Peppermint Kiss Sugar Cookies, or: Is Xmas over yet?

There is one little thing you need to know about me: I do not care about "seasonal".

I am known to fancy persimmons in April, rhubarb in December, pumpkin in June or what have you. At any given time my freezer drawers will be bursting with ingredients I squirreled away months before, so when one of my ill-timed cravings hits, I am ready.
This arrangement works especially well for me since I'm broke most of the time (wanna try being a foodie on a CSR's budget, hmm?) and it's cheaper for me to grab the leftover seasonal goodies after the holiday's over and the prices plummet.

I won't deny, of course, that my main reason for despising seasonality in food may be that I got the "Mary Mary, quite contrary" bug pretty bad.
Take peppermint, for instance. It's one of my favourite things in the world (and hands down my favourite when paired with chocolate), and I would gladly eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day of my life - except in the week-or-so that goes from mid-December to Xmas. You know, when everybody and his dog is baking candy cane-flavoured anything, as if there's a global-level flash mob going on or something.

This is why I baked my test batch of these cookies in mid-October, with candies I had bought back in January, and kept sitting in my fridge during the summer months.

They were delicious (why, of course - we're talking peppermint sugar cookies here, gents!) but not perfect. In retrospect I think I overbaked them, because they ended up far crispier than your average crinkle cookie.

And I'm baking them again now, with Kisses I ordered online and had shipped all the way from the other side of the big pond. Talk about a time-consuming mise en place!

Once you can get you dirty paws on some of these elusive Peppermint Kisses (and, possibly, the baking chips Hershey makes in the same flavour around Xmas, so you don't have to unwrap another bunch of them just to chop them up), the recipe's actually very easy. 

You can get it HERE, by the way! 

It's weird how I still am unable to automatically associate the colour red with anything peppermint-flavoured. 

I mean, the rational part of me knows it's because of candy canes, only... every time I see the iconic red-and-white stripes, the first thing that occurs to me is strawberries and cream, because these are the flavours I grew up associating the colours with. To me, mint candies must be green or white, or both.  
Oh well...

Sugar crinkles are yummy and cute enough as-is, but pressing an unwrapped Kiss into each warm, soft cookie is what makes the magic happen. The candy will melt slightly and go all creamy inside and shiny on the outside... 

...See? It's magic, I tell you!

As with all good sugar cookies, these have a slightly crunchy surface and a soft, crumbly heart. They're wonderful with coffee, or hot cocoa, or with your balsamic infusion of choice - and even more so on their own, so you can concentrate on the different textures and colours of the cookie and candy.

On a side note: sugar cookies freeze exceptionally well as a rule, and these are no exception. Only once they're thawed, the Kisses will have lost the creamy quality and gone back to their pristine condition of hard chocolates. Sad, really...

Now, about my manicure. Isn't it adorable?

If you want to treat youself to candy cane nails too, here's a video tutorial for you...

The idea of painting my nails to match the cookies I'm serving would never cross my mind normally, but this tutorial was so easy and fun, I just couldn't resist!

So long, Granny...

I have long debated about the opportunity of writing this, because - let's face it - mine is supposed to be a lighthearted blog for people to browse in search of yummy recipes, decorating tips, and assorted nerdy silliness. No one wants to read depressing stuff in his/her free time; I myself will unashamedly skip the occasional "personal tragedy" post every time one such thing pops up in some blog I'm following. 

Why? Because they bore me; pain is pretty uninteresting after all, as long as it happens to other people. It's like when you meet someone you know, but don't really relate to: you'll still ask "How are you?" out of politeness, hoping like hell that he'll go "Fine, thanks" and leave it at that. I can, and will, certainly feel compassion for a friend or relative, but I perceive it as rude for a stranger to force his suffering upon me - especially when it's someone who is supposed to actually entertain me. Like, for instance, a blogger. 

This long ramble was just to say: feel free roll your eyes at this post and skip it altogether; I won't judge you any worse, because I'd totally do the same. 

But, I'm still going to write it.  

On Wednesday, January 2nd, my grandmother Francesca passed away. She was 92.

The funeral was this morning, and after it was over, walking into her empty house nearly broke my heart. 

She was close to a second mother for my brother and me, and was a brave, generous, indomitable woman. She's the one I was speaking about in this post - just so you understand. 

I am not really the kind of person that goes for the old "we'll meet again beyond the veil" solace, still - I will always cherish my memories of our time together, so that the best part of her won't die for a (hopefully) long time. 

So long, Granny. And thanks for, well... everything. 

FHTAGN! Cthulhoo is born!

I think today's Doodle says it all:

Sheesh! SO MANY THINGS TO DO!

Did you list your resolutions for the new year? I certainly didn't; I'm not that kind of person. 

It's not that I am weak-willed - I can be very focused, as long as it's something I truly feel like doing. If, on the other hand, I don't really care, then no amount of public flaunting of  good intentions will shame me into action. 

Right now, the one thing I honestly feel like promising is: I will strive to become a better baker and designer, and post more frequently on this blog. So there!

Anyway, now that I am more or less sober again - although I'm still sleepy as hell, and so filled with food that the mere thought of it makes me want to barf - I'll keep my promise and post more images of my Unspeakable Vault of Doom cake. 
Those among you with an eye for photography (awww, let's make it, those among you with barely decent eyesight) will probably notice that the following pics are exceptionally good for my standards. That's because I didn't take them, you smart***es!
My sweetie did. With a swipe of his smarthphone. Dammit. 

...Well, anyway. Here's the cake, freshly unwrapped by its intended recipient... 

...and here it is again, waiting to be cut and savoured!

Finally, a close-up of the dramatis personae: 

*   Cthulhoo as baby Jesus
*   Nyarly as St. Joseph
*   Shubby as Mary
*   Yogzotot as the angel
*   Zatoth as the comet
*   (a) Shoggie as (both) the ox & ass

If you're still wondering, you probably don't know The Unspeakable Vault... of DOOM!
Take my hint: forget all about cakes for a moment (gosh, did I really write that?) and click the link. Unlike my other links, it will open in this very same page - yes, it's deliberate. I want you to take your time and browse through the archive... because, man, you've been missing out on a lot of fun! 

PS - I sent a pic of this cake to the Vault's author - right, to Mr Fracois Launet himself!  (hey, I was a bit tipsy at the moment, 'kay?) - alongside with my heartfelt thanks and New Year's wishes. He did me the HUGE honour of featuring it in his own Guest Art gallery! 

WOOT! THANK YOU SO MUCH MR LAUNET, YOU MADE MY DAY! (...er. My aeon?)

Happy 2013! ...Will the Stars be Right?

First of all: HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY READERS! 

(And also to you, who just happened to stumble in here while googling for cute pig pictures or a Japan/Okinawa map. I know you're out there... You know who you are!)

I am right now slightly overwhelmed with preparations for tonight's party - if you are a girl you'll know what I mean; if you're a guy, you most definitely don't need to. 'Nuff said. 

I am relieved to say that the cake was successfully baked yesterday; I swiped The Pioneer Woman's recipe for a Literal Coffee Cake (or, as I like to call it, a Knurdcake).
I had already experimented with a (slightly tweaked) version of it for my Hobbit door cupcakes, so I knew this recipe gives a cake that won't rise too much and will be dense, sturdy and, well, cake-y (in the best possible way).

(I have no idea why I got such a nasty pitted surface. Thankfully it's going to be covered  later!)

I also knew it would be rich, moist, and packed with unbelievable coffee flavour - OMG heaven! 

I filled it with a storebought spread (think Nutella, but with coffee). There's still a buttercream crumbcoat going on, but I didn't want to use it as filling as well. I think this combo will work perfectly with the cake!

And, here's a quick preview of the finished thingie... 

(I will hopefully have more pics in a couple days or so, once the party's over and the hangover's gone. Stay tuned!)

Unspeakable WIP... of DOOM!

Hi, peeps!

Wanna take a peek at what I'm planning for a very nerdy New Year's Eve party?

It must be the most blasphemous cake design EVER, but I'm having loads of fun with it!

Except for the fact that, uhm, I hate modelling plastic chocolate. Still I go out of my way to use it whenever possible, because I'm told people like the taste better than sugarpaste. Meh. That may be true, but until the day I see someone actually trying to eat the topper whole, I'll stick to my opinion that the improvement in flavour is not worth having to deal with the nasty, gooey stuff.

...GAAAAAAAH! So frustrating!

Stay tuned because this sweet Nativity scene's still missing the real stars - St. Joseph, the Virgin, and baby Jesus...

(Oh, and of course, the actuall CAKE is still missing, too. Don't bother me with such trifles! I'll bake it tomorrow. Or, so I hope...)

May your days be merry and bright...

(...and may all those cupcakes spare my thighs!)

There & Back Again, or The Hobbit (cupcakes)...

Lordy Lordy Lordy, nearly two months without posting! Worse - nearly two months without baking at all, except for a quick chestnut cake that I whipped up in a hurry, and didn't take a pic of (but, fear not! Once I am done tweaking the recipe to my heart's content, I will present you with the recipe in a handy cupcake version!)

All I can say is, it has been a taxing time, what with my two main jobs and assorted RL concerns demanding my full attention.

It took no less than a new Peter Jackson trilogy to force me into breaking my silence. So, as a way to avoid checking out those pesky online spoilers before I go and watch The Hobbit with my friends in the afternoon, I assembled some quick and easy cupcakes to share with them after the movie.

And, I'm going to show you how to make your own!

First of all, you'll need cupcakes. Mine were coffee-flavoured but of course you can use any kind, as long as they're all frosted and ready to go!

Roll some green fondant (or green-tinted plastic chocolate) thinly. If you own a textured mat, all you need to do is place it on top, press it down into the sugarpaste/chocolate mass with your rolling pin, carefully detach the mat, and cut circles no bigger than the bottom of your cupcake case; slightly smaller would be perfect.

(I didn't have a cookie cutter of the right size, so I used a plastic thingie instead - I don't even know what it was supposed to be for originally. The plastic was a bit soft unfortunately, so I ended up with slightly oval shapes. Ooops!)

Trace your cutter's circumference on a scrap of baking paper, fold it twice to find the exact center, and mark the middle of every door shape with a pinprick.

Press a golden or (in my case) silver dragee in the middle of the door. Since it's so small and lightweight, a tiny drop of honey or corn syrup will do to hold it into place.

If you have no fancy-schmancy equipment, just carve a woodgrain pattern with a toothpick into the pre-cut circles (it's easier that way). Resist the temptation to make it too regular; putting in a few roundish knots will make it look so much more realistic.

Now you need bricks, and again a textured mat or rolling-pin can be a lifesaver. I used coffe-flavoured fondant, since it went well with my cupcakes, but plain old fondant or white plastic chocolate would work just as fine. Be sure to roll your mass slightly thicker than you did the green one!

Since my mat has overlapping rows of bricks, I cut the impressed fondant in such a way as to have one full vertical brick, then half one next, and so on (it's boring work, but it pays off in the end!)

Wrap your strip o' bricks around the cutter you used for the doors, cut it the right size and pinch the two ends together. At this stage you can do some cleaning up of the sharp edges etc, but you don't need to be extra neat if you don't want to - remember, this is supposed to be a quick and easy design!

You could certainly carve a brick pattern with a toothpick too, but the simplest way out is to simply cut out small rectangular shapes and arrange them around the round cutter. 

It will look slighly less interesting maybe, but actually closer to the door in the movie... 

Place the doors inside the brick circles, and you're done!

All that's left to do is to paint the bricks orange (I was out of food colour, so I used some cocoa powder dissolved into a bit of whiskey - yum! My bricks are more on the brown side this way, but they're still fine in my opinion...)

My hobbit doors looked perfectly respectable already but, as you can see, I ended up adding hinges to them, even if the one in the movie has none. 

I simply hand-cut a few arrow shapes into very thin plastic chocolate, pressed my smallest icing tip into each of them to impress the "nail", and painted them silver. 

Now if you're going to put the toppers on your cupcakes right before serving them, you can call it a day at this point. I, on the other hand, had to assemble them sever hours beforehand, since each cupcake needed to be individually packaged and given away to someone who'd maybe want to eat it the following day. Le gasp! 

I knew I couldn't just plop the toppers on top of the buttercream, because they'd go all sticky  and smudgy and deformed. So I mixed some icing sugar into my plastic chocolate to make it real hard, rolled it thickly, cut circles into it (slightly bigger than the doors), and glued my assembled toppers on them with a dab of corn syrup. This way if something has to soften for sitting atop a glob of icing, it will be the underlying discs instead of my cute little doors!

Here they are inside their individual pods, all ready for adventure!

I must say, clamshell pods are the best when it comes to handling cupcakes and carrying them around. They are not cheap, and you may be forced to buy them online, but if you're going to give away cupcakes for people to bring home (as opposed to, you know, serving the whole bunch on a tray for immediate consumption), this is the only way to go. 

Here's an adorable gift-packaged cupcake... 

...and here's a sturdy cardboard box, to rule them all fit them all snugly inside!

I am happy to say my cupcakes were safely ferried to the cinema, by underground and bus, and still looked their best when I distributed them around at the end of the movie. 

These toppers are sure to impress, and they're so easy that I am secretly regarding them as a cheat design - seriously, it took me longer to wrap the finished cupcakes up than to make the doors from scratch!

So, if you made hobbit door cupcakes of your own following this tutorial, please share - I'd love to see them! (Well, for that matter I'd love to see any cupcakes inspired by The Hobbit, because the movie was real fun!)