Kristen Kieffer Cake Stands

When it comes to cake stands, I’m a real sucker. There’s nothing like a cute pedestal to add some extra fun and sass to your cake presentation and these cake stands by potter Kristen Kieffer will definitely do the trick! Created by Kristen in her workshop in Massachusetts, the stands manage to be simultaneously vintage and modern. I love the deco elements and the red and white carnival like stripes on the cherry piece. So fun!

From Kristen: All of my pottery is one-of-a-kind, and designed and handmade by me alone in my studio. I threw this form in two parts on the potter’s wheel, and later carved the foot and “skirt” to create a playful undulation. I decorate the surface with sponged and trailed slip (the clay version of, well actually, cake-decorating) in shallow textures of swirls, dots, and patterns. My influences vary from Art Nouveau to Haute Couture and furniture to fondant, and these stands bring it all together!

You can find the cake stands and more of Kristin’s work in her Etsy shop. ~Erin

The Mixing Bowl: Blueberry and Dark Chocolate Buns by Mountain Bakery

One of the best things about having a website, is that it gives you the opportunity to interact with all different types of people, from all over the world, that you would have otherwise never know. For me, Rose Kemmy is one of those people. A couple of years ago, Rose sent me a very kind email about how much she enjoyed and was inspired by this site. It was such a sweet note and I never forgot it! Then, just last week, I heard from her again, and guess what Rose has been doing over the past two years?? She's opened her very own home-run, micro bakery! Based in Norwich, England, Mountain Bakery is all about homemade baking, using only high quality ingredients and free range eggs. How cool is that?

Chipotle, parmesan and rock salt biscuits

Raspberry & vanilla butterfly cupcakes

Sourdough bread

Poppy and sesame seed buns

So, as you might expect, this is an extra special Mixing Bowl post. Not only because we're celebrating Rose's new bakery, but because this is the very first Mixing Bowl video!!! Hooray!!! I'm been longing for someone to do a video for years now and I couldn't be more thrilled with the one that Rose has produced! Not only is the video super cute, but the recipe, for Blueberry and Dark Chocolate Buns, is a great winter treat! Perfect for lazy Sunday mornings when it's just too cold to leave the house! I can just imagine myself snuggled up in a comfy chair with a cup of tea, a good book, and one of these buns. Heaven! Thanks, Rose! (The recipe video featured in this post was produced in collaboration with MakeMeMakeMe and Spindle Productions.)

For more info on Mountain Bakery, visit their website, right here. You can find the complete recipe for Blueberry and Dark Chocolate Buns after the jump.

Isabelle Chapuis Photography

I recently came across these quirky fashion photographs by French artist Isabelle Chapuis and instantly fell in love with them. Now, after seeing this new series by Chapuis, titled Barbapapa, I can officially call myself a fan.  The collection, which features a young model wearing cotton candy in all sorts of fashionable ways, is at once dark and humorous. The clothes, lighting, and expressions of the model are tough and moody, but the sugary pink confections brings with it the sense of silly fun. It is the juxtaposition of the hard and the soft that really makes these images special.

The Barbapapa photographs are currently on display at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris until February 17th, 2013. Personally,  I can’t wait to see more of Isabelle’s work in the future, but, until then, I’ll be enjoying these beautiful images, and the playfulness they inspire. You can check out more of Isabelle’s photographs via her website, right here. ~Erin

Sweet Testing: Whiskey Tart with Whiskey Whipped Cream

I know that I’ve mentioned before on this site that I love Baked, the New York—based bakery that has spawned a series of amazing dessert cookbooks, but I don’t know if I ever talked about my love of whiskey. Yep, that’s right, whiskey. I’m not a big drinker and, honestly, I didn’t even start consuming alcohol until a few years ago, but it was whiskey, friend of the Irish for centuries, that ended up converting me. I think it tastes a bit like ginger ale, but, really, I’m still pretty much a lightweight, so what do I know? I just like it. And whiskey and chocolate…even better! To further entice you into my whiskey world, I will add that this tart is not only delicious, but a cinch to make, so you can impress your friends and family with very little time and effort. Always a good thing! ~Erin

You can find the complete recipe after the jump.