Sweet mystery: Mom Blakeman's Chess Pie!

Vote for my Cotton Candy Cupcakes!

Totally sweet: love-ly ideas for baking projects for Valentine's Day!

Sweet inspiration: Bake Love Not War.

Hey! Remember these Bonbon Jovi Truffles I made?

Chocolate cherry bark. Le nom nom nom!

Let them eat Brioche: French sweets take off for breakfast in Britain.

Cake Batter Pancakes!

Oh, and remember these funfetti pancakes I made??

Give it a chai: Homemade chai tea at home!

Really good chocolate chip cookies. I like the sound of that, Baking Bites!

You can buy a unicorn cookie cutter here, if you need one.

Butter. Dip. Biscuits.

Oh, and finally...have you heard the good news??

 

Want a description of the book? OK: 

Just because Piper's birthday is on Valentine's Day does not mean she's a romantic. In fact, after watching her father and then her stepfather leave, she's pretty sure she doesn't believe in love at all. Then her friends concoct a plan to find them all Valentine's dates, and somehow Piper finds herself with the most popular guy in school. But true love never follows a plan, and a string of heartfelt gifts from a secret admirer has Piper wondering if she might be with the wrong guy.

In this heartwarming romance, true love is more than a maybe—and it might be closer than you think.

How do you enter to win a copy of Love? Maybe.? It's easy. Simply leave a comment on this post saying what sweet treat you'd love to receive from a Valentine this year! 

US and Canadian entrants only for this contest (as set by the prize donor); this giveaway will close one week from today, on 2/10/12, at noon; the winner will be announced as soon as they have been contacted.

I'd like to make a very happy, sweet, and sugar-and-love-coated announcement.

The announcement is that I have a book deal.

My second book deal.

That's right: CakeSpy's second book is in the works!

I know, I know. You're still reeling from the awesomeness of book one, published through Sasquatch Books and entitled CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life , which was featured on the Today Show, and which LA Weekly dubbed one of the "best 2011 baking books for those in need of a Martha Stewart Detox".

Gosh, maybe you haven't even bought the book yet. But it's totally ok, because you can still purchase the book here, here, and here. Go ahead and do that now.

But I digress. Back to book #2!

This one, also published through Sasquatch Books, is going to be super-special to me, as it is going to delve into the interesting history and back-stories behind many of my favorite sweet treats. It's going to be totally intellectual. And totally amusing. Perfect for the baked-goods buff, exploring the lure and lore of your favorite treats!

Now, don't start holding your breath for it *quite* yet, as its scheduled publication isn't til 2013 (that's after this year)...but I know you're going to be giving me e-high fives and cyber-hugs and keeping me motivated and on deadline til then! Right? Right?

Thanks again to everyone who has supported me and my work--I couldn't have gotten book deal #2 without YOU!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: rendezvous with GeekGirlCon and the CakeSpy on Sunday, February 12th to receive the secret code of baked goods and decorate some cupcakes donated by New York Cupcakes! 

Mission briefing:

Date: Sunday, February, 12, 2012
Where: CakeSpy Shop at 415 E. Pine Street, Seattle, WA 98122
Time: 2:00-4:00 PM*
Age: All ages
Cupcake decorating fee: $5

* Space is limited. Reserve your place today by emailing Kelly at SpecialEvents@geekgirlcon.com

Decorate cupcakes from 2:00-3:00 p.m. and then one winner in each of these categories: Sweetest, Most Magical, and Most Awesome. Come by the shop at 3:00 p.m. to cast your own vote for Crowd Favorite. Each winner will receive a fun prize. One of the prize will be from Glad Bunnies!

Who is CakeSpy? She is none other than Seattle’s own Jessie Oleson, illustrator, author, sweetness guru, and proprietor of Cake Spy Shop on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Her new book Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life  is full of ways to bring sweets to any culinary occasion. Biscuits with Chocolate Gravy, it doesn’t get much better than that. Visit CakeSpy.com for more information about Jessie, her book, and the shop.

This message might self-destruct after reading. Here’s the permalink: www.geekgirlcon.com/cakespy
For more information about this event contact Kelly at specialevents@geekgirlcon.com.

I need your help. I personally (as Seattle-based dessert blogger and self-proclaimed "Moderate Internet Celebrity" Jessie Oleson, A.K.A. CakeSpy) need your sweet assistance!

This website is wrapping up a huge contest called "So You Wanna be a CakeSpy?", wherein hundreds of bakers from all over the country submitted recipes inspired by CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life for the chance to win a free trip to Seattle to hang out with me and visit some of my favorite local bakeries. OMG!

Here's where you (and anyone you'd like to ask) come into the picture. Where do you think I should take the winner? Sure, there are plenty of amazing bakeries in Seattle — but which one takes the cake? Will it be a battle between the big famous cupcake shops? Or is it a delicious off-the-beaten-path destination? I really want to pick the best place, so I need sugar-loving Seattleites to weigh in! This is a chance to show off Seattle's stunning array of bakeries.

So, Seattleites (or people who are in the know about Seattle sweet spots): Where would you take someone from out of town for the very best pastries in Seattle?

When it comes to Gelato, the setting is a big part of the experience. It is, as I like to say, a “strolling food”, so all the better to have sweet surroundings while you stroll and enjoy your treat.

That having been said, in San Francisco, I felt it necessary to try some gelato in the so-italian-it-hurts North Beach. It's touristy, but it's fun. I also love Stella Pastry there, by the way.

So after consulting the best source for fast information (um, twitter), I learned that Gelato Classico was the place to hit. So after touring Tcho, I strolled on over for some gelato.

I chose a scoop of the crème brulee paired with the dark chocolate. I'll tell the truth, with flavors like tiramisu, chocolate-hazelnut, a good-looking vanilla bean, and many others, it was not an easy thing to decide. But here's the happy thing: It was a good decision.

I strolled my gelato over to the park, where every single person around me proceeded to say “Omigod where did you get that?”. I think I may have single-handedly caused a big rush at the gelato place in this way, because it really was a sunny and perfect type of day for a chilled treat.

The caramel-vanilla crème brulee flavor didn't have the toastiness of crème brulee, tasting more like a caramel-vanilla, but that was just fine with me, because this is a good flavor combination. The dark chocolate was delightfully rich, but not so fudge-like that it left a slick on my teeth. The gelato was solidly good, but it was the experience of strolling with it in North Beach that truly made it magic.

Gelato Classico, 576 Union Street. More info here.

Here's a recipe to create some sweet (edible) art for your sweetheart: Conversation Heart Nanaimo Bars!

This seasonal variation on the classic Canadian treat is easy to execute, and the cute upgrade is pretty intense, with a Neapolitan-hued (if not flavored) treats that are as adorable to behold as they are rich, decadent, and satisfying to eat. But don't forget to keep a toothbrush nearby, because these treats are extremely sugary.

For the full entry and recipe, visit Serious Eats!

Seriously, dudes and dudettes.

I'd like to introduce you to one of my favorite new baking businesses. It's called Serious Business Pastries, and it's a special-order operation based in Portland, OR. 

What's so special about Serious Business Pastries? For starters, the sweet history.

I first "met" owner Lindsay Yousey several years ago when I discovered her blog entry featuring Starry Nights cupcakes. Now, consider that at the time, she was not baking professionally. Actually, her background was in psychotherapy. They looked pretty professional to me, though, so I urged her to become a professional baker.

And she listened to me! I love it when people do what I tell them.

After honing her pastry skills at Mother's Bistro and Grand Central Baking in Portland, she opened up her own operation.

And when I was in Portland for Crafty Wonderland, I got to sample her baked goods--she brought me a big stack of freshly-baked "Serious Snickerdoodles", which are described thusly:

Our bakery’s hallmark cookie. We developed and nurtured this recipe over a number of years, and we’re quite pleased with it. Tender sugar cookie base, with all-natural cinnamon chips, and rolled in our blend of vanilla-cinnamon-sugar. They’re outrageously delicious, whether fresh from the oven, or the day after. 

And oh, are these cookies good. Soft but not gooey, buttery but not too crumbly, these cookies yield to your greedy teeth, linger on your tongue long enough to impart a buttery flavor all over your mouth, and then melt into sweet oblivion into your belly...and make you want to repeat that bite over and over. 

But that's not the only item offered on the menu: they've got plenty more cookies, cakes, and even the outrageously delicious-sounding "Muffinletta":

Inspired by our love of food from New Orleans, this is a large savory yeasted muffin that’s almost as filling as the sandwich that bears a similar name. We begin with our own sourdough starter muffin base, and mix in olive salad and shredded smoked provolone. From there we add artisan cured capicola, soppressata, and Genoa salami and top it off with sesame seeds and a pierced olive. No mayo ever touches these muffins, ever.

So, I suppose you must know what I am getting at here. If you live in Portland, it is my strong suggestion that you seek out Serious Business for your next special-order batch of baked goods, or seek them out at an upcoming farmer's market!

For all the info, visit the Serious Business Pastries website or find them on Facebook!

To remind you, this contest is inspired by my awesome book, CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life (October 2011). And the prizes were incredible--winner receives an all expenses paid trip to Seattle to hang out and eat cake with ME!

And I want you to know why it's taken such a long time to decide.

Because first, there were hundreds of entries. And we (a committee of me, trusted baker friends, and Sasquatch Books staffers) had to narrow it down to just 30 finalists. Man, that was hard!

And then, I opened it up to readers to vote for their favorite in whatever they'd like--facebook likes, Flickr likes, comments on the site, and even in email or Twitter form. Sheesh! Were they ever difficult to count up!

And then, after they were counted up, I said "I simply cannot do this anymore! How can I decide!" and took the pressure off of myself by taking myself out of the final voting process, instead passing on the top 5 based on votes, and had the committee to the final voting for me.

The finalists were judged on creativity, craveability, and overall embodiment of the CakeSpy spirit.

And, without further delay, here are the three winners.

Grand Prize: Neapolitan Blondie Bars by Molly Allen! Per committee input: "not rainbow but multi-hued, and certainly whimsical and rich and delicious in the CakeSpy tradition." Molly wins: The Grand Prize, provided in partnership with Sasquatch Books--a trip for two to CakeSpy headquarters in Seattle and a visit to one of MY favorite bakeries for an afternoon of sweet treats. Other prizes include original signed CakeSpy artwork, CakeSpy goodies such as unicorn socks, and signed copies of CakeSpy Presents.

Prize 2: The "Veruca" by Mary P.! (finalist 28). Per committee input: "Brownie GOOD marshmallow GOOD choc Rice Crispy treat GOOD". Mary wins a copy of my book and a gift certificate to CakeSpy Shop!

Prize 3: Frau Brownies by Linda H.! Per committee input: "I think I just gained 20 pounds. In the best way possible." Linda wins a copy of the book and a gift certificate to CakeSpy Shop!

But even after taking myself out of the voting, I've decided that I simply couldn't ignore the awesome factor and am therefore assigning two more "Honarable Awesome" prizes--each will get a signed copy of the CakeSpy book, AND a pair of cupcake unicorn robot socks! These will go to:

Cookie Time! By Blondie & Brownie

Agent Oink's Funfetti Cake Balls (Finalist 19)

If you're a winner, congratulations! We'll get in contact over the weekend for your deets. Thank you to EVERYONE who entered the contest - you are all truly an inspiration and have made me feel so sweet indeed.

Image: The Decorated Cookie

Le Yum: Caramel! Apple! Cupcakes!

Mmm...coffee and doughnut cupcakes!

Who do YOU think makes the best pie in NYC?

In Richmond, VA, Millie's Diner makes Peanut Butter Oreo Gelato. Must visit! 

What is Opera Cake? Learn about it here.

Who loves frosting? Um, how about everyone? A great round up here!

Thanks to Not Martha for introducing me to this sweet Cake History Pict-o-Gram.

Make these for me: Cornflakes Peanut Butter Cookies!

Something I kind of love: Pistachio cake!

Sweet memories: remember these cookies made using Jiffy Muffin mix?

Cookie dough stuffed Reese's cups? Oh yes.

Why Bake, when you can Bakewell? Take a look at these Bakewell Tarts! (thanks, Claire!)

Make your own marshmallows! here's a great recipe.