Halloween Dessert Table

Jeannie Gearin does it again with another amazing blog post.  This time it is a great idea for Halloween!

 A Halloween Dessert Table with a vintage feel, the dark colors and harlequin patterns

repeated throughout to give a sophisticated look. The cake is fondant with a hand

sculpted face. The crow is painted with gel colors.

Halloween Fangs

 The cupcakes have fondant fangs. They can also be  made in isomalt with red for the incisors, giving a bloody look!

Lady Skeleton and Pirate Skull

 When filling the mold, it is easier to fill with too little and then add more

as needed rather than using too much. With a small amount of paste you can see

where the details are and be sure to fill those areas carefully.

I like keeping my paste under a glass when I am going to use it a lot. It is easier

than rewrapping it in plastic wrap over and over.

 I find safety scissors are one of the best ways to cleanly

remove excess paste if you do end up with some. Push it to

the center, making sure the edges are clean and crisp.

 When adding a second color, I just add it right on top without

any water or other type of glue. The paste is fresh and it adheres

on its own. I place on the freezer for about 5 minutes to get

the most out of the details.

 When you overfill areas you will get this type of look which to a decorator is not

great but to anyone else is still impressive. I hope you can see the detail of the teeth

on that skeleton.

 The plates and candy bowls are from Target. The favor bags and candy tubes are at Michael's.

The Halloween Banner is from ButtonsandBells on Etsy.

Dessert Table by Jeannie Gearin

http://thepastrytip.blogspot.com/

DTC Products Used:

Lady Skeleton Cameo

Pirate Skull Cameo

Halloween Fangs

For more amazing work from Jeannie, check out her blog, The Pastry Tip!

Precious Flower Cupcakes

Check out the latest blog by the talented Rosalynne Rogers of Ronnie's Cakes and Cupcakes.

I used the 2 inch diamond mold for cupcake toppers.  For my purposes I chose to only use the top section of the mold.

This one!

Knead the fondant until soft and pliable.  Then roll into a smooth ball.  Place the ball in the mold and stop to take a picture.  lol

Press down until you fill the mold. (Remove excess with a small sharp knife.)   For my purposes I smoothed the fondant flush with the mold so that it would sit flat on the cupcake.

Yes, there is fondant in the mold - I should have used something other than white.

Place the mold in the freezer to set.  While chilling, decorate your cupcake.  I used a tip 204 to make petals on the edge.

Remove your mold from the freezer and let it set until it has hardened slightly.  Then take some Super Pearl and brush over your 'diamond' to make it shine.  (Diamonds actually sparkle, but we won't split hairs....)

                   

After your diamonds have finished setting, you can place it on top of the cupcake flower to top it off!!  Waaa-laaa!!!   You have a 'precious' flower.  (Get it?  Diamonds are a precious stone.... hehehe)    Thanks for staying awake enough to read my first guest blog!  Can't wait to see you again!!!  

Go visit Rosalynne at:

Ronnie's Cakes and Cupcakes

DTC Product Used:
3D Diamond 2 Inch 

Pigs, Bacon and more!

Jeannie Gearin does it again with another amazing blog post.  This time it is a great idea for Father's Day!

Grilling and Father's Day just go together. Many men believe themselves
to be the King of  the Grill and that was behind the theme
for this cake and the matching cupcakes. And at the end of this
post, one more use for a pig mold.

For the board, I covered it with light brown 50/50 paste and then imprinted

the it with a wood grain impression mat. I took a ruler

and marked off wood plank lines. I used a mix of brown and black food

color with vodka and painted in the deepest areas to make them

stand out more. Then, to make it look like painted barn wood, I brushed the board with red dust. I  set aside to let it dry.

I made the ribbon by cutting a circle and letting it dry over night.

I used the ribbon cutter to cut a long one inch wide

strip and gathered the center up into folds. I attached it

to the circle with piping gel and let dry.

 The pig molds can be filled with one color gumpaste and

color brushed  on or with multiple colors. I used pink for the

 pig face and red for the bandana.

I always have better luck with chilling molds in the freezer

for a few minutes.Then, releasing them after letting it sit at

room temperature until it is not so cold and brittle.

I found the markers were easier to use than the paintbrush
for adding details. Mostly, I liked that it dried quicker,
but I am sure it is a matter of personal preference.
A little pink blush on the cheeks and inner ear gave the
pig face much more character.

 The two pigs together make a sweet pair.

These pigs are a nice size for cupcake decorating as well as
cake designs.
I made the banners using a clay letter embosser from the
craft store.

The rope border was made with a clay gun.
The fence was also done with the wood grain
impression mat. A toothpick is inside the fence posts
for support. This was a fun cake to make
and could be customized for several different
summer occasions.

Pigs =Bacon!

Maple Bacon Toffee

{with Chocolate Pigs}

I used my current favorite recipe for toffee which is

from the book Sweet Confections by Nina Wanat.

I added 1/2 teaspoon of maple extract.

After spreading the toffee out on a silpat and

 allowing it to cool, I spread 6 ounces of

semisweet chocolate on top and let chill.

Then, melt another 6 ounces of semisweet chocolate

 and spread that on the other side of the toffee.

While still warm, sprinkle about 2 slices of crispy, crumbled

bacon on top. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel to the

top of the toffee, working quickly before it cools.

Break into pieces and enjoy.

Any standard toffee recipe can be used.

Add to a bag with chocolate pigs and

tie with a bow for Father's Day gift, or
a summer hostess gift or...

Products Used:

Pig #1

Pig #2

Pig Pair

Tree Bark Texture Mat

For more amazing work from Jeannie, check out her blog, The Pastry Tip!

Cameos and Cupcakes for Mother's Day

Check out the amazing display created by Jeannie Gearin using some of the new cameo molds and the ribbon roses.  

Of course, a day off from cooking is in order for Mother's Day. A special dessert table just for Mom is an even better treat. The traditional colors of pink and blue, reminiscent of the early days of childhood, are always a favorite of mine.

An "M" for Mom and a sugar peony grace the cake centerpiece.

Sugar cookies are adorned with a detailed floral cameo. The small areas are easier to fill using a small cel stick and then a few minutes in the freezer helps the mold release. A crimper finishes the edge of the fondant circle.

Oval sugar cookies each topped with a different cameo and framed with a molded setting.

Luster dust brings out the detail of the flowers. No sprinkles are needed on this cupcake.

Because so many of my pearl molds, make better single pearls than strings of pearls, that is what I use them for now. They come out very evenly that way.



Ribbon roses are so pretty and versatile.
Making them from a mold goes very quickly. 

 A close-up of the flower cookie.

Oval petit fours are topped with cameos. I find the easiest way to make petit fours is to press cake pop dough into a small square pan to the desired height. Freeze for about an hour. Then cut out desired shapes. Glaze with poured fondant.

I hope you have picked up some ideas for your Mother's Day table. Or maybe, someone will make one of these treats for you!

Jeannie Gearin  Check out her blog

shabby chic digital paper  

pastel alphabet set  

Products Used:

Ribbon Rose Set A

Hibiscus Cameo

Victorian Lady 3/4 Profile Cameo 

Greek Lady with Bird Cameo

Lady with Floral Bonnet Cameo

Beautiful Butterflies!

Jessica Montoya created some beautiful cupcakes using butterfly wing molds.

I used white chocolate which I quickly melted in the microwave. I filled the mold with the melted chocolate and tapped the mold on a flat surface to remove any air bubbles and I cleaned away any excess chocolate with a small spatula. I placed the mold in the refrigerator for about two minutes to set. Once the chocolate was firm I removed the wings from the mold with great ease. I then dusted the wings with pink and green pearl dust to bring out the beautiful details. I attached the wings to the cupcakes using icing and then created the body of the butterflies with the same white icing which I then dusted with pink pearl dust.

Jessica

Products Used:

Butterfly - Regular Wings

Similar Products:

Butterfly - Monarch Wings

Butterfly - Slim Wings

5 Petal Blossom Cupcakes - Georganne Bell

Our next user group project comes from Georganne Bell and showcases the 5 petal blossom veiner. This veiner is BY FAR, the most popular product that we offer. I hope you enjoy the inforamtion that Georganne has provided and her beautiful cupcakes.

I am so jealous of those talented people who can make amazing sugar flowers. Sadly, I will never be one of them. When sugar flowers are required, I make the bare minimum number that are necessary, take way too much time to make them, and I'm pretty much never happy with how they turn out. I have to say though, I am LOVING the 5 petal blossom veiner. It makes creating simply elegant cupcakes more...well...simple. I have a little confession to make. I made nearly 3 times as many flowers as I needed. Each time I pulled a beautiful flower off the veiner, I told myself that I would make just one more.

While making my rather abundant bundle of flowers, I learned a couple of things. First, after cutting out the fondant with a 5 petal cutter and placing it on the veiner, it helps to push the center down just a little before gently pressing down with the top piece. Second, popping the whole thing in the freezer for 30 seconds really helped me get the flower out with the exact same shape as the veiner. Did I mention that I love this thing? Love it.

Georgann Bell
http://www.lilaloa.weebly.com/

Product used:
5 Petal Blossom Veiner