Whoopie pies

Oh, hi. You know what kind of city I love? One made of sweets. That's sort of the idea behind Citi of Sweets, a boutique baking business which specializes in homemade treats like whoopie pies, cake truffles, and other decadent goodies. Now, it's exciting to share this business with you for two reasons: one, it's always fun to discover a new baking business. Two, they're offering a giveaway! See the bottom of this post for how to enter. Please describe your business in 6 words or less? Non-traditional, sweet, fun, creative, challenging and friendly. What's your personal favorite item on your menu? Ayesha: whoopie pies(strawberry with buttercream) Chanel: Cookies N Cream cake truffles What made you take the jump from amateur to professional baking? Chanel:It started as just something i wanted to try and i asked my best friend ayesha to help me experiment and it turned out horrible at first the cake was just not staying on the sticks and it was just a chocolate disaster so we left it alone and then we ended up trying again a month or so later and we were way better at it and we started doing them more and getting better and better with practice and time. We then came up with our name and menu and we've been baking ever since we started with our co-workers at our job and we haven't had a bad complaint ever in 2 years. We like being creative and making our customers happy. What's the best thing to happen to you in the past 48 hours? We went grocery shopping to get more supplies to make more sweets! Cake or Pie? Cake If you had to wear one pair of shoes for the rest of my life what would they be? Chanel: Purple Fuzzy Slippers Ayesha: Angry Birds Slippers What's your favorite non-sweet food? Ayesha: hot wings Chanel: fries What quality do you most value in others? Honesty What is your biggest dream? Our biggest dream is to have Citi of Sweets all across the world. What's your next hope for your business? to open our first storefront in Charlotte. Now... back to that giveaway! Here's what two lucky winners will receive: 2 Cake Pop Samplers Dozens one to each winner. They will be available for pick up, or shipping. The flavors will be (3) trrriple threat(chocolate) (3) butter pecan, (3) cookies n cream and (3) french vanilla. Yum! So how to enter? It's easy. Just do this: 1. Simply "like" Citi of Sweets on Facebook or follow them on Twitter 2. Leave a comment on this post (don't worry if it doesn't show up right away, moderation is enabled!) stating your favorite flavor of cake. I'll choose a winner at random 1 week from today (Saturday, June 23, 12pm PST). To ensure fresh tastiness of the prize, we're only going to allow US entrants on this particular giveaway! For more, check 'em out online: Citi of Sweets!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Salted Peanut Butter Fillingcraving more? check out TasteSpotting

Oh, what a week it’s been on SMP Living. We’ve traveled through Paris, baked up a storm, and caught up with one of the best-dressed gals in the blogosphere. But that’s only the beginning. SO very much has happened and we’re taking a quick wedding break to highlight our fave moments from the week. And whether you’re updating that summer wardrobe or have been bitten by the travel bug these features, my dear, are for you. So I’m a little bit obsessed with Living’s latest post series, Best Dressed Bloggers. Why? Because perfect fashion moments make my heart beat faster, and who knows great style better than Damsel and Dior? You can see Jacey’s summer fashion must-haves, and top 5 favorite looks EVER right here. It’s true that baking with the kiddos can be one of the most sweet, memorable experiences ever. But let’s be honest. Sometimes things just get messy. And perfection? It’s thrown right out the window. But thanks to Abby’s top tips for baking with little ones, you can whip up some yummy whoopie pies, or rather whoppie cookies, with ease. Paris. The city of light and the city of love. It’s the one travel destination that we’ll never, ever say “no” to. And with photos as stunning as Lexia Frank’s, we truly felt like we were there. Strolling along the Champs-Elysees and soaking in a view of the Eiffel Tower right alongside her. Simply put, it’s a travel feature you just mustn’t miss. Peonies happen to be my very favorite blooms. And pink peonies? Be still my heart. But whenever my hubs happens to bring home a bouquet of these beauties, I always find myself wondering the best way arrange them. Thanks to this DIY tutorial from SMP Living, I will wonder no more. It’s my new go-to guide for peony arranging in 3 pretty ways! And there you have it. Our favorite Living features from this past week. If you haven’t already, pop on over and explore all the inspired living moments for yourself. XOXO SMP © Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2013. | Permalink | 1 comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: SMP Living Post categories: Round-Ups, The Blog

Baking with kids. It’s one of those things that as a mom, I know I should be doing. But as a sort of frantic, totally spastic baker who rarely follows the instructions, well baking with little ones sort of makes me a bit crazy. But this year, I’ve vowed to slow down. To savor the moments. To enjoy the journey. Which means that every Sunday, Audrey and I bake. And she gets to pick the recipes. And I don’t try to steal her baking thunder by doing everything myself. I really let her play. Which also means that sometimes Whoopie Pies, turn into Whoopie Cookies. A deflated but wildly delicious version of the original. Okay so before we dive into the recipes, I thought I’d share a few tips for baking with kids…whether it’s your rambunctious 4 year old niece or your curious 2 year old son. All ages can partake in the fun. 1. Pre-measure everything. You don’t need large bags of flour and sugar out on the countertop that tempt little hands into dumping them out. Premeasure everything into large, easy to hold measuring cups. Kids as young as 2 can be the official “pourer” of the dry ingredients. Let the older ones pour the wet ingredients. 2. Set the rules. Grown-up handles all electric anythings. Whether it’s an oven, a beater or a mixer, little fingers need to keep to themselves during these steps. And tasting is only allowed when said electric tool is on the off position. Oh and washed hands are a must. 3. Set the height. We bake at our kitchen table because it’s far easier for the little ones to sit and stir as opposed to balance on a stool and stir. 4. Perfection is negotiable. Remember that perfection flies out the window when baking with little ones and that happy accidents are often the most delicious. 5. Let your little ones really, really participate. Fill a pastry bag just for them, give them a small bowl of icing to help with the final steps. Give them a spatula to help pull the icing out the bowl or a large bowl filled with chocolate chips to add as the final ingredient. Even steps that feel more grown-up can be simplified for the little ones. And the pride that they take in seeing their hard work turn into something wonderful is worth every last effort. WHOOPIE PIE COOKIES adapted and inspired by Whoopie Pies 1 2/3 cups flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 cup finely shaved semi sweet chocolate 4 tbs unsalted butter, softened 4 tbs vegetable shortening 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed 1 large egg 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/4 cup milk Preheat the oven to 375, using the center rack. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir together the dry ingredients – flour, coco powder, baking soda, salt, and shaved chocolate. Using a mixer on low speed, beat the butter, shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and the vanilla and mix until well combined. Add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk and beat. Scrape down those pesky sides and add the rest of the flour and the milk. Beat until fully incorporated. Using a pastry bag (or a tablespoon coated in a VERY light coat of oil) create little silver dollar sized circles, about 1-1.5″ each trying to stay consistent in size and leaving about 2″ between each cookie. More for larger circles. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool completely. FILLING 1 stick of butter, unsalted 8 ounces cream cheese, unsalted 2 cups of powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla Beat your butter and cream cheese together until well mixed. Add in powdered sugar about 1/4 cup at a time until fully incorporated. Stir in your vanilla. Fill your pastry bag with the frosting and pipe into one half of the cooled chocolate cookies. Place the other half of the cookies on top to form your whoopie pie cookies! Photography: Style Me Pretty Living Recipes on SMP Living: Donuts Cheesecake Grille

Hannah Kaminsky's 16-year old dog has dental problems, so hard treats are a bad idea. These whoopie pies are a clever alternative. She made them with flour, carob powder (a chocolate substitute), potatoes and pumpkin. You can find her full recipe at the link.Link -via Tasteologie

It’s Memorial Day weekend in the US, which means lots of things around the country. Hopefully, foremost, it means a time to say thanks to all those military that have fallen in service to our country. With the long weekend most of us get to enjoy, the weekend has also come to mean the unofficial start to summer, family cookouts and get togethers, and maybe just a day to unwind. If you’re in the Dayton, Ohio, area, though, it also brings Lobstermania to Dorothy Lane Market! That may seem odd to some, with Dayton being very land-locked, but this award-winning grocer contracts with 2 lobster captains in Maine, the Ready brothers, to bring in all of their catch at the end of the week, fly them with their lobsters to Dayton, then sell them at $12/pound-and-a-half lobster until they’re gone. We got up and ready to go. I put on my lobster shorts, and my wife put on her lobster pants. Yes, we have them. My shorts are navy with red lobsters all over them, and her pants are khaki with lighter colored lobsters. And, yes, I wear my shorts other times, too, but I make sure to wear them to Lobstermania! People show up early. Last year, we were first in line, but we got there a bit later this year, and we were about 20 people back, I’d guess. Dorothy Lane Market does a great job with this, passing around wine, beer and food samples to the people in line. This year, we got to sample crepes, a great ale and a really nice wine (that would, of course, go well with the lobster). One of the Ready brothers was on site and walking up and down the line talking to people. There was even a cooking class, with the brothers helping, the night before. We didn’t go too far overboard, getting lobsters for my mom, some friends and ourselves. The market does a great job of making it fun to be there, and they are steaming lobsters outside, so, if you don’t want to cook your lobsters live, you just swap out what you have for lobsters ready to make rolls, or to be quickly reheated in boiling water. We had friends, David and Eva, over for dinner Saturday night, and they brought some great stuff mushrooms and Fritos with chocolate and peanut butter caramel that are deadly good! We had lobsters ready to chop up for lobster rolls, blueberry salad (Maine themed) and whoopie pies (also Maine themed). The lobster rolls were simple, as they should be, with lightly toasted New England hot dog rolls for the bread. The lobsters were shelled, and the meat was chopped just a bit (I like the meat in big pieces!). For 4 lobsters, I added just 1 1/2 tablespoons of mayo, salt and pepper, and mixed it, then filled the hot dog rolls with the meat, and we enjoyed! I’ll admit we got a few extra live ocean bugs and cooked them Sunday morning. There’s something very luxurious about having lobster for breakfast, but we only do it once a year!

Memorial Day is the official American kick-off event for summer, and a time when we stop to remember lost loved ones and the sacrifices made by members of the armed service over our nation's many years of history. Here's how to save on everything from food and fun to more formal remembrance activities. (See also: Don't Buy Memories, Make Them) Food Most of us can’t imagine observing Memorial Day without some sort of feast. While hosting an event like this does require an outlay of cash, the fact that these gatherings are expected to be extremely casual provides you with a fair bit of financial wiggle room. Here are a few ideas for chowing down on the cheap. Barbecues This is frequently the chosen menu focus, but backyard barbecues can be more affordable than you might think. Potato salad and baked beans make inexpensive side dishes, and even full-on carnivores have resources at their disposable to save money on meat. Grocery store sales, veggie combo skewers, and inexpensive selections like drumsticks can come to the rescue of a determined penny pincher. Picnics If you choose to spend the day away from home, then you may be looking for picnic ideas instead. Packing a basket of your favorite fried chicken and homemade whoopie pies for a crowd is one option, but those observing the holiday with a new boo might prefer to enjoy a romantic picnic of wine, cheese, croissants, and fruit. Tailgating Some consider it unpatriotic not to participate in at least one tailgating event during the year. Try some of these tailgating menu ideas to accommodate vegans and vegetarians, or toss some riblets and corn on the grill for an inexpensive carnivorous experience. Portable grills are the name of the game here, if you want things to be as fuss-free as possible. Think premade kabobs or hot dogs in order to enjoy yourself and any guests who happen to stop by. Fun While the intention behind the holiday is to honor lost loved ones and to reflect on the sacrifices made by those lost while serving the nation, the fact is that most families work a bit of fun into the weekend as well. Parades If you live in a small town, chances are you can walk to the event. If not, your only cost to attend is gas or a subway ticket. As I covered in the article relating to family fun in Aroostook County, small towns and rural destinations often have limited access to cultural events. So if you have a chance to go see a free parade while resting on the grass with a blanket and snacks, why not? Decorations To keep the patriotic color scheme to the forefront, try using a red wheelbarrow or red children’s wagon as the ice bucket for your picnic. You need only to add your chosen beer or other bottled beverage along with perhaps a stick flag or two for a finished — and functional — Memorial Day yard decoration. Small to medium red galvanized buckets are a rustic way to house flatware, cookies, and other food goodies while you feast with your family. When you finish eating, make a group activity out of planting affordable flowers that you purchase in flats into the buckets to take with you when visiting the cemetery. Other basic ideas include an abundance of small paper flags on sticks, along with red and white streamers and perhaps a few window clings. And of course, there’s always the classic yellow ribbon tied on trees and porch posts. Crafts Rather than purchase a bunch of decorations for the big weekend, why not make decorations as a family? These paper poppies are an international symbol of remembrance and the red blends in with our standard patriotic color selection of red, white, and blue. This preschool poppy craft is designed more for artists with little hands and recycles home materials creatively. One of the coolest Memorial Day craft ideas I found was this hand and footprint flag from Tip Junkie. It uses paint-covered hands and feet to create a flag on white paper that can be placed into a large frame once it

Rich cocoa whoopie pies filled with a creamy cookie dough frosting. Yum.craving more? check out TasteSpotting

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies.craving more? check out TasteSpotting

Mini Paleo Banana Bread Whoopie Piescraving more? check out TasteSpotting