Week 12, April 26

This is the last pick-up for the current CSB session.  As a send-off, each member will be receiving 6 assorted cupcake-sized tartlets.  Tartlet flavors are:

~Lemon-Meringue:  Classic pastry filled with tart and tangy organic lemon curd and topped with a dollop of meringue.

~Double Chocolate Cream:  Chocolate pastry filled with handmade dark chocolate pudding and finished with a swirl of whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

~Fresh Strawberry:  Organic strawberry puree and a whole berry.

~Island Lime:  Ginger snap cookie crust, lime curd mousse (scented with hints of coconut and rum), toasted coconut and lime zest for garnish.

~Chocolate-Mint:  Classic pastry crust, filled with chocolate mint pudding, whipped cream stars.

~Velvety Chai:  Handmade pudding scented with spices and black and green tea.

These little pies must be kept refrigerated.  They are best enjoyed within a day or two.  For leftovers, wrap well or place in a sealed container, and chill.  I don't recommend freezing these.

Week 11, April 19

Without a doubt, cupcakes are the most popular item I make.  The little cakes are super trendy currently, especially in the larger cities, and they're easy to grab for a quick treat, or to enjoy as a special occasion dessert.  I am often inspired to come up with new flavors, and the opportunity to make so many different flavors is one I just cannot pass up! 

This week CSB members are receiving an assortment of 6 different cupcakes, each one completely different from anything sampled before.  Flavors are:

 ~Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry: Chocolate cake, fresh strawberry mascarpone frosting, dark chocolate ganache drizzle, fresh strawberry

~Snickerdoodle: Cinnamon-Vanilla scented cake, French buttercream, cookie decoration

~PB-Choc Swirl: Chocolate cake, peanut butter and milk chocolate swirled cream cheese icing, all-natural mini PB cups

~Italian Strawberry Shortcake: Vanilla-lemon cake, organic strawberry filling, strawberry mascarpone icing, edible dragees

~Toasted Coconut-Chocolate: Chocolate cake, coconut French buttercream filling, dark chocolate ganache, toasted coconut flakes

~Creamsicle: Vanilla-orange cake, organic homemade orange curd filling, vanilla-orange swirl buttercream, handmade candied orange slice

Please keep these cupcakes refrigerated, as many have cream cheese or mascarpone in the icing or include fillings that must be kept cold.  As with all of my cakes, however, they are best served at room temperature, so you can just remove them from the fridge half an hour before serving and they should be perfect! 

Keep the cupcakes in a sealed container up to three days.  If you'd like to freeze some for later enjoyment, remove any fresh fruit toppings (they get weepy upon defrosting) and place the cupcake in the freezer until hard.  Wrap well in plastic, then place in a zip-top baggie.  They will keep, frozen, up to one month.  To defrost, leave the cake in its "wrapper," place on the counter or in a lunch box, and it should be ready to eat in less than an hour.



Creamsicle, Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry,
 PB-Chocolate Swirl



Snickerdoodle, Italian Strawberry Shortcake,
Toasted Coconut-Chocolate



Week 10, April 12

I spent every day of last weekend baking and decorating cupcakes for various events.  While I enjoyed the full schedule, it was a little difficult to plan for today's CSB pick-up with so much on my mind!  Feeling a bit scattered Sunday evening, I finally had a chance to sit down and figure out what I should make.  Now, if you know me personally, you will know that I am a major planner...it's highly unlikely for me to leave something, anything, to the last minute. 

After looking through my personal blog and numerous cookbooks for ideas, I had settled on several types of bar cookies.  This week CSB members will each take home an assortment of delectable treats, including:

~Ancho Chile Brownies- Moist, fudgy, and studded with pepitas (pumpkin seeds), these offer a warm, tingly heat that nicely complements the rich Scharffenberger chocolate.

~Sunny Citrus Squares- Topped with a flavorful lemon-lime custard, the 100% whole grain (spelt!) crust partners nicely for a delicious springtime treat that is still somewhat healthy.

~Marshmallow-Peanut Butter Double Fudge Brownies- These are whole grain also, but are so decadent that you might not even notice!  These brownies are baked with both natural cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips for a fudgy base, then are topped with homemade vanilla marshmallow, peanut butter fudge, and chopped peanuts.

~"Twix"- A world above the store-bought candy bar, my version starts with a crunchy shortbread cookie crust.  I top it with handmade creamy caramel and smooth dark Guittard chocolate.  Make sure these bars are at room temperature when you eat them!

~Vanilla Cheesecake Bars- These are a bar cookie form of a favorite dessert.  They feature an all-natural graham cracker crust and a creamy pure vanilla cheesecake topping.  Keep these refrigerated!!

 The bar cookies will keep up to three days in a tightly sealed container.  Both types of brownies and the "Twix" should be left at room temperature.  The vanilla cheesecake bars must be kept refrigerated.  If you don't eat up all of the Sunny Citrus Squares tonight, then place them in the refrigerator as well.  Enjoy!

Marshmallow-Peanut Butter Double Fudge Brownies
Sunny Citrus Squares

Vanilla Cheesecake Bars
Ancho Chile Brownies
Homemade "Twix"

Week 9, April 5

By now it's not much of a secret that I enjoy making cakes (and cupcakes) more than just about anything else.  There's always an air of celebration around a beautiful cake, and it's so fun to be a delicious part of that!  It's also a hobby of mine to come up with different flavor combinations, often inspired by other dessert, truffle, or confection flavors that I stumble upon when I'm travelling, visiting little shops, or perusing a farmers' market.

I was asked to make a Mardi Gras themed cake a few weeks ago, and I suggested Bananas Foster as the flavor, since that's a dessert that originated in New Orleans.  Since that event, I have been itching to recreate the cake again, mostly so I would have the opportunity for a taste! 

This week, each CSB member is receiving one 6-inch two layer Bananas Foster Cake.  I started with my classic yellow cake, made with pure butter, local organic eggs, and evaporated cane juice.  Once those came out of the oven, I sliced them into layers and infused them with banana liqueur, rum, and spices.  The cakes were then filled with whipped creme fraiche, fresh banana slices, and a drizzle of my homemade salted bourbon caramel sauce.  I topped each cake off with vanilla French buttercream, a sprinkle of toasted walnuts, and another drizzle of caramel.

Each cake should serve 6 people (or 4 very generous servings).  For any pieces that might be leftover, refrigerate, wrapped well, up to three days.  You may freeze this cake, but do be aware that the fresh banana slices might get a little gooey when it defrosts.  Of course, they're in the filling, so that might not be a big issue since they're hidden.  Freeze the cake, whole or by individual slice, until solid.  Wrap well in plastic and store in the freezer up to one month.

Week 8, March 29

Due to a special request, and because I just returned from a fun girls' trip to Italy, cannoli is the treat-of-the-week! I have had cannoli several times throughout the years, mostly when traveling. It's hard to find, and when it is stumbled upon, often the shells are premade, even if the filling is made there.

Five years ago I took my husband to New York City for my sister's wedding, his first time on the east coast. He loved just about everything on the trip (I think, with the exception of traffic, maybe), with one highlight being a visit to Little Italy, in Manhattan. He had his first taste of cannoli there, and fell in love. For Christmas that year I put some cannoli forms in his stocking, with a promise to make them, which I do off and on as a special treat (cannoli were his birthday request last year, instead of a cake!).

Cannoli are tube-shaped Italian cookies. The dough is made with sweet white wine and eggs, kneaded similarly to pasta, and rolled out very thin. I cut out circular shapes, roll those into ovals, and attach them to metal tubes (cannoli forms). They are then fried to form a crispy shell.

Using whole milk and a little citric acid, I make fresh ricotta cheese, that is then folded into sweetened whipped cream, organic lemon and orange zest, and dark chocolate. The pastry cream is piped into the crispy shells, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and served.

There is not a good way to store these treats. They are best eaten right away, before the shells have a chance to soften. If you find that you have too many to consume all at one sitting, be sure to refrigerate the leftovers. I like to serve cannoli with a fruit garnish, such as orange sections or fresh strawberries.

Week 7, March 13

What a sticky, gooey, deliciously fabulous concoction! Homemade marshmallows seem like such a luxury, and I have been known to come up with lots of various flavors to enhance the gourmet experience even more. For this week's treat each CSB member will take home confections that are kind of a cross between s'mores, marshmallow truffles, and whoopie pies.

Homemade chocolate and regular graham circles start as the base for the yummy treats. The chocolate circles were topped with a generous dollop of raspberry marshmallow (made with my neighbor's organic raspberries, frozen last summer), and the regular graham circles were crowned with fresh vanilla marshmallow. Both versions were topped with a drizzle of dark chocolate.

As with all baking, sometimes the results don't turn out exactly as expected. I have made the grahams numerous times, and they stay crispy for weeks, even forgotten in the back of the pantry! When I topped the crunchy, fresh-from-the-oven graham circles with the warm marshmallow, however, they softened. I was a little surprised, and almost worried at first, but the first thought that popped into my mind upon tasting one was...Whoopie pie! So they're very yummy, even if not crispy!

In addition, with St. Patrick's Day at the end of the week, I made some Shamrock Meringues. These are very crispy, and will keep their crunch if tightly sealed, away from any moisture that may be in the air. Please consume the marshmallow treats within a day or two, however, for their best texture and flavor.

Week 6, March 8

This week CSB members will be supplied with new cookie jar favorites. Off-the-wall flavors make for an interesting contrast, and in keeping with my way of doing things, I have stuffed the boxes with a widely varied assortment. Hopefully there's one or two that will appeal to each member of the family!

~Toasted Hazelnut-Coconut: Buttery, crispy, and delightful!

~Triple Chocolate w/Roasted Peanuts and Caramel: Homemade caramel chunks and lots of chunks of dark chocolate make these chewy, rich, and delicious! Try warming them for a few seconds in the microwave to make them gooey.

~Vanilla Bean Sandwiches: Chewy vanilla cookies filled with vanilla bean creme.

~Killer Peanut Butter Fudge: These are huge, sinfully rich cookies! Don't attempt to eat one without a glass of milk close by!

~Lime & Pepita Sugar Cookies: Sunny lime and toasted pepitas make for a slightly odd, but absolutely delectable combination.

~Cranberry, Ginger, & Dark Chocolate Chunk: These are butter-free and are made with organic canola oil instead, whole grain oats, dried cranberries, chunks of dark chocolate, and candied ginger.

~Vanilla & Caramel Crispy Treats: Gluten free brown rice cereal, homemade vanilla marshmallow, and homemade, slow-cooked caramel make this twist on a classic American treat divine.

Please eat the crispy treats within a day or two. The other cookies can be stored in airtight containers; chewy cookies up to three days, and crisp cookies up to

a week. Any of the cookies (not the crispy treats) can be wrapped and frozen for up to one month.