Boomf: Instagram Marshmallows

As much as I love fancy, elaborate desserts, I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for simple, classic sweets. It should come as no surprise then that I’ve fallen in love with these fun marshmallows from Boomf! Taking the squishy campfire treat and putting a unique spin on it, British company Boomf will turn your favorite Instagram photos into delightful gourmet marshmallows! That’s right, just select nine images from your Instagram account and Boomf will send you nine printed marshmallows in return. The marshmallows, which are vanilla flavored, measure about an inch and a half in size and cost roughly $20 per set. The service is currently only available to UK residents, but they plan to start shipping worldwide early next year. While it may be a little creepy watching your favorite snapshots melt away in a S’more or in a cup of hot chocolate, I still really like this idea. It would make a really fun gift or party favor! Click here for more info. ~Erin

Semi Sweet Designs

I recently discovered Semi Sweet Designs while researching a post on Breaking Bad desserts and, man, was I impressed by what I saw. Not only did I find some amazing Walter White cookies, but also a ton of other rad (yes, I just wrote "rad") cookies as well. I was even more impressed when I found out that Mike, the man behind Semi Sweet Designs is not a professional baker, but is, instead, a full-time aerospace engineer who bakes in his spare time! As he puts it, "By day, I’m a hard-working, cubicle-dwelling, number cruncher. By night, I’m a dough-mixing, cookie-icing machine." I love hearing stories about self-taught bakers. It gives hope to the rest of us! If you're looking for a little pick me up today, definitely head over to Semi Sweet Designs to check out more of Mike's cute pop culture creations! They are so rad! ~Erin

Sweet Testing: Lime Tarragon Cookies

I would like to start this post by stating that I hate licorice. I don't just hate it. I loathe it. If I were forced to eat  licorice by some evil, licorice loving bad guys, I'd probably make a multitude of face distortions while chewing and then, overcome with nausea, end up spitting it out, which would surely get me in trouble with the evil, licorice loving bad guys! That said, I do, for some strange reason, LOVE tarragon. That's right, I enjoy eating an herb that is often described as having a licoricelike flavor. Don't ask me to explain. I can't. All I know is that I love tarragon and I loved these cookies! They have a nice buttery flavor, which is very reminiscent of shortbread. The tarragon is subtle and the lime is refreshingly different. You know that I'm all about atypical recipes and experimenting with a savory spin on a dessert is always super fun!

One small note: These cookies are supposed to be much smaller and thicker. Mine spread out. This may have been because I used gluten-free flour or maybe because I didn't chill the dough for long enough. (Sometimes, I get impatient during the chilling and just charge ahead!) They were still delicious, but don't be alarmed if they look different than mine! ~Erin

You can find the complete recipe after the jump.

Provisions at Food 52

I’m so excited about the new kitchen shop over at Food 52! It’s been one of my favorite food sites for a while, but now, with the addition of an e-commerce platform called Provisions, I have yet one more reason to go there! Founded by former New York Times food editor Amanda Hesser and Le Cordon Bleu graduate Merrill Stubbs, Food 52 has always been filled with interesting recipes and gorgeous, clean photographs. They continue this approach with their products, offering items that are simple, minimalist, and rustic. Perfect accessories for fall entertaining! I was immediately taken with the cake box and the trivet, but, really, there are so many pieces that I love. I’ve posted more of my favorites below, but you can check out the full collection right here.

You can find more images after the jump.

Edible Art: Sarah Anne Ward

I can’t get enough of the whole fine art/food trend. Send me a photo of an art-inspired dessert and I am all over it! So, it should come as no surprise that I am smitten with these images created by New York-based photographer Sarah Anne Ward. Inspired by famous modernist works of art, Sarah, along with food stylists Heather Meldrom and Michelle Gatton, created this seven-piece series, which includes a Koons Twinkies and a Rothko ice-cream cake, not to mention the Jackson Pollock Rice Krispie Treats (my personal favorite). So fun! I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next! For more info on Sarah, check out her website, right here. ~Erin

Pollock Rice Krispie Treats

Damien Hirst Dot Candy Skull

Richard Serra's Chocolate Curls

Rothko Ice Cream Cake

Cubist Movement Picasso/Braque Pinwheel Cookies

Mondrian Jello Jiggler Mold

Seurat Pointillism Sprinkle Sheet Cake 

Inspiration Board: Breaking Bad

(This post does not contain any spoilers!) This Sunday, Breaking Bad, arguably of the best shows on television ever, ends it's six-year run. In honor of this momentous occasion, I thought it would be a good time to post some of my favorite BB desserts. I'm sure there will be a lot of parties this Sunday, so I thought I would provide a little inspiration to get you started. The most obvious, and probably simplest way to work the BB theme into your desserts is to by using blue rock candy (aka blue meth). I've only selected a few blue meth desserts below, but the ways in which you could use it are pretty much limitless. Personally, I think my favorite piece is the pink bear cake, which was shown floating in a pool, quite mysteriously, in several episodes. It's such a creative and original idea! I hope you're inspired by the rest of the desserts as well. Enjoy the the finale on Sunday and have an A-1 day! (Cookies above by Semi Sweet) ~ Erin

Blue Meth Cake by 17 and Baking

Bear Cake by hollyicing

Cookies by Sugar Rush Treats

Cookies by Semi Sweet

Heisenberg Hat Cake by Sweet and Splendid Bakeshop

KLY21: Molecular Popsicles

A creative looking popsicle gets me every time. Having grown up with tradition, one-dimensional popsicles, I always get excited when I see someone put a new spin of these frozen treats, and David Marx, food scientist and founder of The Science Kitchen in Berlin, is just the guy to do it!

Marx’s popsicle line, named KYL21 after the Swedish spelling of molecule (molekyl), features futuristic looking sweets that have been molded into complicated, geometric shapes. He describes them as “the reinvention of popsicles and a real masterpiece of avant-garde cuisine.” They are also free of additives, organic, vegan, and gluten free. They aren’t due to hit the marketplace until the Spring, but, in the meantime, you can click here to check out KYL21 website. ~Erin

Cereal Boxes

Oh, sugary cereals. They always bring up such feelings of nostalgia for me. I'm not sure why. Sugar cereals were not exactly a staple in our house, although they did find their way onto our breakfast table from time to time, and it was always exciting when they did! Marshmallows for breakfast? Yes, thank you. I think I will. Apparently, I'm not the only one that gets all nostalgic over the thought of eating Lucky Charms or Count Chocula. In fact, the folks over at CerealBoxes are hoping that you are so eager to relive the sugar-fueled cereal days of your youth that you'll want to look at cereal every day, on your wall. That's right. CerealBoxes is turning your favorite cereals into art by placing them in handcrafted specimen boxes like the kind you would see in a museum, normally filled with dead insects. Each box includes nine cereal specimens, ranging from Raisin Bran to Corn Puffs to Fruit Loops. In addition, the samples are tagged and dated with the year they went on the market. At the moment there are three different boxes to choose from, with each box costing $225. Click here to check them out and to order online. ~Erin

Matt's - The Chocolate Shop

Okay, let’s talk about minimalism for a second. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for minimalism. I am not a tchotchke kind of gal. That said, minimalist desserts don’t come up that often on this site. I’m not sure why. Maybe because minimalist sweets aren’t as showy, aren’t as “oh, wow,” that I wonder if people will be interested. Well, the minimalism freeze is about the thaw out right now because I am in love with the design concept of Matt’s - The Chocolate Shop! The brown and navy packaging was created by design firm Tofu and features a graphic yet simple theme, while the shop’s interior is sparsely decorated with a clean, contemporary feel. But it’s not only Matt’s branding and style that is pared down to the bone. The menu itself is an effort in simplicity, focusing on one modest chocolate fudge cake. Actually, when the shop first opened in Singapore they only sold chocolate cake. I totally love the idea of a bakery selling only one item. They have added a few things to the menu since their opening in the summer of 2012, but the focus is still on the dark, not too sweet, chocolate cake, as it should be.

BB Sweets

Brooke Bertelle, owner of BB Sweets, seems to know a thing or two about creating lovely baked goods. Her Facebook page is covered with some of the prettiest cookies and cakes that I have ever seen! I can't take my eyes of her button cake (yes, they are edible) and her Babushka Cookies are so cute; it's crazy!

Actually, the story of how Brooke started her business is almost as sweet as her cookies. In 2010, she was a assigned a school project to raise money for a Haitian hurricane relief program. She decided to bake and decorate a "Heart for Haiti" cookie and sell it to local businesses throughout south Florida. The cookie was a huge success! She managed to raise hundreds of dollars for the charity and, accidentally, started a business, all at the same time!

All of Brooke's cookies are handmade and decorated with sugar dough. You can see more of her desserts on her webssite, here. There are also sweets for sale in her etsy shop. (Thanks, Kristen!) -Erin