It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

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And my kitchen's on its way to looking like a cookie factory! Right here we have Chai Spice Gingerbread Rounds with a variety of decor.

I thought I'd save myself some time Sunday night (these are for me, not for clients) so I bought Wilton Cookie Icing at Michael's instead of making my own multiple batches of different colored royal icing. Well, it was a pain anyway. I was not thrilled w/ the cookie icing bottles. They were much too runny. I ended up pouring some into a bowl, adding powdered sugar to increase the stability, and then using a piping bag. SO MUCH FOR TIME SAVING TACTICS! And I had such wonderful dreams of cute little faces and fabulous designs. I guess it'll just have to wait until next time!

On a side note, the taste of the cookie icing was just fine if you're curious. So in that regard, it's alright. Just not if you want quality control of your design!

One more thing. You might be like "Chai spice gingerbread rounds? But how can I make chai spice gingerbread rounds myself?" Easy. Add cardamom. The spices in most gingerbread recipes are already pretty close to chai. What really clinches it is adding cardamom. I used Martha Stewart's gingerbread recipe from her Baking Handbook and added 1.5 tsp of powdered cardamom. It added a very wonderful flavor. Just enough to notice, but not too much to over-power. However, you can add as much as you desire! Your cookies, your rules!

Melinda & Matt's Wedding at La Scala

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A few weeks ago I had an order for a wedding reception held at La Scala in Dublin. Melinda and Matt married in TN several weeks earlier, then held a local reception for their loved ones who didn't attend the event down south. Melinda is actually a friend of a friend. She was on the hunt for cupcakes for her wedding reception but was having trouble finding ones that were both super delicious and super cute. I understand your plight, Melinda! That's why I'm here! Problem was, I've never met Melinda. I didn't even know she existed. Thankfully, I have a good friend who discussed the cupcake dilemma with her and told her "HANG ON, I GOT THIS!" She passed along my information and the rest is history. The official order was for 10 dozen cupcakes plus one small cake for them to cut. Thank you Sarah for representing and thank you to Melinda and Matt for having me be a part of their fabulous event!

I've heard of La Scala before, but I have never been so I didn't know what to expect. I was impressed. The room where the event was held was gorgeous. Gorgeous bar. Fabulous chandlier. High ceilings. Wood accents. It was really lovely. So ladies (and gents), if you're looking for a reception venue, take a look at La Scala's available spaces. I can't say anything for the food, but as far as aesthetic goes, it's gorg.

Forgive the quality of the photos. Since I was in a rush to get the cupcakes and cake to the venue, I of course didn't have my mind on "PHOTOSHOOT!" There are also a few from the aforementioned friend's iPhone, so bear with me please. But the pics give you an idea. :-)

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Lucky for me, since my friends are friends w/ the couple, Kevin was kind enough to show me the comments from her Facebook post about the reception. I love the enthusiasm.

Work it, girl! It's time for your photoshoot!

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I'm super excited right now. Why? I have fancy new photos, that's why. Normally, when I take photos it's just me in my house somewhere, clinging to my little Canon Elph for dear life w/ the macro function turned on and hoping I get a clear, non-shaky photo. Yes, I sometimes use a tripod or a Joby but you know, you can only do so much.

Mr. Brandon Jones of Brandon L. Jones Photography was kind enough to work with me and help me start shooting professional images of my baked goods. He knows a thing or two about styling and positioning which was a HUGE help. Between my brand vision living up in my head and Brandon's expertise, I'm a pretty happy camper. I still have a lot of work to do and will probably need several more shoots (XOXO Brandon!) but it's a good start!

I'll be posting some more photos soon, as well as posting the album on my Facebook page and Pinterest.

30 Before 30: Making Madeleines

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I'm not exactly sure how this obsession started. I've been aware of madeleines for quite some time. However, I think the first time I tried them was... from Target. No, no, you heard me right. With the bullseye and the dog. I know. It's weird. I mean... TARGET??? My typical Target was remodeled as their "P-Fresh" concept, which includes the fuller grocery section. One day, I noticed a little Archer Farms package of madeleines. Six little spongey shell-shaped confections squished in a plastic container. For some reason I just couldn't resist. I knew they wouldn't be the epitome of French pastry and they probably wouldn't be the ideal way to introduce myself to these little things but... I don't know. I had to do it. In my cart they went, and in my belly they were later. A few seconds in the microwave, a dip in some milk, et voila. It was a little bit magical. Ever since, I was determined to try making them myself.

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Knowing I would need the special pan, I had it on my Amazon wish list just for future reference. However, Martha Stewart must've read my mind (doesn't she always???) because madeleines were featured in the September issue. That was all the motivation I needed. I ordered the pan and once I had enough free time, I whipped up my first batch of batter.

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They were actually pretty easy. There's a lot of folding involved while you're mixing the batter, so you need some patience. You also have to plan ahead, as the batter needs to chillax in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Once you make the recipe, you'll understand why it needs the standing time. Between the six eggs and the two sticks of melted butter, there's a lot of fat and grease that needs to be absorbed in the dry ingredients. I made the batter Saturday night, wrapped the bowl in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge until Sunday morning for some weekend morning delights.

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MADELEINES

From Martha Stewart, Sept 2011 Issue

2 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp kosher or sea salt

6 large eggs, room temp

1 c granulated sugar

2 tbsp packed brown sugar (Martha says light, I used dark)

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted, plus more for buttering the pan (softened)

1 tbsp + 1 tsp honey

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. Whisk together dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, and salt—in medium bowl.

2. With an electric mixer on high speed, whisk together the eggs and sugars until pale and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Should be at the "ribbon" stage. For more info on this, check out the issue. The magazine has two pages of helpful tips that I'm sure I can't legally copy into this post. So just take my word for it. Check it out.

3. Sift in flour mixture in 2-3 additions, folding in after each addition. You have to fold the batter as opposed to stirring it to keep it the right consistency.

4. Fold in the melted butter, then honey & vanilla.

5. Refrigerate batter for at least 2 hours, and up to 2 days (covered, of course).

6. Preheat oven to 350°. Let batter stand at room temp for 10 minutes.

7. With a pastry brush, generously coat the pan with softened butter.

8. Scoop the batter into a pastry bag or plastic bag w/ the corner snipped (about a 1/2" opening). This is such an easy way to transfer the batter to the madeleine pan. Fill the molds 3/4 full. Trust me, they'll puff up.

9. Bake on the middle rack for 8-11 minutes, or until a pale golden.

10. Immediately shake the madeleines out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Wash the mold and repeat until all the batter is gone.

11. When cooled, sift with confectionary sugar, or top with a tasty glaze.

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Martha recipes crack me up b/c half the time I yield way more than the recipe says. The magazine says I should have 32 madeleines in the end. However, I ended up with 46. If you squeeze the piping bag right, you could probably get 48 for an even four dozen. Since I had so many, I jazzed a few up with different glazes! On the left, the standard madeleine sprinkled with confectionary sugar. Then, strawberry rose glaze. Next, salted maple vanilla bean glaze (a concoction using the surplus maple vanilla bean frosting used on bacon cupcakes for the wedding) topped with roasted pecans (a request from George), and then a straight-forward lemon glaze with lime zest (hey, I had them left from the wedding this weekend).

Strawberry Rose Glaze

2 tbsp strawberry puree

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp rose water

2-3 tbsp confectionary sugar

dash of heavy cream, if you have it

Combine all ingredients in a small wide bowl, mixing until uniform. Heat in the microwave for a few seconds to help, if need be (like 8-10 seconds). Dip madeleines in glaze when finished.

Food Crush: Crown Maple Syrup

I reserve the right to occasionally veer from my typical posts about baking to talk a little more about random designy stuff. Though I promise to keep it food-related, whether it's a new brand, package design, or retail space. That being said, I have to geek out design-style on you today. Having just made Maple Vanilla Bean frosting to accompany bacon cupcakes, I have maple on the brain. This came up in today's Tasting Table newsletter: Crown Maple Syrup. I'm sorry, but is this not the most beautiful maple syrup you've ever seen? I love the maple leaf/crown icon, and that sleek bottle?? It's so chic it looks more like a high-end whiskey than a syrup (For the record, I am totally okay with that). Crown Maple Syrup is from Dutchess County, New York, located in the Hudson River Valley. The identity was designed by Studio MPLS in Minneapolis. There are three varieties: light amber, medium amber, and dark amber which you can buy through their online store. I'd love to try all three varieties, but I think for my purposes I'd be favoring the dark! Could you imagine this in a cocktail? Oh yeah, now we're talking.

All packaging images from The Dieline.
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After going to Studio MPLS's site, I noticed their most recent blog post features the creative process of branding Crown Maple Syrup. Below is just a touch of that. Such beautiful work.

Remembering 9/11 & New York

The 9/11 Memorial Footprint Fountains

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Footprint fountains at night

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It's hard to believe that 10 years ago, the tragedy of 9/11 struck America. It was two days before I started college. I remember waking up, seeing the Today Show on tv when my mom told me what was going on. I sat on the couch wondering what the heck was happening b/c...seriously??? People would really do that?? It was two days before I was supposed to pack up all my stuff and move into the dorms to start my freshman year at the University of Cincinnati. It was all so very very weird.

Being from Dayton, we were all freaked out about Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It might not be that well-known in the regular world, but WPAFB is pretty high in importance in the military world. Was something going to happen to us too? There was a moment after 5pm when I was at the dinner table w/ my parents and this crazy sonic boom occurred outside. We all looked at each other and my dad went out the front door to see if he could see something going on (along w/ the rest of the neighbors). It must've just been some jets or something at Wright-Patt. In the end Dayton was left safe and untouched.

Six years ago I was an intern in NYC. I was working for Interbrand's New York office for my 6th and final quarter of co-op as a design student at UC. I lived just two or three blocks south of Ground Zero in downtown Manhattan in the Financial District. Then, it was still a bunch of construction and blockades, but it was still a big deal. It's just absolutely unbelieveable. To think that you wake up one morning and the towers are there, then later that day, they're just… gone. Everyone and everything just gone.

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Ground Zero, as I remember it. This is not my own photo, rather I found it here.

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From the rooftop of our apartment building. If you look really really hard, you can see the Statue of Liberty in the break in the middle. It looks like it's sticking up from the top of a building. They eventually started construction that surely covered up the view.

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Battery Park City, October 2005. I still have a crush on this place. It was walking distance from our apt.

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New York is a lot of things for a lot of people. It was in New York that quarter I decided subway systems are preferable to cars but for running errands, I missed having keys to a vehicle. It was then I decided I loved my boyfriend (go ahead—awwwwww) and I finally learned to like beer (I know, big steps). It was that quarter I went to the NYC Halloween Parade—experienced its absolute massiveness—which is still probably one of my favorite experiences ever. I was ALMOST there during the city's mass transit strike—I missed it by like 2 days (Yay, but it would've been a cool experience). And it was that quarter when I stood in line at The Magnolia Bakery in the West Village. I finally ate their cupcakes and thought "...Well hell, I could do this." And here we are today on my cupcake blog.

NYC Halloween Parade 2005, Parade of ETs

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George & me at Peculiar Pub in the West Village, October 2005
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ING New York City Marathon, November 2005

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Central Park, December 2005

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It's a hell of a place. The kind where if anyone touches it, you want to hunt them down personally just so you can punch them in their jerk of a face and say "KEEP YOUR @#$%!*# HANDS OFF MY M_F_ING CITY!" Sometimes I miss New York. A lot.

Here's to remembering 9/11. We will never forget. And here's for New York. I love you always.

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Milton Glaser's classic I Heart NY poster, after September 11, 2001.

30 Before 30 Recipes: Iced Thai Coffee

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Sayonara, summer. This Labor Day weekend was a whirlwind of weather, and nothing short of typical for Ohio. One day it's 100 degrees and sunny. The next it's 65 degrees with rain and clouds. It hardly gives a blogger any time to talk about fun summer sips before the weather turns over! I recently made Iced Thai Coffee, one of the items on my recipe to-do list. I've been wanting to try either Thai or Vietnamese Iced Coffee, as both types intrigued me. The use of sweetened condensed milk or the addition of cardamom, in a delicious iced coffee beverage? Um, hello, yes.

After some Googling, I decided to use this recipe from Steamy Kitchen as my go-to. I went the Thai route technically, though I did alter it a bit to try to combine both varieties. I believe Vietnamese Iced Coffee uses the sweetened condensed milk. While I didn't use SCM, I used brown sugar instead of the typical granulated sugar to create a similar flavor. Want the recipe? YES! Of course you do! Here we go.

Iced Thai Coffee

Based off of recipe from Steamy Kitchen, altered slightly

4 cups double-strength brewed coffee (I used a French press for this)


2 cups half-and-half or cream


2 tbsp brown sugar (I used dark, like always)


3 cardamom pods (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom)

1/4 tsp cinnamon (b/c I just couldn't resist)


1/4 tsp almond extract


ice

First, crack open those cardamom pods to release the flavor and aroma within. You can use a mortar and pestle, or you can (safely, please) crack them using a chef's knife. Have you ever seen them crush a clove of garlic on Food Network using the side of the knife? (But again, PLEASE DO IT CAREFULLY!)

Then, in a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, brown sugar, cardamom, and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer, then let steep for 15-20 minutes. Remove the cardamom pods and add the almond extract.

Fill 4 tall glasses with ice, then divide the cream mixture amongst the glasses. Then top off with the super strong coffee. Grab yourself a straw, and enjoy!

Here comes the bride…

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It's wedding day for a fabulous cupcake-lovin' lady and her man. Here's a quick peek at what's to come. So far, it's the biggest wedding order I've had—a whopping 14 dozen! These are vanilla cupcakes with key lime frosting, sprinkled with homemade graham cracker crumbs and topped with a real live key lime. These are my personal fave. Luckily, key limes are in season and in store! I'll be heading to Columbus' Park of Roses shortly with the rest. Fingers crossed!

Mini Elvis Sandwich Bites

I had an idea the other day. My boyfriend and I recently moved, which means a housewarming party is in order. A party! With appetizers and snacks and treats and drinks (oh, the drinks!) and all sorts of fun things to plan in the summer. As I was milling about my kitchen, I was trying to come up with some sort of creative mini snack delight. I was in the middle of making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (I know, real mature, ML) and I was thinking about mini PB&Js. Seems cute! But not very exciting. Eventually the mini PB&J idea changed to a mini Elvis sandwich idea.

What's an Elvis sandwich? Traditionally it's a sandwich of peanut butter, banana, honey and bacon... sort of. The inclusion of either bacon or honey is up for grabs. Some places include both. Some places include just honey. I like to think bacon is also a crucial part of that combination, but you will find places that tend to forget that tasty little element. But I digress. So my thinking is, what if this was a mini open-faced Elvis?

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A slice of baguette, toasted. Schmeared with delicious sweet and salty peanut butter. A slice of banana sits on top, then a piece of candied bacon, and then a drizzle (or glob, as in the illustration) of honey and perhaps a sprinkling of sea salt. The order could change, depending on what will hold together best. And the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of chopped pieces of candied bacon instead of a slice, but I was just too lazy to redraw that. Overall, what do you think? Good idea? Bad idea? I probably need to give this a test drive before making a whole slew of them. Although, maybe that's just my excuse to make them sooner. :-)

Lemon Rosemary Polenta Sables, Just Because

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Every now and then I have a cookie idea and go crazy until I get to try it. I saw some ritzy cookies at Katzinger's Deli awhile ago and was oh so tempted to make a purchase. There were two varieties calling my name: polenta pennies and salted rosemary shortbread. However, I also thought "Well, this is dumb. I can do that." No only can I do that, I can yield 3 times the amount by doing it myself. These "polenta pennies" seemed easy enough, your basic butter sable or shortbread cookie injected with texturally fabulous polenta grains. The salted rosemary shortbread? Also a brilliant idea. I love a buttery cookie with a bit of salt, and then aromatic rosemary on top of that? Sure! Why not? So as I stood there, being enticed by the silent but deadly cookies, I was also getting super jazzed about my next baking adventure.

Instead of tackling one cookie at a time, I just combined the two concepts. All the flavors go well together so it seemed like a natural improvement on the originals. Also, I added lemon zest. I'm an absolute sucker for citrus zest in sables. I used my favorite sable recipe from Joy the Baker for the basic recipe, though left out the lime zest from her version (I actually like them better than Martha's, believe it or not). I also reduced the flour, using yellow corn meal in its place. You know what? This is going to get too complicated for a paragraph. Here we go:

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Lemon Rosemary Polenta Sables

Adapted from Joy the Baker's Citrus Sables

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature


1/2 cup granulated sugar


1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar


1 teaspoon salt, preferably sea salt


2 large egg yolks, preferably at room temperature


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow corn meal

zest of 1 lemon

1 tbsp rosemary, ground or finely chopped

For glitzing up the edges:


1 egg yolk

turbinado sugar

Joy does an excellent job of the instructions, so seriously, go check out her post and just adapt the above ingredients. No point in me retyping directions, right? (To be perfectly honest, I'm feeling a bit lazy, too!) I do recommend slicing up a batch for now and saving the other rolled log in the freezer for a later date. I know, you'll have to resist the urge to devour the cookies in a quick minute, but trust me. You never know when you will a) get a random craving again and hallelujah! you're prepared! or b) need an emergency house-warming gift/party contribution/dessert for an event. Have a barbecue to go to all of the sudden? Need something to bring? Well luckily, you have those cookies in the freezer! See what I mean?

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The results are fabulous, especially now that it's spring (when the rain pauses and it heats up beyond 50° anyway). They're the perfect light treat with coffee or tea. Or perhaps an easy way to say "Thanks, Mom!" now that this weekend is Mother's Day! Or maybe even for a Kentucky Derby Party? So get in touch with your butter-lovin' Paula Deen side and make these delicious cookies. Ready, set, go!

30 Before 30: The Recipe To Do List REVISED!

I may have just finished my 30 Before 30: Recipe To Do List! Wait. Hang on. Let me rephrase that. I may have just finished WRITING my Recipe To Do List. Hah. Let's not get ahead of ourselves!

You may remember, I left off at number 24 with room to spare. I've come up with a few additions here and there, but haven't added them yet b/c what's the point of blogging one little list entry at a time? We'll we're ready now. Here is the COMPLETE list (with a few revisions):

1. Mocha Crepe Cake
2. Braised Short Ribs
3. Tiramisu (formerly Red Velvet Funnel Cake*, but I'm feeling a more urgent need for the Tiramisu right now)
4. Chocolate-Covered Caramel Pretzel Cupcakes (I'm excited for this one, and you should be too!)*
5. Meyer Lemon Tart
6. Ginger-infused Limoncello*
7. Croissants, from scratch
8. Chocolate Babka
9. Gordon Ramsey's Raspberry Souffle
10. S'more Cookie Bars
11. My own version of Petit Fours*
12. French 75 cocktail
13. Blackberry Champagne Baklava (Yeah, sounds good, right?)*
14. Ina Garten's Scalloped Tomatoes
15. Mini fruit-filled Kiss Pies (only, w/out using Hershey Kisses. Yuck...)
16. Cuban Potato Balls (inspired by this on Oh Joy!)
17. Caramel Stout Frosting*
18. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake (I'll probably end up altering this, too)
19. Homemade gnocchi
20. Vietnamese Coffee
21. Crunchy crust ice cream bars
22. Ice Cream. Possibly peanut butter... or something...
23. Beef Wellington
24. Mini Grilled Cheese on a Stick
25. Lemongrass Ginger Soda… or popsicles. Whichever comes first.
26. Biscuit Beignets with Strawberry Sauce
27. Upside-down cake (pineapple? peach?)
28. Dinner rolls—good, yeasty, delicious ones—from scratch.
29. Madeleines
30. Blondies (I know, so simple, but it's been YEARS) or Chocolate Pots de Creme... I can't decide

I've already made the French 75 cocktail, and I have a peach upside-down cake ready to blog so I'm off to a good start! But the REAL question is: am I happy with this? Sure, I think so. At least for now. I can always change it... right? But I promise, I'll only change it if it's something I really want to make—I won't cheat!

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30 Before 30 Recipes: French 75

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Remember the 30 Before 30: Recipe To Do List? It's hard to decide where to start. Dip your toe in the shallow end with something quick and easy? Or just jump in head first? All that deliberation can make a girl thirsty, so why not kick it off with a cocktail? The classic French 75, specifically.

"The drink was created in 1915 at the Paris landmark, Harry's New York Bar by barman Harry MacElhone. The combination was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm howitzer artillery piece, also called a "75 Cocktail", or "Soixante Quinze" in French. The French 75 was popularized in America at the Stork Club." - Wikipedia: French 75

Fascinating, right? Okay, maybe not so much but it all starts with gin and champagne, and that's fascinating enough for me! Now that the vintage cocktail revival is finally starting to make it's way mainstream, you can occasionally find them in your local (quality) bar. Or if you're like me and don't want to wait for some bartender to pour one your way, you can use the super simple instructions below to shake one for yourself. This drink packs a wollop; it is not for the faint of heart. If you like your drinks fruity and frilly, then this isn't for you. But if you appreciate old school cocktails with an intriguing flavor combination, then this will not disappoint!

:::The French 75:::

2 oz. gin

1 oz. simple syrup (or 2 tsp. superfine sugar)

1 oz. lemon juice

Brut Champagne or other dry sparkling wine

Shake gin, simple syrup, and lemon juice in cocktail shaker with ice for 10-15 seconds. Strain into glass, and top with champagne (or sparkling wine). And if you want to add a little something extra, garnish with a lemon twist or maraschino cherry. I like the pop of color so I added a cherry (though actually, I don't like maraschino cherries!).

Results? FABULOUS. According to some recipes, this drink can also be made with cognac instead of gin. I've had it both ways and really? They're both delicious. Cognac is much sweeter than gin, so let that decide which route you go.

You know what else is fabulous? The 30 Before 30 Recipe adventure has begun! Oy, I hope I can fit all this in. I'll be updating my list soon so stay tuned! And in the meantime, drink up! ;-)

Oscar Ready: Ruby Red Carpet Cocktail

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Glamour and glitter, fashion and fame! (Thank you, Jem.) It's the OSCARS—the perfect excuse to gild everything you can in gold, drink champagne and fancy cocktails, and wear obnoxious jewelry that weighs you down… unless you're a guy, in which case a bow tie will suffice. :-)

So who's with me? Who's pumped? I may not know much about the nominees, but I do know that I have my predictions filled out and I'm more than excited to hear what Joan Rivers will have to say on Fashion Police tomorrow. Even better, I have an arsenal of schmancy ingredients (sort of) to indulge in a few glamorous cocktails.

Champagne (or sparkling wine) is a must, but I'm planning on kicking off festivities with this exquisite gem: the Ruby Red Carpet Cocktail. It's delicious and incredibly simple. What more could you want?

Ruby Red Carpet Cocktail

• 2-3 ice cubes

• 1 ounce gin

• 1 ounce Campari

• Top off with ruby red grapefruit juice (approx 2-3 ounces)

Pour ingredients in a cocktail shaker, shake it like you mean it for about 10 seconds, and pour into your most fabulous glass. See? Easy. And no, the photo does not display my most fabulous glass, but it is the easiest to photograph. ;-)

I'm always a sucker for Campari, a sweet, herbal, citrus-y appertif with a gorgeous red color. And then there's gin—I'm a gin girl 100%. The gin and Campari complement each other beautifully, then the sour, fruity grapefruit juice just blends right in (in a good way, of course!). If you're not a gin fan like I am, you can use vodka. It would also be delicious with cognac, but the flavor of cognac may get lost when paired with Campari's strong presence. Just depends on what you're going for.

If you want to take the cocktail one step further, switch out the grapefruit for one ounce of sweet vermouth—you'll have my absolute favorite drink, the classic Italian Negroni.

So tell me—anyone else have Oscar plans? Fun drinks on the menu? Appetizers, perhaps? Or just a fun party theme? I'd love to hear about it—I'm always looking for ways to inject a little fabulousity into my every day life and the Oscars are just the time to do it.