Giveaway: Craftsy Cupcake Class with Jennifer Shea

Learn how to make these and more!UPDATE: THE WINNER!

I have chosen a winner at random! It is NMT, who describes the perfect cupcake thusly:

The perfect cupcake is one that looks ALMOST too beautiful to eat, but then once you do take a bite the flavors and textures are so spot on that you're glad you did, and maybe just a teeny bit sad that you can't look at it anymore once it's gone. But you smile to yourself and fold your napkin while you think, "worth it".

Well put, and contragulations!

If you've been reading CakeSpy for a while, you know what an immense fan I am of Jennifer Shea, proprietress of Trophy Cupcakes in Seattle. She was the first person I ever interviewed for this site, and I've seen her grow from one location to several in Seattle, had art shows at her bakeries, seen her featured on the Martha Stewart Show, and held in my hands her beautiful book.

And now, she's done a class with Craftsy, entitled The Perfect Cupcake. Everyone wants to know how to attain that, right? This class includes every facet of cupcake creation and decoration and is well worth your time. If you click on the link to the class just above, you'll get $5 off - a special offer for CakeSpy readers. You're welcome. 

Learn how to make these, too!

And guess what? ONE lucky reader can win the class! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post stating the following:

What is your idea of the perfect cupcake?

It's an open ended question--you could describe flavor, texture, decor, or all of the above. I'll choose one winner at the end of the day on Friday, the 26th. Since this is for an online class, international entrants are welcome. Good luck! 

Illustrated Daydream: My Best Day Ever

The other day, I went to a free workshop by a friendly acquaintance Ron Helman, entitled "12 Big Questions that Will Change the Way You Think". This fellow is what they call a Life Coach, which is about as common in Santa Fe as pizza in New York. But while one might be tempted to dismiss such a thing as "woo-woo", it was actually quite a pleasant experience. I'd been feeling a bit down because I'm meeting some resistance with my third book idea, and it was a nice chance to get out of my self-focused bubble a bit.

One of the most fun exercises was one where we were prompted with this question: "Describe your ideal day, beginning with 'I wake up...' ". I found it such a fun exercise that I decided to illustrate it and share it here. It also makes me wonder...what would be YOUR best day? Feel free to leave a comment!

CakeSpy's Best Day (an illustrated daydream)

I wake up.

I search my unicorn themed apparel for something to wear then select glasses to match my shoes.

I go to yoga and we do all the poses I'm good at.

I bake a cake...

and then I write an awesome blog post.

I take a walk with my sweetie and my pug, porkchop.

Then we go to dinner at Jambo Cafe.

Afterward hop on a plane to Paris for a religieuse pastry. If Paris is not possible on this particular day, I can compromise: a flight to Philadelphia, to get ice cream at Bassets, would also do quite nicely.

The end.

What is your ideal day?

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

Art via Lulu Baggins

Cocoa brownie pudding. I'm down with that. 

Send me a slab of this chocolate almond pastry, would ya?

A photo history of American school lunches.

Smoked...ice cream????

Found that last one via Not Martha, who can also teach you how to make flower pancakes.

How to make a tree stump cake. Vital life skill!

Best make-a-wish granted, ever.

NYC bakery has a goal of making the biggest cannoli ever. I like this goal.

Two classics at once: black and white cookie ice cream sandwiches.

How to use reference images to create awesome art. A worthwhile read, I promise!

An interesting post on brownie ratios.

A bakery bans laptops, and sales increase. Turns out, laptop toting campers are cheapskates!

The fascinating story behind a "lost dessert" from NYC: Grossinger's Ice Cream Cake.

Book of the week: The Bake-Off by Beth Kendrick. Because I am addicted to chick lit that involves food, and because the Pillsbury Bake-Off is coming! 

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Decadent Chocolate Chip Cake

CakeSpy Note: OMG! It's getting to be that time of year again. The Pillsbury Bake-Off is coming in November! Since I so deeply loved attending the 45th Bake-Off as well as the 46th Bake-Off, I thought I would get you excited the 47th one early by sharing all of the sweet recipes in the running. I will focus on sweets! You can follow them by clicking the bakeoff tag below to see the recipes posted so far (as well as recipes from previous Bake-Off events). 

Listen, I eat gluten. But if something is well made and happens to be devoid of the stuff, I'm not going to turn away a slice or ten. This recipe, courtesy of April Timboe of Siloam Springs, Arkansas starts with gluten-free chocolate chip cookie dough, which is then doctored to make a dense, decadent chocolate chip cake. If you are gluten-free, this is a very good thing. It's very good even if you're not!

Decadent chocolate chip cake

• Prep Time: 20 Min
• Total Time: 2 Hr 5 Min
• Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 container Pillsbury Gluten Free refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Let dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Line bottom of 9-inch round cake pan (dark pan not recommended) with parchment paper; lightly spray bottom and side of pan with no-stick Cooking Spray.
2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat eggs, granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla with electric mixer on medium-high speed about 2 minutes or until pale yellow and doubled in volume. Break up cookie dough, add to egg mixture; beat 1 minute, scraping bowl occasionally, until well blended. Pour into pan; cover loosely with Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil. Bake 15 minutes. Remove foil.
3. Bake 23 to 30 minutes longer or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes; run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Remove from pan to serving plate.
4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of the whipping cream uncovered on High 40 to 50 seconds, stirring once, until chips can be stirred smooth. Pour and spread evenly over top of cake. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.
5. In large bowl, beat remaining 1/2 cup whipping cream, remaining 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and the powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Serve cake with whipped cream.

Short and Sweet: Shortbread Nanaimo Bars

It's a fact: Nanaimo bars are a practically perfect foodstuff. 

Gifted to the world from a blue collar city not too far from Vancouver, these bars are the stuff of dreams. If you've never heard of them, a brief intro to the classic version: 

• The top layer is a solid chocolatey layer, which is firm but not hard.
• The middle layer is a buttery, frosting-y, creamy, custard-y stuff that is so much the opposite of low-fat that it makes you want to weep with pleasure.
• The bottom layer is a sturdy, tightly packed layer of chocolate, graham cracker and coconut, bound together with melted butter.

That is to say--super yum.

As much of a classic as they are, though, I think I have finally figured out the way to make them better: I ditched the traditional graham crackers in the crust and swapped in shortbread instead. I had the idea for these bars when I was contacted by Walkers Shortbread to make a recipe for their site. They offered to pay me for a recipe and send me samples of the shortbread to bake with, so I figured it had to be a good one. Time to call in the Nanaimo bar aces! 

Shortbread and Nanaimo bars: both practically perfect.

So what happens when you combine two practically perfect foodstuffs in one recipe? Oh, my word. Amazing things. The crust has a distinct shortbread crunch and touch of saltiness which elevates the bars from great to "omigod how quickly can I eat my weight in these?". Promise me that you will make them, and the sooner the better. You'll thank me, and so will every single person you share them with.

Here's how to make this magic happen in your own home.

Shortbread Nanaimo Bars

Makes 16-24 bars, depending on how you slice 'em

Ingredients:

For the bottom layer

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

• 4 tablespoons cocoa

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

• 14-16 fingers finely crumbled Walkers shortbread (each package has 8; I used 14 and snacked on the remaining two, but you can have willpower and use both packages for the crust if you prefer)

• 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (I used walnuts this time)

For the middle layer

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

• 2 tablespoons Bird’s Custard Powder, or substitute vanilla pudding powder (instant)

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

For the top layer

• 4 ounces chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Step 1: Prepare the bottom layer.

Melt the butter and cocoa in a double boiler until fully incorporated, but do not let the mixture come to a boil. Add the beaten egg and stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken, less than 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cookie crumbs, coconut and nuts.

Press down firmly into a greased 8″ by 8″ pan; try to make the mixture as flat as possible in the pan. Let this cool for about 20 minutes in the refrigerator.

Step 2: Prepare the middle layer.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, cream, custard powder and confectioners’ sugar together until very light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

Spread over the bottom layer, taking care to spread it as flat and evenly as possible. I like using a pastry scraper to do this.

Basically, the flatter this level, the flatter the chocolate will lie on the top. Return the pan to the refrigerator while you prepare the topping.

Step 3: Prepare the top layer.

In a medium saucepan or double boiler, melt the chocolate over medium heat, stirring often to ensure that the mixture doesn’t scorch. Remove from heat. Let sit until the mixture is still liquid but very thick, then pour it over the second (middle) layer and gently spread it with a spatula to ensure even coverage.

Note: Work carefully, because the still-warm chocolate will get messy if you press too hard while spreading it and tear up the buttery layer below.

Be sure to score the tops of the bars before the chocolate totally sets on top. This will make slicing them much easier later.

Typically, Nanaimo bars are sliced in fingers rather than squares. You can slice them any way you like, of course (and to prove that point I did them in squares this time because I wanted bigger bars and fewer servings), but for an authentic look, split into eight rows in one direction and six rows the other way, so that they are slightly elongated when sliced.

Let the chocolate set on the bars, then place in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before serving. Run a knife under hot water and then dry off before slicing; this will help the knife go through the bars easily. Clean the knife frequently between cuts.

Have you ever heard of a dreamier food than this?

Sweet Discovery: Legit Organics Candy Bars

If you regularly read this website, you should be pretty aware that a long list of ingredients isn't going to scare me off if the foodstuff in question is delicious. Like Pop-Tarts or Snickers bars. My approach is willful ignorance: what I don't read on the label can't hurt me.

All the same, I'm not opposed to a higher quality version of junk food which contains ingredients I can actually pronounce. I've enjoyed myself a homemade Pop-tart and homemade girl scout cookies over the years, and enjoyed every moment of them.

So when Legit Organics contacted me to ask if I'd sample their candy bars, which are fancied-up, organic, non-GMO, sans hydrogenated oil bars with flavor combinations eerily reminicent of some popular store-bought varieties, I said sure.

When I got the box, I eagerly opened it. This was where I encountered what would be the only confusion in the taste experience.

The packaging. 

Don't get me wrong here: I think the design itself of the candy bar wrappers is very nicely done and slick. However, the style looks more like the type of packaging I'd expect on energy bars or protein bars. What do you think?

But I didn't let this moment stop me. I opened up the "Shot Caller" first, which is described as "roasted peanuts. Soft caramel. Airy nougat. Rich milk chocolate. Wholesome organic ingredients. The boss of all candy bars."

And I have to say...it was pretty darned good. From the get-go it was apparent that this was a superior product to a candy bar you'd buy at the drugstore checkout: the chocolate didn't taste waxy, and the flavors were all clear and well combined. Everything kind of melted together in the mouth, and it made you wonder if maybe this is how candy bars tasted back in the day before everything was chock full of additives. 

Next up was "Word", described as "Soft salted caramel. Pillowy malted nougat. Rich milk chocolate. Wholesome organic ingredients. Word."

This bar was my kind of word. To me, malted nougat of the sort featured in a popular candy bar named after musketeers is kind of like crack, and this was a well made version of it. It was a soft nougat which worked beautifully with the thick, flavorful caramel on top. And the chocolate coating around it, once again, was superior in taste to typical candy bars, making it an overall delightful treat. 

Legit Organics promoted the bars as a more virtuous alternative to the crappy Halloween candy out there (I am paraphrasing, here). Well, I'm not one to knock tradition, but if you're looking for something you can feel less bad about sharing during this candy-rich season, I will say that these bars by Legit Organics are a fine option for you. 

Plus, since they're big bars, you can be the cool house on the block that quickly becomes known as "giving out full bars!" (trust me--I was a kid, not that long ago. That info will travel fast.)

To find out more, visit legitorganics.com.

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Chocolate-Toffee-Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

CakeSpy Note: OMG! It's getting to be that time of year again. The Pillsbury Bake-Off is coming in November! Since I so deeply loved attending the 45th Bake-Off as well as the 46th Bake-Off, I thought I would get you excited the 47th one early by sharing all of the sweet recipes in the running. I will focus on sweets! You can follow them by clicking the bakeoff tag below to see the recipes posted so far (as well as recipes from previous Bake-Off events). 

I love cookies...but I super-mega-mega love bars. They're like cookies with the best parts condensed, and typically layered with more awesome stuff. And these ones are a fine specimen of what makes a great bar cookie. Starting with sugar cookie dough, a handful of ingredients including dry roasted peanuts, peanut butter, and chocolate come together to make them a crave-able dessert. When finished with toffee bits, they become downright addictive. This recipe comes from Joanne Opdahl of Venice, California, who has been to the Bake-Off before...could this be her big year?

Chocolate-Toffee-Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

Prep Time: 25 Min

Total Time: 1 Hr 45 Min

Makes: 48 bars

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups salted dry-roasted peanuts
• 1 roll Pillsbury™ refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 1 cup Jif® Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter
• 1 1/4 cups toffee bits
• 1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 15x10-inch pan with sides with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Line bottom of pan with Reynolds® Parchment Paper. Finely chop 1/2 cup of the peanuts; set aside.
2. Break up cookie dough into pan. With floured fingers press dough evenly in bottom of pan.
3. In small microwavable bowl, microwave peanut butter uncovered on High 15 to 20 seconds or until slightly melted; spread over dough. Sprinkle with remaining 2 cups peanuts and the toffee bits. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Sprinkle chocolate chips over bars; return to oven.
4. Bake 1 minute or until chips soften; spread over bars. Sprinkle with reserved peanuts; press in lightly. Cool 30 minutes in pan on cooling rack. Refrigerate about 25 minutes or until chocolate is set. Cut into 8 rows by 6 rows. Store covered.

Desserts Served in Bowls

When it comes to dessert, bowls are the new plate! At least you might believe that after browsing this awesome post I did for Craftsy about single serving desserts served in bowls. It's fun, clever, and tasty. Check out the full post here.

Using Grids to Create Realistic Artwork

If you have trouble drawing a certain thing, or are intimidated by a large scale representation, using grids is a great way to break down the image into "bite sized" manageable portions. Check out this post on Craftsy where I teach you how to use grids in your art!

Nom-aste: Cartoon of a Fictional Yoga Cafe

I love doing yoga, but I can't help poking fun. Click on the image for the full sized version. Enjoy!

What is Pumpkin Pie Spice? Recipe, Lore, and More.

With the season of fall baking upon us, I have one big question before I break out the stand mixer:

What is pumpin pie spice, anyway?

You've definitely tasted it, and you've more than likely seen it listed in the myriad of fall themed recipes that abound at this time of year. Pumpkin pie spice is a melange of spices that instantly evokes the taste of fall: it's the flavor equivalent of driving along a stretch of fiery fall foliage, apple picking at an orchard, the crisp air as you pull a fuzzy sweater over your head. 

In a technical sense, it is a mixture of warming spices, typically composed of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. 

The history of using spices to fancy up pumpkin is nothing new. It dates back to the times of the pilgrim. Pumpkin was a staple crop in the new world, and they were pretty much forced to develop a taste for it. Early on, pumpkin preparation often involved the whole gourd, stuffed with apples, spices, and sugar, and then baked whole. While the shell was eventually discarded, the spices remained a constant, giving a distinct flavor to an otherwise somewhat bland food.

So...why these particular spices? Well, spices were a big deal in the colonies: spice trading was a huge part of commerce in the middle ages and right on through colonial days. Spices were used not only as a taste enhancer, but as a preservative and for food safety--many spices have antimicrobial properties. Here's a brief review of the spices in question, created with much help from this list:

Allspice

Remember columbus's discovery of America, kind of by accident? That was a spice journey, and among the finds in the new world was Allspice. It kind of tastes like a mixture of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg was long prized for its healthful qualities. It was also the subject of trickery--at seaports, peddlers would sell small wood carvings made to look like nutmeg pods for a dishonest profit. This is said to be why Connecticut is known as the "Nutmeg State".

Ginger

Hailing from Jamaica, ginger would have been known to settlers: it had come to Europe as early as 1585, and had long been used as part of gingerbread, and renowned for its curative and preservative properties. 

Cloves

Cloves were an early West Indies discovery: their smell is so intense they can be detected from a distance. They not only added a delicious scent to food, but could also be used as a natural moth repellent.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon was a valuable spice to colonists: not only did it enhance flavor and add a warming quality to food, but it had a variety of curative properties. Used as a digestive aid, anappetite stimulant, and even a cure for colds, cinnamon was a prized spice

How it came together

I have not been able to find specific mention of who first had the idea to put these spices together and call it "pumpkin pie spice". But if I may surmise...

It seems in my research that all of these spices were basically in the right place at the right time. They were all being used actively in baking by the time the first spice mill in the US was founded in Boston in 1821. Through this, pre-packaged spices (including mixes) were available as one of the first "convenience foods". (source) 

It seems to me that once the spices were being mass produced, the natural next step would be sales and marketing--and I have a hunch that this is where the "pumpkin pie spice" angle might have come into play. The first mention I was able to find of "pumpkin pie spice" listed in print was in this 1916 edition of Baker's Review, a trade publication.

Please, do correct me if I'm wrong here or if you're able to find anything more concrete!

Interestingly, while the components of pumpkin pie spice can be used for a number of other baking projects--spice cookies, cakes, sprinkled atop cappuccinos, or even sifted through a stencil for a cake or cookie decoration, its most famous use, very largely owing to the name, is in pumpkin pie.

With the classic flavor of pumpkin pie (thanks to the spice, of course) in mind, I'll finish with this poem, and then a recipe for pumpkin pie spice that you can make at home. 

What moistens the lip and what brightens the eye,
What calls back the past, like the rich Pumpkin pie?

- John Greenleaf Whittier

And OK, here's the recipe.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Pumpkin Spice Recipe 

• 1/3 cup ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

Mix the above together until completely combined, and place in an airtight jar. Use as garnish, as part of recipes calling for pumpkin pie spice, or to sprinkle atop lattes. 

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

Today is National Chocolate Milkshake day! Enjoy this sweet recipe (pictured above).

Because, quite frankly, it still feels like summer to me: how to make ice cream without an ice cream maker.

It's not something I have ever thought about, but it's true: before there was cooking, there was just food.

A sweet recipe for French "conversation" tarts--and the conversation-starting story behind them.

How to turn your art into greeting cards! 

Add collage to your pen and ink work: a sweet tutorial by me.

Nostalgic snack round-up: how many of these do you remember?

Shoe Bakery. OMG WANT IT ALL.

Fun read: biggest food flops of the boomer generation.

Helpful if you're making pie: apple buying guide.

The history of cornstarch and corn syrup. An interesting read. Pecan pie recipe included.

Strawberry pudding cheesecake cookies. OMG!

An awesome collection of historic NYC restaurant menus.

Biscuits with sugar butter. Yes, it's a good idea.

Book of the week: The Ministry of Thin: How the Pursuit of Perfection Got Out of Control by Emma Woolf. This beautiful book describes our obsession with looks. In addition to touching on creepy plastic surgery and beauty standards, there is also a huge chunk of the book devoted to the obsession with being skinny. Basically, it amounts to this: food and joy are so much better than skinny.

Guest Recipe: Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Snappers Milkshake

Make National Chocolate Milkshake Day full of magic by whipping up this Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Snappers Milk Shake. Prominently featured in the recipe are "chocolate snappers"--a confection dreamed up by Edward Marc chocolates and utilized by the company's retail drinkery, Milk Shake Factory, in Pittsburgh, which is credited with the recipe below. 

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Snappers Milkshake

• 10 oz. Chocolate Ice Cream
• 5 oz. Whole Milk
• 1 cup Hot Fudge
• 2 tbsp. crushed Pretzels
• 1 tbsp. of Mini Dark Chocolate Chips
• 1⁄2 tsp of Sugar
• 1⁄2 tsp of Sea salt
• Toppings: Whipped Cream and a Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Snapper

Blend together everything except the toppings until fluffy and combined. Top with the whipped cream and confection. Enjoy. Makes either one generous shake, or two mini ones.

Visit the themilkshakefactory.com for more information.

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Toffee Roundabout Sandwich Cookies

CakeSpy Note: OMG! It's getting to be that time of year again. The Pillsbury Bake-Off is coming in November! Since I so deeply loved attending the 45th Bake-Off as well as the 46th Bake-Off, I thought I would get you excited the 47th one early by sharing all of the sweet recipes in the running. I will focus on sweets! You can follow them by clicking the bakeoff tag below to see the recipes posted so far (as well as recipes from previous Bake-Off events). 

The first recipe I came across on the Bake-Off media page was a winner, all right: Toffee Roundabout Sandwich Cookies. Seriously, you don't even need to taste one to know they're good. The recipe was developed by Joanne McGhee of Dothan, Alabama, and is described like so: "There's a dreamy, creamy, chocolate filling sandwiched between peanut butter cookies and then rolled into crunchy toffee bits."

I'm feeling more and more ready for the Bake-Off every moment!

Toffee Roundabout Sandwich Cookies

Prep Time: 30 Min
Total Time: 2 Hr 10 Min
Makes: 12 sandwich cookies

Ingredients

• 1 roll Pillsbury refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough
• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup Chocolate Flavored Hazelnut Spread
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate toffee bits (from 8 oz package)

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Shape dough into 24 (1-inch) balls. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
3. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese, hazelnut spread, powdered sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed about 2 minutes or until smooth.
5. For each cookie, spread 1 heaping tablespoon cream cheese mixture onto bottom of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down; press together gently until cream cheese mixture just extends past edge of cookie. Roll cream cheese edge of cookie sandwiches in toffee bits to generously coat.
6. Refrigerate 1 hour or until filling is set. Store covered in the refrigerator.

More Postcards from the Road: Summer 2014

I already told you about the first part of my epic summer trip, which started as a 3 week trip to Puerto Rico (read more about that via this post and this post) but then turned into an almost 2-month epic adventure to here, there, and just about everywhere. I ate pastries and did yoga (balance!) in more than 10 US states, worked on my memoir idea, and continued writing awesome posts for Craftsy.

But I haven't told you everything. So hold on to your pastry boxes, because there's still a bit of the journey left to go! 

When I last left off, I had arrived in New Glarus, Wisconsin, for a wedding. In case you've never heard of it, New Glarus is "America's Little Switzerland", and it lives up to its name in the ye olde-iest of styles.

On the eve of our arrival, the hosts had baked the jumbles from my second book, The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts. What a fantastic welcome! And the same evening (why not) me and my sweet one went to the New Glarus Inn, where we sampled a bunch of desserts, including German chocolate cake, a lemon and cream slice (that's the one to the far right) and a lemon custard. Nice, nice, nice.

The next day was the wedding. Beforehand, I spent some time tooling around the town. I'm not a huge beer drinker, but can occasionally get excited about a hand-crafted variety. So I checked out the famous New Glarus Brewing Company, which houses unlikely yet delightful imported "faux ruins" on the grounds. It's weird but wonderful. There, I tried a sampler. Some of the beer was not to my liking, but I rather enjoyed a seasonal variety they had called "Moon Man"--a "grapefruit session ale". 

Later on, the wedding occurred, and it was lovely. You'll have to forgive me, because while typically I am the cake paparazzi at the wedding, I had forgotten my camera in the car and had no pockets in my cute dress. You'll have to trust me when I tell you it was a decidedly nice cake. 

I can, however, tell you that the next day, I did have my camera when I checked out the New Glarus Bakery. While there have been some changes in ownership and management over the years, this bakery has been running pretty much continuously since 1910.  

I simply loved this bakery! It definitely had euro leanings, but had plenty of American classics, too. I thought these Wisconsin-shaped cookies were just adorable: 

and was delighted by the presence of springerle, a dry cookie which is great with coffee or tea.

butter cookies? Not here. Sandbissen, however? Yes, they've got those.

Everything we got there was quite agreeable. My personal favorites were the "turtle cream filled", a kind of caramelly spice doughnut filled with "kreme" type filling (love the stuff, what can I say)...

the eclairs, on a light puff of pastry filled with a decadent chocolate piped ribbon and custard cream...

and the linzer cookie bar. Just look at this thing. Broken but still so tasty. Also, while not pictured, their nut horns were quite well received.

Not far from the bakery was a great coffee shop called Fat Cat Coffee Company, where they also made many of their sweets on site. That's where I purchased this coffee cake (note: NOT crumb cake) which was rich in spices, nuts, and thoughtfully and generously iced. To further make me love them, they offered to heat it up gently. Score!

Next up was a family trip to Wausau, Wisconsin...but on our way, we stopped at a place called "Cave of the Mounds". There, I learned finally, that the difference between stalactites and -mites can remembered thusly: "T" is for top, as in hanging from, and that's how you remember stalactites; stalagmites are simply the only direction left.

Oddly, Wausau kind of reminded me of the railroad towns along the Jersey shore...but in Wisconsin, people are just nicer. And the cheese is better.

In Wausau, I hit up a cute coffee shop called Allister Deacon, but none of the pastries "sang" to me. This must have been a sign, because as I walked around the neighborhood I happened upon this bakery:

And was delighted to have found an old school bakery fully stocked with just about everything, with an emphasis on doughnuts. I also noticed something in Wisconsin: they like crescent-shaped cruller doughnuts. I saw them at more than one establishment. See them on the bottom shelf here, looking vaguely banana-like?

They also had "donutzels".

I picked up several doughnuts, including a crescent shaped one, which promptly broke in the bag but tasted just fine.

I also got a Cowboy cookie for about 55 cents (yes!). I couldn't resist, given my deep history with cowboy cookies.

It was an interesting cookie: cakier than I expected, but not in a bad way. The flavor was spot on. It was like eating oatmeal cake in cookie form, fortified with chocolate and nuts and stuff. 

The rest of the day was busy with family stuff, so that was the only bakery I got to visit in Wausau, but don't worry, because there was more sweetness ahead for me. Plus, I saw these guys on my walk back to the hotel.

On the day of my birthday, my sweetie's brother and his wife gave me a new friend. Two, actually.

I was also given a birthday card with a unicorn. It was almost perfect, but I made it totally perfect with a few easy edits.

After breakfast, we headed to the Wisconsin Dells to meet up with my friend Briana for my birthday (my birthday!). I made her and my sweetie go on a roller coaster with me (they were scared and sat in the middle; I sat in the front with a 10-year old), and play mini golf.

We also got some ice cream from the mini-golf snack stand, which was from The Chocolate Shoppe in Madison. Seriously--so good. Creamy.

I got the "Fat Elvis" which was a delicious melange of Elvis-y flavors (no bacon): peanut butter, banana, chocolate. I loved this cone til the moment it was gone. My friend got a strawberry cheesecake flavor with chocolate bits. Seriously! 

After our visit, we started driving back to Santa Fe. I was treated to this sunset on my 33rd birthday.

To tell you the truth, our stops were minimal, although I was surprised and delighted at a Walgreens to see that they now have a private label version of Gooey Butter Cake! Maybe now it will become a Thing nationwide (it should be).

I did stop to do yoga in Lincoln, NE, because it was a good place to add to my list of 50 states of yoga (I'm up to about 20 now). We learned about a phenomenon known as the sticky bun, but I'll be honest: the ones they had left looked past their prime so I will try them next time I'm in NE!

Now, what I am going to tell you at this moment might be controversial, but here goes. In Colorado, I went to a dispensary and checked out marijuana edibles! There are some creative flavors out there. I'm saying no more, but it was interesting to see this world that is now legal in CO.

I told you that was all I was saying!

A huge unexpected highlight awaited in Colorado Springs. We were passing through on our way to Santa Fe, and since I'd never stopped there I wanted to visit a bakery. But which one? A quick google search revealed very quickly that the real only option was the one with the best name: Boonzaaijer's Dutch Bakery. To tell you the absolute truth after looking at that nutty name I didn't even register other bakeries as real options. (kidding! actually, a lot of the other bakeries looked good). Here's the bakery:

My choice of bakery stops was a delicious success. I was advised by an employee that choosing anything with bavarian cream was a good decision, so I started with a Napoleon. I probably don't have to tell you it was good, because even in retrospect that seems pretty clear from the photo. It was seriously so good, though. 

We got a flourless chocolate cake, too. It was on the drier side than a decadence cake, but overall quite nice.

Was there room for an almond filled cookie? Yes, of course. And it tasted like a marzipan pop-tart (aka, AWESOME). We also got a filled speculaas and an almond tart.

We also got this thing. I'm not usually one for light as air desserts, but it seemed an exception could be made. 

The bakery also had a Euro retail area featuring licorice both sweet and salty and several mixes and candy. Overall, a wonderful stop in Colorado Springs. I could not have been more charmed or sated. Go there.

Returning to Santa Fe, my sweetie surprised me with a belated yet still welcome birthday cake. Believe it or not, it's one of our favorites: the chocolate decadence cake from the local Whole Foods bakery. They do a very good job, and this one tasted especially sweet. 

Now, I'm back in Santa Fe for a while, and I'm happy to be settled in one place for a bit. What I'm not quite ready for yet is fall--while I love a nice pumpkin latte or pastry, I'm still ready for summer to go on a bit longer. Ice cream and warm days for liiiiiiiiife!

Oh! I just realized I forgot to tell you, I was reunited with my favorite bike (it's been in storage for close to 2 years!) 

Hope it's been a magical summer for you.

Happy summer, happy belated birthday to me, and thank you for sharing my summer adventure, sweeties!

Love, CakeSpy

Make Your Cakes Sparkle...Literally

Looking for a way to make your cakes extra special? Treat them like a Jersey girl heading out to a club: add LOTS AND LOTS OF GLITTER!

Aw, just kidding. About the Jersey girls, that is. But when it comes to cakes, the more sparkle the better. Learn the many ways to use and create edible glitter, shimmer, and shine in this post.

Tips for Adding Motion to Your Artwork

How do you make art move? Especially if it's a 2-dimensional illustration? Believe it or not, there are ways to capture movement even if you're drawing something as simple as a stick figure. Check out this post to discover some of the best ways to add motion to your artwork. Full post here!

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

I got the above cookie (chocolate rugelach) at Whole Foods in Santa Fe. It tasted better than I thought it would--in fact, it tasted really, really good. 

This link has literally nothing to do with cake. But it has something to do with a magical unicorn that paid a visit to hospice families, and it warmed my heart to the max.

I find LeAnn Rimes extremely unfortunate. However, I *love* her birthday cake.

School's back in session, but it's still HOT. You deserve a fashionable ice cream pop.

It's late for Labor Day, but still prime time for grilled desserts while the weather still permits!

How to add motion to your illustrations. A helpful guide for artists!

In case you missed it: awesome creative prompts for artists of all sorts.

A fantastic article about the history of eating out in New York.

How to draw mixed media flowers. Vibrant and cool.

Emulsify like a pro with this sweet breakdown of emulsification in baking. 

Somewhat related: the many purposes of eggs in baking.

Can you use waxed paper in baking? Yes and no...it depends on what you're doing. Find out more here.

Book of the week: Ovenly: Sweet and Salty Recipes from New York's Most Creative Bakery. I had never heard of the establishment which published this eponymous book, but I'd like to visit, after discovering this treasure trove of recipes including (but not limited to) blueberry cornflake muffins, banana nutella coffee cake, burnt sugar cookies, mustard spice cookies(!), and more.

Shoe Bakery: Omigod

Photos via Shoe BakeryPerhaps I'm showing my "(very) minor internet celebrity diva" side in saying this, but here goes: I rarely get so excited about something that I must blog about it immediately. After all, a blog post typically involves a lot of stuff: taking pictures, editing and cropping pictures, checking my spelling, baking a cake or going to a bakery, eating it. Life is pretty hard. 

But this one, I needed to share right away. These goods are sweet, but not to eat: sweets-themed shoes by Shoe Bakery. Oh, and I don't really care if you already think this is old news. It's new to me, and it's my site, nyah nyah nyah.

I love shoes. Shoes and glasses are my accessories of choice. And regarding the former, these ones get me excited, because they involve one of my other major passions: sweets. 

I'm going to mostly shut up now other than to tell you they have heels and flats, all sorts of sizing, and are moderate in price ($70-150 for the most part)...and now, I'll just show you some of the goods. I can't imagine that you won't be as excited as me. 

Find out more, and shop, on shoebakery.com.

Batter Versus Dough: What's the Difference?

Batter. Dough. Both are stages in the baking process, and both tend to yield tasty treats. But what exactly is the difference between batter and dough?

Anecdotally, most people tend to refer to more liquid concoctions as "batter" and more solid mixtures as "dough". We tend to refer to each for certain dishes: cookies and pie crust are made from dough, whereas cakes are made from batter. But when does batter become dough, exactly? Is there a rule which governs baking mixtures?

Could a cookie ever be made from batter, or could cake ever be made from a dough?

As it turns out, a bit of internet research and delving into baking reference books reveals that yes, batter and dough are different. And as you might suspect, it has to do with moisture content. 

If you're a professional baker, you might already be aware that there are official ratios. This document I found online detailed them:

See? It's a ratio thing. According to this, the more flour that is added, the more firmly planted a recipe is in "dough" territory. 1 part liquid to one part flour is definitely batter; 1 part liquid to 2 parts flour is a firmer batter, but definitely still batter; once you start adding more flour, it transcends the barrier into dough territory.

Well, that answers that--there are rules! 

The misfits

Still, this document doesn't answer every batter versus dough question. Can we assume that the "flour" here can be translated as "dry ingredient" for other, harder to classify recipes? For instance, coconut macaroons (some types are made with coconut, condensed milk, and eggs, no flour in sight)...or what about homemade candy corn (confectioners' sugar gives it a sturdy, dry texture that I refer to as "dough" in my recipe).

And what of recipes for confections such as meringues? Is that just a "mixture", or would it be ok to call it a "batter"? 

Also, here's one final one for thought: though bread is definitely made with dough, what about the brief phase when you're adding wet ingredients...is it, for a few minutes, batter? 

I don't have the answers to the above, but welcome your comments, my sweet readers!

Can batter and dough ever be combined?

Well, duh. Of course. Stuff your cupcakes with cookie dough and you'll find out how wonderful the combination can be! I helpfully have a recipe right here for you (what can I say, I live to give). If you like the idea of that recipe, I should say that I also have a recipe for cinnamon rolls (dough) stuffed with cookie dough. That's a double dose of dough, but it's good for what ails you. 

Which do you like working with more: batter or dough?