National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day has come and gone (sorry, yo) but you can keep the good times coming with these cupcakes, stuffed with chocolate covered cherries! Yes! Recipe here.
Oh My Tasty: Church of Cupcakes, Denver CO
I tell you, sometimes fact is stranger than fiction. And so here is a tale that involves not only delicious cupcakes, but my big burly dad, a tricycle, and maybe a little sweet gosel. Yep: here is the tale of how my big burly dad found himself fixing the cupcake trike at Church of Cupcakes in Denver.
I was in Denver, among other reasons, to visit the Craftsy HQ. I have written a number of scintillating articles on important subjects such as How to Make Nanaimo Bars and How to Make Crumb Cake and How to Make Butter at Home for these people, and I wanted to meet them. It was a great experience! Here I am with the editorial staff I usually work with. Cute, right?
My dad was with me in Denver, and since we were a little early for my appointment with Craftsy, we decided to get our cupcake on. Naturally, we headed over to Church of Cupcakes. Don't you already love them based on the name?
We knew we'd found the place when we saw this outside.
Well, technically I've already been here, but it had a different name the last time I went: Lovely Confections. That name was sweet, this one is cheeky. I love them regardless of the name.
As we got there, we saw proprietress Porsche fiddling with the cupcake tricycle, their mobile cupcake delivery system.
Immediately, my manly-man dad stepped in to see what he could do.
My dad is a tinkerer. When we were little, he was a garbageman--wait, I think you're supposed to use the word sanitation worker now?--and he loved to collect...well, junk. But he'd turn the junk he collected into treasures, such as the coolest bikes ever, which he pieced together from a wheel found here, handlebars found there. Seriously, they were the coolest bikes on the block, as well as the next block over.
While he tinkered, Porche met Porkchop the pug for the first time (she's long admired him on facebook), and I ogled the cupcakes.
Oh, what cupcakes. We picked up a box of four: vanilla-vanilla, pumpkin ("Oh my Gourd!"), chocolate-salted caramel, and honey. Not long after, me and daddio busted into the box. He had the salty caramel frosted chocolate; I had the lavender-infused cake with honey-lemon frosting.
I should also pause to tell you how funny and cute everything is in Church of Cupcakes. Cute tees, glitter everywhere, funny puns. I am in love!
Listen. I'll be straight up with you, and I would say the same to my dad: he's not what one might call a "mindful" taster. This puppy was gone in 2 bites.
But from his expression, and the fact that he said "that was very good" or something to that tone, it must have been great. The taste I was gifted was awesome: dark chocolate. Light, buttery sweetness. And yummy salt. Perfection.
And listen. The lavender-honey-lemon variety. Believe it or not, I had without thinking about it chosen the exact thing I had chosen last time. And it was still so, so good.
It had a soupcon of lavender, but it wasn't perfumey by any means. It was delicate. But gawd, was it buttery. The honey-lemon made it taste slightly fancy, but it still had the simple appeal of vanilla. It was a cupcake that made me smile.
The other two varieties were devoured by my sweetest guy (not Porkchop). He ate both in about 2 bites (so like my dad!) but proclaimed them beautifully done.
Here I am with the owner.
I think that if you are in Denver, you need to visit. It's sweet and cute there! Perfect.
Church of Cupcakes, 1489 Steele Street, Denver; online here.
Beignet, Done That: Cafe du Monde, New Orleans
I'd love to keep you in suspense about what I ordered at Café du Monde in New Orleans, but if you've ever been there (and perhaps even if you haven't), you will already know the answer: beignets.
Not only are they the only foodstuff on the menu, but they're also the dish, accompanied by cafe au lait, for which the establishment is famous.
Qu'est-ce c'est, le beignet?
These heavenly bits of fried dough are related to doughnuts, but they’re far Frenchier. In their purest form, they are simply fried rectangles or triangles of sweet dough that puff and become pillowy when fried. They are served with copious amounts of confectioners’ sugar. More adventurous bakers will offer different flavors and even filled varieties in New Orleans, but it's pretty straight-up at Café du Monde.
More about Cafe du Monde.
Perhaps the most famous beignet maker in town is this Café du Monde, which has been beignet-ing it since--believe it--1862. It is open 24 hours a day in the historic French Quarter and specializes in beignets and coffee laced with chicory. Are they the best in town? Locals have varying opinions, but it’s a singular and necessary experience in New Orleans. To be sitting "courtside" in the covered outdoor seating area and watching buskers, local vendors, and passers-by, and just generally seeing the world go by, is as evocative a New Orleans image as eating a croissant in Paris, or having tea in the UK.
Listen. Not that you asked me, but the 'Monde has several locations that you shouldn't bother with if your time is limited. The true experience is at the original location, on Decatur street, in the French Market.
How it works
Café du Monde runs a tight machine. You arrive, and you sit. Your napkin holder is also your menu. Of course you want beignets, but what to drink? Cafe au lait (do it)? Or just plain chicory coffee? They do other, fancier drinks, too, but don't bother.
The beignets will arrive, three on a plate, with an almost comical amount of confectioners' sugar forming mountaintop peaks on top. The sugar partially dissolves into the fried pastries as you eat, but it is pretty much guaranteed that you will leave the establishment looking like you have a serious cocaine problem. You know, from what I have seen on TV.
You may think to yourself that you won't finish the beignets, but you will. Because even if you've heard that there are better beignets in town, it is hard to beat this experience and they are quite good. If there are two of you, you might just order more. Just let it happen--you're in New Orleans, after all. It's a good place to let it all hang out, and everyone deserves a treat.
Cafe du Monde, 800 Decatur Street, New Orleans. Online here.
Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!
New trend: prison baking?
Good stuff: how to clean your cutting board.
The creator of the Cronut weighs in on the biggest dessert trend of 2014.
It's almost King Cake season!
Revisit one of my favorite interviews of 2013, with Gesine Bullock-Prado!
One of my posts is considered a treasure to Ninja Baking!
Homemade frosted cheerios in three minutes. Yes!
I like: chocolate champagne cupcakes.
Yum: butterscotch budino.
Gingerbread house baking tips: keep it on file for next year.
Will everyone please keep eating gluten?
Love it: choco-coconut truffles that taste like DIY almond joy.
I don't care if it's winter: you need a Pop Tart Ice Cream Sandwich.
Simple and Sweet: Homemade Vanilla Pudding
What in the world do you do after you've just made Pavlova and find yourself with four unused egg yolks?
Here's an idea: you make pudding. Delicious, rich, not low-fat pudding. And you top it with sprinkles, as above. And you think to yourself, "why isn't topping pudding with sprinkles a thing?". Seriously, why not?
Why don't people put sprinkles on pudding?
But anyway, back to the pudding. I did find myself with a few extra yolks, so I decided to pudding it up. I adapted a recipe by Baking Bites, but made it eggier with one extra yolk and didn't fuss with a vanilla bean this time (I wanted this to be quick, after all).
The pudding came out unbelievably rich, and was especially pleasant served warm. Custardy and comforting and cozy.
About pudding...
It makes me wonder: what are your thoughts on pudding? I used to be bored by it, but I guess you could say I have a somewhat newfound appreciation. It's so simple, but is capable of being so comforting, hitting the spot in a way that isn't as assertively sweet and cold and creamy as ice cream, but is more satisfying, sweet-wise, than yogurt.
As I made the pudding, there were little flecks that remained when I tempered the eggs. I had a few spoonfuls and thought "meh, it tastes fine".
But then, just as I am thinking, these little bumps are not a big deal, a thought crystallizes in my mind about what they actually are: eggy bits. Instantly, I can't get past it. Eggy bits, outta my pudding! Luckily, there is a solution. Press the pudding through a mesh strainer. Push with the back of a spoon or a spatula. 
The pudding will strain through with minimal eggy bits, which will all form a deposit on the inside of the strainer. That's right: stay outta my pudding! Down the disposal with you lumps.
Vanilla Pudding
Makes 2 or 3 servings
- 2 teaspoons good quality vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
Ingredients
- In a medium saucepan, combine the vanilla, milk, and sugar. Bring to a low boil. Remove from heat.
- Now, whisk together the yolks, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Whisking constantly, pour this into the hot milk mixture in the saucepan.
- Put the saucepan back on heat, and cook on medium heat until it comes to a simmer, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula. Cook for 2-3 minutes at a simmer, or until the pudding thickens. Remove from heat.
- If there are eggy bits, strain the mixture through a mesh strainer to remove them.
- Place in serving dishes. It tastes best served warm, in my opinion.
Have you ever made pudding at home?
2013 Was Totally Sweet: 50 Amazing and Sweet Things That Happened
2013, you were better than keen! You were amazingly great and delicious. I traveled a ton, I did a lot, I had a book come out, and I ate, ate, ate sweets.
Here are a mere 50 of the greatest moments of the year...no particular order.
Upon reviewing after finalizing my list...could 2014 possibly be any better than this amazing year? I hope so, for me and for you, sweeties!
- My second book came out! The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts
!
- I went on book tour. It was awesome.
- Why cupcakes are nutritious. Important and relevant, always.
Buttermilk drops in New Orleans. They're not munchkins, they're not doughnut holes, they're their own thing.- Angelo Brocato in New Orleans. A new beloved.
- Actually...everything I ate in New Orleans.
- Whoo's Doughnuts. Especially the pistachio lemon white chocolate variety.
- Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream. Favorite flavor? Banana cajeta. As fun to say as it is to eat.
- Horrifying but gratifying: Easter candy pie.
Crumb cake I made. The world's most perfect food?- The tasty scones at Whisk Bakeshop, St. Louis
- Gooey butter cake I made. Yes.
Watergate cake: a historically interesting pistachio cake.- 10 layer peanut butter cake. As amazing as it sounds.
- Smith Island cake. Amazing, worth trying at least once. Or ten times.
- Tunnel of fudge cake: a Pillsbury icon.
- Katharine Hepburn brownies: tasty, and with an interesting story (featured in my book).
Biscuits from The Wandering Goose Cafe. Just look at that thing.- Chocolate walnut pie on a shortbread crust. Derby-style pie with a shortbread crust? Yes, please.
- Ice cream from Bassett's, Philadelphia. The post is old but I enjoyed their ice cream anew in 2013.
- Hoffman's ice cream, Jersey Shore. Like #20, one I enjoy each year.
- Frog cupcakes from What's for Dessert, Spring Lake NJ. A classic!
- The mural I painted in Delaware! It was a fantastic project.
Everything pinon in Santa Fe. There's so much pine nut stuff!- Cupcakes from Dream Cakes, Santa Fe. Truly dreamy, and very unique.
- Boston cream shortcake. What part of that is not completely right?
My birthday cake, from Dulce in Santa Fe. It's funny and true! I turned 32!- Cupcakes from Swirlz in Chicago for my book signing.
- A soy milk daydream. It's sweet n dreamy.
- Crumb cake I made: yes, this is the second time it appears. A true favorite!!
- Doughnuts from Nickel Diner, Los Angeles. They're awesome.
- Peach pie I made. It tastes like summer.
Shortbread cookie truffles. Seriously--crack filled.- Banana coconut cream pie from Jambo Cafe, Santa Fe NM
- Homemade brown sugar. Who knew you could make your own?
- Parker house rolls. Carb-o-licious.
Cupcakes from Church of Cupcakes in Denver. Too amazing!- Pie, enjoyed in Pie Town (it actually exists).
- Stolen cadbury creme eggs. So much tastier when forbidden.
- Sweetened condensed milk Funfetti cake. The name says it all.
- Southern grits pie. It's like breakfast and pie all at once!
- Muffins from Linda's Seabreeze cafe, Santa Cruz, CA. Much ado about muffin.
- The chocolate-filled streets in Hershey, PA. The streets are paved with dreams!
- Almond croissant from La Boulange. I love them.
- Lady baltimore cake. Fiction, fact? Who knows which is which with this cake.
Food for thought: does cake taste different depending on your state of mind? I vote yes.- Frozen hot chocolate from Holy Cacao, Austin TX. Creamy, dreamy, delicious.
- Every single thing from Sugar Mama's Bakeshop, Austin TX. Such talented bakers!
- Salted butterscotch cashew shortbread bars. Yes, yes, yes.
- Ryba's fudge from Macinac Island, Michigan. It's unlike anything else.
- BONUS: Also, every single thing I ate at Huckleberry in Santa Monica.
Not that you asked, but I also have a Most awful thing: Mac n cheese cookies. Oh, no! I wish I could forget them.
Oh, and since I feel like my publisher would want me to say it, buy my book: The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts
Happy 2014, my sweets!
CakeSpy Undercover: Angelo Brocato, New Orleans
It's probably about time that I tell you about my trip to Angelo Brocato in New Orleans. It's been there since 1905, so it's about time you made it over.
Listen, I forget how I learned about this place. Probably on a website, or in a guide book. That is to say--it's not an unknown place. But I am here to tell you that when you read about it on a website or a guide book, you must listen to what the people say. You must go to Angelo Brocato in New Orleans.
It's a little out there. It's not on Bourbon Street, it's not in the Garden District. But it's worth a jaunt.
When you get there, you'll see this sign outside. Don't you love it already?
When you go inside, you'll be greeted by a big bakery case, and next to it, a big gelato case. And then, there are chilled desserts.
What will you choose? I'll tell you what we chose. Maybe that will give you some ideas.
We'll start with the cassata.
Let's make that two.
If you've never heard of the stuff, Cassata is a traditional Sicilian treat. It starts with sponge cake which is drenched in liqueur, then layered with a cannoli-esque cream then sealed in with marzipan and candied fruit. I don't know if that tells you how delicious it is, though. It's rich and surprisingly not over-sweet, delicate yet substantial. The one at Angelo Brocato is wonderful, and full of almond-y flavor which works beautifully with the cream. This marzipan was so good I wanted to marry it.
But...as great as the cassata is, it's even better with gelato.
On to the ricotta cheesecake.
It's just gently sweet, crumbly and somewhat dry--not in a bad way, but you definitely want some coffee or tea with this guy.
Next up was a "Greek cap", basically a puff pastry stuffed with almond cream. It tasted like the best part of an almond croissant, all condensed into a little hockey puck shape.
Are you still hungry? I'm still hungry. How about some chocolate and hazelnut gelato? 
It's so smooth and creamy--I think this is my favorite gelato since Capogiro in Philadelphia.
So, basically, to summarize. Before:
AFTER:
And it was such a joy to do it. Please, let me urge you strongly to visit Angelo Brocato--as soon as humanly possible. It's old school, it's quality, it's a joy. I hope they do it for a hundred years more and longer.
Angelo Brocato, 214 N. Carrolton Street, New Orleans. Online here.
Why I Have a Dessert Website
Hi, my name is Jessie, and I'm a blogger. Only, I really despise the words "blog" and "blogger", possibly owing to their similarity to words that don't have the most pleasant connotations, such as "booger" or "blob". So if I say "I have a food website" or "I have a dessert website", it's not trying to make the site something it's not, but more of an aversion to the b-word itself.
I get asked frequently how I got into this world, and it gives me pause, because what started me out isn't necessarily what keeps me going.
Do what you love = love what you do
I started this website in 2007. At the time, I was working at a greeting card company in Seattle, where (I still love this) I managed and art directed the refrigerator magnet division. I called myself the Magnet Magnate. I loved my job--how could you not be tickled each and every day to go to an office with that as your title?--but I still yearned for something more--something my own.
So, while taking part of the day off for a personal errand, I decided to take advantage of the moment and sit in the lovely Olympic Sculpture park for several moments to think about life. I had also been reading Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin, a though provoking volume that anyone who thinks "what should I do with my life?" should be reading, and re-reading once they think they figure it out.
Not to skip around, but it seems very poetically suiting that for the re-issue of the book, I was actually mentioned:
But anyway.
So, I figured I'd make a list of the things I loved best, and try to figure out how to make a business out of it.
Coming up with the things I loved best wasn't hard: writing, illustrating, and baked goods. Those were definitely the things I loved best. But what the hell could I do with those?
It being 2007, rather than figure it out, I thought, "I'll start a blog." I figured blogging would be a good platform to figure out how all three fit together. At that time there was no guide that I knew of for starting a blog; now there are many articles on blogging and how to start an online business.
Be engaged = engaging
Having been a freelance writer for DailyCandy at the time, I thought that I would follow a somewhat similar format, but focus completely on sweets, and puncutate daily finds with my illustrations.
But quickly, the focus began to expand. I started doing interviews with bakers, which I always found fascinating. I did bakery roundups in cities I visited. I wrote about the history of desserts. I did funny baking experiments. I engaged myself with things I found fascinating, and was rewarded to find that others were engaged by what I did.
I decided I wanted to get a book deal in 2009, two years into the website. I thought I was definitely famous and accomplished enough.
Well. publishers disagreed, and my proposal was rejected by every single person I sent it to. I let it ruin my day, but just one day. The next day, I got back to blogging and said "whatever" to publishing.
Think local, act global
Did I ever tell you I used to own a store?
I had an opportunity to take over a retail gallery in 2010. I took the chance, even though it hadn't been something I'd actively been pursuing. In March 2010, CakeSpy Shop opened.
If I am completely honest, I will tell you that I had some issues with shop ownership from the get-go. I mostly consider myself a behind the scenes person. I'm happy emerging from behind the scenes every now and again to host an event or attend the Pillsbury Bake-Off, or contribute to a book, but being "on" as I needed to be in a retail setting was trying. So was the fact that I wasn't able to up and go on a trip, as I so love to do.
Nonetheless, I loved my store. It was my baby. It even did so well that I could afford an employee. An employee!
People who know me know that the store closed in fall of 2012. While it was partially financially motivated, it wasn't because the store was failing--more because it was making people involved wilt with all of the time and energy required. We wanted to live our lives. Plus, I didn't want to live in Seattle forever. It was time to move on.
If you build it, they will come
But let's back up a bit. With how busy I was with the store, I stopped caring so much about getting a book deal. Of course, that is when I got a book deal.
In December 2010, Sasquatch Books (one of the publishers who had rejected me!) came back and gave me a book deal. It had taken a while, but finally, I was going to be published.
And I was, in October of 2011. CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life. I had a book party at my store, and my parents came from NJ. It was one of the proudest moments of my life to see a line out the door. The book (not me) was featured on the TODAY show.
Change your perspective
In early 2012, I moved from Seattle to Philadelphia. Suddenly, I went from being a minor celebrity in town to nobody knowing who I was. In a way, this was a good thing. It gave me some time to question who I was, and what I was doing--and did it really please me?
The answer, I was surprised to find, was no. What had once been so easy, so exciting, had turned into a grind for me. I know you have trouble believing that this can happen when you write about, draw pictures of, and bake sweets, but it is true. It wasn't necessarily time to change everything, but time to evolve. After all, I had evolved as a person. Why couldn't my little blog evolve, too?
So, I decided to buckle down and write my second book, The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts, and to figure out how I wanted to continue growing.
I am not my blog
During and after the time the store closed, I went through a series of trying times, personally.
It was a big realization for me: I am not my blog, although my blog is me.
I moved around a little bit more. I've been so many places this year: Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York City, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Columbus, Washington, DC, Pie Town, NM...and so many more!
At this moment, I am writing to you from Santa Fe, New Mexico, where I came to a powerful realization: there's something to that saying "get back to your roots".
As it turned out, the answer has been right in front of me the whole time: go back to what got you started. Focus on the fact that by doing what you love, by being engaged, you will inspire others to love and be engaged.
That doesn't, I think, mean that I have to go back to blogging (writing a website, that is) the same way I did in 2007, but more, it means that a return to what makes me happy is necessary.
So I suppose that in 2014, my resolution or goal is to be myself, focus on what I love, and therefore, love what I do. Because if you are engaged, you are engaging. Does this mean I might incorporate even more of my loves and passions into the site--fashion, yoga, teaching baking and artwork to children, travel? Who knows how that all might work in a delightful world of baked goods?
If following my heart (and a ton of hard work, too) has gotten me this far, then I suppose I will keep on doing what I am doing, with room to grow and evolve, of course.
What's your resolution in 2014? Foodie or otherwise?
Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!
Sick of buying butter? Learn how to make your own!
Hooray! I was featured on Jameson Fink's podcast!
History of an English Muffin bakery. Interesting!
Still have leftover fruitcake? um, no big surprise. Make it tasty by transforming it into French Toast!
A fun collection of cake knives and serving sets.
How to make crumb cake. YES!
Valuable information: How to make a Birthday Cake Latte.
Can I wear this even though Halloween is long over?
OMG alert: Peanut butter eggnog!
Speaking of peanut butter, these cupcakes are awesome.
How do I substitute coconut oil for butter in recipes?
It's possible that you've forgotten one of my favorite places in New Orleans. Rediscover it anew (it involves sweets).
How to store a cake. Valuable!
How to Make Perfect Crumb Cake
It just may be the world's most perfect food. Learn how to make it here.
Baker's Dozen: 13 Quick and Easy Christmas Cookies
Look, I'm not going to judge you for waiting til right now to start your Christmas cookie baking. I understand that stuff happens.
What I want to do is enable you to make delicious magic for yourself and all your friends, so I have assembled this list of 13 easy, quick, and highly delicious Christmas cookies. You might not be able to make all of them, but at least choose a couple!
1. Snowballs: no matter what you wanna call them, they're an easy, classic, and best of all, crowd-pleasing cookie.
2. Nanaimo bars: Seriously. I can't believe you haven't made these yet!
3. Gingerbread Nanaimo bars: the aforementioned everyday classic gets a holiday makeover. Yum!
4. Pistachio cookies: a personal favorite of mine, and a "lost" recipe I revived from family archives.
5. Christmas Kaleidoscope cookies: Taste the rainbow...or, you know, many holiday hues at once.
6. Berlinerkranser: I believe the official translation is "highly tasty cookie".
7. Gingerbread men: or, make them look like characters from a TV show: Gingerbread Mad Men!
8. Candy cane cookies: This is such a nostalgic cookie - give it a try if you've never made them.
9. Jam thumbprints: another classic, these ones are bound to please a crowd. Nutty and with a touch of fruit from the jam, so that means they're health food.
10. Mint candy butter cookies: Great for cookie swaps, or just stuffing in your mouth (let's be honest).
11. Eggnog Nanaimo bars! Seriously. A great accompaniment when you're sloggin' some nog.
12. Baby buche de noel cookies: not to who off, BUT, I contributed this adorable recipe to Food and Wine.
13. Red and green christmas cookies: like black and white cookies...but green and red! Festive!
While you're baking, kill time waiting for cookies to bake by reading about the first published Christmas cookie recipe in America, and the history of the tradition of Christmas cookies.
Season's sweetings!
CakeSpy for Craftsy: How to Make Parker House Rolls
File under "not sweet, but TOTALLY SWEET nonetheless": how to make Parker House style rolls at home. These buttery morsels will make your mouth happy, I promise. Find out how to make them here.
CakeSpy for Craftsy: Buttercream Versus Fondant
Which is the icing on YOUR cake? Here's an exploration of what they are, and their uses.
Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!
Peppermint snowball cookies. Brilliant!
DIY pudding mix. Cool!
I wish I could go to this Modern Bakery show!
How cool is this: a Japanese take on the Blondies recipe from my book, via Ninja Baking.
I'm still rather proud of these stained glass cookies I made.
I like it: eggnog pb cup cupcakes.
I love these "celebration oreos" - homemade!
In case you missed it: cute guys who also decorate cakes.
Scenes from Seattle's Gingerbread village.
Holiday cutout cookies with buttermilk--a classic!
A beloved Queens bakery re-opens. Hooray!
I'm interested: Viennese chocolate pepper cookies.
Yumsies: a collection of creative cinnamon rolls.
CakeSpy for Craftsy: How to Make Confectioners' Sugar at Home
It's so easy. Here's how.
Felting a Chocolate Chip Cookie is Easier Than You Think
Not so long ago, I was contacted by a publisher to see if I would like to post about a new book called Feltlicious: Needle-Felted Treats to Make & Give
But then I was asked if I would also be interested in trying out one of the projects from the book. They looked simply adorable: cute foods from pies to breakfast to sweet treats of all sorts. All felted. The only problem? I have never done felting in my life.
A few weeks later, the book arrived, along with several puffs of colored wool. Wait, I had to do it from scratch?
Listen, even though you might think I am very talented as an artist, I do not consider myself crafty. I can't knit, I am not much of a sewer, and don't even get me started on jewelry-making. I always just kind of felt like those are talents for other people.
So when I received the instructions, I kind of let them sit for a while and thought "how much would Kari hate me if I didn't do the post?".
But no! I couldn't do that. So finally, today, I decided to tackle the project. Here is the instruction sheet. It came along with a big puff of light brown wool (for the cookie body, I assumed), smaller bits of yellow, slightly darker brown, and very dark brown...and white. Now this was getting confusing.
I started reading, and the instructions told me to mix together the big beigey and light yellow puffs. I did so, but then they were all messy. I was confused, but I didn't want to admit to myself that I didn't know what I was doing, so I said to myself "well, let me just see if I can wing it." So, I have never felted before, but I have seen people do it, so I grabbed a needle and started poking the wool over and over.
Miraculously, after a while (and at least one pin prick that drew blood) later, the wool came together to form a loose ball. I began to finesse the wool into a slightly flatter shape as I continued to poke.
Once I was satisfied with the shape, I decided to add some chocolate chips. I mixed together some of the medium brown and dark brown wool, and made little mini puffs of wool mixed with both colors.
I felted them on to the cookie shape. Amazingly, I had chocolate chips!
Hooray!
And of course, since I am me after all, I decided to add a little of my own personality to the craft and added a litle felted face with the remaining dark wool. Happy cookie!
Make something cute! If I could do it that easily, you can too! I'm not even crafty! Buy the book here: Feltlicious: Needle-Felted Treats to Make & Give.
Bring Us Some: Figgy Pudding Recipe
Make "bring us some figgy pudding" a reality this holiday season with this delicious Figgy Pudding recipe I made for Serious Eats.
Well Bread: Gingerbread Nanaimo Bars for Serious Eats
Huzzah! Gingerbread Nanaimo bars! Gingerbread is made awesomer, and Nanaimo bars are made more festive, all in one tasty three-level package. Find the recipe on Serious Eats!
Fallen Cupcakes: Why it Happens, How to Fix It
I know, I know. When you saw that picture, you probably thought "ouch". Cos we've all experienced the curse of fallen cupcakes (or cakes), right?
But here's the good part: if your cakes constantly fall, there may be a good reason for it. Here are some common causes:
Here are some possible causes:
Insufficient moisture: Did you just dip the cup into the bag of flour before dumping it in the rest of the batter? The flour may have been tightly packed, and you used more than you needed to. Be sure to properly measure and sift your flour (don't say "close enough"!). This may cause the cupcakes to fall during baking (while still in the oven).
Too much moisture: Yep--too much moisture can be bad, too. If your cake rises rapidly in the oven, has been tested for doneness, but then falls a few minutes after being removed from the oven, it could be a result of too much moisture. This is a common problem in humid conditions, where the flour may pick up excess moisture from the air before it’s added to the mix. Keep flour in an airtight container if you live in humid conditions. Note: If the cake falls in the center but is completely baked through, you may still be able to use it by leveling the cake to the lowest point.
Under-baking: The cakes looked done, but immediately after removing from the oven, the middle sinks and is slightly sticky inside. To ensure doneness, insert a cake tester or skewer in the center of the cake before removing icakes from the oven. If it comes out mostly clean, you’re done.
You opened the door of the oven early in the baking process: You shouldn’t open the door of the oven until the cake is more than halfway baked. And even then, it’s problematic if you keep opening the oven door every couple of minutes to check. (It’s tempting, I know!) By opening the oven door, you can interrupt the reactions that are kick-started by heat, which cause a cake to rise correctly.
If my cakes fall, can I still use them? It's possible that you can--it depends on what you're going for. I personally have found that if I spoon a filling of sorts in the hole, such as ganache, it generally can level the surface of the cupcake and make it suitable for frosting. Or you could stick a candy in! Why not? Even if they're ugly I betcha they still taste good.
Want more causes for common cake baking pitfalls? Check out my recent post on the subject on Craftsy.
Tubular: Easy Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies Using Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Dough
Somehow, it's happened: you find yourself in need of a batch of homemade cookies, STAT. It might be for the cookie swap you thought was tomorrow, not today, or the school party you totally forgot, or maybe you just want to whip up something sweet in record time.
As these cookies prove, a time crunch need not mean that you sacrifice all the fun of baking--they are actually made from "doctored" refrigerated sugar cookie dough. They're assembled in less than five minutes and baked in about 10 minutes--even with cooling time, the process of going from mere ingredients to "let's party" all happens in about 30 minutes.
ALL YOU NEED:
All you have to do? Mix that dough with mint and chocolate chips (they're easily found in the baking aisle this time of year), a teaspoon of peppermint extract and maybe a few drops of green food coloring. Roll into balls and bake as specified on the package. They bake up like a minty, buttery, sweet Christmas miracle!
Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies Using Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Dough
Makes about 24
- 1 tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 cup mint and chocolate chips, mixed together
- 4-5 drops green food coloring
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, break up the refrigerated cookie dough by hand. Add the food coloring and peppermint extract. Combine well.
Add the morsels, mixing by hand to knead them evenly but gently throughout the dough.
Divide the dough into 24 equal parts. (First divide in two, then those two pieces into two to make four, then break each of those parts into three pieces, then divide those in two. You'll have 24. Don't get confused.)
Roll each piece into a ball and place on the baking sheet, well spaced. 
Bake for 8-11 minutes, or until soft in the center but lightly browned on the edges. I don't know how to say it other than this, but the middles might not look 100 percent set. They will bake a touch more when you remove the cookies, though, so it's ok.
Note: At this point, instead of baking, you can freeze the dough balls on the sheets if you prefer not to bake right now (if you want to do it in the morning, say). Just don't forget to turn off the oven and remember to preheat it again before you bake.
Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 6 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Use a spatula for the transfer; if the cookies seem too soft, wait another minute or two before transferring.