Little Cupcakes

Chocolate Lip Gloss

2010-01-31T01:04:00.000-05:00

1 1/2 teaspoons grated cocoa butter 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil 1/8 teaspoon vitamin E oil 1/4 teaspoon grated chocolate or 3 small chocolate chips.

In a double boiler or the microwace oven, heat the cocoa butter, coconut oil, and vitamin E oil gently until melted. Stir in the chocolate and keep stirring until melted and well blended. Pour into a small lip gloss container and allow to cool completely before using.

Get The Message!

2010-01-29T22:11:00.002-05:00

Valentines Cupcake Ideas

2010-01-29T22:08:00.000-05:00

Christmas Cookie Workshop Pictures

2010-01-22T20:42:00.000-05:00

History of Cake

2010-01-09T15:34:00.000-05:00

Over the next few months we will be posting some historical facts about cake. To start with, remember this old song? It has inspired many a name for a cake business (Patty's Cakes, Pat-t-Cakes, Patty Cakes, Patty Cake, Pattie Cakes, to name but a few). This song brings back memories of sitting on Granny's knee singing.

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man,
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Roll it, and prick it, and mark it with a "B"
And put it in the oven for Baby and me!

But, did you know there was a second verse?:

Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man.

Bake me a cake as fast as you can;

Roll it up, roll it up;

And throw it in a pan!

Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man.

The earliest recorded version of the rhyme appears in Thomas D'Urfey's play The Campaigners from 1698, where a nurse says to her charges:

...and pat a cake Bakers man, so I will master as I can, and prick it, and prick it, and prick it, and prick it, and prick it, and throw't into the Oven.

The next appearance is in Mother Goose's Melody, (c. 1765), when it appears in the form:

Patty Cake, Patty Cake,

Baker's Man;

That I will Master,

As fast as I can;

Prick it and prick it,

And mark it with a T,

And there will be enough for Jacky and me.

Bill Haley & His Comets recorded a rock and roll version of the nursery rhyme in 1953.
Composer Martin Wesley-Smith (b. 1945) used the tune in his composition "White Knight Waltz".
Medeski Martin & Wood play their version of this rhyme in their album Let's go everywhere. In the Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979), Tobias Ragg recites the rhyme in the last scene, just before he kills Todd, briskly changing the words form "bake me a cake-" to "bake me a pie...to delight my eye..."
Bing Crosby and Bob Hope used this rhyme in many of their Road to... pictures (1940-62) when physically threatened, distracting their attacker, and at an appropriate point would switch from patting the "cakes" to suddenly slugging their assailant. On some occasions, they made a self-referential remark that the antagonist in question had/had not seen their previous movies.

Cupcakes and Jelly Bellys

2009-12-23T12:02:00.000-05:00

How cute is this? Simple to make with mini cupcakes (cases and pans available at the Bulk Barn). Cover each cupcake with a layer of buttercream and place rows of lemon Jelly Bellys on the top. A small piece of buttercream makes the 'butter' on the top, place side by side with two corn forks either end.

Something Original

2009-12-21T17:59:00.000-05:00

Although this doesn't look like the most appetizing slice of cake ever cut, the colours are really cool.
It's quite simple to do really, just use a white cake recipe (usually has more egg whites than yolks in the recipe) or an angel cake (which has no egg yolks at all) and liquid food colourings. Bake each layer in a different colour and put them together for a vibrant, colourful and very attractive cake.
Decorate the cake with nonpareils or coloured jimmies and voila!

Heartless - By Thomas Parent

2009-12-21T17:51:00.000-05:00

Cooking Trivia Quiz

2009-12-10T14:14:00.002-05:00

What Am I Cooking? Take this quiz and see how well you do in the kitchen click HERE

This Is Cool

2009-12-10T13:59:00.003-05:00

Click here for a Christmas Card (click on the dogs to find it's pair and see the picture behind)

Co-Op Girls - December 10th Lesson

2009-12-07T00:38:00.011-05:00

For this last lesson it would be nice to recap on some of the techniques learned during this course. You are welcome to bring a whole cake or cupcakes to decorate, whatever you want. It would be helpful if you had a design for your cake/cupcake drawn out in advance so that you can follow a plan for your cake. Any techniques that you are not sure of, just ask and I'll recap them with you.

If you are making a special cake and have a design in mind we can work on a new technique on an individual basis if necessary.

Just leave your comment below (it will automatically e-mail me) if you need to ask any questions.

Please bring:

Your cake/cupcakes
Tea towel to protect the table
All your cake decorating equipment
Enough buttercream icing for your cakes in your chosen colours
A sketch of the design you have in mind
A bag to take home your used utensils
A damp cloth for your hands
A smile!

Class Pictures - Christmas Decorations

2009-12-04T22:40:00.000-05:00

With rich jewel colours and a #67 and #3 leaf tip there are a multitude of Christmas decorations that can be achieved. Here are just a few examples.

Cupcakes or large cakes can be decorated equally as well with a few carefully placed sprigs of holly or a wreath made of leaves with a big red ribbon.
Use gold and silver balls to make your cake look even more festive or edible glitter!

Class Pictures - Brush Embroidery

2009-12-04T22:32:00.002-05:00

Brush embroidery is an advanced technique which consists of piping a shape and then with a damp paint brush draw the buttercream inwards to fill in the shape with colour. You can use this technique with buttercream or royal icing.
Cornelli lace (pictured here in yellow) is a pretty lacy effect for cakes, random squiggles that do not cross and do not have visible start or finish, takes a little bit of concentration, but is quick and easy.

Class Pictures - Pansies

2009-12-04T22:27:00.001-05:00

The pansy is such a pretty flower for decorating spring cakes with. Pansies come in many colours and usually two colours at a time from deep purple, to red, yellow and navy to pale shades of lavender and lemon to a beautiful creamy white.

Class Pictures - Roses

2009-12-04T22:22:00.001-05:00

Roses are one of the hardest flowers to pipe in buttercream, but everyone did really well and produced some very pretty rose cakes.

The secret to a good rose is to have the correct consistency buttercream. Buttercream should be stiff. Use a tip #104 for the petals and a tip #12 for the cone. It is essential to use a flower nail and a square of waxed paper. Allow the rose ten minutes or more to dry before transferring on to your cake.

Class Pictures - Basketweave

2009-12-04T21:47:00.001-05:00

As promised here is a selection of pictures taken during the Thursday classes in Dundas.

Here is a group working on the basket weave cake we did. Everyone did so well with this particular technique some amazing results were achieved using a #21 tip.

The trick with a good basket cake is to have at least a 3" - 4" high cake and to finish with a rope boarder. Meagan did her basket weave on the top of her cake instead of the sides, Julia and Emily did basket weave chocolate cupcakes.

How To Make a Parchment Bag

2009-12-04T18:38:00.000-05:00

First, cut a piece of parchment paper: A small cone will give you more control when doing detailed decorating versus a larger one that holds more. To make a small cone that holds 1/2 cup of filling, cut a full-size sheet into two 12x16-inch halves, and then cut again to create four 8x12-inch rectangles. An even smaller cone, 3- to 4-inch, holds about a teaspoon or two of melted chocolate, but since fine lines are piped from it, it goes a long way. Half of a standard 16x24-inch sheet will make a large cone, sufficient to hold a cup or more of filling. To make a large cone, first divide a full sheet into two equal 16x12-inch halves. Fold one short side of the sheet over a long side, overlapping by four inches and dividing the sheet into two right triangles that look as if a corner has been cut off. Gently crease the fold and then cut along the fold with scissors or a knife.
a) Set the triangle down with the right angle closest to you. With your right hand holding the right corner and your left hand holding down the center of the triangle, roll with your right hand inward to begin forming a cone. With the right hand, roll the top corner down to the center of the triangle. Hold the paper in this position with the right hand.
c) With the left hand, pick up the cone and wind the loose edge around the cone, with the point ending above the rim of cone.
d) Adjust the cone so that the point is completely closed and the point is sharp. Fold down the loose edges of the open end of the cone so that if does not unroll. Optionally staple the top. Use a small strip of tape near the pointed end. It keeps the cone from unfolding and having icing come out of the sides.
e) There are two ways to prepare the tip end of the cone: 1) With scissors, cut off a very small piece of the tip of the cone, AFTER FILLING: It used mostly for piping chocolate, writing or when making intricate designs. It is better to make the opening too small than too large. Squeeze out a little of the icing to test the cone. If necessary, cut off a little more of the tip to enlarge the opening.
2) The other way is to fit a coupler and decorating tube before filling.
For a tube: make an opening in an unfilled cone for a tube by cutting off 3/4-inch from the tip (As a rule, cut off the equivalent of half the length of the metal tip). Make the cut curved, with the edges higher than the center. Drop the tube into the cone, narrow end first, and push forward until the tip is exposed. Adjust the opening, if necessary. The weight of the icing will keep it in place.
If using a coupler and a tube: simply cut the point of the cone to the thickness needed to fit your size of coupler before putting icing in the cone. The coupler will fit in as it would a traditional icing bag. Put desired tube on end of coupler and cap.
Then, fill either choice about half full of icing. If it is too full, it will be hard to squeeze, and icing is likely to come out the top fold. To fill, hold near the bottom and fill with a long metal spatula. Remove the icing from the spatula by pinching it in between your thumb and fingers. With the spatula, push the contents down towards the tip.
Fold down the wide end of the cone very tightly to close it. Parchment cones need to be tightly sealed on the end so you can avoid having the material flow from both ends while using. Smooth the top flat and using the side of you hand, push the icing towards the tip. Fold in each side and then the top several times.

Michaels - Mailing List for Coupons and Special Offers

2009-12-04T12:38:00.000-05:00

If you shop regularly at Michaels Craft Stores and are always looking for coupons, simply sign up and have their newsletter and coupons e-mailed to you weekly, print out as many as you need: https://www.michaels.com/art/online/registrationForm?cm_ven=ShopLocal&cm_ite=Registration%20Page

Gingerbread Cookie Place Holders

2009-12-02T11:21:00.000-05:00

November 23rd, 2009 by Giulia Taraszkiewicz

I am getting ready for Thanksgiving. The whole family will be over at my house this year, and I want to make a pretty statement on the dining room table. One idea that I got from the Wilton website is to make table placeholders for each member of the family. I made mine out of Gingerbread Cookies; here is how I did it.

STEP 1 – Bake
I used the new Wilton Gingerbread Mix for the cookies. I have to say, though I may sound biased on this, the mix worked really great! It is easy to use; it maintained its shape during baking, and most of all….the whole house smelled like delicious Gingerbread!! Oh! It was just wonderful…my Grandmother used to make gingerbread cookies too; now my house smelled like her home, it smelled like Christmas.

I used a large round cutter, then used a cookie spatula to cut it across on one side. To make the cookie that will hold the placeholder upright, I used the mini crinkle triangular cutter.

STEP 2 – Decorate
To decorate I used royal icing in brown and white. I piped a curved icing line on one side of the cookie and attached leaf shaped sprinkles before it dried.

Then attached the triangular cookie to the back with icing, and waited a few seconds to let it dry.

STEP 3 – Celebrate! Obviously you can adapt this idea to Christmas ornaments.

Tips On How To Store Cookies

2009-12-02T11:19:00.000-05:00

December 2nd, 2009 by Cheryl Brown

Well, it is the time of year where my kitchen starts to look like a cookie factory rather than a place for cooking meals! But I love this time of year. This is when I bake all my favorite cookie recipes that have been handed down from my mother, my grandmother and also some from close friends and neighbors. This year I’ll add some new recipes from our Cookie Exchange Book.

I love to bake cookies this time of year for gift giving. My 13-year-old daughter is always eager to help which makes it a fun time for us to spend together.

Since a lot of the cookies I bake are for gift giving—whether for the teachers at school or for our cookie exchange in the decorating room–I want to start early so it does not become something that is stressful and stays fun and enjoyable.

So…that being said, storing cookies properly is key to retaining their freshness so that when they are given and enjoyed they are as fresh as when I baked them.

First thing I always make sure of before storing is that my cookies are completely cooled before putting in containers. Wilton’s stackable wire cooling racks definitely help save space in the cooling process.

I am very careful to NOT overbake my cookies as this will definitely give cookies a very hard texture, and they will be even harder after storing for any length of time.

Generally cookies will keep longer than most baked goods. If stored in an air-tight container, cookies will keep up to several weeks and if frozen 3 to 6 months. I always store each variety of cookies separately to avoid flavor transfer.

I like to store my cookies in large food safe containers and layer them with sheets of parchment paper in between. Some cookies are easier to store than others. Unless absolutely necessary, I would not store any fragile or decorated cookies.

It is best to freeze your cookies baked—but undecorated—and then just pull them out, thaw to room temperature then decorate. This is fun for my daughter and I also as we can spread out the fun of the decorating and personalize each decorated cookie. We avoid the baking process each time, as cookies are baked and ready to go in the freezer.

There are some cookie recipes where you can prepare the dough, refrigerate it, and then just pull out and bake when needed. There are special recipes designed for this process. If you’re not using a refrigerated dough recipe, the cookie will not bake properly after the dough has been in the refrigerator for an extended period of time.

Now as in anything you bake…not all cookies are alike…I always refer to the recipe directions for special storing tips.

I know my daughter and I make cookie making fun and with taking these steps it makes it easier to spread my baking over time.

Happy Baking, Happy Holidays!!

Cake Mania!

2009-12-02T00:56:00.001-05:00

Cake Mania 2
Serve up deliciously original creations and help Jill decide which path to take.

Co-Op Girls - December 3rd Lesson

2009-12-01T23:15:00.000-05:00

You will all be thrilled to know that we're doing cupcakes again!

Please bring the following items to class:

6 cupcakes and a container to carry them home in
All your cake decorating equipment
Damp cloth to wipe your hands
Tea towel to protect the table
Plastic bag to carry home your used equipment
One batch of buttercream in festive colours including white and green (pre-mix colours at home to save time in class)

Four Steps To Better Cakes

2009-12-01T23:10:00.001-05:00

Tip 1. USE A CAKE MIX IF YOU ARE NEW TO BAKING

One of the easiest things you can do for yourself is to try to produce a good foundation to work with. This means that you want to pull out from the oven a golden brown, evenly baked cake that you can really work with. You want to establish a smooth foundation that will make it easier for you to apply your icing and decorative flourishes. The best kind of cake foundation has very few crumbs. Ideally, your cake will be level on both top and bottom. If you have never baked a cake before and this is your very first foray into cake decoration, you should start with a box cake mix and follow the directions. This is an easy way to make sure that you get a good solid cake to work with.

Tip 2. NEVER RUSH THE CAKE DECORATING PROCESS

If there is one cake decorating tip that you should take to heart, it is this one: never rush the cake decorating process. Probably ninety per cent of all cake decorating problems or mistakes have to do with the cake decorator trying to rush through the process. For instance, if you try to decorate a cake right after taking it out of the oven, you will find that this is probably not the most ideal situation for cake decorating. Always, always let your cake cool before you begin the process of icing it. Some bakers even like to freeze their cakes before they begin the process of icing and decoration. Always let your cake cool off at least an hour. Ideally, you should let the cake sit and set overnight.

Tip 3. MAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF AND KEEP YOUR CAKE LEVEL
One of the easiest ways to make sure that you have a cake that you can work with is to level and trim your baked cake. As always, wait until the cake has cooled completely before you get cutting and pruning. Ideally the cake should be frozen or refrigerated before cutting. Take a serrated knife and trim off the crust and dry edges. You can level off the crown of the cake center if it is lumpy or otherwise not smooth. This way, you will hopefully establish a nice, smooth surface that makes it easy to ice the cake. If you like, you can also torte the cake if you want to decorate it. Torting simply involves the process of slicing multiple layers into your cake.

Tip 4. HOW TO APPLY THE PERFECT FIRST LAYER OF ICING
In order to get the most consistency, make sure to apply a layer of icing to the cake before you begin the real work of cake decorating. Make this first layer your crumb catcher. That is, use the icing in order to make the crumbs stick to the cake. After you have applied this first layer of icing, let the cake set for at least a few hours or pop into the freezer for a short while to harden.

Cornelli Lace

2009-11-25T21:38:00.000-05:00

Cornelli lace is a pretty, lacy design that can be piped on any cake to make an interesting textured design. You can pipe with any small round tip depending on how raised you would like the final design to be. Tip #1 is best. You can use either buttercream or royal icing for this technique. DO NOT OVERFILL YOUR BAG, it will make your arm and hand ache and you will have trouble finishing your cake in one go. Use the right amount of icing in your bag and you will find this a quick and easy technique.

Beginning and ending at edges, pipe a continuous string of icing—curve it up, down and around until area is covered. Make certain strings never touch or cross. Don't leave any loose ends! Stop pressure, pull tip away. Try not to create a repeat pattern design by changing directions often. Try a Tip 2 for a slightly larger design, it will be easier on your hand too.

Brush Embroidery

2009-11-25T21:32:00.000-05:00

Add textured flowers with the soft look of lace using this easy icing technique. Works best using a square tip brush.

step 1

To make pattern on your cake or plaque, imprint design using medium Flower Cut-Out on freshly rolled fondant. Thin icing with a little piping gel, so it flows easily but still has body to hold shape. Working with a small amount of thinned icing in a cut parchment bag with tip 2, outline one area at a time with thin consistency buttercream icing or royal icing.

step 2

Before each outline can dry, immediately brush out line of icing towards center of pattern area using a dampened decorator brush, use the side edge of the square brush. Work in short, quick strokes. Try not to break outer edge of icing as it might distort the design. Be sure to brush the design immediately after piping your outlines—the technique won't work on dry icing.

step 3

Finish flower design by piping a tip 2 center dot. Clean brush in water after brushing each flower, to create distinct lines of icing.

For large designs, outline one section of the design, brush out lines, then continue with the next section, so the icing outline doesn’t dry before you’re ready. If decorating a whole cake, make sure you imprint your design while fondant is fresh, before starting brush embroidery.

Peanut Butter Icing

2009-11-25T21:22:00.000-05:00

If you like peanut butter cups, you’ll love chocolate cupcakes spread with Peanut Butter Buttercream Icing!

Source: Cupcake Fun

Tools:

Electric mixer

Ingredients:

1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups (approx. 1 lb.) confectioners' sugar, sifted
4-6 tablespoons milk

Makes: About 3 cups.

instructions

Cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Re-whip before using.

How To Pipe a Pansy

2009-11-25T21:19:00.001-05:00

The vibrant pansy features petals in complementary colors and a distinctive loop center. Pansies can be found in a wide variety of colors, including all yellow or all dark blue, white or purple petals with yellow centers.
Source: The Wilton Method of Cake Decorating - Course 2

step 1

Fit the decorating bag with tip 104 and fill 1/2 full with medium consistency icing. Hold the bag at 45° at 3:00 (9:00) and hold the wide end of tip lightly touching flower nail center, narrow end pointing out and raised 1/4 inch above nail surface.

step 2

Pipe two back petals, squeezing and moving tip out to edge of nail. Turn nail slowly while squeezing, relax pressure as you return to nail center. Repeat to form second back petal. Use the same sequence to add two shorter petals atop the first two.

step 3

Squeeze out a base petal that equals the width of the back petals, using a back and forth hand motion for a ruffled effect. Use a fine artist´s brush to paint thinned icing color veins, edging and highlights to flower after it has dried. Add tip 1 string loop centers.

Co-Op Girls - November 26th Lesson

2009-11-23T12:27:00.000-05:00

This week you will need to bring to class:

All your tools
A damp cloth
An apron
A tea towel
A small cake, leveled and covered in buttercream
One recipe of class buttercream (recipe is on this blog) coloured 'a flower colour' (pink, purple, orange etc) with a small amount of yellow and green
A damp cloth
A bag to carry home your used equipment

Please check that you have all your cake decorating equipment and e-mail me if you are missing any of your equipment or if you have picked up someone else's by mistake. It is important that you have all your tools with you so that we can work in class. If you have a tip, nail, buttercream or anything else missing it will mean that you cannot complete your project or you will lose time trying to locate replacements and not have time to finish your cake.

Bringing your icing ready coloured will give you more time to learn and decorate in class.

What is Shortening?

2009-11-23T12:12:00.000-05:00

Like it or not, most of us use shortening in some form or other in our cake decorating. Some use it in their cakes, some in their buttercream, always in fondant, occasionally in chocolate, always with gum paste...and so on.

What do we know about shortening?

Q. What is shortening? Is it butter, margarine, lard or something like Crisco?

A. All of the above - technically. Shortening, in it's most generic meaning is any fat or oil that is used to make a short crust or dough made of a high ratio of fat to flour and terns out tender, crumbly and rich (also known as short). Generally however, when the word 'shortening' is used as an ingredient in a recipe it is referring to a solid vegetable shortening. Crisco is the leading brand of shortening in this country.

Q. What is high ratio shortening?

A. It is 100% fat with added emulsifier. This allows for greater proportions of water to be added to the batter. High ratio shortenings in the US contain more emulsifier than in the UK. They were developed for high ratio cakes which contain high quantities of sugar and water. They are white in colour and do not contain any added salt or water.

Q. What is Hydrogenated Shortening?

A. This is manufactured by injecting hydrogen gas through purified oil. This gas controls the firmness of the resulting shortening. An emulsified shortening also contains mono- and di-glycerides. This is beneficial for the production of high ratio cakes, which contain more sugar and liquids to the weight of flour than in standard cake formulations.

Q. What is the difference between lard and shortening?

A. Lard is made from animal fat, usually pigs and is considered the best fat for the production of bread and pie doughs.

Q. Is Margarine also shortening?

A. No, margarine is most commonly made from vegetable oils churned with milk. Margarine also contains colours, flavourings, vitamins and emulsifiers. However, some low grade margarines are shortening to which colour and salt have been added. Using these products you will impart a yellow hue to your baking and icings.

Q. What can I use instead of shortening?

A. In most cases you can simply replace shortening with butter in baking, however for pastry butter's high water content will make the pastry less 'short'. Sometimes you can use oil to replace shortening.

To lower the fat or oil in baking (except for pastry) use fruit purees such as apple sauce or plain non-fat yogurt instead.

Gourmet advice: Make your cakes and icings using the finest ingredients and fresh butter where possible, it's fattening of course, but you can always eat less of it. A small portion of delightful tasting rich cake is better than a huge portion of nasty cake - just our humble opinion.

This butter sculpture was made for a Farm Show in Pennsylvania and weighed in at 800lbs. Following the show it was turned into biodiesel fuel (whatever that is).

Are we seeing the invention of Food Stationery? How about a stapler that dispenses sunflower seeds, or a pencil sharpener potato peeler? Whatever next?

There is nothing quite like fresh butter....long may it find it's way into our fridges and into our cakes.

Shortening can be stored at room temperature for up to a year
Margarine can be stored at room temperature for up to 9 months
Butter can be stored at room temperature for up to one week (longer in the refrigerator of course, but does not need to be refrigerated to be food safe)

Cake Shoe Diaries

2009-11-18T13:44:00.002-05:00

Ever wondered how people choose their career path? Angela Henriquez is compiling biographies of cake designers in her blog The Sugar Cove in a series entitled "Cake Shoe Diaries" This is the first in the series and features someone you might recognize!

How To Make Choir Boys

2009-11-18T12:33:00.004-05:00

When she says "Regal Ice available from craft stores" she means ready made

fondant (also called sugar paste in England). Ready made fondant is available

from the Bulk Barn, or you can make it yourself:

Ingredients

1 (.25 ounce) package unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup glucose syrup (you can substitute clear corn syrup available at any supermarket with the sugars)
1 tablespoon glycerin (available from wine making stores) - this stops the fondant going rock hard
2 tablespoons shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Directions

Combine gelatin and cold water; let stand until thick. Place gelatin mixture in top of double boiler and heat until dissolved.
Add glucose and glycerin, mix well. Stir in shortening and just before completely melted, remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Mixture should cool until lukewarm.
Place 4 cups confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and using a wooden spoon, stir in the lukewarm gelatin mixture. Mix in sugar and add more a little at a time, until stickiness disappears. Knead in remaining sugar. Knead until the fondant is smooth, pliable and does not stick to your hands. If fondant is too soft, add more sugar; if too stiff, add water (a drop at a time). Use fondant immediately or store in airtight container in fridge. When ready to use, bring to room temperature and knead again until soft.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-11-18T12:25:00.001-05:00

From The Best of Chef at Home, by Michael Smith

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. corn syrup (optional)
1 egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 375F.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. Using a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. If you don’t have a stand mixer, beat vigorously by hand in a mixing bowl.

Add the corn syrup, egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Scrape down the bowl and gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Using a spoon, scoop out a ball of dough, roll it a moment in your hands and then drop it onto a lightly greased cookie tray. Slightly flatten the balls but leave lots of room in between to allow the cookies to expand.

For a soft, chewy cookie, bake for exactly 12 minutes. For a cookie with a bit of crispy crunch, bake for exactly 15 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie tray and then remove to cool further.

World's Most Expensive Cupcake

2009-11-17T16:59:00.000-05:00

Not real cupcakes of course but at $4,295.00 each you really wouldn't want to eat them!

Free Craft Demos

2009-11-17T09:33:00.000-05:00

Did you know that Michaels craft store run free demonstrations regularly?
Check out some of the upcoming free demos HERE There is a free holiday cookie demo as well!
Be sure to take along your coupons if you are going to the demos as it can get quite expensive if you decide to make purchases in the store. Coupons are downloadable from the Michaels site and you can sign up for their newsletter and have the coupons sent to you every week. Current coupons can be found HERE.

Co-Op Girls - November 19th Lesson

2009-11-16T13:17:00.001-05:00

For this weeks lesson you will require:

All your cake decorating tools from your kit (please see posting from last week about what you should have in your kit)
1 cake filled and covered with buttercream (do not pipe borders)
1 full recipe of medium consistency buttercream IMPORTANT: 1/3 coloured yellow, 1/3 coloured purple, 1/3 coloured green before you come to class (you will find the recipe in an earlier posting on this blog)
1 damp cloth to wipe hands and keep area clean
1 plastic bag to carry home used bags, tips, spatulas etc
Waxed paper cut into squares 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 (as for the rose)

If anyone has any questions or concerns please e-mail me before Wednesday evening so that I can sort out the problem in time for Thursday morning.

Who is Betty Crocker?

2009-11-16T11:42:00.000-05:00

Did you know that Betty Crocker is not a real person? She was 'invented' by using features from all the people in the Home Service Department of the factory and every so often a new picture of her is painted.
http://www.bakerella.com is having a competition to win a bright red IPod Nano. If you can guess the order in which these pictures were painted you could be entered to win! Click HERE for more information.

Cake Decorating Kit

2009-11-13T17:15:00.000-05:00

Each week you are required to bring your complete cake decorating kit. Please look at the picture above and make sure that you have each of the items:

A flower nail
A tip cleaner
Two couplers (or more if you buy them)
Two piping bags (or more if you can)
7 cake decorating tips (or more if you have them)
Small spatula
Practice board and stand

Whilst some of these items are not used every week, the course is designed to use every piece regularly. You can be quite sure that if you leave one piece of the kit at home it will be required in class that week!

Books - Hello, Cupcake!

2009-11-13T16:48:00.000-05:00

This book has a wealth of cupcake ideas to satisfy any occasion! This book could be used as a learning guide by the absolute beginner or inspiration for the more experienced cake decorator.

By showing you how to make cupcakes with simple ingredients (box of cake mix, can of frosting and a zip lock bag) you will be ready to go in no time.

Forget the complicated pastry techniques and expensive decorating supplies. You can find almost everything these projects require at your local grocery or convenience store (which often has some of the most extensive selections of candies). M&M's work well as noses, eyes or ears. A circus peanut candy transforms into a horse's head, or a clown's floppy shoe.

Although this book extols the virtues of decorating with ziplock bags and I know it can be done, for best results and good hand control (not to mention less frustration) please use a piping bag with tip and coupler.
Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson - Published by Houghton Miffin (click on the stack of books on the right to purchase this book through Amazon)

Books - Hello, Cui

2009-11-13T16:42:00.001-05:00

Co Op Girls - Frilly Cakes

2009-11-12T16:02:00.000-05:00

You girls did an amazing job this morning during the lesson. I know that someone was taking pictures, it would be so nice to get a few of your cakes on here for everyone to see. If you know who was taking the pictures please let her know that she can send them to me. Thanks!

POINTS TO REMEMBER:
The thick end of your 104 tip should be touching the cake when you pipe, the thin end of the tip should be away from the cake and facing you. Wiggle the tip slightly to create a frill. Using a # 16 tip pipe a zig zag or shell border along the top of the frill, where it touches the cake. Don't forget to add a little rose, rosette or bow at the top of each swagged frill.
Alternatively you can pipe a line with tip #21 at the bottom of the cake (on the board at the base of the cake) and slightly above it pipe a frill with tip #104. Pipe another frill over the top and keep over piping until you have the thickness you require. Try using a dark colour as the bottom frill getting paler as you get higher. The three cakes pictured here were all decorated using this technique.

Co-Op Girls - November 12th Lesson

2009-11-11T09:08:00.000-05:00

This week you will need an 8" round cake, iced and ready to decorate. Please do not put a border on your cake since we are going to be learning some new borders this week.
Ensure that you bring enough icing and this time, if you want to colour your buttercream in advance you may do so.
Buttercream colour gels are available from the Bulk Barn and Michaels, liquid gels do not give you the same colour results as the gel and should be avoided.
Other options to colour your icing:

Cocoa powder - chocolate brown
Instant coffee - toffee/coffee colour (first dissolve in a tablespoon of boiling water)
Vanilla Essence - ivory
Raspberry/Strawberry milkshake or ice cream syrup - pink
Turmeric - bright yellow
Beet juice - deep pink (grate raw beets and soak in boiling water or use unsalted cooking water cooled)

If you are using any of these colours remember to add them to your buttercream before you add your water, you will find that you need less water (or in the case of the cocoa powder, more water).

Edible Snow

2009-11-09T16:53:00.000-05:00

Make your own home-made snow, by blending coconut in a food processor until finely chopped. You can then sprinkle this on to your cakes, cupcakes, cookies and gingerbread houses!

Gingerbread House Demo

2009-11-09T13:42:00.000-05:00

The Bulk Barn is running a Gingerbread House Demonstration, November 21st at the University Plaza Dundas. The demonstrator is June Lynch and she will be demonstrating how to assemble a gingerbread house as well as giving you tips and hints about what to buy and the best products to be used.

FREE DEMONSTRATION - 1pm to 3pm

The Taste Testing

2009-11-06T09:32:00.000-05:00

As promised I wanted to give you the flavour list for the buttercreams that you tasted in class yesterday. Here they are:

Peach
Banana Creme
Blackberry
Apple
Apricot
Blueberry
Passion Fruit
Pistachio
Caramel
Chocolate Chili
Jamaican Rum (non alcoholic)
Lime

Unlike the adult team who tested these same flavours and didn't get one right answer for #1, your group had five right answers.

For #2 there were no right answers.

#3 no right answers

#4 no right answers

#5 no right answers

#6 no right answers

#7 no right answers

#8 where you responded unanimously with almond/marzipan, no right answers

#9 maple was the most popular answer (in both test groups) followed by butterscotch then caramel

#10 one of you guessed right, it was chili pepper!

#11 hopefully none of you are rum drinkers at your age, so I didn't expect any right answers here

#12 50:50 split between those who though it was lime and those who thought it was lemon, either way a good answer.

The ultimate conclusion of this test is that most flavours are not strong enough to guess unless we are able to see the corresponding colour. It seemed that the fact that the buttercream was blue was off putting to the brain and therefore the taste buds.

Thank you for sharing this little test with us.

Co-Op Girls - How To Make A Rose

2009-11-05T10:09:00.000-05:00

The full-blown rose is the flower most commonly used on cakes. The traditional way to pipe a rose is to pipe its base out of the same type of buttercream you will use for the petals.

Prepare the following:

Fill your piping bag with stiff consistency buttercream and a #12 tip (round)
Fill your piping bag with stiff consistency buttercream and tip #104 (petal)
Have several 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" wax paper squares cut
Flower nail
Damp cloth
Piece of styrofoam for holding the nail

NB: As soon as you have finished piping each petal, wipe the tip clean on your damp cloth.

Step 1: Take your bag with the #12 tip and squeeze a small dot of icing onto the flower nail. Place wax paper square on top.

Step 2: Make a Hershey Kiss shaped drop of icing in the center of the flower nail using tip 12. This is called a 'cone'.

Step 3: Now what you want to do is to touch the larger end of the tip #104 to the tip of the cone you made slightly above the tip of the cone. While doing this squeeze the bag and turn the bag towards you while you turn the nail away from you. This will form the center of the rose and will look like the cone has a scarf around it.

Step 4: Now, it’s time to form the petals. You will need to make 3 rows of petals. The first row has 3 petals, the second row has 5 petals and the third row has 7 petals. when making the petals you want to hold the bag at a 45 degree angle to the base of the flower nail. Make sure the narrow end of tip 104 is facing up. Rotate the bag towards you while you turn the nail away from you.

IMPORTANT: Only practice makes perfect!

Still not sure? Click on this link to visit the video How To: http://www.wilton.com/technique/Roses

Class Buttercream

2009-11-03T13:32:00.000-05:00

CLASS BUTTERCREAM

4 cups icing sugar

1 cup shortening

1 tbsp meringue powder

1 tsp desired flavouring

2 - 3 tbsp warm water (or more if necessary)

DIRECTIONS: Place all the ingredients into a bowl and mix until creamy adding a little more water (teaspoon at a time) if necessary. Your icing needs to be thick (because we're making roses) and must stand up when piped. We can always thin the buttercream out in class.

NB: always bring a small lidded bowl or box for mixing icing in class both for thinning and for colouring, what ever is left over can simply be lidded and taken home for next time.

Where Can I Buy....?

2009-11-03T12:27:00.000-05:00

Meringue Powder - Bulk Barn, Michaels
Flavourings - Supermarket, Bulk Barn, Michaels, on line
Colourings - Supermarket, Bulk Barn, Michaels, on line
Piping Tips - Bulk Barn, Michaels
Fondant - Bulk Barn, Michaels
Turn Table - IKEA, Michaels
Books about cake decorating - these will be added to this blog shortly please check back often
Spatulas - Bulk Barn, Michaels
Cake Pans - Bulk Barn

If you are looking for a specific cake decorating item, fondant, turn tables, spatulas, pans etc, we do have some of these as stock items and usually at cheaper than store prices much of the time. You can e-mail us at info@canadiancakedecorators.com for more information.

If you sign up as a member of the Canadian Cake Decorators Guild (CCDG) your student card will allow you discount at most Bulk Barn stores.

Many on line stores have wonderful flavours and colours not available in stores,you may want to do a Google search for Cake Flavourings or Icing Colours (or Cake Flavorings and Icing Colors - without the 'u'). Always look for gel, paste or dust colours and avoid using liquid colours in buttercream and other icings.

Please feel free to contact us if you need any further information or post your comment here and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Co-Op Girls - November 5th Lesson

2009-11-03T12:07:00.000-05:00

Since so many of you have asked about making cupcakes and that this week's lesson lends itself to it, anyone wishing to bring cupcakes can do so this week. A maximum of four cupcakes per student (otherwise we won't have time to decorate them in class) and don't forget to bring an adequate box to carry them home in. Anyone wishing to bring one cake instead of four cupcakes can do so.

Please bring:

all your kit,
a tea towel,
a damp cloth
one recipe of white class buttercream.

Crusting Cream Cheese Buttercream

2009-11-03T11:49:00.000-05:00

Here is an alternative buttercream for covering your cakes for class, however, this is not a 'decorating' buttercream, so you will need one recipe of the Class Buttercream (Shortening/Icing sugar) as usual in order to produce roses and other decorations.
Ingredients:

1/2 cup of shortening
1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter at room temp
1 8oz bar cream cheese at room temp
1 tbs vanilla extract
2 lbs sifted powder sugar (approx 8 cups)
1/2 tsp salt

Directions
Cream together shortening, butter, and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla into mixture and combine. Sift together sugar and salt, and slowly add to shortening, butter & cheese mixture.
OR

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 lb. (8 cups) confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoon milk
NOTE: Do not use light cream cheese or butter substitute.

Directions:In a medium mixer bowl cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add sugar and milk. Beat on high until smooth (only 30 seconds to 1 minute). Thin to ice cake smooth; use full strength for piping borders.
YIELD: Makes 5-1/2 cups.

2009-11-02T00:28:00.000-05:00

"Borrowed" from CakeJournal a wonderful resource with how to's and advice an all sorts of wonderful cake projects.

Click on the link at the side to go to the journal and see for yourself.

Tons of Cake Recipes

2009-10-29T22:21:00.000-04:00

Looking for new and interesting cake recipes? Click on the image above and follow the link to hundreds of great recipes. Check out their cookies and other seasonal treats!

Christmas Cookie Workshop

2009-10-29T19:18:00.000-04:00

Thursday 26th November, 2009

6.30pm to 9.00pm

CHRISTMAS COOKIE WORKSHOP

Just in time for Christmas this complete cookie course with Monika Paradi experienced and knowledgeable baker and decorator will take your edible gifts to a new level. Monika will be demonstrating how to decorate your cookies prior to baking them (these will be baked during class and enjoyed during the evening), decorating with royal icing and fondant.

Full list of tools and equipment to follow

Price: $45.00

Under 16's price $35.00

Cupcake Party

2009-10-29T15:58:00.000-04:00

A group of girls, a ton of cup cakes, some silver balls, sprinkles and several bags of icing.........and voila, you have a party! A wonderful way to spend an afternoon and you get to take home your sweet treats. The party favour for this particular event was an apron and a small set of cake decorating equipment as well as the box of cupcakes.

Message of Welcome

2009-10-29T15:56:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Canadian Little Cup Cakes new blog! We hope that you will enjoy reading about cake decorating and share your pictures and experiences with us.
Please let us know what you would like to see on this blog and we will make it happen!