Trying to keep up....

It's been so very busy lately. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. At all. But there's no denying that I'm struggling to keep up with my monthly specials and launching them in time for each holiday. (Ahem, sorry Mother's Day, you got left in the dust.)

But I wanted to make an extra special effort to launch the summer pie season in time for Father's Day. Why you might ask? Well, it appears that it's taking me 4 years of selling baked goods to realize that most of the awesome dads I know actually prefer pie. Yes. Pie. My mister included. And, really, what's better than a fresh peach pie? A la mode.

More, please. Looking at this makes me drool.

This delectable combo was one of my best sellers last summer and I was itching to bring it back for a repeat performance. I mean, fresh peach pie is amazing, but when you add fresh blackberries it turns into something totally magical. The flavor dynamic goes up a notch and then you get these gorgeous pockets of jewel tone goodness. I need a moment to fan myself.

I've also added a few other seasonal pies to the menu and will be offering them until the fruit is no longer available. Take a gander and give me a holler if one of them catches your eye. Or if you can't stop drooling. Either will do.

And I know I sometimes go on and on about the crust but look at it. Take a good, hard, long look. It's nothing shy of buttery perfection. There is nothing more tantalizing than an uncut pie that has fruity goodness oozing out the side. Where did I put my fan?

These beauties will be available all summer. Hooray! Don't miss out cause once the peaches are gone so are the pies. 

And, at some point I promise to get up some pics of all the fun things I've been baking up over the last few months. 

Easter? Here? Already?

Yes.

Oh dear lord. How is it April already? I've been so busy that this little gem is just now rolling out....

Meyer Lemon Meringue Tart. 

Yes, please.

And since its way too late to take orders, I'm going to pretend I'm running an actual brick & mortar bakery and bake a couple of these beauties to sell the day of. I'm offering up four to the first four people to reserve one by email. They'll be available for pick-up (or delivery in our immediately local area of NW Oakland) Easter Sunday before 11am.

Each 9" tart is comprised of a perfectly sweetened shortbread crust surrounding a bright and creamy Meyer lemon filling and topped with an Italian meringue that's lightly torched to toasty goodness.

I so wish I could make more of these to sell but, alas, time is not on my side this year. Sorry y'all.

On a side note, I'm aiming to get a post up next week with all the crazy things I've been working on lately. I realize that a lot of my customers aren't on Instagram and this seems like a good a place as any to post some fun pix of my work without blasting you all via email. Maybe one day I'll get a website and FB page up. One day.....

Until then, happy Easter :)

Whiskey. Whiskey. Whiskey.

Yes, please.

A couple of jobs ago, way back in another life, I had the fortune to work with some of the most amazing people. Coming from much smaller companies (like 4 people in the office small), it was such a revelation to work for a 150+ employee company with a deeply rooted company culture and insane love for celebrating all the "fun" holidays in true style. St. Patrick's Day was, by far, the best of the best.

Every year a group of us would come together and deck out the patio in green silliness and serve Irish coffees to the masses. It was insane. And fun. And some of the best memories I have of working there. It's also where I discovered my love for whiskey. Yes, whiskey. I'd never had an Irish coffee prior to working here and, let me tell you, I knew right off the bat that hot coffee plus booze and whipped cream was going to reek havoc on my stomach so I always avoided it and went for a straight whiskey. For reals.

From what I hear from friends still working there, they're gearing up for the annual event already. Its fun to think about any new hires that will be experiencing this for the first time, along with the old timers who know and appreciate what an awesome day the 17th is.

In honor of this time honored tradition, I thought I'd try something different. Rather than recreating an Irish coffee in cupcake form, I thought I'd go another route and make something that would pair well with it. I give you my Jameson cake...

This moist yellow cake is infused with Jameson three ways: in the cake batter, brushed with a syrup while still hot and then crowned with a glaze once cooled. It's wonderfully fragrant and great for anyone that loves whiskey or a traditional rum cake.

I just love a good bundt cake. When done well, they're absolute perfection and can be enjoyed any time of the day. I especially love how simple they are, they don't require much beyond a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of glaze. Hell, most of the time you don't even need a plate or fork, just a napkin and you're good to go. (And, no, the irony is not lost on me that I photographed a slice on a plate. With a fork.)

This cake is not to be missed. Not too sweet, but just decadent enough to satisfy the palate. I'm offering the cake in two sizes, full 9" and half 6", and hope you'll consider ordering one.

If, however, cupcakes are more your speed, I can also make coffee infused chocolate cupcakes with Baileys buttercream, just drop me a line.

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

And please drink responsibly ;)

Brownies + Hearts = Perfection

While there are lots of great things happening this month, most of us are thinking primarily of Valentines Day. While The Hubs and I don't do much by way of celebrating, I totally dig the kitsch that's synonymous with this holiday. There's just something so fun about filling out valentines, handing out sweet treats and giving thanks for that chubby dude sporting wings and a diaper.

So, in keeping with what can be so fun about this Hallmark holiday, I thought I'd make something to match.

Check these sweeties out. Fun, chocolatey and chewy goodness sandwiched with buttercream or frosting. Perfection. I especially love them with Baileys buttercream, but they're just as tasty with any of the options (vanilla, raspberry, Baileys, peanut butter, chocolate, chocolate peppermint or cream cheese frosting). 

I don't know about you, but I want to dive head first into this. 

We're 10 days out, so there's no time like the present to get in on the action. I'm offering each 3" sandwich for $3 or 2 for $5. Singles will be packed in a cellophane bag and tied with a red ribbon, while 3 or more will be packed in a bakery box unless noted otherwise. 

And should there be any Anti-Valentines Day enthusiasts out there, it's worth noting that I can make these in a different shape so don't let the heart be a deterrent. In fact, I thought cutting the hearts in half could be mighty fun take on the holiday.... Just thinking out loud....

Anyway, I hope you're all as excited about these as I am -- they're worth the indulgence, take my word for it. Plus, nothing says I Love You like chocolatey baked goods, right? Right.

Happy Valentines Day!

Buckle Up!

That awesome headline is courtesy of my biffle, Lori, who commented on my Instagram picture of the Cranberry Orange Buckle. So perfect. (Be sure to check out my IG feed: @truffle_girl or via the web at http://instagram.com/truffle_girl/)

So, if you haven't already done so, check out this beauty...

One of the benefits of doing monthly specials and this blog are that I often need pictures of new items. And what happens with the sample you might ask? Well, we gladly devour it; but when I'm feeling professional, I like to call it a Quality Check.

And while "buckle" might not be the most enticing name, it sure is one tasty treat. This recipe is unbelievably diverse, working well with all manner of fruit, but the cranberry orange combo is my absolute favorite.  Not only do I love the way it looks, how the batter rises and "buckles" over the fruit, but the smell.... oh the heavily smell.... If only smell-o-vision was possible! There's just something about this cake, I think it's the smell of the orange zest mixed with butter and the tiniest hint of almonds and cinnamon. I hope you'll take my word for it and order one for yourself so you can stick you nose to the box and smell it too. So worth it.

And, of course, I'm offering my annual holiday truffles this year. Limited quantities, so order soon or risk missing out.

You know the drill:

3 Sizes: 8, 12 or 16-truffle cup with equal quantities of each flavor (clockwise from top left): Hazelnut, Grand Marnier, Coconut and Bittersweet chocolate

As always, truffles and baked goods make wonderful gifts. As a former co-worker wisely said years ago "the best gifts are the ones that disappear." Yea. Disappear down my mouth! Or yours!

Oh, and I might have other seasonal goodies rolling out, time permitting, as well as one-off offerings of extras that I have to sell for fear of eating them all myself. Sit tight and stay tuned, but don't forget to place your order soon. Best to check it off your to-do list now versus later when season really picks up and we all start to feel the panic.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Pie Marathon

This year marks my fourth year baking for all of you and I'm proud to say that my business has grown every year. Before I move on to Christmas preparations, I thought it'd be fun to share some numbers with y'all..... This year me and my one little oven managed to crank out:

5 pumpkin pies
5 pecan pies
5 apple pies
1 peach blackberry pie
1 rhubarb pie
5 banana chocolate chip bundt cakes
2 pound cakes
1 german chocolate cake
1 dozen pumpking cupcakes
2.5 dozen red velvet cupcakes
1 dozen chocolate cookies
4 dozen thumbprints

oh and 104 oz (13 cups) cranberry sauce

I'm never quite sure how I pull it off, but I somehow I made all this over a couple of days. I managed to squeeze in 2 hours of sleep early Tuesday morning only to bounce back up first thing Wednesday and start all over again. It was insane.

I always tally up my ingredients before shopping and find the numbers staggering every time. Here're a few choice highlights:

12 lbs butter
12.5 lbs flour
9 lbs sugar
97 eggs
95 oz pumpkin
3.5 lbs pecans

I always have such a blast baking this time of year, even if it is a bit of a blur, and I'm lucky to have such supportive friends and family to share this holiday with. Many many thanks to all of you who trust me with your holiday baking requests, I hope you and yours enjoyed the buttery goodness.

It's Pie Time People

Thanksgiving is upon us and I've got pie on the brain. How about you?

Most of you probably don't know this, but the fam and I do two Thanksgivings every year. We stuff ourselves on a turkey-filled lunch with my extended family before falling into a slight stupor only to snap out of it just in time to head over to dinner with my in-laws. It's a non-stop food fest.

By the time I've finished baking for all of my lovely customers, then baked for my family, I'm exhausted and barely hanging on by a thread; and yet Thanksgiving is still one of my favorite holidays. I love that there's no real commercial aspect to it. It's so well timed in that you can sit with the ones you love (and those you have no choice but to love, lol) and celebrate all that is good in life before the chaos (and commercialism) that is the Christmas season. Black Friday has turned into Black Thanksgiving Night and that's just the beginning of the mad dash to make it to the finish line.

So I hope all of you will take the time to give thanks for all that is good in your life and try to make the most of that quality time by working smarter not harder. How, you ask? Well, one place to start is by ordering your Thanksgiving desserts instead making them yourself. Who needs the added stress and competition for oven time?

Place your pie order by Sunday, November 16th and receive a 10% discount if you order two or more. That's reason enough to give thanks in my book.

And don't forget all the other goodies I have to offer....

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.