Campaign for a Sweeter America

Politics and baking...these are a few of my favorite things!
Pillsbury is currently promoting their new line of reduced sugar mixes and frostings (possibly the only time boxed atrocities shall be mentioned here). I check gothamist.com everyday and saw that the Pillsbury Doughboy would be passing out cake 4 blocks from my office. Of course I had to go!!! I dragged a co-worker with me and we took pictures and got pens and buttons! Because they are using a campaign theme, Doughboy had "Secret Service" protection as well...very cute.
Also, there is a picture of the croissants I made last weekend-learning to make puff pastry was one of my goals during this week free from school (the other you'll see in my next post). I ran low on chocolate, so I made some with strawberry jam and some with brown sugar & cinnamon filling. They did get a bit overdone, so they're darker than what I would have liked, but they still tasted really good!

Fluffernutter Cupcakes

Like most sane people, I love love love peanut butter. With jelly or honey on bread, in cookies, Reese's cups, any which way. I used to know kids who ate PB and fluff sandwiches-fluffernutters! We never had fluff at our house (why, Mom???) That doesn't sound so great to me for lunch, but I figured the PB and marshmallow combo would make a great dessert. So, I give you: peanut butter cupcakes with marshmallow frosting. This cake was really great-it's a butter cake, but very dense like pound cake. The frosting was a bit annoying to make because you start by heating egg whites along with corn syrup, sugar and some other things. The egg whites kept cooking and I had to strain them out. I eat egg whites every day for breakfast but didn't really want them in my frosting. :)

From Food Porn +

From Food Porn

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Recipe from Sarah Phillips

Off to the Races!

I put before you a very profound question: which is more important to a good Kentucky Derby party-huge, fantastic hats or delicious Southern sweets? I'm tempted to say hats, because of these two lovely gentlemen whose acquaintance I had the pleasure of making last Saturday:



For obvious reasons though, I must say that sugary goodness is of at least equal value. I made lavender meringue puffs with white chocolate chips, pecan tarts and fried apple dumplings (basically just took an apple pie recipe, made smaller portions, then deep-fried them). I don't have pictures of those because they just look like boring lumps of dough-looks are so deceiving! Below you can see the tarts and meringues (they look like clouds!). You can also see me in my hat! I do have eyes, I swear...they're just hidden under that blue monstrosity!
Oh, and for the first time ever, I placed money on a horse at the OTB-Eight Belles. Note to self: you are bad luck to horses! RIP.