"Rickey Rat", Wedding Cupcakes and Key Lime Tartlets

After a long week of making cookies and being busier than a bumble bee, I am able to sit down to update everyone.  Last weekend we made a wedding cupcake tower for the beautiful Candy and wonderful Randy. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera. Leaving me unable to photo graph it. Sigh. Well I did photo graph the cupcakes themselves.



They were a light vanilla cake with a sweet raspberry jam and topped with French vanilla buttercream. Delicious!

We also have the Orange Ginger Cupcakes! Each time you enjoy one of these cupcakes a dollar will be donated to Making the Difference Outreach

These are Jeff's Key Lime Tartlets. These are the best Key Lime Tartlets ever. Perfectly tart to make you face pucker while sweet and tangy. The crust is a crisp pecan macadamia crust and fresh, hand whipped cream  MmmmMM! I'm getting hungry just typing about it! 

We also made "Rickey Rat" cookies to be shipped off somewhere in the USA. I believe they were for a corporate company that was sending some employees to Disney World! How awesome of a surprise would that be! *mildly jealous*

Sorry for the low quality picture. I got so excited about my work that I forgot to photograph it more.


As for tomorrow, I am looking forward to starting the new week and making all sorts of different treats. How does a Dark Chocolate Caramel Potato Chip Cupcake sound? Maybe a Blueberry and Craisin Cinnamon Bread? Or perhaps Irish Soda Bread?

I'll decide tomorrow.
And now I am off to bed. Early to bed, early to rise.

Gluten Free Baking

Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream

Gluten Free Desserts. They have baffled many pastry chefs, both beginners and life long bakers. I have been practicing baking since I was a small girl, just tall enough to reach the oven. Now that I have my own bakery I have realized that there is a real demand for Gluten Free desserts. Many bakers won't touch this idea with a 29 1/2 foot pole! However, I decided to jump in head first.


After many destroyed recipes made with "gluten free flour" mixes I realized something,  the mixes taste like cardboard and won't ever have the same effect that wheat flour will have.  So what is my solution? 
Don't use gluten free flour mixes.
Simple solution, right? :)

I have a go-to list of ingredients that are gluten free solutions.

Applesauce
Almond Flour
Almond Meal
Bananas
Egg whites
Eggs
Peanut Butter
Oatmeal
Oatmeal Flour
Corn Meal
Corn Flour
Rice Flour
Chocolate
Confectioners Sugar
Walnut flour
Walnut Meal
Hazelnut Flour
Rice Crispies
Nutella
Dutch Cocoa Powder
Coconut flour

I have used all of these ingredients in varying amounts to create some of my best gluten-free items ever.
So next time you're "googling" for a gluten free dessert, try searching for one of those ingredients.

Flourless Chocolate Cupcake with Vanilla Buttercream and Cherries on top!