Ye Olde Beer and Cake.

So, I have this thing with combining baking and alcoholic beverages. For a while, I was into making cupcakes that represented various cocktails, such as the mojito, or the piña colada. When I discovered an old prohibition-era recipe for bourbon cookies, I got into making said cookies with other hard liquors (see Honey Whiskey Balls). But now I have a brand new idea, that actually stemmed from a pretty old one. I decided that I was going to make chocolate beer cupcakes this weekend for a Memorial Day Party I was attending. I made similar cupcakes once before, but this time I used a different beer (Harpoon Chocolate Stout) and my standard chocolate cake recipe.

the not-so-secret ingredient.

The cupcakes turned out great – just as I had envisioned. The beer toned down the sweetness, and the cream cheese glaze icing gave it that little something fabulous. Together, they made the perfect combination.

beer + cake = tlf.

However, this is merely the beginning. The success of these cupcakes spawned a discussion – it would appear that beer and cake seem to go together. They’re like, MFEO. And at that moment, I realized what I needed to do: open up a tavern/bakery that features the pairing of the two. And I shall call it: Ye Olde Beer and Cake.

let them eat cake (and drink beer).

Now this tavern/bakery (tavernakery?) would specialize in selecting beers and cakes that are the perfect match – flavors and styles that go together like bread and butter.  It’d be like…heaven.

heaven is a cake on earth.

So anyway, there you have it. Keep an eye out for Ye Olde Beer and Cake, coming soon to a town near you. And just think, you can say you knew me when…

 

Eat, Write, Retreat Culinary Challenge: Fig and Rosemary Scones.

In less than one month, I’ll be attending the Eat, Write, Retreat! Conference which just so happens to be in my home city of Philadelphia this year! I’m so excited to be taking part in this wonderful opportunity to meet other bloggers, eat delicious dishes, and of course, write all about it!

As an attendee, I’m also taking part in the Amazing Apps Culinary Challenge the conference is running! We are all assigned a secret ingredient, and tasked with creating an appetizer based on said ingredient. Being a baker, I of course went with something, well, you know….baked.

My ingredient was California Figs. I love figs! But I haven’t really incorporated them into my baking that much in the past, so this was my chance! I couldn’t have been happier to create something using a new ingredient that I also happen to adore!

gettin’ figgy with it.

As much as I loved eating figs, I had no idea of their nutritional benefits prior to this challenge! Figs are a great source of fiber, for starters. They’re also rich in antioxidants (even richer than red wine!), and they’re an all-natural energy source, which makes them perfect as a pre-workout snack (looks like I’ll be eating some figs before my next marathon!).

So without further adieu…..here’s my creation! Hope you enjoy baking them as much as I did.

 

Fig and Rosemary Scones

What you’ll need:

2 cups flour (sifted)

4 teaspoons baking power

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup shortening

¾ cup half and half

½ cup Dried California Black Mission Figs (chopped)

1 tbsp rosemary (finely chopped)

What you’ll do:

Preheat the oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the shortening until the mixture has a fine crumb texture.

may i cut in?

Mix in the chopped figs and rosemary.  Stir in the half and half with a fork so it makes a soft dough. Knead the dough with clean hands about 10 times – do not overknead – it will become too stiff!

knead-y.

Break off roughly shaped pieces (just larger than a golf ball) and place  them on a greased cookie sheet. The shape doesn’t matter – the rougher the better – it gives them a more rustic look! Bake for 12 – 15 minutes (or until the edges being to turn golden brown).  Makes 22 – 24 scones.

rustically delicious.

 

Long time, no post.

Sorry about that. I’ve been kinda….busy. But I have been baking, albeit not as frequently as I had been in the somewhat recent past. But that’s beside the point. Here I am now, writing a new post, about one of the things I actually did bake - Lemon Pistachio Mini Cupcakes.

little. yellow. different.

I actually made these for the Cupcake Smash competition I participated in a couple of weeks back. Although I did not win, I had a fabulous time, made some new baking friends, and received much positive feedback on the cupcakes themselves!

a winner in my book.

As far as what went into them, I started off with my Best Vanilla Cake Ever recipe, but instead of using vanilla extract, I used Lemon. I topped them with my New and Improved Lemon Buttercream. But that’s not all – I filled them each with grape jam, and sprinkled them all with crushed pistachios. I titled them “Pistachi-o-baby,” however, as my setup at the event wound up having a Parisian theme, in hindsight I should have called them “Pistachi-ohh-la-la!” That would have been much more fitting. I probably would have won with that.

sur la table.

The good news was that I wound up with a bunch of extras, so I brought them to work, and everybody loved them. So really, we all win in the end.

 

Cupcake Smash!!

So I’ve been pretty busy getting everything together for an event I’m participating in this Saturday – The 3rd Annual Cupcake Smash! 

Each competitor is tasked with making an original cupcake creation based on an item from the menu of PYT, located right next to where the competition will be held this Saturday, April 27th, from 2pm to 5pm, in the Piazza at Schmidts (1050 N. Hancock St., Philadelphia), Not only will you get a chance to sample many Über delicious cupcakes, but the event also benefits Philabundance, which is a major player in the fight against hunger in the Philadelphia area. So just think – you get to eat sweets while simultaneously helping an awesome charity. It’s a win-win.

I’m not going to give anything away as far as my creation goes – you’ll just have to come out to the event to find out for yourself! I will, however, provide you with the link to getting yourself some tickets– 
http://www.philabundance.org/2013/01/08/cupcake-smash-2013-at-the-piazza-at-schmidts/

And check out the facebook event, where you can find all the info and RSVP that you’re coming!!

I forgot to mention that not only do you get to sample the cupcakes, but you also get to vote for your favorite – so let your sweet tooth speak for itself!!

See you there!!

 

 

Featured Fan Favorite: Carrot Cake Lamb.

A while back, I had been doing this Featured Fan Favorite thing – where someone finds a recipe on the blog that strikes their fancy, makes it themselves, and tells me all about it – including a picture of their results, Well, I’m happy to say that the Featured Fan Favorite has returned, and what better way to bring it back than with a reader’s very own Lamb Cake!

Juli Eberts created her Easter Carrot Cake Lamb based on the recipe from the blog!

it’s b-ewe-tiful!

I especially love how she did the face – I may have to try it that way next year! Juli says, “The kids named him Sammy the Lambie and everyone loved the cake!  Thanks for the great recipe!”  (Sammy the Lambie!! I wish I’d thought of that!)

Thank you, Juli, for sharing your fabulous cake and for following Small Indulgences! xoxoI

I bet you’re now asking yourself, “How can I be the next Featured Fan Favorite? Why, it’s simple! Pick a recipe – any recipe from the blog, create it, and tell me all about it in an email to  - smallindulgencesbakery [at] gmail [dot] com. Don’t forget to include a photo! There’s nothing I love more than sharing the work of fans! (except maybe eating the work of fans.)

 

 

Sugar Chicks.

I actually got the inspiration for these cupcakes from a pin I came across on pinterest (the best site for inspiration, EVER).

I was looking for new ideas for Easter cupcakes. I didn’t want to make the same ones I’ve done in the past, especially since I knew for sure I would be making the Lamb Cake again. At the same time, I had an assignment from my photography class involving shutter speed. I had this grand idea that I’d incorporate the assignment into my cupcake baking. How, you may ask?

Like this:

whip in motion – long shutter speed.

And this:

whip in motion – short shutter speed.

We were instructed to take pictures of something moving – falling water, a bird flying, etc. The first thing that came to my mind? My mixer (aka “H.A.L.”) in action of course.  While the cake mixed – it was a Lemon Genoise (Italian Sponge) Cake, so it took a while – I snapped a bunch of photos on different shutter speeds.  It was a true learning experience – especially since I had to lug the mixer around the kitchen until I found the spot with the best natural light. H.A.L. is rather heavy, especially with a bowl full of batter in tow. (FYI – in both of those photos, the whip was moving at the same speed – it’s truly amazing the difference the shutter speed can make!)

After the photoshoot, I baked the cupcakes. They were light and spongy and lovely. They were splovely.

like a sponge.

I whipped up some buttercream, colored it a very light yellow, and gave them each a layer of frosting.

ice, ice, cupcake.

I then dipped them in bright yellow sanding sugar. It created a “Peep effect.”

not a peep!

I gave them all eyes using inverted chocolate chips, and let them sit for a bit.

eyes without a face.

Finally, I piped on some yellow wings, an orange beak, and little orange feet.

I shared the results with friends, and all was right with the world. Happy Easter!

 

The Brussels Chocolate Shop Tour, Stop #7: Wittamer.

I walked out the door of Passion Chocolat (Stop 6#), turned right, walked a few steps, and BAM! There was Wittamer. They were so close, I was completely caught off guard, and a little bummed – this did not give me much of a walk to burn off any chocolates eaten thus far.( I’d come to find that I’d definitely make that up later on.) But I was content nonetheless, to enter my next destination on the list…

Stop #7: Wittamer.

Wittamer was pink. That was the first thing I noticed.

pretty in pink.

Now I like pink. Just ask anyone who knows me. This place was super pink. I’d even call it Super Pinky. I didn’t mind. For most of us, pink = sweet = desserts. And Wittamer sure had some good ones. In fact, this was the first shop that had actual desserts other than chocolates. There was a whole display case dedicated to pastries incorporating chocolate in some form.

it’s a pastry party.

I teetered along the fence of getting a straight up piece of chocolate or going with a full on pastry. The tour was technically a chocolate shop tour so I should probably get some chocolates, but the pastries had chocolate in them and I’ve eat nothing but chocolates for dessert for like, 24 hours now….

I went with the pastry.

hello, happiness.

I selected the Nid Marron.  I had no idea what was in it. I’d never seen anything like it before. I could not wait to get back to the hotel and try it out. I carried it around to two more shops and about 20 tourist locations before finally going back and digging in.

make her open the box.

I placed the box on my little balcony table and delicately opened it. I could not believe how beautiful it was up close. Not to mention, it’s heavenly smell.

c’est bon!

I took a bite. I hadn’t planned on eating the entire thing, but after that first bite, there was no turning back.

as beautiful on the inside.

I still didn’’t really know what I was eating. I tasted a little chocolate….something nutty….whipped cream….custard? It was flat out fabulous! I needed to know what made this pastry hands-down one of the best I’ve ever had. So I started googling. I looked up “Nid Marron Pastry” and found a recipe entirely in French and some photos, all from the same blog post,  also in French, which showed various versions from different shops in Paris (some of which I visited on the  Paris Patisserie Tour, but I did NOT see this bad boy anywhere – I would have remembered).  What I did learn from this French blog was that this dessert was apparently also known as a “Mont Blanc.” So…I googled that and there it was.  And there were even some recipes, in English!

Hallelujah! Mont Blanc, here I come!

Next up, way out on the other side of town – Stop #8, Zaabar: the Ikea of chocolate shops.

 

The Brussels Chocolate Shop Tour, Stop #6: Passion Chocolat.

Practically dancing as I left Stop #5: Pierre Marcolini, thanks to the disco ball and the “wink,” I twisted and twirled my way right across the street and into the Grand Sablon.  It was beautiful – from the statuary, to the perfectly coiffed gardens, to the enormous old church – the Église Notre Dame du Sablon.

come on in.

I decided to take a short break from the tour, and explore the grounds. The light dusting of snow really made it all the more magical.

stone cold and lovely.

It didn’t hurt that I appeared to be the only person walking the grounds. I guess I get up earlier than most tourists.  I crossed over to take a few shots of the front of the church, and while doing so, I was stopped by a woman and asked for directions – in French. I guess I didn’t look like a tourist after all.

Eglise Notre Dame du Sablon.

At this point, I realized I had no idea where I was going myself, so I broke out the map and tried to find my next destination:

Stop #6: Passion Chocolat.

I totally could not find this place. I thought at first I must have passed it and didn’t realize, so I back tracked down the road I had just come from. Nothing. I started wondering if in fact it was located on the other side of the Sablon, so I walked around the church, and headed back down the other side, but not before capturing my favorite picture from the entire trip – the picture I felt captured the classy and whimsical vibe of the city of Brussels  – a red plastic tree “growing” in the small side yard of the old the Église.

i could live here.

The universe must have meant for me to see that image, because immediately after I snapped the photo, I turned around and  there was Passion Chocolat, right behind me. I swear it wasn’t there before. How could I have missed it, with its giant red and gold pyramid at the entrance!

magic pyramid?

I walked in, and it was small. And bright. But warm. I liked it. The woman behind the counter was unpacking boxes (I think I may have been the first customer – I swear it was not THAT early).  She stood up and came over when I walked in and said “Bonjour” and asked if I she could help me (in French). I said “Bonjour” back, trying to be polite, and she then launched into something fast and French that I couldn’t understand. I then said, “Je ne parle pas francais,” to which she replied, in English, “you should have said that up front! How was I to know you did not speak French!” She wasn’t necessarily angry or rude, but she did seem to be in a bit of huff, as if this happens often. It took everything in my power not to giggle. I decided to focus intently on the task at hand, which was to select some chocolates for my taste-testing journey.

little shop of chocolate.

The very first chocolate that caught my eye was a white chocolate pyramid – a small, edible version of the one outside the entrance.  I definitely had to get that. I came to find out later there was a hazelnut ganache on the inside. Mmm hmmm. I selected a few others – one that looked like a chocolate covered orange slice, one dark chocolate with small coconut flakes on top, and a couple more that appealed to me. She packed them in a dainty little bag (similar to the ones I saw in some of the shops the day before – these must be the prime packaging for chocolates in Brussels), and I grabbed a business card, paid and was on my way. I have to say, their logo was definitely my favorite – it fit the name perfectly.

it’s all about branding.

I ate the pyramid first, and it was perfect. As a lover of white chocolate, it actually wound up being my singular favorite piece on the tour. The others were delicious too, but the pyramid really made the grade. If I were to create my perfect piece of chocolate, that pyramid would be it.

a wonder of the chocolate world.

Hang in there and keep on keepin’ on to the next stop on the tour, which, was literally a hop skip and a jump away - Stop #7, Wittamer: where chocolate fantasies come true…

 

The Brussels Chocolate Shop Tour, Stop #3: Leonidas.

After leaving Planet Chocolat (stop #2), I decided to do some quick site-seeing on my way to stop #3, and pay a visit to the most famous little icon in Brussels – the one, they only, Manneken Pis.

the city mascot.

Manneken Pis (also known as “The Peeing Boy”) is a must-see for anyone visiting Brussels. Much like the Mona Lisa, he is small and unassuming, and you’d almost walk right past him without even seeing him, if not for the gaggle of tourists constantly buzzing about, taking his picture (myself included). I heard that he sometimes is dressed in costume, and I was hoping I’d get lucky, but alas, the Manneken Pis was donning only his birthday suit during my visit. Maybe that is considered lucky.

Anyway, once again proper planning and plotting worked in my favor, and stop #3 just happened to be right across the street from the boy wonder. So I took my pictures, and crossed over, to:

Stop #3: Leonidas.

It’s a chain. A chocolate shop chain. They were all over the city. But I had heard good things, so I wanted to include it on the tour – I do not discriminate when it comes to chocolate. So I chose the one in the most touristy part of town, and headed in. It was on the small side, and almost could have been a shop back in the States, based on looks alone. I scanned the displays, seeing what caught my eye.

there’s no wrong decision here.

All I can say is nothing jumped out at me, but I wanted everything, if that makes sense. There was no “star of show” or “breakout sensation” like there was in some of the other shops. No, here in Leonidas, this was an ensemble cast – all equally talented and together, could win best picture.

a chorus line.

So, I did what any chocolate lover who couldn’t make a decision would do – I bought a mixed box.

pretty as a present.

It was already wrapped – so I had no idea what was inside, which made it all the more fun! Honestly, it’s virtually impossible to get a bad piece of chocolate in Brussels, so I really wasn’t too concerned. I kept the box sealed and kept it secret and safe until later that day, when I returned to my hotel, and had the grand unveiling.

you never know what you’re gonna get.

Can you believe my luck??? Now, I just had to decide what to eat first. That red glittery piece definitely was calling to me, so I started with that. Marzipan!! It was Marzipan!! I love Marzipan. This was going great. I ate another one, because, I mean, I had to try some actual chocolate from the joint, so I went with one of the chocolate coins. Oh l’amour! Chain as it was, Leonidas’ chocolate could still hang with the best of them. Definitely worth checking out, and very convenient for tourists (if you’re into that sort of thing).

To be continued in the next post: Stop #4: Chocopolis – it’s big, it’s bad, it’s got chocolate beer bottles.

 

 

Never Too Late for Love.

Yes, I know Valentine’s Day was 4 days ago….but I was busy playing Cupid and never got the chance to post the pictures of my 2013 Valentine’s Commemorative Treats. Instead, I spent the day giving them out, and helping make others’ Valentine’s Day a little more special. I can totally get into this Cupid thing.

Cupid, draw back your bow…

Anyway,I had been having so much fun dipping cookies in chocolate, that I decided to keep the fun going with some cupcakes. So, the night before Valentine’s Day, I whipped up a batch of pound cake cupcakes, and because it was a special occasion, even added a little something extra to the batter…

liquid love.

I baked these little love gems, and allowed them to cool completely.

and it begins.

Once cooled, I dipped the tops of them in melted chocolate, dipping half of them in red…

red, the color of desire.

…and half of them in pink.

think pink.

I topped each with a conversation heart, and hand delivered them to folks the next day as my personal “Valentines.” I had really wanted to give out Valentines this year anyway, and was going to have cards made up, however converting desserts into Valentines seemed like a much better way to truly spread the love. And who doesn’t love a cupcake?