Pastries by Kate

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T19:38:00.000-08:00

Raspberry Macarons:

Deep in the 100 Acre Woods...

2012-02-09T16:30:00.000-08:00

This little cake was for Addison's 3rd birthday. I of course didn't make the darling figures but I did make their base...and these honey bee cupcakes. (Thanks Tracy for emailing me these pics!!)

XXI

2012-02-09T16:20:00.001-08:00

With the Super Bowl having just happened, roman numerals were on the brain as I was digging for inspiration for this 21 year old's birthday cake...

50th

2012-01-28T17:58:00.000-08:00

After half a century life, one shouldn't have to decide on cake flavors, so Peter got 4. Happy Birthday.

{chocolate, almond, carrot, vanilla with berries}

Wild Thing

2012-01-23T18:34:00.000-08:00

Sienna is a "bit" of a wild child. She is a lady of course, but she has a mind of her own! So did her cake.....Happy 5th Birthday.

Penolope

2012-01-23T18:14:00.001-08:00

Red and Pink were the colors of the day for Miss Penelope. She just turned 2 and this was the bit of whimsy she dined on. -red velvet cake, cream cheese filling, vanilla buttercream-

Juju

2012-01-18T18:07:00.000-08:00

A rich chocolate cake with fresh strawberry buttercream topped with (yes I realize they are out of season but these berries were dipped in belgian chocolate so it's okay :) strawberries to celebrate the birthday of Juju, an elegant, loving woman who is an example to all. Happy birthday

Juju.

Snow!

2012-01-09T20:23:00.000-08:00

Not that I like driving in it, or that I like the other people driving in it, but I love snow! I was beginning to think that the snow was going to pass DC all together! My fears were quieted when it snowed today, sadly it didn't come in time for Asher's 1st birthday party, which was snowflake themed. While the real snow didn't show, a few sugary snowflakes found there way to the party.

Charlotte

2012-01-09T20:20:00.001-08:00

Charlotte, a big fan of cupcakes, just turned 7 and these are what I cooked up for her birthday...

Brent Elementary

2011-12-20T22:58:00.000-08:00

I had a charming day helping out a kindergarten class at Brent Elementary today, ginger bread houses were the order of the day (graham crackers made a quick substitute). Sadly I don't have a picture of the finished products, but 36 little 5 year olds were busy at work and did an excellent job with their blank canvas'. I can hardly wait for the bakery so we can have little workshops like this that will become part of our tradition.

Quick Fix

2011-12-19T17:38:00.000-08:00

Holidays are busy for us all, presents for friends and family, decorating, cooking, cleaning up after that blasted tree that keeps dropping needles! One dessert that impresses every time and is SO easy is peppermint bark. So if you have about 10 min before a holiday party or about 10 min before you need to give a gift, try this. You will need:

spatula, off set spatula, microwave safe bowl, knife, parchment paper, candy canes or mints

chocolate melts (these are NOT the same as chocolate chips, make sure you use these)

pulse candy canes in a blender or a food processor until they look like this:

melt dark chocolate first, spread using the off-set spatula on the parchment, allow to dry or pop in the fridge if you are really pressed for time.

when it has a matte finish and is hard to the touch, repeat with the white chocolate but this time work quick because the white will melt the dark and the layers will combine if you spread too much, top immediately with the crushed peppermint and put in the fridge or allow to harden.

Be careful to let it set all the way through but not too much because when you cut it you want to make sharp lines, if you don't care about sharp lines then it can sit as long as you want and you can just break it by hand.

Voila wrap and give or put on a plate and take it up to bed and enjoy it while watching a holiday movie.

Polka Dot Princess

2011-11-14T16:41:00.000-08:00

Emilia just turned one, and a charming photo of her in a polka swimsuit at the beach served as inspiration for this little number....thanks Emilia for being darling!

How I get through my Wednesdays...

2011-11-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

Wednesday is by far my least favorite day of the week, and the most commonly misspelled :) so I do this to get through it....

10 yolks

1 qt heavy cream

1 scant cup sugar

1 vanilla bean

fresh raspberries/raspberry compote (optional of course)

In about 6 ramekins place 4-6 fresh raspberries that have been smashed with a fork. Preheat oven to 325* combine yolks and sugar with a splash of the cream in a bowl, whisk and set aside. Put cream in a pan over medium heat stir slowly to prevent any burning, add vanilla and just before it starts to boil remove and add about 1/4 c. to your yolks while mixing. This will temper your yolks without cooking them. Slowly whisk the remaining hot cream to the yolks. If you do end up cooking the eggs a bit just pour mixture through a strainer. Fill ramekins or oven safe dishes with enough of the mixture so that it reaches about 2/3 and place on a sheet tray. Place the tray in the oven and then pour water into the tray to allow for even baking. The water should come at least 1/2 way up each ramekin. Cook for about 25 min. The middle should be set when ramekin is wiggled slightly. Allow ramekins to cool to room temp then set in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Voila now Wednesdays are sweet!

Tea for 2

2011-11-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

Amber turned 2 on Saturday and she had a tea party....this was her cake:

Not Edible but still yummy!

2011-11-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

This Halloween I had the privilege of turning 3 darling littles even sweeter..... 2 cupcakes and a sugar cookie.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T19:25:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday but Halloween is a pretty close second.....come on all those treats! Are you surprised? I had a few of these crawling around the kitchen this week....

Halloween

2011-10-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

When I was younger my mom made caramel corn or caramel apples or suckers for the Halloween trick-or-treaters, it was charming. Today the candy has to be wrapped, there is stranger danger, kids can't trick or treat by themselves, kids shouldn't be out after dark, etc. etc. etc. That being said, there is still so much wonder and good in this little world we live in, so if you come to my door and you do know me, you will get one of these this year: have a Happy Halloween

Favorites tonight

2011-10-26T19:17:00.000-07:00

There are certain things, as silly as it may sound, that are like comfort food for my little chef soul: 1. the hum of a mixer early on a Saturday, 2. my "cook"book -that spiral thing in the back right of the second photo-I have all my recipes backed up and on hard drives but cooking with an ipad or a laptop on the counter seems to me as ruining everything that is timeless and raw about cooking, 3. knowing these are waiting for me in the fridge, and last but not least 4. lots of the same thing, like these cupcake tins. Call me OCD but I think having lots of matching things is bliss-unless it's cake stands then you must have lots and lots but all different :)

Esther...

2011-10-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

Esther had a birthday a few days ago and I adore her. Well I can't say that I completely adore her because I don't know her however, I do know she is turning the same age as me, but that is something a lady never reveals, at least not this lady. So I know we share a birth year and a love for Hello Kitty (mine is more closeted than hers I suppose). They wanted something fun but not too childish, pink but not too pepto, Hello Kitty but subtle, So Esther got this for her **th birthday....*do you see the Kitty dot?

Royal Icing...

2011-10-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

Royal icing on sugar cookies is a delightful medium. It can be finicky but if you know a few tricks, it allows for layers and layers of color and texture and you will fall in love...if you are patient :) here is a basic recipe and a few tricks:

*1 lb. powdered sugar

*5 T meringue powder-this can be found at a cake supplier my favorite here in the DCMVA is Fran's Cake and Candy in Fairfax. Sometime you can find the Wilton brand at Michael's Crafts

*1/2 c. water

*gel food color, the watery stuff you get the grocery store works as well just adjust the water

mix the 2 powders together using the paddle attachment NOT the whisk for about a minute. You really want to break up any chunks that may have formed and the paddle allows you to do this. Slowly add the water and mix on a medium speed for another 2-3 minutes, long enough to fully hydrate all of the powder. Separate into different containers, one for each color. Put a wet towel over each bowl or seal them tightly with a damp paper towel under the lid. This initial thickness should be good for creating a "well" or tracing your shape. This is the same idea as the black lines of a character in a coloring book, it allows you to block in your design. Put the icing in a piping back fitting with the appropriate tip, for this step I usually use a round tip that is about the size of the lead in a standard pencil. As you pipe, don't pull the icing allow it to fall into place and remain tubular. Let the "well" dry. Now for the "flooding" part, you want the icing to be more liquid so it spreads evenly. Add a few more drops of water to the icing until the icing is as fluid as corn syrup. Spoon or pipe into the well and spread around filling in the gaps with the back of a spoon. From here the sky is the limit, you can let this step dry and then continue to add designs using the thicker icing or you can mix in colors and create patterned backgrounds. Make sure to allow them to fully dry and once dry store in an airtight container and the cookies will last about a week. Enjoy, and thanks to Amy H. for throwing the baby shower that inspired these guys!

2011-10-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

Small Things

2011-10-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

sometimes the best things come in small packages, today here at Pastries by Kate we created over 624 "small packages". Some with frosting, some with fondant, some with sprinkles or monograms or fondant. Today while no one was looking I Kate, snuck a few just the way I like them....like this:

Welcome Fall

2011-10-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

As the chill hit the air, as the rain found its' way here, as the leaves decided it was finally time to change, I was baking pie.

Baby Mine...

2011-09-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

I can't help but hum that song in Dumbo every time I make an elephant cake. Little miss Eva is brand new to the world and this is her cake....so sorry that these photos are so terribly awful, they don't do the elephants or miss Eva justice.

Old McDonald

2011-09-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

Jackson turned 2 and his darling invitations inspired this little farm scene. Normally I don't get to see the "set-up" but last Saturday I did, and lets just say I wish I had been 2! His mother had transformed their row home into a charming farm complete with baby animal petting zoo! (sorry didn't grab pics of that...just the cake, the chicks were my favorite,obviously)

Miss Maye...in the works

2011-09-12T06:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the world little Miss Maye. This past weekend I returned to DC and got to make this cake for baby Maye. Loads of fondant, harsh lines and crowding just seem wrong for baby cakes, they should be soft and cozy.

En Fin

2011-07-31T22:35:00.000-07:00

My my it has been a long while! There has been a lot going on (which is never an excuse) weddings, funerals, moves, travel! and I just haven't seemed to have had my camera. I figure something is better than nothing, so here a cell phone pic. This is a little cake whipped up for Emily's 22nd Birthday! She is an amazing swimming instructor and one can only hope this cake did her wonderful personality justice.

Rocking Horse

2011-05-19T19:27:00.001-07:00

Once again a darling invitation served as the template for baby shower cake this week.

The mother, Tricia, is not your average woman, she is fancy. So we fancied up the cake a bit with luster dust and filagree. Thanks for the great idea Amber.

Butterflies and Birthdays

2011-05-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

Roxanne and Isabelle were all a flutter on their 5th birthday! A tall neapolitan cake with free hand butterflies and a unique signature was just the ticket. Not too often do I get to cut the cake but I am friends of the birthday girls so I was privileged to not only cut the cake but to also see some of the faces..

Barnyard Bash

2011-05-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

Penelope just turned 2 and her charming mother found these whimsical barnyard invitation that we used for inspiration on the cake.

Isabella's and Alexadra's Baptism

2011-05-14T07:54:00.001-07:00

Le Petit Prince

2011-05-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

I love France and everything french. The architecture, the fashion, the literature, the art, the smell of the bread baking in the streets, and most of all...the pastries and of course The French Pastry School. So when the Saint-Jean's son Liam turned 1, I was more than a little excited to make this little cake...joyeux anniversaire petit prince.

mmmm

2011-05-09T08:29:00.001-07:00

Lovely little meyer lemon cupcakes with fresh wild blueberry buttercream......yes please.

Peachy Keen

2011-05-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

Just a little treat for Ava's christening .... thanks to her mom for coming up with the beautiful color scheme.

Dirty Kitchen? Yes Please!

2011-04-09T18:33:00.000-07:00

I normally demand a clean kitchen however recently we were loving a "dirty kitchen", more specifically Frank Solivan and the Dirty Kitchen. It was Frank's birthday and a little surprise was waiting him during intermission....

Happy Birthday Frank.

2 Never looked so good!

2011-04-09T15:53:00.000-07:00

This is the reason I love 2:

this little darling is Zoe....she is not mine but I love love her!

April 8th she turned 2 and I made her a cake

....and I let her take a lick before the party :)

and then I had to take it away before she demolished it .

so sorry Moppet. Happy Birthday.

Marble Mania

2011-04-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

To achieve marble cake simply get chocolate and vanilla cake batter. Pour chocolate in the pan then dot the vanilla and swirl. This idea is fantastic because with a little creativity it can go so far beyond vanilla and chocolate. You can use food coloring to dye 1/3 of your vanilla batter blue or purple and create Easter wonder, you can swirl banana cake and chocolate cake, you can swirl coconut and lemon....the sky is the limit.

cherry blossoms version 2

2011-04-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

so this comes with a confession....I make everything from scratch (this is not the confession) usually, today however I did not. Cherry blossoms are in season but cherries are not and so I couldn't make the cherry compote for this tempting cake. Thank you Safeway for supplying me with this sad gelatinous excuse for compote in a pinch.

and while the cherries left a bit to be desired, the organic nature of the almond frosting was spot on for Collin's 30th.

A walk on the wild side

2011-04-08T20:07:00.000-07:00

now I am sure I know what you are thinking,"wild cupcakes?" what makes them wild? peppers, wasabi, vodka?....these are not those!! These are wild animal. A little party at the Reston Zoo for Tate, and a chocolate cake and vanilla and coconut cupcakes were on the menu.

Sakura

2011-03-26T16:34:00.000-07:00

On March 27, 1912 Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo donated hundreds of Japanese Cherry Trees to Washington DC. The trees were an effort to enhance and celebrate the growing friendship between the United States and Japan. Today the National Cherry Blossom Festival began and swarms of people found their way to the tidal basin next to the Jefferson Memorial here in DC to take part in this annual display of natural splendor. Today I also got to make this cake patterned after a cherry blossom invitation..

Tiffany and Johnathan

2011-03-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

I was delighted when Tiffany and Johnathan asked me to do their wedding cake. They are a beautiful pairing of timeless beauty and lust for life, of practicality and style, and of adventure and vibrancy. The 3 of us brainstormed their cake for weeks and made the final changes just days before the wedding. For flavors they chose almond/almond, chocolate/chocolate hazelnut, and vanilla/vanilla. The cake was topped with sugared cranberries.

So first off I must apologize for the crude photos, I left the camera at home and after dropping off the cake at the venue I snapped a few shots with my phone. The gold on the cake is created using Luster Dust, a favorite medium of mine. Used dry it provides a light shimmer of color but when mixed with a little lemon extract or vodka -I prefer vodka because if you don't use all your mixture you can allow it to dry out and you can reuse it later- it provides an edible paint that is wonderful!!

2

2011-03-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

2 is my favorite age for littles. They stumble around jumping and singing familiar songs recognizable only by tune because they can remember all the words, they repeat everything: names, games, wants, they try so hard but only get about 30% of the food actually in their mouths-the remainder on their shirts-, and while they are so "independent" they still need to be held and snuggled and loved. Speaking of love, I loved Elsie's cake.

Monkey Business...

2011-03-22T16:54:00.001-07:00

Just a little baby shower cake complete with keys, shoes, and some monkey business

Strawberry Shortcake

2011-03-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

Now for many of you when you here Strawberry Shortcake you may picture this.... well today I would like to discuss another type...

If you are like me you grew up on Grandma's Shortcake. Every grandma has their own flare, their own "secret" and everyone's grandma's is the best! My Grandma Lil's shortcake is baked to perfection every time, organic in shape but oh so flakey with a hint of nutmeg. This week with the first day of spring and friends coming for Sunday dinner I thought an ode to Lil's strawberry shortcake would be just the ticket. . .

1. you need a little of this (I allow the strawberries to macerate with a little sugar in the fridge for at least 30 min. before I use them.

2. and a little of this. There are hundreds of recipes out of there but one thing that makes them all just a little better is a pinch of nutmeg. Also when you are mixing the shortbread remember not to overmix and when possible allow it to sit in the fridge for an hour or so before rolling it.

3. after the dough has sat and been rolled out brush with heavy cream and top with raw sugar. Grandma didn't do it this way but I sure love it!!

4. that done, put your shortcake on parchment paper and they will release with ease

5. enjoy!

we had it with slightly sweetened whipped cream and just cream poured over top

Cream Puffs Please

2011-02-22T18:49:00.000-08:00

Cream puffs are delightful. They are perfect when: plain, filled, filled then frozen, stacked, alone. I love their delicate texture and slight egg flavor. There are hundreds of recipes out there but they basically consist of the same things....a water butter flour mixture that is heated then mixed with eggs and/or milk. Here are a few tips regardless of your recipe:

when heating the water/butter/flour mixture, after it comes together mix it an additional 1 minute to thoroughly cook out the starch and improve taste
after taking your mixture off the stove and placing it in a mixer with the paddle attachment NOT the whisk, add the eggs one by one until the mixture makes a "v" when you pull up the paddle. If your mixture does not do this add more eggs or warm milk a little at a time until it does.
pipe out the pate a choux (cream puff) onto parchment paper lined sheet trays. Do not use wax paper.
when baking watch the puffs and just when they seem to have reached their optimum puffiness open the oven just a hair to let out some of the moisture and then allow them to finish cooking. This will prevent the puff from cracking.
To make the croque en bouche (crack in mouth) like above, heat 1/2 c. water and 3 c. sugar and a pinch of cream of tartar without stirring to a medium caramel color about 345 degrees F. pull off heat and work quick dipping 1/2 of the puff in the syrup arranging the puffs in a tight ring getting smaller with each new level

Happy Apple Valentines Day

2011-02-22T18:43:00.000-08:00

So traditional V-day fare is pink, fluffy, chocolatey, full of berries, sultry and *sexy*. Well I did everything but that this year....individual apple pies. Innocent, fresh and charming.

M-I-C-K-E-Y.....nope...Minnie

2011-02-06T12:03:00.000-08:00

Last year Juliana turned 1 and we made her a wintery cake...this week Juliana turned 2 and we -with the fantastic idea from her mother- created this.

Shout out to Boston..

2011-01-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

A few of the tasties at Faneuil Hall

If I had a choice I would eat sugary confections all day, alas my system needs more than eggs, flour, and sugar sugar sugar to survive. I balanced it with this: masala & spanakopita, he balanced it with bacon wrapped scallops.

Although it is not a favorite, I feel it would be a sin to travel to Boston without indulging in "their" Boston Cream Pie-and some lemon meringue pie, and 2 large mugs of hot chocolate heaven.

If/when I speak of "us" or "we"...this us the us/we.

Me and my travel-buddy/husband/muffin Nathan

little helpers....

2011-01-26T11:19:00.000-08:00

I have 2 great loves in life: pastries, travel, France, cocktail dresses, great heels, great cheese, attractive men-even though I am married I can appreciate "art"-roadtrips, Chicago, the ballet, diamonds, and children. Yes it's a few more than 2 so lets just focus on the first and the last; pastries and children. When you mix the two together the result quite often looks like....

Roxanne, Mia, and Isabelle...the "little Chefs"

Butterfly in the sky...I can fly twice as high....

2011-01-26T09:13:00.000-08:00

I am a bit competitive, I thrive on Rummikub, I dabble in scrabble, I dominate in volleyball (dominate is maybe a bit cocky, I am actually no good but I am loud! and wish I was good), and I love a challenge when food is involved. Sometimes I hear, "just do something nice" which is always fun because carte blanche with cake is a dream but I tend to wonder if what I create is what was wanted....other times clients have an idea in mind . This particular client wanted a cake to match a CoCaLo nursery design, challenge accepted.

Sweetness...

2011-01-26T07:08:00.000-08:00

Winter is a Wonderland

2011-01-26T06:44:00.000-08:00

Born and raised where you find, "the Greatest Snow on Earth" (Utah) I grew up loving everything about winter. I love skiing, ice sickles, watching my breath in warm puffs, I love snow when it has just fallen and is untouched and glistening in the moonlight, I love watching the deer make there way across the icy ground in search of rosehips, oh and I love cashmere. I love everything about winter except for the fact that I can't skate. I don't roller-skate, roller-blade, or ice-skate but I do love spectating! And I do love the idea for Mali's cake...side note Mali can and does skate.

I hate chocolate but I love Chocolate Cake....

2011-01-25T18:17:00.000-08:00

Odd but true, I love pastries but hate chocolate! I would prefer Starbursts or Skittles over Belgian chocolate any day. I only like oreos about once a year and Godiva or Neuhaus don't tempt me in the least however, I love chocolate cake with a dark chocolate buttercream like this...

a few hints when making a cake:

1. when possible always let your batter sit at least 2 hrs. (overnight in the fridge is best) this will allow all the ingredients to fully combine and it will allow the gluten in the flour to settle from the mixing so the cake is fluffy.

2. always use parchment on the bottom of your cake pans, never use food sprays. Food sprays add a funny taste and the results aren't always as you hoped. Instead cut out parchment to fit only the bottom of the pan. spray the food spray on the bottom of the pan and use it as a "glue" to hold the paper. Now pour in batter. When the cake is done and cooled, cut around the edges with a sharp knife and turn over onto a plate and peel parchment off the bottom. Voila perfect results every time..no need for patch up jobs because your cake stuck to the pan.

Birthdays

2011-01-16T18:36:00.000-08:00

Don't get me wrong I love reptiles and snakes, beetles and bugs, trucks and dragons. I even grew up in a house with a 6" iguana as a pet and a little brother :) I love making cakes for little boys but not nearly as much as I love making cakes for little girls because I can do this...

pearly monograms and sweet little dots

Chocolate Marshmallows

2011-01-01T20:35:00.000-08:00

After returning from the baking bliss in Utah I started on my own holiday baking here in MD, this always includes chocolate marshmallows. I don't like chocolate, and I am not in love with marshmallows but for some reason I think this combination is sheer delight.

There are many recipes out there, some have marshmallow cream others gelatin, I prefer those with gelatin because are a bit stiffer and they have a longer shelf life. The secret to the marshmallow not sticking is to place parchment in the bottom of your elected pan and then sift in a light layer of a 1:1 mixture of cornstarch and confectioners sugar. The cornstarch absorbs the moisture and the sugar counteracts the chalky texture of the starch. For the chocolate mallows I also add an equal part of dark cocoa powder. Top the mallow with a light dusting of the same mixture and pop them straight into the freezer until you are ready to cut them. (they can stay frozen for weeks and will never get stiff due to the gelatin). After cutting them toss them in the 1:1:1 mixture

tap of excess powder, and they are ready for a party.

Christmas Baking

2011-01-01T19:54:00.000-08:00

I join with almost everyone this holiday season as I honor the time old traditions of my family. Some families light the menorah, some set up nativities, others adorn theirhouses in lights and blow-up snow globes, my family (this will come as a shock!) bakes. Just after Thanksgiving I headed out west to prepare for the upcoming Christmas holiday and I had a glorious weekend baking with my mom.

as people stopped by to say hello, or borrow the usual cup of sugar (because my mother and I always have at least 25 lbs on hand) they were intoxicated by the smell of all the baking, the english toffee was a main offenders.

sometimes at home we run out of space so we have to use unconventional cooling racks

Simple Red Velvet

2010-08-19T06:03:00.000-07:00

I recently had a friend frantically call me because she needed to make red velvet cake and she refuses to try things from scratch and she wanted to know how to convert a box mix into red velvet....if you must commit the cardinal baking sin of using a box mix to make red velvet here is how you can:

1 white/yellow cake mix

the ingredients listed on the mix box

4T cocoa powder (the darker the better)

1 oz. red food coloring (it sounds intense but if you don't use enough you will have pink velvet)

mix the cake as instructed, mix the cocoa powder with the food coloring and add the paste to the cake mix and bake as instructed. Fait attention (be careful), the red will find away to ruin your favorite outfit so wear an apron, and yes I am speaking from experiences. If you are making cupcakes, a simple way to cut down on mess and contribute to consistency is to use an ice cream scoop with an ejection lever to scoop out the batter into the cups like so: (the photos you are now seeing are not a cake mix)

Summer's Simplicities #2: Peaches and Cream

2010-08-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

Installment 2 for quick variation on a familiar recipe making it more summer appropriate is peaches and cream cake. Take your favorite white cake recipe and 3 peaches. Slice the peaches and toss them in 2T of sugar and allow them to sit while you whip up the cake.

Take the peaches out of the syrup and mix the syrup in with the cake. Pour the cake into the pans and top with the peach slices and bake according to your recipe.

Frost the cake with:

1 pint whip cream

3T confectioners sugar

1/2 package instant vanilla pudding (if you want a thicker frosting)

Be careful not to over mix cream. Top with more peaches or berries of your choice. Keep in the fridge until just before you eat it.

Summer Treats

2010-08-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Vanilla cake with farmer's market fresh raspberries:

Fresh strawberry cupcakes:

Creme brulee with blackberries, blueberries, and toasted hazelnuts.

Summer's Simplicities: Strawberry Sugar Cookies

2010-08-08T12:00:00.001-07:00

The thing I love most about summer is food. Shocker I know. I love corn on the cob, deep redtomatoes that give you goose bumps as their perfectly ripe fullness of flavor dances across your palette, I love plump berries that burst and soft fuzzy peaches. Recently I wished I could take as long as it does for fruit to ripen to make every dessert, but I cannot and this week I had limited time and needed a treat quick so I whipped up this "Summer Simplicity". You simply take your favorite sugar cookie recipe (mine is below) and add 1c. fresh strawberries finely diced. For this recipe the cookies puff a bit more and they are best if eaten day-of. Instead of a thick frosting I glazed them with a mixture of: confectionary sugar, milk, and almond extract (for a tarter cookie use fresh lime juice or lemon juice place of the milk and extract and top with a little zest)

3/4 c. butter

1t vanilla

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 1/2 c. flour

1t salt

1 c. fresh diced strawberries

cream butter, vanilla, and sugar for 3 min. add eggs one by one, then add flour salt, add the berries last giving them a quick pulse on high in the mixer to break them up just a bit more. bake at 400 for about 8 min. allow to cool and glaze.

Let Freedom Ring

2010-07-11T19:12:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite patriotic orders were these little guys....

the client's friend had recently had the privilege of adopting a little boy and these cupcakes were in celebration of him being sworn in as an American citizen. Congratulations! (I also tried a batch on my nieces....)

Brandon and Mary

2010-03-30T14:22:00.001-07:00

I don't think there is a "season" for weddings because love is always in season. That being said I think it always helps when the weather cooperates, and that it did for the wedding of my dear friends Brandon and Mary. Their colors were coral and dove grey and they chose a 3-tier buttercream cake with each layer being a different flavor. The top was a roasted hazelnut cake with an almond cream, the middle a lemon chiffon cake with lemon curd buttercream and fresh raspberries, and the bottom was a dark chocolate cake with a chocolate cream filling. The couples choices were divine and they encompassed almost every taste. By far my favorite part of the evening was the cutting of the cake because,

instead of going the traditional route and cutting into a single tier, the couple cut through all 3. It was hilarious and wonderful and very Brandon and Mary! Thanks for letting me be part of your day.

Winter Wonderland

2010-02-28T19:07:00.000-08:00

I love a blank canvas to create on, but I think love it even more when a client comes with an idea in mind and I get put my own little pastry spin on it. This cake order was placed in January while the scenery here in DC was typical for the season, brown and rainy with patches of struggling grass here and there. Nordic bliss steers clear of this area and white Christmas' are rare. This year however, things happened a bit different, we welcomed Blizzard 2010 which more than compensated for years of past winter seasons. We are still cleaning up after our guest. The snow came just in time for this cake to have the perfect setting.

The Cupcake

2010-02-14T17:56:00.000-08:00

Sad but true this little darling gets a bad rap sometimes. With the opening of Sprinkles in California in 2005, the cupcake took center stage for the first time. Their possibilities all of a sudden became endless; vanilla and chocolate were no longer the standard. They were appropriate at black-tie events and soirees, not just little girl's princess birthday parties. However, lately many think that the cupcake has had her day in the sun. She is simply a fading fad like the slap bracelet, or the Segway (let it go they are on their way out). I do not sustain these accusations. I think that a cupcake can brighten any day regardless of size or toughness. Just the right size, just enough cake, just enough sweet, blissful, creamy frosting. Decorated or not, vegan or not, prim or rustic, these little buggers are a comfortable, familiar, lovely dessert that beckons us to return to our childhood even if just for a brief moment during our rushed days. I know of only a handful of desserts that can evoke such joy and reminiscing to such a vast population. So today, I salute you, and regardless of the trends and critics I will continue to make you by the dozens because when I eat you, suddenly I am 6. I am 6 sitting on the cream counter of my mother's kitchen crying with a mouthful of cakey goodness, "do I really have to have stitches again?". I got stitches, but before that...I had a cupcake.

A detour from the sweet...

2009-12-20T18:30:00.000-08:00

Many know but for those who don't, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It is the holiday that centers around my 2 favorite things: food, gratitude, family, and food. :) I love setting a glorious table competed to the smallest detail. This year my table was smaller than I am used to, 4. But that was not grounds for mediocrity. We had stuffing, cranberry sauce, flakey yet creamy pumpkin pie, and then there was the turkey. I was tired of the same old same old so I pulled from a favorite, bacon wrapped figs, and applied it to turkey. So here you have it:

Bacon Wrapped Turkey

I stuffed the turkey with:

1 1/2 c. fresh cranberries (halved)
4T fresh sage (coarsely chopped)
4 honey crisp apples (diced)
3T fresh ginger (diced fine)
kosher salt
pepper

and yes

1/2 c. uncooked bacon (chopped)

I cooked the turkey according to the label removing the bacon covering 15 minutes before the time was up to allow the turkey skin to crisp. I then removed the "stuffing" separating the apples from the rest and served them on the side. They surprisingly had a lovely smokey flavor. All in all, bacon-wrapped-turkey was a lovely? detour from tradition.

Meringue Mushrooms

2009-11-17T06:10:00.000-08:00

It all started very early I think, I loved their colors, their shape, their silent fantasy of someday becoming the home to a fairy, and I loved how one day there was nothing and the next-with the help of a little dew- the ground was covered in charming little mushrooms. The fascination has not passed. I love cooking with mushrooms and when doing fall desserts, meringue mushrooms are my favorite decorations. They are typically used on the Buche de Noel (yule log), but I tend to put them on much more. You can grate a chocolate bar in a shallow bowl and place the mushrooms on the bed of shavings as an edible centerpiece, you can place them on stacks of cookies or on top of cakes, around a pudding or to the side of a custard to contrast textures. They add an unexpected charm to this fall season and I feel they are a must at any Thanksgiving feast. Here is my favorite meringue mushroom recipe:

8 egg white (room temp)
1/2 t cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar
1t almond extract (imitation not pure)

Preheat oven to 250 F. Place the egg whites and the cream of tartar in a mixing bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually while mixing until it is all incorporated. It is important to do so gradually because if you put it all in at once it will take a lot longer and deflate the whites you just whipped! When they are a stiff peak add the almond extract and stop mixing. Place a piping tip about the diameter of a chocolate chip in a piping bag (tip: of you can't seem to find the bag just place the tip in the corner of a ziploc bag, they work just fine). Place about 1 cup of meringue in the bag then on a greased and floured or lined with parchment paper sheet tray hold the tip straight and down and about 1/4 inch from the tray make a kiss by keeping the tip in the same place as you squeeze until the meringue starts to bulge then slowly pull up and stop squeezing, these will be the tops. You can push down the tip of the cap with a little water on your finger tip. Repeat a whole lot. With the same action as the caps (only as you pull up continue to squeeze) make a stalagmite shape. Make a few more of the bottoms then tops because they tend to break. Place in the oven and let bake 1hr 45 min. then open the door, turn the oven off and let them sit for about an hour to finish drying out. Melt a few chocolate chips and set aside. Take the caps and hollow out a small hole in the middle of the bottom with the tip of a steak knife then take on the bottoms dip it in the chocolate, place it in the hole and allow to dry on a tray. You can paint the bottoms with dark chocolate then white then pull a toothpick over it to make the underside look more real but I just think thats too much work! Store in an airtight container at room temp and they should stay for about a week. Enjoy

My Mind Wanders

2009-11-10T10:31:00.000-08:00

Fall is the season that stirs the most emotion in me. The crisp air smelling of rain stained fallen leaves, the vibrant colors of change so pleasantly enhanced by their blue but frequently gray-sky background. The chill sets in and scarves are taken from boxes in attics or under beds, mittens and sweaters are tried on to make sure they still fit and that the moths haven't gotten to them. Cheeks and noses red peek from under hats, and boots find their way onto feet, a cozy change of pace. My mind ventures 2,000 miles away into my mother Teresa's kitchen: Christmas music playing even though Thanksgiving has not yet passed, laughing so hard your stomach aches, Grandma Lil adding the now dreaded stortening! to her pie crust because that is what she knows, mouthfulls of leftover candy corn not because you particularly like them but because their there as you try the new and perfect the old, accept technology but relish in the nostalgia of being able to feel when the dough is done between your fingers. No machine can do that. Fall is the season that stirs the most emotion in me, my mind ventures 2,000 miles away into my mother's kitchen with my best friends Teresa, Lil, Jennifer, Beth and Hannah.

Banana Republic

2009-11-10T08:37:00.000-08:00

Chefs aren't known for their style, they are often seen in a stiff white coat with an apron around the waist and hair pulled back and up in a silly hat (see my "about me" photo!). But as humans we often think people are always their professions. A fireman is always in a blue t-shirt with suspenders, a doctor always in a lab coat with a stethoscope around their neck, a mechanic always in a pinstripe shirt with blue pants by Dickies with an oil-stained rag hanging out their back pocket. We seldom recognize anyone's profession without their "uniform", we seldom consider that the carpenter takes off his tool belt when he gets home. When my coat and dreaded hat come off....I like to put Banana Republic on. Wearing their clothes make me feel lovely. The tags never show and I never buy an item with a logo, no one knows and no one really cares but to me, their clothes are my little "safe place", my little luxury I get to look forward to after a long day in starched white cotton. When the manager at my local BR asked if I would cater the desserts for their recent After 5 Holiday 2009 line introduction event I was thrilled; 2 of my loves together. I chose to do a meringue mushroom, a trio of my favorite fall cookies, and carrot and chocolate cheesecake mini cupcakes.

Rob and Shauna

2009-10-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

I adore a lot of people and I have many "dear" friends, (which is a trait I gladly inherited from my mother) and I am thrilled that these "dear" friends asked me to do their wedding cake. Rob and Shauna are a wonderful couple. From first glance they appear like any other couple but as time passes you realize they are a dynamic duo, a hysterical pair that will have you falling in love with them and leave you wanting more. They chose a tahitian vanilla bean cake with vine-ripe strawberries and a citrus cream filling.

Solar Decathlon

2009-10-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my husband and I took a trip down to the Na

tional Mall and were pleasantly surprised to find out the Solar Decathlon was taking place. It is an international competition where 20 teams "build" eco-friendly houses on the Mall and after they are judg

ed they are open to the public for a wa

lk-through. I am thrilled with the entire events but the kindness of Brad working with the team from Ontario was what really struck me. A few days after I had seen the houses

inprogress I decided to take my friends little girls down to look at the "little

houses". The 3 yr. old twins Roxanne and Isabelle were enamored! We stopped to watch a man working by a saw and moved one, a few minutes later the same man, Brad, caught up to us and talked to the girls for the better part of half an hour about what he and others were doing. I was shocked that one of the competitors would stop what he was doing to explain the process to two 3 year old girls. I was so impressed with his

kindness that the next day I made 20 dozen cookies (1 dozen per house) and Roxanne and

Isabelle delivered them to each house. Everyone loves a cookie handed to them by a 3 ft. munchkin with curls.

"Those cupcakes were fierce!"

2009-09-14T05:46:00.000-07:00

"Fierce" is not usually a word one would use to describe a cupcake, but yesterday after the charming wedding of Molly and Walter, Molly's sister categorized my cupcakes as such and I was thrilled with the chosen adjective! Molly had opted for a single tier wedding cake and 165 cupcakes instead of the traditional multi-tier cake. She chose a chocolate cupcake with cream cheese buttercream, a key lime cupcake with lime curd buttercream, a vanilla vanilla, and a chocolate chocolate. Her wedding cake was a vanilla chantilly berry cake. The wedding was held at the Washington Golf and Country Club and it was a wedding fit for the bride, charming, sophisticated, a fairy-tale. My dear friend Laura St. Jean joined me for the madness.

Janna and Shawn

2009-09-06T13:13:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled about getting to make this cake. Janna (the bride and dear friend)

found the design and I loved re-creating it for her and her husband Shawn.

Audrey and Nicholas

2009-09-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

There are elegant cakes, breathtaking representations of a couple recreated in frostings and design, and then there is....Candy Mountain. (this was the groom's cake, wedding cake below)

Nicholas and Audrey are a beautiful fusion of two graphic designers. Nicholas (one I have tremendous love for because yes he is my stud brother!) has a style that is honest, raw, harsh, real, a style words weren't meant to describe, a style that can only be understood when seen (click on his name and you will see his genius). Audrey (the only woman good enough for my stud brother!) has a style that is reminiscent of something that you can't seem to put your foot on, something you saw somewhere and really loved loved it, something dreamt or imagined, something so perfectly precise and lovely you can't seem to take your eyes away (click her name to see her beauties). I took graphics from their invitation and replicated them in gray fondant on the cake. The 2nd and 4th tiers are wrapped in spun sugar.

Laura and Alexis

2009-09-02T18:40:00.000-07:00

It was the perfect day for a garden wedding, the wedding of Laura and Alexis St. Jean. They are a charming couple. He was born and raised in france, she had lived there for 16 months and every bit of their story from that point on was wonderful. Their cake was one of my favorites, it was covered in fondant with a gold dust lace overlay.

No dancing in the kitchen

2009-03-08T22:14:00.001-07:00

I have been working at a restaurant in Washington DC for about 3 months and for the first time I got yelled at!!..... it had been a slower night with no dessert orders and being wired as I am, I was getting antsy. The first order came 3 hours after the start of my shift and I was elated; it was for 1 bread pudding, a dessert which I normally hate plating but this particular night it was just fine. I quickly grabbed the ticket from the printer and put it in my window then turned to pick up the plate and begin the process that takes about 47 seconds. As I found the proper vessel to carry my bread pudding sitting in a pool of creme anglaise from me to its table, I found myself dancing a bit, a little wiggle and a twirl and I was off, or so I thought. At just that moment Chef caught me in the act of enjoying my job and promptly yelled across to me, "what the hell do you think you are doing? there is no f&*%ing dancing in the kitchen, you should know that!" I was stunned and proceeded to plate my desserts for the rest of the night with no further communication to the man, and both feet firmly planted. My hips however were a different story!! For the remainder of my shift I didn't so much as look at him and when it was time to leave I left without a word. He had lost my respect because he had humiliated me in front of customers and other employees and worst of all I had allowed that man to hinder my joy for an evening. On the drive home I wondered something... in an expo kitchen that is open to the eyes and ears of the restaurant's guests, what would one rather see/hear: a pastry girl twirling with a plate and laughing with the staff as she promptly fills her orders, or the Chef swearing and yelling at his staff treating them as far less than the "hired help"?? And I wonder in what manual for any job does it clearly state, "no dancing" and if that type of job does exists I would most certainly never work for that company. While on the subject, if a manual states anything it should state that there is a time and a place and a manner in which to communicate to your staff and public humiliation laced with profane language I am sure is not proven to be the most effective method. It is strange to me how people will sacrifice joy for what we have defined as professionalism and when you break that school of thought, the Mr. Hyde appears in many. That night I didn't fit in, and it will never be among my New Year's resolutions to do so.

2009-02-22T23:05:00.000-08:00