A Tasty 2013 Recap

Ah here we are, the last day of 2013.  It was quite the year, filled with some ups and downs but in general I can’t really complain.  There were aspects of the year I could have done without, but I am healthy, my family is healthy and everyone is doing well. 

 

I really see 2013 as a stepping stone for me—through the not so good cards I was dealt this year, I powered through and really set the stage for myself in the new year.  I grew professionally through my new job which I enjoy and have learned so much in;  I baked all year long for so many different events which has helped my skills improve greatly while teaching myself new techniques;  I became much more comfortable in the kitchen cooking meals (can’t always eat desserts!!) and worked hard to learn to cook many types of vegetables and meats in order to stay on a healthy eating track; I discovered yoga in May which has completely changed my life by helping me grow as a person, as well as helping me to deal with my anxiety that I’ve struggled with for over 10 years;  Louis and I have continued to nurture our relationship together and are both very happy; I was able to travel a bit throughout the Northeast and also to visit Nick in Miami which was such a blast and I can’t wait to go back;  I started this blog! Which I have come to really enjoy writing;  I closed the year with signing the lease to my new apartment which I am so insanely excited for—it was the perfect ending to 2013 and will be the perfect beginning to the new year.

 

So to finish the year off, I completed an order last night for New Years cake pops for a friend of mine!  The glitzy “Happy New Years” was done with my new alphabet cookie cutters and fondant then sprayed with a pretty silver edible paint to really stand out against the deep blue chocolate. 

 

Fun sprinkles and white candy sugar pearls add that “party” effect that I think everyone will enjoy!

 

And with that, I want to say thank you to my readers who have supported me in my effort to share sweetness with the world!  I am so grateful for everything my family and friends have done for me in the past year, especially for spreading the word and helping me gain momentum with my desserts! Without you all, I would not be here, recapping all of the delicious things we’ve all consumed in 2013!

With the new year approaching, take a moment to reflect on what was good this year, and harvest those memories to create new ones in 2014. I have this eerie feeling 2014 is going to bring a ton of changes and some big moments for me and my family and friends.. and I can’t remember the last time I was this excited to ring in a new year!

 

-Elena

 

Sweet Holiday Cheer

Good morning and Merry Christmas everyone!

The day has come and I am relishing in the quiet before the storm. I have so much to prepare before everyone comes today, never mind spending my last Christmas morning in Ellington with my parents and brother before I move out next month! It will be a memorable and hectic day of gifts, food, desserts, music and laughter and I am excited!

On the table today will be these little babies--chocolate bars! These are not hard at all, anyone can do them and they make a great gift idea for coworkers or neighbors.  All you need is chocolate, candies or pretzels or dried fruit for the inside and a mold! If you don't have a mold, spread the chocolate out on parchment paper in a baking tray but it will be messy to break apart later! 

I went with peppermint bark and salted caramel bark with pretzels!  Here is how I made the peppermint bark:

First break up your candy canes.

Then melt your chocolate!

I added a little bit of extract for extra flavor!

Then pour into molds, add your candy and throw in the freezer for 10 minutes! 

I loves this mold because of the imprint it leaves... words like giving, merry and thankful. 

Easy gifts for all! And did I mention delicious!?

I hope everyone has a joyful and safe Christmas! Eat up and savor the moments! 

-Elena 

It's All in the [Silver & Gold] Details

"It's all in the details" is what my Dad always said growing up while doing stuff.  Stuff like--helping me with a school science project...or putting up crown molding throughout our entire house.  He has an eye for the details, that little extra touch that ends up making the entire project come together.

I can certainly say I've inherited that "eye" for things.  As I continue to concentrate on building my portfolio of little baked creations, I find myself moving away from what's easy and moving towards the details.  In the case of decorating desserts, that means adding a lot more to each cake pop, or cookie, or cake.

Last night I created 60 cake pops for a 30th wedding anniversary and I definitely worked the details!

First, the color detail. I wanted to create a flow of colors that blended but also stood out on their own.  The theme was holiday, but it wasn't a Christmas party, it was for an anniversary so I didn't want to fill the plates with Santa Clause and Rudolph, and I wanted the colors to be sort of...magical. So I decided on silver and gold, like the song from Rudolph! I love that part, when the snowman sings the song!

So many things come into play now that I've started using other ingredients besides chocolate.  I am collecting sprinkles like no other.  Three huge drawers are filled with all types of sprinkles and dusting sugar. I wanted to keep these simple, but detailed!  So the holly berries were a great way to bring in the red and green of Christmas, but still helping me stick to my silver and gold color palette.

These snowflakes also let me stick to "simple" with their pure white and blue elegance. I wanted to tone down the blue though, so I brushed each blue snowflake with silver sugar dust to add a pretty luster that popped against the bright white chocolate. 

I have been picking up a lot of random containers of sprinkles, ones in all shapes and colors. It's amazing what you can use random sprinkles for! For instance, check out my holiday packages!  Silver and gold, but with red "bows" that are actually sugar hearts with a single sugar bead in the middle.

 

I am particularly proud of the packages and their details.  Each one was cut from a ball into a square, then dipped in white chocolate.  Once dry, I sprayed them with silver and gold edible paint.  The ribbon is all fondant, rolled out then cut with a wave blade to create a ribbon effect.  I sprayed them with a pearl luster spray to make them sparkle!  

Since this was for an anniversary celebration, I wanted some sort of "topper"... so I created the snowman and snowwoman.  This is a 3 tiered cake pop, dipped in bright white chocolate.  The scarves are rolled fondant, cut with the same wave blade as the packages.  I think it's important not only to carry the colors throughout the display, but the lines and shapes as well.  I wanted the snow-people to share the characteristics of the packages, through the scarves.  The flakes of snow on the snowwoman's scarf ties her to the snowflake cakes.  The snowman's hat is molded with modeling chocolate and finished the the holly and berries, tying him with the other holly cake pops.  The nose is a little candy coated chocolate piece, another awesome "sprinkle" find!  Their pretzel-stick hands complete them, as it looks like they're holding hands and enjoying life together!  They were sprayed with the pearl luster spray, and really just exuded happiness!

As I was creating, it was snowing!! We got our first snowfall of the season, and I couldn't resist submerging this bundled little couple into the scenery :)

So with the help of my lovely boyfriend, we ventered out into the blizzard to deliver the cakes to the Country Club, which was decorated beautifully with bright red poinsettias and candles.  The pops seemed to match the venue perfectly!  I am happy I chose the square plates, and I think they complimented the square packages quite well.  I carried the theme into the taste cards, which featured holly, snowflakes and poinsettias. 

 

 

I had a lot of fun making these, and I really poured my heart into them.  I think the details made all the difference, and I definitely will continue to pay the utmost attention to them.

Thank you Nina Caron for giving me the opportunity to create these and I hope they were enjoyed by all!

I can't stay out of the kitchen! I've baked 6 cakes in the past two days, with 4 or 5 more to go in preparation for our upcoming holiday party and for Christmas day, plus care packages for friends and family--a nice way to keep the holiday in mind even when the day is over.  The smell of spice cake, gingerbread and red velvet are filling my senses as I write this and it makes me so excited to keep on with the holiday sweets!

Stay warm everyone!

-Elena  

 

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Well isn't that the truth! The cold has found us up here in New England, along with the snow, icy roads, and of course the Christmas music! The holidays are in the air and everyone can feel it.  I cut down my shopping a ton this year, but I still enjoy heading over to Barnes and Noble with Louis, grabbing a skinny peppermint mocha and browsing the mall, mostly people watching and just soaking in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season! I also enjoy baking for it which I have started.  Last year, I did snowmen--but this year I introduce the new and improved. Yes my skills have definitely been taken to the next level. These little guys (or gals, you choose!) are warm and cozy and iced with pearled perfection!  

 

Then I added them with a bunch of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!

Yes they are quite cute! They are actually for a little girl I know who is celebrating her birthday this weekend.  Perfect little treats to share with her friends! 

Hope you're all getting into the holiday spirit as much as I am! Much more to come--- my brother returns next week for a couple of weeks and with him comes all my "brothers" from college who love these desserts more than anyone I know, so I need to get baking! Enjoy the snow everyone... not fun to drive it but it sure is beautiful! There is absolutely nothing like New England in the wintertime :)

-Elena

Superheroes to the Rescue!

Superheroes!! Yes! There's not much to say about this cake, other than it was a blast to make. Who doesn't love superheros?  Most of us grew up with them--I know my brother was obsessed! If we hadn't thought about superheros lately, watching The Big Bang Theory has certainly brought them back to us, along with the Marvel superheros movie that comes out what seems like every month. We all love them, at any age! This cake was made for a young boy turning 11 who loved Spider-man and Batman.

First I made traditional cake pops with fondant pieces. Every single bat symbol is cut by hand with a pairing knife. Sometimes my patience astounds me!

My favorite was the batman cape! I wanted to add a lot of dimension to the cake that would seem "interactive" to the consumer.

Then came the Spiderman cake pops. I piped webs on them to make Spiderman's mask.   I also made spiders from molding chocolate-- nice and interactive!

The cake was a marble of vanilla and chocolate and frosted with butter cream, with a lot of fondant accents.   I wasn't sure how to take two superheros and represent them on a one layer cake. So I decided to give the sides of the cake to Batman with the city at night, lights on in the buildings and the bat symbol overhead, beckoning the Dark Knight.  The cake was placed on a cardboard I created with a Spiderman comic--modgepodged and covered in plastic so the youngster could unwrap it when the cake was gone and keep it!

The top was for Spiderman.  The vibrant red really played well with the dark colors, and made the web pop!

Finished cake!

But wait.. what about those cake pops???

There we are!  Pops added, and cake completed!

Such a fun way to celebrate a birthday! It was fun to do, because it really allowed me to be as creative as I wanted.  It was a good way to "warm up" for the holiday season!

-Elena

Unite, Love, Share, and Eat--Happy Thanksgiving

It is 7:53am on Thanksgiving morning and I feel light and energized. I ate turkey burgers and steamed asparagus all week and drank a ton of water and tea.. snuck only a few chocolate pieces! Worked out or went to yoga every day... I tried my best to save myself the calories and room for today--the best day of the year-- Thanksgiving.

My family has always been very traditional with Thanksgiving. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatos, rolls... and my Grandma Pauline's French meat pie. Oh I could eat an entire one in a sitting. Growing up she would bring three, two to serve and one for my freezer, all for me! I want to learn to make it her way soon. But I don't think it will be the same... she has to do it! I hope she makes it today and my mom brings me some! 

I am spending the day with Louis' family, who are very fun and very much into food--different foods, to me anyways. Cornbread and corn dishes, polish dishes, but mixed with the traditional turkey day fare. And I am excited for it!! 

I am contributing a dessert obviously! I made an apple crisp that is just delicious. It is my favorite recipie ever. I am very picky about my apple crisp. I like there to be a caramelized, thick topping, not a little dusting of brown sugar. So here it is! Very easy, basic ingredients but huge flavors!  My mom and I each made one last night, and here is what we did!

First, the dreaded task of peeling apples. I hate peeling apples, or anything for that matter. I have a very sharp, state of the art peeler from Cutco that Louis gave me, and it is still such a daunting task. But you have to do it! 

Next, use an apple corer and core the apples. Take each piece and cut into three so you are left with chunks.  Put these in a baking pan, then coat with cinnamon and sugar. I coat mine thick! 

Preheat the oven to 350.

Now it's time to make the topping. I like a lot of the topping so I increased everything by .5. So in a bowl, combine 1 1/2 sticks melted butter, 1.5 cups flour, 1.5 cups sugar and 1.5 egg, beaten. Add a pinch of salt and mix until it forms a wet dough. It will be sticky and buttery!

Don't pour it over the crisp! Take the dough in your hands and break into pieces over the apples. 

It should look like this before baking!

Now here is the key--Sugar in the Raw! Get some and use it in all your baking, it adds so much texture and flavor!  Sprinkle it over the dough, and it will caramelize during the baking process! Yum! 

Bake crisp for 50 minutes to an hour. It should be bubbling and starting to brown on top. Let cool then serve warm with ice cream, or (my favorite) cold!! You will not be disappointed! It is easy and amazing, so if you need a last minute recipe today, this is it!

I will post a picture of what it looks like once it's on the plate, ready to be devoured!

I can't wait to eat everything and talk all day long about my favorite subjects in the world--baking and cooking. I am thankful to have such a great guy to call mine and to be a part of his family! I will miss my own family today, especially my brother Nick who is in warm, sunny Florida and won't be making it back until Christmas! But I am thankful for all of the amazing people in my life who have taught me and guided me through this life so far. I am thankful for the ability to eat, and to be able to have such a passion and engage in it on a daily basis. 

I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with love and happiness, and of course delicious food! Take it one bite at a time, and savor the time spent with your loved ones today, because it isn't about shopping deals or football.. It is about uniting, sharing, loving and eating, of course. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Elena 

Sweet Puppy Love

There is something about the presence of a dog.  You never feel alone, and though its cliche, it's true that they offer the most unconditional love.  Baxter is 6 but still runs around like a maniac puppy dog. I love him. My whole family loves him. We do crazy stuff for him like hand feed him food, or heat up left over chicken breast just for him even when no one else is eating. We walk him, take him for "bu-bye" rides, and let him romp all over the beds. He's the King, no doubt about it. I mean, how can you resist this face!?

I think my favorite aspect of having a dog is you can come home after the longest day ever, and they will greet you with such joy and happiness. Then you can leave to run an errand for 10 minutes and return, and they still greet you with the same amount of happiness, like they haven't seen you in years even though it has been minutes. A pup always gives you something to look forward to.

I came across an article on Facebook about what is really in our dog's food and it got me thinking.  I grabbed Baxter's bag of bones and looked the the ingredients... wheat, sugar, salt, chicken flavor?...and a ton of ingredients I couldn't even pronounce.  I'm not saying it's all bad, but why all the extra stuff?? So I did some research and came across a few recipes and ingredients totally safe for dogs, so I gave it a go! These were SO EASY and cheap... you have all this stuff at your cabinets at all times anyways (minus pumpkin, but easy to pick up at the store).  So here goes:

3 cups flour, 1/2 cup oats and 2 tbsp cinnamon, mixed in a bowl

Then, combine a can of pumpkin (15oz), 3 tbsp of natural peanut butter and two eggs

Mix wet with dry to form the dough. It's so stick so I had to flour my counter top first before rolling them out with my marble rolling pin.

I wish I had dog bone cookie cutters but I don't so I used candy canes--half for the holiday season coming, and half because Baxter really likes long treats he can hold on to.

I baked them for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, and done! It made about 25-30 biscuits!! And the ingredients all together cost less than $10.  They were easy and they made the kitchen smell great! The best thing is, I know with confidence that I could take a bite of them and it's all natural food that's good for my pup! You could alter the recipe and add chicken pieces, apples, sweet potato, or other "dog safe" ingredients. I wanted to make a yogurt frosting but didn't have plain, fat free yogurt on hand... maybe next time!

I thinnnkkkk they were a hit!!

So to all the dog lovers out there, give these a try! You'll save some money and make your dog very happy!

In all it was a good weekend, and I am excited to continue my cake & cake pop order for a boy's 11th birthday, details soon!!

-Elena