Search results (tags) for: "desserts"

VintageConfections is Sweeter Than Candy & Wins the Vote!

2009-11-02T10:30:00-05:00

Did you overindulge this weekend? Or are you still dipping into your kids' Halloween stash?

Get ready for some more, my sugar-fiend friends! We have a candy-coated winner from last week's poll: VintageConfections with her Jupita Caramel Espresso Truffles. Thank you to everyone who voted in this sweets-themed round. Make sure to check out the winner, along with some of the top picks shown below, in the Members' Choice Gift Guide.

Get Involved in the Next Round

For next week's round, we'll be taking your suggestions for the best holiday cards on Etsy. So dive into the Paper Goods Category and paste a link to your favorite in the comments below. (If you're a seller nominating one of your own items, please just nominate one — even if you have more than one shop!)

Voting Posts | Voter FAQ

Vote! Which Candy-Themed Item Gives You a Sugar High?

2009-10-27T10:11:00-05:00

We asked our readers to nominate their favorite candy-themed items, and now, my sweet-toothed friends, it's up to you to pick a winner!

Remember when you and your siblings would come home after trick-or-treating? I want to know what candy you'd swap and what you'd swap for. Post in the comments below! Nom nom nom!

On Monday we'll announce the winner of this vote, which, along with some of the top picks, will be featured in the Members' Choice Gift Guide and here on the Etsy blog. Show your favorite sellers some love and get out the vote!

Voting Posts | Voter FAQ

The Collectors: Boopsie Daisy's Pez Dispensers with Rikrak

2009-10-22T10:00:00-05:00

I just love seeing what folks are collecting. I guess I feel it tells us just a little bit about what inspires them, what they love, and what they choose to surround themselves with in their homes. Today I'm delighted to present the next installment in an ongoing series here on The Storque: The Collectors. First presented on my own little blog, the rikrak studio, it's 11 and a half quick questions with a wonderful artist on what they're collecting (apart from their art supplies!).

Oh October! How I love you! And I just adore this month’s featured collection, too! Like Halloween, BoopsieDaisy’s Pez dispensers showcase an appreciation of nostalgia, a love of whimsy, a panache for color, and a celebration of…candy! Delightful! So join me as we skip hand-in-hand down Gumdrop Lane and revel in the sugar-covered sweet sweet joy of collecting!

Who (are you?): Missy Munday of Boopsiedaisy

What (are you collecting?): Pez Dispensers

When (did you start?): Seven years ago

How (many do you have?): 209 at last count

Where (do you find them) and (do you keep them?): Yard sales, thrift stores, flea markets & souvenir shops. I keep them in our dining room.

What (piece would you like to add?): The two that top my wish list are Snow White and Frankenstein, the original 60's versions.

Why (do you love them?): Besides that they double as delicious, colorful wall candy, they're instantly recognizable as collectible, totally timeless, and seem to beckon back to a time that was simpler.
Plus they spoonfeed you candy.

Which (one is your favorite?): It's sort of a three-way toss-up between Gargamel (for looks), the vintage clown (my rarest) and the vintage witch (which has sentimental value).

What (else do you collect): Too much to list, really, but primarily different editions of Snow White and Alice in Wonderland books, dolls, Wizard of Oz merch, Muppets stuff, vintage valentines and squeak toys, and anything relating to Drew Barrymore.

Like her delicious and fun-filled collection, Missy’s brilliant shop is genuine eye candy for the soul. Just a moment savoring her sweet and sugar-coated, tantalizing and gasp-worthy, rainbow-sprinkled handmade world, promises to banish the grayest day and delight your senses!

Her enchanting and whimsical creations have captured the wide-eyed imagination of many, and it’s with holding-my-breath delight that I tune in on a daily basis to see what fantastical new fairy tales she’s crafted in her vivid life and work. What a joy!

Thanks so much, lovely BoopsieDaisy! Wishing you all the sweetest of days!

What do you collect? I’d love to hear! Please post in the comments below!

The Collectors Series | Vintage Pez | More Collections Posts on Rikrak's Blog

How-Tuesdays: Bleeding Vampire Cupcakes

2009-10-09T10:30:00-05:00

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We're bringing this goodie back to the top. Last year's vampire cupcakes are totally not stale — still full of sweet blood. Mwahahahah!

[Originally published October 21, 2008.]

Welcome to Etsy How-Tuesday. This week, in preparation for Halloween, we bring you Alicia and Tracy of Sweet Tooth of the Tiger who show us how to make Bleeding Vampire Cupcakes!

Here are the steps for making Bleeding Vampire Cupcakes!

Bake a batch of vanilla cupcakes. We use the no-fail recipe for vanilla cupcakes by Julie Hasson from her book "125 Best Cupcake Recipes," but you can use your own favorite vanilla cupcake recipe or a box mix works fine also.
After cupcakes are cooled, use a pointed sharp knife to carefully cut a cone out of the center of the cupcake. Be sure to tilt your knife outwards so you create a cone shape.
Take the cone out and set it aside.
Open a jar or can of cherry pie filling and puree it in a blender or food processor.
Spoon pureed cherry pie filling into the center of the cone'd cupcakes.
Take the previously cut out cones and carefully cut the top off of them, setting the pointy part aside. Use the flat top part of the cone as a cap for the pie filling hole.
The bleeding cupcakes are now ready to be frosted! Use a white frosting, preferably a seven minute frosting (recipe below), which is made by combining egg whites and sugar over a double boiler. Or you can use a buttercream or a can of prepared white frosting.
Once cupcakes are frosted, dip a toothpick in the cherry pie filling (get a generous amount on the toothpick), and stab the cupcake near the edge. Dip the toothpick in the pie filling again and dribble some filling from out of the hole to make it look like a bleeding vampire bite. Do this twice.
Viola! Bleeding vampire cupcakes. When your guests bite into these yummy cherry-vanilla sweets, they will look like they're bleeding!

SPOOKY!

Easy Seven Minute Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation:
In large metal bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup water, sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt. Set bowl over pan of barely simmering water
and mix with handheld electric mixer at low speed. Gradually increase speed to high, beating until mixture holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.

Transfer bowl from pan to folded kitchen towel on counter and continue beating until mixture is cool and billowy, about 2 minutes more. Beat
in vanilla. (Frosting can be made 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered.)

(P.S. For you Twilight folks, we know your fangs will be biting into these cupcakes. Check out this post!)

Watch more how-to videos on Etsy!

How-Tuesday: Rustic Wedding Cake Stand from OnceWed

2009-07-07T13:45:00-05:00

Once Wed is the kind of wedding blog that consistently makes me drool. Their featured one-of-a-kind receptions rely heavily on vintage and handmade, from the capelets to the guest books. For this week's How-Tuesday, Once Wed's contributor lalalaurie shares an easy-to-follow cake stand project that would instantly transform a tablescape from generic to woodland-magical.

What You’ll Need:

A Cross-Cut Wood Plaque (round or oval)
A Cross-Section of a Tree Limb (Make sure the top and bottom are parallel)
Titebond Ultimate Wood Glue (or a similar extra strong wood glue)
A Large Wood Clamp

Instructions:
Cross-cut wood plaques can be found in your local craft store or online at Hofcraft. They come in a variety of sizes ranging from 5 inches to 12 inches in diameter. They are usually found in the section with the wood-burning kits and other wood crafts. They are clean, sanded and ready to use.

1. Take your tree limb section and wipe the cut surface clean. Put a generous amount of extra strong wood glue on the surface.

2. Place the limb section in the center of the wood plaque's back side and press down firmly. Wipe away any excess glue with a clean, damp cloth.

3. Place the two joined pieces in a wood clamp and let dry for at least one hour. If you don’t have a wood clamp, you can stack a few heavy books on top of your pedestal until it’s dry.

4. Use your pedestals to display cakes and desserts or use as a base for a centerpiece. If you want to place food directly on the wood surface, coat it first with a food-safe wood sealer. If you would like the wood to keep its natural color, place a piece of parchment paper beneath your cake or dessert.

More crafty projects can be found in our How-Tuesday series on the Etsy blog. And did you know that you can buy Supplies on Etsy?

Wedding Decor Gift Guide | More Handmade Weddings Posts | Weddings Category

A Cook in Residence: Kitty Greenwald at Montalvo

2009-07-06T17:30:00-05:00

UPDATE: Please join Kitty for a live cooking session on Monday, July 6, 6-6:30 p.m. ET in the Virtual Labs, Etsy's multi-user chat room.

Here at Montalvo (a sweet little place tucked into the Santa Cruz mountains), I cook dinners five nights a week. But this cooking job is different than most. It's a fellowship, and the culinary fellow (that’s me) is an artist in residence. Montalvo, an arts center in Silicon Valley, gives its residents space and quiet, away from the daily grind, to paint, sculpt, edit, compose and... to cook. Having creative freedom in a setting where food is regarded as a medium and cooking a personal expression is a unique opportunity and a pleasure. On any given day, I might experiment with flavors, create dishes or refine a technique. I also devote attention to outside projects — whether it's writing, recipe development or working on events that celebrate the intersection of food and culture.

As a cook and someone who cares about culinary traditions, I find that the Slow Food philosophy resonates here. It seems obvious that, when it comes to matters of taste, artisan production should be celebrated and supported, quality never compromised. Here I have time to put these values into practice. In fact it makes for the most precious time of day — preparing dinner.

Seasonal produce from my garden and local farmers markets determine what we eat — it would be crazy to live in California and not cook this way. Often I turn to old recipes for inspiration. Dinners are rarely fussy. Hopefully the resulting dish tastes intensely of the ingredients used. Last night there was poached chicken with favas and mint. A few months back, an unexpectedly memorable meal happened when spicy mustard greens were baked with rabbit, giant beans and breadcrumbs. Soon there will be sweet heirloom tomatoes and the first summer sandwich will be made — sweet, sliced tomato on toasted bread with ground fleur de sel and homemade mayo (this is my favorite food).

Every week I visit different markets, and, without fail, every Wednesday I visit the Santa Cruz Farmer's Market. Never has this part of the culinary process held as much meaning — a relationship with conscientious farmers, ranchers and fishermen is deeply gratifying. Without a doubt I cook better because of it. Dreaming up flavor combinations happens all the time; sometimes the result is as imagined. Mostly, I hope to simply cook with integrity, pay attention along the way, respect the ingredients and learn from when there are shortfalls. When a dish does come out as planned there is a fleeting moment of absolute joy.

Recipe: Walnut Cake with Chocolate Cream and Cooked Cherries
Serves 8-10

Below you will find three recipes, all simple to make. When combined they make for a luscious layered cake offset by syrupy port cherries. But as layered cakes go, this version is relatively simple and well worth any effort you may be wary of investing.

If you lack the ingredients or inclination to go the whole nine yards, the cake, lovely and thin, is good to have on hand (a little black dress of a torte, suitable morning, noon and night), that keeps remarkably well for 2-3 days. Otherwise, make just the cherries; they’ll transform ordinary vanilla ice cream into something special, or the chocolate cream, a sumptuous accompaniment for anything really, even finger dipping.

Walnut Cake:
8 tbs. (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature (plus extra for greasing cake tins, about 2 tbs)
1 1⁄4 cups sugar
a good pinch of salt
4 eggs, at room temperature
10 oz walnuts, pulverized in a food processor until quite fine
1⁄2 cup peeled and finely grated carrot
2/3 cups sifted flour
1 ½ tbs. walnut oil
½ tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325.

Butter two shallow, 10-inch round cake tins. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the exposed wax paper. Lightly flower both tins.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and salt together for about 2 minutes, until creamy and uniform, scraping down the sides from time to time. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the sides and beat for an additional 30 seconds. Stir in the pulverized walnuts and grated carrot. Stir in the sifted flour, 1/3 cup at a time. Stir in walnut oil and vanilla extract.

Distribute the batter between the prepared tins and, using a spatula, spread it out evenly. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer pierced into the center of each cake comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in their tins. To unmold, use a knife tip to loosen the cake from the sides and unmold. Flip the cakes onto serving plates and peel off the parchment paper.

Chocolate Cream:
6 oz bittersweet chocolate (70 percent cocoa works well), broken into small pieces
10 tbs softened butter, cut into pieces
1 cup cream
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Place the chopped chocolate into a clean bowl. In a sauce pan, heat the cream, sugar and vanilla until it just begins to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand for a minute. Then stir, with a spatula, to combine. Add the softened butter and stir until the butter fully dissolves and the chocolate cream is uniform.

Cover the cream and allow it to sit for at least an hour. Just before assembling the cake, whip the cream until thickened and easily spreadable. It will lighten in color.

Cherries:
1 lb cherries, washed with stems removed
1/3 cup sugar, approximately
2 tbs port
2 tbs balsamic vinegar

Line a non-reactive sauté pan with the cherries so they fit in a single layer.* Sprinkle sugar over the cherries and cook at medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, or until the sugar melts and cherries are soft to the touch. Add the port and vinegar and cook for an additional minute or two, shaking frequently.

Pour the cherries and their cooking liquid into a heat proof container and set aside. Allow the cherries to sit for at least one hour; they will continue to emit their liquid. They may be made up to 3 days ahead of time. These keep remarkably well and are delicious on anything - yogurt, sorbet, cakes and anything in between.

Assemble:
Put one of the cake rounds onto the serving platter. Spread enough cream evenly over top so it is about ¼ of an inch thick. Place the second cake over top and repeat. Smooth the surface so that the top layer or cream looks attractive. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. The icing will firm up nicely.

To serve, slice the cake into thin slices and accompany with a spoonful or two of the cooked cherries.

*There will be leftover chocolate cream and cherries which should be enjoyed since both keep well and easily combine with other sweet offerings. They are also delicious eaten together.

Please join Kitty for a live cooking session on Monday, July 6, 6-6:30 p.m. ET in the Virtual Labs, Etsy's multi-user chat room.

Kitty has cooked in Portugal, France and Italy. In the States, she had a catering company in New York and, more recently, contributed recipes to Real Simple Magazine and worked with Slow Food Nation. Since being at Montalvo, she has curated a film and food night for Slow Food Nation's The Art of Slow Food Exhibit at Yerba Buena, co-created a dinner highlighting Silicon Valley's agricultural history and its shifting culinary identity for Agency, Montalvo's 2009 Arts Initiative. She's currently writing a cookbook for Readers Digest.

More Entertaining Posts | More California Posts

Plants and Edibles Category | Vintage Housewares on Etsy

You be the Judge: Chocolate Kisses

2009-06-12T10:49:00-05:00

I'm sitting in my Etsyified office on a beautiful spring afternoon eating some delicious Hershey's Kisses and researching a newsworthy and entertaining pending issue for the Etsy community to judge. I'm in heaven!

I unwrap the silver foil from the bite-sized tear-drop chocolate morsel and pop it into my mouth. Although this treat is delicious, I do sometimes prefer the more expensive Jacque Torres chocolates made just a few blocks away in Brooklyn.

Hershey’s is one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in North America. In 1907, Hershey's introduced its small flat-bottomed conical-shaped pieces of chocolate named “Hershey’s Kisses.” Hershey Chocolate & Confectionary Corporation, a subsidiary of The Hershey Company, owns the U.S. federal trademark registration for the mark “Kisses.”

Brooklyn-based Jacques Torres Chocolate specializes in fresh, hand-crafted chocolates. Jacques Torres sells “Champagne Kiss” truffles, which contain Taittinger Rose Champagne, and cost around $1.50 each.

Recently, Hershey’s attorneys sent Mr. Torres a letter stating “Hershey is concerned that Jacques Torres Chocolate’s use of the mark KISS or KISSES may cause consumer confusion with Hershey as to the source, sponsorship, or affiliate of Jacque Torres Chocolate’s product.” The letter went on to demand that Mr. Torres immediately discontinue the use of the mark KISS or KISSES in connection with its chocolate candies.

A lawyer for Torres replied and offered a number of examples to substantiate their claim that any concern of “consumer confusion” is without merit. According to Torres’s lawyer, Jacque Torres chocolates are “high end” and are not marketed like Hershey’s products as the first ingredient in Torres’ Kisses is champagne. Also the shape of the chocolates is flat and unlike a Hershey’s Kiss.

According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, a trademark protects "words, names, symbols, sounds, or colors that distinguish goods and services from those manufactured or sold by others and to indicate the source of the goods." To find a likelihood of confusion, the parties will examine 1) the similarity of the marks; and 2) the commercial relationship between the goods and/or services listed in the application.

This potential lawsuit is very near and dear to my heart because I am a fan of both types of chocolate. Do you think that Hershey’s has a point? Is there a likelihood of confusion? In the case of the Kisses, You Be the Judge and post in the comments below!

How-Tuesday: VeganYumYum Knits with Marzipan

2009-04-21T17:05:00-05:00

Feast your eyes on this! Lolo (aka Lauren Ulm) is the brains behind Vegan Yum Yum, a food blog with delectable designs that caught the eye of Martha Stewart herself. This week, her beautiful photo tutorials prove that sometimes it's best to let the pictures do the talking (and instructing!). She's here to instruct us how to "knit" with marzipan for a delectable treat that's as crafty to eat as it is to make. Lolo has also shown Martha Stewart how to make these delicious cupcakes. Watch the video above!

How to make a marzipan ball of "yarn" in 14 easy steps.

How to "knit" marzipan:

Thanks to Lolo for sharing this tasty tutorial with us. Head over to VeganYumYum.com for more deliciousness. More crafty project downloads can be found in our How-Tuesday series on the Etsy blog!

Etsy Finds: Sweeten Up Your Romance...

2009-02-03T08:00:00-05:00

Do you have your eye on a special someone? Are you looking for a clever way to let the love of your life know that you just can't get him or her off your mind? Express your true feelings with a sweet little handmade surprise. Get your crush's attention and playfully let 'em know how much you care.

Be Mine Ring

By pamelasusan, $25.

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Ceramic Chocolate Cupcake Cookie Jar Container With Cherry On top

By fruitflypie, $49.99.

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Annie's Conversation Heart Soap

By anniepoo, $10.

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Valentine Cake

By socharmed, $42.

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Chocolate Covered Oreos

By ASugarAffair, $15.

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Set Of Two Fake Cupcake Teddy Bear Decor Ornaments

By FrostedFakes, $18.

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Gumdrop Boy Loves Gumdrop Girl Oval Earrings Apple Noggin

By applenoggin, $15.

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Amigurumi Dessert Jewelry - Pink Berry Cake Ring RG-8-2706

By ennadesign, $22.

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Sweet Heart for your sweetheart... let her know how sweet she is with this giant resin heart shaped necklace full of candy by isewcute

By isewcute, $25.

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my heart is full of candies

By EQart, $140.

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Looking for more Etsy Finds? Try these links:

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How-To: Play with Your Food

2008-12-05T16:45:00-05:00

Young people (of all ages) know food is fun. But before you turn your perfectly edible parfait into pulp, why not whip up a faux version in felt that looks good enough to eat?

Create your very own Blackcurrant Mousse, like the one shown here, or share one as a gift with someone you find sweet. You can start out with one, then build your way to a whole plate of petit fours to enjoy with friends ... Now that's what I call having your cake and eating it too!

Get the complete project instructions on PDF right here, they're free to downoad! Yum!

Some of the projects may not be appropriate for babies that really do want to nom nom nom.

Many thanks to Kodansha America for sharing this treat of a project, from My Favorite Felt Sweets.

For more fun with food, check out the related items below and these search terms:

Amigurumi Food | Felt Food

Children's Gift Guide | Holiday Shopping Lists: Faux Food