Pure Bliss Confections

Sabbatical

2011-06-22T11:42:00.004-05:00

It has been a very busy spring and Pure Bliss is taking a nice summer break. We hope to be back with more yummy baked goods soon, but in the meantime, we will be filling our tummies with non-baked goodies like ice cream. Lots and lots of ice cream.

In This Corner...

2011-01-21T16:24:00.005-06:00

I know every Thursday, in most American homes, chocolate cupcakes with ingredients like sour cream and brown sugar and dutch-processed cocoa sqaure off against each other in a battle of wits. ...okay, maybe it's just my house.
In one corner, a gooey, extremely tender-crumbed rich chocolate cupcake and in the other, a light and airy chocolate cupcake. Well, it didn't take long to find the real winner, at least according to the members of this household. We (okay, I) licked the cupcake paper just to get every last bit of the cake out. And that's coming from a girl who doesn't love chocolate. This guy is GOOD. And he'll be debuting as a full-fledged 10-incher on Monday afternoon.

Happy Birthday JT!

2011-01-21T16:21:00.003-06:00

Some eight-year-olds just can't get enough of chocolate cake with espresso pastry cream and mocha buttercream. Oh, and those chocolate-covered coffee beans... can't forget about those.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cajeta

2011-01-13T20:31:00.005-06:00

We're still in the throes of taste testing and will be for a while yet. Below you'll find a warmly spiced banana cake with chocolate chips inside and out. It is topped with a puddle of cajeta and light chantilly cream.
Cakes are generally easier to taste test in cupcake form. Otherwise, you can imagine the size of my family and neighbors and co-workers at the end of the testing season! The beautiful banana chocolate chip layer cake is filled with cajeta, fresh banana slices, and chantilly cream.

Delicious and fresh and perfect for banana lovers.

Desserts for a Delightful Crowd

2011-01-06T20:55:00.005-06:00

In November, the little sister of one of my very best friends was married in her home town of New Orleans. But, also being a Texas girl at heart, Emily had her bachelorette party here in Cowtown. I provided the desserts. Is this a great backdrop to sweets or what?

If there was a star of the show, it was these bride-requested red velvet and carrot cupcakes with mascarpone and cream cheese icing, topped with the couple's monogram.

These warmly spiced madeleines, a shell-shaped sponge cake-like cookie, and more savory rosemary orange madeleines were lightly dusted with powdered sugar.

Seriously. Rich and fudgy brownies. With perfectly ripe raspberries. No need for explanation.

The bottom tier is filled with french almond macarons, half filled with a strawberry buttercream topped with a strawberry puree and the other half filled with a soft caramel. The top tier is stacked up with homemade marshmallows: raspberry, chocolate, vanilla almond, and the big winner of the night, pumpkin spice.

I had a great time perfecting these recipes and am really looking forward to the next dessert-themed bash. Congratulations, Emily and Brandon. I would bake for you even if I didn't already like you so much.

Taste Testing in the New Year

2011-01-06T20:06:00.003-06:00

I'm not one for New Year's resolutions, but one great thing about the calendar turning from December to January is that I am all geared up for taste testing recipes again. It's just that time of year, I guess. This time we were testing a lemon poppyseed recipe with an almond cream cheese frosting.

They're a hit! I can't wait to box up the rest of these pink polka-dotted beauties and send them post haste to my favorite taste testers at the FWPD.

I love you, Emile Henry.

2011-01-06T20:02:00.000-06:00

For making beautiful things that become beautiful Christmas presents that bake beautiful pies like this one.

This chocolate cream pie is incredibly rich and creamy with decandent chantilly cream and an organic chocolate cream cookie crust. Yum.

Christmas Cake

2011-01-06T19:52:00.003-06:00

Here's the delicious Chocolate Cinnamon cake with an espresso pastry cream filling and mocha buttercream. This one is especially perfect for all those latte lovers in your life.

Festooned for the season, of course.

Pumpkin Paradise

2010-10-22T12:57:00.005-05:00

One of my friends from college recently had a pumpkin-themed baby shower to celebrate her impending bundle of joy. Everything was very autumnal down to the adorable doughnut hole "acorns". Super fun. I added this pumpkin-shaped Apple Spice Cake to round out the theme.

A light brown sugar meringue buttercream covered the outside and fondant was used for the leaves and stem.

Yum. The season of comfort food has officially begun.

Pretty Little Co-ed Wedding Showers

2010-07-24T17:25:00.002-05:00

Happy nearly wedding to Dan and Lindsay B. I hope you enjoyed your elegant co-ed wedding shower sugar cookies on what may have been the most major downpour of the year in west central Fort Worth.

My husband and I surely enjoyed the leftovers!

Mascarpone, will you marry me?

2010-07-12T09:00:00.003-05:00

Or just come live with me every day? I promise to treat you right. Alright, alright. Really, this tart is very simple. Delightfully sweet and spicy gingersnap crust. Luscious, rich cream cheese and mascarpone filling. Perfectly ripe nectarines sliced thinly and layered on top. Perfect and refreshing for a warm summer day.

The only complaint came from my husband who thinks nectarines look too much like peaches and the tart made him long for a peach and mascarpone tart. Which would also have been delightful. This beautiful 11" tart is even better the second day. You know, if there's anything left.

It's a... CAKE!

2010-07-06T08:56:00.006-05:00

A good friend of mine asked me a few months ago to make a cake that would reveal their little baby's gender to she and her husband and a room full of curious guests. And I thought time passed slowly for the expectant mother! It sure was tough on the expectant baker, too. I couldn't wait! And neither could Cassie and her husband; they found out the day before. It's a boy! The cake turned out beautifully on the inside and I was grateful to have cleaned all the blue dye off my hands before I delivered the cake to the party. No one was any the wiser until the moment of truth. The cake, by the way, is the yummy and perfectly moist Vanilla Buttermilk cake and is filled with Strawberries and Cream. Cassie's mother cut the cake and sure was excited! This will be her third grandson. Time to party.

The Big Number 2

2010-06-16T10:17:00.004-05:00

My little one turned two this past Saturday and I made him a cake featuring one of his very favorite words, "bird". I've been experimenting with a new homemade fondant. It's delicious, but I still have some finer tweeks to work out with it. Here it is in action for the first time.
The cake is the Pure White cake mentioned in the sidebar. It's very light with a hint of lemon. The buttercream is wonderfully light and not too sweet. Perfect to garnish the cake without adding too much sugar.
Yum. Happy 2nd birthday.

The World is Eaten

2010-05-19T11:24:00.003-05:00

No, no, you're not looking at the earth from space, this is an incredibly delicious vanilla bean cake layered with tart lemon cream. Perfect for a "We Think the World of You" party to send off beloved teachers not returning to Covenant Classical School.
I was grateful for my new skills in paper cutting for this cake, and I'm pretty sure I made my ex-geography teacher mother proud. Below is a 12-inch double chocolate birthday party cake.

Here's a sneak peek into the behind-the-scenes action. This is the bowl of velvety ganache that I have to turn around every time I make the double chocolate cake. Delicious.

Finally, don't forget to celebrate your 2010 graduates! Buy a sweet treat to feed a party or a 6" cake to celebrate simply. It's always a good time for dessert!

Catching Up

2010-05-07T08:52:00.006-05:00

I've been slow to download pictures lately, but here's a small taste of what I've been up to in the past few weeks.

Happy Birthday to the drum loving Mason. When I delivered this cake, he was happily and appropriately drumming away in the garage. I hope you enjoyed the cake!
Here is Covenant's April Birthday Cake. It's a light, but wonderfully delicious vanilla bean cake with lemon cream filling. In honor of springtime, I added these cream chocolate butterflies.

Easter Never Gets Old

2010-04-09T13:56:00.003-05:00

And neither do Easter cookies, really, though it's possible that is because they are never given the opportunity. I know the leftovers of this order were gobbled up by my family pretty quickly. I received an order for 4 dozen Easter cookies and immediately knew I would enjoy making these. Since I was without my in-house photographer, the pictures are scarce, much like the cookies by the following afternoon.

These sugar cookies are delicious and soft, covered in perfectly sweet royal icing decorations. Indeed, stacks and stacks of chicks, butterflies, tulips, and at least a dozen Easter eggs are a really fun way to celebrate the arrival of spring and salvation.

Cake Balls

2010-03-22T15:35:00.005-05:00

Someone, who shall remain nameless, has long requested that I make cake balls. So, here they are in all their small-bite-of-heaven glory.

Represented here are vanilla bean with lemon curd cake balls dressed in a sweet white chocolate and red velvet with cream cheese mascarpone icing in a bittersweet chocolate coating. I'm sure more variations will come, but for now, I think these turned out successfully.
The only unsuccessful attempt during cake ball madness was coloring the red velvet cake green to honor spring. Instead of a beautiful spring green, they honored the good ol' Grinch. That is why the chocolate cake balls have a nice green drizzle. I could tell you were curious.

Though small, these cake balls are hearty and I wouldn't serve more than two or three per person. Unless you have a houseful of college-aged boys playing Settlers of Catan, in which case they might gobble them all up pretty quickly.

Engagement Cookies

2010-03-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

I was pleasantly surprised by a sweet lady who ordered sugar cookies for an engagement party a few weeks back. She had clearly done her research into cookie ordering and I think these turned out just as she was hoping. We also recalled a good lesson when you're party-planning with the male species, Be Flexible! These little darlings went through a few changes before they finally got gussied up for the big night.

Packed up for their cross-town trip

By the way, these are made with a delicious and lightly sweet sugar cookie dough that takes a lot of a baker's self-control not to eat right out of the bowl. They are decorated with royal icing and marshmallow fondant.

Cowboys Don't Take Showers

2010-03-15T14:04:00.004-05:00

Here's a large double chocolate cake I made for a little boy's baby shower a few weeks ago. The hostesses requested that it not be "too baby", but I couldn't help adding a few feminine flowers for the women who would be devouring the cake.

Welcome Baby Boy Cook!

Well Done Cupcakes!

2010-03-05T12:57:00.004-06:00

The next time you need a little incentive or treat for your staff or co-workers, your kids' teachers, or hey, just for yourself, consider cupcakes! These red velvet cupcakes with mascarpone cream cheese icing do the trick very nicely.

At $1.50 a cupcake, you can enjoy a box of these delicious minis and barely dent the petty cash. Now, that's a way to celebrate!

Baby Shower Pink

2010-03-01T14:56:00.003-06:00

Last weekend, I made two 9" cakes to take part in a dessert shower (the very best kind of party, I think) for a coming baby girl. The first, with a vines and leaves pattern, is a light vanilla bean cake with the wonderfully rich and tart lemon cream filling, iced in a light lemon buttercream.

The second cake is a deep dark double chocolate cake iced and filled with a rich chocolate ganache.

Boys might be great fun, but I will always love the sweet and delicate touches that accompany treats for little girls. Now, who wants a full tray of petit fours?

Romantical Considerations

2010-02-24T14:44:00.006-06:00

I guess it's all due to the month of love, because I have been really busy whipping up love-themed cakes. Of course, it never hurts that the celebration of the many forms of love is a great reason for dessert.

Congratulations, Maggie and Mark, on your impending nuptuals!

February Birthdays...

2010-02-15T11:33:00.002-06:00

at Covenant Classical School require vanilla buttermilk cakes with espresso pastry cream, mocha buttercream, and chocolate-covered espresso beans, just for fun.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T00:01:00.003-06:00

"There is no remedy for love but to love more."

- Henry David Thoreau

The Big Tumblebus, It Is'a Comin' Down The Street

2010-02-08T20:39:00.006-06:00

And it's for Isaac. All a brand new four-year-old needs is chocolate cake with orange frosting and a travling gymnastics bus. Pretty exciting.

A few weeks ago, I began working on what I will entitle "Adrian's Baking Projects". ABP #1, individual pavlovas. They were perfect. Lightly sweetened and crisp meringue cups filled with chantilly cream and topped with sugared fruit. Mmm, the sweet taste of success.

You can certainly order any of the baking projects I'm working on this spring, or if you'd like, feel inspired to go out and make your own. There's no time like the present for creating delicious dishes in the kitchen that everyone will enjoy!

Hoping for an Early Spring

2010-01-25T11:10:00.003-06:00

For a few weeks in December and January, us North Texans had some unusually cold weather. I believe it had most of us hoping for an early spring. We had a hint of spring last week, just in time to be enjoyed with a light, but flavorful Vanilla Bean cake with smooth and tart luscious lemon cream filling and light lemon buttercream.
Simple and fresh, this cake can truly be enjoyed any time of year. It is an especially delicious cake and perfect for anyone looking for a change from chocolate.

Pregnant Mommies Love Cake

2010-01-16T11:27:00.004-06:00

And so do their friends and co-workers who come together to celebrate with rattles, blankies, and pretty food. I feel like showers are some of the best opportunities to serve the kind of treats we used to admire at tea parties. If only we still had tea parties...

This is the 12-inch, very popular, double chocolate cake with ganache. The flowers and carriage are made with fondant.

There has been a lot of deep, dark chocolate to keep us happy during the holidays, but next week I'm baking up a hint of spring with a vanilla bean cake with luscious lemon cream filling. I'm also working on some new recipes and offerings and will, hopefully, be posting those here as well in the near future. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you would like to see!

Merry January Seventh!

2010-01-07T18:58:00.004-06:00

Since I took a couple of weeks away from the computer for the holidays, I'll post two of the cakes I made in December. If your New Year's resolution is to celebrate Christmas all year long, these cakes might just help!

First, a festive red and green Christmas Eve cake perfectly fit for a grand celebration. Underneath the decoration, this is the very popular double chocolate cake with rich chocolate ganache. Who could resist?

Secondly, I have a rich and creamy flourless chocolate torte. Perfect alongside a cup of tea or espresso, you'll try to say no to this cake, but just continue to put it in your mouth anyway. Trust me.

If you haven't made a resolution for the new year, I think a great choice would be to celebrate more. Maybe you shouldn't eat a whole cake by yourself, but I'm sure you can think of a few reasons to gather your friends and family around the table to celebrate and enjoy a piece or two of something sweet. It's sure to be a yummy year.

Chocolate + Cinnamon = Best Friends Forever

2009-12-18T13:09:00.004-06:00

I, unlike most women, am not a chocoholic. However, chocolate is always hard for me to resist when it's coupled with the warm flavor and fragrance of cinnamon. Yum. Below is a chocolate butter cake with luxuriously smooth cinnamon pastry cream, enjoyed for a November birthday.

Imagine how difficult it is for me not to eat all of the cinnamon pastry cream right out of the bowl! The design on this cake, geared toward fall colors on a light chocolate buttercream, was inspired by a beautiful print from a coffee mug. Inspiration comes from everywhere!

Unfortunately, the deadline has passed to order a cake for Christmas, but you can always consider ringing in the New Year with something sweet from Pure Bliss Confections!

Apple Tarts

2009-12-11T11:01:00.004-06:00

I love tarts, if you didn't already know. They're beautiful, and always seem just a little more feminine, a little lighter, and a just a bit french. I made a delicious apple tart for our Thanksgiving celebration. I used the best Golden Delicious and Cortland apples and they did not disappoint. I'm not one who thinks apple pastries should be relegated to the summer and fall. We should enjoy these goodies all year long!

With perfectly ripe apples, a dusting of sugar, a lightly sweet and buttery crust, and hey, a nice dollop of vanilla whipped cream, there will be thanksgiving for this tart any day of the year.

Thanksgiving with Cupcakes

2009-11-28T10:56:00.003-06:00

Nothing says "I appreciate you" quite like tasty treats. Consider treating your co-workers or friends with cupcakes for a birthday, holiday celebration or to brighten up a Monday!

Who would turn down a cutie like this? Add a flower or note for extra personality.

Did someone say German Chocolate??

2009-11-19T06:52:00.004-06:00

Indeed, someone did. This light chocolate cake covered in gooey and sweet pecan-y goodness tops quite a few favorite lists.

Speaking of favorites, featured below is someone-near-and-dear-to-me's favorite pie, Key Lime. I have a feeling that this pie, with its perfect, buttery graham cracker crust and creamy and delectable key lime filling topped with light meringue is a favorite of many of yours as well. And if it's not, maybe you should give this pie a try! You'll be headed to Florida to pick your own key limes in no time!

Blossoms for Every Season

2009-11-03T11:17:00.005-06:00

I made this Pear Blossom cake last spring to celebrate the new season. The sugar flowers are as yummy as they are pretty. I have also adapted this cake with bright colors for summer and orange to welcome fall, making this cake infinitely customizable for your event.

The blossom cake is simply beautiful with a touch of whimsy. Imagine your favorite colors in bloom.

A Little Mocha

2009-10-28T13:02:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, I delivered the birthday cake for Covenant Classical School's monthly celebration. I knew the cake was good, but the reception was even better than I could have expected. Of course, top anything with chocolate-covered coffee beans, and you're going to get a favorable response.

This is a 10" vanilla buttermilk cake with espresso pastry cream filling and mocha buttercream. Yum!

Little Cakes

2009-09-21T16:27:00.003-05:00

Six inch cakes are a joy forever. Have them for a "smash" cake, an intimate party, or (just between us) a party of one. Even a small celebration calls for dessert!

Cho-co-late.

2009-09-04T00:02:00.004-05:00

Apparently, people like it. Here's a little more birthday via the double chocolate cake. This design is even more stunning in black and white.

All You Need Are Tarts

2009-08-27T20:36:00.004-05:00

I love a great celebratory cake, but if you want something a little different, a little French, and a little extra fancy, consider having a tart instead!

Below is an extraordinary Pear Tart with Almond Cream. The cream is rich, the crust is slightly sweet and the combination with the pear lets you know this tart is extra special.

The next tart may not look like much, but the moment the rich cream enters your mouth, you'll know it was meant to be. A Lemon Cream tart, this delectable pastry was my very own birthday "cake" and it did not disappoint! Have this for dessert and you will make any old day a special occasion.

Perfect in the summer, the next tart has a foundation of luxurious vanilla bean pastry cream and is topped with loads of fresh berries and a sweet fruit glaze. Casual or fancy, this will make your next seasonal party a big hit!

So, you say you like chocolate?

2009-08-19T21:36:00.004-05:00

As requested, here are two layers of double chocolate cake with super rich and yummy ganache inside and out. For you chocolate lovers, this is it. Happy birthday to you all.

And happy birthday to my mother, who will hopefully devour a big piece of this little beauty tomorrow.

Birthdays and Everydays

2009-08-17T16:46:00.004-05:00

I have had a lot of opportunities lately to bake for family and friends. Below, for you gluten-free folks, is a wonderfully dense and luscious Flourless Chocolate Torte. Fantastic with a glass of milk or an espresso and some ripe berries.

I make pies, too! Here is a velvety smooth Banana Cream Pie with a slightly sweet, flaky crust.

Featured below is one of my husband's personal favorites, a triple layer Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

And in this little box...

you'll find twenty Strawberry and Chocolate-Cinnamon cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream and Vanilla Marshmallow Fondant, perfect for any bowling alley birthday party. Happy Birthday, Sadie!
Cupcakes are so easy to personalize and so good to eat! What can we bake to make your next party extra special?

Cupcakes

2009-06-26T13:07:00.006-05:00

I've had a great time making and decorating cupcakes. Generally, they're created to use up leftover buttercream or cake batter and sent to my husband's workplace or my mother's school. However they come about, individually portioned, very tasty cakes are always a hit and a great addition to any day.

The Kick Off

2009-06-24T15:25:00.002-05:00

Here we go! Thanks for all the support to get Pure Bliss to this place. I hope you all enjoy seeing what comes out of my kitchen and I hope some of it makes it into your stomachs!