Cakes: Suite of Sweets

Photo gallery: 

Chocoholics

This imagined couple craved a sophisticated spin on the candy bar concept, as well as decadent his-and-her cakes

Rockabilly

This suite was dreamed up for a hipster couple who love homemade details almost as much as homegrown flavors...and each other

Southern

This wedding was envisioned as a nostalgic gathering for two die-hard Southerners who would serve family recipes and bring out the good china for a grand affair

Suite of Sweets Behind the Scenes

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Two swatches of Deco-era lace inspired the wedding cake by Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal. Its flaxen gold base created a terrific backdrop for the snow white piping. The Village Bakery & Café tackled the groom’s cake, making a 12-inch, three-layer hummingbird cake iced in cream-cheese frosting. Calligrapher Elizabeth Porcher Jones wrote the names of the sweets on hand-cut wood veneer labels with a burn pen.

Dessert Signage
•    2 8mm-thick sheets of birch veneer (available from Michael’s)
•    Template shape to trace
•    Burn pen
•    X-acto knife and cutting board
•    Scissors
•    Pencil

Outline the shape of your template with a pencil, and repeat to fill your sheet. Cut around your outline with scissors, use the X-acto knife to cut small spaces. Once cut out completely, burn edges with burn pen to smooth out your cut and give it an antiqued effect. Write dessert name in pencil then trace text with burn pen.

Découpaged Welcome Favor Boxes
Makes one dozen boxes
•    12 kraft-colored square jewelry boxes, 2” deep
•    3-4 sheets of decorative paper in coordinating colors (one semi-opaque)
•    Scissors or die cut machine
•    Matte Mod Podge
•    Med-size paintbrush

Cut out about 100 pieces of paper in your chosen shape(s) with scissors or die cut machine. Using Mod Podge, generously cover one area of your box. While still wet, place one cut sheet on the box and cover with more Mod Podge. Repeat step 2 and 3, overlapping pieces, until desired look is reached.

Wire Family Cake Topper
To create your own copper topper, buy bendable wire from a craft store then use a jewelry-sized set of needle-nose pliers to shape and form a family (for a wedding that creates a blended family), a bride and groom, or a word, like “love.”

Cloth To-Go Candy Bags
(makes 24 bags)
•    1 yard of 3 different fabrics in coordinating colors (makes about 24)
•    12-14” dinner plate or circular object to use as template
•    7 yards of ribbon (ties 24)
•    Pinking shears
•    Seven or so cotton balls for batting

Trace circle template on fabric  (8 fits comfortably on 1 yard). Cut out each circle with pinking shears. Cut 10” strips of ribbon to use for ties. Create one example by placing cotton balls in middle of circle and bring up edges to gather at top, then secure with ribbon. Place a small sign encouraging guests to “pack their bags” with candy.

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Spiced Apple Pie Lollipops

Serves: 

12

Here’s the recipe from Jennifer Meintel Parezo from Twenty Six Divine for the pie pops she’s showcased here.

Ingredients: 

Sweet pie dough
Butter, cubed 6 oz.
Sugar 1 Tbsp
Salt (kosher) ¼ tsp
Cake flour 8 oz.
All-Purpose flour 2 oz.
Baking powder ¼ tsp
Cream cheese, cubed 4 ½ oz.
Water, chilled 2 Tbsp
Apple cider vinegar ¼ tsp

Apple Filling
Apples, Granny Smith & Fuji 4 total, 2 ea.
(Peeled, & medium diced)
Sugar ¼ cup
Brown sugar ¼ cup
Honey 2 Tbsp
Cinnamon ¼ tsp
Vanilla bean 1 ea.
Allspice 1/8 tsp
Cloves 1/8 tsp
Apricot jam 3 Tbsp
Salt (kosher) ¼ tsp
Cornstarch 2 Tbsp
Water 2 Tbsp

To build pie lollipops You will need
3” round cutter
Pastry brush
Fork
Decorative cutter
Lollipop sticks
Raw sugar

Directions: 

Sweet pie dough
Place butter, sugar, & salt in electric mixer with paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for one minute. Add cream cheese & mix one minute. Sift in dry ingredients & gently work in by hand into butter mixture to break up bigger pieces. Continue mixing on medium low while gradually adding vinegar & cold water until just combined. Do not over-mix. Wrap & chill for at least one hour.

Apple Filling
In medium saucepan bring first 10 ingredients to light simmer on medium low heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes on low heat uncovered. Combine cornstarch and water to make a slurry and slowly pour into apple mixture while stirring. Let cook 1-2 additional minutes. Take off heat and cool.

To build pie lollipops You will need
Prepare egg wash by mixing 1 yolk, ¼ cup milk, 1/8 tsp sugar, and 1/8 tsp salt (kosher). Prepare a half sheet pan with parchment paper. Roll out chilled pie dough onto floured surface 1/8” thick. Cut 12 circles with 3” round cutter & place onto sheet pan. Place lollipop sticks starting from the top of each circle firmly, but not completely through, each pie circle. Place 1 tsp of apple filling in the center of each dough circle, leaving a rim around to outside of each one. Freeze for 15-20 minutes. Roll out 12 more 3”-pie circles. Brush the egg wash on the rim of dough surrounding the filling and cover and seal with the remaining circles. Gently press the edges together with fork. Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar. Chill for 1 hour. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.