We've Been Partying

Oh me oh my. It has been 3 months since our last posting... and though it is indeed unfair to you our loyal and loving readers, we've been spreading the dessert love all over New York City and even as far as California. You see, we've discovered that people love to eat yummies for special occasions and if you're the one to provide said yummies, the praise is overwhelming. What's better than doing what we love on behalf of those we love? Nothing, I tell you.


Last year I made a batch of The New York Times Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookies for my grandmother and brought the leftover bunch over to my boyfriend's parents house (recipe here). This resulted in not only an empty tupperware, but also a request to bake them for his brother's wedding. Given that there were 180 people invited and that it was in Santa Cruz, I was a bit hesitant. I emailed Deb of Smitten Kitchen with my little predicament and she immediately responded with some very solid advice. I could make the dough in New York, freeze it into logs, and then transport it via carry on in an appropriately sized cooler. That way all I had to do after landing is find an oven and a window of a couple hours. I must admit, I was nervous going through security, but they didn't even ask me to open the cooler. Turns out, 8 pounds of homemade cookie dough is an acceptable carry on for cross country flights.

I made these with the Jacques Torres 60% cocoa dics because I'm fortunate enough to work directly across the street from the Jacques Torres factory and spend many a lunch break perusing the chocolates and watching the machines and Jacques himself in the magnificent little world he has created after surely dreaming about it for years.... um, the dics, yes I love how they melt perfectly into these chocolate layers in between layers of cookie instead of tiny chocolate pockets that you get with chips. Also, sea salt is the icing on the cake. Literally. Sprinkle some on top of the each little dollop before they go into the oven. It brings the rest of the flavors to life.

Erin's also been busy being recruited to bake for surprise birthdays of boyfriends of various friends (Did you follow that?). I help where I can but she deserves most of the credit when people ask, "What bakery did you go to?"

The first cake was for a fellow named Mike. Erin made a vanilla birthday cake with buttercream frosting from the recipes of famous new york institution, Magnolia Bakery (recipe here or here...)

For those who like variety, she also made red velvet cupcakes (recipe here) with cream cheese buttercream frosting (recipe here).

Being the ever prepared baker, Erin had the platter, box and even the candles all ready to go as part of her one woman cake delivery service (I held the doors). Everyone was really impressed and the entire cake was gone so fast that she even was even able to take the platter back home with her.

This led to a second commission just this past weekend for a lad named Jim that she works with. Pulling together all her supplies, carrying all her cupcakes from brooklyn via subway to the upper east side, and sweet talking her way into the bar using her wares as her ID, she finally was able to deliver the chic black and white cupcakes to the waiting crowd as promised.

In the end, though we didn't stay for very long, we heard via multiple texts that Operation Cupcake Jim was a wild success.

Did we mention we bake for parties and weddings? We'll be back within 3 months, I promise :)