Halloween Haberdashery
October 30, 2009 at 2:38 pm | Posted in Chocolicious, Friends are friends forever!, Merry Halloween, Non-baked in Birmingham | 4 CommentsHave you guys noticed the abundance of people posing with mustaches lately? Just this week I saw it here in cookie form via Bake it Pretty, here in stationery form via 100 Layer Cake, and here in chocolate at Miette’s Patisserie via Tartlette.
Simply stated: I love it, it’s freaking hilarious, and I want it at my Halloween party. But the problem? I didn’t have a mustache candy mold, and I didn’t have time to order one and have it delivered by tomorrow. So I pulled out my Wilton candy melts, some trusty parchment paper, and my pastry paint brushes, and in no time flat I had….THESE!
Don’t Kamin, Sarah, and Kimberly look simply dashing with their chocolate ‘staches? Tomorrow at the party I’ll stick them up in a styrofoam block covered with some cool wrapping paper, and hopefully everyone will see the humor and not think they’re chocolate worms or…well…you can use your imagination.
Step by step, ooh baby…
Here’s how to make ‘em when you’re sans a mustache mold:
1. Paint the ‘stache shape onto the parchment in a thin layer. Let it set up in freezer for a couple minutes; it doesn’t take long. And remember you can do several of these at a time.
2. Paint a little more and set the skewer on the side. Back into the freezer.
3. Here’s where my method gets a little less…methodical. I literally glopped on, for lack of a better term, the chocolate. It holds well and mounds up nicely, and since you already have the initial chocolate template has already been firmed up in the freezer, it won’t run past the edges into a big chocolate mess. Let it go back into the freezer for a couple more minutes to set.
4. Now you’re pretty much done, but glop on a little more chocolate to give it some depth and texture. It can stay in the freezer almost indefinitely.
My heartfelt thanks to everyone who shared in Halloween Week with me! It was a lot of fun, and we’ll have some post-holiday wrap-up stuff next week. Dunno about you, but I can’t wait for next year!
Photos by Kamin!
Ghost, Jack-o-Lantern, and Johnny Cupcake Oreo Truffles…Oh My!
October 29, 2009 at 2:36 pm | Posted in Merry Halloween, Non-baked in Birmingham, {the atomic cakery} | Leave a commentI’ve been waiting months to make Oreo truffles for my party. My friends love them. My co-workers love them. And I get the ugly ones all to myself; I don’t even share with Zack. Amy Atlas had some really cute brownie pops in ghost and pumpkin form (right here), and I loved how she put the stick coming out of the top instead of trying to defy gravity and putting the stick on the bottom. Once again I used the Wilton Sparkle Gel, which I’m still feeling pretty mixed emotions towards. I’m so happy with how they turned out, and I can’t wait to keep nommin’ on them on Saturday!
I know you’re dying to know how to make these. I’d tell you, but since these are the brainchild of the amazing Bakerella, you gotta go here. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did!
Don’t worry, condensation happened on the surface because I pulled these out the freezer right before I shot them, which is where they’ll stay until the morning of the party, which is when they’ll go to the fridge, and then to room temp a couple hours before the guests arrive. You can wipe the condensation off easily with a paper towel.
One more just for kicks and giggles…I had just gotten in my Halloween Johnny Cupcakes shirt that morning, so…
And by the way, those amazing skull and crossbone doilies are straight from my all-time favorite pastry decor supply website, Bake It Pretty. Thanks for the awesomeness, Amanda!
And one more thing…Oreo truffles can be made to suit any occasion, so if you’d like for the Atomic Cakery to whip some up for your next occasion, just email malindakay@ymail.com!
Brewed in Birmingham (just for me): Pumpkin Ale
October 28, 2009 at 4:58 pm | Posted in Friends are friends forever!, Just Because, Merry Halloween | Leave a commentIt’s a Halloween twofer today, folks! My friend Chantel and her boyfriend Tyler have started brewing their own beer. I’m fascinated by it. What an awesome hobby! Some people knit, I bake, and Chantel makes beer. Rad. A few weeks ago I tried some of her pumpkin ale, and while I’m the first to admit that I’m not a beer connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination, I really enjoyed this! She was gracious enough to brew some more for me for Saturday’s Halloween party, and if you ask nicely, she might even brew some for you!
(Gorgeous photo by nonother than Kamin Willliams, who seems to be having a down day, so go to her blog and tell her how fabulous she is!)
Cocoa-Pumpkin French Macarons
October 28, 2009 at 2:32 pm | Posted in French Macarons, Merry Halloween, Sweet Treats, {the atomic cakery} | 2 CommentsClearly, my French mac and pumpkin spice fever is as strong as ever. I firmly believe, and who can argue with me, that pumpkin and chocolate are culinary soulmates. And the color combination is gorgeous too!
Cocoa Macarons:
3 egg whites
3 tbs granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup almonds
3 tbs unsweetened cocoa
Filling:
1 1/2 cups of your favorite buttercream
3 1/2 tbs pumpkin puree
1 tbs (more or less to taste) pumpkin pie spice
Zap eggwhites in the microwave for about 20 seconds. (This mimics the aging process of the egg whites. You’re supposed to leave them out on your countertop for 48 hours, but personally I don’t have the forthought to do such a thing.) With the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites to a foam, then slowly add the granulated sugar until your meringue is nice and glossy. In the meantime, pulse the almonds in your food processor till they are finely ground. Add in the powdered sugar and cocoa and pulse until combined. Fold the powdered sugar/almond mixture into the meringue until just combined, which shouldn’t be more than 40 or 50 strokes.
Now the (kinda) tricky part: This batter is very thick, so don’t let it sit and stabilize in the mixing bowl. Go ahead and Fill a piping bag fitted with a medium-sized round tip. (I used a Wilton #12.) Pipe 1-inch circles onto parchment paper. Important: let them stand on the baking sheet for at least 30 minutes so they can set up. If you immediately put them in the oven, they won’t get that cute textured side we all love so much. Go ahead and preheat the oven to 280F. Bake for 20 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes; if you have trouble getting them off the parchment, add a little bit of cold water under the parchment and they should pop right off.
Pumpkin Spice Filling:
Mix all ingredients together!
Halloween Spider Cake..or Goth Wedding Cake?
October 27, 2009 at 2:26 pm | Posted in Bridal Fare, Cake Decorating, Merry Halloween, {the atomic cakery} | 3 CommentsI made this cake last week to donate for a cake auction to benefit a local elementary school. My good friend Rich and Moon Albright have their two adorable daughters in the school there, and quite honestly, I would do anything for those sweet little girls!
Each tier has a layer of pumpkin spice cake and a layer of classic chocolate. I frosted it with cream cheese and left it a little messy on purpose. I used Wilton Sparkle Gel for the cobwebs, and the spiders are made of black fondant and hacked-up Twizzlers. I thought the spiders needed just a little touch of cuteness, so instead of a red hourglass like a black widow spider, I dyed some fondant red and used an Exacto to cut out li’l cupcakes. Instant cuteness.
I think this cake would make an amazing wedding cake for a goth or Halloween wedding. Add a couple more layers and cover it in fondant, and you’re in business. My amazing and talented friend Tiffany of Studio Flower did the flowers for a goth wedding this past weekend. I would have loved to be a guest at that one!
{the atomic cakery} presents the Pumpkin Pie cupcake
October 26, 2009 at 1:36 pm | Posted in Merry Halloween, {the atomic cakery}, {the atomic cakery} cupcake flavors | 1 CommentToday The Atomic Cakery is happy to present the third cupcake in our classic Diner Desserts collection, and just in time for Halloween!
A pumpkin spice cake piled high with cream cheese frosting, with a little bit of cinnamon sprinkled on top. You can get your hot little hands on one of these this week from Jason at Spoonfed Grill. Or, you can special order a dozen or so from me! Just email me at malindakay@ymail.com
P.S. This week is going to be a lot of fun: all Halloween!
Banana Split Cupcakes vs. My Girl Scout Troop
October 23, 2009 at 2:21 pm | Posted in Cupcakes are my true love, {the atomic cakery} | 1 CommentAlong with my good friend Kyra Woodman, I am the co-leader of Girl Scout Troops 61 and 85 in Helena, AL. Working with 7th, 9th, and 11th graders is a lot of fun, but not without its challenges. So what do you do? Give them sugar. I needed some taste-testers for my Banana Split cupcakes anyway….
Kaitlyn was a bit hesitant…
Kylie and her sister Haley jumped right in…
….nom nom nom nom…
So what’s the final verdict ladies? Three cheers for Banana Split cupcakes!
Want to order your own Banana Split cupcakes or something else equally nomable? Shoot me an email and let’s chat! malindakay@ymail.com
Wedding Portraits: A Re-do
October 21, 2009 at 1:02 pm | Posted in Bridal Fare, I got style, how 'bout you? | 1 CommentI liked most of our wedding pictures, but, I hated that our photog failed to capture all the cute and spontaneous moments of the day. My husband and I are cute and spontaneous, and that did not come across in our pictures. I’ve been married 2 1/2 years, and ya know what? I decided that our wedding portraits should have another go. Eric Chapman, our good friend and amazing photographer, graciously gave us a couple hours of his time on Sunday to re-capture these moments. These are the only two I’ve seen, and no doubt there will be more on the way that I will just simply have to share!
Yeah, this one is random
October 20, 2009 at 1:32 pm | Posted in Just Because, Nesting | 1 CommentAfter a conversation I had yesterday with my friend Jessica here at work, I’m really jonesing for an antique typewriter.
Mocha Spice French Macarons
October 19, 2009 at 1:14 pm | Posted in Bridal Fare, French Macarons, Sweet Treats, {the atomic cakery} | Leave a commentMade these for my supper club last night. A hit! Erin, Cara, Tris, Ruth, Liza, Tiff, and Brandar….love all you ladies!
Macarons:
3 egg whites
3 tbs granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup almonds
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Filling:
1 1/2 cups Swiss meringue buttercream
1/4 cup chocolate ganache (chocolate chips, heavy cream, dash of vanilla extract melted over a double boiler)
3 tbs heavy cream
1/4 tsp instant coffee granules
Zap eggwhites in the microwave for about 20 seconds. (This mimics the aging process of the egg whites. You’re supposed to leave them out on your countertop for 48 hours, but personally I don’t have the forthought to do such a thing.) With the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites to a foam, then slowly add the granulated sugar until your meringue is nice and glossy. In the meantime, pulse the almonds in your food processor till they are finely ground. Add in the powdered sugar and spices and pulse until combined. Fold the powdered sugar/almond mixture into the meringue until just combined, which shouldn’t be more than 40 or 50 strokes.
Now the (kinda) tricky part: Let the “batter” hang out in the mixing bowl for about 15 minutes. This will stabilize it a little bit so it won’t run too much when you pipe your perfect little meringue circles. Fill a piping bag fitted with a medium-sized round tip. (I used a Wilton #12.) Pipe 3/4-inch circles onto parchment paper; they will spread out a little bit more. Important: let them stand on the baking sheet for at least 30 minutes so they can set up. If you immediately put them in the oven, they won’t get that cute textured side we all love so much. Go ahead and preheat the oven to 280F. Pop those suckas in and bake for 20 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes; if you have trouble getting them off the parchment, add a little bit of cold water under the parchment and they should pop right off.
Now just fill ‘em up with that delectable mocha filling and enjoy!
Mocha Filling:
This couldn’t be easier. Take about a cup and a half of the swiss meringue buttercream and combine it with the ganache. Zap the heavy cream in the mic for about 15 seconds and dissolve the instant coffee granules in it. Add that into the buttercream, and you’re in business.
Now wasn’t that fun?
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