Let the baking begin

Tis the season for me to bake pink treats for friends and neighbors. I love to bake and  I love to share it.After all I do not want to be the only chubby person around!

Cookies , buche de Noel, meringues, fruitcake are all on my baking list this year. I will keep you posted on all the pink baking.

A

Have a Pink day!

A kiss to you

I am starting some holiday baking and usually make these little meringue kisses. I bag them in treat bags and they last a long time. Don't bake them on a humid day however or they won't form stiff peaks.They are wonderful with a hot cup of tea or hot chocolate.

This year I am trying to make more PINK food to give and I flavored these with rose flavoring. I think they come out yummy just use a star tip and get the meringue really still so you can make that little swirl tip on top! 

The pink glass compote is a recent EBay find.

Here is the simple recipe that makes a small enough batch:

Meringue Kisses

3 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon creme of tarter

3/4 cup fine sugar sometimes called bakers sugar or make it yourself in food processor with regular white sugar

pink (or any color) food coloring to the shade you like

flavoring of choice-- rose, almond, vanilla all work well about 1/4 teaspoon

Whip whites till frothy add creme of tarter

add sugar slowly then add rest of flavoring and color

Pipe on parchment or silpat on a baking sheet

bake at 325 for 3 hours turn oven off leave in oven overnight if you can and if it is not humid in house

Store in airtight container or treat bags

Have a Pink day!

Valentine Baking and gifting

Gogo puppy and her "treats" before wrapping

Trader Joe's Chocolate cake mix is easy and yummy

Valentine Cupcakes ready to roll!

Pink heart-shaped rice krispie treats some dipped in pink candy pearls

Treats for Gogo puppy or Isabella's tummy. Heart marshmallows sugar coated

Valentine's Day is made for people who love PINK! I have such fun baking for children I know.

Trader Joe's chocolate cake mix in a PINK box is yummy. I made lots of cupcakes in pink ruffled cups and then frosted with homemade pink buttercream. Then baged in a pretty polka dot cello bag.

Heart shaped rice krispie treats were next. I tinted the marshmalllow pink then rolled it out between two sheets of parchment paper (to about 1/2 inch thickness) let it set up in refrigerator then used my heart cookie cutters. Trick is to spray Bakers Ease or non-stick spray onto the parchment to keep it from sticking. Bakers Ease is best doesn't discolor cakes or other items or the pans.

I gave my little friend Isabella a Gogo puppy (they look like baby Maltese) from Target but I took Gogo puppy out of the box and made a heart collar and used organza ribbon for her leash. then I put her in a huge cello bag with tissue and a bow. Little girls love bows (OK me too) especially pink ones and Isabella tells me pink is her favorite color.

Last thing I did was take the pink heart shaped marshmallows from Kroger and dip one side in melted white chocolate then dip that into pink sanding sugar. I put them in a pretty cupcake cup and in a cello bag. These were the "treats"for Gogo puppy but I think Isabella had to eat most of them.

Happy Valentine's Day

Have a Pink day!

A good day to bake.. . in pink style

Today is a good day to make some bread or bake a pie. Cold rain outside and a chilly morning. It helps to have so many pretty pink items to work with when I cook or bake.

My kitchen and family room are green (see not everything is pink) and all my cooking items are pink- my blender and large mixer, wine bottle opener, whisks and tart pans--all pink. It took me years to acquire all this. My latest find was a pink rolling pin and pink wine bottle stoppers.

I was thinking of making French baguette today but after watching Julia Child's Baking with Julia show and seeing how long it takes to make French bread I decided to make something else! Did you know that in France the government regulates the price, weight, ingredents and the "resting time" (when bread is removed from over it must rest 20 minutes before being sold) of the humble baguette? France is serious about bread!!

Collecting pink kitchen items is now easier because in October many companies make pink items ( like Kitchen Aid they were one of the first to do this) and some of the sale money goes to Susan G Koman because October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. A win/win situation for pink lovers and doing something for finding the cure.

My behind the stove back splash is new. I had a talented artist , Jill Mulry, transfer her photo of a pink peony to tiles. I love it--I can be in the garden while I cook.You can reach Jill at jill@katchcreations.com

Well, mes amis, I am off to bake something--should I make it pink? What do you think?

Have a PINK day!