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Showing posts with label Jessica. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jessica. Show all posts

Friday, January 20, 2012

Crazy Week!

This is just a short post to let you know that I have not fallen off the face of the earth! I am very grateful to my friend and cohort, Debbie, for posting her Oatmeal Apple Bars, since there would have been a lot of dead air if she hadn't. And they are delicious and healthy too! I just can't get over that!
Some of the many cookies we decorated
Yesterday I had a wonderful visit from my friend Jessica from Sugar High 5280! She brought dozens of wonderful baked cookies in modified square and cupcake shapes. We spent the afternoon decorating! Fun! Well, I should say she spent the afternoon trying to teach me and I spent the afternoon making a mess! I did finally get a little better and I really enjoyed her techniques. I don't know that I will ever be able to make the grade on decorating cookies. It would take a lot of practice. I've been spending that practice time on baking and decorating cakes (which take much less fine detail). I might be able to find some time to pursue her passion...
I just really want to thank her for her generosity and patience! What a wonderful person!

Cupcakes were fun!

Painted flowers-too difficult!
 These are examples of our work. Bet you can guess which ones are mine! When we finished she left us all the cookies to enjoy! She said we could freeze them...do you think Mike or Bill will let that happen?
Shhhh!!!
That said, I did get some baking done today. I will have to just give you that teaser because I'm still working on the surprise. I think this one is really good (I hope). Check in tomorrow and I hope to have it ready for you!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Such an Exciting Sunday!

We are so pleased to announce that the Broncos overpowered the Steelers (can you believe it) in overtime on Sunday! That was so exciting! Good luck against New England on Saturday, Denver!

During the family viewing (read:screaming, yelling, jumping around) of this amazing game we had a visit from my friend, Jessica, and her husband, Shawn. Jessica and I took cake decorating classes from The Makery together. She is a transplant from Chicago so we have the shared experience of establishing a new home recently. Jessica loves art and even incorporates that into woodworking! She is amazing! So, of course she is an artist when decorating also. 

Jessica recently began baking and decorating cookies and cupcakes under the name "Sugar High" in Denver. So her visit was especially joyous! She brought some of her goodies for us to sample! Score!

Even the boxes are adorable!
 Jessica brought two types of cookies and two types of cupcakes! The decorating was so sophisticated. We'll start with the cookies. 

All the beautiful cookies!
I opened the box of cookies to show everyone at home and the painted flower cookies were on top. I thought those were amazing. They have so much detail and each one is individual while continuing the theme throughout. The pale blue/grey/silver coloring is amazing. Love them!
Painted flower cookies
It wasn't until I began to take pictures that I found out there were actually two layers of cookies! Bonus! On the bottom of the box rested the most beautiful surprise! Hibiscus cookies! They look just like the ones in Hawaii! A little vacation in a cookie box! 
Hibiscus flower cookies
I was so pleased with my treats and special "finds" but realized that I needed to move along to the cupcakes. As I arranged these lovely cupcakes I was sad to find that I had crushed the beautiful white chocolate hearts that were delicately placed atop two of the cupcakes. Sad... So I don't have the hearts to show you. You will just have to take my word for it that they were gorgeous and and I DID NOT EAT THEM before pictures! Honest! (there is just the littlest remnant on the top left cookie as proof that it was there!)
Yummy red velvet with white flower icing and chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate fudge icing
Now Jessica and I both have a mantra (we are both equally obsessed), "It may be beautiful but it is meant to be eaten, so it must taste amazing". Now to the favorite part of the sampling! Tasting, of course!

The cookies were a wonderful consistency with lovely not overly sweet taste with just a hint of citrus. The cookies were the perfect taste to support the sweet icing. My husband is extremely picky about the taste and texture of baked goods (gee, do you think he has to taste too many?) and declared these cookies to be one of his favorites. They reminded him of the yummy Christmas iced cookies that have plenty of icing (a major requirement for him). Well done, Jessica!

There were two flavors of cupcakes; red velvet and vanilla with chocolate chip. The chocolate chip was supported by a wonderful vanilla cake that was moist and flavorful without being overly soggy or heavy. I would have liked more of the tiny chocolate chips but that is probably because I'm a chocolate freak (Jessica must have heard me because the other vanilla cupcake was filled with chocolate!). This cupcake and icing were a wonderful combination. The red velvet was delicious (red, not brown like mine) and had a wonderful cream cheese filling in each! Nice surprise! Success! 

I want to wish Jessica, and Sugar High a sweet future with their cupcake and cookie offerings. You are a wonderful baker, Jessica, and extraordinarily creative decorating artist. Thank you for sharing with my family!

If you want to see more of Sugar High's offerings please email Jessica.