Remaining Book Tour Dates!

You guys...I know! Reminders help.

The book: The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts. 

The remaining book tour dates:

June 29th:

• What: Signing and Discussion
• Where: Booktowne, 171 Main Street, Manasquan NJ
• When: June 29th, 11 a.m.

And then back to Philadelphia...

June 29: 

• What: Signing and Discussion

• Where: Towne Book Center, Collegeville

• When: 4pm 

June 30: 

• What: Cake Baking Class!
• Where: COOK, Philadelphia
• When: June 30, 2pm (SOLD OUT!) 

Then, back to Seattle!

July 13 and 14 (Sat and Sun)

• What: Urban Craft Uprising!
• Where: Seattle Center, Seattle!
• When: July 13 and 14, 11-5pm

Hope to see you at one of these great events!

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

Photo via Alaska from ScratchI'm seriously into these mini lemon meringues! 

Bread winner: a tasty pecan cherry whole wheat loaf. I can only imagine the tasty French toast that would make!

It's a great day for a peach cobbler milkshake.

Behind the scenes in the life of a bake-off contestant!

I want this sundae!

I definitely want to eat these Portuguese croissants.

Great search parameters on Etsy...

Tastes like a dream...homemade creamsicles!

I'm pretty sure I have shared this before, but wow--again! Neapolitan rose cake!

Chocolate creme fraiche pound cake--fantastic!

Tasty for the summer: a cake that looks like a watermelon! 

Sounds like a guilty pleasure to me: pudding ice cream! 

Remember this totally sweet cupcake art installation I did?

Sweet Discovery: Cinnamon Rolls for Dinner

You know what kind of days I love best? The kind of days when a box of cinnamon rolls arrives at your doorstep, all ready for you to heat and serve. Of course, it's slightly better when they come with icing to put on top! Even better if it's in the afternoon when you receive this parcel, because the company they're from is called Cinnamon Rolls for Dinner!

Wait, you've never had one of those days? Well, I'm really sorry to hear that. Because as someone who has, I can attest to the awesomeness of this experience. But please, don't despair! Because it's possible that you, too, could have this moment in your life. You see, I received this box of samples from a couple who is looking to raise money on Kickstarter to make their mail order cinnamon roll business a reality--if you pitch in to the effort, they could really make it! 

Since I know just a cool idea isn't enough to make you invest, I will tell you a little bit more about them, starting with the cinnamon rolls.

Ooey, gooey, masterpieces, each one. They're small-ish, but very dense and hearty. Not too sweet, but buttery enough to satisfy your deepest cravings. One might just be enough per sitting. My goodness, how do they do it? Thanks to this helpful image on their site, I have an idea...

Ah, I see!

Now I know that you're probably curious about how the bakers roll (get it?), so here are a few questions I asked them: 

Please, sum up your business in 6 words or less.   Homemade goodness like the old days!

Why cinnamon rolls? It’s so hard to find an AMAZING cinnamon roll. I start craving them and I go to a local eating establishment and you see these beautiful cinnamon rolls and you get excited about how pretty it looks so you buy it because you know it is going to taste amazing.  You taste it and it’s the most depressing thing because you had high hopes for it.  These cinnamon rolls do NOT disappoint.  They look as wonderful as they taste.....  It seems like no one makes cinnamon rolls like they used to.  It’s all manufactured in some big plant!  I want old fashion cinnamon rolls made with love and with real hands, not machines!!

If I eat cinnamon rolls for dinner, what do you suggest for dessert?   I have the longest list of amazing things you could have for dessert!  But, if I had to give you ONE item for dessert - it would be the citrus grove cookies!  

What other sweets are some of your specialties?  Oh goodness - there isn’t much I don’t make.  There is a long list, but some include Rock-My-Road Texas Sheet Cake that is amazing, lemonade brownies, Oatmeal Fudge Fantasy Bars, Knock-Ya-Dead Strawberry Shortbread, whoopie pies, just to name a few!

What's the best thing to happen to you in the past 48 hours? Got an opportunity to help some very dear friends through a rough patch.

What quality do you most value in others?  HONESTY! Please don’t ever tell me what you think I want to hear - tell me what I need to hear! and ALWAYS tell the truth - ALWAYS!!

If you could choose three people (alive or dead) in the world to taste your baked goods, who would they be?

1. My grandmother - “mom” is what we called her

2. Paula Deen ( we both believe that butter does in fact make it better)

3. Ree Drummond - aka Pioneer Woman - she has given me inspiration that it doesn’t have to be fancy to taste good!  

What's your favorite word to describe your cinnamon rolls?   So good it makes you wanna slap your mama! I know it’s more than one word, but when it’s REALLY good, I always say this!

If I were to ask a cinnamon roll how he feels about sticky buns, what would he say?  He would laugh and say, what are you scared to be filled with ooey gooey goodness.... shame shame shame!

You've met your kickstarter goal. What's next?  Hit the stretch goals, deliver successfully on all the Kickstarter rewards, and then expand into a combination of catered events and e-commerce shipment of baked goodies.  Our hope is to parlay all of this into a food truck later this year in the Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex. But most of all, we are looking to continue to build our brand and grow a community of supporters and sweet tooth enthusiasts across North America!

I know I love these high rollers (get it? Get it? Like, rolling dough?) even more after reading these responses.

If you want more, please visit their website, ilovesweetmamas.com, their kickstarter page,  and find them on Twitter! 

CakeSpy For Craftsy: Sweet 16 Cakes!

More formal than a regular birthday party but not quite as serious or fancy as a wedding, a sweet sixteen birthday is the perfect occasion to create a treat that reflects a teen's unique personality and tastes. These lovely cake decorating ideas will give you a place to begin for choosing your own cake decorating adventure! 

Check out a collection of cakes I think are great choices for a Sweet 16--I put together a collection, with commentary, for Craftsy! You can read the full article and see more pictures here!

Sweet Story: Strawberry Sour Cream Sundae from Molly Moon's

CakeSpy Note: You know that I'm a sucker for a sweet story, especially when it pertains to the secret life of something sweet! So when I received this sweet story behind the Strawberry Sour Cream Sundae at Seattle's famous Molly Moon's Ice Cream, I had to share! 

When Molly was a kid in Idaho, her Grandma Angie introduced her to a delicious summer treat: dipping strawberries in sour cream and brown sugar. Grandma Angie holds a special place in Molly's heart partly because of her passion for politics. Molly remembers her grandmother as an energetic leader who was often working in political offices or on campaigns. When campaign volunteers were working late into the night, Grandma Angie would run out for strawberries, sour cream and brown sugar so her hardworking crew could have a special treat.

In honor of Grandma Angie, and the awesomeness of Washington strawberries, we’ve created a new sundae that is at once crunchy, creamy and cool.

We had a lot of fun making this sundae. We started with a scoop of our strawberry sour cream ice cream – a  simple combination of Remlinger Farms strawberries and sour cream - to make a richer, creamier flavor with just the tiniest bit of zing. Then we added some fresh, organic strawberries, a lightly sweetened sour cream and crunchy, golden Demerara sugar. A sundae isn't a sundae without whipped cream and a cherry on top, so we went ahead and added those too! The result is pretty to look at (all red, white, pink and sparkly) and a treat to eat.

We like to think Grandma Angie would approve.

Sorry! I don't have a recipe to share, but you can buy one of these sweet treats at all Molly Moon's locations in Seattle!

Iced Mocha Syllabub in a Jar

Hey bub. What's a syllabub?

Answer (according to the dictionary, anyway): A whipped cream dessert, typically flavored with white wine or sherry.

Basically, that's all I needed to get interested in this sweet treat. So I was really happy to find a recipe for a version which is--how cute--served in a jar! Everything tastes better in a jar. Where did I find this recipe? in a book called 150 Best Desserts in a Jar! Naturally!

Well, guess what? This almost tastes eggnoggy. Like, not quite, but like it could be related to the holiday treat. But I was delighted to find that it tastes just as good in the summer--like a boozy, tricked-out milkshake. If you really need more than that to be interested, then I don't know what's wrong with you. Here's the recipe!

Iced Mocha Syllabub

From 150 Best Desserts in a Jar

Makes 4 servings

• Four 8-ounce tall jars, buttered
• a blender
• an electric mixer

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 ounces dark chocolate (70%), melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 2 cups heavy or whipping cream
• 2 cups softened coffee ice cream
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Procedure

1. In a blender, process melted chocolate, sugar, espresso powder, vanilla, nutmeg and brandy until smooth.
2. In a large bowl, using electric mixer at medium speed, beat mascarpone for 2 minutes, until creamy. Add cream and beat until stiff peaks form. Gradually add chocolate mixture, beating constantly. Fold in the softened ice cream.
3. Spoon into jars and refrigerate for 30 minutes. When ready to serve, dust each jar with cocoa powder, dividing equally.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

Are doughnut wedding cakes the new big thing? It's been said since 2010 and before, but maybe now for real?

Related: I love this wedding cake.

Also related: Haters be damned, doughnuts are a fantastic trend!

Oh, hi. Have you ever been to a secret recipe potluck?

Sparkling desserts with Pop-Rocks...my kind of roundup!

Road trip to Berlin to eat cupcakes. I want that to be my life!

OMG! Chocolate waffles!

Ever heard of a snitter?

Or schmoo cake? 

Sounds refreshing: Pimms Jelly with Cubumer Sorbet!

Important life skill: how to make a candy salad.

Crullers, a recipe, and a mystery.

Curious about the secret life of a cake spy? Read this interview!

CakeSpy Undercover: Villa Blanca, via Ninja Baker

CakeSpy Note: This is a guest post from Kim Watkinson, The Ninja Baker. Her bio appears at the end of the post!

Note from Kim: Jessie Oleson Moore, The CakeSpy, brings readers like me such joy with her whimsical artwork and recipes. Remember Donut Stop Believin’ and Why Cupcakes are Nutritious? Like a rich chocolate cake, I am currently relishing every page of Jessie’s latest book, The Secret Lives of Baked Goods. So, I am thrilled to write this guest post for the Cake Spy whilst she is busy on her book tour. Thank you, Jessie!  

White lilies and other snow-white flowers strain their necks forward as if to say hello. A slight breeze ruffles the white tablecloth. I reach for my goblet of water with lemon and sip contentment. For a moment I feel like a movie star. After all I am taking lunch at Villa Blanca owned by celebrity Lisa Vanderpump. (One of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.)

Well-coifed BFFs with designer bags and shopping bags labeled Chanel and Ralph Lauren swinging from their arms chatter away as they wait to be seated. I feel lucky to have been seated at a table open to California sunshine and people watching. Oblivious to the splendor inside the restaurant in Beverly Hills, Italian suited businessmen on iPhones engrossed in the world of commerce rush by.

A friendly server comes over with menus. My darling niece, Jasmine and my friend Nobuko-san contemplate our choices. Nobuko-san and I are sticking strictly to dessert. (Life is short, right?) But Jasmine sensibly chooses a coconut milk and miso soup – which she generously shares. Nobuko-san and I prefer traditional Japanese fare so we wouldn’t have thought to combine coconut milk and miso. But we both agree it works. Jasmine observes the asparagus is “perfectly cooked and crunchy.”

As our English Toffee Bread Pudding arrives, we all play dessert detective. (Lisa Vanderpump is from the UK so we had to try this traditional British treat.) Supersweet! (I believe there is both white and brown sugar involved.) And the dessert stays true to its heritage with a sticky topping. My well-traveled niece was wary of the pudding, but found it “surprisingly good.” We all agreed the vanilla bean ice cream served with Villa Blanca’s version of the pudding is sublime.

To cleanse our palates we licked ice creams! Two were made with champagne and another was made with coconut ice cream. The latter was like a cake in ice cream form and full of flavor.

The pink champagne was uber-pretty and left bubbly puddles as it melted.

Next we dug into the Green Tea Tiramisu (pictured top). Nobuko-san and I thought the green tea accent was a tad weak and thought the cinnamon was a bit overpowering. But, Jasmine who grew up in California thought it was a winning blend of tea and strawberry. I’m not saying I didn’t love all the creamy goodness, but wished for a bit more matcha or green tea. (Sorry. You can take the girl out of Japan but you can’t take the Japan out of the girl.)

Whatever tastes may or not be wanting in a dish at Villa Blanca, the atmosphere and stellar service are well worth the Beverly Hills prices. Oh! You may just spot Ken Vanderpump, Lisa’s husband. He is 100% sweetie. While his lunch waited for him, he let a whole gaggle of customers take photos with him. To see the smile on my niece’s face and her excitement about meeting him was the crowning moment to a lovely afternoon at Villa Blanca.

Final word? Definitely worth the visit. Do make reservations. Villa Blanca 9601 Brighton Way Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Tel. (310) 859-7600. Online here.  

About the Ninja Baker, Kim Watkinson: The Japanese language and food was all I knew until age 5 albeit I’m a towheaded American. My 17 years in Tokyo influences my baking, blogging and book writing. At Ninjabaking.com I share scrumptious Asian fusion, American classics and gluten-free how-tos as well as fun facts about Japan.

Shortbread Cookie Truffles Recipe

Recently, I wrote up a tutorial on How to Make Oreo Cake Pops for the lovely and amazing website Craftsy.com. An important life skill if ever there was one!

And naturally, they were delicious. Here's a sneak peek:

and gosh are they tasty! (tutorial for those can be found here).

But the process got me thinking...could I do this with other flavor combinations? For instance, could I substitute shortbread cookies for Oreos, and fancy chocolate for the candy melts?

Why the heck not?, I thought, especially as I have a boatload of freebies I'd recently received, including tasty shortbread (Duchy Originals) and Tcho Chocolate. I thought: I'm going to make some shortbread cookie truffles, or die trying!

Actually, it wasn't so dramatic. I didn't actually think death was a possibility. But I suspected deliciousness was dangerously close!

So, I won't keep you in suspense. Here's how they came out:

I know, beauties, right? Here's an inside shot. 

And I am happy to report that they taste as good as they look. Lightly salty. Very buttery. A little nutty, owing to the fact that I used part regular shortbread and part "oaten biscuits". Nice and moist inside--the shortbread didn't crumble as much as I thought it might. And the chocolate was to die for. I used the Tcho Milk Chocolate discs (from their baking chocolate series), and I can say with no hesitation that this is not your typical milk chocolate. It almost tasted...caramelly. The flavor just lingered in your mouth. Yum yum yum yum yum. They're pricey, but if you have a recipe that will really let the chocolate shine, I say go for it. 

Nice little morsels--decadent, but hey, that's why they're in small portions, right? Next time I try this recipe, I'd like to try using dulce de leche or melted caramels instead of the cream cheese to moisten the crumbled cookies. Yep: I have visions of Millionaire's Shortbread Truffles dancing in my head! 

But for now, here's the simple version. Gosh-darn are they good.

Shortbread Cookie Truffles (Printable version? Right here.)

Makes 12-16

• 2 boxes Duchy Shortbread (I used one box of the plain butter kind, and one box of the "Oaten Biscuits")
• 1/2 block cream cheese (4 ounces)
• 1 bag chocolate morsels (I used an 8 ounce bag of Tcho Milk chocolate)

1. Prepare the truffle innards. First, prepare a baking sheet like so: lay a sheet of waxed or parchment paper on top, and set to the side. You’ll be happy to have this handy a few steps down the line.
2. Now, you need to crush the cookies. If you have a food processor, put the whole cookies inside, and pulse several times, until the cookies have been reduced to fine crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, place the cookies into a heavy duty plastic bag and crush using the bottom of a heavy tumbler or the side of a rolling pin. This is very fun for kids (with supervision, of course!)!
3. Once the cookies are completely crumbled, place them into a large bowl. Add the cream cheese, and using your impeccably clean hands, thoroughly mix the cookie crumbs and cream cheese. Since the shortbread is already pretty buttery, it should be able to form nicely into balls.
4. Clean your hands so that you have a clean surface to roll the “dough” by hand. Roll it into balls, about 1 inch or so in diameter. Maybe an inch and a half. Place them on the baking sheet. If you're lazy, you can also just put them on a plate, but they might stick a little bit. I'll be honest. While I want to tell you how to do it the "right way", I in fact did not. I put them on a plate in the freezer on top of some ice cream. 

5. Speaking of which, you do want to chill them. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator for an hour, or the freezer for about 20 minutes.
6. With the dough still in its chilling place, begin to melt your chocolate over low heat.
7. It will gradually begin to melt and become smooth. Once mostly melted, the last bits will melt rapidly in the residual heat, so keep a close eye on the pan. 

8. Remove from heat, and take your baking tray out of the refrigerator or freezer. It's time to enrobe.

9. I like to place the dough on a fork and drip the chocolate on top using a spoon--the tines seem to allow the excess coating to drip off.

10. Transfer to a wire rack with a sheet of waxed paper or paper towels beneath, to catch drips.
11. If desired, drizzle sprinkles over the truffle. You need to do this directly after dipping or they will not stick.

12. Let set for at least an hour before serving.

And the Winner Is...

About a month ago, I announced a fantastic contest regarding my new book, The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts, in which entrants could share the secret life of their favorite baked good, telling me a good story and sharing a recipe for a sweet with significance in their life. 

I was prepared for some tasty treats. But I wasn't prepared for how moving the stories would be! 

From funny tales of cookies that looked like cow pies but charmed classrooms full of children to anecdotes about cakes that almost won contests to a touching tale about a son who bonded with his mostly quiet dad over a decadent cheesecake recipe, these stories made me laugh and cry (not always at the same time!). 

But there was one story that really stuck with me and my crack team of judges, and so we've crowned it the winner! Here's the delightful story by Julia Ross of cinnamon rolls that left a legacy, and a recipe! 

Almost Great Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls

My Great Grandma was 5'0" tall but had the tightest grip you would ever feel. Instead of a hug she would pinch you on the bum and on a good day you wouldn't have a bruise. The woman could bake a mean cinnamon roll which was famous through out our immediate and extended family but would not divulge her recipe to ANYONE! She would not even allow you to be in her house when she was baking her rolls. My sister and I spent time plotting a way to peek through the windows while she was baking we feared the "pinch" too much (the one she gave when you were in trouble was worse than the one you got when you weren't).

Great Grandma passed away suddenly one morning after talking to Grandma on Sunday morning like they always did. She still had the phone in her hand. She left us a lot of memories and sentimental items but the cinnamon roll recipe was no where to be found. That woman took it to her grave. We made a great discovery in her freezer though...one last pan of the rolls. It was time to dissect these great little things and try to figure out their secret.

My sister and I snuck the rolls out of the house and separated them so we could began working on the recipes. Making a batch and then comparing the finished product to one of Great Grandma's rolls. We tweaked and tweaked at recipes until we found a roll that came out almost the same. This is the recipe we came up with but I really think it was the love she put into the rolls was the key element she took to her grave.

Almost Great Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:

Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 c milk
• 1/3 c granulated sugar
• 1/3 c butter melted, cooled ( must be butter )
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1/2 t almond extract
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 1/2 c all purpose flour
• 1/2 c cake flour
• 2 eggs (room temperature)

Procedure

1. Put warm milk in bowl of stand mixer and stir in sugar until dissolved. Add yeast and set aside. Mix flours and salt in a seperate bowl. Once yeast mixture starts to foam add melted butter and extracts. Hand whisk in the eggs.
2. Add half the flour and mix on low/medium with the dough hook. Keep adding flour until the dough forms a ball and is only slightly tacky. Turn mixer to knead the dough for 3 - 5 minutes until smooth.
3. Place dough in greased bowl and cover. Place in warm place to rise until double, about an hour. Punch down and let rest for 10 minutes.

Filling:

Ingredients

• 3 T butter, melted
• 1/4 c granulated sugar
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 2 t cinnamon (fresh ground if possible)

Procedure

1. Mix sugars and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll half dough into a rectangle and brush with half of the melted butter then sprinkle with half of the sugars. Roll up from long side and seal seams. Cut into 12 pieces (dental floss works well for this) Repeat with 2nd half of dough.
2. Place rolls in 2 round baking dished and let rise for about 20 minutes (should be about doubled). Then into the oven at 375 for 20 -25 minutes.

Icing:

• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 1 c butter
• 3 t vanilla extract
• 8 cup powdered sugar

Procedure

1. Put 1/2 cup of butter in a pan and allow to brown and cool a bit. Place cream cheese, 1/2 c butter and vanilla in stand mixer bowl and beat until almost combined.Add browned butter and mix until creamy. Add powdered sugar a little at a time until soft / medium consistency (remember the warm rolls will melt the icing a bit).Heavily coat the tops of the warm rolls with the icing.
2. EAT!!! I would tell you how to store them but there won't be any left :) Grandma used to sprinkle tops with chopped pecans sometimes too!

Thank you to everyone who entered for all of your great stories, and for supporting my book, The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts!