29 June 2010

Cake decorating equipment and storage.

I've accumulated quite a bit of cake decorating equipment. We don't live in a very big space and trying to store is all is difficult at best.

Then I saw this!


The Stanley Fat Max! It's perfect! The bottom compartment holds my fondant rolling pin, silicone mat, cake boards, buckets of fondant and gum paste. The second compartment is sectioned to hold my fondant and cookie cutters, foam shaping pieces, cupcake papers and little items that could easily be misplaced. The top compartment has two sections, the bottom holds my pastry/icing bags, rulers, scissors and smaller rolling pins and the top holds all my food coloring bottles, icing tips (there are over 50) and shaping tools, exacto knives, paint brushes, vanilla pen/brush. It's incredible. Everything but my turntable fit! It closes up to easily be wheeled into our spare room closet, tucked out of the way until I need it. The way in which it expands when opened leaves my table clear for use and my tools with in reach right next to me.

Ah! It's so nice to be organized!

27 June 2010

Recipe #27 - Coffee Cake

I know I said I was going to cut back on the baking until after the wedding, but I can't help myself. It's my stress relief and one of my favorite ways to spend the weekend. Also, I received this little beauty from T's parents as a bridal shower gift... so now I have no choice but to keep baking to test it out!


I woke up at 6:30, walked the pooch, baked the apple pie and decided to make a coffee cake for breakfast to surprise T. The streusel filling and topping, brown sugar, cinnamon, unsweetened cocoa and toasted pecans is amazing. I love the look and smell of butter and sugar creamed together, it's a beautiful thing. The cake has sour cream in it which makes it so moist and wonderful. Just look at that vein of streusel! YUM!





26 June 2010

Apple pie.

What is it about apple pie that is so soothing and comforting?

After a lovely night out we came home to take out the dog and I to start an apple pie for baking in the morning.

Standing in the comfort of my cozy (ie; small) kitchen peeling and slicing apples, occasionally sneaking bits to the dog, I felt content. Thinking of my mother who slipped me pieces of apple before gently placing them in the pie crust waiting to cradle them, wishing for the crisp cool November days back east and the smell of apples baking in a warm oven.

I know I will have sweet dreams tonight.

I know I have it good.

24 June 2010

Recipe #26 - Cranberry white chocolate chip cookies.

It's charity bake sale time again at work! I've made one new recipe, the cranberry white chocolate chip cookies and two favorites that were requested, mini coconut cream pies and seven layer bars.

I look forward to the bake sale each year. It's fun to package everything up and deliver it to be sold for a good cause. The proceeds are used to buy food for the local food bank. I always put a B on my boxes.




18 June 2010

Guinness chocolate cake, again.

I've made this cake a bunch of times. I made this particular cake for my bridal shower tomorrow. I'm carrying blue hydrangeas at our wedding and our wedding cake will be covered in chocolate fondant.

It's a Guinness chocolate cake, Jameson ganache and Baileys butter cream icing covered with dark chocolate fondant and decorated with gum paste hydrangeas that I made. Not too bad first my first try at them!


17 June 2010

Recipe #25 - Blueberry cake.

This is a very old recipe from a grandma. I'll post it sometime later as an edit. Too sleepy now.

03 June 2010

Recipe #24 - Marble cake!

Gah! Not much to say here. Life is super busy! Three and a half months until the wedding! eeeeeeeeeee!