Archive of ‘Dessert’ category

Brown Butter Brownies

| Dessert

Brown Butter Brownies

Brown Butter Brownies

I owe my discovery of these amazing, chewy, fudgy, nutty, crispy and delicious brownies to vegetable stew!   The February Issue of Bon Appetit included an intriguing recipe for Lentil and Vegetable Stew with Kale.  With only two of us in the house, however, I was hesitant to test the recipe for fear of endless leftovers.  As I perused the rest of the magazine, the recipe for these Brown Butter Brownies screamed MAKE ME TOO!!  What a perfect dinner, a healthy vegetable stew, followed by brown butter brownies and ice cream!  I knew my mother would be proud (she taught me the beauty of salad for dinner and ice cream for dessert), so I invited her over for the recipe taste testing.  Sure, the vegetable stew was tasty, but the brownies, oh… the brownies!!    (more…)

3 Comments

Racecar Cake

| Dessert

Racecar Cake

Racecar Cake

I saw a tutorial for these adorable racecar toppers, on the Cake Journal site, several weeks ago, and was ecstatic when Elliott decided he wanted a racecar cake for his birthday!  The tutorial is excellent!  I did not, however, have all the supplies, so I improvised a little, but I still think they turned out great.

When looking at tutorials, don’t get overwhelmed with materials you may not have, you can usually cope with the materials you do have on hand (okay, I realize not everyone has fondant in the basement). As a novice cake decorator, I adapted the tutorial by using mostly fondant, instead of gumpaste, since I already had the fondant colored appropriately for the racecars.  I used plain water to adhere the separate pieces, instead of tylo glue (shhh… I truly have no idea what that is).  I only have one fondant smoother, so instead of using a pair of fondant smoothers to shape the car, I used my one fondant smoother and a box of graham crackers! (more…)

6 Comments

Beach Cake for Casey

| Dessert

Beach Cake

Casey's Beach Cake

My friend Casey is getting married, on the beach, in less than two months!  To celebrate her upcoming nuptials, I created a 3-tier, vanilla and chocolate buttercream, beach cake for her wedding shower, as any cake-loving friend would do.  Casey loves all things teal, which coordinates perfectly with her beach-themed wedding.  I knew if I started with teal water, I couldn’t go wrong.  Once I finished the teal water, however, it was time to get creative! (more…)

6 Comments

Baby Johanna’s Birthday Cupcakes

| Dessert

Lemon Cupcakes

Johanna's Lemon Cupcakes

My youngest nephew, and his friends, often refer to me as “Annie the cake maker,” and for baby Johanna’s first birthday, I didn’t want to disappoint! The only request was that the cupcakes be delicious and somewhat incorporate baby Johanna’s adorable pink corduroy dress.

I learned a few great tricks during this cupcake/cake adventure! (more…)

1 Comment

Bootylicious

| Dessert

Edible Undie Cookies

Edible Undies for Stephanie's Bachelorette Party

My dear friend Stephanie is getting married in April.  Stephanie and I have been friends since high school, through all

the high school, college, and 9 to 5 highs and lows!  As her bachelorette party approached, I knew I wanted to do something fun and different, with a traditional bachelorette party flair.  My only hesitation was that Stephanie has lived in Kansas City since high school, and I wasn’t exactly sure how much bachelorette party “flair” her friends would find appropriate!  (Stephanie is always up for anything!) (more…)

1 Comment

Fun with Fondant

| Dessert

Superhero Cake

Isaac's Superhero Cake

I have always loved to bake, and in honor of being a wannabe foodie, I always decorated my desserts using simple and complimentary ingredients to enhance the flavor of the dessert (fruit, chocolate, nuts, herbs, etc).  Although intrigued by serious cake decorating, I quickly judged fondant covered cakes as adult play dough.  I would never subject my taste buds to such mediocrity, when I could cover my cakes in rich butter cream, tangy cream cheese, or dark chocolate fudge!  Who wants a cake that looks good, when you can eat a cake that tastes good?!? (more…)

3 Comments

1 2