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!!!!