Saturday, December 18, 2010

Dessert Trays

What's baking? Lemon squares just dusted with powdered sugar.  Carrot cake rounds with sweet pecan cream and cream cheese frosting.  Mini cheesecakes - plain, strawberry and chocolate.  Walnut cups - plain or drizzled with chocolate.  Chocolate mocha and shortbread cookies.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

One More Shipment from Team Caring & Sharing

Brooke, from East Greenbush, NY, mailed a box containing:
Chewy peanut butter cookies
Chocolate cookies with peanuts and M&Ms
Lemon and strawberry sugar cookies
Some Christmas candy
Kraft Easy Mac
 
Thank you for being part of Baking GALS Team Caring and Sharing!

Monday, December 13, 2010

3 Boxes Shipped



Thanks to some great friends in the area, I filled three boxes and brought them to the post office today (not the best day to do that-it was quite crowded!). They weighed a total of 27 pounds and were filled with banana and pumpkin breads, brownies, raisin cookies, chocolate chip cookie bars,

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Cooling Rack

First time using new rack for cooling trays of cookies.  Worked great for this batch of mini choc chip shortbread cookies and it folds flat for storage!

A lot of Baking this Weekend!

As I was in the midst of baking, the heating element of my oven caught fire and burned out, but I heard good news from other team mates! 
Anu from Idaho shipped about 5 dozen M&M cookies, 1 card, 12 granola bars, 1 bag chex mix and Alicia from Washington state got 3 boxes in the mail full of cookies, candy, drink mixes, licorice, sunflower seeds, puzzle books, jerky, and a Christmas card. Team Caring and Sharing - you're doing a great job! Thank you.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

More Cookies to Troops!

Andrea from Oregon emailed me to say, "We sent Jonathan sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cookies, rainbow cookies, blistex, batteries, tictacs, a puzzle book, and some candy.  We are from Oregon, so it was fun having a "local" soldier to ship to!"

Friday, December 10, 2010

Another Baking GALS Box Shipped

Thank you to Brenda from Berrien Springs, MI who shipped a package that included two dozen date cookies, two dozen molasses cookies and one dozen buckeyes...and a Christmas ornament.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

2 More boxes to Troops in Afghanistan from Baking GALS Team Caring & Sharing

Yesterday, Linda , from Hershey, PA, shipped two boxes. Both contained about 8 to 10 dozen homemade cookies- a mix of M&M

Monday, December 6, 2010

Baking GALS - another box to be shipped

Thank you Cara in NJ - it sounds like a great package to receive! 
She baked and packed:
Marshmallow popcorn red and green balls
Triple Chocolate brownies cookies
Sugar cookies sandwiches filled with caramel and walnut
All white chocolate chip cookies
Regular choc chip cookies
Cocoa cookie with peanut butter and chocolate chips
along with a little letter

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Cheesecake

What's baking?
Another fall theme cheesecake.  Base recipe is Never-Fail Cheesecake from Epicurious with chocolate sandwich cookie crust and chocolate ganache topping.  Leaves are hand-made from gum paste (I like the sheen from brushing with pearl dust!).

Friday, December 3, 2010

Baking GALS - notification of 1st package sent - yay!

Harmonie in Braintree, MA sent an email today saying she had shipped a package to Jon from Team Caring and Sharing! It contained

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Baking GALS - Jon likes Cowboy and Carrot Cookies!

What's baking?
So for 'Team Caring and Sharing' Jon's family said that Cowboy Cookies and Carrot Cookies are two of his favorites. I had never heard of either! Carrot cake - yes, just made one last week, but to make it into a cookie? Ok, so I found a few recipes on-line, but most are sandwich

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Baking GALS, round 26, ship dates

Baking GALS ship dates for this round is anytime between Dec 1-18. That starts tomorrow! Not to worry, if you haven't signed up for Team Caring and Sharing, yet. You still can sign up during the shipping period for this extended round.  Join us in baking for Jon and sending some holiday cheer and goodies to

Monday, November 29, 2010

Recent Cakes

What's baking?

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving with family, friends and good food! Here are a couple of cakes from the past week-carrot cake and chocolate covered cheesecake. It was a busy week and I didn't get to take pictures of everything and the couple of shots I did take are not too good, but you get the idea! Please let me know if you want any recipes.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

other items to ship overseas - Baking GALS Team Caring and Sharing

I'm looking forward to packing boxes of goodies to send to Jon. If you haven't signed up yet, it's not too late to join Team Caring and Sharing.

Baking GALS - cookie ideas for Jon

I hope everyone is gearing up to bake or baking already for Jon. I've been told, "He's never met a cookie he didn't like, but favorites include cowboy cookies, classic chocolate chip and carrot cake cookies."
Anyone have any good recipes for cowboy cookies or carrot cake cookies? Anyone ever heard of cowboy

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Cheesecakes!

What's baking?
Ganache covered chocolate crust cheesecakes in the works! Not too many ingredients- crust is chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreo or Joe-Joe) and a little bit of butter, cheesecake is only cream cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla with sour cream topping. 2 cakes and 2 dozen minis need to set up and refrigerate 24 hours before covering/smothering in ganache!

Monday, November 22, 2010

BOXES - Baking GALS - boxes for shipping

Boxes for packing and shipping to military are free and available at post offices or you can order them on-line. Here's information from usps about Priority Mail APO/FPO Flat Rate Boxes:
A quick, easy, and convenient way for you to ship Priority Mail packages to military personnel serving overseas. The Priority

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Susan's Cake Decorating Class

I started a new Facebook page, Susan's Cake Decorating Class, for my teaching 'stuff' and to be able to share things like class schedules, student cakes, new products from Wilton, etc.  So please go there to find out more

Friday, November 19, 2010

Fried Green Tomatoes!


Our CSA share has brought us some interesting veggies and I will miss the box of weekly surprises since this is the last of the season. Well, there were green tomatoes this week. My first time I've ever had them so, I thought I'd make a Fried Green Tomato! I sliced the

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

more Baking GALS - how to join in the baking fun

As you can tell from the previous posts, I lam very excited to be leading 'Team Caring and Sharing' with Operation Baking GALS and to have the privilege of baking for Jonathan!  
If you’d like to join my team.
1) go to Operation Baking GALS and log in or create

Monday, November 15, 2010

more Baking GALS

I just added a couple of photos that Karen gave me of her nephew, Jon, to the Baking GALS site for Team Caring and Sharing. Be sure to check out my team on Baking GALS and join us baking for Jon.

Team Sharing and Caring, Operation Baking GALS, round 26

I am leading a team, Sharing and Caring, for Operation Baking GALS. I hope you will read about Jon, below, and join my team. You can go to www.bakingGALS.com.  Once you are registered, you will be able to log in and go to 'meet a round 26 team' and also go to 'join a round 26

information about Operation Baking GALS

Many of you know that I enjoy working with the group Baking GALS. I am participating this round by leading a team for my friend Karen's nephew. I would love to have you join Team Caring and Sharing and send

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Carrot Cake

What's baking?
Still baking out of The Frog/Commissary Cookbook!  Carrot Cake with Pecan Cream Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting. Was for the same luncheon as previous post.

Anniversary Cake!

What's baking?

Cake to celebrate 25 years in private practice! Chocolate Chip Fudge Cake (Killer Cake) with white chocolate writing and gum paste and fondant decorations.
The recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Frog Commissary Cookbook. It's a delicious rich chocolate cake layered and iced with dark chocolate ganache-like icing with a hint of

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Gum Paste & Fondant Figures

Taking a break to let gum paste dry and get ready to go teach - not quite turning out the way I had envisioned! It's a work in progress for cake due tomorrow!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Sugar Class continued

Just a few more photos from the sugar class to show the set up and some of the techniques and, of course, Keith Ryder. He is a wonderful instructor, although he makes it look so easy and it is definitely not. Keith is extremely knowledgeable, generous, talented, has great way of teaching and sharing, and a sense of humor. Can you tell I liked the class, even though my thumbs are still slightly burned and sore? Here's a shot of the set-up

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Sugar Class!

Had a great day today playing with sugar. Went to a class about pulled and blown sugar with Keith Ryder - so informative and fun. He makes it look so easy! It's all just sugar! 
During the class we were able to really get a feel for working with sugar and isomalt. Learned the correct consistency, temperatures and texture for pulling, blowing and shaping the sugar. It's one of those skills that takes much practice to get it right.  So I have a ways ahead of me, but it was fun! Here's a sampling of what I made in class.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Monday, October 18, 2010

Birthday Cake!



What's baking?
A birthday cake for a very special person celebrating a special birthday!




Thursday, October 14, 2010

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Hazelnut and Chocolate Meringue Cake

What's baking?
Recipe from October issue of Food & Wine magazine, Hazelnut and Chocolate Meringue Cake.  All of my favorites: chocolate, hazelnuts, whipped cream.  Taking it to friend's house tonight.  Can't wait to try it!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Display Cake

What's baking?
Actually, not this cake!  It's a display cake made with a styrofoam base covered with fondant and gum paste flowers.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Cake Decorating Class - Gum Paste & Fondamt

I'll be teaching Gum Paste and Fondant Cake Decorating Class starting this Wednesday - not too late to sign up!

Saturday, September 4, 2010

The School of Essential Ingredients book Cake

What's Baking?
Hosted book club and author chat here.  We read Erica Bauermeister's The School of Essential Ingredients to mixed reviews.  I thoroughly enjoyed the book because it was about food and sharing!  All appreciated the author's insight in our discussion with her.  Although there are no recipes in the book, as students are encouraged to understand the essential ingredients and go from there, Erica does have a few posted on her website.  I baked, of course, and chose Carl's White on White Cake.  I often use recipes loosely and so in this case, I added Fiori di Sicilia

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Support Icing Smiles thru Pepsi Challenge

Please Vote!
Follow this link
http://www.refresheverything.com/icingsmiles
and vote for Icing Smiles to receive Pepsi grant to provide custom celebration cakes to children with critical illness.  Please continue to vote everyday until the end of the month.  Thanks!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

September Cake Decorating Classes

I will be teaching a Gum Paste and Fondant class in September at AC Moore in Montgomeryville.  This month the cost is 40% off the $45.  So it's only $27 for 8 hours of class plus supplies (lesson book, kit, cake stuff!)  Classes begin the first week of September so stop by the store to register or call (215) 699-7224 for the schedule or let me know if you have any questions.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Decorating Basics, lesson 4

Tonight was the last night of class and my students did a great job.  Here are some of their cupcake and cake creations

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Bead Mosaic

Took a break from the kitchen to play with another passion of mine: jewelry making.  I went to a workshop at the Phila Bead Fest and learned a technique for bead mosaics.  Joan Babcock demonstrated and then we worked with a one of her patterns before making one of our own.  This is what I did!  Lots more ideas that I would like to try now.   I might be tempted to clean up my shop and light up the torch soon again!