Caramel Pecan Cheesecakes

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Who doesn't like cheesecake?? Actually, plenty of people. I used to be one of them. I know, shocker, right? It was a rough life. Cheesecake's for dessert—what do you do? Luckily, I make a mean cheesecake...cupcake. It's so simple, but it's perfect—loved by cheesecake lovers, enlightens non-cheesecake lovers and opens their world to the creamy confection. It was the cake that converted me. I am a hater no more.

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The cheesecakes were for a wedding reception a few weeks ago. The super sweet client had a short timeline and basically said "Whatever you can do would be amazing." She needed 6 dozen of... something. I already had cheesecakes in the works for the Grandview Hop (yup, both events were the same day. OY.), so I said, "Hey, what about these?" Like I said, they're so simple, a large batch would be easy-peasy. I split them up into two varieties—caramel pecan cheesecakes and strawberry-studdened cheesecakes topped with chocolate drizzle. They all have a chocolate-chip-cookie-crust which, I'm not going to lie, is pretty freakin' delicious. :-)

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The cherry adds a cute, festive touch, no? They're so stinkin' cute, I can hardly handle it!

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I don't have photos of the strawberry cakes. Pick-up time was approaching, so I had to box up my little sugary delights.

A word of advice: when ordering for an event, order extra. Not a ton, but a dozen or two (depending on the size of the event, of course). Especially if it's easy to eat, like these cheesecakes. A lot of times, I've been a guest at the event for which I've supplied the dessert. I've witnessed the depletion of the supply. The extras always go, especially if there are different varieties. People want to try a little bit of everything. A lot of people are surprised when I say "You have a wedding of 100 guests? Well order 10 dozen, not just 8 or 9." "Really??" And yup. They're glad they did. It's not hard to get rid of sweets. Vegetables, maybe. But cupcakes? Never. ;-)

Vanilla Lavender Meringue Menagerie

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So. Meringues. It's meringue madness over here! It all started a few weeks ago at work. Someone brought in a container of Trader Joe's meringues, which were staring me in the face all during lunch that day. I held off for awhile. I was convinced I was going to say no. I bake stuff all the time! I don't need more sweets! I can turn away—no problem! By the end of lunch, the perfectly shaped little white puffs were singing their siren song so loudly that I finally decided "Eh, what the hell? I'm going to give it a whirl." I've had meringues before, don't get me wrong. It's just been awhile. I was trying to do the healthy thing and resist the little white puff of sweet, crispy egg whiteness, but what's the harm in one little meringue??

It melted in my mouth. It was super sweet, no doubt, but its lightness made the sugar overload forgivable. And that started the conversations. Conversations about making meringues, as meringues for favors (I'm pretty sure they might make an appearance at my someday wedding), about different flavors of meringues, about stuffing your face with these elegant little sugar monsters. My work-neighbor was in meringue mode herself, even making some with hibiscus powder. FASCINATING! (Note to self: obtain hibiscus powder. Pronto.) To add to the madness, images of white fluffy blobs kept popping up on Pinterest, and the visuals were enough to make me want to bust through my computer screen, grab a hold of every little puff and munch myself silly. Today, I gave in.

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I had a few frozen egg whites in the freezer for just this kind of occasion (well, actually, more like making macarons, but these are much easier for now). I used a recipe by Emeril Lagasse as my guide, and just added vanilla extract and ground lavender for flavoring. And since they're lavender, why the heck not blend in some pretty purple swirls? I also couldn't resist adding some rainbow non-pareils to a few. Rainbow sprinkles in general are a major personal weakness.

Vanilla Lavender Meringues

Adapted from Forgotten Kisses, Emeril Lagasse

4 egg whites

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/3 c superfine sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon rosewater

1 1/2 teaspoons ground lavender buds

First, preheat the oven to 350° and line a few cookie sheets with parchment. I'm not sure if it's necessary, but I spritzed my parchment with a little cooking spray just to be safe. Whip those egg whites with an electric mixer at medium speed. When they're getting nice and foamy, add the cream of tartar and keep whipping. Gradually add the sugar to the whipping egg whites, 2-3 tablespoons at a time (I actually used a shot glass for this—it's the perfect measure). After half the sugar has been added, add the vanilla, rosewater, and lavender powder, then go back to adding the sugar (again, gradually), all while still whipping the egg whites. Beat the whites until they're shiny and thick, with stiff peaks. That's it. Easy, right? Next, for shaping the actual meringue cookies, you could either fill a piping bag (my weapon of choice) and pipe out the size you prefer, or just spoon out organic little globs onto the parchment. The size, of course, will determine how many you yield. If you pipe a bunch of little ones, I bet you'll have 4-6 dozen or something. If you pipe a bunch of big ones, you'll probably get 18-24. Anyway. Pop the pans in the oven, and then turn it off. Let them sit in the oven for at least 2 hours, but preferably longer. Even overnight is okay, just as long as they dry out. In the end, the meringues will be dry and crisp.

For more meringue references, I also used this post from The Kitchn.

The Buckeye and Scarlet & Gray

Live and in person.

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They were featured at last night's Grandview Hop in honor of football season starting. I'm a Bearcat myself, but I still get psyched for our hometeam. Plus, what's not to love about a team that gives you both color combos AND flavor combos that can be applied to desserts!? The Buckeye Cupcakes sold out—chocolate and peanut butter is a craving that you really can't deny.

OSU Football Season Cupcakes! Available September-December.

Click image to view larger.

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It's football season, and we're in Columbus. You know what that means?

OHIO STATE THEMED CUPCAKES. Oh yes. That's right. Hello, Scarlet & Gray. Hello, Buckeye. Let's review the play-by-play of these flavors, shall we?

The Scarlet & Gray cupcake is red velvet cake topped with its match-made-in-heaven, vanilla malt frosting, dyed gray to match the city's favorite color combination.

The Buckeye cupcake is a chocolate cake, swirled with peanut butter. It's topped with a ring of chocolate gooey frosting, then topped with a dollop of peanut butter frosting. And because everyone likes cupcakes to look extra cute, it's garnished with a mint leaf for that extra buckeye touch.

Need them for a game? Or any ol' event? Or to fulfill that crazy craving you just got when you thought about the chocolate cake with peanut butter swirl (I know, I've been there)? Pricing for each is $20/dozen, no matter how many dozens you buy. They're available, by order, from now until December. I will still need at least one week's notice. Call or email, you know the drill!

O-H!!!!

Happy National Toasted Marshmallow Day!

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So, the day may be almost over, but the spirit of toasted marshmallows will live on! I just learned late this afternoon that every August 30th is dedicated to a sweet weakness of mine, the toasted marshmallow. If the mallows are untoasted—just plain, white and fluffy—I can do without. I can turn around with my nose in the air and wave them away. But if they're toasted? Oh sweet mother of pearl, this girl melts as if that marshmallow has the irresistible charms of Zack Morris.

I have to admit, my enthusiasm for National Toasted Marshmallow Day takes root in my latest obsession. Or an addiction, maybe? Craving? Anyway, I am a sucker for fresh chocolate chip cookies topped with a squishy, brown and toasty marshmallow. It all started at the Movie Tavern on the west side, with a little dessert called The Ultimate Cookie. My boyfriend was originally the interested party—I was more along the lines of "Igh.. I guess. Why not?" I'm telling you, that plate of three cookies was so much more than I could've ever imagined. A hot, melty, gooey chocolate chip cookie (with cake-like qualities) topped with a golden, toasted marshmallow. Sounds simple, basic even. But the flavors of both are just meant to be—they compliment each other beautifully. Ever since that fateful day in early summer, those cookies have been haunting me and my attempts to eat healthily.

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So today, in honor of Mr. Toasted Marshmallow, I broke out the cookie dough (that's right, even bakers use ready-made dough for a quick fix). I baked them until they were golden but still undercooked, heated up that broiler, squished a jumbo marshmallow on top, and toasted until they were a smokey, golden treat.

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I highly encourage you to try this at home. Grab a bag of mallows, a pack of cookie dough, and hunker down for the evening with a big fat glass of milk. Happy National Marshmallow Day, everyone! And to all, a good night.

Farmer's Market Blitzkrieg

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Saturdays can be a little rough around here. When it's a busy month, it's usually b/c I'm up late on Fridays and up again early the next Saturday morning baking away. Then between the usual monthly visit home to the fam and whatever other events are going on, a lazy weekend is SOOO EXCITING. Thankfully, this is one calm weekend for me and my bf George. We haven't gotten over to the farmer's market yet this year so that's how we started our Saturday. There are a lot of local farmer's markets here in Cbus, but we prefer the popular Clintonville Farmers' Market. Not that we live there, but it's close enough and we usually see a friend or two... or three. Yay for local, right? :-) The market goes from 9-12. We got there a little after 11:30. But that didn't matter. We still did plenty of damage in record time! Our tally:

• one green zucchini

• two yellow zucchini

• 6 peaches

• small basket of blackberries (score!)

• basket of green beans

• two cheeses: string cheese and a chipotle something or other

• one 12 oz. bear of honey

• one yellow watermelon (personal-sized)

• one super juicy red watermelon (also personal-sized)

• one cantaloupe

• one honeydew

• three patty pan squash

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Everything...for the most part.

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PLUS we stopped at a BBQ cart/stand outside of Global Gallery on High St for one BBQ pork sandwich and 4 ribs. Hey, shopping for fruits and veggies works up quite the carnivorous appetite! Hah. Hello fruits, veggies, and meats! Good-bye, cash!

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We're psyched though. I am particularly excited about the Patty Pan squash. All morning I've been randomly yelping "Patty Pan!" Just b/c it's fun. And they're funny looking. What's not to love about that? I had some last night at the restaurant DeepWood so I was kind of on a mission for it this morning.

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Sadly, I don't think I'll be baking with any of this stuff. I'm tempted by the blackberries, but they're too precious. I think we'll just be savoring them in their natural state.

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Although, you know, I may just have to muddle a few of these babies into a cocktail. Nothing's every too precious for a cocktail. ;-)

Miami Vacation 2010

I've been gone a long time, but with good reason! My boyfriend and I took a little vacation to Miami, FL. Sun, sand, food, drink, what's not to love?? I know one thing. I'm in love with Miami and I'm itching to go back. We took a little over 1,000, but here's the best of. It's still a good 240-something, but that's a fraction of 1,000, right? ;-)

Lush Blossoms.

Hello, pretties!

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This morning I filled an order for a girl's 13th birthday party. There was much brainstorming between her mother and me, but in the end we decided on some brightly colored flowers for the 12 vanilla-vanilla malt cupcakes in the order.

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I call these little babies "Lush Blossoms." You may remember them from a post a few months ago. They're not a technical method of flower piping—they're not roses, they're not begonias or pansies, they're not chrysanthemums. They're just...really cute flowers. If you ask me, they're a cross between a dahlia and a mum. A "dalimum," maybe? A "chrysanthlia?" No. Too complicated. Forget it. I call them "LUSH BLOSSOMS." Why? B/c I'm Sugarlush. My brand is Sugarlush. My tagline varies between "Be a lush," or "Are you a lush?" and b/c I created these little ladies. So they're mine. At least, I think they are. I'm owning it, gosh darn it! And "blossom" is kind of generic for "flower," plus it sounds so much better. So "Lush Blossoms" it is!

The party is this afternoon so I'm just hoping all goes well. It should... right? For some reason I'm always still so nervous after my orders are picked up. One of these days, I'll get over it.