Blog-Inspired Baking. . .

Well, it's not all fun and cards around here. Sometimes I like to mix it up and do other crafty/creative things, like baking. Here are a couple of recipes I picked up around Blogland.

I've been following Posie Gets Cozy for a couple of years now, and her photography always amazes me. From simple pictures of food to life in Portland, Oregon, she's a great source of ideas and inspiration.

I was particularly motivated by the pictures in this post to try out the Cherry Clafoutis. The recipe is listed in the post, and I used about 2 cups of cherries for mine. It was really easy to make and turned out pretty much how I expected it would, except that the crust looks bread-like more than custard. Nonetheless, cutting it open revealed a gooey texture that fit Alicia's description. Here's a terrible picture of my Cherry Clafoutis to prove it:















My other project was a bit more artistic than actual baking. Have you seen Bakerella's blog? My, that lady can decorate cupcakes like I've never seen! I have a laundry list of things I want to try off her blog, but I figured I'd better begin with the basics and tried out her Cupcake Pops. She was actually featured on the Martha Stewart show to demonstrate how she made them, can you believe it? Amazing.

Well, these were a little more time-consuming than I had anticipated. I suppose it didn't help that I started them at 8pm on a Sunday night, but between the baking of the cake, the cooling of the cake, the chilling of the "dough," the forming of cupcakes and the dipping in chocolate, it took four solid hours, plus overnight for hardening.

I'll be honest, I tried to use supplies that I already had at home (including sorting out Christmas sprinkles to get colors I like!), so they're not perfect. But, they're a start.


















After making them, I have a newfound appreciation for Bakerella's talents. As you can see, my pops (which were stickless) came out lumpy and imperfect. I think I'll have to go through a few more rounds before baking them up for friends and co-workers. A super-cute idea though.

Well, we can't live on French desserts and cupcakes, so I guess I'd better get out of the kitchen and let my husband get to cooking some real food. I hope to be back tomorrow with a new card to share. Have a great day!