Fondant Tulips and Chocolate Bowls

I'm on a mission to create fondant tulips! I'm making a birthday cake for a woman who loves tulips. I had some fondant, toothpicks, and my hands. Off to work! These will be painted with a mixture of edible color dust and clear vanilla extract. I'll wait for them to harden.

The start of my tulip. Pretty easy-- I just rolled out the fondant into a ball and kinda squished one side to make it a cone shape.

I used a pair of scissors to cut twice in the top, making four little petal tops. I then used my toothpick to indent down the side of the cuts to make it look like the petals coming together. I stuck a toothpick in the bottom and hung them on a cooling rack, as I will want to poke these in my birthday cake when the time is right. I suppose you could use wire too.

This is one of my more open tulips. I've searched for a few tutorials on fondant/gumpaste tulips and found one, but you seem to need specific tools. I'll give it a whirl later with things I have around the house--maybe it'll turn out just as great?! Here's the link to the other fondant tulip tutorial.

I've been getting more and more excited about working with fondant. It's like edible playdoh. I searched sugar art and caramel bubbles at work tonight. Ran into a pastry competition that occurs in France and was inspired by all the sugar art and fine attention to detail.

Here are the tulips being painted. I had a blast painting them!!!

The finished cake!! I think it is lovely. I'd totally do this cake again and make the fondant tulips.

Chocolate Bowls

(Never heard of caramel or sugar bubbles?) They remind me of my mom's edible craft project she taught me and my sister years ago. Blow up small balloons. Melt almond bark (or chocolate) and dip the balloon into the warm runny chocolate. Set them on wax paper to harden, and then pop the balloon! There you have a hardened chocolate bowl, perfect for ice cream or a scoop of strawberries. While the chocolate is still warm, however, why not dip it then in crushed up nuts or cookies? You could really have fun decorating these bowls for any occasion!

All that attention to detail and perfection in pastries made me realize that my country bumpkin way of cooking really is out of the norm. It's okay though! As I've said, I use what I have to create whatever I want. It works for me! Maybe someday this girl will break down and buy a fondant smoother or a set of tools specifically fashioned for use in making fondant tulips.

Decorating Supplies--are they really a 'must-have?'

I used to be a farmville addict. You know--that free game on facebook.com that allows city folk and country bumpkins alike become thriving farmers. You plant crops, harvest them, sell them, and buy expensive farm equipment. It's a game that gives the player no actual physical rewards--it's all online fame (albeit farming fame).

After months of building up my farm and playing hours on end, I up and decided it was a moronic to devote so much time and energy in something that gives no emotional or physical dividends. I deleted the application from my account.

OH the horror! The withdrawal! I was itching to harvest just one more crop. It was country crack on my computer screen.

It was about this time I decided to get more into photography and doing things other than computer hobbies. Doesn't the great outdoors inspire you? Walking outside and just being still and quiet gives a person a sense of being little and at peace--even for a moment.

Southern sky, Colorado Springs

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs

I've got three orders this week and one already for next week for cakes. I must say that I'm super excited! I've never had people actually ordering my goods--I usually just give my sweets away. I'm so happy I'm able to create something delectable and tangible for someone.

In preparing for the cakes I'm making, I've been searching out supplies. I am making a two tier layer cake for a baby shower. I'll need dowels, cardboard cake rounds, parchment paper, the cake and fondant of course, and food color. Don't forget the imagination!

I've done a bit of research on tiered cakes and from what I gather, it's most important to make sure your cakes are level, cooled, and that supporting dowels are inserted into the cakes to make sure the cake is stable for tiers being placed on top. You hear horror stories of cakes falling over or tipping at the event. I want to avoid that at all costs!

Another thing about working in the field of cakes is wondering about cake decorating supplies. Do you REALLY have to buy all those decorating tips for frosting? What about fondant tools?

There's things that certainly aren't a must-have, for instance, the fondant pizza cutter tool. Just use a knife or your usual pizza cutter. Some things do come in handy-- like a long serrated knife for leveling or a pedestal lazy susan for decorating. There are wants and there are needs.

Needs: Cake pans. Icing spatula.

Wants: Fondant smoother, a measuring mat for rolling out dough or fondant (just measure!)

As for the frosting decorating tips, I certainly like all the choices. Some tip decorating kits come with a little guide to show you how to use the tips. Certainly helpful! If you are serious about piping frosting onto fondant or icing, I highly recommend the tips.

I've made a few fondant cakes in the past and have not found a need for the fancy expensive fondant tools found in decorating aisles of the store. I use toothpicks, spoons, forks, whatever I need to get the desired look and shape. Cookie cutters come in handy as well. Perhaps if I knew the purpose of the tools I might find a need to buy them and find a use for them. As it is, I'm cheap! I use what I've got and I make it work.

For instance, I make sure to prepare my homemade marshmallow fondant to the T, I level my frosting on my cake before I place the fondant on top, and I smooth the fondant with my bare hands and a paper towel to take out any marks. That fondant smoothing tool is a great tool to have but I make it work without it. Perhaps later as I get to be a perfectionist (even more than I am already), I'll purchase a tool like that and others I might use.

All in all, if you have the money and you are serious about cake decorating, start out with the basics-- a long serrated knife or a cake leveler. Icing tips. A rolling pin. Sturdy baking pans and quality ingredients. All the fancy things can come later once you've perfected what needs to be laid as the foundation for your future ventures.

Best of luck! I'm off to buy ingredients for my cakes later today. My goal for tonight is to make fondant tulips for one of the cakes. I'll let them dry to hard and then later, I'll paint them with edible color dust mixed with vanilla extract or vodka. If I get adventurous, I might even make chocolate molding clay! Yes!

Have a fantastic day!

Baking for a living!

I decided to face my fears and put myself and my baking out there! I mentioned that I'm interested in taking orders for cheesecakes and for fondant cakes. Within an hour, I had 3 new clients lined up for cakes. I won't forget these first few people who are buying my goods.

Stress at my current job thrust me into this new realm. I realize that I should be doing something I love and I don't want to regret not taking this risk, even if it's a small risk.


It's really quite relieving-- to be doing something I love and to know that people want my goods. Pictures will come soon! In fact, that's one of the many reasons I'm branching out to serve people with my desserts--I need a portfolio. I consider one day applying at a major wedding bakery and realize that if I don't have the work to back it up I won't really be taken seriously.

It starts bringing out questions like "where do I get my boxes and cardboard rounds?" "do I need a business plan?" It's times like this where I need someone to grow up near to train me on these types of things. I guess it's all a learning process I'll have to figure out. It'll make me stronger, eh?!

What do I have that other bakers do not? It's THAT distinction that will be my springboard and help me become great at what I love to do.

Onward and upward!

Cheesecake Website!

I had some extra time at work, so I made myself a cheesecake website! It's sugarhush.webs.com

At least it's a start, right?!

Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce, Jalapeño Wrappers

I'm a huge fan of the 'burn your mouth and then sugar coat it' feeling when I eat sauces and Asian inspired meals. I was super surprised a year or so ago when I found homemade sauce recipes that could be made with simple ingredients I already had laying around the house and that gave me that wonderful sweet burning feeling dancing around my tastebuds.

For a game night, I made some jalapeño wrappers-- candied jalapenos chopped and mixed with cream cheese inside phyllo dough and baked. DELICIOUS. I had to have a sweet spicy dipping sauce!

Baked Jalapeño Wrappers

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 pkg phyllo dough (found in the freezer section) or wonton wrappers

8oz jar/can of jalapeños chopped small (candied if you can find them)

2 pkg cream cheese

1 garlic clove chopped small (or a couple of tbsp minced garlic)

onion powder

You'll also need olive oil (or any oil) mixed with some pepper, garlic powder, or onion powder to brush on the tops of the finished wrappers before you bake them to give them a nice golden crispy tasty color.

(recipe as listed will make about 20-30 jalapeño wrappers. If you like spicy, add more jalapenos if not, take some away)

-Thaw phyllo dough per directions on package. Have a moist towel handy to cover the dough when you aren't using it, or it will dry out (no good!)

-mix up the rest of the ingredients until smooth

-preheat oven to 350

-take a few layers of the phyllo dough and cut them into squares--about 4 by 4 inches or 5 by 5 inches.

-put a large spoonful of the filling into the center of the dough and wrap it up, folding it together.

Fold the sides together

Wrap it up

I kinda mushed the folded sides together on top.

Lightly brush the top with a mix of oil and pepper/garlic.

Wrappers waiting to be baked!

Waiting....waiting....

Bake at 350 for about 10-20 minutes, depending on the crispiness you want them. I'd recommend about 15 for a nice crisp.

Baked!

Don't under cook them or the phyllo dough won't be set up--it will be doughy still and the bottoms will be soggy. Make sure you bake them for a decent amount of time. If you need, check them after about 10 minutes to see if the bottoms are crispy and hard. That's the best way to check for doneness.

These things were a HIT! If you'd like, experiment by taking away the jalapeños and adding artichoke and spinach to make artichoke spinach wrappers. How yummy!!!

Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce

2/3 Cup water

2/3 Cup sugar

1/2 Cup white rice vinegar

4 heaping tbsp chili garlic paste

2 tbsp cornstarch

onion powder (to taste)

garlic powder (to taste)

Mix all ingredients together.

Bring to a boil.

Turn on low heat for about 5 minutes.

Done!

It's kind of a pain to assemble and bake, but these jalapeno wrappers and the delicious dipping sauce are well worth it! If I had to change anything, I would have made more!! Some recipes call for deep frying these things. I'm sure you could, but baking is a tad more healthy and it worked for me--as I don't have a deep fryer and didn't want to waste all that oil in a stock pot.

Enjoy, enjoy!! These are GREAT!

Calm in the storm

Good Day!

I must say that it's been such a nice winter here in Colorado. The weather has been very warm and we've only received one large snow storm that lasted only a week. I'm very thankful for the nice weather! It lifts everyone's spirits.

I have been coming out of my shell a bit lately and in doing so am receiving a bit of criticism from people I know. At one point or another, we all have received flack for deviating from the usual self everyone is used to seeing. I've learned, however, that some things don't matter and some things do. I've learned that some issues are too small to worry about when considering the large picture. I hope you find a calm in your own heart when you get too stressed.

No baking for me today. I'm taking a small break and just going to relax today with the pups and my wonderful husband. Perhaps this weekend has some cake or cookies calling!

Have a peaceful day, friend.

Delicious White Velvet Cake

I enjoy checking out cupcake blogs and on one there was a link for White Velvet CupCakes. I checked it out and tried the recipe today. As I type this, white velvet cake is baking in the oven. I usually can't stand the flavor of homemade white cakes because they taste like cornbread. Not this one!

This recipe is beyond simple. It tastes so great. I highly recommend using organic/raw sugar. I don't know if it scientifically changes the flavor of the cake, but I swear by it. I try not to buy white sugar anymore.

Recipe from Fifteen Spatulas blog

White Velvet Cake

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter

about 3 tsp baking powder

3egg whites

2/3 cups milk

vanilla and almond extract

mix the first set of ingredients in a mixer.

whisk the second set.

add them both together.

bake at 350 for a little over 20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

YUM!

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.