dispatches from the world's smallest, sweetest kitchen

Sunday, February 23, 2014

The EleMINT of Friendship: Palentines 2014


Hello internet!  I may have had a blogging lull, but I've still been baking, and what better time to rejoin the internet than for the most magical time of the year - Palentine's Day!

For a refresher, see the 2011/12 and 2013 editions.


This year's colour scheme was mint green, with some white and yellow accents.  It's possible that I went a teensy bit overboard.   ANYWAYS, THE DESSERTS:

Obviously, I made a few kinds of sugar cookies.  Some mix tapes:


Some little envelopes (cutter from Printmeneer):
Tattoo hearts, personalized for each guest (I've been waiting to use these cookie cutters from Plastics In Print for just this event since I bought them last fall):

And anatomical hearts (cutter from BoeTech on Etsy)


Speaking of anatomical hearts, I made some little chocolate ones (delightful little mould from Streich's candy supply)

Butter cake (the Miette recipe continues to deliver, and the Nordicware Jubilee Bundt pan is just so pretty).

I made macarons for the first time to pretty much total success, thanks to the recipe and tips from the Bake at 350 blog - nutella as a filling for a time saver was genius on a week I was trying to do just a little bit too much. I painted little mint hearts onto them with vodka and lustre dust so they would fit in with the table:

I think there would be a revolt if I were to host an event without cookie dough truffles (credit to Love and Olive Oil for the treat that could be renamed the friend-maker):
The last time I made home-made marshmallows, they were a tricky, sticky mess.  Now I have special marshmallow equipment and these mint chocolate chip marshmallows from Joy the Baker were easy easy easy.  I am totally inspired!
Speaking of marshmallows, when I learned about Boomf, a company that prints your instagram photos onto marshmallows, I knew I needed to order some for Palentine's. I ordered two sets, one of photos of Palentine's past, and one of great pals - Amy and Tina, Bruce and Clarence, Oprah and Gayle, Golden Girls, Themla and Louise, Meryl and Hillary, Meridith and Christina.  YES.
Meringues!
Old fashioned press cookies:
I FINALLY found meyer lemons available for sale the week before Palentine's, and so they made for some very tasty Lemon Curd Linzer cookies:
And the hideous, but SO EFFING TASTY buttermilk lemon bars:

I bought some heart-shaped push-up pops and filled them with butter mint chocolate push pops.  So tasty!  So pretty!

Cupcakes - of course!  I saved these for the end, thinking cupcakes would be the easiest.  I made Martha Stewart's devil's food and brown sugar cupcakes - both recipes I have made many times, and decided to try out new icing recipes.  I tried to make a chocolate satin recipe, that ended up a liquidy soupy mess and when I added icing sugar to thicken it, it became too sweet to be edible.  So I turned my attention to trying a swiss meringue buttercream recipe, which was a total success. So much so, that I thought I'd make a second batch, but I was feeling a little lazy, and didn't wash the beater before between batches and when I tried to whip the eggs, nothing happened.  The result?  My friend made an 11 pm convenience store run to get more butter and I made a basic American buttercream.  Macarons? No problem.  Cupcake icing?  Calamity!  Oh, and in the middle of this comedy of errors, it seemed like my stand mixer might have died. Praise Springsteen, it hadn't.
I was definitely more pleased with my home-made cupcake toppers than the cupcakes themselves this time around.

So much food that the candy buffet had to be moved to another table!
In those little yellow sherbet cups? PERSONALIZED CANDIES.  I designed a logo for Palentine's, AND THEN IT WAS PRINTED ON THESE CANDIES.
Also on the other table?  Mojitos and sparkling lemonade:
Served in these lovely mason jars, with lovely paper straws, daisy lids, and reusable labels:

I also decorated some paper cups (personalized with each guest's initial!) for serving some super intense hot chocolate.  Unfortunately, the cups didn't really stand up to the heat, and I had to get out some regular mugs.

What also didn't fit on the dessert table were the customized napkins, palm leaf heart plates, and the customized cutlery sets:
[Cutlery made by Tulle and Twig and stickers designed by Love Meet Design]

Tying it all together were a few lovely pieces of decoration and flowers:





That's another great glitter banner from Unicorn Parade, honeycomb decorations from Pomtree, a chalkboard poster from Watermelon Stand, and mulberry paper string lights from Thailand.
 
What's a party without some little presents?  

Apple lip balm (labels by Autumn Leah Designs)

Bake it til you make it pencils(!)

And a take-home box stuffed with treats!

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