Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Like a Rolling Scone: A Collection of Rock N Roll Inspired Sweets

When this month's Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 event came around, the inspiration came close to home for your dear Cake Gumshoes: we looked at the Seattle music scene to plan a musically-inspired menu of sweets! And so we hooked up with two local bands, Exohexo and Speaker Speaker, and took a collection of sweets inspired by famous rock stars on tour with them around the city, through rehearsals, recording and even a show. Would our theory that baked goods just wanna rock, and rockers just wanna eat baked goods, hold true? Only one way to find out; here are the sweet results.

What better way to start (well, that's relative--it was nearly noon) the day than with a baked good homage to one of the most influential rock bands out there--in morning pastry form as not Rolling Stones, but as Rolling Scones. As our musicians quickly discovered, there is no better way to get the day started than with one of these sweet babies under your thumb; complete with the slightest touch of brown sugar, they're a perfect way to get the day going. (see below for Danny warming up with a Keith Richards scone!). These ones will certainly gather no moss.

Rolling Scones (adapted from this recipe)

• 2 Cups of Flour
• 1/4 Cup of granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 6 Tablespoons (3/4 of a stick) of butter
• 1 Cup of whipping cream

Topping: Decorating markers, chocolate and vanilla frosting; red gel or decorating icing.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

1. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
2. Cut the butter into tiny pieces and add to the mixture.
3. Using your hands, break up the butter into even smaller pieces while tossing with the flour until the largest pieces are no bigger than a pea.
4. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour the cream into the well.
5. Using your hands, mix by hand until the dry ingredients are all moistened.
6. Gather into a ball and place on a lightly floured board.
7. Knead 10 times, pushing the dough with the heel of your hand and folding over until the dough is smooth.
8. Pat the ball into a 9-inch circle about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.
9. Cut into 8 to 12 wedges like a pizza

and to make them Rolling Scones:

1. Shape into ovals, making sure to pinch the middle to form a little bit of a nose and facial structure.
2. Brush the top with an egg wash (optional).
3. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and still slightly moist in the center
4. Once cool, decorate with a dollop of frosting for hair, and draw in facial features with a food-safe marker as desired.

(Makes 8-12)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Of course, no morning would be complete without doughnuts, so we came up with these delicious (and easy!) Pink Floyd glazed doughnuts. These ones were easy--we picked up a few mini doughnuts at local legend Mighty-O and doctored them up a bit to pay homage to their iconic "Animal" album cover.

How can you make these adorable Pink Floyd inspired donuts? It's easy. 

Pink (Frosted) Floyd Donuts

• Mini Pink Frosted donuts
• 2 pink jellybeans per donut
• decorating gel for details
• Small dab of pink frosting (to use as "glue" for the ears)

In the center of each mini donut, press a jellybean in the center; the frosting should hold it in place. If it doesn't, put a small dot of frosting on the back and it should make it adhere. Cut the second jellybean in half, and using your thumb and forefinger squeeze one end until it forms a triangle. Put a dot of pink frosting on the bottom of the triangle and adhere one to each side of the top of the donut (for pig ears). Using black decoraing gel, make two dots for eyes, two dots on the jellybean nose, and a smiley face for optimal cuteness. (see below for Hiromi, the violinist, getting some sweet energy from one of them!)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Of course, after unloading equipment and warming up a bit, the band was in need of some sweet caloric replenishment--enter the Robert Palmiers. No, Robert Palmer may not be the epitome of an exceedingly influential rock musician, but the kitsch value of his backup band--not to mention the easy pun--made for some delicious snacking.

Robert Palmiers

Ingredients:

• 2 sheets puff pastry (or more, or less, to your preference)
• 1 tablespoon sugar per pastry sheet (approx.)
• Decorating gel in black and red

Preheat oven to 400°F.

1. Sprinkle some sugar on a work surface and cover it with a puff pastry square sheet. Then sprinkle more sugar evenly over pastry sheet and roll it out into a 10-inch square with a rolling pin. 
2. Fold in two opposite sides of the pastry sheet square so that they the sides meet in the center. Fold in same sides of the pastry again.
3. Fold one half of the pastry over the other. Cut pastry crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Dip cut sides of each piece in sugar and arrange, cut side down, on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with three remaining pastry sheets.
4. Bake palmiers in batches in middle of oven until golden on bottom, about 12 minutes. Turn over and bake until golden on bottom, 5 to 7 minutes more, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Once cool, decorate with red lips and black "hair" for the full Palmer girl effect.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ready for a tangent? We didn't have a chance to make it this time, but doesn't Milli VaNilla Wafer Pudding sound tasty? 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

And OK--everyone makes mistakes. So we've got to admit from the start there's a reason why the Otis Redding-themed cookies aren't as cleverly titled as the rest. Originally we mistakenly thought (bad gumshoes!) that "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" was a Sam Cooke song--and Sam Cookies sure would have worked. It was only in the 11th hour that we realized it was actually Otis Redding--and so here they are, the O(h so delicious)tis Redding Cookies, served on homemade graham crackers made to simulate the cookies "sitting on the dock of the bay". We chose molasses because that's about how smooth and rich Redding's voice was. Oh well--Jasen, who plays both guitar and drums, didn't seem to mind sampling one during their show.

Otis Redding Cookies (note: we adapted this from Epicurious)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/8 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoons ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoons ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. and lightly grease 1 large baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon.
3. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, shortening, and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy and beat in molasses. Beat in egg until incorporated. Gradually beat in flour mixture and combine well.
4. In a small shallow bowl put remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Form dough into 2-inch balls and roll in sugar. On baking sheets arrange balls about 4 inches apart and flatten slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.
5. Bake cookies in middle of the oven 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden. (Cookies should be soft.) Transfer cookies with a metal spatula to racks to cool.
   -------------------------------------------------------------------------

As a brief interlude--if you're interested in maintaining that mellow, why not indulge in a Fleetwood Macaroon?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

When a band records, it's important to keep in mind what sound you're going for, and what might be your goals. So of course, we whipped out the inspiration bigtime by bringing out some bar cookies inspired by a former Beatle: the John Lemon Bars. Decorated with his signature self-portrait, these bars added a reminder of how the sour can mix with the sweet in the process: imagine how sweet the result can be. Jason (below) sure seemed to think they came out well. Did they make him a better bass player? We can't say for sure, but it couldn't have hurt.

Note: We used this recipe from Smitten Kitchen to make the John Lemon Bars

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

And once they get jamming, and start feeling good? OW! Of course, it's time for some James Brownies. Unfortunately, the likeness was perhaps not the best; working with chocolate syrup from a picture, and trying render it as quickly as possible resulted in some warping--it sort of resembles that portrait that Napoleon Dynamite did of his would-be prom date. But you know what? Nobody really cared, because did these brownies ever OW! Make them feel good.

James Brownies (Adapted from the brownie recipe found on Oprah's website):

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 heaping tablespoon of peanut butter
• 11 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9 x 13 glass or light-colored metal baking pan. (Note: we used a 10x10 pan)
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt and cocoa powder.
3. Put the chocolate, butter, and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature.
4. Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.
5. In a small dish, microwave the peanut butter for 30 seconds or until melted. Pour into the batter and lightly stir.
6. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, then cut them into squares (or large hunks) and serve.
8. Tightly covered with plastic wrap, the brownies will keep for a few days--or so we hear. We didn't get the chance to find out, they disappeared so fast!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Perhaps she's not exactly a trailblazer, but there are few in the CakeSpy demographic that don't recall that so-awful-it's-catchy ode to the 90's called "Stay" by Lisa Loeb. Why not pay homage to this nostalgic cheesiness than by immortalizing it as a cheesy treat? In this case, the cheese was ricotta--stuffed inside of fried shells of cannoli deliciousness from one of the few places in Seattle that sells the Italian treat: Remo Borracchini. Decorated with some retro-cool glasses, sweet red "lipstick" and batting eyelashes, this one charmed even the baddest type of rock star. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

We knew that we'd need to make something delicious at this point in the day for the final leg, so it was time to roll out the big one: Crosby Stills Ganache and Yum, a multilayered confection as intricately intertwined as the group for which it was named. Basically it was a riff on this chocolate topped princess cake we made a while back, except we swapped the inside cake for chocolate cake rather than sponge, and used crumbled up Graham (Nash) crackers instead of macaroons. Yum, indeed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

As a brief tangent, you know what would go well with this cake? Some hot cocoa--with marshmallows. Just like clouds in your coffee, but better.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, we've saved our favorite for last. Perhaps it's just our art-school background, but to many of us Cake Gumshoes, the The Velvet Underground is not just an influential band, but the influential band. After all, they've captured the hearts of musicians and artists alike--why not bakers? And so, the Red Velvet Underground Cake was born. We made ours using the famous Cake Man Raven recipe--using plenty of red food coloring for a viscerally red interior, we decorated it with an edible wafer printed with that famous banana; on the outer edges, we lined banana slices across the sides. The crowning glory? A slight touch of white pepper in the topping--now that's what we'd call a white light white heat cream cheese frosting!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Of course, after all this awesome, does anyone have an appetite? Probably not. However, if anyone did, there are plenty of The Pixies' Stix on hand.

Of course, this is all some serious sweetness--but at the end of the day, what did the band have to say? Well, here's a special message.

Cue the chorus of "Pour Some Sugar on me"--repeat and fade! A rock n' roll fanta-sweet indeed! Thank you FoodBuzz for funding our fun times and once again helping us attain an extreme sugar high!

Sweet Art: Poise for Illustration Friday

poise [pronounced poiz] / noun /  dignified, self-confident manner or bearing; composure; self-possession: to show poise in company.

If ever there were a cake to embody the idea of this week's Illustration Friday theme of poise, it's got to be the Princess Cake. Regal and lovely, it's somehow not too showy; while it may not be a cake that is especially easy to make, when it does get made for special occasions, it's delicious enough to appeal to a variety of appetites; it's truly the people's princess (cake).

Cake Poll: The Winners!

Another month has ended, and another Cake Poll is closed. So who won the awesome prizes, including CakeSpy goodies and paper products from 11:11? Here are the three names which were chosen at random from nearly 300 entrants:

The first winner is Rachel, who you probably know from her wonderful site Coconut & Lime, which is chock-full of creative yet accessible, and completely delicious recipes both sweet and savory. And while she's a fan of salted caramel, don't go to her site looking for macaron love--she thinks they're overhyped!

The second winner is Caroline, whose site i am a greedy girl is an inspiring collection of design, fashion and other cool stuff. To highlight some of her responses, she's still not decided on whether bacon in baked goods is over; however, she's pretty decidedly not into designer cake mixes, salted caramel, a proliferation of cupcake shops or savory cupcakes.

The third winner is Cara from Florida, who says bacon is "so over" and isn't so into macarons; however, she is totally into salted caramel and while she's still excited about more cupcake shops opening, she's totally ready for whoopie pies to be the next big thing.

Stay tuned for more giveaways soon!

Totally Swede: A Loving Look at a Sweet Bun Called Semla

Semla. There are so many things to say about the sweet treat (which we recently scored at local Swedish bakery Svedala), but first let's just get acquainted, shall we?

First, what is it? Delicious, that's what. While there are different variations, what it comes down to is a cardomom-spiced yeast-raised wheat bun filled with almond paste and whipped cream. 

What's with the funny name? According to the internet, the word "semla" actually is derived from the Latin similia, which means "fine wheat flour". Apparently in Sweden "semla" can be a catchall phrase for "bun"; therefore it may also be known in Nordic regions as "Fastlagssemla" or "Fastlagsbulle" or "Fettisdagsbulle" (thoughts from readers from these Nordic regions?). But for ease of use, let's stick with Semla.

Where does it come from? Semla is a pastry which has roots in Finland, Norway, Denmark and Estonia, but is probably most closely linked to Sweden. 

When is it available? Semla is most commonly associated with Shrove Tuesday (we call it "Fat Tuesday") as a fatty and decadent kickoff to that season of deprivation perhaps better known as Lent; however, according to Sweden.se ("the official gateway to Sweden"), the delicious treat "has arguably outgrown its religious symbolism", noting that 

The plump, cream-filled buns traditionally eaten on Tuesdays begin appearing in shops as early as January 1. Fat Tuesday would be more aptly named fat January, February and March.

How is it eaten? Apparently, the traditional way to eat Semla is served in a bowl of hot milk; however, as we were assured by the owner of Svedala Bakery in Seattle, eating it on its own (at room temperature) is really just fine, and as we discovered, even finer with coffee or hot tea. Of course, as we also learned from Sweden.se, 

in Finland, the bun is sometimes filled with strawberry jam instead of almond paste, and bakeries in Finland usually offer both versions. (Many bakeries distinguish between the two by decorating the traditional bun with almonds on top, whereas the jam-filled version has powdered sugar on top).

Where can I get it? Well, if you're in Seattle and are willing to order enough to warrant her baking a batch, the owner of Svedala would probably make you some; check out their webpage here. 

In Portland, OR, Broder seems like a good place to try--after all, their motto is "Sweden in Portland".

In NYC, a little bird tells me that Semla can be found at Fika Espresso Bar on West 58th Street.

In Sweden, one famous retailer of Semla is Nybergs Hembageri, a cafe which has served the Semla-hungry masses since 1949; during the peak Semla season, they'll make over 350 semlor a day. That's a lotta love (and cardamom)! 

Could I make it myself? Sure, why not? We found this recipe online. If you make some, please be sure to make enough to mail some to the CakeSpy Headquarters.

Do you have any Semla trivia to share? But of course! Via Wikipedia and Sweden.se:

• Sweet Surrender: King Adolf Frederick of Sweden died of digestion problems on February 12, 1771 after consuming a meal consisting of lobster, caviar, sauerkraut, smoked herring and champagne, which was topped off by 14 servings of semla, with bowls of hot milk. Semla was the king's favorite dessert. (CakeSpy Note: One should hope so!)
• Gimme some sugar: Semla was the sweet chosen to represent Finland in the Café Europe initiative of the Austrian presidency of the European Union, on Europe Day 2006.
• Swede Fancy: Each Swede eats five semlor per year on average.

Cake Poll: Baked Good Trends!

Spring has sprung, and it's time for another sweet giveaway! 

There will be three lucky winners who will receive one of the following prize packs, complete with CakeSpy pins (shown below) and awesome stationery items with retro cake imagery donated by the cool company 11:11:

Prize Pack 1: A retro cake design notebook by 11:11; a pack of CakeSpy travel buttons; a Cuppie figurine

Prize Pack 2: A retro petit-four design checkbook holder by 11:11; a pack of CakeSpy travel buttons; a Cuppie figurine.

Prize Pack 3: A retro cake design business card / credit card holder by 11:11; a pack of CakeSpy travel buttons; a Cuppie figurine.

This time, we're talking about baking trends. Weigh in on these important issues! Just enter your responses as a comment below and you'll automatically be put in the running for the super sweet prizes! Three winners will be chosen at random, and the poll is open to entrants everywhere. The Cake Poll will close at 12pm PST on Saturday, March 28.

Here goes:

1. Bacon in baked goods: so good or so over?
2. "Designer" cake and baking mixes (for instance, those made by celebrity chefs or famous bakeries)--yay or nay?
3. Salted caramel: totally sweet or way too...salty?
4. Cupcake shops opening everywhere: enough is enough, or room for more?
5. French macarons: delicate delight, or way overhyped?
6. Chilling dough for perfect cookies: is it worth the wait?
7. Savory cupcakes (for instance, meat loaf cupcake with mashed potato frosting): yum or yuck?
8. Whoopie pies as the next big thing: do you agree?

Bee Sweet: Cupcake Royale Debuts the Honey Peanut Brittle Cupcake in April

Sounds like Seattle's Cupcake Royale is ready for spring, with their new Honey Peanut Brittle Cupcakes, available starting April 1! Direct from the Cupcake Royale Blog, some musings on this new flavor:

What we've done here is take some delicious Pacific Northwest blackberry honey and transform it into a mouth-watering buttercream.

Then, we took some more of that delicious Pacific Northwest blackberry honey, threw some salted peanuts in there, wiggled our magical cupcake noses, and out came honey peanut brittle.

That's right. Honey. Peanut. Brittle.

Finally, we swirled the honey buttercream onto our vanilla buttercake, and crumbled the honey peanut brittle all over it. Good God y'all!

Maybe April isn't such a cruel month, after all.

For more information, visit the Cupcake Royale website or their blog.

Batter Chatter: Interview with Erik of Pie in the Sky

Woods Hole, Massachusetts is an interesting little town, home to a well-known biological laboratory, the port from which ferries depart to that rich-kid playground called Martha's Vineyard...and possibly most importantly, home to a little bakery called Pie in the Sky. Owner Erik Gura has been baking from the same location for over 20 years--with that type of expertise, when he talks, you listen. We recently caught up with Erik and got to address many important aspects of living the sweet life in a tourist town, as well as gaining some insight on that strange New England phenomenon of apple pie with cheese; here's what we learned:

CakeSpy: Why Pie? 

Erik Gura: She spoke to me. She told me she wanted to be the vehicle for our culinary expressions & I believed her. Some days I feel like the good bus driver, carefully making all the stops, smiling faces everywhere. Some days I try to stop the runaway bus, usually with mixed results….either way. I get excited to fire up every morning & go for that ride.

CS: You're located close to the ferry to Martha's Vineyard. What do you think is the best pie to take on ferry rides?
EG: One from Pie in the Sky, of course! Blueberry’s my pick, despite the potential for ruining lightly colored summer clothes.

CS: Do you notice a difference in baked good preference between locals and tourists?
EG: Locals praise value & consistency in all areas of Pie. They like little things, day in & day out. Tourists tend to buy like they are embarking on a 6 week sea voyage. …Do you have any Popovers? “Yes” OK… “How many would you like?” Oh, …all of them…

CS: What is the most important aspect of making a great pie?
EG: There is no one critical aspect to a good Pie. Rather, it is the physical manifestation of careful years of training & practice, coupled with a disciplined execution of each & every small detail in the process that comes from the heart and hands of a passionate baker. Oh, and keep both your fat & your water COLD. & don’t over mix!

CS: I've been told that since I love cream pies better than fruit pies, I'm not a "true" pie connoisseur. What are your thoughts on this important issue?
EG: My mom says there’s no accounting for taste….I use that one a lot…

CS: Can you shed any light on the phenomenon of cheese on apple pie for us?
EG: Back where my Great Grandfather was born, in the St. Lawrence River valley, there were a lot of both cows & apples. The way my Grandma told it, it was only a matter of time before they got together. My family has New England roots that span back 300 years & to the best of my knowledge, everyone for generations enjoyed the combo, especially for breakfast. Portable, delicious, & packed with enough goodness to get you through till lunch…Ideally you’d get it warmed before you left the house, wrapped in waxed paper for snacking a bit later…works best with day old pie…

CS: You also offer some breakfast items, but we're curious: what's the difference between a popover and brioche?
EG: Volume. With Brioche, you add flour to butter until you can bake it. If you add too much flour, you create something with the consistency of a baseball. With Popovers, you whip up a thin batter & then bake it in a hot oven so it blows up like a balloon. Not enough heat or whipping and you create something with the consistency of a baseball.

CS: Be honest...if someone came into your cafe and said they were on a low-carb diet, what would happen?
EG: We encounter all sorts of dietary constraints on a daily basis…We do the very best with what we have to offer & sometimes there’s just no makin’ it…I’ve noticed some folks actually just want to talk to a real live baker. Like all specialized diets, the low carb thing is a challenge. I suggest sharing…after all, it’s healthy food for an active lifestyle.. Did I mention we stock Sprite Zero…and Diet Dr. Pepper…and Tab…??

CS: Since we can't be in Woods Hole at the moment to taste it at the moment, can you please describe the glory that is your bread pudding?
EG: Our Bread Pudding with Black Rum Hard Sauce is about 16 ounces of hot, rum and butter soaked- goodness that is only improved with a slathering of real whipped cream – or -- vanilla ice cream, dealer’s choice…also good for sharing…there’s a good visual on the website…It will burn if you put a spark to it….not for kids…

CS: What do you see as the emerging trends in the world of baked goods / desserts?
EG: I think there is currently a growing appreciation in this country for artisan quality locally fresh created food of all types. A bit of a run on sentence. I know, but I’m a baker, strong like bull, smart like tractor.

CS: What's next for Pie in the Sky?
EG: Naptime! All bakers enjoy a good napperoo…..that, and a second story on my tiny building…and a roast beef sandwich on toasted white bread with extra extra mayo, pickles, onions, & tomatoes & a little fresh ground pepper…hopefully more correspondence with the Cakespy crew…it’s kinda an open-ended question…

Hungry for more? For further insight & additional goodness, check out the Pie in the Sky website at www.woodshole.com/pie--make sure to keep up to date with the “Pie in the News” tab. 

Sweet Art: Subtract for Illustration Friday

Does a proliferance of cupcakes subtract from their awesomeness? At least a couple of cynics seem to think so. But personally, I say shun the nonbelievers!

This sweet piece was done for Illustration Friday, where this week's theme is "subtract".

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

Like, OMG! CakeSpy is one of Gourmet's favorite food sites! There are simply no words that can express how honored your little Cake Gumshoes feel.

Curious about wedding cupcakes? Recipe Girl offers a comprehensive tutorial.

We told you that cookie sandwiches were the next big thing: NY Times weighs in on the Whoopie Pie.

Dessert chips with sweet salsa? We're on board.

Love the look of Peeps, but not the taste? Why not make your own? Here's a recipe and how-to.

Franny's Cup and Saucer in Point Arena, CA is our newest bakery crush.

Do you love chocolate? Then you'll love this comprehensive list of the 100 best chocolate websites.

This Dunkin' Donuts new donut flavor contest is strangely addictive.

Caramel sushi? There's no fish, thank goodness.

Peanut butter cayenne caramel bacon chocolate cookie bars: just one of the offerings from Seattle's newest specialty bakery, the Manderin Cookie Company.

Are your cupcakes looking frumpy? Class 'em up with these fancy cupcake liner jackets by Bella Cupcake Couture.

Creme that Egg!: the prolonged (and hilarious) death of a Cadbury Creme Egg. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Jules for sharing this awesome link.

Remember these? Marshmallow cones that taste like childhood.

ShamRock Shake, Rattle and Roll

St. Patrick's day may be over, but the ultimate symbol of green excess is still available through the end of the month. No, we're not talking about green beer--we're talking about that green monster of a cold confection, the Shamrock Shake.

There's something delightfully trashy about this shake, which has clearly resonated with the public--there's even a movement to make it available year round. But somehow, as attracted as we are to this never-found-in-nature-green drink, we can't seem to make ourselves cross the threshold of those golden arches--must have seen Super Size Me one too many times.

Luckily, we've come up with a solution to make something just as satisfyingly unhealthy at home--and this recipe actually has shamrocks. So bad it's good, in a rot-your-teeth-out sort of way; plus, with St. Patrick's day baking supplies on sale, it's also an extremely cost-efficient treat.

Shamrock Shake

Ingredients:

• A massive handful of green shamrock sprinkles (no, you may not substitute non-shamrock shaped green sprinkles)
• 4 ounces or so milk (we used soymilk--yes, we see the incongruity in this)
• A healthy scoop of ice cream 
• Small handful of ice cubes

Directions: Pour in blender; blend until smooth. Pour in your favorite glass that will allow the green to show through. Bask in the sugary green glory. Serves one.

* Optional note: Feel free to add Bailey's Irish Cream, Creme de Menthe or straight whiskey to taste.