In the short span of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Stephen and I were in downtown Bethlehem, PA and decided to see if the new "cupcake" shop was open. Do you know the place? Well, let's just say we've been waiting for this lovely shop to open and we were pleasantly surprised that particular day!
Yes....it is "Sugar Babe" and Angela Malpedo is the owner of this quaint cupcake store located on 14 W. Broad Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018. I will tell you it was quite hard to decide which delicious cupcake to try:) Stephen and I both bought a rich, dark chocolate cupcake with a perfect peanut butter buttercream which was topped with "the" tastiest mini peanut butter cookie...did I say the interior had a .....yes....peanut butter filling!
We, of course, forced ourselves to wait until after dinner, perfectly seated on our living room sofa, to enjoy our "find". The rule is.....you must eat your treat with your eyes closed...so as to get the full experience of this most tempting confection:)
The truth is.....there are SO MANY cupcakes out there. We've tried many and honestly, you WILL NOT FIND A BETTER CUPCAKE anywhere in the Lehigh Valley. Those in the baking industry understand that people "eat with their eyes first", so the confection must be eye-appealing initially. Of course, the ingredients must be fresh and of good quality. Angela knows this quite well. Her cupcakes are beautiful, chic, delicious and "cleanly" presented. What I mean by "cleanly" is their appearance is top notch - perfectly iced and designed. You automatically know that it will be delicious before tasting it because of the attention and care she puts into her presentation. We are bakers who think along the same lines. "Care" is the catalyst to becoming well known and in demand. She is genuine and her cupcakes reflect that trait.
So...make it a point to stop into her lovely shop! "Sugar Babe" is located at 14 W. Broad Street, Bethlehem, Pa 18018 and their phone# is: 610.462.8050. Their website is: http://www.sugarbabecupcakes.com.
Much continued success is wished for you, Angela!
Blessings,
Christine
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! I"ve waited until after the rush of the holiday shopping before mentioning my first (and second!) stop into my new favorite shop in Allentown, PA..."Boutique to Go". A friend of mine recommended this shop to me a few months ago and I finally had a chance to make it there - of course, bringing my mom made for an adventure of an afternoon:)
Elena Pascal is the owner of this most lovely ladies' accessory boutique. And I might say Elena herself is lovely as well. Her welcoming each and every customer who walks through her front (or back door - a private parking lot in the rear entrance) with a smile and a big "hello" is a special touch - and you know it is sincere.
I cannot even begin to explain her unique shop. You will find gifts for friends (and yourself of course!) who are easy to buy for and hard to buy for....from lovely scarves, jewelry, beautifully designed capes/shawls, purses (one of a kind for our Lehigh Valley), children's clothing and plush toys, soaps, perfumes, and many more items you would have to travel far to find. We surely needed this type of specialty store.
An important point I would like to mention....a huge pet peeve of mine is being pressured into buying something every time I walk into a store. You will not encounter this problem at Elena's "Boutique to Go" for one reason. Elena is not about trying to sell you something you don't like or are not sure about. She is ALL about sharing what she loves with other women - be it her great accessories or a lunch over a "table talk" discussion.
Please visit her website for more information as well as her "table talk" or guest speakers at: http://www.boutiquetogo.com. She is located at 522 N. 19th Street, Allentown, PA 18104 and her business phone is: 610.437.1663. Her email is: boutique2go@yahoo.com.
Thank you, Elena, for bringing something very special to our Lehigh Valley!
Blessings,
Christine
So...did you guess correctly? It was the "crostata" or a cookie-like pastry filled with either whole fruits or a type of lekvar...as is used in my Austrian Linzer Tarts. In this case you can see the individual servings - in apricot and sour cherry. I am a lover of all things apricot (being Hungarian) so I pointed it out to the very congenial barista. He however encouraged us to try the sour cherry one, and if we didn't just love it, we could return and get the apricot one free of charge.
Well.....as you may guess....we did NOT return the pastry! It was delicious! Stephen and I shared it because it was quite large...and very heavy....but oh so wonderful:)
The photo you see here is a famous scene from "Roman Holiday" for those of you who are fans of Audrey Hepburn (the face of an angel). Check out the movie and see the similarity after all these years.
Italy is a place we enjoy going. Why? Beyond architecture, tempting pastries and need I say, "amazing" coffee.....the Italian people are so very friendly and welcoming. Make it a destination sometime.
We know what we like when we see it, but sometimes coming up with the "idea" is much more difficult. I feel that way about designing a room in our home. I know by magazine pictures what I would love to see in one of our rooms, but can't seem to put it together on my own. This is a difficult task for me to do - come up with ideas when it comes to decorating.....
But not when it comes to cookies! I love the challenge of new ideas, designs that are pleasing to the eye as well as delicious in the mouth:) I am an avid "researcher" when it comes to my cookies - always looking for new ideas, designs, flavors. Sometimes the articles and pictures I peruse are not even cookie-related. They may be articles on teas, coffees, cupcakes, etc. that spark an idea in my mind. So....off to the kitchen I go, baking and "testing" the new item. You know, of course, my sweet husband Stephen is one of my testers:) He kindly eats the ones I "break" as well!
Here is an idea adapted from a Japanese pastry chef. I altered her technique, as I found it to be cumbersome and time-consuming. I call them "Swirly Design" French Macarons, but I'm sure there is a more creative name out there somewhere:) They require just a little more work than normal, so the price per dozen is $15.00 vs. the "classic" typical macaron which is $12.00. Just one more way to add a little sparkle to your order.
Some ideas on when to buy them? Order a red and white swirl for Christmas (or any color for that matter). I think they also go well with a spring/summer birthday party for children. I'm sure there are more ideas, but these are just a few. And please ask about other colors I can use to produce these swirly confections!
Please place your order for Christmas and the holidays soon! I get booked very quickly and already have Christmas orders scheduled.
Blessings,
Christine
If you liked the whimsical "Fruity French Macarons" posted on facebook, then you will appreciate the artistic talents of a new friend of mine, Deborah.
If you love crafting, you must see her blog! It is: http://everydayisanoccasion.blogspot.com. Deborah has a natural talent for making each day special. Her most recent themed celebration was a birthday party for her 8-yr. old daughter. Whether she is baking or crafting, her ideas and execution of each project are not beyond the reach of the average crafter. If you are not creative in coming up with ideas, Deb's blog is filled with them and you can alter some of the ideas and make them "yours". She gives you tips as well as information on where to purchase some of the items you see.
I'm posting a few pictures here, but please visit her blog.....you will be happy you did! Please see her "profiteroles" below.....lovingly made and beautifully displayed:) What 8 yr. old girl would not just "love" these?
Thanks, Deb, for the great photos, wonderful blog to inspire us and for your friendship!
Blessings,
Christine
I love all things "tiny" and "detailed". It's a natural for me, but I suspect most people don't like detailed things...too hard to see and maybe frustrating. But I enjoy the challenge and intricacy of small designs, especially those involving royal icing, namely flowers.
The prep for royal icing flowers is easy. I use meringue powder as my base. The piping is a skill, but like with everything, persistence is key.
The "tiny" things I love involve small decorations - especially for the French Macarons. I know....they are sooo cute anyway, why spoil them? But I can't help myself.....I love the tiny toppings such as crystal sugars, dried edible flowers (here, hibiscus) and lavender buds. And wait for a following post to come.....French Macarons with a very "young girl" in mind....can you guess the topping I used? Come back and visit my blog for a picture of what I baked and designed.
A bientot!
Our next port of call was Livorno, Italy. We surely did not want to miss Pisa this time around...namely the famous "Leaning Tower". Some had said not to bother, but I am glad we "did bother" to go. It was truly amazing to see not only how it leans, but it's full construction of marble. And the tower is not alone in this area (as I had believed). There is a huge baptistry here as well. The entire historic piazza is called the "Field of Miracles" as some of you make already know.
On our way through Pisa, we took a lovely boat right on the Arno River.....a very peaceful river. (see below)
Of course, before we boarded a trolley which drove us to the piazza containing the "Leaning Tower", we had just enough time to get our hands around a most delicious cappuccino......perfection in a cup!
