Holiday Goodies

I know the holidays are over and I'm a little late with this post but I feel so accomplished because I fulfilled my list of quintessential holiday treats to create and I just thought I'd share. Think of it as ideas for next year :)

My gingerbread cottage in the woods, with handmade templates & walls
Recipe [x 3 for two houses + lots of extra for cookies]

Buche de noel [Yule log cake] with coffee swiss buttercream, chocolate ganache, & meringue cookie trees & mushrooms
Recipe

Festive gingerbread cookies, inspired by Bakerella
Recipe [left over from the house]

Happy New Year :) Enjoy!

Pumpkin Roulade

I've always wanted to make a roulade cake. The idea of rolling up a cake with a delicious filling is just fun. Its so oh so pretty once you slice into it and reveal the pinwheel shape, everyone will think you've worked so hard while all along its such a simple cake.

You can make this cake with any flavor combination but since its the holidays and pumpkin is so widely available, it just seemed fitting. I filled mine with a spiced swiss buttercream that enhances the spiciness in the cake; fresh ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest. These flavors merry so well together.

Giraffe Birthday Cake

Last week was my best friend's birthday and she asked for a giraffe cake, because she is a giraffe :)

I haven't worked with fondant too much and this was my first time molding it and I was pretty happy with the results. I used this picture and used it as a guide for molding my giraffes and put them on top of a milk chocolate cake, filled with cherry Italian buttercream, and iced with Italian buttercream.

A few roses, and some grass and voilà! its now a giraffe in a rose garden cake.

Happy Birthday Yoohoo! <3

Mocha Macarons

Yes, I'm still alive. No, I haven't forgotten about my blog and now that I finally have my beautiful new kitchen, I am baking more and definitely updating more. I also started a new baking class at school "Advanced Patisserie Techniques" aka fancy plated desserts and candy making. Exciting, but also intimidating.

For my one of my final desserts in my last class (last week), we had to once again make the dreaded french macaron. One misstep or extra fold and these stubborn little cookies will crack, break, and just not achieve their coveted "feet". These are the most finicky cookies you will ever come across and you will cry as you make them over and over and not understand why they didn't turn out "just right". Until now that is, because I finally found a recipe that I absolutely love love love. I thought my recipe from school was good, but when the success rate only turns out to be 70%, it becomes frustrating.

My favorite macarons are Francois Payard's and I was beyond ecstatic when I found his recipe on food & wine's website. This recipe has the same ingredients as a typical macaron, just made with a different technique which I believe guarantees success. I filled these little cuties with the most delicious chocolate-coffee french buttercream. Pure decadence.

Rainbow Birthday Cake

 One of my besties birthday was this past weekend and naturally I wanted to make him a birthday cake. I saw this layered rainbow cake on a blog I follow a few months ago and I knew at that moment him + the rainbow cake = a match made in heaven. He loved it, everyone loved it, I was happy and considering my blog is in dire need of an update,  I'm going to talk about it.

This is such a fun cake, especially for summer or birthdays or anything festive to celebrate. Some birthday cakes can be so one-note, so instead of just layering cake/frosting/cake, I soaked each layer  in a vanilla syrup and filled it with some blackberry preserves as well. The purple frosting piped on the top and sides is also a blackberry buttercream to keep with the theme. If you don't like blackberries, you can use strawberries, raspberries, etc.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Everybody loves cupcakes. They are fun, cute, and endlessly customizable. Cupcakes with beer and hard liquor = even better. Although I  do love a good cupcake like the next person, they are truly the remedial treat of the patisserie world. If you can make cake batter, you can make cupcakes. So it irks me that so many classically trained pastry chefs have settled by just making cupcakes, and only cupcakes day in and day out. We don't even make cupcakes in my patisserie program because they are so simple and many of my chefs have mocked said cupcake makers. So since cupcakes are so simple in nature, but so fun to make, one should thrive for perfection and come up with creative flavor combinations that really can outshine a plain chocolate, vanilla, or red velvet cupcake.

Adam's birthday was on Monday, I offered to make him a birthday treat. I wanted to try something I don't bake often, and then a light switch went off. I thought about chocolate stout and how its used in baking and then remembered Adam's obsession with Guinness and it was settled, my birthday treat was born.

A Guinness cupcake with Bailey's Irish Cream Buttercream. And it was delightful.

'Spaghetti & Meatballs' Cake

I was skimming through an issue of Food Network Magazine a few months back and I saw a tutorial on this cake. Immediately I knew I wanted to make it for my boyfriend's mom, because she is an Italian New Yorker and I didn't think anyone could appreciate it more. Well her birthday was about two weeks ago and I finally had the chance.

I was a little apprehensive at first because I haven't decorated too many cakes, but it really isn't hard at all. First, I found delicious chocolate cake and vanilla buttercream recipes and swapped them out for the boxed cake & canned frosting recommended in the magazine. I took my time with it and I was very happy with the results. Her jaw dropped, she smiled & loved it and thats all I was hoping for!

Happy Halloweenie!

Halloween weekend just passed and Roxy threw a little party, so of course I was in charge of baking goodies for everyone. I decided to keep it simple and make classic chocolate and vanilla cupcakes.  Chocolate and vanilla can be pretty plain and boring sometimes, but if you follow a really great recipe they can be quite scrumptious.

Halloween was never my favorite holiday, but instead it always marked that time of year directly following it that makes me so happy. I love "the holidays", and in my life they include Thanksgiving and Hannukah, and New Years Eve. Halloween is always a fun holiday, especially because it lends so much creativity to numerous baked goods. I played it safe, but it was really my first time baking for a halloween party so I didn't want to stray too far out of my comfort zone.

I am super excited however for the next couple months and all the warm sugary treats I will be baking, not just at home but also in culinary school. I start the Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie and Baking Program this coming Monday!!

Recipes and pictures, after the jump!
Enjoy<3