Trying new things

Here are some photos of a turtle cheesecake we did for a co-worker. We have made cheesecakes before, but not this one.  We even made the caramel. They loved it.  We will have to make another one for home so we can try it.

Pre- caramel

Post Caramel goodness

 

 Something else we did was make a minion cake for our daughter's birthday.  She is represented by the minion topper.

Side view

Top shot

 This was also a first.  It is a pumpkin spice cheesecake.  I wish I had remembered to take a picture after it was cut.  The inside is a creamy cheesecake sandwiched between two layers of pumpkin spice cake.  We topped it with candied apple slices.  YUM!









We are looking forward to some more new treats to try.  The prettier the better.  We will be sure to take pictures of the next batch of Linzer cookies we do.

I forgot to mention this bourbon pecan cake. WONDERFUL!

A Learning Experience

Well, we didn't get a ton of orders as we had hoped, but I am guessing a lot of that is due to the fact that many people do their own baking this time of year.  However, with the orders we did get, we learned a lot.

1.  Just because something is very pretty, doesn't mean it is very edible.  We experimented with stained glass cookies.  They looked very pretty, but were hard as rocks!  Turns out, they are mostly used for making ornaments.  Funny how that worked out.

2.  Linzer cookies are wonderfully light, nutty and delicious.  I don't like shortbread cookies or cookies that are similar, but my oh my!  These beauties are definitely a keeper in my recipe file.  And they are actually quite pretty.  You have the cutout with the jam showing through and you can add powdered sugar or colored sugar sprinkles on top.  They are a little work, but FABULOUS and so worth it.  We even tried it with some homemade caramel in the middle.  Yummy.

3.  Freezing cookie dough is a magical thing.  I was afraid that the texture would be different or the flavor or something.  To my surprise, they tasted just as good as when I first prepared the dough.  Now, you may be thinking, 'oh she must have known about refrigerator cookies from the grocery store', and you would be correct.  I knew about them and have tried them...do not like them.  With that said, if you were ever afraid to make up a big batch of cookie dough, form it into balls and freeze for an easy treat later on... be afraid no more!  I know there are certain types that freeze better than others. You can find lots of info about those online.

The ones I froze were chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, white chocolate macadamia nut, linzer, and sugar cookies.  I haven't tried to bake the cookies and then freeze though.  That will be the next trial.

4. If you are a perfectionist, do not try to bake cookies at 12AM.  It just doesn't work unless you are a night owl.  What looks good at midnight may not look so pleasing at 8 AM, which means DO OVER!  Not fun.

5. When you are tired, Christmas music doesn't work as well to pep you up.  I'm just saying.

6.  Cheesecake is a luscious beast I love to hate.  She can be a temperamental creature, but when she is treated right, you will love her and never want to let her go.  When you don't, she will crumble and your world with her!  Ok, maybe not your WHOLE world, but a portion of it. :)

And lastly, no matter what speed bumps you come across, if you truly love what you are doing, it is all worth the trip.  So bring it on hard cookies, crumbly cheesecakes and other baking madness.  We are up for the challenge!

Time is ticking- place your cookie orders now

Hello all.  This is a busy time. We have done a few new things recently. We did a bourbon pecan pound cake, pumpkin spice cake with a cheesecake center and lemon cake with raspberry filling. Rave reviews all around.

Now is the time to get your cookie baskets!  The last day to place your order is December 16th. Check out the previous post for prices.

Will post pics soon.

Trying something new

So, I decided to be fancy and try something new for this year's thanksgiving potluck at work.  I am trying my hand at a pumpkin spiced cheesecake.  Ohhh but it is not as simple as it seems.  I just hope everyone enjoys eating it as much as I will making it.

I will post back with the consensus.

Updated cookie list

As promised here is the updated list.  Christmas is just around the corner.  This is going to be so much fun!!!

An update to come

I was going over the flyer and my husband reminded me that I had forgotten a very important cookie.  COCONUT MACAROONS!  I will be adding that to the flyer as well as white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. 

I will get that updated ASAP.

Also, there are a few people so far that I will be mailing the cookie boxes to.  There will be a little bit of extra cost for that, so if you were thinking of having some sent to a loved one, in the U.S. only please, that can probably be arranged as well!!

Later!

Holidays are upon us

It's that wonderful time of the year again, Holiday Time!  We are in the process of taking orders for cookie boxes. You can see ordering information below and also on the Cookie Boxes page in this blog. There will be a variety of cookies people can choose from.  We are very excited!!!  Of course we will be selling the usual suspects as well, cupcakes, cheesecakes, etc.

We have already had more orders this year for other things than ever.  That is a good sign.  I think I have also brought more treats to the office for people to sample than any other year too. lol  That's ok though because I love trying new treats and sharing them.  However, I will probably have to put out a donation jar if I want to continue doing this.  It can get fairly expensive.

Well, COME ON HOLIDAY ORDERS!  No WHAMMIES!!!

Post more soon. :)

We're Back!!!!!

Hi all!  It has been a while since my last post.  It has been a crazy, busy past year.  Things are beginning to slow down a bit now and I will be taking more time to keep this blog updated.

We have done some cupcakes for people this past year, as well as trying new dessert recipes that have been a hit for the most part.  We hope to do another taste testing soon.  We will open this one up though to more than just friends.

We know cupcakes are kind of falling by the wayside, but we do other desserts too,  so hopefully that will help us get established.  After all, who doesn't love homemade treats?

We are working on our decorating skills.  We have tried a few different things and they aren't perfect, but they are not horrible either.


These are Lightning McQueen cupcakes we made for a 4 year old girl.  She loved them, as did her classmates.

McQueen #95

Lightning bolt

Here are pics of a few more things we have worked on lately.  There are more pics on the Treats page.

Sportsman Cupcakes

Double baby shower cake

More 4th of July

Princess cupcakes