Bring On The Flowers

Give someone you love a bouquet, one that they can eat! These 4" sugar cookies are made from the recipe my sister-in-law gave me. It has become my favorite. The icing is also her recipe, thank you Joanne!

For Jess on her Graduation Day

This is my daughter's favorite cake, chocolate banana sour cream cake with cream cheese frosting. I just had to make it for her graduation from "The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts". Yes, I am very proud of her accomplishment. So proud and happy that I transported this cake all the way to Philadelphia from our small upstate New York town. I carefully placed it in a cooler which had been kept in the freezer overnight and just as carefully place it in the back of the car. When we got to the school, I put it in her studio for safekeeping during the graduation ceremony and the ensuing art show.
Then I had to carry it over to the restaurant where we would have dinner. Actually, I let my husband carry it since he has delivery experience. Now, I have resisted peaking at this cake since I boxed it up the night before, so I did not know how it survived the trip. It had butter cream flowers all over it and who knows, they could have deformed and would no longer be recognized as flowers. Finally, we opened the box (which I kept my eye on throughout dinner) and I breathed a sigh of relief to see that it was exactly the way I left it. It was beautiful and delicious and most importantly, my daughter was so pleased.

Make mine a twist....

What is spring without a trip to the ice cream stand for some soft serve. This was a tradition when my girls were young, one that I carry on by myself. These cupcakes were inspired by that thought. They are vanilla cake and the frosting is chocolate and vanilla butter cream twisted together like an ice cream cone. I took these cupcakes along on a high school field trip. Even though there were an additional 3 dozen cupcakes they did get eaten. I guess kid's just love cupcakes, doesn't everyone?

Mothers Day

So, as I have said before, this was a busy week for me. I made chocolate covered marshmallows, cake bites, cookies and cake! The cakes: two of them were yellow cakes with chocolate butter cream frosting. Love that chocolate butter cream, hmmmmm! The roses are made of vanilla butter cream. I have gotten over my hesitation to make butter cream roses, finally got the hang of it. My writing still has something to be desired, but I am working on it. The 3rd cake was a favorite of mine, chocolate banana sour cream cake with cream cheese frosting. Funny story: the person who asked for this cake requested that it be made with "egg beaters". I said, "sure, I can do that." I go shopping and pick up the "Egg Beaters" come home and tuck the carton into the frig. I proceed with my baking, so pleased with my self because the cakes were beautiful. Later on I am out walking with my husband and he asks how the "egg beater" cake came out and I said "Oh, S---!". I come home in a panic, have to bake another. As you may have deduced, I forgot to use the "egg beaters" and I don't have enough banana. Donald runs out to three local markets, no bananas! Thank God for good neighbors! One phone call and I had my banana and a pleasant visit from the young couple and their adorable baby from up the block. They saved the day. The cake looked great although it did not rise as much as "real" egg cakes. I am waiting to hear how it tasted.

chocolate on chocolate

Some of the local churches take turns providing monthly birthday cakes for a neighborhood nursing home. May is our month, and seeing how I love to bake I volunteered to make 2 dozen cupcakes. I made this commitment over a month ago not realizing this was for the Wednesday before Mothers Day. I was so busy this week, so I decided to do something quick. Ganache is easy to make and then it's just a matter of dipping the cupcake and "voila" it is iced! Place a flower on top and there you have it! They were not only good to eat but pleasant to behold!