Seeking Everyday Beauty & Velvet Strawberries

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Today is my birthday! To celebrate, I decided to bake myself a cake using the gigantic cupcake pan I bought a few months ago. This is one big cupcake, and with my husband out of town, I'd hate to think I have to eat the entire thing myself. Not to worry, Mario is a good cupcake eater too.....and some friends are stopping by so they can help me out as well.

It's 1:30 in the morning on April 22nd, officially my birthday, but also time for bed. Morning will be here too soon, but at least I'll have sweet dreams!

Happy Day!

Sweet Tooth Necessities

Did you know? Martha Stewart has a new book and it's all about cookies. I can't wait to sit down and read through these recipes and start baking up some delicious treats. Thank you to my friend Dana, for the heads up! Martha's books never disappoint.

Now these, I just had to show you because they're so pretty sitting all in a row. I am on a never-ending quest for candies and confections in "my colors". These mousse filled truffles fit the bill.

I just couldn't stop taking pictures of these beauties!

And speaking of sweet.....I've got something very sweet in the works for One Hundred Wishes. You'll just have to sit tight and wait until it's all ready to unveil. Yum, yum, yum, my friends. I know, I know, I shouldn't tease you when it comes to sweets. That's grounds for punishment!

Now, go find something sweet to eat......you know you want to!

Twirling Cheesecake Pops

What is it about treats on a stick? They're just fun to eat, don't you think? Maybe a little messy but well worth it. I got the recipe for these delicious Cheesecake Pops from the book Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O'Connor. If you enjoy baking, I'd say this book is a must-have. It's full of mouth-watering color photographs that will inspire you to get the measuring cups out and tie on your apron!

There are baskets full of ballerinas in my studio waiting for opening day. The one pictured here is 5 inches tall. Among other things, I've added a ton of cupcake trinkets like these to the shop. There are hearts, cameos, scripty words and much more. You can see them all on Monday.

Now, I think I'd better stop baking and start working 'cause Monday is right around the corner!

A Sweet Tree

In addition to the main Christmas tree that is decorated in the family room, I like to decorate smaller trees throughout the house. This is the Sugar Plum tree. It sits on the old chest we use as an island in the kitchen. All of the ornaments are sweet treats or baking supplies including little copper spatulas, gumdrops, petit fours, mini copper tarte pans, iced sugar cookies, and chocolates. Yum, I'm getting hungry just looking at the photos!

Isn't the little Baker Santa adorable? And I love the glass petit four complete with paper wrapper. And the chocolate dipped fruit, oh, I could go on and on! I have a sweet spot for confections and I love to bake so this tree is an annual favorite to decorate in the kitchen.

Don't these look good enough to eat? I've been trying to stay away from sweets and shed this extra "baby weight", but now I seriously want a box of good chocolates! My will power is mediocre, at best. Ok, I admit, I have no will power. Who am I kidding?

Happy Tree Trimming everyone!

I'm Still Baking

I guess not even swollen legs can keep me from baking sweets. Just what my thighs need right now, right? But, I'm telling you, this Pumpkin Roll is delicious! The best part is that you can find the recipe on the inside of the label on the can of Libby's Pure Pumpkin. Or you can get it here. Cream cheese filing....,..need I say more?

And then, when you find yourself with extra pumpkin filling, you can make one of these:

A pumpkin milkshake! It's simply 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 1 cup vanilla ice cream and 1/2 cup milk. Give it all a whirl in the blender and voila! Yummy. If you love pumpkin, you will enjoy this. I promise.

Autumn Treats

This is one of the reasons I love fall. There are so many delicious treats you can make with a simple apple. The idea  for these caramel apples came from the "Autumn Treats" insert in the most recent issue of Country Living magazine. They were easy to make and look so sweet sitting out waiting for hungry mouths. These won't last long around here!

I bought the sticks at the craft store and just wrapped and tied ribbon around each one before inserting them into the apples. Then, I dipped the apples in caramel sauce and pressed the sprinkles or pumpkin seeds around the bottom half of the apple. Yum!

Something Sweet

If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time at all, you know about my Sweet Tooth. Well, about an hour ago I decided I needed some chocolate. I know "need" is a strong word, but I feel it's appropriate here. So, I went digging in the dark dwellings of the pantry and remembered I had this box of Nestle Mousse Mix. European Style, it says. Product of France. It must be good then.

All you need is the box and some milk, and 3 minutes later you've got mousse! And then I read the fine print that recommended you chill it for an hour before serving. An HOUR?? Are you kidding me? That's a lifetime when you need chocolate. Needless, to say, I did not chill it. Quite frankly, it was all I could do to take these pictures before taking a bite.

This is all you need. Easy and quick. I added a strawberry on top because I thought it just needed a little something. It's tasty and well worth having on hand for those times of need.

And......speaking of strawberries...... do you see the little pink strawberry up there in the address bar? If you use Internet Explorer, you have to add this blog to your Favorites in order to view it. It's called a favicon (you probably know this already). Isn't it cute?

Ok, off to share my mousse with a certain small little someone who will love it!

Summer Tartlets

One of the best things about summer is visiting the produce market. There's nothing quite like fresh strawberries and blueberries and all the other delicious fruits we have to choose from. I buy strawberries by the case. Well, not really the case, but I do buy the big ole' container that's half as big as a laundry basket. Mario and I sit on the couch and eat a bowl of them every morning while watching Curious George. (which I love, by the way. Really.) So, since my sweet tooth is still ever-present with no end in site, I thought I'd take advantage of the fruits of the season and bake some fruit tartlets!

If you're inspired, here's the recipe. I found it in a recent issue of a magazine. I can't remember which one. It was part of an article about Allysa Torey of Magnolia Bakery fame.

For the Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter eight 3-inch tart pans. (I found these at A.C. Moore)
In a medium bowl, mix together 1 2/3 cups graham cracker crumbs, 2/3 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans and 1/3 cup unpacked brown sugar. Press this mixture firmly into tart pans. Place the pans on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, remove the crusts from the pans ever so gently.

For Filling:

With an electric mixer set on low speed, beat 1 lb.softened cream cheese and 1 cup confectioners' sugar until soft and creamy. Add 1/4 cup sour cream and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Beat well until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill the filling for about one hour. Fill tartlet shells with this mixture and decorate with berries and other fruits of the season. Enjoy!

A Recipe for You

I took a break from moving my studio space and decided that I had a serious craving for chocolate chip cookies. So I baked. It felt good to bake. I enjoy baking more than cooking, in general, but haven't done a lot of it since Christmas really.

Everyone who has ever tasted these cookies claims they are the best chocolate chippers they've had. So, of course, I have to share the recipe with you all. I found it in this fun little cookbook called Goddess in the Kitchen. It also contains recipes for peanut butter cookies and oatmeal cookies that are equally as delicious.

Can you tell from the picture how soft and chewy they are? Oh, they are. You can't eat just one. Or two. Or three. You get the point.  And the best part is that everyone loves them and loves you for making them! Go on, make a batch for your hubby or boyfriend or children or neighbors......... you (and they) will be soooooooo happy you did!

Oh, I almost forgot! Here's the recipe:

I made a half batch because it makes a truck load. Here is the recipe for a full batch.

2 sticks butter at room temp.
2 sticks margarine at room temp.
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
6 cups unbleached white flour
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, and using an electric mixer, whip up the margarine, butter, and sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt and mix well.

Blend the baking soda, baking powder, and flour in a large mixing bowl and tap into the creamed mixture, beating on low speed. With a wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate chips.

Scoop dough with a small 1 to 2 ounce scoop. Press the top of the cookie mound down to flatten it just a bit. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. I bake mine for 10 minutes, and they look raw when I take them out of the oven. This is the key. They will continue to bake a bit as they sit and they will firm up enough to make them chewy and yummy.

Enjoy!!!