Karen Smallbone

Valentine’s day is just around the corner, time to bake up a batch of sugary goodness to send to school with the kids. This year I am going to make some chocolate and sugar cookie hearts and decorate them with Royal Icing. Yummy! I thought I would share the process with you throughout the week so you can see how they eventually turn out. So today I will share the recipes that I am using.

Here is some inspiration. I love this cookie. Mine will look nothing like this but this was too beautiful and fun not to show.

I’m using the recipes from MarthaStewart.com. I’ve used these a bunch of times and they always turn out well.

Chocolate Heart Cookies

INGREDIENTS

Makes about 16 large cookies.

• 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
• 1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, salt, and cinnamon. Set mixture aside.
2. Use an electric mixer to cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Add flour mixture; mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Divide dough in half; wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Transfer to ungreased baking sheets; refrigerate until firm, 15 minutes. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until crisp but not darkened. Cool on wire racks; decorate as desired.

Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS

Makes about 16 large cookies or thirty 2 1/2-inch cookies.

• 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, or 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice and zest of 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup fine sanding sugar, for decorating (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
2. Use an electric mixer to cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs.
3. Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Stir in vanilla or lemon juice and zest. Wrap dough in plastic; chill for about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Transfer to ungreased baking sheets; refrigerate until firm, 15 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, and decorate with sanding sugar, if desired. Bake until edges just start to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks. May be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Royal Icing

INGREDIENTS

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

• 1 pound confectioners’ sugar
• 5 tablespoons meringue powder
• 1/2 cup water, plus more as needed

DIRECTIONS

1. Beat ingredients with a mixer on low speed until smooth. If icing is too thick, add more water, a little at a time, beating to desired consistency. If icing is too thin, continue mixing 2 to 3 minutes more. Icing will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week. (Stir with a rubber spatula before using.)

I will share some photos of my sugary creations as I go. If you are making anything yummy for Valentine’s day and want to share, I would love to see your pictures!

I LOVE cake. It is one of my favourite things. It’s hard to think of a cake that I wouldn’t want to eat. But after looking at the horrible decorating jobs on some of these cakes, it might be hard to imagine even taking one bite.

Cake Wrecks  is a hilarious blog about horribly decorated cakes. People can send in photos of cakes they have seen that are terrible. 

Have a look. It is well written and always good for a laugh.

Here are some photos of cakes people have ordered for their weddings and then the actual cake they got. I think I would be in tears. 

This is what they ordered.

This is what they got.

This is what they asked for.

Here is what they got.

This is what they ordered.

This is what they got. Wow it isn’t even the same shape.

There are tons more horrible cakes for every occasion. Be sure to check it out.

I had a family get-together this weekend and I volunteered to bring the dessert. There were lots of kids there so I thought I would make something fun. I’ve always wanted to make these Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes so this was the perfect opportunity. They are dead easy to make and the kids loved them.

I used a Betty Crocker cake mix. You just fill up the flat bottom ice cream cones with the mix and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 – 25 minutes. Yes you bake the cake right in the cones and no the cones don’t burn. You should only fill the cones up to about 2/3 of the way full. I put too much in and it spilled over the top.

Here is the finished cupcake. It looked just like ice cream. I piped buttercream icing into the ice cream shape and used a red gumball for the cherry.

Thanks to my helper Ronan for making sure all the spoons and bowl were licked clean.

I was looking through the amazing photos on Flickr and came across a link to a wonderful blog about cakes, www.cakejournal.com. If you are like me and enjoy baking, this blog is a great reference. There are tons of great tips and recipes and gorgeous pictures. I’ve included a few for you to enjoy. I feel inspired to make a cake! Be sure to check it out.

Soooooo cute!

While I was checking out CakeJournal, I came across a post about a company that makes wrappers for cupcakes. It’s called Cupcake Wrapture. It’s a small company that makes couture wraps for cupcakes. Perfect for weddings! Not only are the wrappers super cute, but the company is Canadian! You have to check out all of the pretty little wrappers that you can dress up your cupcakes in. The wrappers start at $5.00 for a dozen. A small price to pay for cupcakes that co-ordinate perfectly with your event.

Are you looking for a sweet way to thank your guests for attending your event? A candy buffet is a great idea! Not only will it look fantastic, it tastes sweet too! It’s also a sweet idea for a favour. Provide your guests with a box or bag to fill up from the buffet. Seal the container with a label and voila, a favour that your guest will love and you didn’t have to stay up late to assemble!

If you are planning a candy buffet, keep in mind that most people will fill the container you provide right to the top. If you are trying to keep costs under control, be sure to provide a bag or box that isn’t too big.

KarenSmallbone.com has a large selection of boxes and bags that would be perfect for your buffet. We can custom design labels to seal the container. We also carry Jelly Belly beans in bulk, and have access to old fashioned Lollipops and ribbon candy! (If you are interested in the Lollipops, just send us an email and we can send you pricing.)

1.Old Fashioned Buffet from Once Wed by Chutes and Ladders

2.Pink Candy Bar from Once Wed by katie535h

3. Pink Candy Buffet by lisarunolfson

4.Pink,Orange and Green by kmjdepalma

5. Green and Brown by Rebecca Thuss