Break

I've kind of been on an involuntary break from baking for the past couple of months. I did, however, bake a mean batch of cookies this weekend with some friends and we turned them into ice cream sandwiches. Delish. Anyway, more on this in a bit.

Cupcake Cakes

One day, I'd like to try making a cupcake cake. They seem easy enough, but it's a matter of keeping them close enough together that they don't separate and ruin the illusion. And then I'd have to manage not falling into pieces when people pull the whole thing apart and destroy it. But that's what it's for, right?

What makes a good cupcake?

To be perfectly honest, I'm not big on cupcakes. Or cakes for that matter. If I am, it means that I am in a special mood, but most of the time, I'm not one to jump over tables, running for a cupcake.

And so, that sort of puts me in a creative disadvantage because there are so many different kinds of cupcakes out there and I'm in a cupcake slump. I need to make something new, think of a new design or something.

What's challenging about making a good cupcake is not only the flavour (which, I think, is the most important part), but the decoration. There's some unwritten rule that says that cupcakes must be charming, attractive, and bright in order for it to even be considered for consumption. That being said, it's very easy to get carried away with the decoration. I find that more often than not, the ratio of icing to cupcake is completely off. Besides, who, other than my nieces and nephews under 9, wants to eat all that icing anyway? And who, like I've said before, wants to eat fondant? No one and no one.


Hmmmm...how to decorate without overdoing the icing? I have some ideas. Stay tuned...

Red velvet cheesecake

President's Choice makes a red velvet cheesecake. It's a New York-style cheesecake surrounded by a red velvet crust with a chocolate cookie crust on the bottom and cream cheese frosting on top. It's delicious.

So...I thought I'd try making one using my own recipes.

While it wasn't as pretty, it was still good. I definitely have to try it again because I was making our dinner at the same time, so I wasn't really focussed. And, oh yeah, it was Christmas eve.

Christmas baking

Every year, I give away baked goods as Christmas gifts. I definitely put more love into it and more time and energy than shopping. And by the time I'm done, I'm exhausted. But it's all worth it when I hear the recipients say things like, "OMG, it's so good!" or "What's in this? Crack?" (it's true, people do say that).

So, this year, I decided to forgo sugar cookies all together (which I usually give out) and baked other stuff. Plus, I knew that if I did sugar cookies this year, I'd spend days and days decorating them (because I realllllly wanna practise decorating) and they'd end up stale. MERRY CHRISTMAS! Here's a stale but pretty sugar cookie!

Instead, I whipped up some Ginger Snaps/Gregs, Double Chocolate Chip cookies/Roberts, Brownies, French Macarons and whole LOAD of Bananarama Breads, Lemon Poposeed Loaves and Pound-for-pound cakes. My kitchen became a bakery/factory full of 10kg bags of flour and sugar, bricks upon bricks of butter, cartons of eggs, piping bags, food colouring, vanilla, measuring spoons, measuring cups, prep bowls, pinch bowls, stainless steel bowls... IT WAS A MESS. But an organized mess...just in a very small space. And it spread into our dining room, which was where all the goods were left to cool or left to be stored until packaged...in our living room. My nights were long but full of sweet, sweet aromas.

Mess. See?

Now my hands are dry as a lizard's back, my mixer is on a well-deserved vacation, but, my loved ones' bellies are full.

I hope you're feeling full from the holidays...and not just from the food, but from the love of the ones with whom you share your life.

Cheers to 2011!

New Site!

I've been working on a new design for the Treeh's Treats site for months. I started very slowly earlier in the year and only recently have been working many late nights to finish it up. So, how do you like it?

It definitely does more of the things I've wanted it to do, and is more easy to navigate.

It was also really fun to write up descriptions for all the baked goods. I found myself laughing out loud at some of them (or maybe it was because it was so late at night). My husband called me crazy. That's not something new.

Anyway, as I try out new recipes (ooooh nuts, I can almost taste you!) and perfect them, they'll make their way onto the menu. You'll hear more about my experimenting right here.

Enjoy!

Thoughts on Fondant

I've worked with fondant a few times. A few. It's really easy to work with (a lot easier than I had initially thought), and it makes things look soooo pretty...HOWEVER, let's be honest. Who really likes eating fondant? Do you know anyone who actually likes the stuff? I admit I didn't eat the fondant from our wedding cake. I didn't eat the fondant from the cakes and cupcakes I've made with fondant on them. BUT, I did eat the frosting UNDER the fondant. I ate the sweet butter creams and the smooth cream cheese frostings. Yum. And I'm not even a lover of frosting.

So, while I do understand the need for an aesthetically pleasing treat, I prefer to place the emphasis on the quality of the taste than the appearance. That doesn't mean I won't take an occasional order for something with fondant on it. ;)