Washi Tape Holiday Photo Shoot with Pure Joy Events

I know I've mentioned before that I'm lucky to be able to work with talented local party stylist and my friend, Christine of Pure Joy Events. Well I was impressed anew by her creativity when we got together 2 weeks ago to shoot these fun DIY holiday craft ideas using pretty Japanese washi tape! Not only did Christine provide me with my first paying photo shoot, but she also pushed my dessert-crafting boundaries again by ordering cake balls (more squares hehe) decorated to match the washi tape and candy cane macarons (I used this recipe but added crushed candy canes to the buttercream).

It all turned out quite well, if I do say so myself =p, and I'm delighted to announce that our shoot's been featured today on The Sweetest Occasion! Trust me, you don't want to miss this post as it includes FREE downloadable gift tags from Frog Prince Paperie, plus a fabulous washi tape GIVEAWAY from Cute Tape. Thanks to Christine and all the contributing vendors for making this shoot a success! I've included some of my favorite photos from the shoot below (several of which didn't make it into the feature) -- enjoy!

Concept + styling: Pure Joy Events / Venue: The Pear Tree Cottage / Washi tape + boxes: Cute Tape / Stationery + printables: Frog Prince Paperie / Sweets + photography: me / Hanging wreath design: The Knock-Knock Factory

Guest Post: Spicy Lentil Tart with Pomegranate and Mint

Those of you who've been reading my blog for some time will know that I eat a mostly vegetarian diet (plus occasional seafood) and am a BIG fan of vegetarian and vegan cooking. One of my long-time favorite blogs has been Veggie num num, written by the wonderful Trudy from Australia. Not only does she take gorgeous photos, she also creates the most creative vegetarian recipes. They're guaranteed to have you drooling whether you're a veggie or meat-lover! I tried her Spanish Chickpea Balls a few months ago and was captivated by the unique spicing. Equally mesmerizing is the savory lentil, pomegranate, and mint tart she's sharing today, which -- believe it or not -- was adapted from a lamb recipe! I'll let her tell you all about it now. Thanks for your stunning guest post and for being such an inspiration to me, Trudy!

I have to say I am a little excited to be here! Without a doubt I am a devoted fan of 6 Bittersweets and Xiaolu’s beautiful inspiring desserts and photography and so thrilled and honoured to be guest posting today!!

I am constantly blown away with Xiaolu’s clever and amazingly scrumptious looking recipes. Her talent for creating truly beautiful and imaginative food is absolutely inspiring. So my first thought when I started to brainstorm ideas for a recipe to share was it must be something elegant and pretty and of course delicious.

Being a vegetarian it can be hard to convince people that you eat interesting, varied and delicious foods. I still think there is a popular misconception out there that vegetarian food is boring and plain and can’t be inspiring and tasty and beautiful in it’s own right.

There is nothing I love more than turning this idea on its head and providing vegetarian recipes that I really hope everyone finds delicious and appealing!!

I had been meaning to experiment with a vegetarian version of a Lebanese tart for some time and thought this post would be the perfect opportunity to do just that. Something I find so rewarding in the kitchen is to take a traditional meat dish and transform it into a vegetarian meal. I love the challenge and the fun of experimenting with different ingredients and flavours and this tart did not disappoint.

Middle Eastern flavours are some of my absolute favourites and this dish is wonderfully fragrant, spicy, colourful and I hope you’ll agree super tasty.

Thank you so very much Xiaolu for the opportunity to share this veggie recipe and I hope you’ll all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating and photographing it for you.

Spicy Lentil Tart with Pomegranate and Mint [Printable Recipe]
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Serves 4

1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry (thawed)
1 free range egg lightly whisked or 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
3 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 Tbsp warm water
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp salt flakes or rock salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 red chili, seeded and finely diced
1/2 cup pine nuts, roasted
1 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
1 tsp sumac
1/2 pomegranate, seeds only

To serve
1/2 cup tahini paste
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 Tbsp water
Extra lemon wedges

Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F.

Bring the stock, lentils, bay leaves and cinnamon stick to a gentle simmer in a large pot, allow to cook for 15-20 minutes over a medium/low heat, stirring occasionally until the lentils are tender and liquid absorbed. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick and strain off any excess liquid, set aside.

Grind the black peppercorns, salt flakes or rock salt, cumin, paprika and coriander seeds together in a mortar & pestle or spice grinder to form a fine spice powder.

Combine the pomegranate molasses with the warm water until smooth, set aside.

Lay the thawed puff pastry sheet out on a baking tray, carefully score a 3cm (1 inch) border around the outside and brush with the prepared egg or non-dairy milk being careful not to brush over the score mark.

Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the pastry just begins to puff and golden, remove from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile fry off the onion in the olive oil for a few minutes over a medium heat in a large frying pan until soft, add the cooked lentils and prepared spice powder and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes over a medium heat.

Add the pomegranate molasses & water mixture and the pine nuts, fry the lentils until they just begin to brown and stick to the bottom of the pan, add the fresh herbs reserving half the mint and stir though.

Spoon the lentil mixture onto the prepared puff pastry sheet, sprinkle over the sumac and return to the oven for 15 minutes until pastry is golden.

Meanwhile whisk the tahini paste with the olive oil, lemon juice and water until smooth.

Remove the tart from the oven a serve sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and reserved mint. Accompany with the tahini dressing and wedges of fresh lemon.

A wonderfully colourful and tasty vegetarian recipe perfect for parties or picnics, enjoy!!

{This recipe was inspired by the Spicy Lebanese Lamb Tart found in ABC’s Delicious Magazine.}

Thin Mint Cupcakes for St. Patty's Day and Another Giveaway!

I've noticed that the older I get and more responsibilities I take on, the easier it becomes to lose touch with old friends. On the other hand, the older I get, the more I realize how much they truly mean to me. Consequently I've recently stepped up my efforts to see or at least chat with more of my friends on a regular basis.

A few weeks ago I caught up with my college roommate M and found out she'd landed an awesome new job in California and would be moving right away. Immediately I was filled with joy for her success along with a twinge of regret for not having seen her more while she was nearby. You see M is the type of friend that opens her life to you and makes you feel comfortable as soon as you see her, whether you last talked a day or a year ago. She's supportive, not a bit judgmental, sweet, and really fun to be around.

What's done was done, but I was presented with the perfect opportunity to support and celebrate her next big step with an invitation to her going-away party. After some persistent research, it came out that she loves mint while her boyfriend M loves chocolate. And here I had just bookmarked a Thin Mint-inspired cupcake recipe days ago...was this meant-to-be or what?

These cupcakes were tender but rich, full of both the chocolate and mint flavors M and M favored. In fact I found these cakes even tastier than the Girl Scout cookies that inspired them! I say this humbly as this recipe is only slightly adapted from Trophy Cupcakes in Seattle, who also created the s'mores cupcakes I made previously (see popular posts in the sidebar). Upon seeing the green of the mint buttercream, I thought these would be great for St. Patrick's Day (coming up on March 17) and couldn't help topping a few with lucky shamrocks =D.

As promised I'm back with yet another giveaway -- this time in conjunction with CSN Stores, which sell everything from cake pans to modern furniture. One lucky reader (US or Canadian residents only) will win a $40 gift certificate that can be used toward ANY product from ANY one of CSN's many sites (shipping not included). To enter, simply do as many of the following as you want and leave a separate comment for each thing you do! The giveaway will close on March 31 at midnight, and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter. THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

• Check out the CSN Stores websites and leave a comment telling me what you'd spend this gift certificate on.
  
• Subscribe to this blog, then leave a comment telling me you did or already do.
• Blog about any food/drink by March 31, and include in your post: a photo of food, a photo of your photography set-up, what effect you were hoping to achieve, what you felt you successfully achieved, and what you still hope to improve upon. Then leave a comment with a link to your blog post.
  
• Link to this giveaway on Facebook, then leave a comment telling me.
• Tweet about this giveaway, then leave a comment telling me.
• Blog about this giveaway, then leave a comment telling me.
  

Chocolate Thin Mint Cupcakes [Printable Recipe]
Adapted from Trophy Cupcakes via For the Love of Design
Makes 12 to 13 cupcakes

XIAOLU'S NOTES: Only make the ganache after you've frosted the cupcakes since the ganache will need to be used immediately. Cupcakes may be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. This recipe could definitely be doubled successfully, since I scaled it down from a recipe from 2 dozen cupcakes.

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup PLUS 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
6 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 cup milk [NOT skim]
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup boiling water

Mint Buttercream (Recipe Below)
Mint Chocolate Ganache (Recipe Below)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease tops of a cupcake pan and then line it with baking liners.

In a large bowl, sift together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add egg, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared cupcake liners, filling no more than 3/4 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick or thin knife inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes, then remove from pans to wire racks to finish cooling.

Once cakes are completely cool, place all but 1/4 to 1/3 cup of buttercream in pastry bag fitted with any long and skinny tip that's good for filling. Insert tip into the center of the cupcake and almost to the bottom. Fill each cupcake with 1 to 2 tablespoons of buttercream. Be careful not to overfill, as the top of the cupcake may come off. Alternately, you may cut a cone out of the top of each cupcake and fill with buttercream (an apple corer works well too). Try to make the top of the buttercream level with the cupcake so that there is a smooth top. Cover and chill the reserved buttercream for piping on as decoration at the end. [Make the ganache at this point.]

Dip each cupcake upside-down into the ganache up to the liner, lift cake out of chocolate, and let excess ganache drip off. Next, turn cupcake right-side up and place on wire rack to let ganache set (about 1 hour). (If ganache begins to harden before all of the cupcakes are dipped you may heat for 5-second intervals in a microwave until chocolate is smooth again).

Once ganache is completely set, take the leftover buttercream out of the fridge. Stir to smooth it out. If too stiff to pipe, let sit at room temperature until it softens a little. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip or a small plastic zipper-lock bag. If using a zipper-lock bag, snip off a small corner of the bag. To make a shamrock design like this on top of each cupcake, start by piping 4 clover leaves by squeezing straight down to form 4 circular blobs. Then pipe a stem from between 2 leaves. You could also pipe a flower or any other desired pattern or message on top. Enjoy!

Mint Buttercream
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp mint extract
Pinch of salt
Drop of green food coloring (optional)

Cream butter using an electric mixer. When butter is soft and fluffy, start adding sifted powdered sugar a little at a time. When all of the sugar is incorporated, add salt, and mint extract. Add food coloring, if using. Beat until creamy.

Mint Chocolate Ganache
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate (chips or finely chopped bar)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp unsalted butter
3/4 tsp mint extract

Make ganache after you fill the cupcakes with buttercream. Place chocolate in a medium to large bowl. Bring heavy cream, butter, and mint extract just to a boil. Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate and let sit for about 5 minutes. Begin stirring mixture and continue stirring until the mixture is uniform and smooth (may take about 5 minutes of stirring). Use immediately.

Mojito...(Yea You Guessed It) Cupcakes!

My friend's boyfriend, Eric, had his birthday recently and threw a huge birthday bash. His friends are the reason I've heard of "icing." Let's just say they know how to party. A good strategy for getting everyone pumped up? Give your party a theme and have drinks to match. Skittles, in this case. Even as food-obsessed as I am, I'd never have thought to base a party around a candy. Guests were asked to dress head-to-toe in their favorite Skittles color (classic flavors only) and rewarded with Skittles-infused vodka shots. I'm pretty "girly" when it comes to drinks and prefer to taste the alcohol as little as possible. So I admit these shots tasted like rubbing alcohol to me, though with a fruity edge.

One drink I can handle, even when made a bit stronger, is the Almighty Mojito. Seriously, how can you not love the taste of summer in a glass? I reckon you can't 8p. But I'm no bartender, plus vodka was clearly the poison of choice for the party. My thoughts predictably turned to that certain perfectly portable baked gift: The Cupcake. My starting point, a classic vegan recipe that produces wonderfully moist morsels. Without eggs or butter, the key mojito flavors of mint, lime, and rum could shine unhindered. Rounding things off, pretty swirls of cream cheese frosting with extra zing from a squeeze of lime juice. Thankfully, I was right to count on Eric's friends having a healthy appreciation for this classic cocktail. These and some red velvet cupcakes made by another friend were gone within the hour =).

Mojito Cupcakes! [Printable Recipe]
Adapted from VCTOTW and VeganYumYum
Makes 12 cupcakes

XIAOLU'S NOTES: You'll need about 4 limes total for this recipe, if you garnish with lime slices. Otherwise, you'll only need 2. For the frosting, know that cream cheese can become runny when overbeaten, so mix only as long as needed for each step.

1 cup milk or soymilk
1/2 C fresh mint, roughly chopped and bruised
Zest and juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp juice)
2 tsp dark rum
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola or other neutral oil
3/4 cup sugar
Lime Rum Frosting (Recipe below)
2 more limes sliced OR fresh mint leaves, to garnish

Combine milk and mint leaves in a small pot over medium heat until hot but NOT BOILING. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Pass the milk through a strainer to remove mint leaves, but press on the leaves to extract as much flavor as possible. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a regular 12-cup muffin pan with baking liners. Whisk the mint-infused milk and lime juice in a measuring cup and set aside for a few minutes to get good and curdled.

In large bowl, combine the sugar and lime zest and rub thoroughly to infuse the sugar with lime flavor. Add the milk mixture, oil, and rum, if using, and beat thoroughly. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix until no large lumps remain [small ones are okay].

Fill cupcake liners two-thirds of the way and bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack, and let cool completely. Pipe or spread frosting on cupcakes and garnish with lime slices.

Lime Rum Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, cold and cut into 6 chunks
Pinch of salt
2 tsp dark rum
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 to 2 drops green food coloring, optional

Cream the butter, sugar, and salt together just until fully combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing. Add the cold cream cheese a chunk at a time, waiting until each is incorporated before adding the next. Add the rum and lime juice and mix just until incorporated. Taste the frosting, adding more sugar if needed. Add the food coloring, if using, one drop at a time and combining thoroughly after each, until you have the color you want.

A Sweet Ending (Strawberry N' Cream Cupcakes)

It's still hard to believe the end finally arrived, but last Tuesday was my last day as a paralegal (ever!). My fellow departing paras and I were planning a celebratory happy hour. But I also wanted to thank the other coworkers who'd befriended and guided me through the past 3 years. They'd given me something to look forward to every day at the firm, and that was no small thing :). At the least, they deserved a parting with a personal touch.

Armed with a pile of cards the weekend before, I began preparing thank you notes to each of them. And along with those, cupcakes inspired by the quintessential summer dessert, strawberry shortcake. Recalling last year's strawberry cake, I couldn't help but make a number of tweaks to bring out this cupcake's full potential. For me, a sprinkling of mint and Kirsch added just the right amount of depth to the filling, but it's completely optional.

In the end, I was really happy I chose to say goodbye in person, and everyone seemed to enjoy my parting gift =D. My eyes misted over quite a few times throughout the day. Despite all the times when I wasn't sure I'd make it from one day to the next, I knew I'd genuinely miss this place and the personal connections I'd made. Which brings me to a question I'd like to ask of you all. I really want to stay in touch with my work friends, including older attorneys, but have never been much good at it. Do you have any tips from your own job/life transition experiences?

Strawberry N' Cream Cupcakes [Printable Recipe]
Makes 24 cupcakes

XIAOLU'S NOTES: These cupcakes are what I'd call "delicate beauties" that need to be devoured quickly lest they wilt in the heat. They'll keep, if chilled, for a couple days after assembly. You can also make the components and chill them until ready to serve. You'll have a good amount of filling and frosting left over, but fortunately they're good on their own, too!

Vanilla Cupcakes (Recipe below)
Whipped Cream Frosting (Recipe below)
2 quarts strawberries, hulled [reserve the 12 smallest & prettiest and slice the rest]
1/2 cup sugar, or more to taste
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp fresh mint, finely minced (optional)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp Kirsch (optional but highly recommended)

Toss strawberries several times in a bowl with sugar, lemon juice, mint, vanilla, and Kirsch (if using) until very syrupy and set aside. Make whipped cream frosting (see below).

Use a paring knife to cut a shallow cone in the middle top of the cupcake. Spoon some strawberries with syrup over top, allowing it to absorb into cupcakes. Top each with a dollop of cream frosting and a strawberry half. Enjoy!

Vanilla Cupcakes
Adapted from Amy Sedaris

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the tops of 2 standard muffin tins, then line with 24 paper liners. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a different larger bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix until combined into the batter. Then add the vanilla and mix again. Finally alternately beat in dry ingredients and milk. Fill liners until they are about 2/3 full (I like to use my large cookie scoop for this). Bake for 16 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely.

Whipped Cream Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature [reduced-fat is fine]
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream

Place cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment [or use a large mixing bowl and hand-held mixer]. Whisk at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Reduce speed to low and add heavy cream in slow, steady stream; then increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture holds stiff peaks, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes more, scraping bowl as needed (you should have about 4 1/2 cups).