In Action

{click on the picture}

This was the only picture that the bride got {which is sad} of the cupcakes I like the how you can see a clearer more detail but I would of thought that the photographer would of got more. May be a guest got one that I might get later {I hope}

How I love...

you...yes I do....

beachy

Well I wanted to do a quick treat for Shaine 4th grade class so I made little easy beach cupcakes.

Going Bananas...

I was reorganizing the refrigerator/freezer before making a grocery list and I realized that I had ton of ripe bananas in the freezer. So I thought banana bread..naaaa. I want to stay with cookies the next month or so. So I came across the Martha Stewart Banana Whoopie pie recipe. I'm always nervous to try her recipes but I had so many Bananas that If I threw out one batch it wouldn't put a dent in my supply..
The recipe is good but a bit dry. So I replaced the flour with Cake flour Much better! I also made a batch with more baking powder it spread a little too much they seemed more like pancakes. So all in all the best why to make these are following the original recipe but changing the flour.This was all the dough I need to make a nice size pie.

• 2 cups Cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup mashed banana (from 1 large ripe banana)
• 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
  
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Combine banana and sour cream in another bowl.
2. Beat butter and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed, until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, beating until incorporated. Add banana mixture in 2 additions, alternating with flour mixture.
3. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip. Pipe batter into 1 1/4-inch rounds on baking sheets, spacing rounds 1 1/2 inches apart.
4. Bake until edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Slide parchment, with cookies, onto wire racks. Let cool. (Unfilled cookies can be stored for up to 1 day.)

They recommend using Cream cheese filling. I used a honey cinnamon butter cream.

Black and White

For Betsy

Miss Betsy is graduating this weekend so I made some "girlie" Cookies for her. I will also have regular cookies with them as well.
After decorating I realized that I'm getting rusty so I really want to start working on what started my passion from the get go. So I hope to limit my cake projects and focus on getting my cookie rhythm back... So The next month may be posts of different designs{ maybe some old ones re vamped} as well....

Good Bye PC1

I made chef's hats for the last day of class. This was my first time with the design. I think I would do it a bit different next time. I think people will be able to tell what they are!

Anniversary Cake

To celebrate Me and my Husband's 8th year of Marriage I made our family a red velvet cake. This cake had a second tier that refused to cooperate and I had zero patience to deal with it. Knowing that it was just for us I figured that smaller was better.
The cake was very good with cream cheese frosting Ohhh ya! My real problems with the cake is that black coloring bleeds I added meringue powder to try to retard it but it is still really hard not to have a few areas. Next time I will do a colorflow technique that will greatly help. I have to admit I rushed the cake decorating. I know better....

What PC1 is cooking

Well this Wednesday I had my Professional Cooking Practical test. I was a bit consumed with the idea of cooking a three course meal in 90 mins! I've been taking this class as a prerequisite to a pastry program that I didn't "point wise" qualify, Plus there is some politics to it and none of my family members nor I know anyone affiliated with the program so I'm on to bigger things. Anyways...This cooking thing has been fun but the class has been a little too serious and most people couldn't handle my Californian personality so I've been on" my own" with a group of eclectic boys. All in all I have a solid A in the class{as of now}.

I am currently signed up for PC2 by the end of the month we will know a little more about our future and well see what happens! Education is wonderful but it can't teach you creativity! If you are an artist and take "Time" to prefect your skills you can achieve your dreams.
{P.S My cream of Celery soup sucked!LOL!}

White Wedding

This is the last of three posting on the wedding I just did. I'm disappointed to have not gotten good pictures but I was sooo busy and the lighting at the Shrine was very dim. All in all I did Red Velvet {Martha Stewart's recipe which is the same as Paula Deen's but with vanilla and more salt :)} Coconut w/ Coconut Butter cream,Chocolate w/ White Chocolate frosting, Lemon,Vanilla Bean and Carrot with modified cream cheese frosting.
I did two-three tier cupcakes for the bride and groom but only got a picture of the grooms.

{I'm hoping to get the pictures from their Photographer!}

Fondant/gumpaste flowers

{Vanilla bean with a modified Cream cheese Frosting}

This is another post on the Wedding that I just did. I made a variety of fondant/gum paste flowers. I like the mix the two types because the fondant stays softer than gum paste but gum paste is easier to get thin and pliable. I knew I was going to be knee deep in cupcakes so during the week I would make different flowers to top the cupcakes.

{Coconut Cupcake with Coconut Butter cream}

I was so busy that I didn't get a picture of the Lemon Cupcakes with daisy's :(

Making white chocolate curls

Well this is a first post of the many elements that I did for a wedding Sat May 8. It was a all white{color} wedding. The bride wanted 5 types of cupcakes one I decided on was a chocolate cupcake with white chocolate frosting topped with white chocolate shaving garnish.
I have a no big deal attitude when it come to something that I have never done before. I figure there is enough info on the web to stir me in the right direction..then it will be a trial and error from then on out. So I melted down white chocolate {which is harder to work with then regular "real"chocolate}poured it on the back of a cookie sheetand let it cool for only 10+ minutes. The first time I was using a garnish comb which made the shavings way too small. So I redid the process and used a high quality cheese slicer {Better Cheddar $15}. Much better! I think if I did this with regular chocolate it would curl more evenly.

Baby Lauer's Shower

{I did Coconut and Vanilla Bean cupcakes}

The Vanilla bean cupcakes were so fluffy! In the last cupcake blog I talked about the frustration about some recipes are too dense!I bought a box cake looked at all the ingredients and realized that the box cake has so much CRAP like hydo blah blah ... So I went back talk to my sister and she gave me a great recipe with a few Shabby tweaks and ....it's Good!!!!

{mini cupcakes for the little girls}

I just had to post some pictures of the Beth's house{I love this house..very San Francisco}