Inspiration Board: Sailboats

Photo from Goûters rigolos by Aline Caron

I honestly don't know what inspired me write this post. I'm not into sailboats or sailing or being out in the sun for more than thirty seconds, but there is just something so charming about these sailboat cakes! Maybe it's the fact that the temperature has dropped suddenly and it's beginning to feel like fall that has me longing for these decidedly summer-themed desserts. Whatever the reason, I wanted to share them with you because they are just so damned cute! :-) ~Erin

Cake by Charm City Cakes, photo by Tim Riddick

Via Dulce Design

Via Mit Hus

Wooden Popsicles

I’m not a fan of useless objects. Usually, whenever I see a useless object, all I can envision is it sitting in a huge landfill, along with all the rest of the useless objects in the world, taking up space, polluting the planet. Useless objects make me sad, mad, and all the other bad words, but just now, looking at these wooden popsicles, I  actually felt happy!

Created by Italian designer Mauro Savoldi (aka Johnny Hermann), each popsicle is handmade, completely unique, and numbered (in a series of 150). The colors and the designs are really lovely and I can’t seem to stop looking at them! Who knew that  a wooden popsicle could be so gorgeous? If only it could be used for something. Perhaps you could use it as a fly swatter? Anyhoo, Mauro himself admits that they’re useless, which, frankly, makes me love them even more. For additional information on Johnny Herman designs, click here. Contact Mauro for purchasing info.

Cookbook Excitement: Baked Elements

Wednesday was the best . . . day . . . EVER! Why was it the best day EVER? Well, I’ll tell you. Because the angels over at Stewart, Tabori & Chang sent a copy of the new Baked cookbook, Baked Elements, right to my door! I’ve been a fan of this Brooklyn-based bakery since before I could talk (okay, really since they released their first cookbook back in 2008) and every time they release another book, I nearly pee my pants in anticipation. And, I have to say, the new book does not disappoint.

Good Morning Sunshine Bars

This time around Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito have given us a cookbook based around the concept of “our favorite ingredients.” What makes their Top Ten? Peanut Butter, Lemon and Lime, Caramel, Booze, Pumpkin, Malted Milk Powder, Cinnamon, Cheese, Chocolate, and Banana. All of which just so happen to be my favorite ingredients as well! Divided by ingredient, there are 10 sections to the book, making it easy to find and select a recipe. Interested in making a banana dessert? Just flip to the banana section and drool away! Personally, I don’t know even where to begin. There are so many recipes that I want to make. I may have to start with the Easy Candy Bar Tart, though. Caramel, walnuts, dark chocolate. I took one look at the accompanying photo and thought, Holy shit! That said, the Bourbon Milk Shake is also calling my name and, as I am a huge fan of bananas, I can’t wait to sink my teeth into the Banana Cake featured on the cover. (Btw, the Peanut Butter and Banana Creme Pie in their last book was divine). With photos by the talented Tina Rupp and 75 mouth watering recipes to choose from, I think this cookbook will be keeping me happy for decades to come . . . or at least until they release another book. To find out when the fabulous Baked boys will be at a Williams Sonoma near you, click here. You can purchase Baked Elements: Our Ten Favorite Ingredients online, right here.

Simple Chocolate Whiskey Tart

Candy Bar Tart

Bourbon, Vanilla, and Chocolate Milk Shake

Bardot Ice Cream Bars + Shabby Apple Giveaway

I have a well-documented weakness for pretty packaging, so these gourmet bars from a new chain called Bardot are right up my alley. Made by hand, and available in a series of stores in California, these fancy ice cream bars feature hip, modern (edible) designs embossed across their chocolate casings. The bars, which are made with fresh fruit and without any artificial colors, come in a variety of interesting flavors, like Deep Thoughts (fresh Thai mint), Ebony and Ivory (fresh mascarpone cheese + dulce de leche), and Southern Belle (key lime and graham cracker). They all sound mighty delicious! It would tough to pick just one! For the complete list of Bardot flavors and store locations, click here.

You can find info on the Shabby Apple giveaway after the jump.

Sweet Testing: Rosemary Apricot Squares

I have a confession to make. I was a little bit nervous about making these Rosemary Apricot Bars. I ate one at Baked a couple of years ago and fell in love with them, but I wasn’t sure how other people would feel. Apricot and rosemary isn’t really an obvious dessert choice. So, given my apprehension, I was pleasantly surprised when person after person (at my sister's wedding shower) came up to me to tell me how much they liked them!! Woo hoo! They really are good. With just the right amount of tang and not too much sweetness, they are the perfect bar for when you want to make a dessert that makes you feel, just a little bit, like a grown-up.

You can find the complete recipe for the Rosemary Apricot Squares after the jump. ~Erin

The Mixing Bowl: Peach & Basil Shave Ice in Frozen Peach Bowls by Lisa Mishima

I am so, so, so excited to present this week’s Mixing Bowl recipe by graphic designer Lisa Mishima. Lisa recently sent me a link to her food and design website, Look. Listen. Smell. Eat., and I went completely bonkers over it. It combines everything I love about food and art. It’s creative, fun, and awe inspiring, but at the same time, filled with so many “doable” recipes that it doesn’t come across as the least bit intimidating. For example, check out these two recipes from Lisa’s site. The first is a S’mores fondue, featuring edible graham cracker forks! The second is part of a series of Pie a la Mode ice cream cones that sound and look amazing! In addition to the site, Lisa also runs a collective named Thought For Food, which makes edible art installations and conducts interactive dinner parties, all of which look like a heck of a lot of fun.

Business Card

Spun Honey art installation

Given Lisa’s already well-established food and art aesthetic, it was not surprising that her Mixing Bowl recipe would be a creative one. I was so thrilled when she sent over this recipe for Peach and Basil Shave Ice in Frozen Peach Bowls. It’s such a lovely and interesting twist on a peach dessert, and with peach season in full swing, it couldn’t be more perfectly timed. If you’d like to impress your friends and family with a different sort of peach recipe this weekend, I’d definitely give this one a try!

Click here to check out Lisa's food and art website, Look. Listen. Smell. Eat. You can also check out more of her design work, right here. Thank you, Lisa, for the lovely recipe! ~Erin

The Mixing Bowl: Tarte Tatin by Judy Kaufmann

Barcelona-based illustrator Judy Kaufmann is sharing a recipe today for a truly beautiful dessert, the Tarte Tatin, which is essentially an apple pie baked upside down! Judy sent along several images of the baking process and it really is a wonder to behold. And the finished product looks absolutely delicious! All I’d need to do is add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and I’d be in heaven!

 I was first introduced to Judy Kaufmann’s work via her colorful portrait of Frieda Kahlo. The image is so whimsical and fresh that it’s practically begging to be put on a wall! Her use of bright colors and her quirky spin on the ordinary makes her simple illustrations really stand out. My favorite pieces come from her Circus series (love these!) and from the Famous Print Collection, which includes the Kahlo print. You can check out the full range of prints, and shop online, right here. You can also check out more of her work, and additional product info, via her website.

You can find the complete Tarte Tartin recipe, plus more images after the jump. Thanks, Judy! ~Erin

Ayako Kurokawa

Chouquette

I love it when I come across work that perfectly embodies the merging of dessert and art. Something that is not only visually exciting, but also completely edible. Today, that something, or someone, is Ayako Kurokawa. Based in NYC, Ayako is a patissier, pastry sculptor, and food stylist who infuses her work with such humor, creativity, and beauty, that I could not take my eyes off of it! It makes complete sense to me that she used to work as a patissier at The Modern, which is a restaurant located at the Museum of Modern Art. (She also used to work at the Plaza Hotel). Her work is, in itself, a small piece of art, and now that I’ve discovered her desserts, I’ve sort of become obsessed with them, in case you hadn’t noticed! If you’re like me, and looking at these pics has made you go all googly-eyed, you can check out even more of Ayako’s work on her web site, right here. You can also buy some of her treats, right here.

Baby shower cakes

Butter sandwich cookies with rum raisins

Cheese souffle

Mont blanc

Manhattan graham cookies

Strawberry Cookie

Ginger bread house

Hands sable