Flourless Chocolate Truffle Torte

Hold onto your hats, friends. This recipe is one for the bookmarks. Everyone loves a creamy, velvety chocolate truffle, amiright? Take a bite and that luscious ganache filling just melts in your mouth. You can't have just one.

So I turned that thick, decadent truffle flavor into a cake. Each bite has the same luxurious texture. Cut with a drizzle of tart raspberry glaze, this cake is sure to be a go-to recipe for elegant parties, or nights when that sweet tooth simply can't be satisfied with anything less. Also, because it is flour free, it's a perfect recipe for Passover and those with gluten intolerances or wheat or nut allergies. Win!


We're going to start with a very simple recipe.
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

Oh! Just a heads up--this is not a whip-together-at-last-minute sorta deal. This is a low-and-slow kinda cake, loverfaces. You'll want to give it enough time to bake and chill overnight before serving, so plan ahead.

1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup white sugar
18 ounces bittersweet chocolate (you can use chips or baking squares)
1 cup (two sticks) unsalted sweet cream butter (the higher quality, the better)
6 large eggs



In a small saucepan (I used a teakettle for convenience's sake) combine the water, salt, and sugar and bring to a simmer. You want the sugar and salt to completely dissolve. If it doesn't dissolve completely, your cake will be gritty, so this is an important step. Don't let the water evaporate, so keep a lid on it.

Now, for the chocolate! Lots and lots of chocolate. More than a pound of the good stuff! There's no such thing as too much when it comes to a decadent cake. Really. For best results, use high quality chocolate. When you have a dessert like this with so few ingredients, the quality of those ingredients is important. I used bittersweet baking chocolate, and Ghiradelli chips. Mm, all that chocolate. Smells a little like evil in the kitchen.

Empty your chocolate into a microwave safe bowl. Zap it at full power for 30 second intervals, stirring well between each interval. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl and get all that chocolate worked into itself. We want smooth, creamy chocolate with no lumps.



Chop the butter into pieces and add it into the chocolate, along with the hot sugar/salt water. Stir well until the butter has melted and the chocolate is smooth. Sorta like this. :) Ohhhh yeah.



Once the chocolate has cooled a bit, we're going to add the eggs. Don't add them while the chocolate is hot, or you'll end up with scrambled eggs, and that's not the texture we want, no ma'am. Plop them in one at a time for best results.



Using a hand mixer (unless you really just want to work on your bikini arms), whip the chocolate and eggs together until fully incorporated. You shouldn't be able to tell there's any egg in there--it should be perfectly even and blended.



To bake this cake and retain an evenly-baked texture with no dry or cracked patches, we're going to bake it in a water bath. Using a water bath keeps the oven's interior humid, bakes the cake gently, and spreads the heat evenly around the pan to prevent overbaking.

Taking a 9" springform pan, line the bottom insert in parchment. This will help keep the edges of the pan sealed and keep the cake from sticking. You can trim any excess parchment sticking out. With the inherent creaminess of this cake, you'll want a satin-smooth finish to make it perfect. Using your fingers or a pastry brush, grease the parchment and sides of the pan with vegetable shortening. You can use nonstick spray if you don't have shortening.
Wrap aluminum foil around the bottom of the pan, bringing it up the sides. This is simply to ensure that no water leaks into your pan while baking, 'cause that can make a gooey mess.

Now pour in your batter and place the springform pan into a large, shallow roasting pan. I used a 9"x13" cake pan. Fill it with hot water, halfway up the side of the springform. Stick that bad boy in your oven, set a timer for 45 minutes, and go have a cocktail. And for the love of chocolate, don't open your oven door to peek. You'll let all that lovely steam out. Your cake is taking a spa day, you should too. So go relax.



When your timer dings, you can take the cake out to cool. It will still look wet and wobbly in the middle--totally normal! Don't bake it anymore. Remove the springform from its bath and put it on the counter on a cooling rack. I's gonna hang out there for an hour or so. And then transfer the cake (IN the pan) to the fridge and let it chill at least 10 hours (preferably overnight).

When you're ready to serve, run a hot butter knife (I dip mine under steaming water and wipe with a towel) around the outer edge of the cake, between the cake and the pan, to loosen it. You'll see by now that the cake is fully set and cooled and firm. Remove the springform's ring. Invert your cake onto your serving platter and peel off the parchment. You can garnish with powdered sugar, a dusting of cocoa, fresh fruit, whipped cream, whatever.



Because I'm a glutton, I topped mine with--what else? Homemade dark chocolate ganache. What compliments an intense chocolate cake better than a generous serving of MORE intense chocolate?? Nothing, I say. Nothing.

Ganache is so easy, it's silly, really.



In a microwave safe bowl, nuke a cup of heavy cream for 90 seconds. It should be hot, but not scalded. Add in a 12oz package of dark (or milk, if you like that better) chocolate chips. Stir to blend. See? How easy is that? Really. Let it cool and thicken for a bit, about half an hour, and then drizzle over your cake. I drizzled a bit of mine, then let the rest firm up, covered, in the fridge for a couple of hours until it was thick enough to pipe. I drizzled. I piped. And then I piled on some fresh raspberries for color.



And there you have it. An entire cake made of chocolate truffle. This is a PMS-thwarting, man-catching, sweet tooth defying showstopper of a cake. You'll love it.

Happy eating!!

A refreshing change of pace

Hey all! I wanted to thank those who've been commenting on my blogs--it's always nice to see feedback. And also, the validity that I'm not sitting here talking entirely to myself is nice as well. I'm sorry I haven't responded. The email address linked to this blog (the one that bleeps up exciting messages when someone comments) is an address I no longer use, so when people comment, I don't see it unless I go and check. I should fix that.

Also, I have been working on some terribly cute projects lately. I'll post about those next week. With Passover approaching, this week is crazy busy! But today I wanted to rave about something I recently discovered that threw me for a bit of a loop.

I'm a water purist. People talk about putting slices of fruit into their water for that "subtle touch of flavor" and I've tried that. It's awful. I don't want a subtle touch of flavor. I want full balls-to-the-wall flavor (can I say that on a family blog?) or nothing at all.

....or so I thought.

My tastes have been changing recently as I've been transitioning into a much healthier lifestyle (read: less interwebs surfing and more Zumba. But the evil that is Zumba is another post for another time)

I've been craving fruit instead of sweets (gasp!) and have noticed a definite change in my palate. But even though I've definitely been leaning towards more organic choices, when my girlfriend Morgan introduced me to MetroMint, I was skeptical.
The way she described it--subtly flavored water infused with mint essential oils--well, it sounded a little delicate for my taste.

However, never one to turn down new experiences, I gave them a try. I had a full selection of flavors to sample--Orange Mint, Lemon Mint, Spearmint, Peppermint, and--get this--chocolate mint. All unsweetened, uncarbonated, and with no artificial flavors or additives. So I cracked the chocolate mint first and gave it a sip.

It was odd at first. It's hard to describe something that tastes like candy, but isn't sweet in any way. And come on, I create and describe flavor for a living. I should be good at this.

The chocolate and the mint are both there. Very clear. It tastes like an Andes Mint, but without the toothache-inducing sweetness. The flavors ARE very subtle and super clean. They don't leave any cloying aftertaste the way Crystal Lite can sometimes. The water still tastes like water, but at the end of the sip, you get this really distinct sense of the flavor, along with the cool refreshing mint. They're delicious. And the best part? The bottles are all fancy! So I feel very fancy drinking it. Like instead of doggy-paddling in the deep end, I should be in some SuperSpa Elite gym with Javier, my cute Argentinian personal trainer spotting my perfectly-formed squats under flattering light.

Ahh. A girl can dream.

One thing I noticed is that the waters taste different at room temperature. The mint essence is more pronounced, and the background flavor less prominent. I prefer them refrigerated and icy cold, but they certainly taste fine if they're not.

Of all the flavors I sampled, it's really difficult to choose a favorite. Chocolate Mint is up there, along with the Peppermint. They also have a cherry mint flavor that I didn't try, but OMG, sounds so good. If you wanna try some too, and tell me what your favorite flavor is, check the store locator to find where they are sold. Whole Foods, Kroger, Ralphs, Safeway...they all carry MetroMint. :) You can even get them on Amazon!

After reading up on the company, I found there's a lot of sciencey stuff about digestion benefits from the natural mint oils. From pregnant women with morning sickness to chemo patients working through nausea, this stuff is like gold. People rave about this stuff, truly. The reviews I was reading blew me away. MetroMint has some very loyal fans. And I'm pretty sure that they can add me to the list.

Morgan, thanks for introducing me to these, and for changing my mind about delicate flavors. These really are pretty amazing. <3

Food For Fuel

I have a confession to make, friends. Please try not to judge.

Okay...I know this may be hard to hear, but it's time I come clean.

I don't feed my children cake and chocolate on a regular basis.

I know!! I know, it's crushing news. You thought you knew me! What is this world coming to when the Happy Baker doesn't even follow her own credo of "There's never enough chocolate"?? It's a scandal.

Here's the truth, though. I don't have much of a sweet tooth. I rarely crave chocolate, and *gasp* I don't even care for cake that much. But boy, do I love making it. The creative process of conjuring up rich, decadent flavors and turning them into beautiful little treats--it's like therapy. It makes me calm and happy.

Our household is fairly health conscious. I may not always follow my own rules, and my plumpishness definitely rats me out on that. But when it comes to my children, I've got an ironclad drive to teach them proper nutrition. I want them to have better skills than I did, and not end up with my tendencies to lean on junk when I'm tired and lazy.

One of our favorite places to go when the weather is yucky is Monkey Joe's. If you're not familiar, Monkey Joe's is a play center filled with various giant bouncy castles, slides, and obstacle courses. It's a pretty great place to let kids run amok and burn themselves out.



So I gathered up my children one afternoon and we headed out to the Joe.

After an hour of red-faced, damp-shirted play, I went to the concession stand to buy them some juice. I paid, and the lady plopped down on the counter two bottles of neon-colored sugar water in plastic squeeze bottles. "I'm sorry," I said, "I wanted juice...like apple juice. In the juice boxes." I felt an episode of charades coming on.

She stared blankly. "We don't carry those anymore."

What?? I know it had been a while since we visited, but they seem to have changed a bit. I peered past the cashier into their cooler, looking for the fruit cups that were present last time we went. Gone. I felt the self-righteous Mommy-frustration bubbling up and shoved it back down. Unfortunately, a little snark managed to escape and fall out, plop! Right there on the counter.

"So.... you guys have completely stripped the place of anything remotely resembling real food, then? Isn't this just sugar water?"

She stared blankly, waiting for me to sign the receipt.

I gazed at the menu. Salted, buttered popcorn. Soft pretzels with nacho cheese (bright yellow processed cheese product). A candy buffet as long as the eye can see. Ice cream bars. Pizza so greasy you have to sop the oil up with a handful of napkins. And best of all? Customers are not allowed to bring in any outside food or beverages, and are not allowed to leave and return.

I'm bringing my children to a place where they can exercise, socialize, burn calories, expend energy, play, and a slew of other healthy activities. And then when they get hungry and thirsty, I'm forced to refuel them with sugary, fat-laden garbage. No. I refuse. I'm going to be the parent who marches in with my mini cooler, packed with bottles of water and juice, carrot sticks, and chopped fruit. And if they raise a stink, they can kick me out and lose me as a customer.

I am no food nazi by any means. My children have snacks, eat fast food, and enjoy cake and candy. But they do so in planned settings and special occasions. It is not something I allow just because it's there.

My bigger concern is WHY Monkey Joe's isn't working harder to provide healthier alternatives to our next generation? It wouldn't cost much to provide shelf-stable snacks that are lighter on the waistline. Horizon makes organic milk tetrapacks that don't even require refrigeration. 100% juice boxes and water are entirely shelf stable.
A bowl of carrot sticks and peanut butter can easily last an entire week and costs pennies on a bulk scale. Whole wheat PB&J sandwiches can be made to order, with the bread kept in the freezer. Even Uncrustables, which aren't my favorite but are better than greasy pizza, come in whole wheat and can be frozen indefinitely. There are a lot of options, and I bet a lot of parents would be far more comfortable spending more time at their favorite play center if they knew they could count on a healthy dinner being available when the kids come back clutching their tummies.



So parents, women, healthy advocates - if you were revamping the Monkey Joe's menu, what would you add? Would you be more likely to take your children there if there were better food options? Toss in your opinion, I'd love to hear it!

Hello again, world!

We just moved into a little suburban ranch-style house in December. I'm still getting used to all the bumps and squeaks in the night, and one thing I haven't attempted to master yet is the garage. It's a small, one-car garage with a door opener. Wee! However, having to cart around two kids and a dog, I drive a Dodge Journey, which is not a small car. I did many a half-assed measurement, holding my hands apart and trying to size up the width of the garage versus the width of my vehicle, and it just didn't look like a promising endeavor. So I said "Eh, to heck with it" and settled on remaining parked in the driveway. More room for my boxes of pots and miscellaneous kitchen equipment that way.

Enter: Midwest Winter.

After weeks and weeks of crazy December days in the 60's where we're stringing up lights in our tshirts, the ice finally rolls in. "Winter mix" they call it. Way to be festive, Weather Channel!

Nothing sounds more fun than standing in the 12 degree morning air, scraping ice off my windshield while my toddler stands at the front door and wails at me, I admit. But because I usually don't have time in the mornings to participate in such fun activities, I decided to try the impossible, bending the laws of physics to make my car fit into this teensy tiny garage.

I played a little "Garage Tetris", moved some stuff around, and stacked things artfully in teetery towers. I folded in my rearview mirrors and handed my son my emergency call list in case peril should occur.

I skated carefully to the car in my pink bathroom slippers, trying not to fall on the ice and concuss myself, and as I climbed into the driver's seat and opened the garage door, there stood my 6 year old son at the far end of the garage, in the doorway leading to the kitchen, clad in his Thomas pajamas, watching intently. Fantastic. If I rip my car and/or the house apart, he'll be my star witness. At least I know I can buy his silence with a lollipop if I have to.

I started the engine and peeked out the window, trying to align my car with the weensy little opening. It was like threading a needle. Or putting on Spanx. I called out, "Am I going to hit?" and my son waved and called, "No, you're doing great, Mom!" And then I realized I'm relying on the perspective skills of a child who still draws his self portraits with stick arms and giant balloon heads. Whatever. So I slo-o-o-wly pulled in while my son waves me on like a tiny tarmac attendant.

And I didn't hit.

Victory is mine.

We won't talk about me getting stuck between the car door and the wall and my son having to pry me out with a crowbar and a jar of crisco.

It's good to be back, friends. I'm having a cake truffle giveaway on Facebook, so be sure to go check it out!

* You get one entry into the drawing for each of the following tasks:

- Post on the Happy Baker's wall, telling me about a dish or dessert that gives you a warm fuzzy feeling or triggers a special romantic memory.
- Post a photo of that dish/dessert along with your post.
- Add my Etsy shop to your favorites *
- Tag my shop in a Twitter post

* If you've already favorited my Etsy shop, send me an Etsy convo and let me know.
The drawing will be done by www.random.org, and the winner will be announced on Facebook and Twitter on February 1st. Good luck!

www.facebook.com/HappyBaker
www.happybakery.etsy.com
www.twitter.com/The_Happy_Baker

Not dead. Just crazycakes busy.

Hi friends! My, but it has been a while, hasn't it?

It's been so long, in fact, that I forgot how to log into to update. Took me a few minutes and some frustrated, less-than-kosher verbage, but I got in. Obviously.

Anyway, I've gone from casual kitchen blogger to full-swing businesswoman recently. I sucked it up, collected my nerves, and put myself and my cake truffles out there, and it turns out, people love them. I mean, who wouldn't love a cake truffle, really? Trolls, that's who. And probably vampires. I hear they don't eat much.

So, business has taken off like gangbusters, and I've been kind of consumed with that. And the whole "raising kids" thing. But that's just a hobby. Motherhood doesn't pay well.

Anyway, I just wanted to say hello and let you know I'm still around. I'm active on Facebook if you ever want to come say hello. And you can check out goodies on Etsy, too, if you are into the window shopping thing.

I hope you all have a perfectly lovely holiday, full of all kinds of sweet things and whipped cream.

I Can't Compete With Pizza

Sometimes I have thoughts that originate outside my kitchen. Sometimes. This is one of them. Kind of. It's still food related, but... um... aw hell. Alright, I confess, this is kitchen related, too.

Last week marked a very special occasion in our household. My five year old son, Monster, is officially a kindergartner. His first day, I completely embarrassed myself while becoming a living cliche. I got out of my car in the circle drive as I dropped him off to wave and snap photos, with parents behind me in their minivans, huffing and giving me the stinkeye for holding up the line.

Since then, I've taken a lot of pleasure in the little things--packing his afternoon snack into his Toy Story lunchbag, reading enthusiastic correspondence that come home from his teacher in his folder every night, secretly throwing away the endless piles of coloring book pages when he's not looking, and best of all, being able to drop off my kid while wearing the comfy pajama pants with the hole in the crotch, flip flops, and no bra. Oh yes. This is the high life, friends. I'm living the dream.

How To Make A Cakepop

Hello friends!

I've had a lot of questions over the last couple months, regarding cakepops. There are tutorials all over the interwebs, but I want to show you my method and address some of the more common questions that seem to come up.

Because I didn't do a separate shoot just for this post, I'll be using a composition of different photos from various projects to illustrate each step. Sorry if that's distracting. Consider it...er, eclectic. :D

I'll start with some of the FAQ I've gotten recently.

Cakepop Bouquet

Ahhhhh, school's in! You know what that means, friends. We'll wave goodbye from the drop-off zone, watching our little ones march inside, toting their backpacks and lunchboxes, heads full of all the exciting things they plan to do on the monkey bars at recess.

As much as it makes my heart hurt a little to see my little ones' youth slip away so quickly, I'm thoroughly pleased to see the sticky-hot days pass right along with them. We seem to have hit another heatwave recently, and summer's letting us all know she's not quite ready to be shoved out the door yet.

So, to honor her last days with us, I wanted to make something bright and cheery.

I happen to have several dozen cake truffles that I made this week. They're key lime truffles--creamy key lime cake blended with homemade, tangy lime buttercream to create a luxuriously soft truffle center, drenched in a vanilla candy shell and crowned with sugared lime zest. Yum, right?



I've had this idea in my head for quite some time--wondering what would happen if I repurposed some flowers, added some cakeballs, and made semi-edible bouquets. I wanted to give it a try. I found some silk sunflowers in my craft basket and an empty clay pot on my gardening bench, located a pair of wirecutters, and went to work.

$10 Dozens! Key Lime Cake Truffles! Limited time only.

This week, key lime cake truffles are on sale for $10 a dozen.

Creamy, tangy key lime cake truffle, neatly dipped in a sweet vanilla candy shell and crowned in sugared lime zest. Mmmm. Tastes like the Caribbean!

The usual price is $18 a dozen, so they're nearly half off. Order now--the sale ends Friday!

Ohmigosh! Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

I made peanut butter cookies yesterday. Whatev.
I stuffed them with creamy peanut butter and melty chocolate. No biggie.

So hey, you know...just cookies, right?

WRONG.

When you pull apart the soft peanut butter cookie, the warm, gooey center says, "Hi there. I love you." These cookies have serious mojo. And also? They're sorta magical.

I think these need no further introduction.

Client Projects - Super Huge Photo Post

I have been kind of AWOL lately, huh? I haven't been neglecting you, dear friends--at least, not on purpose. No, I've just been spectacularly busy. I even made food that turned out yummy and didn't even take pictures of it, because my brain is off dancing drunkenly in the streets elsewhere. I made crispy polenta cakes and eggs. I made fudge-covered bing cherry brownies. I made marshmallow fondant. Pictures of any of it? Nope. I'm ashamed.

But I DID take photos of the stuff that's been keeping me so occupied. If you follow me on Facebook, you've already seen these photos. And if you're not on Facebook with me.... well then, that's where the cool kids are. You should come. Tell your friends. They want to be cool too, right?

Free Cakepops!!

Hi there, friends!!

If you have not yet started following the Happy Baker on Facebook, you should.
Click "Like" on the top of this page. Tell your friends. Make them Like it, too.

http://www.facebook.com/HappyBaker

Why? What's in it for you, hm?

Well, I'll tell you.

If The Happy Baker's facebook page can get 100 "likes" by September 1st, I will enter all of my followers' names into a random drawing (done at Random.org) and the winner will receive a dozen free, handmade chocolate truffle cakepops. And because I love you so much, I will make them extra big, extra creamy, and extra awesome. They'll be gift wrapped all pretty and delivered right to your door with a little thank you note from Yours Truly.

Oh, also! When your friend "likes" the Happy Baker's page, make sure they send me a message or post a comment, telling me you referred them. You'll both get an extra entry into the drawing. Score! No limit on how many entries you can have.

So get to it! Spread the cakepop love! <3

Sweet Corn Spoonbread and Tomatillo Salsa

Today was a lovely day. I don't know if it could have been much better. I slept well last night. I had a luxurious afternoon nap. I met with an old friend for lunch and had a fantastic turkey sandwich over discussion of life lessons and reminiscing. We went window shopping. Kiddo played outside with his friends and came home with a soaked shirt and chugged a glass of ice water. Brainfreeze. It was one of those perfect summer days.

So what makes the perfect summer day even more perfect? How about a spicy, flavorful dinner made with locally grown vegetables and fresh herbs, paired with a side of something soft and sweet? Oh yeaaah. That'll do it.

I had three tomatillos sitting in my produce basket for a week now, feeling lonely and unloved. Truth is, I just had them wrapped up really well and forgot about them, which is a shame because they're SO wonderful. They may not look like much from the outside. If you've never worked with them, chances are good you probably pass them in the grocery store and never even pay them a passing glance.

That just won't do.

Buy one. Or six. And make salsa. They're fab.

The size of the tomatillo you use is up to you. The small ones, about the size of a ping pong ball, are sweet. The larger, more plum-sized ones, are more tangy and have more acidity. On the outside, tomatillos look a little like papery, dry bulbs. (Did you know they're actually a member of the Nightshade family? Unlike its cousins, Belladonna and Jimsonweed, a tomatillo won't kill you. Don't mention the family reputation to the tomatillo, though. okay? It's a really awkward situation at reunions.)

Death by Chocolate, part 2

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say something I don't usually say. Ready?

Cake isn't always best when it's tucked into cute little cupcake liners.

Now. That's not to say it isn't completely awesome in little cupcake liners. It is. I'm just saying that sometimes, an old fashioned layer cake might be the way to go. Especially if you're dealing with a moist, fudgy chocolate cake, arranged into four gorgeous layers, stacked up tall with whipped ganache. Oh yes. I'll take a slice of that.

If you've linked to this post from somewhere else, or just happened to stumble across it (hi!), you can find the original recipe and photos here, at Death By Chocolate, part 1

I used this exact same recipe to make a layer cake for my friend Kassia's Dirty Thirty birthday. In fact, I made this right alongside the cupcakes in the above post. You really can't have enough chocolate on your birthday. It's a fact.

Death by Chocolate, part 1

Buckle up, peeps.

We're gonna go on a crazy ride. We're gonna make cake. But not just any ol' cake. No.

Cake with cocoa. And chocolate milk.
Filled with whipped ganache.
Crowned in a cloud of chocolate buttercream.
Dipped in dark chocolate ganache.

Holy moly, right?

Shockingly, these cupcakes, as explosive as they are with chocolatey goodness, are not too rich to eat. The bittersweet chocolate counteracts the sweetness of the buttercream and gives you a nice balance, so it's decadent, but not cloying.

The cake is fudgy and thick, a bit like a brownie. It holds up well to all this deliciousness. When I first saw the recipe, I was a bit taken aback to see the addition of boiling water, but the reviews were awesome, so I went with it. And I'm so glad I did. These things are tremendous.

Butterflies are Love

It's 2:09am.

This is why I can't sleep. I'm FAR too busy playing.

Melted chocolate and a piping bag is open invitation for insomnia. So many fun things to do.

My project tonight was a mess of little purple candy butterflies, perched on top of ganache-dipped chocolate cupcakes. Ohmigosh.

...did I mention that under the ganache is a fluffy cloud of fudge buttercream? Oh, and did I also mention that the INSIDE of the cupcake is hollowed out and filled with whipped ganache? No? Oh. Well it is.

That's one super happy butterfly.

These got tucked into a plain brown hatbox and tied with a purple ribbon. They're going to my son's school in the morning. Teachers need love. Especially teachers who deal with pants-wetting, tantrum-throwing, boogey-eating preschoolers all day. Bless their wonderful little hearts, Lord knows I couldn't do it.

...not without a hefty dose of Xanax and a cocktail.

New Updates

Hello, friends!

You may have noticed, my blog's got a whole new look. Also, it has caught up to the 21st century and joined Twitter as well. I'm still a tweeting novice, so if you have any tips or recommendations, send them my way! Any awesome groups I should join? Any fabulous websites or blogs to follow?

Also, I have a link on the right to my storefront on Etsy. Now, I hate to be so blatant about merchandising, but I tried the Adsense thing, and frankly, I just hate having ads on my site. It looks awful, and I don't want to spam you guys, ever. You deserve better.

So if you have an event coming up and would like to order some goodies, send me a message. If not, just keep on reading, and send me some comments! I love the interaction, and it's been feeling kind of dead in here lately. I will -always- reply to your comments or questions. And if you tried a recipe, or want to share one of your own, send it along! I'll post it! I love to see what's brewing in your kitchens. <3

Until then, have a safe holiday, and happy eating!

Vegan Strawberry Date Bars

Sometimes, I don't want to do stuff.

Sometimes my bed looks far too inviting to want to actually crawl out of it and be productive. And sometimes even pouring a bowl of cereal is way too much work. Get a bowl? Ug. Put the milk BACK in the fridge? Psh. I can't be bothered with all that high maintenance breakfast drama for something blah like Cheerios.

So what's a lazy girl to do when the sun is shining, and the day beckons for something healthy and fresh and wholesome, but you're still schlepping around the house in a ratty tshirt, half asleep? Make these bars, that's what. They come together in, like, 5 seconds. There's very little cleanup, they make just enough for two or three to share (or one hungry baker) and... Hm. What else...?

Oh! That's right, did I mention they're vegan? And gluten free! And you can even easily make them raw vegan if you wanted, if you're feeling extra granola.

This recipe is loosely adapted from one I saw in this month's "Whole Living" magazine. Except I changed some stuff. And added some stuff. But the concept has been stuck in my head since I first saw it, and has been whining to be let out.

Rainbow Cake Pops

Hold onto your britches, friends.

Are these not the darn coolest things ever? And the best part is that they're sneaky! On the outside, they're a plain ol' boring cakepop. Sure, they're chocolatey and delicious. Sure, they're creamy and melt-in-your-mouth, but still. Just a cakepop. (Bakerella is hiring a hitman to hunt me down as we speak, for blaspheming so awfully)



But then... You bite into it, and KAPOW!! Totally groovy psychedelic swirls of colorfun jump out and smack you in the face! (Because they're fierce like that. Fierce.) You didn't see it coming, did you? Well, that'll teach you. Don't underestimate the mighty cakepop. (Please call off the hit, B. I love you.)

Anyway, I must say, these were quite a project. I did two batches, and the first was FAR more time consuming than the second. By the time I got to the second batch, I had a better idea of how to go about it, and the results came out much better with much less work. Win, right? I'm all for less work.

So, I'll tell ya how it happened. No magic wands were involved.

Sweet Holy Smores, People!

Okay, so I'm trying to come to terms with the idea that my tropical little desserts might not happen. I keep putting them off, and I WANT to make them, but I usually balk at the idea of making a bunch of things that can't be easily given away. And these guys are fragile. They won't pack well or hold up to a lot of shuffling around. So if anyone local wants to come chat a while in my kitchen and take home some yumminess, sing out. I want to get these guys done. Really.

In the meantime, however, I made s'mores. But these are certainly not your typical campfire s'mores, no sir!

I thought of so many friends when I made these.

I thought of Katie and her undying love of cinnamon toast crunch.

I thought of my friends Kassia and Amanda, who are off on a long camping excursion.

I thought of Christy, who I need to go camping with very soon!

I thought of Cara, who stopped by just in time to help, but couldn't stay for a bite. That was tragic.

So you see, friends, there is a lot of love in these s'mores. That's probably why they're just so damn delicious. Or it might be the Ghiradelli chocolate. Or the buttery marshmallow cream. Or the crispy cinnamon toast crunch...

Wait, what's that you say? Where's the Hershey bar? The big spongey mallows? The graham crackers? "Posh!" you say. You say it's not a S'more without those vital ingredients, yeah?

Well, let me tell you.