2013, you were better than keen! You were amazingly great and delicious. I traveled a ton, I did a lot, I had a book come out, and I ate, ate, ate sweets.
Here are a mere 50 of the greatest moments of the year...no particular order.
Upon reviewing after finalizing my list...could 2014 possibly be any better than this amazing year? I hope so, for me and for you, sweeties!
- My second book came out! The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts
!
- I went on book tour. It was awesome.
- Why cupcakes are nutritious. Important and relevant, always.
Buttermilk drops in New Orleans. They're not munchkins, they're not doughnut holes, they're their own thing.- Angelo Brocato in New Orleans. A new beloved.
- Actually...everything I ate in New Orleans.
- Whoo's Doughnuts. Especially the pistachio lemon white chocolate variety.
- Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream. Favorite flavor? Banana cajeta. As fun to say as it is to eat.
- Horrifying but gratifying: Easter candy pie.
Crumb cake I made. The world's most perfect food?- The tasty scones at Whisk Bakeshop, St. Louis
- Gooey butter cake I made. Yes.
Watergate cake: a historically interesting pistachio cake.- 10 layer peanut butter cake. As amazing as it sounds.
- Smith Island cake. Amazing, worth trying at least once. Or ten times.
- Tunnel of fudge cake: a Pillsbury icon.
- Katharine Hepburn brownies: tasty, and with an interesting story (featured in my book).
Biscuits from The Wandering Goose Cafe. Just look at that thing.- Chocolate walnut pie on a shortbread crust. Derby-style pie with a shortbread crust? Yes, please.
- Ice cream from Bassett's, Philadelphia. The post is old but I enjoyed their ice cream anew in 2013.
- Hoffman's ice cream, Jersey Shore. Like #20, one I enjoy each year.
- Frog cupcakes from What's for Dessert, Spring Lake NJ. A classic!
- The mural I painted in Delaware! It was a fantastic project.
Everything pinon in Santa Fe. There's so much pine nut stuff!- Cupcakes from Dream Cakes, Santa Fe. Truly dreamy, and very unique.
- Boston cream shortcake. What part of that is not completely right?
My birthday cake, from Dulce in Santa Fe. It's funny and true! I turned 32!- Cupcakes from Swirlz in Chicago for my book signing.
- A soy milk daydream. It's sweet n dreamy.
- Crumb cake I made: yes, this is the second time it appears. A true favorite!!
- Doughnuts from Nickel Diner, Los Angeles. They're awesome.
- Peach pie I made. It tastes like summer.
Shortbread cookie truffles. Seriously--crack filled.- Banana coconut cream pie from Jambo Cafe, Santa Fe NM
- Homemade brown sugar. Who knew you could make your own?
- Parker house rolls. Carb-o-licious.
Cupcakes from Church of Cupcakes in Denver. Too amazing!- Pie, enjoyed in Pie Town (it actually exists).
- Stolen cadbury creme eggs. So much tastier when forbidden.
- Sweetened condensed milk Funfetti cake. The name says it all.
- Southern grits pie. It's like breakfast and pie all at once!
- Muffins from Linda's Seabreeze cafe, Santa Cruz, CA. Much ado about muffin.
- The chocolate-filled streets in Hershey, PA. The streets are paved with dreams!
- Almond croissant from La Boulange. I love them.
- Lady baltimore cake. Fiction, fact? Who knows which is which with this cake.
Food for thought: does cake taste different depending on your state of mind? I vote yes.- Frozen hot chocolate from Holy Cacao, Austin TX. Creamy, dreamy, delicious.
- Every single thing from Sugar Mama's Bakeshop, Austin TX. Such talented bakers!
- Salted butterscotch cashew shortbread bars. Yes, yes, yes.
- Ryba's fudge from Macinac Island, Michigan. It's unlike anything else.
- BONUS: Also, every single thing I ate at Huckleberry in Santa Monica.
Not that you asked, but I also have a Most awful thing: Mac n cheese cookies. Oh, no! I wish I could forget them.
Oh, and since I feel like my publisher would want me to say it, buy my book: The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts
Happy 2014, my sweets!