (gasp!) and I was up for the challenge. I have
heard Splenda does not yield great results, so I tried agave nectar instead. Agave is not low calorie, but it is low on the glycemic index. It is a bit sweeter than sugar, but does not have any unappealing chemically aftertaste. So...I took my favorite chocolate cake recipe and replaced the sugar with about 2/3 the amount agave nectar and reduced the liquid by a 1/4 cup. Tah-dah! I was truly surprised at how well it turned out. For filling & frosting, I made a simple ganache with a 72% chocolate, so it was fairly low on the sugar side as well. A very successful experiment!

Classics

2009-03-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

These are my all time favorite cupcakes - chocolate with vanilla frosting & vanilla with chocolate frosting. Simple, nostalgic and delicious. I prefer cream cheese frosting with rich chocolate cake and the itty bity chocolate chips add an extra chocolate punch. The vanilla cupcakes are topped with bittersweet chocolate buttercream and a petite candy daisy.
I used my new photo studio in a box today to shoot these and I'm pretty happy with the outcome. I like to try to shoot in natural light, but by the time these were done it was too late. I think there may have a certain 3 year old's fingerprints on the lens making them a little fuzzy.

In Bloom

2009-03-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

This cake was made for a baby shower, but I think it would be lovely for a casual Spring wedding. I can't believe that baby is almost 2!