Edible Christmas gifts: devour, digest, gone!

Christmas is pretty much my favourite time of the year. 

I could go on, but I think I've narrowed it down to three main reasons: 

1) It's Jesus' birthday

Granted - it's an arbitrary date, but dates are really just numbers. What rocks is that we welcomed a pretty big rockstar light years back, in a dingy manger. That little tot came to save our little hinnies, I'm forever grateful.

Plus, I love birthdays. Winner winner.

2) Everyone is so much more relaxed

It's the end of the year. Work winds down, what can be done has pretty much been done, no one really wants to fix 7am conference calls anymore. 

In other words, everyone is so much less crabby, so much more cheery.

I like that.

3) Much ado about gathering

There's a legit reason to feast fantastically, with the people in our life, near and far - all in the name of Christmas. Oh and of course, with plenty of dessert. 

> Decadent Chocolate Cake

> Show me some chocolatey love!

It's a paaarttty!!

There's always a fine line between over-doing this special holiday with excessive fuss, and showing a little love to people dear to us. 

But I think it's a blessing to be able to pass on some smiles and let folks know we care - not just at Christmas, but every other chance we can. But heck, since we're talking Christmas, it's just about the right time now.

> Eating with family: Lazy-day bread

> Whimsical partner yoga come with treats

Edible gifts are perfect for minimising clutter (devour, digest, gone!), and bear so much warmth and spirit. 

It's a holly jolly Christmas with the privilege of festive treats, share that Petite Pops cheer all round!

> Details in mailer above

What do you get with Petite Pops desserts?

• Small batch baking      The only good way to do quality control.

• Good ingredients          Real and delicious, no further preservatives added.

• Fresh                              Made only when orders come in.

• Balanced                       A little naughty and a whole lot nice. Less sugar & fats,                                            while balancing the yum.

Taste of home

Happy Labor Day!

I kinda think it's a pseudo mother's day in disguise.
> More Mother's Day treats

Besides being in labor for a good many hours to bring us into the world, moms constantly labor over their children - feeding, schooling, nurturing, dressing, fussing over.

A lifelong stint.
No return policy :)

And for this reason, home truly is where mom is.

Moms have a magical power (also known as 'sheer love') to create warmth, and we've 2 desserts that are the quintessential taste of home.

Sesame Matcha Cupcakes

This is such a warm, earthy cupcake that pairs

perfectly with a very grown-up matcha frosting. 

The slightly bitter edge from the sesame seeds 

keeps each mouthful light, and fills you with the 

warmth of home, especially on a cold rainy day.

Recipe from 6bittersweets here. I prefer a slightly
stronger sesame taste, and upped the amount of seeds
to nearly half cup; you can always adjust as you like it.

 Toast the sesame for 3-5 min in a dry pan to release
the oils and flavors, then give it a blitz in the food
processor or mortar and pestle. The toasting brings
out the most amazing aromas.

Resist temptation to gobble seeds up; you'll either
burn your tongue from the heat, or be left
short of seeds for your cupcakes.

Either way, it doesn't end well!

The smell of pastries fresh out of the oven is heavenly.
My favorite time to take a bite or two out of the bakes -
when they're barely cool enough to hold!

The key is to get good sesame. The black seeds
have a stronger aroma, and look gorgeous
coloring the cupcakes a milky ash.

To complete the look, save some
of the toasted seeds to sprinkle on top.

Zingy Ginger Crunch

Ginger is a flavor that I only grew to appreciate 

in my early adulthood. It used to be 'that 

weird yellow spice' in stir frys and steamed 

dishes, but I've since since learnt the error of my ways. 

It's a magical elixir that gives a dessert an 

extra taste dimension, and lifts warm drinks

 from the ordinary to extraordinary.

This recipe is from Taste.com, and the baked crunchy 

base is a superb counterbalance to the ginger 

layer that would otherwise be too sweet on its own. 

I like to serve these in little cubes. They pack
quite a punch, and go blissfully with green tea.

 More homey desserts:
> Fruity chiffon cake
> Sweet, sweet strawberries
> Double chocolate chip shortbread
> Rich red velvet cake
> Ombre swirl cookies

Home is where Mom is...

Supermoms, happy moms, working moms, crazy busy moms, just plain crazy moms, absent-minded moms, moms-who-need-36hours-in-their-day, glorious moms.

They're all part of our lives, and Home truly is where Mom is. 

Celebrate your mom/grandmom with a bit of cake happiness (it's May 11 for those who've lost track of time!), everyone loves a bit of love. 

> Click image above for bigger popup 

More sweet treats Mom might like:

> Fruity chiffon cake

> Sweet, sweet strawberries

> Ombre swirl cookies

> Fairy tales with cake and dessert