Heirloom Recipe Card Box

I've always wanted a recipe box, but I have yet to start the transfer from printouts to cards. It's just so easy these days to print a recipe or to keep them all stored on your hard drive that the idea of moving everything over to recipe cards seems like a daunting task. I would like to do it someday, though, and these recipe boxes from Rifle Paper Co. are exactly what I have in mind. They remind me of my mother's recipe box: wooden, sturdy, simple. At $125 a piece they are more than a bit pricey, but that's because each box is made by local craftsmen from locally salvaged hardwood (trees that were destined for landfills), so your recipe box will not only be totally unique, but also, a little bit, green. Click here for more info. {Thanks, Rose!}

Edible Art: Jell-O Town

I’m not a fan of Jell-O. I’ve never liked it, not even as a kid. It never really satisfied me as a dessert and, flavorwise, it has always struck me as boring, but Jell-O as an art form, now that’s something that I can get behind and artist Liz Hickok would be just the gal to do it!

Liz is a San Francisco-based artist who transforms Jell-O, the humble dessert of childhood, into fun, colorful cityscapes, complete with wobbly buildings and edible bridges. San Francisco, New York, Wilmington. Liz has constructed each one out of Jell-O. She’s even turned the fictional town of Twin Peaks into a Jell-O paradise, a fact that makes me love her even more.

Sweet Testing: Chocolate Coffee Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

I’ve always wanted to make a drippy cake. (I know that’s not the technical term. Is there a technical term?) For some time now, I’ve been obsessed with cakes that feature dark, chocolaty drips down their sides, so when I saw this cake in the new Baked cookbook, I knew that I had to try it! I’ll admit it. I was a little intimated. I am no Martha Stewart when it comes to presentation, but I think it turned out really well! And it was delicious, too! Seriously yum! It was definitely worth the effort. If you’re not a fan of coffee flavored sweets, have no fear. The coffee flavor is really subtle . . . and I hate coffee.

You can find the complete recipe for the Chocolate Coffee Cake after the jump.

Cooking with Photoshop

I’ll admit it. Sometimes it takes me all day to bake a cake. I don’t know if that’s because the desserts I enjoy making tend to be more complicated or if I’m just really slow in the kitchen, but either way I thoroughly enjoyed watching this creative stopmotion video, Cooking with Photoshop, by artist Maya Rota Klein. Not only does it make baking look so easy, but it was made doubly entertaining by the fact (and I’m sure most food bloggers would agree) that I’m constantly processing photos and therefore do often feel like I’m cooking with Photoshop! If only baking were that easy! (Thanks, Lotta!)

The Mixing Bowl: Chocolate Macarons by Marina Ekroos

I was first introduced to the photographer Marina Ekroos while researching info on the Ikea cookbook, Homemade is the Best. I came across a comment by someone, saying that the photographs in that book reminded him/her of the work of Marina Ekroos. Who is this Marina Ekroos? I wondered. I quickly googled her name, found her Web site, and instantly feel in love with her work. Apparently, other people have, too, as there have been a slew of articles written about Marina in the past few months. Most of them mention the similarity between her photos and the Ikea images, and, more importantly, the fact that Marina was creating minimalist aerial food photos long before the Ikea cookbook was ever released. In addition, Marina’s amazing photographs do not only capture the ingredients used in a dish, like the Ikea photos, but also the process, and the finished product. A complete recipe all in one photo! So beautiful and clever! That said, I was, of course, so happy when she agreed to shoot a recipe for us! Those chocolate macarons look delicious and I adore the little guide underneath! Thanks, Marina! To check out more of Marina’s wonderful work online, click here.

[If you need help converting the measurements, click here for a nifty conversion calculator. Recipe adapted from Nohanna.]

Peacock Lollipop Holder

This lollipop holder by Jonathan Adler is totally impractical, but I think I love it. You certainly couldn’t keep the lollipops unwrapped, unless you were having a party or something, and they would be eaten quickly. If you left them naked for weeks at a time they would get all sticky and covered with dust. Yuck! Still, I really like the idea and the retro style of the peacock. It’s sort of like an updated take on the candy dish. J. Adler is the best. He always makes such cheery things. I hope everyone has a great holiday! :-) --Erin

Sweet Testing: Salt & Pepper Tree Cookies and Peppermint Deer

I love the holidays. I’ll admit, the preparation stresses me out, but the actual celebration, is always my favorite time of the year, so when Urban Outfitters asked me to contribute a holiday recipe for their blog, my mind immediately started swimming with ideas! At the time, I had just gotten the new (and fabulous) Baked cookbook, Baked Explorations, and I was itching to try one of the recipes. It didn’t take me long to select their salt and pepper sandwich cookies for the first half of my post, and, boy, was I glad that I did! These cookies are amazing. I literally took one bite and then, for a minute straight, said nothing but, oh, my god, these are so good. Oh, my god, these are so good. OH, MY GOD, these are sooo good! They were really flavorful, like a little party in your mouth. Everyone else seemed to love them, too. Well, except for a friend of mine that doesn’t like salt, but he’s a weirdo.

For the second half of my dessert, I went straight to my mom’s recipe for white chocolate peppermint bark. My mom has been making these yummy treats for xmas since I was little and they always bring back such fond childhood memories. I changed it up a bit by using deer molds, instead of the traditional bark form. I hope you enjoy it! [A special thank you to my mom, MB, and Tiesha for taking the time to help me out!] To view the Urban Outfitters post and step-by-step photos, click here. You can find the recipes after the jump.

The Mixing Bowl: English Apple Cake by Pigeon Post

It’s been quite a while since we’ve had a Mixing Bowl post (sorry about that!), so I’m super excited about today’s recipe and I’m especially thrilled that it’s from Pigeon Post! Created by Studio Tipi founders Keith-yin Sun and Judi Chan, Pigeon Post is inspired by both folk art and mid-century design. They produce utterly original work that is both classic and modern at the same time (with a touch of whimsy thrown in for good measure)! There is quality of surreal familiarity in their illustrations that I adore, so, of course, I was really glad that they agreed to share a wonderful seasonal recipe with us this month!

From Pigeon Post: We love cakes. And as the cold winter starts to set in nothing beats a freshly baked, nicely spiced, traditionally flavoured good old slice of cake. This recipe from Nigel Slate, one of our favourite food writers, is not only simple and easy to follow, but it never fails to deliver amazing results.

I love too many of their illustrations to include them all here, so I’ll just send you to their Web site so you can check out the full collection, including their collaborations with the Art Gallery of Alberta. You can also click here to visit their Etsy store. Dessertgirl readers can get an extra 10% off at the Pigeon Post shop by entering the discount code HOHOHO2010 at checkout (valid until December 17th).

You can find the complete recipe after the jump. Happy baking!

Edible Art: A Matter of Taste

Last weekend I made a silent vow, I am not buying any more clothes for at least a month! I don’t spend a lot of money on clothes, but my closet is pretty packed, so I try to restrain myself, every once in a while. In the meantime, I can get my shopping, and eating kicks, between the pages of Fulvio Bonavia’s photography book A Matter of Taste. In the book, Bonavia combines fashion and food by recreating classic accessories out of edible parts. Among Bonavia’s creations are a pair of chocolate earrings, a blueberry handbag, and a sardine bracelet. It’s an incredibly creative undertaking full of color and humor. I love it! I’ve only included the dessert-related images in this post, but you really should head over to his site to check out the additional photos. The prosciutto (?) ring is a must see . . . although I’m still not certain if it’s made out prosciutto or something else! [Thanks, Cassie!]

Inspiration Board: Thanksgiving

A quick Thanksgiving Inspiration Board for everyone in the States. The holiday season sort of snuck up on me this year. Maybe because of all the warm weather that we've been having. Woo hoo! Even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, I must insist that you click on the link to the Pies and Tarts slideshow that appeared on the New York Times Web site earlier this week. (See Rye Pecan Pie below.) So many amazing pies for Thanksgiving or any time of the year. I swooned a little bit while looking at it. I want to make each and every one! Happy Thanksgiving!

[Pictured above] Thanksgiving Turkey Cake from Chow. It's the turkey, the sweet potatoes, and the mashed potatoes all in one. Plus, it looks like a cake! It reminds me a lot of the retro sandwich loafs that I wrote about earlier this year.


Thanksgiving Day Cookies by Eleni's ($65). Sooo cute! Check out the texture on the one in the upper left-hand corner.


Rye Pecan Pie from The New York Times. Perhaps, the most beautiful pecan pie ever! The crust is just gorgeous. Be sure to check out the Apple Green-Chili Pie as well for a unique spin on the classic dessert.


Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake from Woman's Day. I love a cake with distinct layers.

Photography: Chocolate Indulgence

These two photographs have a couple of things in common. Not only do they both feature mouths drenched in chocolate, but they both have a sort of creepy, horror movie vibe about them, while at the same time touching on themes of addiction and sexuality. They both show the darker side of chocolate, so to speak. The side that isn’t just sweet and happy. The side that’s a little freaky. The top one by Brittanie Pendleton is definitely a bit vampiresque, while the bottom pic, by photographer Phillip Toledano, actually reminds me a little bit of the Joker from Batman, one part scary, one part silly fun.

This Charming Candy

When Kate and Susan from This Charming Candy first sent me the link to their Etsy shop, my first thought was, hmmm . . . these lollipops sort of remind me of the suckers that they used to have at the doctor's office when I was a kid. They looked so simple and unassuming. But as we all know, looks can be deceiving. It didn't take me long to realize that I had, indeed, been wrongly stereotyping the This Charming Candy pops, once I caught a glimpse of the flavors: Pistachio-Marshmallow? Vanilla-Cardamom? Apple-Anise? These were definitely not doctor's office lollipops!

The more time I've spent looking at the pics of Kate and Susan's lollies on their Etsy site, the more I've come to love their sweet retro charm. I also really like fact that these lollipops are handmade in small batches and contain only a few ingredients, so you definitely feel like you're getting something that's way more fresh and special than, well, doctor's office lollies! To check out the full selection of This Charming Candy lollipops and to shop online, click here.

Salon du Chocolat Fashion Show

The world famous Salon du Chocolat took place in Paris last weekend, the latest stop in the festival's year long jaunt around the globe. Chocolatiers, chocolate producers, and chocolate fans descended upon the city for five days of exhibitions, demonstrations, and oh, yeah, chocolate . . . as far as the eye can see. Oh, course, my favorite part of Salon du Chocolat, whether it's in Paris, Madrid, or Tokyo, is the chocolate fashion show! That's when you get to see models strut their stuff wearing oodles and oodles of chocolate jewelry, hats, and clothing. Seriously, it’s fashion and chocolate. What’s not to love?? My favorite outfit by far was the dress by chocolatier Patrice Chapon (see below). Totally breathtaking!

The Salon du Chocolat fashion shows, are held in major cities throughout the year. The U.S. version takes place in New York November 11-14. You can find more info right here.

If your interested in seeing pastry chefs creating fashion out of chocolate, check out the Edible Fashion episode of Bravo's Top Chef: Just Desserts. A recent challenge featured the chefs creating chocolate outfits and I was super impressed with the results! For more info, click here.

{Photos courtesy of the Salon du Chocolat}

Enjoy Cupcakes

I know that the whole dessert truck trend probably reached it's peak last summer, but I'm a sucker for all things cute and vintage, so I couldn't resist posting this pic of the adorable cupcake trailer used by Enjoy Cupcakes. Actually, this particular trailer isn't the usual food truck that roams the streets of a large city looking for customers. Instead, it parks itself right in the middle of your wedding reception, baby shower, birthday celebration, or any other party event that you can think of! Unlike a more traditional party, where, usually, the food trailer is hidden from view, Enjoy Cupcakes puts it's vintage Shasta trailer front and center.

But, wait, it gets even better! Enjoy Cupcakes offers over 170 different cupcakes flavors AND the flavor combinations are actually original and interesting. For instance, there is a HUGE selection of wine cupcakes, like Tart Ginger Lime Chardonnay and Caramel Pinot, as well as other mouth watering options like Pumpkin Smores, Chocolate Churro, and Chocolate Salted Peanut Buttery Caramel Crunch. Did I mention that they have cake, too?

If you are interested in hiring Enjoy Cupcakes for an event, you can find more info on their Web site. They also have two storefronts in California, one in Los Olivos and the other in Solvang. If you don't live in California, but would still like to sample their sweets, you can have cupcakes shipped straight to your door. Click here for more info on how to order.