Monday, October 31, 2011

Friday, October 28, 2011

Frightful Fête



To finish the Halloween treats table for a party this evening, I tested a few new recipes. The devils food cupcakes were my favorite~dense chocolate cake with a tangy hint of sour cream and fluffy vanilla buttercream. Plus, the fleur de lis chocolates are available at almost every German grocery store. With so many lovely sweets, decorations {glitter pumpkins and skulls along with a DIY paper doily runner} were simple.






~Devil's food cupcakes with vanilla buttercream
~Ghost petits fours {made with David Lebovitz's almond cake}
~White chocolate pumpkins
~Black licorice
~Ghost marshmallow peeps

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Trick or Treat




There are no tricks with the sweets table I'm preparing for Halloween {unless you count the ladyfingers with almond nails}. Here's a sneak peak.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Bold Geometrics and Pretty Florals


Photo from Caitlin Wilson Textiles

I've been a fan of Caitlin Wilson's smart eye for interior design, and now she's created a beautiful of line of fabrics and pillows inspired by her international travels. My favorite is the coral tall chevron fabric. Now, which fabric to chose...

Monday, October 24, 2011

Spooky Silhouettes



Although I'm always up for projects, I like to keep Halloween decorations simple {I'm more excited about Christmas}. So, I made silhouettes cut from black paper and anatomical artwork. For the skulls, I combined grainy black and white anatomical images with text. The hanging bats were stenciled using a cookie cutter. And the caged crow and witch silhouettes were inspired by these cupcakes. Add a few black crows, black glitter pumpkins, and silver skulls, and Halloween is sleek without being kitschy.



Friday, October 21, 2011

Stuttgart


Calwer Strasse

Part urban metropolis, part Swabian culture center, Stuttgart is a beautiful city in southern Germany. It’s easy to take in all the sights near the historic core, catch a ballet at the State Theater, taste wine at the summer festival, or just wander down the pedestrian streets.

Markthalle


Domkirche St. Eberhard

Sights
Altes Schloss: Old Palace
Neues Schloss: New Palace
Staatstheater: State Theater
Staatsgalerie: State Gallery

Shops
Breuninger: department store, Marktstrasse 1-3
Klettpassage: underground shops, Arnulf-Klett-Platz
Markthalle: covered food market, Dorotheenstraße 4

Eats and Sweets
Confiserie Selbach: Amadei chocolate, candies, Dorotheenstrasse 2
Hafendorfer: cakes, pastries, Werastrasse 141
Feinkost Böhm: gourmet food store, Kronprinzstrasse 6
Schlemmermeyer: gourmet deli, Konigstrasse 4

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Gold Mine



It's only mid-October, but it's already in the 40s in Germany. I'll take some gold accents to warm up my wardrobe {and some scarves}. A grey sweater with gold leather elbow patches looks like an easy project to spice up a plain piece. Now to order some metallic leather.

~Dannijo: Sophie Necklace
~Zadig & Voltaire: Cici Cashmere Pull

Monday, October 17, 2011

Salted Nut Truffles



These truffles, filled with peanut butter and marshmallow creme are deliciously simple. With a coating of white chocolate and a dusting of chopped peanuts, they look elegant in mini paper cups.





Salted Nut Truffle Recipe
1/2 jar marshmallow creme
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanuts, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup

1 cup white chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. shortening
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

In a medium bowl, add marshmallow creme and peanut butter. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir in powdered sugar, peanuts, and corn syrup. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Shape mixture into 18 balls. In a small bowl, microwave white chocolate chips and shortening on 50% power in 30-second intervals until white chocolate chips are softened (about 2 minutes). Place truffle on a fork, and dip into white chocolate, letting excess drip off. Place on waxed paper, and sprinkle with remaining chopped peanuts. Let stand until chocolate hardens, about 30 minutes. Makes 18.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Schloss Linderhof



On the way back from Garmisch, we stopped at the Linderhof Palace. Modeled after Versailles, of course I was in love with the formal gardens, gold fountains, and expansive views. The other highlight was the Venus Grotto, constructed to mimic the blue grotto in Capri. Afterwards, the benches facing the ornate fountain were the perfect spot for a late afternoon picnic.

Blouse: vintage
Skinny jeans: J Brand
Ballet flats: Repetto
Handbag: Chloe



Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Brownie Coffins



These brownies are divine on their own, but I dressed them up for Halloween with some buttercream frosting. Along with the spiderweb almond cookies, they’ll be accompanying some other sweets on my Halloween dessert table. More next week.




Brownie Recipe

3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. cake flour
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (170 degrees C). Line a 9”x9” square baking pan with foil on the bottom and up the sides. In a small bowl, combine butter and chocolate. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and heat for 30-second intervals until chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in eggs. Let stand 2-3 minutes, then whisk again. Batter will be glossy and thick. Mix in sugar and salt. Then add flour and cocoa powder. Pour into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool before removing from pan. Remove foil. Cut with coffin cookie cutter. Decorate with buttercream or royal icing using a piping bag and small tip. Makes 8.

Monday, October 10, 2011

On Guard



When jewelry mixes the line between accessory and armor, it creates a stunning focal point. I'm all for adding a little bit of edge to a polished outfit. I spent the weekend in Strasbourg, a beautiful Alsatian town just inside the border of France {eating fondue and French sweets, of course}. While a lot of time was spent lèche-vitrines
{French for window shopping, but the literal translation is better...window licking}, I picked up a vintage collar necklace along with some leather-accented pieces for fall.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Spiderweb Almond Cookies



This Halloween, I'm putting together a table full of sweets. These spiderweb almond cookies are a mix of buttery shortbread and tender sugar cookie. And I love anything with almond flavor {I used the almond flour I picked up at G.Detou for French macarons}. Finish them with royal icing and a swirling spiderweb pattern, and they're the perfect ghoulish glam treat.






Almond Cookie Recipe
{adapted from Better Homes & Gardens}

3/4 cup almond flour
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate, melted

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat until fully combined. Add flours and salt in two additions. Mix on low until incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill in refrigerator for 1/2 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (170 degrees C). On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/4" thickness. Cut with cookie cutter. Place 1" apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 9 minutes until light brown on edges. Cool on cookie sheet.

For the royal icing, mix powdered sugar and water until thick, about the consistency of toothpaste. Using a small tip, pipe the cookie border in white. Then, thin the icing, and "flood" the interior of the cookie using a toothpick, one at a time. Before it dries, using a small tip, pipe a swirl pattern with the melted chocolate starting at the center of the cookie. Using a toothpick, drag the point from the center to each of the outside corners of the spiderweb. Makes 20.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Oktoberfest




Oktoberfest in Munich is always a spectacular event, with a sea of people wearing lederhosen and dirndls filled in tents, a traditional German band playing while hundreds of people sing, and of course, liters of beer. We arrived early and found a table in the Augustiner tent {packed with 6,000 people}. How could we not have good time.