The Turntable

How many of you remember what a turntable looks like? Or even know what is call an LP or a 45? When April emailed me a picture of a turntable cake and asked if I could make one as a surprise for her husband’s birthday, I was up to the challenge. As usual, she wanted the now famous, Almond Cream Cheese Pound cake to make this special surprise.

Well, the cake was made and the birthday party was on. Last week I got a call from one of the family member who was at the birthday party telling me how lovely the cake was, only wish she could taste it. I ask why she could not taste it? She said Aubrey did not let anyone cut his cake. He took it home to have it shellac!

I am reminded of the Saturn TV ad regarding the new look of the Saturn. The two Saturn employees told the very surprised and baffled, prospective customer when he was not sure if he was really in a Saturn dealership, that ‘they get that all the time’. Yes, I hear it all the time too, especially when I do sculptured cakes: ”Jeannie the cake was so pretty, no one wants to cut the cake!”

Happy caking and walk good ‘till next time.

Jeannie

A Friend – Sugar Character

Last week I got one of Lorraine McKay’s “The Icing on the Cake – Tutorial” to make the female character and was so excited I could hardly wait to download the file. I had to print it three times because my inkjet printer kept on jamming. Spent most of the night doing it and the picture here is what it looks like.  I even made the coffee and toast, plus painted the cup and plate! The hardest part of doing the figure was getting the facial features just right.

I have looked at so many of Lorraine’s tutorial and is just amazed at how talented she is. Her sharing what she knows is such a blessing, because I believe that’s how she gets better at what she does. Aine2, I’m a big fan!

Well, I did not stop with this figure. I made the snowman and Christmas trees! Saturday I made a bunch of carrot cakes and one especially for a friend using another figure I made.  As you will notice, her mouth was not as ladylike as I would have like. The cake I made as a sofa and placed it on a tiled surface (fondant and used a brick impression mat.

My girlfriend loves to invite me over to have tea and crackers and cheese. Here I placed the toast I made, plus a pot of roses because she is an avid gardener. The cake is a carrot cake covered with Swiss Meringue buttercream and white chocolate fondant.

Crazy Cake Weekend

I believe my sugar numbers are off the chart today. Why? I was eating so much cake since Thursday, it’s frightening!

Thursday I baked Pink Champagne cupcakes, for Bible Study on Friday night. Friday night, well lets call it Saturday because it was 12:30 in the a.m., I baked two double batch of my all time best, Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake for three cakes I would be decorating later. I have been making the pieces for one cake ahead of time. With all this baking, I was making tons of samples. Yup! Those mini cupcakes. The ones you just pop in your mouth and it disappears. Suddenly I noticed one tray was empty and I gasped! Who is eating all the cupcakes? I’m the only one in the kitchen?! There are about eight empty wrappers in the garbage can…hum hum…where did they go?

Walk good and happy caking. God bless yah!

Jeannie

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Where are the bees?!

My niece Katherine, yes the owner of the Easy Bake Oven, made it to the Regional of their Spelling Bee. So I made he a yellow cake with daisies and bumble bees covered with Swiss Meringue Butter Cream. She loved it! Taking a closer look at the bees, they look like they could do with some good sleep or tomato juice with bitters, in other words: sleep depraved or drunk!

On the day of the regional, I made her six cupcakes with butter cream and fondant flowers, but not bees. Of course the question was asked,
"Auntie Jeannie, where are the bees?!?" Oops! they flew away I wanted to say...pity my dear niece did not know I had to download the "Bee Movie" desktop background to get a very good look at what a bee should look like. Plus Auntie Jeannie's fingers were hurting. Anyway, I later hear how "delicious" the cupcakes were.

I'm so proud of her even though she got knocked out in the fourth round. Her prissy attitude was, "I did my best, but there is next year..." Oooohhhh! Maybe she could help me with my spelling.

Walk good...

Jeannie

Pre-Plant

This has nothing to do with baking or cake decorating, but it's a scripture I use to guide my daily living which I would like to share. Laurie, a friend at church, gave it to me in this fashion (I wish I could scan the piece of paper she wrote it on - beautiful!):

PRE-PLANT

P-ure : Are my motives pure?
R-ight : Is tis appropriate?
E-xcellent : Is it the best?
P-raiseworthy : Is God proud of this?
L-ovely : Does it reflect Jesus love?
A-dmirable : Is it worthy of respect?
N-oble : Is it of high moral character?
T-rue : Does it submit to truth?

Go ahead and today PRE-PLANT your life.

Walk good...

Jeannie

Martha Stewart's - Cookie of the Day

Chocolate Shells...

I had the most fun doing this cake! The cake was a chocolate and vanilla marble cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream filling and frosting, then covered with white chocolate fondant. The bottom cake is a dummy...the "swirls" suppose to be waves...got my drift? (smile). I got two of my friends, Lizca, and Christine, involved to see how they would like working with fondant. They made those swimsuits and palm trees. The shells I made with white chocolate and dusted with Super Pearl edible dust; for the sand I used white and brown sugar. The design I got from one of my ICES magazine, but used some of my own creative license.

I made extra 5-inch cakes which I shared with Lizca and Christine. Of course, one for the hubby, Henry (smile) plus one for me...if I must say so myself, the cake was delicious! It's a receipe I found on Martha Stewart's website, and it's a no-fail marble cake receipe. Check it out (when I can find the link...Oh boy!!!).

Walk good...Jeannie

The Head Fell Off!

The post won't be as funny because I don't have the photograph to prove it. It came right to the point of "how am I going to fix this?"

If you have read any post on this blog you will realize I am always baking. Well earlier this month (August) I had a very busy weekend doing over 20 small cakes (eight-inch round) with gum paste figurines on top (that's another post) plus a baby shower cake with a teddy bear on top. Not a small teddy bear, but a large bear which fed about 20 people.

You maybe asking what fell off? The head of the teddy bear...at 5:00 a.m. Just after I took it out of the oven to allow the steam to released from the cake pan. It happened when I had to stand it up for it to cool. Then when it was unmolded I said, "Wow!" Because it looked and smelled so good (the cake was an almond cream cheese pound cake). Before I could say "Yum-yum", the bear give a nod as if he was falling asleep and his head fell off! The cake was too rich and light to make the bear...I panicked because the baby shower was later that day and I did not have enough time. What to do?!? That's when I remember a Food TV Cake Challenge where Buddy made the Lion King's Scar out of Rice Krispy Treats - Scar's paw later fell off, Buddy could not believe when Kerry Vincent told him!).

I quickly got Henry out of bed and he got me the marshmallow and Rice Krispy to make the teddy bear. With all the rush trying to get the cake ready and so sleep deprived (much like the teddy bear - smile) I forgot to take a photograph. Well, someone saw that cake at the shower and requested one for the following week for another baby shower. So the cake you see here is the second cake without all the drama.

I love the challenge that comes with baking and decorating. Walk good...

Jeannie

A Fruit Cake In May?

In May of this year, Henry and I had occasion to visit his sister in Hagerstown, in Maryland for a graduation ceremony. We had an extra "passanger" with us...a fruit cake for our niece graduation dinner. Yes; a fruit cake, in May! It was a question of that sort the TSA personnel at the airport asked me when I put the box containing the cake through the x-ray machine.

"Madam, what type of pie is that?", he asked.

Pie? I thought to myself. I did know there was not a pie in my "cake box", but a decadent fruit cake covered with almond paste and fondant. Maybe this is a trick question to see if I was taking something more than a cake.

I replied with all honesty in my voice, "That's not a pie, but a fruit cake."

"A fruit cake? Isn't too early for fruit cakes?" he said to me with a frown on his face.

"Special request" I said as I jolly gather my stuff and proceeded to explain to my husband what that was all about.
This is the cake that made the journey from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Hagerstown, Maryland. Oh! I put the decorations on when I got to Maryland...and I could not get the "s" to fit. It's also another cake they did not want to cut.

Walk good. Jeannie

Mother's Day Cake

I was busy all weekend baking and decorating cakes for my Mom, and a few of the women I wanted to honor as great mothers. The cake I made was a chocolate fudge cake with chocolate butter cream filling and covered with fondant, in the shape of a box of chocolate. I filled the "box" (round and heart shaped) with different types of chocolate. They came out pretty good. My Mom did not want to cut hers' (I believe as I write it's on a bus with her to Marathon Key). I'll post a picture of it later in this blog.

Well, I read an unknown author's quote today and thought of how much I "act like" my Mom...the quote goes like this:

"Children are natural mimics-they act like their parents in spite of every effort to teach them good manners."

We love to share silly jokes, so the week she was in Las Vegas I missed her so much, because she was too busy having fun for me to reach her to share anything. That week, I did not listen to a particular radio program just because I knew my Mom was not sitting at work waiting for me to give her a call or her calling me. It's her passion for baking and cooking I got. She was always trying something new like me, but with her fruit cakes, the recipe almost never changed - she bakes the best fruit cake on this side of the galaxy.

I love her so much and Mommy, Happy Mother's Day. Yeah, I know it was on last Sunday, but now you know...

Walk good.
JJ

The Last Daisy

January 2008 I took the last order of cookies for Daisy Gourmet. I decided to close the website because of a number of reasons. First, it was costing far more than what it was making. Second, physically it was taking it's toll on my health. Third, my passion for cake decorating was calling me.

My sisters and mom was not too happy about the decision. I saw it as a way of regrouping and getting new direction for what I really wanted to do with my creative skills. Funny though, I thought I was going to burst into the new dimension of cake decorating, but it's not so. I have been struggling with tendinitis in my left hand and arthritis in my right hand which is making it even more difficult and painful to do some simple piping. That, my friends, I will not let it deter me from pursuing what I want so much to do.

So, "Boo!" to painful hands and "Yes!" to doing what I love. Until next time, "Cheers!"

Jeannie

Swapping Canvas for Fondant

It is all coming together. I am seeing an open door now. Don't know what I am talking about? Well, earlier this month I was wondering where do I fit in the whole scheme of things? Am I using my true God given talents? Dong!! I think I have found it...my little space some where...

On Friday/Saturday I baked a cake and decorated it in the shape of a Coach handbag for a friend's birthday party. I made so many mistakes, but I learned so much! However, while I was applying or painting the colors on the lipstick which I made from fondant (see photograph) a happy feeling came over me. It has been years since I have felt this way.

I remember feeling like this when I was a pre-teen (11-13 years old)...I was painting and was just lost in what I was doing. At that time of my life I was the young Leonardo Di Vince. Anything I saw, I painted. My dad gave me twelve different size canvas, oil paint and very good sable brushes for my birthday. I always had an artist sketch pad, so I was drawing and painting...I loved it as well as trying new recipes (those I could afford) in my mom's kitchen. So while I was painting the details on the lipstick, it was like a dong in my head and heart that this is what I love to do.

Think about this, because I have been and it seems very crazy plus I have asked myself this question: "Is it too late for a forty-something-year-old like myself to start a business of cake decorating?" Looking back at how I started in business of baking cookies, it was cakes I first started baking to sell but not cookies. Maybe this is a sign (smile).

My conclusion is, "with God all things are possible" and I want to see Him do the impossible with me.

Walk good - Jeanette (This is the final photograph of handbag)

Sharing The Gift

Sharing The Gift

Another summer adventure with my nephew Michael. Soon I'll be able to write a book if he continues.

A few weeks ago Dominic, Michael, Katherine, my nephews and niece, came with their auntie Carolyn and uncle Garry for a little bar-B-Que and a quick dip in the pool at my condo. Even though it stormed, they managed to enjoy a dip in the pool and played with their WII game they had brought to fill in "blank" time. I played a little WII too, got knocked out in boxing match by Dominic - he's a young man so I had to let him save face by allowing him to win. The games were exciting and everyone was having fun, however, I constantly heard the children telling Michael to stop messing around. You see, Michael tends to be a little talkative (Katherine will tell you smart ways to keep him quiet) and learns much of what he knows by wanting to "touch" things. In order to give the other children a break, I took Michael into my "Auntie Jeannie's Time-out room"...Yeh! The other room.

When I took him in my work-room, he got a little nervous because I believe he thought "he was in real trouble". We had a little chat as to why I brought him in the room and as I figured he was bracing for "it". Much to his surprise, I picked up some cake decorating books I had and started to show him pictures of beautifully decorated cakes. He was in awe! Suddenly Mikey said,

"Auntie Jeannie, I want to decorate a cake like this!"

He was pointing to a cake in a Martha Stewart Weddings magazine. I smiled and responded by letting him know: "Mikey, lets start with decorating cookies first." He agreed but still wanted to decorate cakes he was looking at from the magazines; Colette Peters books; and the American Cake Decorating magazines. I showed him a few dummy cakes I had, the piping bags and tips, and my personal sketch book of cakes designs I was working on. He was elated and that was when he share with me a great idea of how to share.

Over the summer at camp Michael said he saw a boy who was only 13 years old and he knew how to decorate cakes. He said the boy had the "putty thing" (I believe was fondant), which he used to cover the cakes and make beautiful things. For a moment I thought he was pulling my legs, but I was sure this 9 year old did not know that much about decorating cakes to come up with this story. I asked him how this boy knew how to do the things he was telling me about? Mikey said,

"The boy's mother taught him...she pass it down to him."

Wow! I though. Am I prepared to hear what he will say next? Nope! Sure enough he asked me, "So auntie Jeannie will you pass this down to me just like what that boy's mom did?" Then he explained to me more what "passing down means" because it seems like I did not understand. You see I was blank in my face because I could not believe he was asking that of me...to share the gift, my God-given-gift.

So walk good and I soon come again...Jeannie (otherwise, see you later).

Martha, Martha, Mary & Me

I know we are in Fall, but I just have the need to get organize. Have you ever felt like you are always falling behind in the pac? Or just can't seems to get your ideas out there? If you are knodding your head, I am doing that too. I feel like I never really got any one thing done.

What are you dreams and longings? Are you fullfilled in your career? As a wife? A mother? A memeber of the "human race" (I must give you a... well I believe it was a joke about the human race thing later)? I will be honest with you, right now I am not felling all daisy about where I am right now in my life. I just don't believe I am fullfilling my God-given call! I am this big-a-round (see photo), but on the inside I'm exploding and busting with dreams! Daily I'm asking the Lord: what am I to do Lord?!?

I admire Martha Stewart in the way she took the time spent in the "big house" and used it to create (my words) the New Martha Stewart! It's fantastic how hard times actually makes sweet rewards. Martha Stewart reminds me of another Martha I know, she loved to serve and spent alot of time in the kitchen (Luke 10: 40-42). I would love to be like Martha and Martha (have a clean house and good food to eat). The scripture says in verse 42 that Mary, Martha's sister, choosed the "good part" which is where I really want to be.

"Lord, am I there yet? Am I choosing the good part?"

Walk good - Jeanette

I Want My Own TV Show

We are living in the days of reality TV and it's not surprising that even our much younger generation (like my niece and nephew) are just as fascinated with the "real" in reality for us to ignore them. I say this because I am reminded of a fun time I had this summer with my nephew and niece, Michael and Katherine doing a "Kid's Food TV Special".

My nephew, Michael has shown a keen interest in wanting to learn to make and bake cookies like his auntie Jeannie. Maybe, even better than I could - and if you knew Michael, you will know that's how Michael is: he can do that too! I had made him a promise that one day after work I'll stop by his home and we will make cookies together. The day came when he called me to let me know his mother got the ingredients ready to make Double Chocolate Chip Cookies. I knew then that I could not disappointed him, again.

When I got to his house, he and my sister had everything ready to make the cookies. Although my sister's kitchen does not have the big Kitchen Aide mixer I have at home, that did not matter to Michael because "we have a hand mixer!" While we were setting things up I was thinking of a way I could make this fun and interesting for Michael. It then came to me that we could have our very own "Kid's Food TV" show with pretend audience and camera. They loved the idea! So there we were around the Whyte family dining room table doing our version of Emriel or Martha Stewart TV show. We had a ball! The cookies came out great and all I heard was: "Auntie Jeannie, can we do this again?!" Now what have I created?

The dining room and kitchen was cleaned; cookies were eaten; and every one was happy and satisfied that we had a fun time. We may do this again I thought...

Last Saturday I had the occasion to talk with Michael on the telephone when he lamented to me saying,

"Auntie Jeannie, I want my own TV show!" (very long sigh)

I was dumbfounded because I knew he was serious. So what should an aunt, who wants to encourage and nurture this young soul do? Of course, have another "Kid's Food TV Special" but this time, as Michael suggested, we will video tape the show so he can have it to watch later.

Now readers, keep reading this blog because coming very soon to an Internet site near you is..."Michael Jay Kids Food TV Special"!!!

Baking With Katie

When you need a birthday cake that's a fruit cake...you ask Mommy (Ena); any other cake, that Jeannie.

Well, in January my brother-in-law and my niece celebrated birthdays. I would get the usual phone call saying, "Auntie Jeannie, I would like a Barbie cake for my birthday with..." and so on. Now this January 2007, I felt like an actress waiting for my agent to call me with a part in a big movie, because I never got the call! I am always happy to bake and decorate my niece and nephews birthday cakes. It's a wonderful way to practice my cake decorating skills. I though maybe Katie forgot to call Auntie Jeannie. Oh well! Life goes on...

I therefore asked my sister what's my niece plan for her cake, she did not know either until I had an occasion to be at my sister's home (Jacquie) along with my mom and other sister, Carolyn, and the subject of birthday cake came up. I shall try to dialog the conversation I had with Katie as best as I possibly can because I have never felt soooo...I don't know, but here it is:

I asked, "Katherine, what kind of cake do you want me to make you for your birthday?"

She replied, "Didn't my mom told you I got an Easy Bake oven for Christmas?"

"No." I said while in the back of my mind I was wondering 'what is an Easy Bake oven?!?'. I guess my this time you know I was not born in the USA, because most girls my age, at that time, would have wanted an Easy Bake oven when they were popular.

Katherine further said with such pride in a voice and I was totally not prepared for what came next, "Didn't my mom told you I bake my daddy's birthday cake and he loved it?"

"Noooo." I replied feeling a tad hurt because I thought I was the only real baker in the family. How dare her! I thought. My little six year old niece trying to take good business from me. Now she hit me with the bomb when she said,

"Oh Auntie Jeannie, you don't have to bake my birthday cake this year. I will make my own cake in my Easy Bake oven. Do you want to order a cake from me? The Oreo cake I know you will love it is $2.75!"

Even before I could catch the word leaking out of my mouth like invisible drool, with excitement an Easy Bake catalog was placed in my hand and a little girl, whose finger was pointing to the 'Oreo Cake' asked me, "Can you take me to the store to get supplies?"

"Huh?!?", was my reply. What else could I say? Her brother Michael shouted from the living room, "Auntie Jeannie you can buy cookies from me too...seven cookies for $12!!"

Banana Coffee Cake

Late last year I wanted so much to bake a banana cake when I remembered a recipe used years ago when I lived in Jamaica. It was a Banana Coffee Cake - a banana cake flavored with coffee. I increased the amount of coffee, however, using decaffeinated coffee. Well, it didn't matter much if it was decaf-coffee, it has intense coffee flavor and the sweetness of the banana made this cake a winner.

I gave a piece to a friend and her fiance, they like it enough to request the recipe. Dahlia, as I promised, here is the recipe. Post your results here when you have tried it.

Banana Coffee Cake
3 teaspoons instant coffee (I used 5 tsp)
1 cup butter (butter makes everything better)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup ripe banana (about 3)
3 tbsp hot water
1 1/2 cup sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Coffee Icing
2 tbsp softened butter
1 cup sifted icing sugar
2 tsp instant coffee
2 tbsp hot water

1. Pre-heat oven 350 F. Grease a bundt pan and set aside.
2. Sift flour and add baking powder. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, the mashed ripe bananas.
5. Dissolve coffee with hot water and add to batter.
6. Gently fold in flour mixture and one cups nuts until well combined.
7. Pour into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes.
8. Leave in baking pan to cool for 5 minutes. Completely cool on a wire rack.
9. Ice cool cake with coffee icing and sprinkle with 1/2 cup nuts.

Enjoy!

Bridal Expo - Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

This weekend I am planning on going to the Bridal Expo at the Broward Convention Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The main reason, I am looking to see the new trends and to get inspiration for wedding cake decoration. Lately I have been drawing designs of cakes for patterns on china, flowers and dresses. I'll try to post a photo of one sketch I have do with the accompanying cake.

Have you ever attended a bridal show? This will be my first show. Let me hear from you.

This is the link for the bridal expo: http://www.greatbridalexpo.com/

Chocolate for Valentine's

With Valentine's Day just around the corner you maybe wondering what to give your honey. Most would be buying a piece of fine jewelry, or planning a quiet romantic dinner for two. Well, I am going with plan B, i.e. bake my husband, Jack, a scrumptious chocolate cake and brownies. He is not just my sweetheart, but he loves sweet with a little of his heart.

I came across a chocolate brownie recipe on Martha Stewart's website and tried it. It was absolutely delicious! Here is the recipe - it's very simple...

Fudgy Brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for foil
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped (I used dark chocolate)
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) (I used pecans and chopped white chocolate)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with foil; butter foil. Set aside.


2. Place butter and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water; stir frequently, until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until completely melted.


3. Whisk in sugar and salt until smooth; whisk in eggs. Gently whisk in flour just until smooth (do not over mix). Fold in nuts, if using.


4. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (they should form a ball when rolled between your fingers), 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely in pan.


5. Use foil to lift from pan; peel off and discard. Cut into 16 squares.

Note: Instead of dipping the dry measuring cup into the flour, spoon flour into the cup; then level flour with the straight edge of a knife. When lining the pan, press the foil neatly into the corners, and smooth the bottom and sides. If necessary, brush sides of pan with butter to help foil stay in place.

Make 16; Prep time: 25 minutes; Total time : 3 hours