Refined Sugar.
I'm busy preparing for a takeover sleepover this weekend so I'll have to keep this brief.
As if three preteen girls need any help in the hyperactive department, I decided I would be a swell idea to feed them at least three different kinds of sugar with this Maple Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread.
Granulated sugar, brown sugar and maple syrup. They'll never sleep. Ever.
Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a vacuum cleaner with my name on it.
Another Year Of Pink, Pretty, Play.
Today is a very special day! Today Hot Polka Dot turns two and yours truly turns twenty-six. To mark the occasion I have precisely twenty-six grey hairs sprouting from my right temple. I also had two pieces of this impressive specimen of pink sweetness.
I thought long and hard about what sort of cake to make to celebrate Hot Polka Dot's second birthday. I wanted it to be a symbol. I wanted it to be the embodiment of everything Hot Polka Dot stands for.
It's cute and pink, but also classy and understated. It's fashionable, sporting a trendy ombre outfit and bunting accessories. It's speckled with vanilla bean, sweetened with strawberry and enrobed in luscious white chocolate. She's a little messy, a little out there, but she's able to pull it together for the big day, not unlike myself.
I feel like this day is made extra special by you. You might be new to my blog, but many of you have stuck by me from the beginning and I'm very thankful for that. You've seen how my little corner of the internet and I have grown up and matured into something I'm not ashamed to say I'm very proud of. I've experienced so much and learned so much more. It really is a joy to share it with all of you. Thank you for your patience, your kindness and your friendship.
Here's to another year of pink, pretty and, most importantly, playing with your food!
These Aren’t The Droids You’re Looking For.
Mind over matter. Power of suggestion. The force.
Whatever you want to call it, that's what I've been wrestling with for the past week. Everyone around me is aching and couching and sneezing. The odds are kind of stacked against me here. I'd have to be some sort of guru of meditation with a fistful of mental placebos to resist all that.
I'm not. I'm not made of midi-chlorians. I'm made of squishy flesh and achy bones.
However. If I were a Jedi I wouldn't bother with curbing the common cold or not looking silly when I sneeze. I'd have way more fun. I would wave my hand casually yet deliberately and tell you how much you need this Maple Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Bread. Struck by a sudden delicious idea, you would calmly rise from your seat, gather the ingredients and make yourself one awesome snack. You'd slice off piece by piece savouring the full flavour of pumpkin, the punch of spices and the sweet, buttery crunch of the streusel topping until it was all gone. At which point you would feel the need to bake yourself another and another and another... Do or do not. There is no try.
Hey... Maybe I am a Jedi!
Bloomin’ Cake.
Today you can find me over on The White Library. I made a super pretty super tasty Chocolate Covered Almond Cake for Sandra and her beautiful blog.
It seemed only fair after she revealed her secrets to designing the perfect dessert table. If you didn't visit The White Library yesterday then make sure to stop by and see the details of this bloomin' cake.
A World of Cake.
I was fortunate enough to recently receive the lovely cookbook, A World of Cake by Krystina Castella. It's quickly becoming one of my favourite cookbooks with its big beautiful photos and scores of recipes for, you guessed it, cake.
A World of Cake reads like a cherished family recipe book with a detailed story behind every recipe and how each has been adapted and passed down for generations. It reminds us that we're all apart of a global family with traditions and cuisine that have been influenced by cultures all over the world. While flipping through it's glossy pages you quickly realize how similar and unique we all are.
You get a glimpse inside the kitchens of Japan, Brazil, Germany, Kenya and nearly every other country you can think of. After a long browse I decided to make this Ugandan Peanut Cake with it's intriguing combination of peanut, honey and cinnamon as an example of the multitude of incredible recipes you can discover in this book.
You want a copy? Sure you do!
Chocolate. Cherries. Whipped Cream.
I find myself pondering the things in life that I simply could not do without.
Everyday ordinary things that somehow have become integral to my very existence.
Like my iPhone. If I couldn't check my Twitter every hour you might find me shaking in a corner somewhere in a cold sweat. Or if I just couldn't play Tap Tap Revenge I'd probably start obsessively drumming three fingers on every and any surface I could get my rhythm deprived hands on.
My camera. Being a self-professed shutter bug I snap photos of lots of pretty things edible or otherwise. If it broke or got stolen one day I'd probably cry. Like ugly-face-desperate-air-gasping-cry.
My laptop. I've filled this baby to the brim with photos, music and videos. When people aren't looking I stroke it and whisper sweet nothings into its air vents. One of these days we're going to have a disagreement regarding the location of some very important files and I want to put that off for as long as possible.
My hair straightener. Without it my hair get's poofy and I will not walk through life with poofy hair. I just won't. I refuse.
Burt's Bees pomegranate rosemary lip balm. I can't stand lipstick and it makes kissing my fella far too complicated. This lip balm makes my lips just slightly redder and smooth plus it's pretty much all natural which is nice.
My fella, of course! You saw that coming right? Who else would laugh at my bad puns, warm up my feet when they're cold or eat the bits of leftover cake I levelled off the top?
Chocolate.
Cherries.
Whipped cream.
Lucky for me this cake has all three of those last things. Now if it was just filled with iTunes cards I'd be laughing.
Oh Happy Day!
Today is a two fold celebration. Hot Polka Dot turns one and yours truly turns twenty five!
A year ago today I decided it was time to explore this new passion of mine. I opened my recipe box as well as my heart and was met by a flood of wonderful people. A few of you have been around since the humble beginnings of my little pink food blog. You watched me struggle with custard, yell at bread and divulge some tried and true family recipes. Most of you are relatively new to my corner of the internet. Old friends and new friends, I appreciate you all more than I can express. I am so thankful for your lovely comments, sweet emails, and helpful suggestions. Starting this blog was one of the best decisions I have ever made and I am so excited to begin year two!
I thought long and hard about what type of cake to make for this happy occasion. Something that was indicative of my personality and also at home on Hot Polka Dot. As you well know I am in love with lemon. That much is obvious. You may not know that white chocolate is my favourite type of chocolate even though it doesn't have cocoa and isn't technically chocolate. Even stranger still is that I actually kind of hate buttercream and instead prefer cream cheese icing. So here we have it. Lemon White Chocolate Whisper Cake. A delightfully light white butter cake with a hint of white chocolate, filled with lemon curd and topped off with sinfully smooth vanilla cream cheese icing. And of course I couldn't forget the polka dots! That would be silly.
I decided not to be selfish and extend the celebration to all of you! You may not get a slice of this cake, but you do get a chance to win this lovely polka dot apron. It's got ruffles. It's got a pocket. It's got a bow. It's even got adjustable straps. What more could you ask for? A Hot Polka Dot Mom original made just for you! Many of you were admiring the pink and black one I was wearing in my video and now you can have one of your own! Just think, you could make this adorable polka dot cake while sporting your pretty polka dot apron!
Aaaand...
As if that wasn't enough, I'll also throw in a $25 Bake It Pretty gift certificate. You could buy lots of cool goodies like Black Polka Dot Paper Straws, Orange Creamsicle Baker's Twine and a Cakewich Silicone Baking Mold. And these Dashing Dot Baking Cups even match the apron! The cuteness is almost too much handle!
When Life Gives You Lemons.
In a family you operate like satellites that orbit around the home. When one moves the others shift to compensate. So when Lee starts working a late shift and doesn't get home until 2am some nights we all have to make some adjustments.
I miss him in the evenings and I stay up late to welcome him home. It doesn't feel right to go to bed alone. It's dark and cold without my personal heater. Go to bed late, wake up late. Being that it's winter I run out of daylight so I haven't been able to find the time to bake much.
You have to make the best of a bad situation. Cake helps. Sandwiches too. And texting. Lots and lots of texting. Strangely I've been finding myself watching a lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but that's neither here nor there. I'm not responsible for the bad late night reruns I watch while in a semi-comatose state.
So when life gives you lemons make Cranberry Pomegranate Lemon Yogurt Cake.
That's how that goes right?
We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Program.
First let me just say thank you to everyone who voted and encouraged me so far. I couldn't be here without you! I'm nervous, excited and, above all, grateful. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!
“Channel your inner Julia Child and put one of your favorite recipes on film. Pick a recipe from your blog archives and make it come to life on video by showing readers the perfect way to poach an egg or just how passionate you are about seasonal ingredients. Keep your video under 5 minutes for maximum impact.”
I did my hair up all pretty. I made sure my eyelashes were expertly curled. I sported my cute new pink polka dot apron. I spent two days scrubbing every inch of my kitchen. I practiced my smile in the mirror.
Sure I might say “so” a few too many times. I might prattle on about my love of demerara sugar. I might have neglected to peel the sticker off the back of my cake pan even after using it twenty some odd times. I might not have a fancy kitchen island and used my deep freezer covered in a tablecloth instead. I might be wearing glass pearls instead of the real thing.
As Julia Child would say, no excuses, no apologies. This is me. Unadulterated Lindsey.
Oh and there's cake. We can't forget the cake!
Paint With Chocolate; Sculpt With Orange.
I made it! Challenge four! Thank you so much to my loyal readers and new friends who took the time to vote for me. I appreciate all your support and words of encouragement.
“Sure, you can take a pretty picture. But your task here is to go above and beyond and use photography to create a step-by-step, instructional photo tutorial. It could be anything from how to bone a chicken to how to make your favorite recipe, but your photos need to guide the reader through the steps. For this challenge, you'll want to go well beyond the 2 photo minimum with at least 6 photographs.”
More often than not food blogs are salt and peppered by impossible yet beautiful photographs. Fantastically layered slices of cake. Intricately detailed lattice pie crust. Perfectly frosted cupcakes. Food bloggers present their subjects in such a way that they transcend food and transform into art.
Edible art.
Like any art form it can be broken down into steps and taught. As an artist I've always believed that art is both a talent and a skill. Those that aren't born with the ability can learn it.
Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali and Leonardo da Vinci. Helene Dujardin (Tartelette), Heather Baird (Sprinkle Bakes), and Hannah Queen (Honey & Jam). All artists with different styles and subjects.
For those of you who bitterly complain that you can't draw a straight line or sculpt mashed potatoes I give you this tutorial. Follow these step-by-step photos to create your own masterpiece.
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