Snowflake Cupcakes

I just recently made these snowflake cupcakes for a client.  I tried so many different methods in trying to make the snowflakes that they left me wanting to run and not make anything at all.  I tried making them with royal icing which is great for those that have the steady hand technique.  But then there's me.  The snowflakes I aimed to make with the royal icing turned out to look like weary pretzel sticks stuck together with glue :-(     I had seriously underestimated how hard it would be to make these darn little things.  So as I went on my day, I headed out to my local cake shop supply store for some items that I had to get.  It was also an excuse to just walk away from the project and take a breather. 

Well, I walk in to the supply shop as I always do, and I start skimming the isles to check out all of the cool new items that may have arrived.  I take my leisurely walk, letting my creative bubble be filled with so many ideas that I pick up with all of the inspiration that is lended to you when you visit.  I finish my visual tour by taking the items I picked up along the way to the registar when I catch a glimpse of snowflakes, a picture of snowflakes on a package.  In the package was an interesting gadget, actually 3 of them.  I swear the entire store became dark and the package was being illuminated by some light derived from up above somewhere.  Oh my gosh!  It was a stamp and cutter snowflake maker!  Woo hoo!  My prayers had been answered.  What's the best way to get a product out in the prettiest way possible...having a cutout of course.  So as law would have it, I had to buy it and take the credit for having made some damn pretty snowflakes all by myself   :-D

FYI, the shop I visited was ABC Cake Shop in Orange, CA.  Visit if you're nearby but beware of the force that will have you making cupcakes and cakes after your visit.

DIY - Fondant Baby Carraiges

This is a babyshower cake, which I'm sure you would guess by seeing the baby carraiges on the side, oh and the Baby sign on top :-)   As I was making it, I couldn't stop thinking at how easy it was to make these little carraiges and I wanted to show YOU!  You can make them yourself and use them to top cupcakes or to decorate your own cakes. 

So here we go...

These are the supplies you'll need, fondant (you can make your own fondant using this recipe from a prior post FONDANT recipe) in 2 colors of your choice. You'll also need round fondant cutters available from Wilton, Icing (color of your choice), #3 tip, pizza cutter, sharp knife or Exacto blade, fondant roller (regular roller is fine as long as the fondant doesn't stick to it).

Roll out your fondant about 1/4" thick and make a cut-out with the large circle.

Next, using your pizza cutter, knife or exacto, cut the circle in half.  You will now have two half circles.

Set one half circle to the side.  Cut one of the half circles in half again.  You should now have these 3 pieces.

Now grab your small circle and cut out two circles. Roll over them a bit to make them a bit bigger.

Take the small circle cutter again and cut out two circles of a different color. 

These are all the pieces you should have.

Using a small brush with a bit of water, brush the back of the smallest circle and then place on top of the bigger circle.  Repeat this step with the other two smallest circles.

When assembling the carraige, you'll have to place it on the cake or on the cupcakes.  You'll place the 1/4 circle on top of the half circle. Then you'll place the two small circles on top of the bottom portion of the half circle.

Now to decorate it...fill your pastry bag with icing and using tip #3, swirl the edges of the carraige.  Actually, you can decorate the carraige any way that you'd like, this is just the way I did it.

And Voila!  You now have a cute baby carraige to use as a decoration for your cake or cupcakes.

Christmas Cheer

This past weekend I had the opportunity to create a dessert table for a mommy group christmas party in Irvine, CA.  It was a christmas party for the mommy's night in get-together.  It was also a small group of no more than 20 moms so not alot of desserts were requested, only enough to make a good impression.

The desserts on the menu were...

Snowflake Brownies....Chewy brownie bites dipped in milk chocolate and sprinkled with shredded coconut.

Gingerbread cookies....these were snowflake shaped but none the less, gingerbread.

Peppermint Candy....peppermint candy shaped into stars and round christmas tree ornaments.

Red Velvet Cupcakes.

The table was adorned with snowmen provided by the host, a couple candles and chocolate bars wrapped in christmas cheer.

I will post the recipe on how to make the Snowflake brownies in another post so check back soon!