Good Things by David

A few years ago I showed you some of friend's amazing cakes.   Chef Cyndi  is not only a professional pastry chef, she's also a spokesperson for the markets, Fresh & Easy, which are located on the west coast.  Whenever I'm in the Los Angeles area I always make it a point to visit my dear friend, often times going to a wonderful cafe to chat about what we're up to at the moment.  One of these days I will have to photograph her wonderful sun-filled house that she takes great pride in for you to see.  She's the type of friend who is on speed dial, because she's always willing and able to answer my most pressing questions regarding baking, presentation and other endeavors of mine.  Thank you for putting up with me Cyndi!       These days if she's not busy catering a large event (for hundreds of people at a time), traveling for a grand store opening or guest staring on morning television shows in Los Angeles, she is taping video  seg...

My Coconut Cupcakes are the last word on coconut.  The cake base is flavored with delicious coconut milk, a bit of coconut extract and some finely shredded sweetened coconut flakes to make them ultra tasty and out of this world.  Instead of seven minute frosting that most recipes call for in a coconut cupcake recipe, I use a simple coconut buttercream frosting that is absolutely addictive.  Each cupcake is crowned with more sweetened flaked coconut for all to enjoy.  Make no mistake, you’re going to be tempted to eat one as soon as you start decorating them because they will beckon you to. Ultimate Coconut Cupcakes One good thing about cupcakes is that, not only are they very easy to make and assemble, they’re super quick to bake in the oven.  Twenty minutes at most and you have the most inviting and tempting little coconut cupcakes eagerly awaiting a bit of frosting as soon as they’ve cooled.  Make an giant batch of them for the Easter holiday ...

Here's a post worth revisiting.  Enjoy! Celebrate Easter with the most charming  Hatching Bunny  and the cutest  Barnyard Hen  made from your favorite roll out cookie dough and decorated with sweet royal icing.  This adorable cookie cutter set was the third pair in a series of oversized cutters from the  Martha by Mail  catalog in the late 1990s.  Created out of durable, long-lasting solid copper, the duo has become quite the collector's item for the kitchen and I must say that they happen to be my favorite cookie cutters.  At almost 8" in height, beautiful cookies can be personalized & decorated by you to tuck into Easter baskets of the little ones in your life.  Who wouldn't love a cute bunny coming out of a pastel-colored egg and the lovable, brooding hen that laid it?  In cookie form anything is possible.  If you happen to own these cutters (I know some of you do!), make a f...

There's nothing like the diminutive beauty of crocuses right at the end of winter.  Some of the first pops of color that spring up for the start of the new season, crocuses always put a smile on my face because they signal change & renewal.  I suppose it's because after having those winter months devoid of a lot of color, that I love having something cheerful to focus my eye on when I look out the window.  If I’m baking a cake or a batch of cookies and I happen to look out from one of my sunny kitchen windows onto those cheerful flowers, it is pure bliss. Over the weekend it was just that.  Saturday and Sunday afforded us with some magnificent sunny weather and comfortable temperatures, along with the first signs of crocuses around the bases of our trees and across swaths of lawn.  I wasted no time in taking advantage of the splendid weekend, so I went outdoors after finishing my baking and walked around the house.   Crocus Vernus  ...

Images of eggs are synonymous with the Easter holiday and what better way to capture them than with perfectly iced cookies?  A most charming set of cookie cutters was produced for the Martha by Mail catalog over a decade ago by a very talented American coppersmith.  Made of solid copper, the set of 12 cookie cutters vary in size and shape from 1 1/2” to 5 1/2”, making each one unique.  There’s even a cracked egg! With Easter right around the corner, wouldn’t it be wonderful to bake a few dozen cookies and then decorate them in exquisite shades of royal icing?  Packaged in clear cellophane bags and then tied with appropriate ribbons, waxed twine or even some playful yarn, the cookies can be used in your Easter egg hunt to make it more enticing & sweet.  They can even be tucked into an Easter basket if you’re constructing one for someone special.  Just make sure to make room for them next to those tasty jelly beans or that giant chocolate bunny....

This incredibly rich pound cake is covered in a thick chocolate glaze that pairs perfectly with the tender crumb and sweet flavor of fudge.  It’s always a big hit with those who taste it, which is probably because it satisfies those chocolate cravings that we all seem to get every now and then.  For those of you who have a collection of bundt-style cake pans, this cake is the thing to bake in one of those for a weekend get together or when you’re expecting company.  The finished cake can sit on a nice cake stand made of clear glass, white milk glass or even jadeite if you have one.  Spread the tempting chocolate fudge glaze and set it out for guests to behold.  Make it even more enticing by placing it under a glass dome.  Everyone is going to dive into it as soon as you’re ready to serve it and not a crumb will be left by the end of the day.  Trust me. Ultra delicious.  Ultra rich. Chocolate Fudge Pound Cake.     Choco...