Few things signal that Christmas is coming like baking batches and batches of cookies. I've been busy this week getting ready for the pop-up shop and here are some of the offerings:
First is my grandmother's recipe for thumbprints-- I will fill the centers with colored (red and green) frosting. Second is the (awesome) ATK recipe for chocolate mint cookies, but I used the special red Andes mints instead of the normal ones. They were a little too big and harder to make look pretty- but definitely tasty.
The mint cookies are named for Mr. Woodhouse, who didn't want to leave home on a snowy Christmas and almost got snowed in at the Westons'.
The thumbprints are named for precious Mrs Smith from Persuasion-- Anne's old school friend, who is an invalid but gets a great deal of joy out of life. These are a bit fussy, with all the nuts, so you might want a Nurse Rooke to help you, but delightful in the end.
Just a reminder that I update Facebook much more often!
Here!
Austentatious Desserts
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Harvest Festival
Holy Spirit church in Annandale, VA (where yours truly attended 1st through 8th grade) is having a Harvest Festival this Saturday, October 19, from 4-8pm. I'll have a table, if you want any fall treats!
Check out my new Jane/Lizzie and Darcy cookies:
And I'll be selling a couple apple cakes- maybe in halves or quarters? It's a delish recipe my mom has baked for years.
The jury's still out on who to name it after....
Check out my new Jane/Lizzie and Darcy cookies:
And I'll be selling a couple apple cakes- maybe in halves or quarters? It's a delish recipe my mom has baked for years.
The jury's still out on who to name it after....
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Notre Dame Cake
Mandy is having a birthday party which includes watching the ND game tonight... so naturally, the cake needed to include this somehow, and I decided to make the interlocking ND out of cake... so first I drew it on the saran wrap to see what it would look like:
Then I used a toothpick to 'pick' it out (like you do with pumpkins, if you're a cheater like me!) of the little cake I made and put in the freezer overnight.
The frosting was definitely the hardest part. All those little cut-outs and lots and lots of crumbs... check out my awesome fingers on the left though!
Totally worth it:
Happy Birthday, Mandy!!!
(P.S. The gold frosting is the chai frosting. Because why not?)
Then I used a toothpick to 'pick' it out (like you do with pumpkins, if you're a cheater like me!) of the little cake I made and put in the freezer overnight.
Then I carved it out with a little itsy bitsy knife. I thought this would be the hardest part- but I was wrong....
The frosting was definitely the hardest part. All those little cut-outs and lots and lots of crumbs... check out my awesome fingers on the left though!
Totally worth it:
Happy Birthday, Mandy!!!
(P.S. The gold frosting is the chai frosting. Because why not?)
Monday, September 2, 2013
Chai Cupcakes
I just love the "exotic" flavor of chai, and decided it was time to try it in a cupcake. It's not every day that you get the chance to put cardamom into a baked good. They are really yummy!
Here are the spices:
And here's one of the finished product:
I just love those little pearl sprinkles. They make up for a multitude of decorating sins.
Here are the spices:
And here's one of the finished product:
I just love those little pearl sprinkles. They make up for a multitude of decorating sins.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
On Facebook!
FYI I've been posting pictures more reliably on my business page on FB (Don't worry, friends, I still haven't capitulated and gotten a personal page, this is strictly biz!)
Here tis:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Austentatious-Desserts/574117119301125
Here tis:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Austentatious-Desserts/574117119301125
Thursday, August 22, 2013
5 Minute Northanger Abbey
I thought it might be fun to see if I could condense my favorite novels into 5 minute plays. (My summer tutor at Oxford would be HORRIFIED by that-- so don't tell her :)
Here's Northanger Abbey, for your enjoyment, as performed by my friends at my birthday party recently:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some of the good sports reading:
Here's Northanger Abbey, for your enjoyment, as performed by my friends at my birthday party recently:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NARRATOR: No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her
infancy would have supposed her born to be an heroine.
CATHERINE: I’m so happy! I have a mother and father who love
me and I’m one of 10 children with heads and arms and legs enough for the
number.
MRS MORLAND: Catherine has always been very plain and quite
a tomboy, but now that she’s 15 she looks almost pretty!
CATHERINE: Thanks mom!
But there are no tall dark strangers in Leesburg. How am I to be a
heroine?
MRS ALLEN: Catherine, Mr Allen and I want you to come with
us to Washington, DC. Let’s buy some new clothes.
CATHERINE: Oh how lovely! Everything works out so well for
me!
NARRATOR: Mrs Allen was a woman whose presence made you
wonder how on earth she managed to marry a man of sense.
MRS ALLEN: I wish we knew people in town! But don’t you love
my new dress? Or this necklace, isn’t it perfect? What a pity we don’t know
anyone at this party, it’s awkward.
CATHERINE: No kidding.
HOST OF PARTY: Catherine, let me introduce Henry and his
sister Eleanor.
CATHERINE: Nice to meet you both.
(Eleanor excuses herself)
HENRY: I must ask the standard questions. Have you been long
in DC?
CATHERINE: Just a couple of days.
HENRY: And how do you like it?
CATHERINE: Fine.
HENRY: What will you write about me in your diary tonight?
CATHERINE: I don’t keep a diary.
MRS THORPE: Is that you, Janet? Do you remember me? We went to elementary school together.
MRS ALLEN: Goodness yes! Hello! Let’s be friends!
MRS THORPE: This is my daughter Isabella- she and Catherine
should be friends!
ISABELLA: Do you like Gothic romance novels with horrible
scenes in them?
CATHERINE: YES
ISABELLA: Me too! Best Friends Forever! (Linking arms and walking away) Do you
have a crush?
CATHERINE: Well…. Henry Tilney is really nice.
ISABELLA: Oh you sly thing! I bet you’re dreaming about him
every night.
CATHERINE: no…
ISABELLA: Well anyway there are two guys over there—don’t
look!—they have been following me for this whole party. Are they still looking?
CATHERINE: no… they appear to be talking about cars. Now
they’re going toward the door.
ISABELLA: That’s just a cover up. Hey, let’s go outside for
some fresh air.
CATHERINE: But then aren’t we following them?...
(ISABELLA drags CATHERINE out)
CATHERINE & ISABELLA: Oh look, my brother!
Both laugh but CATHERINE is confused.
ISABELLA: Yes I’ve met your brother. He’s fun. Don’t you go
saying we’re going to get married or something like that.
JOHN THORPE: Hey sis. Who’s your friend?
ISABELLA: This is Catherine—James’s sister!
JOHN: Jolly good- let’s hang out. I’ll show you my car; it’s
awesome and I built the engine.
(JOHN puts his arm around CATHERINE)
CATHERINE: Um…
(She gets out from under his arm)
ISABELLA, JOHN & JAMES: Road trip!!!
CATHERINE: Oh, but, um, I told Eleanor and Henry I’d go on a
walk with them on the Mall. It’s
the kite festival today.
ISABELLA: (pouting)
if you don’t go, then I won’t go.
JAMES: But you must! I always thought you were a nice
sister….
JOHN : I’m only going so that you can see my awesome ride.
Besides, I saw Henry and his sister in Adams Morgan just now. They must have
forgotten about you.
CATHERINE: Well, it is raining and they are a little late,
so maybe they decided not to go anyway…
JOHN: Good that’s settled. Let’s go!
(Driving by- they drive past HENRY & ELEANOR)
CATHERINE: Stop the car! You jerk!
JOHN: hahahahahahahahahahaha. Mr Allen is rich, eh?
CATHERINE: Um, yeah, I guess so…
JAMES AND ISABELLA: We’re engaged!!!
MRS THORPE: Yay a rich
son-in-law!
JAMES: Huh?
(Another party scene)
TILNEY: Who’s that talking to my son?
JOHN: That’s Catherine Morland. She’s gonna inherit a ton
from the Allens and I plan on marrying her.
TILNEY: Hm.
(Going over to HENRY) Why don’t you invite your friend to come visit us at
the embassy?
HENRY: Okay… Catherine, want to come stay at the embassy for
a few days?
CATHERINE: Sure!
Who’s that guy talking to Isabella?
ELEANOR: That’s our brother Fred.
CATHERINE: He really should watch out because she’s engaged
to my brother.
HENRY: She’s not really discouraging him.
CATHERINE: Ew. I don’t think I like her anymore.
CATHERINE: Your dad is pretty intense.
HENRY: I know. I hope he doesn’t scare you. He’ll give you a tour of the embassy
and the gardens. You have to be on
time for dinner or he gets mad.
CATHERINE: Okay. Did he kill your mom?
HENRY: Are you insane? I can’t
believe you just said that.
CATHERINE: I just got a text
from James. The wedding is off.
HENRY: Who’s surprised?
CATHERINE: But your brother and
Isabella are going to get married instead.
HENRY: Doubtful.
NARRATOR: Imbecility in females
is a great enhancement of their personal charms.
CATHERINE: It’s been a week, do you think I should leave?
ELEANOR: Aren’t you having fun?
CATHERINE: Oh yes but I don’t
want to be a burden.
ELEANOR: You’re not a burden!
Was that an email from Isabella?
CATHERINE: Yeah she thinks I’m
stupid, because your brother dumped her and now she wants my brother back. No
way.
Nighttime—furious knocking
CATHERINE: Who’s there?
ELEANOR: It’s me. I have bad news. Dad’s kicking you out of
the house and putting you on a Greyhound bus at 5 am.
CATHERINE: What did I do?
ELEANOR: I don’t know. Here’s
some money…
Back in Leesburg
MRS MORLAND: What happened? Did you take the bus all by
yourself?
CATHERINE: Yes. I’m not a child. Mr. Tilney sent me away.
MRS MORLAND: What a jerk.
(knocking at door)
HENRY: I came to make sure you were okay and to apologize
for my dad.
MRS MORLAND: Oh look, something I have to do in the other
room… (leaving)
CATHERINE: Did you tell your dad that I thought he was a
murderer?
HENRY: No! He just found out you weren’t rich, and that was
why he was being nice to you in the first place.
CATHERINE: Oh. What a jerk.
HENRY: Will you marry me anyway?
CATHERINE: Of course!
NARRATOR: To begin perfect happiness at the respective ages
of twenty- six and eighteen is to do pretty well.
THE END
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)