A Surprise for Friends

Celebration Cakes

When two of my friends got engaged I was excited and happy for them.  They are such a cute couple and they love my son Charlie!  Then the brides  mom asked me to make them a surprise cake for the engagement party.  She gave me complete creative control, she just wanted me to incorporate the bride and grooms occupations: physical therapy and firefighter.  Here is the cake I came up with:

 Purple and Teal Engagement Cake

The color scheme of the party was purple and teal so I made edible sugar flowers to match. I wanted to glitz the cake up a bit so I painted the centers of the flowers in shiny silver and added decorative silver dots.  Sitting atop the cake are the bride and groom.  The bride is holding her goniometer, a tool used by physical therapists to measure range of movement. The groom is wearing a firefighters hat.  When I surprised them with the cake, they were so shocked and excited!  Here is the happy couple, Adina and Yosh, with their cake.

Adina and Yosh

Adina’s mom wanted to save the top tier of the cake for them to enjoy at a later date.  She wrapped it up and stored it in the freezer.  Everyone at the party enjoyed the bottom tier; there wasn’t a piece left!  Here’s a picture of the groom and my son, Charlie.  They are buddies.

Charlie and Yosh

Mazel tov Adina and Yosh!

Honey Cookies {Recipe}

Cookies,

Every Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashana, I bake up some delicious honey cake.  Honey is used in cooking and baking around the New Year to symbolize a sweet new year.  This year I’m not doing it.  I will not bake any of my delicious, sweet, tender and moist honey cake. Why? Because my mom and I are the only ones who eat it and I have had enough.  Instead I will introduce my family to a new treat: honey cookies.  Now, these cookies are not a new invention, but my family has never had them and I’m not sure why.  The recipe I found yields a moist, sweet, and chewy cookie.

Honey Cookie Display

After the dough is mixed, the cookies are shaped into balls and rolled in turbinado sugar. This creates a coating-like crust on the cookies.  The outside is crunchy and the inside is chewy and moist.  The sugar also gives these cookies a gorgeous glittery look.  I have seen this sugar at coffee shops and on supermarket shelves for years but was never sure what to do with it until now.

Turbinado Sugar

This sugar is great in this recipe because it doesn’t melt when the cookies are baking like white sugar does.  It is also less sweet than white sugar and even has hints of honey flavor.

Honey Cookies Lined Up

I love how these cookies look.  They are like little edible gems.  They also make the whole house smell sweet while baking.

Honey Cookie

If you are wondering how my cookies come out perfectly round, here’s the secret.  I use a cookie scoop.  The one I used for this recipe is a 2 teaspoon size.  Using a cookie scoop will ensure that your cookies bake evenly.  It will also make you look like a pro!

Honey Cookie BiteThese cookies are soft, moist, sweet and delicious.  My family and friends will surely have a sweet new year!  Here is the delicious dairy-free recipe; adapted from Cookie Madness.

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Honey Cookies
Author: 
Serves: About 3 Dozen
 
Ingredients
  • ⅔ cup oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • turbinado sugar, for rolling
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the oil, honey, and sugar until smooth.
  3. Add in the egg and vanilla mix until combined.
  4. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt.
  5. If your dough is soft, refrigerate for 15-30 minutes until firm.
  6. Shape the dough into balls and roll in the turbinado sugar making sure to coat the whole cookie.
  7. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 7-9 minutes until the edges are light brown in color. Happy New Year!

 

Happy First Birthday Charlie!

Celebration Cakes

I can’t believe it.  My baby is one year old!

Charlie and his cookie pop

I wanted to celebrate Charlie’s birthday but didn’t want to overwhelm him so my husband and I decided to keep the celebration to family only.  Here’s Charlie eating a cookie pop.  I baked sugar cookies on lollipop sticks and decorated them with green icing and the number “one”.  The second design I created was made to look like a swirled lollipop.  I displayed them on a lollipop dessert stand.

Cookie Pops

I also made lemon meringue cupcakes and mini chocolate chip banana muffins.  I displayed those on cake stands that I made in blue and green to match the party colors.

DIY Cake StandsI found this super cute idea for a DIY dessert stand on Hostess with the Mostess’ daily blog.  I love how they came out and I can’t wait for an excuse to make them again!  To add to the festivities, I hung these cute paper lanterns that I bought at Party City.

Paper LanternsNow for the cake.  I wanted to make a cake that was whimsical and cute, but not too babyish.  This is what I came up with.

Charlie's Birthday CakeThe cake was a 2 tiered tapered design, decorated in white, silver and blue.  I tried out a new design element for this cake.  I always experiment on my family; isn’t that what they are for?  I have never made tapered tiers before, but they came out great!  For the bottom tier I baked 3 cakes: 8 inch, 7 inch and 6 inch.  The top tier is also three layers: 7 inch, 6 inch and 5 inch.  I layered, iced and covered in fondant as usual.  It worked out fabulously.  Charlie was mesmerized by the sparkling candles.

The Candles Are Lit!I know he is only one year old but I couldn’t stop at just one candle so I put in twelve; one for each month.  Happy first birthday baby.  Mommy and Daddy love you!

The Whole Family