making sweet treats to make life a little bit sweeter

1.22.2012

macarons

this past week i made
peanut butter macarons.
actually i made these.
there will be no pictures of these
for two reasons:
1) they were ugly
2) they were so quickly eaten a picture would not have been possible.
let me tell you, my macarons look nothing like this
for two reasons:
1) i did not have the appropriate pastry bag tip
2) the peanuts did not get ground finely.
to avoid problem #1-
use a medium to large round tip.
to avoid problem #2-
ground the peanuts by themselves, 
then add the almond flour,
then add the confectioner sugar.
better yet! buy ground peanuts/peanut flour if you can find it.
i also filled some with Jiff, 
some with natural peanut butter
and drizzled some with melted semi sweet chocolate chips.

my next attempt at making these will include some filled with chocolate ganache.
and a less bumpy, ugly macaron. 

either way, don't be intimated by macarons 
(as I was)
they aren't that difficult to make
if you measure properly,
ground properly,
and are ready to focus!

1.20.2012

christmas, part three

this is my third and final christmas dessert post.
three christmases is excellent for my mixer
and list of recipes to try
but not so good for my waistline!

for the final dessert i chose pavlova.
they are light
delicious
and allow you to be creative.



this recipe is incredible.
the vinegar in the egg whites makes it a bit caramely
the brown sugar in the whipped cream adds a tasty and unusual sweetness
the sugar sprinkles atop the fruit were the perfect touch
(any way to add sprinkles and I am all over it!)
obviously you may use any fruit you like.
here i used strawberries,
raspberries,
and kiwi.
blueberries would be nice.
as would mango
or peaches
or pomegranate seeds.
experiment!

*this recipe does follow instructions
for one large pavlova 
but makes 8 individual ones easily.

1.18.2012

christmas, part two

buche de noel.
have you ever tried it?
making?
eating it?
both are fantastic!
it is super easy and quick to make...
unless (this is a requirement, not an option)
you make the meringue mushrooms.
behold!
i got the recipe from here.
the cake is sponge-y
and almost custard like.
the whipped cream/mousse is to die for.
and the buttercream...
well i am a sucker for icing/frosting no matter what.

i did change the mushrooms a little...
rather than connecting them with more meringue,
i used extra icing to make the "gills" of the mushroom.

you may want to make two of these
as people have been known to take large slices.

1.16.2012

christmas, part one

pomegranates.
delicious. 
juicy.
vibrant red. 
truly a labor of love.
some suggest cutting the pomegranate in half
and "spanking" it to get the seeds out. 
others peal the pomegrante and gently remove the juicy jewels of deliciousness.
i cut it in quarters, submerge in water and remove the juicy jewels with my fingers.
juice squirts everywhere but it is totally worth it!
i followed this recipe...
sort of...
i skipped the cream cheese icing and opted for a buttercream.
buttercream is the favorite in my family. 
i also opted to not tackled the fondant pomegranate...




ooops! a few extra juicy jewels for me.


this girl has the most incredible sprinkles.
see here and here and here.
love. love. love!

1.14.2012

thanksgiving...let's have chocolate!

yes, i know...
thanksgiving was nearly two months ago
but to be honest these cupcakes 
were too delicious to not share...
toffee,
swiss meringue buttercream,
ganache. 

 options.
anyone who knows me
knows that i love having options.
because of this i think everyone else loves options too
these cupcakes are all about just that.
some are stuffed with ganache.
some have both swiss meringue and ganache topping.
some only have one topping,
some have only sprinkles. (GOLD sprinkles. buy them now!)
some have only toffee bits.
some have the works! (that is my personal favorite)

stuffing cupcakes. 
the best thing ever.
sure you can use a small knife
but this takes the cake!

have you ever stuffed a cupcake? 
what is your favorite cupcake topping? 
favorite place to get a cupcake?


*what is on my sprinkle wishlist?
THESE!!!! edible gold stars!

1.12.2012

heaven bread

anyone who eats this would agree
this is the perfect name for this bread.
it is best warm. 
it is best if shared with no more than four people.
if more than four friends are over make two loaves.
trust me. it is that good. 
it is kiiiiind of like adult monkey bread.
once again i got this recipe from Joy.
while mine may not look like hers
i have got to imagine it tastes just as good.
butter. cinnamon. sugar. pastry.
go read the recipe, make the bread, eat it all.
you will like you fingers (and maybe the plate) clean.
it is that good.

1.10.2012

a break from baking

nearly one year ago 
i was here
st. john.
i was eating a delicious hamburger from skinny legs

(if you ever go/go back to st. john you must go to skinny legs). 
you will need to plan to spend the entire day there.
you will eat at least two entire hamburgers all by yourself.
go with good friends/family. get a beer. settle into a table. and ENJOY
as you leave may even see one of these guys!!

you will also only need to pack one thing. a swim suit.
don't bother with a pedicure, you will be digging your toes into the sand.
 save your pennies...
you want to go here


1.08.2012

nuts for coconut

in this house coconut is king
coconut shampoo
coconut conditioner
coconut body scurb
coconut face wash
coconut seltzer 
and most recently...
these delicious little guys have shredded coconut 
and coconut extract in them with a bit of chocolate drizzled on top.
the chocolate is definitely not necessary
but it delicious and pretty.

 i am pretty sure i have made these three times in the past 5 months.
my dad just can't get enough of them...
neither can i!


*i must say, i have never been disappointed with this blog. 
check it out!


1.06.2012

why, WHY am i doing this...

i have just gotten my master's degree (thanks mom and dad for the kitchen aid!)
while job searching/applying i have been baking up a storm
in my parents amazing new kitchen.
thankfully it was the holidays 
so i was not forced to eat it all by myself.
because i have friends and family
who are amazing cooks and bakers themselves
and others who are super supportive
many have suggested i start a blog.
so here i am.
i have to admit that this is a little scary.
technology and publicly displaying my creations.
these things are scary.

*i will never claim to be a photography genius
i have no fancy camera,
i sometimes have to stand on the counter to get a good picture
and i have been know to take a picture or two on the floor.
don't judge. all things are done with love.



birthday!

june 13th
my sister in law's birthday.
26. man, that sounds old 
but really i am only two years behind...
i believe that baked goods are better than material gifts.
delicious. satisfying. from the heart.
also, who couldn't use a little extra cakelove on their birthday?
exactly. everyone! 
i happen to think she is one of the most amazing bloggers out there
and so i made these
but only the cake recipe.
(seriously, she is incredible. if you haven't checked her out, get over there right now!)
while the rest of the recipe is on my list of of "to makes" 
for this birthday bash i decided to make four different buttercream frostings...
1. chocolate
2. green tea
3. vanilla
4. peanut butter
this was really super simple. 
i made a vanilla base, split it up into four bowls,
and added the different flavoring (ie. peanut butter-Jiff and only Jiff, matcha green tea powder, and/or cocoa powder
then came the sprinkles...
sprinkles add so much happiness to an already happy thing!
YUMMY!!! Which would you choose? It is peanut butter for sure for this girl.




1.04.2012

here goes...


hello! i am just a girl with a (new!!!) pink kitchen aid,
 pink spatula, pink tongs, pink mixing bowl, pink knives, pink hand mixer...
really most things in my kitchen arsenal are pink. 
i can't help it. 
i just love it.
i also have a thing for aprons.
ruffles, owls, polka dots.
i do not discriminate.
i also dream of someday having a gorgeous kitchen
with lots of wall space
and being able to hang them up
all around the kitchen.

ten things about me:
1. i love pink
2. painted nails make me a happy lady
3. (nearly) every sweet thing i make is teeny tiny
4. i could live off of cookies, cupcakes, and coconut seltzer
5. my mom is my idol in the kitchen
6. i have a hard time going shopping and not buying a new kitchen tool (thanks, mom!)
7. i find the option of "buying" cookbooks on e-readers to be sad
8. i could listen to cooking shows all day
9. i am a messy baker/cook and proud of it
10. i have the best family and friends 

delicious treats to come!