Family & Festivities

Ham and Swiss Puff Pastry Bites

A few weeks ago, I traveled home to North Carolina to visit my family and help my Mom host a Bridal Shower Brunch for my cousin – and you all know how much I LOVE Brunch. Her favorite color is purple so everything was decorated with that in mind.

All the local mothers helped by bringing food. We had a great spread including a French Toast Casserole, Mini Frittatas, Deviled Eggs, Hash Brown Casserole, Tomato-Pesto Tarts, a build-your-own Yogurt Parfait and a Mimosa Bar.

I helped Mom with all the decorations as well as the Puff Pastry Bites and French Macarons. We also had a dessert table with Cupcakes, Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, Mints and Peach Cake.

I think she enjoyed herself and had a great Bridal Shower. Congratulations and I cannot wait for the wedding in October!



Ham and Swiss Puff Pastry Bites
inspired by Pinterest

Ham and Swiss Puff Pastry Bites Ingredients:
 – 1 package Puff Pastry Sheets, thawed overnight in refigerator
 – 1 pound shaved deli Ham
 – 1/4 pound sliced deli Swiss Cheese, cut in half
 – 1-2 eggs beaten with 1-2 tablespoons water for Egg Wash

Ham and Swiss Puff Pastry Bites Directions:
 – Heat oven to 425F and lightly spray some baking sheets.
 – Lightly flour a surface to roll out one Puff Pastry Sheet at a time. You don’t want to stretch or make them too thin, just maybe an extra 1/2 to 1 inch on each side, and to flatten the fold. Cut into 9 equal squares.
 – Set squares on a diagonal in front of you and place a 1/2 slice of Swiss Cheese, followed by some shaved Ham.
 – Using the Egg Wash, fold one side over, brush the corner and fold the other side on top – to create a sealed puff pastry bite. Brush the entire piece of Puff Pastry with the Egg Wash, including the tops, sides, and little corners still visible under the Ham and Swiss.
 – Repeat process with second Puff Pastry Sheet, remembering to work fast, so the fat does not melt out of the sheets before baking – that’s what makes it flaky and delicious!
 – Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Baby Love & Confections’ Gender Reveal Party

 So this has been a long time coming… Mr. Love & Confections and I decided to host a Gender Reveal party for our Family and closest Friends. We scheduled an ultrasound and hoped that Baby L&C would cooperate so we could find out the gender.

I even baked cookies to help bribe the u/s techs into helping us find out – we had people driving in from out of town for the party. Luckily for us, Baby L&C cooperated for the gender part or the u/s, but I had to go back two weeks later to get some more pictures because of the way Baby was laying.

We were so excited to share the news with everyone and worried how to keep it a secret for 36 hours! My parents live out of state, so we had a surprise gender reveal cake for them that night (thanks Aunt B for helping) and they had to keep the secret for 24 hours before we told anyone else.

We decided to use a cake to reveal the gender – the filling would be either blue or pink. As soon as everyone arrived to the party, they asked us to cut the cake immediately. We waited a bit, had some snacks, then big reveal was upon us…

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Love & Confections has a “Bun in the Oven”

So things have been pretty quiet around the blog, and there is a reason for that – Mr. LoveandConfections and I are expecting our first baby!

We are over-the-moon excited that our little family of two is expanding. Baby is set to arrive December 11th and I will definitely keep you posted on our progress. This is also the first Grand-baby for both sides, so the whole family is SO excited.

My first trimester was rough. I was pretty sick, lost weight from not eating and couldn’t even think about cooking or baking – all while working full-time and prepping for and hosting my Mother’s Day Food Blogger BrunchWeek. Now things are starting to get back to normal – aside from a bad cold and double ear infection last week.

I’m currently at 17 weeks! I have an appetite now – thank goodness! – and I have been cooking and baking a little more regularly now – it’s a miracle!

So I will hopefully get back to a regular blogging schedule now. We are very excited to find out the gender in a little over 2 weeks!!!

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Balloons for an Angel

Sorry this post took a little long to write – somehow these things always seem harder to put into words.

While everyone was prepping for Easter, I prepped for a different kind of party…

I don’t remember how old I was when I finally realized I had an older sister, but she had died before I was born. My family and I visited her grave often and we all saw her little baby picture every day. I knew that she was my sister, but I was too young to actually understand what it all meant. The day it became a reality, I was sitting in the kitchen and I started to cry uncontrollably. I couldn’t believe I had a sister, and that I would never get to meet her, or play with her, or grow up with her.

That was when Mom decided that we celebrate her, instead of cry about it, and that’s what we did. Every year on her birthday, we would send pink balloons to Heaven – one balloon for each year, however old she would have been.

I would get so excited for her birthday. KB and I would help Mom pick out balloons – sometimes all pink, different shades of pink, or a pink and purple combination. It was the only thing we could do to make it special, so it had to be perfect. Most of the time, we went to the cemetery to let them go.

On one of her teenage birthdays, Mom decided that we should let them go at home, because of the inclement weather. The sky was dark gray and looked like a bad storm was coming. Since we had a lot of balloons, the party store employee separated them into two groups and tied the strings together. The wind was furious, and we struggled with the balloons.

In our driveway, Mom and KB let go of one set of balloons. They floated away, tied together, on their journey to Heaven. My turn came and the wind picked up. My set of balloons sailed right into our neighbor’s tree, tied together, and stuck on one of the top branches. Up to that point, I had never felt so much panic in my life. She NEEDED her balloons on her birthday.

Mom got out an 8 foot ladder, but couldn’t reach. She got a 12 foot ladder, but couldn’t reach. She got the pool net, standing on top of the 12 foot ladder and still couldn’t reach. As a last-ditch effort, she duct-taped a broom to the pool net, on the ladder, swaying in wind… all while I was crying my eyes out. It finally worked! She managed to free the balloons – a few had popped from the branches – but they were free!

We can laugh about it now, at how ridiculous and dangerous everything was. My Mom is my hero – for this and many other things. She made sure my Sister got her birthday balloons. To this day, we always make sure we are in an open area and don’t have them tied together.

Little E & Thelma helped with the balloons. So thankful to have such great friends.

Last Saturday, March 30th, her 30th Birthday, my Family and I released 30 pink balloons (and 1 gold one, since it would have been her golden birthday) for my Sister. 15 from Raleigh, NC, where my Parents and KB live, and 15 from me in Orlando, FL. Even though we never met, she is a huge part of my life. She has always been remembered and missed at every holiday and major life event, but we know she is always there with us in Spirit.

There is barely a day that goes by that I don’t think about my Sister, my Angel. Happy Birthday Elyse!

Until next time,

LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Brunch Mania

I have always been a fan of breakfast. Waking up on the weekends to Mom’s Pancakes or Dad’s French Toast was always a treat I savored.  Even though KB and I are grown, sometimes Mom still makes us Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes! I often still ask for mine with chocolate chips.

Toasting with Mimosas before wedding dress shopping with MC & her Family

After I posted a recent pic of some mimosas I made, one of my best friends, MC said that she “created a monster”. It’s true, I have brunched a lot with her, as we have been spending a lot more time together recently. She got engaged late last year and asked me to be a Bridesmaid! So exciting!
Brunch with MC at Big City Tavern in Ft. Lauderdale. Stuffed French Toast & Crab Cake Eggs Benedict

Over the past two months, I have either traveled to see her or she has come here for a visit – and we have had brunch every time. I love the idea of Brunch! A combination of breakfast and lunch, paired with coffee and mimosas, always hits the spot. I am fortunate to have weekends off with my current job – which is a rarity in the baking and pastry field. I can sleep in and enjoy a late meal.

Chicken & Waffles at Dexter’s in Thornton Park, Orlando 
Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Almond Cupcakes for a Wedding

Last weekend, two very important events happened. The first is that one of my best friends, MC got engaged! We have a very long friendship – 23 years! The second important event was a friend’s wedding and the Bride and Groom asked me to be their Pastry Chef and make the wedding cake! Such an important job for a special day. I was so excited and couldn’t wait to help Charlotte & Sean celebrate their special day.

Charlotte was specific with what she wanted… cupcakes! She wanted a mixture of 150 white almond cupcakes and some sort of chocolate cupcake. We had a tasting and they chose a White Almond Cupcake with Vanilla Bean Buttercream and a Mocha Cupcake with an Espresso Frosting.

I had come up with a few ideas for a design and she said she trusted me with whatever I chose. We decided that bright Moroccan colors would be great, so I made about 100 fondant disks in all different colors. The disks dried for two days, so they would be sturdy enough to sit on top of the cupcakes.

After some time at the local craft store, I began making my own stencil with a stencil burning kit. I used Edible Gold Spray with the stencil and loved the way it turned out. I will definitely be making more of my own stencils for future projects!

The top tier was Almond Cake with Vanilla Bean Buttercream, covered in teal fondant and piped with royal icing. I painted gold luster dust, with a few drops of Vodka, onto the royal icing. Charlotte found a simple and perfect cake topper – a gold lamp. The day was beautiful and everyone enjoyed the cupcakes. Most people had one of each flavor!

Almond Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream
Love & Confection original cupcake recipe
Buttercream Recipe adapted from Chef Steven Rujak at Sweet and Savory Seasons

Almond Cupcake Ingredients:
 – 175 grams Cake Flour (1 & 1/2 cups)
 – 1 & 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
 – 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
 – 1/2 teaspoon Salt
 – 113 grams Unsalted Butter, softened (1 stick)
 – 225 grams granulated Sugar (a little more than 1 cup)
 – 2 Eggs
 – 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
 – 1 tablespoon Almond Extract
 – 60 grams Sour Cream (about 1/4 cup)
 – 175 grams Milk (about 3/4 cup)

Almond Cupcake Directions:
 – Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure your ingredients are room temperature.
 – Sift the Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt into a mixing bowl, or your stand mixer bowl.
 – Add the Butter and mix with the paddle attachment until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure everything is mixed properly
 – Add in the Sugar, and mix until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom.
 – Add in the Eggs and mix until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom.
 – Add in the Vanilla Extract, Almond Extract  and Sour Cream. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.
 – Add in the Milk and mix to incorporate and create a smooth batter.
 – Portion into cupcake tins lined with cupcake wrappers. I use a 2 ounce ice cream scoop, to ensure that my cupcakes are even and uniform. Batter makes about 18 cupcakes
 – Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until light golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of a cupcake.

Vanilla Bean Buttercream Ingredients:
 – 100 grams Egg Whites (about 3 egg whites)
 – 200 grams granulated Sugar
 – 226 grams Unsalted Butter (2 sticks)
 – 226 grams Powdered Sugar
 – 1-2 teaspoons Vanilla Bean Powder

Vanilla Bean Buttercream Directions:
 – Buttercream can be made a day in advance and kept in the refrigerator. I also keep mine in an airtight container on the counter if it will be used the next day. Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature before starting.
 – Create a double boiler on the stove by warming a small pot of water on medium until little bubbles form.  Make sure the bottom of your stand mixing bowl cannot touch the water.
 – Place Eggs and granulated Sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and put on top of the pot. Turn the temperature down to medium-low and whisk continuously until the sugar completely dissolves and the eggs are warm.
 – Once warm, immediately place the bowl on your stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, and whip on high until white, glossy and doubled in size. (I place aluminum foil around my mixer to keep the heat in.
warm eggs whip better. Remove the foil once the eggs are ready.)
 – Continue whipping the eggs on medium-high until they are room temperature
 – Add the Butter into the whipped egg whites and whip until incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl
 – While on low speed, gradually add in the Powdered Sugar. (not all at once, or both you and your kitchen will be covered in white!)
 – Add in Vanilla Bean Powder

Assembly:
 – Once the cupcakes are cool, frost using a piping bag and large star tip

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

For Grace – September 16, 2011

I have been dreading this post for a while. I was even thinking of not doing anything, but she would tell me, “T.T. Go get it done.” I apologize in advance if this post is “all over the place,” that’s the way my head is right now.


Every year, I hope September 16th will pass me by, that the calendar will forget that day, that I won’t remember. But every year it comes, and I wish I could say it has gotten easier, but for me, it hasn’t. My heart still hurts.

I was seventeen when my grandmother, Grace, passed away.

She was in and out of the hospital for various reasons. The hospital was about 10 minutes from our house, so we were there often. I remember doing homework in the waiting rooms, having snacks or sometimes dinner from the cafeteria, and I remember her wearing the cutest socks with angels embroidered on them, because her feet were always cold. Every time I look at those socks I think of her. She never got her driver’s license and was so proud of me when I got mine. I wish I could have had the chance to drive her around in my first car.

I even took my Junior Prom pictures in the hospital lobby – just so she could see me all dressed up before I went to the dance. She was all smiles and so happy that night, even though she was hooked up to so many machines. She told me I looked beautiful and whispered, “Thank you,” to my best friend who was my date. I will never forget that moment.

A single tear rolled down her cheek right before she went to Heaven.

I couldn’t stand the silence. It wasn’t really silent, because everyone was crying, but there was a deafening silence I had to get away from. I now know it was stupid, but I had to leave the hospital, so I drove to our church. I was numb and needed to go somewhere, anywhere, besides staying at the hospital. My youth group was preparing for their weekly meeting when I showed up. Everyone knew instantly, my best friend hugged me, and then it finally hit me. She was gone. I stayed with them for a few hours while my family took care of things at the hospital, and finally figured where I had run off to. My dad picked me up and we went home – I was in no condition to drive.

This is what I saw when I got home. I don’t know who took it – it might have been my mom – but this is a picture of the sunset on the day my grandmother died. We stood in the driveway just staring at it. It was heartbreaking and beautiful all at the same time.

I can’t tell you the number of tissues I have gone through while attempting to put everything I’m feeling into words. I know she is in a better place, but I wish she was still here, because I’m selfish. I have been selfish every day for the past ten years because I wanted her here. I wanted her here for my high school and college graduations. I wanted her here when I chose to become a pastry chef – I think she would have been proud of my decision. I wanted her here when I got married. She never got to meet my husband – coincidentally, his birthday is the same day as hers – and I think she would have really liked him. There are so many things she has missed, but I know she is still here in spirit and in our hearts.

I don’t know if the hurt will ever go away. It isn’t always this bad. More-so around her birthday, holidays and every September 16th. Supposedly time heals all wounds. Will it heal a hurting heart?

While helping my mom make some funeral arrangements, I came upon this poem. It has helped, a little, to comfort me throughout the years.

He Only Takes the Best
God saw she was getting tired
and a cure was not to be
So he put His arms around her
and whispered, “Come with Me”
With teared filled eyes we watched her
suffer and fade away
Although we love her deeply
we could not make her stay.
A Golden heart stopped beating
Hard working hands put to rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best.
~author unknown
She was my hero. She was my inspiration to become a chef. I wanted to cook and bake like her. She shared her love through food. Over the next few blog posts, I will be doing recipes either from, or inspired by, my grandmother. She knows we love her and miss her so much, and one day we’ll see each other again.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!