I Like Big Bundts 2011 - that's right, we did it again!

Well, we've gone and done it again!  It was a Bundt coffee break extravaganza on November 15th.  The challenge was put out by the Food Librarian once again this year to bake a bundt cake for National Bundt Day on November 15th, and of course, my colleagues and I took it on!

Five of us brought bundt cakes, and others supplied the whipped cream (shown in lower right image) and tea for everyone.

From one side...

...to the other.  Don't forget the whipped cream!

Pascal's Kentucky Butter Bundt

Mary Margaret's Chocolate Bundt with Vanilla Glaze

Joanne's Sour Cream Coffee Bundt with Maple Caramel Walnut Glaze

Shannon's Tabasco Orange Bundt

Melissa's Pumpkin and Carrot Bundt served with whipped cream

Of course we all had to sample a piece of each bundt cake...delish!

Apple Pie à la Crisp? Anyone?

What can I say? I love fall.  I also really enjoy going apple picking with friends.  My intentions are always to only pick one kind, Cortland apples, because those are the best for apple pies.  But somehow, I end up with 3 or 4 kinds every year and then I have to do something about the overload of apples in my kitchen.  So, I bake....and I bake.  I'll eat the empires every day but the rest of the apples (Lobo, Macintosh and of course the Cortlands) have got to get into the apple crisp or pies.  I decided to be lazy this year, well I'd rather call it a stroke of genius myself, and use my apple crisp recipe and just throw it into a pie crust (easiest and fool proof pie crust ever).  It's basically and apple crumble pie, and delicious.

Giant Donut? À la Simpsons?

And there's always room for a Giant Donut Cake, with pink icing, of course.  My friend has always wanted a giant donut (think The Simpsons), so ask and ye shall receive!  A chocolate cake with chocolate and butterscotch chips and buttercream icing...yum.  Oh but first, I know this is not a dessert, but it's just as delicious...we shared a homemade cheese fondue as well as a broth fondue (for the meat) as part of my friend's list of favourites on her birthday.  No complaints here!  Hope you had a fabulous birthday!

That's One Giant Cupcake!

Well, it had to happen one day...why make multiple little cupcakes when you can make one great big giant one?!
This giant cupcake was made from a chocolate chip pound cake recipe with vanilla creme cheese icing.
It seems my friend thoroughly enjoyed her birthday cake, and so did everyone else for that matter.  Happy birthday to you!

Speed can be delicious...

...in the shape of an F1 race car that is!
I made this for my colleague's retirement party.  He is a huge fan of F1 racing so we decided to inject a bit of F1 flavour to the party by making a big signing poster with checkered flag as well as a fast car cake.  It's a simple vanilla cake with buttercream icing.  He loved it!  It could have been much nicer but this is what you get when I make it in the morning before work.  I still think it looks pretty cool.

Cupcakes are the baking gateway to happiness!

(according to my friend Ol'man B)

It's been a rough go at work lately, so to bring up morale a few notches and to cheer up my colleagues, I decided to bring in some cupcakes on Tuesday.  Everyone was so excited that it was a unanimous vote to take a morning coffee break (something we rarely do) in order to devour the baked goods.  These yummy chocolate cupcakes were iced with irish cream liquor (I use Carolans) flavoured buttercream icing, topped with confetti sprinkles.  There were regular sized and bite size cupcakes, you know, for those individuals who want to have their cake and eat it too!

I may have found my favourite recipe!

Honestly, nothing is better than a deliciously decadent bowl of ice cream.  What's even better is when it's homemade because you can brag about it to everyone.  This particular recipe only has 5 ingredients and it is an impressive little gourmet treat to serve to dinner guests after a sumptuous meal.  Quite frankly, I like serving it to myself as a treat after a hectic day and sometimes for no other reason than for a small taste of it .....mmm mmm mmm.  Oh did I mention there is booze in it? Oh yeah.

Homemade Chocolate and Banana Ice Cream!

See Spots, Like Spots, Eat Spots

 A happy wedding cake for one of my favourite couples!
(hopefully I will get better photographs soon....more to come with commentary)

Stained glass sugar cookies with royal icing.  Red velvet, vanilla and chocolate and buttercream icing...why limit your choice of cake to one flavour when you can get 3, right?

Fast and Dirty!

Easter dinner couldn't be complete without a delicious dessert.  So, even though I was back in Northern Ontario visiting my grandmother and family over the long weekend, I still managed to whip up a butter brickle pecan cake (a favourite requested by my cousin and uncle).  Found some caramel squares in the pantry of my aunt's kitchen, so I melted them down and drizzled it on to juj it up for fun! Sometimes, the messiest looking cakes are the tastiest.

Better Than A Pot'o'Gold??

Maybe not what you'd expect to find at the end of the rainbow, but on St. Patrick's Day, this is what showed up on my table:  A Guinness cheesecake, some homemade irish cream liqueur, and a batch of homemade chocolate/banana irish cream ice-cream (not shown in picture).  Lucky? Me thinks so, and the guests agreed!

And yes, it's suppose to look sloppy, cuz that's how you get on St.Patty's!

Little pockets of heaven....!!

My mother decided that today was going to be the day that she would teach me how to make Paczki (that's doughnut for all you non-polaks out there).  It doesn't take much, just a few ingredients, a little bit of time and some patience (because you have to let the dough rise something like three or four times) but it's entirely worth it just to get to the filling part...so fun!

 

We decided to try the traditional cook in oil method, but we also baked a batch, and to be honest, I think I almost prefer the baked ones...I know I know, it seems almost a sin not to fry the doughnuts in oil, but they are quite delicious baked, and a little better for you too.

Dzienkuje bardzo mamusia!

La Pitoune Express!

My lovely coworker, decided she wanted a pink, blinged-out train cake for her birthday....and well, ask and ye shall receive my friends!

Bonne fête G-toune!!!!