WEDDING WALK at ROSE BREDL

MANY, MANY, MANY THANKS TO THE LOVELY LADIES AT ROSE BREDL FOR HOSTING SOME OF MY GOODIES TODAY DURING THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE SHORT NORTH'S WEDDING WALK.

LADIES- if you are getting hitched, ROSE BREDL is where you MUST go for flowers. The lilacs and hydrangeas were glorious! They also have a BLOG, in addition to their home site.


Ashley, of GINGER&BIRCH was also present with some of the MOST delicious, healthful treats I have ever tasted. Check out her blog, it's going to be a place that I frequent starting today! I feel like an idiot for not capturing pictures of her spread- asparagus, goat cheese with 'kick in the pants balck berry habenero marmalade' and much more.
I think I was too nervous to do much else then get set up. I'm also not sure that my pictures could compare to the ones on her blog- so go go GO!

I made the KEY LIME CAKE POPS using the same recipe as I had for last weekends BAKE SALE.

Well, almost. I used this recipe for the cake:

I also cooked up a batch of these lovely mini-cupcakes, using the same vanilla cake recipe and this recipe for the YUMMY frosting!
THE DOGS WERE LAZY BONES ALL WEEKEND- JUST LAYING AROUND, AS USUAL.

BAKE SALE! KEY LIME CAKE POPS!

WE HAD ANOTHER BAKE SALE LAST NIGHT TO BENEFIT A REALLY GREAT CAUSE:

MY SISTER RECENTLY GIFTED ME TWO NEW BAKING COOKBOOKS, ONE OF WHICH WAS "BAKERELLA'S CAKE POPS!"

I WAS EXCITED TO SEE WHAT I COULD DO WITH AN OLD FAVORITE RECIPE TO GIVE IT A NEW TWIST, AND A NEW LOOK.

I READ THROUGH THE BEGINNING SECTION, AND IT GIVES YOU SOME GREAT TIPS FOR THE PROCESS. THANK GOODNESS, BECAUSE IT WAS A BIT OF AN UNDERTAKING.

FIRST THINGS FIRST, I HAD TO BAKE THE CAKE IN A 13 X 9 INCH PAN AND GIVE IT TIME TO COOL COMPLETELY. I MADE THE CAKE USING A BOX CAKE, BUT SUPPLEMENTED THE WATER FOR A CUP OF BUTTERMILK AND ADDED AN EXTRA EGG. YUM!


AFTER THE CAKE WAS BAKED AND COOLING, WE HAD TO GO AND GET SOME SUPPLIES. DAKOTA IS AN EXCELLENT CO-PILOT.

THE SUPPLY LIST WAS...EXTENSIVE? I NEEDED TO GET LOLLIPOP STICKS, SOME STYROFOAM BLOCKS TO HOLD THE POPS UP AND SOME RIBBON. OF COURSE I COULDN'T RESIST GETTING SOME METAL BUCKETY THINGS AND SOME SHREDDED CRAFT PAPER TO COMPLETE THE SPRINGY LOOK. OH, I ALSO HAD TO GET SOME CANDY MELTS TO COAT THE POPS WITH.

THANK GOODNESS MICHEAL'S HAS EVERYTHING ALL IN ONE PLACE! ALSO, I SAW IN US WEEKLY, THAT IT'S COOL AGAIN TO SHOP THERE. PHEW.


I MADE ONE OF MY FAVORITE FROSTING RECIPES:
THE NEXT STEPS OF THE PROCESS WERE PRETTY LABOR INTENSIVE, SO I DIDN'T TAKE MANY PICTURES OF THE PROCESS. HERE'S THE SHORT VERSION:

CRUMBLE THE CAKE INTO A BOWL, ADD IN THE FROSTING UNTIL THE CAKE TO FROSTING RATIO WOULD ALLOW YOU TO PICK UP THE MIXTURE IN YOUR HANDS WITHOUT IT STICKING TOO BADLY. MY FIRST TRY, I HAD TO ADD MORE CAKE CRUMBLES BECAUSE IT WAS TOO STICKY AND TOO HEAVY FEELING. FORM THE CAKE MIXTURE INTO BALLS SMALLER THEN A GOLF BALL. PLACE ON A BAKING SHEET AND PUT IN THE FRIDGE TO COOL.

I CRUSHED THE GRAHAM CRACKERS IN A BOWL AND ADDED IN CLEAR SPRINKLES FOR A LITTLE SPARKLE. THEN, I MELTED THE CANDY IN A BOWL AND PREPPED MY STYROFOAM BLOCKS BY PRE-STICKING THE LOLLIPOP STICKS IN THEM (ANOTHER GOOD TIP FROM THE BOOK).

TAKE THE LOLLI STICK AND DIP IT INTO THE CANDY BEFORE STICKING IT INTO THE CAKE BALL. THIS HELPS IT STICK TOGETHER. ROLL THE CAKE BALL IN THE CANDY, COATING IT COMPLETELY. YOU WILL NEED TO HOLD IT OVER THE BOWL AND KEEP TURNING IT AS THE CANDY COATING SETTLES AND THE EXCESS DRIPS OFF. YOU CAN ALSO TAP THE STICK ON THE SIDE OF THE BOWL TO HURRY UP THE PROCESS. THEN, I SPRINKLED BY GRAHAM MIX OVER TOP AND STUCK IT IN THE STYROFOAM TO COOL. HERE IS MY FIRST ONE:

THEY WERE DELICIOUS, BUT MAN WERE THEY TIME CONSUMING! THE DOGS WERE FORCED TO ENTERTAIN THEMSELVES.

I WAS RUNNING LATE FOR THE BAKE SALE, SO I SNAPPED OFF SOME PICTURES AND RAN OUT THE DOOR. HERE THEY ARE IN ALL THEIR GLORY!!!




I'M HOPING THEY GET EASIER AS I PRACTICE. I ONLY USED 1/2 OF THE CAKE AND IT PRODUCED 2 DOZEN CAKE POPS. I SHOULD FINISH THE JOB TODAY...

BUT MAYBE I'LL JUST RELAX INSTEAD.

TAIL-WAGGER COOKIES

SO, I MADE THE DOG COOKIES AGAIN. THE GREY DOGS WERE EXCITED. AND SLEEPY. AND EXCITED.


I DOUBLED THE RECIPE, SO I COULD HAVE MANY TO KEEP AND MANY TO GIVE AWAY. CHARLEY APPEARED IN THE KITCHEN JUST LIKE HE ALWAYS DOES...EXCEPT HE WAS EVEN MORE UNDERFOOT THEN EVER.


THE RECIPE IS THE SAME AS BEFORE...EASY!

1/2 CUP BANANA CHIPS, CRUSHED
1 CUP PLAIN OATMEAL
1/8 CUP OAT BRAN
2 CUPS WHEAT FLOUR
1/2 CUP NO SALT, NO SUGAR PEANUT BUTTER
2 CUPS HOT WATER

PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 350 DEGREES

MIX ALL DRY INGREDIENTS TOGETHER, ADD THE PEANUT BUTTER, HOT WATER AND STIR IT UP (BRING YOUR MUSCLES!). IF IT'S TOO STICKY, ADD MORE FLOUR JUST A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SCOOP THE DOUGH ONTO A COOKIE SHEET WITHOUT IT STICKING TO YOUR HANDS TOO BADLY.


TAKE A FORK, AND PRESS THE DOUGH DOWN IN A CRISS-CROSS PATTERN. THEY WILL LOOK LIKE HUMAN COOKIES, AND YOU COULD EAT THEM JUST NOT SURE THEY WOULD BE DELICIOUS ENOUGH...OR THEY MIGHT BE A LITTLE TOO CRUNCHY!


BAKE FOR 40 MINUTES, TURN OFF THE OVEN AND LEAVE INSIDE OVERNIGHT.
YOUR DOGGIES WILL THANK YOU FOR IT. THEY LOVE THEM!

FROM THE KITCHEN OF...MIAGUS & ELISE!

THIS IS ELISE, A SUPER COOL KID WITH SOME AWESOME PARENTS! SHE ALSO HAS A LITTLE BROTHER, DEXTON, THAT JUST CELEBRATED HIS FIRST BIRTHDAY.

APPARENTLY, DEXTON HAS A FAVORITE PAIR OF PJ'S THAT WERE USED AS THE INSPIRATION.


THE CAKE IS FUNFETTI AND THE DOG BOWL CAKE IS FILLED WITH COCO PUFFS!


LIKE ANY YOUNG GUY ON THEIR FIRST BIRTHDAY, I'M SURE THAT DEXTON WILL BE DINING ON HIS DOGGIE BOWL CAKE ALL BY HIMSELF. WHAT AN AMAZINGLY CUTE IDEA.

THANKS FOR SHARING KEITH AND AMY!

The Pazcki Challenge

Samson Sous Chef:

For the first time ever, local Ann Arbor institution, Zingerman's, decided to make pazckis. You see, Fat Tuesday in the Detroit metro area is more often known as 'pazcki day'. It is a Polish-Detroit thing.

I decided that a comparison needed to be done. I pre-ordered a pazcki from Zingerman's, and picked one up from local bakery Dom's. The first difference was the price. Dom's was $1.25, and Zingerman's was $2.95. At first glance, the Zingerman's pazcki is much smaller. Dom's is huge, with a thick glaze.
My next step was to cut each pazcki in half to examine the filling. Dom's pazcki had a much larger amount of filling (both were raspberry) and was the typical gelatinous doughnut filling. Zingerman's pazcki had much less filling, but had the appearance of raspberry preserves.

The taste test was conclusive. Zingerman's pastry was light, airy, and springy. It had a more 'chewy' texture, and yet was soft. Dom's was a more cake-like texture with a higher density. In my opinion, Zingerman's had better flavor, and with all these factors, Zingerman's was the clear winner.

This was also the case with the filling. Zingerman's raspberry filling was more tart, obviously had a higher fruit content, and had a fresher fruit taste. Dom's filling was much more sugary, more gelatinous.

The only drawbacks to the Zingerman's pazcki was that it was much smaller and over twice the cost. However, since I don't eat doughnuts very often, for the once a year splurge, I think I'll go to Zingerman's.
Samson wasn't even too impressed with Dom's!

CARROTY CUPCAKES