I am an East Coast girl, born and raised. There are certain things I miss about living in Erie, Pennsylvania — the explosive colors of fall leaves, the smell of Concord grapes perfuming the air, and fresh fish at the ready. Without an ample supply at their fingertips because of…
I love excellent packaging on the products I buy. Even when I’m baking up a few nibbles for my family and friends, I want my goodies to look fabulous. You can find a wide variety of colored and patterned disposable baking cups and loaf pans, but here are a few…
We have talked buttercream, in 8 Steps to Making Perfect Buttercream, and I have received a lot of questions about how to perfect that lovely vehicle to get the buttercream to your mouth. No, not spoons or fingers — cake. Even if you aren’t going to become a professional baker,…
A couple of years ago, my future husband and I were gifted with a bottle of wine from a small Arizona winery. It was delicious, and we were very impressed. About a month ago, my husband contacted the winery to join its wine club and ask whether we could visit…
Everyone has been abuzz over Dominique Ansel’s latest craze, the cookie shot glass. We covered the cronuts and even recreated them here on the Chow Bella blog. But I had to put my foot down on the cookie shot glass. Who wants to drink the milk before eating the cookie?…
It’s midnight on a Tuesday. You have promised to bake up your amazing chocolate cupcakes for the office tomorrow. After ripping apart your refrigerator for the fifth time, you realize that dozen eggs you thought you had is only two eggs. Now what? This happens to me more often than…
My husband arrived home with some crumpled printed pages from a website. Bold orange highlighter illuminated some of the words. He handed them to me. Just a few pastry ideas for me from his South African friend at work, Elwin. After seeing my article on Lamingtons, Elwin wanted to pass…
Lowbrow – n. One having uncultivated tastes. When I was a kid — let’s say 8 years old — I would often spend the night at my grandma’s house. She lived in a duplex, and her house was locked with skeleton keys. There was a huge collection of costume jewelry…
Monday, Sugar Rush shared a primer explaining just what buttercream is — and how many different kinds there are. Today: Make your own in eight steps…
I received an email order request the other day. It started like this: “I just had one of your chocolate and whipped cream cupcakes at the market.” No whipped cream here, folks, just real buttercream. No shortening, no emulsifiers. Butter. European butter…
My husband thinks Pinterest is dumb. I honestly don’t think he even really knows what it is, considering Facebook and ESPN are the only apps on his phone. However, I believe his dislike comes from wondering where I am at midnight, only to find me in my office, aggressively “pinning”…
Who doesn’t have a list of “don’ts” at work? Today’s the pastry chef’s turn. We love making people happy with sweet concoctions, and we work hard to make that happen. Here are some tips to remember when dining on sweets that will keep your pastry chef from turning into a…
Last summer, Wisconsin named the kringle as the state’s official pastry — not to be confused with their proposed state dessert, the cream puff. A kringle is a Scandinavian flaky pastry, similar to a danish pastry in texture, then filled with nuts, fruit filling, or custard. Since Racine, Wisconsin, apparently…
Before I knew Mardi Gras was associated with copious alcohol consumption or showing breasts for beads, it was all about the cake. Tucked away in the loft of a Lutheran church, my grade-school French class would indulge in yeasty cinnamon cake every snowy February. I would cross my fingers under…
It was my birthday last week. I love my birthday, but it never really turns out how I imagine. For my 12th birthday, I asked for Donnie Wahlberg, to no avail. For my 18th birthday, my girlfriends tried to plan a surprise party for me, which I ruined mid-car ride…
My perfect alone time is at the end of the day, in bed with a glass of wine and Instagram. There are so many amazing pastry chefs, bakeries, and home bakers out there creating gorgeous product and uploading pictures to be scrolled through and drooled over. It is one of…
Are you crazy? I am so that’s probably why I’m the owner of a small pastry business. More often than I can count, I am approached and told I have the greatest job in the world. I get to play with sugar and butter all day, how can that not…
When I was younger I loved the Super Bowl parties that my grandfather threw every year. He would invite all his employees, family and friends to a potluck dinner and viewing party. The thing I waited for all year, were the “monkey balls” that my grandfathers shipping manager brought. I…
My husband stormed into the bedroom the other night in a rage. I know you are starting to think you clicked the wrong link and that this is Katie Johnson’s awesome Jackalope Ranch column, Courting Disaster, in which she writes about sexual exploits. Nope, just a cake pop hater here…
In my house, we have been watching a lot of Alaska: The Last Frontier of late, and some days I dream about being a homesteader. The TV show follows the story of three generations of hardcore homesteaders living in the harsh Alaskan frontier, growing, raising, hunting, or gathering everything they…
Pondering pastry from 2013 has been pretty easy. There were some powerhouse trends, and some more subtle scary trends that slipped in, pinging our radar. Trends are just that: trendy. And there is a need for them eventually to be buried in a time capsule…
Holiday tunes are blaring on the radio as I walk the aisles of every store. Parking lots become asphalt spaces of rage. Christmas tree lots have popped up everywhere. Lights twinkle strung in gaudy heaps on every outdoor yard item. The holidays have arrived, and with them the numerous holiday…
