Goodies for Good People.

Today I made fine little fancies for some very fine people - the teachers at our local elementary school. I know it is cliché, but I really do think that teaching is a noble profession. And here is how we celebrated that...


Hello Dollies


Little Lemon Delights


Chocolate Drizzled Puffed Rice Treats

And some cute little sugar cookies in the shape of our school mascot, which I neglected somehow to photograph! Thanks to all the teachers! Vous êtes fantastiques!

Loving summer...

There is probably nothing better than biting in to a fresh ripe peach, and licking the juice as it drips down your chin... EXCEPT for these Fresh Peach Cupcakes...



I got the idea for this at my new favorite blog Cupcakes Take the Cake! I tweaked it a bit by adding cinnamon (I love the combination of peach and cinnamon) and by making a cream cheese frosting instead of a super sweet frosting. AMAZING!

Little Initial Cakes

These turned out so cute, I think they deserve their own post...

They are milk chocolate little cupcakes with vanilla butter cream frosting and an almond glazed sugar cookie with an "inked" monogram. They were for a 70th birthday party.

Joyeux Anniversaire...

Yesterday was my mom's birthday {Happy Birthday, Mom!} and I was in charge of dessert... My mom loves chocolate as much as I do, so I decided to make these petite treats for her.

I've been imagining these cupcakes for a couple of weeks - Chocolate sour cream cakes with a whipped chocolate ganache filling, vanilla buttercream frosting, and a sprinkling of toffee bits on top... And as I watched my mom, husband, and brother throw down 3 dozen in a matter of minutes, I knew they had turned out exactly as I had hoped! (OK, I helped eat them too)!

Joyeux Anniversaire, Mom!!!

Open House and "Cookie of the Week"...

The open house last Saturday went really well. Fabuleux! We had many more dessert samplers than we had anticipated - which is a good thing - and there were still plenty of fine little fancies to go around. I received a lot of good feedback, encouragement, and all round well wishes. Merci beaucoup everyone! I really appreciate all of you who took the time (and paid the outrageous gas prices) to stop by and all of you who take the time to read this blog. I am so happy to be doing something that I love and that brings me such total satisfaction.
I am going to be making an email list and will begin mailing out "Cookie of the Week" specials on a bi-monthly basis - in which I will be sharing some baking tips and will also be offering a discount on the week's cookie. Please, leave a comment with your email address if you would like to be added to the list (if you do not have a blogger account, you may leave it as an "anonymous user"). Thank you and au revoir!

You're invited...

A new menu item...

As some of you may have noticed, my company has some what of a french twist to it. I studied French at the University of Utah and had the opportunity to live in both french speaking Switzerland and in France during my studies. But equal to my love of all things french, is my love of all things Czech. I lived in the Czech Republic for 18 months and grew to love the people, the traditions, and the výborné jídlo - wonderful food. I even managed to catch myself a Czech for a husband... And my darling mother-in-law has been gracious enough to share some of her very sweet recipes with me. I have decided to add one of these to my menu - Svatební koláče - or wedding kolaches.

Small, sweet breads filled with a cream cheese filling and rolled in a crumb topping. They are a favorite in our home. I am delighted each time I bake them as I watch my children stare in to the oven, eyes big, mouths watering, waiting for them to rise, my husband eagerly alongside them.
So, here's to a palate pleased by many cultures... Bon Appétit and Dobrou Chut'