Winter Showcase Goodies

Tomorrow is our school's Winter Showcase where we invite the parents to watch the students perform after school. This year we are including a bake sale and a hot chocolate/apple cider station. We are also auctioning off Gift Baskets that were donated by the school staff. Here are a few of the items that I will be donating.

December

The holidays are in full force and I have so many great baking ideas. I didn't do too much baking over Thanksgiving. I tried my hand at a pumpkin roll, but it didn't turn out too well, so I didn't post any pictures. I found this great recipe on Pinterist, so I rushed over to Michael's and used by 40% off coupon to buy a jelly roll pan.  After using it twice, I figured that it's just way too big for a "roll". I think I'm going to have to invest in a smaller pan over the holidays.

Here is a picture of my second attempt at a roll. It's devils food cake, with peppermint buttercream, covered in dark chocolate ganache. I added some peppermint Andes for decoration. I took this over to my friends house for dessert last night and though it was not "pretty" it still tasted really yummy.

25 Days of Christmas Giving

This month my church is kicking off 25 Days of Christmas Giving. It's a great service program where each day the church does something to serve the community. Today happens to be the day we are giving cookie baskets to local postal workers/letter carriers and garbage collectors.

I was emailed this recipe as part of the Food Network's 12 Days of Cookies. It was a super yummy and chewy cookie. Definitely a keeper.

A little more Halloween...

As promised I made some pumpkin spice macaroons for my teammates at work. I also tried my hand at some Pumpkin Spice cookies too! I used the WW version (1 box spice cake and 1 can of pure pumpkin). Don't you just love fall and pumpkin spice everything?

 The Caramel Corn is for the Halloween Festival at school.

Halloween Treats

I'm starting to plan my Halloween Treats and Caramel Apples are first on my To-Do list. Keep checking back to see what's next. I'm thinking Orange Macarons with Chocolate filling, cupcakes, maybe some donuts??? Who knows??

The Mighty French Macarons

Over the last year I've tried several times to make French Macarons...tried and failed! That is until today. :-)  I took the Luscious Fall Macarons class at my local Sur La Table and finally..... success!!! We made Vanilla Macarons with Praline Buttercream, Chocolate Macarons with Pistachio Buttercreme and Cinnamon Macarons with Coffee Buttercreme. Now does that sound DELICIOUS of what??  To answer the question...Yes they were!!  Now the real trick will be to see if I can make these scrumptious little treats on my own..without the talented Chef Katie Torres at Sur La Table. By the way you should check out her FB page at Le Pop Shop. Checkout some of the pictures from the class.

The Menu

That's Me!!

Sifting the almond flour and powdered sugar

Whipping the Meringue

Folding the Macaronnage

Piping

More Piping

Even More Piping

After 8 minutes in the oven we checked to see if they were ready

The Finished Product

These were Vanilla with Praline ButterCreme

Cinnamon with Coffee ButterCreme

Don't you just love how pretty they are!!

Beautiful French Macarons!!!

I went to Starbucks yesterday for some coffee and couldn't leave without trying one their cute little mini pies!  The apple pie was absolutely delish!  Like any good baker I couldn't wait to get home and try them for myself. Since I was so excited, I ended up making the semi-homemade version. I had some ready-made pie crust in the fridge and some left over peach filling from the last cake I made. Put it all together and in no time at all I was biting into one of these cute little treats!!

The top part is right before I put them in the over and the bottom part is once they came out all golden brown and crispy!!

Michelle's 40th Birthday Bash

This weekend I was so happy to celebrate my BFF Michelle's 40th Birthday. We had a lot of fun celebrating, but I had just as much fun trying out a few new baking techniques like a zebra cake and leopard cupcakes. I was inspired to make these delicious treats by www.mycakeschool.com .  If you haven't checked it out yet, be sure you do!! It's fabulous!

I know...It's been FOREVER since I've posted!!!

Tinkerbell 1/2 Marathon

Given that cake decorating isn't my full time job, I kinda needed to take a break from the whole thing for a while. I started exploring some new hobbies...like running a half marathon earlier this year, and going to sleep before 1:00 am.  :-)

I did get to do a small job around Valentine's Day that was a lot of fun. I made some easy cupcakes and cakes for my family & co-workers, but for the most part I've been enjoying a long over-do hiatus.  
Click here to see all the pictures.

Last week I did dip my finger into the buttercream again and make a two tiered cake with gumpaste flowers. I hope you enjoy the long overdue pictures.

Yellow Butter Cake with Peach and Strawberry filling, iced in buttercream with gumpaste flowers.

Chocolate Covered Oreos

Pretzels, Cake Pops & Oreos

Cake Pops

Chocolate Colored Pretzels

 

Valentine's Day Cake Pops

Chocolate Cake Pops

Mini Cupcakes for Joe & Leo our school custodians

School's out for Summer!!! Cake Pops