For a special Mother's Day treat, I combined two of my favorite things - cupcakes and Forget-me-nots...
Mini vanilla cupcakes iced with vanilla butter-cream and topped with lavender and periwinkle hued sugar-paste blossoms.
So pretty and delicious!
:-)
Happy Monday!
Jessica
Even though Autumn is still officially a day away, I can already feel it in the air. I just love the Fall - the crisp air, the bright blue skies, and the changing leaves. And after a scorching summer, I am once again happy to turn on the oven and be baking again. Nothing fancy today - just some mint chocolate chip cookies for the girls...
I just used the regular Toll House recipe (found right on the package), and substituted in some mint chocolate chips and Smarties (the British version of M&M's) for the regular chocolate chips.
Perfect with a cold glass of milk.
So yummy.
And pretty, too!
:-)
Jessica
I am sitting here wondering if the rain will ever stop.
It has been raining now for days and days. Not just a little drizzle, but "torrential downpour, thunder and lightning, severe flooding, and tornado warnings" kind of rain. I actually like a little rain now and then...for a day or two. But after that, I find it really kind of depressing. :-( So, I really had no choice but to turn to some sprinkled doughnuts to cheer us all up.
I was too lazy to make my own (this weather does that to me), so I just bought some plain ones at the bakery and gussied them up...
Just some simple icing (recipe below) and some brightly-colored sprinkles...
Instant sunshine on a plate, don't you think?
Happy Weekend!
:-)
Jessica
P.S. I've had a number of requests for my icing recipe. The truth is, I don't actually have a "real" recipe. I just take some confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar) and mix it in a bowl with a little bit of milk or cream until I achieve the consistancy that I want. I made it rather thick for these doughnuts. Then, I color the icing with food coloring (I prefer the gel type, as it adds less liquid). For extra smooth icing, I also either sift the sugar before mixing (to avoid any lumps) or I pass the mixture through a strainer before using. Also, to avoid those annoying air bubbles, try tapping your bowl on the counter a few times and then let the icing sit briefly. If you still find a few bubbles in your finished prodect, use a toothpick to pop them!
School starts up again next week, so we are enjoying these last days of summer vacation. Mini-me is off on a little trip with her grandparents, so Mini-mini-me is home with me and we are enjoying some special mommy-daughter time together. I found a recipe from King Arthur Flour for home-made Pop-tarts a while back and thought today seemed like the perfect day to try it out.
We followed the recipe pretty closely, but we just rolled out the dough and cut out a bunch of 3" x 5" rectangles. We also substituted three different fillings (raspberry jam, chocolate chips, and Nutella), as you can really use almost anything. These were Mini-mini's favorites - the chocolate chip version...
I prefer the raspberry jam...
Oh, and if you use jam, make sure to really seal your edges tightly or it might leak out during baking and make a big, gooey mess in your oven. We also chose to ice ours with a little pastel frosting (confectioner's sugar mixed with a little milk and food coloring).
....and some pretty sprinkles!
Mini-mini and I are very proud of how our "pop-tarts" turned out. They were really delicious and quite easy to make (you could even use store-bought pie dough in a pinch). I think they would make the perfect "back-to-school" treat, don't you?
XOXO
Jessica
I just love Valentine's Day - all the sweet colors, lacey hearts, and chocolate! We will be having a little family Valentine's Day tea party later today and I thought these little heart-shaped cookies would be the perfect accompaniment.
They are really tiny - only about 3/4th of an inch tall (made with teeny little heart-shaped cookie-cutters).
I used Martha Stewart's sugar cookie recipe and decorated them with royal icing and hand-colored nonpareils ("how-to" found here).
Lavender and pink has always been one of my favorite color combinations.
Happy Valentine's Day to you and all your loved ones!
XOXO
Jessica
Fairy Cakes. I just adore them!
They are really just the British version of what we call "cupcakes" here in the States, but they are so very pretty and sweet. Plus, I must admit that I am a bit of an Anglophile. :-) While there are plenty of fairy cake variations out there, I am crazy for the classic, flat-topped version. These are typically a light genoise cake iced in pretty pastel tints - a delicate flower or two adorning their velvet-smooth tops. Sweet simplicity.
I decided to make some yesterday. I skipped the genoise and just used one of my favorite yellow cake recipes.
I believe that the secret to the fairy cake's elegance is that perfectly smooth, level iced-top. This can be achieved by only filling your cupcake cases a little over half-way full with batter. This ensures that the top of your cake doesn't rise past the ruffled top-edge of your cases.
You'll also need to wait until your fairy cakes are completely cooled before you ice them. You will need to make a simple, fondant-style glaze. You can find recipes on-line, but I just make my own using cream, confectioner's sugar, a bit of vanilla extract, and a touch of food coloring. It's always a good idea to sift your confectioner's sugar before using it. This only takes a second (you can just pass it through a fine strainer) and will keep your icing from being lumpy. Slowly add the cream to the sugar until you get the consistency needed - it should be thick, but also thin enough to pour. Also, remember to tap your bowl of icing on the counter several times to remove any air bubbles. Then slowly spoon over the tops of your fairy cakes, being careful to just fill them to the very top of the cases without spilling over the edge. If you still see any air bubbles on the surface, use a toothpick to "pop" them.
This icing tends to set up quickly, so be sure to add any decorations right away or you will "crinkle" your tops (and we wouldn't want that to happen, now would we!). I added little pastel royal icing sugar flowers to mine...
I love these fairy cakes so much!
Next time, I think I am going to make mini ones (petit four size)...wouldn't that be pretty for an Easter or Mother's Day treat?
XOXO
Jessica
We are iced-in today. No school, so the girls are mighty happy. Thought we'd make some heart-shaped meringues - a trial run for Valentine's Day next month...
I used a new (and very simple) recipe that I found on Epicurious. I followed the recipe exactly, but colored the meringue two pretty shades of pink. I piped out my meringue hearts free-hand, but if you are a perfectionist you can trace cookie-cutter hearts onto the back of your parchment paper and use them as templates to follow.
I also sprinkled them with a few of my favorite pastel non-pareils.
As if they weren't sweet enough already. :-)
Happy Tuesday!
XOXO
Jessica
I found these cute little cupcake picks some time ago. They remind me of vintage aluminum christmas trees from the 1950's.
I also had some of these beautiful pastel dragees in my "sprinkle" cabinet.
Don't they remind you of vintage mercury glass ornaments?
So, I decided to trim the tiny trees with the pretty dragees.
All I did was use a little bit of non-toxic glue to affix the them to the branches.
Once they were dry, I placed them on top of this miniature coconut (snow!) covered cake.
I love how it turned out!
These would look really adorable on cupcakes, too.
I will put some of the silver tree picks up for sale in my shop after the holidays (so sorry I didn't get to it sooner!), so you can order them to make for next year...
Happy Thursday!
XOXO
Jessica
Looking for a last minute holiday or hostess gift? Try making this pretty marbleized chocolate bark...
It's a slight twist on the classic candy bark and it's super easy to make! Here's how:
Ingredients:
Pure White Candy Melts (Wilton) or white chocolate chips
Food coloring (liquid or powdered)
Peppermint extract
Parchment paper or Silpat
Toothpicks
Directions:
Lay out a sheet of parchment paper or Silpat on a flat surface. Begin by melting the candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl according to the package directions.
Once smooth and melted, divide the chocolate into two bowls. Add a small drop of peppermint extract and mix well. Next, add the food coloring to one or both bowls of chocolate and stir until well incorporated. I used two different color combinations for my bark - pink & mint and aqua & white.
Now, the trickiest part of this project is that you have to work rather quickly so that the chocolate doesn't set up before you finish marbleizing it. I have found that setting the bowls of the melted chocolate in larger bowls filled with very hot water helps to keep the temperature up. Place large spoonfuls of one of the chocolate colors onto your parchment paper or silpat in a random pattern - make sure to place them close together, but not touching. Next, place large spoonfuls of the second colored chocolate next to the first ones, filling in any voids.
Working quickly, use a toothpick to swirl the two colors together - a figure-eight motion work well. Be careful not to over-mix the colors.
Allow the chocolate to cool completely (you can place it in the fridge or freezer to speed up the process) and then break or cut it into chunks.
This pastel candy bark is so pretty and tastes delish! Just wrap some up in a little cello bag with a pretty tag and ribbon and your gift is good to go!
:-)
Jessica
