Monday, May 30, 2011

Baby On the Way

Some cookies  for a colleague who is expecting in the fall and taking the next school year off. I did the basic covering in fondant and accented with royal icing, except for the letters on the blocks which were fondant cut outs too. As usual, had lots of fun doing them!
 Wishing her all the best!

baby blocks
assortment
onesies

baby bottles

rocking horse

Now that I think about it, I don't know why I label the pictures- I mean duh, you can tell what they are...!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Cakes and Cookies

I've been busy baking cakes lately. Some for friends' birthdays, some for actual paying orders ( how fun !). A few more to do this weekend- love every minute of it!
Milk Chocolate Malted Milk Ball Cake from Baked!

Devil's Food Whiteout Cake from Baking: From My Home to Yours
by Dorie Greenspan

Super Hero cookies for a birthday party


Sunday, May 8, 2011

Sugar Baby

I've always wanted to explore the world of candy- beyond eating it, that is! I have to admit to being a sugar lover. Tried many times to kick the habit, but it's more powerful than me. I think , though, in recent years , I've at least managed to cut down my sugar intake, but what the heck- only pass this road called life once, and as long as I don't overdo it, I'll enjoy every last bite.
I came across this new book Sugarbaby, by the wonderful Gesine Bullock-Prado. It's not just a "cookbook"- she writes in a way that anyone can understand the workings and magic of sugar even if you've never(like me) dealt with it before ( other than in baking and that's really different). Her writing is humorous and fun to read. I ordered the book and when I received it, just sat down and read the whole thing from cover to cover. I continue to read it and learn more about working with sugar each time. You can check out Gesine's site for the book at http://www.sugarbabycookbook.com/. She has a lots of extra tips and ideas that aren't in the book. She also has another great blog called Confections of a Closet Baker which is definitely worth following!

ANYHOO.... my first go at candy(this is the one I saw pictures of that made me buy the book.) Does anyone remember those bullseye caramel creams? I certainly do! Can't remember the brand name.
These Fleur de Sel Spirals are a vanilla cream fondant wrapped in a fleur de sel caramel. The caramel would be fantastic on it's own , but that touch of salt just takes it to a whole other level! Just like the original but 100x better. 
The process was nowhere near as difficult as I had imagined and I was soooo proud of myself! They came out great and I wrapped them individually in squares of waxed paper. Can't wait to try another project from the book. Enjoy!
Happy Mother's Day to all Mommies, Grandmas, mommies-to -be etc. ,etc.!!