Recently, I wrote up a tutorial on How to Make Oreo Cake Pops for the lovely and amazing website Craftsy.com. An important life skill if ever there was one!

And naturally, they were delicious. Here's a sneak peek:

and gosh are they tasty! (tutorial for those can be found here).

But the process got me thinking...could I do this with other flavor combinations? For instance, could I substitute shortbread cookies for Oreos, and fancy chocolate for the candy melts?

Why the heck not?, I thought, especially as I have a boatload of freebies I'd recently received from Walkers Shortbread (their Duchy Originals) and Tcho Chocolate. I thought: I'm going to make some shortbread cookie truffles, or die trying!

Actually, it wasn't so dramatic. I didn't actually think death was a possibility. But I suspected deliciousness was dangerously close!

So, I won't keep you in suspense. Here's how they came out:

I know, beauties, right? Here's an inside shot. 

And I am happy to report that they taste as good as they look. Lightly salty. Very buttery. A little nutty, owing to the fact that I used part regular shortbread and part "oaten biscuits". Nice and moist inside--the shortbread didn't crumble as much as I thought it might. And the chocolate was to die for. I used the Tcho Milk Chocolate discs (from their baking chocolate series), and I can say with no hesitation that this is not your typical milk chocolate. It almost tasted...caramelly. The flavor just lingered in your mouth. Yum yum yum yum yum. They're pricey, but if you have a recipe that will really let the chocolate shine, I say go for it. 

Nice little morsels--decadent, but hey, that's why they're in small portions, right? Next time I try this recipe, I'd like to try using dulce de leche or melted caramels instead of the cream cheese to moisten the crumbled cookies. Yep: I have visions of Millionaire's Shortbread Truffles dancing in my head! 

But for now, here's the simple version. Gosh-darn are they good.

Shortbread Cookie Truffles (Printable version? Right here.)

Makes 12-16

• 2 boxes Duchy Shortbread (I used one box of the plain butter kind, and one box of the "Oaten Biscuits")
• 1/2 block cream cheese (4 ounces)
• 1 bag chocolate morsels (I used an 8 ounce bag of Tcho Milk chocolate)

1. Prepare the truffle innards. First, prepare a baking sheet like so: lay a sheet of waxed or parchment paper on top, and set to the side. You’ll be happy to have this handy a few steps down the line.
2. Now, you need to crush the cookies. If you have a food processor, put the whole cookies inside, and pulse several times, until the cookies have been reduced to fine crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, place the cookies into a heavy duty plastic bag and crush using the bottom of a heavy tumbler or the side of a rolling pin. This is very fun for kids (with supervision, of course!)!
3. Once the cookies are completely crumbled, place them into a large bowl. Add the cream cheese, and using your impeccably clean hands, thoroughly mix the cookie crumbs and cream cheese. Since the shortbread is already pretty buttery, it should be able to form nicely into balls.
4. Clean your hands so that you have a clean surface to roll the “dough” by hand. Roll it into balls, about 1 inch or so in diameter. Maybe an inch and a half. Place them on the baking sheet. If you're lazy, you can also just put them on a plate, but they might stick a little bit. I'll be honest. While I want to tell you how to do it the "right way", I in fact did not. I put them on a plate in the freezer on top of some ice cream. 

5. Speaking of which, you do want to chill them. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator for an hour, or the freezer for about 20 minutes.
6. With the dough still in its chilling place, begin to melt your chocolate over low heat.
7. It will gradually begin to melt and become smooth. Once mostly melted, the last bits will melt rapidly in the residual heat, so keep a close eye on the pan. 

8. Remove from heat, and take your baking tray out of the refrigerator or freezer. It's time to enrobe.

9. I like to place the dough on a fork and drip the chocolate on top using a spoon--the tines seem to allow the excess coating to drip off.

10. Transfer to a wire rack with a sheet of waxed paper or paper towels beneath, to catch drips.
11. If desired, drizzle sprinkles over the truffle. You need to do this directly after dipping or they will not stick.

12. Let set for at least an hour before serving.

About a month ago, I announced a fantastic contest regarding my new book, The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts, in which entrants could share the secret life of their favorite baked good, telling me a good story and sharing a recipe for a sweet with significance in their life. 

I was prepared for some tasty treats. But I wasn't prepared for how moving the stories would be! 

From funny tales of cookies that looked like cow pies but charmed classrooms full of children to anecdotes about cakes that almost won contests to a touching tale about a son who bonded with his mostly quiet dad over a decadent cheesecake recipe, these stories made me laugh and cry (not always at the same time!). 

But there was one story that really stuck with me and my crack team of judges, and so we've crowned it the winner! Here's the delightful story by Julia Ross of cinnamon rolls that left a legacy, and a recipe! 

Almost Great Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls

My Great Grandma was 5'0" tall but had the tightest grip you would ever feel. Instead of a hug she would pinch you on the bum and on a good day you wouldn't have a bruise. The woman could bake a mean cinnamon roll which was famous through out our immediate and extended family but would not divulge her recipe to ANYONE! She would not even allow you to be in her house when she was baking her rolls. My sister and I spent time plotting a way to peek through the windows while she was baking we feared the "pinch" too much (the one she gave when you were in trouble was worse than the one you got when you weren't).

Great Grandma passed away suddenly one morning after talking to Grandma on Sunday morning like they always did. She still had the phone in her hand. She left us a lot of memories and sentimental items but the cinnamon roll recipe was no where to be found. That woman took it to her grave. We made a great discovery in her freezer though...one last pan of the rolls. It was time to dissect these great little things and try to figure out their secret.

My sister and I snuck the rolls out of the house and separated them so we could began working on the recipes. Making a batch and then comparing the finished product to one of Great Grandma's rolls. We tweaked and tweaked at recipes until we found a roll that came out almost the same. This is the recipe we came up with but I really think it was the love she put into the rolls was the key element she took to her grave.

Almost Great Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:

Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 c milk
• 1/3 c granulated sugar
• 1/3 c butter melted, cooled ( must be butter )
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1/2 t almond extract
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 1/2 c all purpose flour
• 1/2 c cake flour
• 2 eggs (room temperature)

Procedure

1. Put warm milk in bowl of stand mixer and stir in sugar until dissolved. Add yeast and set aside. Mix flours and salt in a seperate bowl. Once yeast mixture starts to foam add melted butter and extracts. Hand whisk in the eggs.
2. Add half the flour and mix on low/medium with the dough hook. Keep adding flour until the dough forms a ball and is only slightly tacky. Turn mixer to knead the dough for 3 - 5 minutes until smooth.
3. Place dough in greased bowl and cover. Place in warm place to rise until double, about an hour. Punch down and let rest for 10 minutes.

Filling:

Ingredients

• 3 T butter, melted
• 1/4 c granulated sugar
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 2 t cinnamon (fresh ground if possible)

Procedure

1. Mix sugars and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll half dough into a rectangle and brush with half of the melted butter then sprinkle with half of the sugars. Roll up from long side and seal seams. Cut into 12 pieces (dental floss works well for this) Repeat with 2nd half of dough.
2. Place rolls in 2 round baking dished and let rise for about 20 minutes (should be about doubled). Then into the oven at 375 for 20 -25 minutes.

Icing:

• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 1 c butter
• 3 t vanilla extract
• 8 cup powdered sugar

Procedure

1. Put 1/2 cup of butter in a pan and allow to brown and cool a bit. Place cream cheese, 1/2 c butter and vanilla in stand mixer bowl and beat until almost combined.Add browned butter and mix until creamy. Add powdered sugar a little at a time until soft / medium consistency (remember the warm rolls will melt the icing a bit).Heavily coat the tops of the warm rolls with the icing.
2. EAT!!! I would tell you how to store them but there won't be any left :) Grandma used to sprinkle tops with chopped pecans sometimes too!

Thank you to everyone who entered for all of your great stories, and for supporting my book, The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts!

You love your dog. Your dog is part of your family. You'd do anything for your dog. Wait...you've NEVER made a cake with its canine likeness?!?! Do you really love your dog at all? 

Let's remedy this situation STAT. The way to do it, naturally, is by taking a Craftsy Course on How to Make a Dog Cake. Since it's taught by "cake whisperer" Elisa Strauss (a nickname I just chose this instant, because it's true) of Confetti Cakes, you know you're going to learn some good stuff. I mean seriously, she's the decorator of cakes like this:

and this. (there's a course on how to make this one, too!).

Now, the course does come with a charge (free preview here), but here and now we're going to host a giveaway, and we're offering the class for free to one lucky entrant! 

But before we get into the giveaway, I'm sure you're curious about Elisa and the course. So I asked some of the most pressing questions. Here you go:

What is the hardest part about making a dog cake? Getting the face right so it looks similar to the dog (it usually is all about the eyes!) -If you could go back in time to when you first started making cakes and give yourself a cake decorating trick or tip, what would it be? Everything takes longer then you think- be prepared.  

I recently learned that most people eat animal crackers in a particular order: hind legs, forelegs, head, then body. What part of a dog themed cake do people typically eat first? Probably the head or the tail....starting at one end or the other :-)

What is your next great cake adventure? Excited to release a FREE course on the basics of fondant (out June 19th) And a series on YouTube this Fall, hoping people will subscribe to my channel so they will be one of the first to know! (CakeSpy Note: Follow the Youtube Channel here!) 

Now, back to the giveaway. Do you want to win a free Craftsy course on How to Make a Dog Cake? Here's how you enter.

What you need to do to enter: Post a picture of the dog you'd like to immortalize in cake form, and briefly state why your pooch would make the cutest cake! You can do this in one of two ways.

Either via email: cakespycontest@gmail.com. If you do email a photo, please include "Dog Cake Contest" in the subject line, or your entry may be lost! 

or by posting the picture: do that on the CakeSpy Facebook wall, ok?

CakeSpy and company will collect the photos over the next week or so, and one week from today, June 24, we will decide which dog we think will make the cutest cake--that's going to be the winner!! 

Since this is a virtual course, entrants from all over the world are welcome. Good luck! 

You GUYS! I have some more book dates coming up to promote my fantastic new book, The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts! Here's the lowdown on where I will be and what I'll be doing.

 Albuquerque, NM! 

 Thursday, June 20 

• What: Discussion and signing and FREE TREATS!

• Where: Bookworks, 4022 Rio Grande NW, Albuquerque

• When: 7-8 p.m. 

- - - - - - - - - - - -

 New Jersey!  June 29th: 

• What: Signing and Discussion and FREE TREATS!

• Where: Booktowne, 171 Main Street, Manasquan NJ

• When: June 29th, 11 a.m. 

- - - - - - - - - - - -

 Philadelphia!  June 29

• What: Signing and Discussion and...you guessed it! TREATS! Potluck-style! More details on their website!

• Where: Towne Book Center, Collegeville

• When: June 29th, 4 p.m.

June 30:

• What: Cake Baking Class! (there is a fee)

• Where: COOK, Philadelphia

• When: June 30, 2pm

   

Hope to see you at one (or if you're a super-fan, ALL) of the events! And in case you forgot what the book is or where to buy it: The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts. 

There have been some changes to the contest, and it has made me more excited than ever! Let me give you a brief primer.

As I was alerted by finalist Brett Youmans, creator of the "Heavenly Hazelnut Torte with Mascarpone Cream" recipe (which is pictured above--and the maker of which was also a finalist in the last Bake-Off, for his Orange Cream Macadamia Torte), for the first time ever, the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest organizers are allowing America to choose the recipes that get to compete in the Contest finals.  These finalists are on view at www.BakeOff.com, and it's open for public voting June 13 - June 27 at 1:00 pm ET!

New this year, to encourage simpler, original recipes, submissions were limited to seven or fewer ingredients and must take 30 minutes or less to prepare, not including baking or cooling time.  A difficult task, I should say!

Out of the 60 recipes selected for the online vote, only 34 will advance to the next round to compete for a chance to win the $1 million grand prize to be held at the Bake-Off Contest finals, November 10-12, 2013, at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

It's a 1 time only vote (not daily!) so make yours count. 

Will you vote for Brett's tasty-sounding Heavenly Hazelnut Torte with Mascarpone Cream (pictured top of post)? Or perhaps the Hot Pink Raspberry and Cream Cake (pictured above this paragraph)? Or maybe the Creamy Peanut Butter Truffles? Or perhaps the Spicy Churro Crescent Bites? Gosh, they all sound so good!

Do your part: View the finalists and vote here!

 I'd like to share with you the most interesting dessert I've had in a while.

It's called Mexican Wedding Cake. But this is kind of a funny name, for a few reasons.

First off, when I think "Mexican Wedding Cake", I think of a cookie--a snowball sort of cookie. Not an actual cake.

Second, it doesn't really look like a wedding cake. It actually more resembles a Hummingbird cake, with walnuts and pineapple and cream cheese frosting...but without the banana. It's baked in a bundt type pan.

Third, we're not in Mexico. We're in New Mexico, at an eatery specializing in New Mexican food. It can't be denied that New Mexican cuisine is heavily influenced by that of Mexico, but they're not *quite* the same. Although to this last point, I feel as though at least one of the employees referred to it as "New Mexican Wedding Cake".

But who really cares about the name when a cake tastes this good?  

 As previously mentioned, it's a nice, dense, sort of Hummingbird-esque cake, but without the banana. It is dense with spices, fruit, and buttery cakey goodness. When I say dense, I mean it. It's almost gooey, like the texture of a baked pudding. Upon reflection, it's like having a glimpse at the evolution between fruit cake and fluffy layer cakes, with delicious results. And the frosting, oh, the frosting. Here's a posterior view to give you an idea:

 It's somehow light, almost with the texture of whipped cream, but rich in cream cheese flavor. It's applied thickly, and you'll be so glad it is. This is a very, very special cake, served in an unassuming spot (picture below): 

What a find!

As I learned from the fantastic site NM Gastronome, (owner) Antoinette has been making this cake for better than 30 years (though she doesn’t look much older than 30 herself) and says she’s made it thousands of times.  You won’t find any better in New Mexico.  You won’t find anything close.

As I learned from the same post,

In the February, 2013 edition of Albuquerque The Magazine  celebrated the Duke City’s best desserts. The fabulous Mexican wedding cake was recognized as the “to die for dessert to remember.”  I’m not too sure what that means, but if it means the Mexican wedding cake is unforgettable, the honor is certainly well deserved.  It’s certainly one of the very best desserts in New Mexico. 

You've got to try this one if you find yourself in Albuquerque! 

Mary & Tito's, 2711 4th Street, N.W. Albuquerque, NM; Mary & Tito’s Facebook Page.

Oh, hi. You know what kind of city I love? One made of sweets. That's sort of the idea behind Citi of Sweets, a boutique baking business which specializes in homemade treats like whoopie pies, cake truffles, and other decadent goodies. 

Now, it's exciting to share this business with you for two reasons: one, it's always fun to discover a new baking business. Two, they're offering a giveaway! See the bottom of this post for how to enter. 

Please describe your business in 6 words or less? Non-traditional, sweet, fun, creative, challenging and friendly.

What's your personal favorite item on your menu? Ayesha: whoopie pies(strawberry with buttercream) Chanel: Cookies N Cream cake truffles

What made you take the jump from amateur to professional baking? Chanel:It started as just something i wanted to try and i asked my best friend ayesha to help me experiment and it turned out horrible at first the cake was just not staying on the sticks and it was just a chocolate disaster so we left it alone and then we ended up trying again a month or so later and we were way better at it and we started doing them more and getting better and better with practice and time. We then came up with our name and menu and we've been baking ever since we started with our co-workers at our job and we haven't had a bad complaint ever in 2 years. We like being creative and making our customers happy.

What's the best thing to happen to you in the past 48 hours? We went grocery shopping to get more supplies to make more sweets!

Cake or Pie? Cake

If you had to wear one pair of shoes for the rest of my life what would they be? Chanel: Purple Fuzzy Slippers Ayesha: Angry Birds Slippers

What's your favorite non-sweet food? Ayesha: hot wings Chanel: fries

What quality do you most value in others? Honesty

What is your biggest dream? Our biggest dream is to have Citi of Sweets all across the world.

What's your next hope for your business? to open our first storefront in Charlotte.

Now... back to that giveaway! Here's what two lucky winners will receive: 2 Cake Pop Samplers Dozens one to each winner. They will be available for pick up, or shipping. The flavors will be (3) trrriple threat(chocolate) (3) butter pecan, (3) cookies n cream and (3) french vanilla.

Yum! So how to enter? It's easy. Just do this:

1. Simply "like" Citi of Sweets on Facebook or follow them on Twitter

2. Leave a comment on this post (don't worry if it doesn't show up right away, moderation is enabled!) stating your favorite flavor of cake.

I'll choose a winner at random 1 week from today (Saturday, June 23, 12pm PST). To ensure fresh tastiness of the prize, we're only going to allow US entrants on this particular giveaway!

For more, check 'em out online: Citi of Sweets! 

Above: A real life custom order I did: cupcakes in their undies, eating soup, and watching Dawson's Creek. For more of my artwork, shop here.

A sweet reflection, after 20 years in the baking biz.

In case you missed it: part 2 of my book tour was awesome.

Raspberry rhubarb muffins? Sounds tasty to me!

A bakery I love: Make My Cake, NYC.

Marshmallow panna cotta. Fantastic!

Sweet n summery: watermelon pudding, served in a watermelon shell.

Buttercream fundamentals. A delicious education.

I love that this recipe combines fancy wine and cake mix.

16 ice cream sandwich recipes. Yum!

DOUGHNUT HOLE CROQUEMBOUCHE. OMG.

The Poor, Misunderstood Wendy's Frosty.

Do you own my first book? If not, buy it now: CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life

What does it mean to level a cake?

Why level a cake? Leveling a cake has a few purposes. First, the flat surface will make for easier stacking of layers–they won’t wobble when stacked. Second, it creates a more professional look, as well as an easier surface for decorating.

Ready to Level a Cake? Read my full post on the subject at craftsy.com!

Where there's a well, there's a way. No, that was not a spelling error. I mean "well". Actually, I meant seven wells, because that's how many you'll need in your ebelskiver pan to make these tasty treats.

But...first things first. What the eff is an ebelskiver?

Well, first, picture a pancake. Now, shrink it to about the size of a ping-pong ball and puff it up a little bit, and fill it with something tasty. You're starting to get the idea. They're a traditional Danish pancake, and they're mighty tasty. They're filled with any number of different flavors and ingredients, but I think they're best when they're served sweet.

True or not, there is a rather charming story behind the history of the ebelskiver. As it goes, they were created by the Vikings following a long day of unsuccessful battle. Gathering around the fire, the weary soldiers set to making some pancakes (just what I want to do after a long day of battle, how 'bout you?). But they couldn't find the griddle! Instead of admitting defeat, a quick-thinking soldier thought to pour the batter into his dented shield. The batter settled into the dents and baked up as nubbly little pancake popover-type puffs. The ebelskiver was born! 

Truthfully, it's much more likely that the Danes picked up the idea in the course of their trade and travel in Asia, where one of the regional specialties they came across were a sort of pancake puff, notably the takoyaki, a savory pancake puff popular in Japan. It required a specific type of pan. In China, a pancake-y treat called gai daan jai, similarly called for a pan with wells. Likewise, in India, the paniyaram pan is used to make tender puffed breads called kuzhi paniyaram. It's likely that these concepts were adopted and adapted in Denmark, and it was a sort of evolution that led to the ebelskiver.

In case you didn't grasp it yet...with ebelskivers, you *do* need a specific pan. It's called (wait for it) an ebelskiver pan. It looks like of like this: 

Here's a recipe for chocolate caramel pecan ebelskivers, care of the book 150 Best Ebelskiver Recipes.  

Caramel Chocolate Pecan Ebelskivers

This recipe makes 28 puffs.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecan halves
• 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (works best for the small puffs)
• vegetable oil
• 14 individually wrapped soft caramel candies, unwrapped and cut in half
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Procedure

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, egg yolks, milk, butter, and vanilla until well blended.
3. Add the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended (the batter will be slightly lumpy). Gently stir in pecans and chocolate chips.
4. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat egg whites until frothy. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently mix one-third of the egg whites into the batter. Gently fold in the remaining whites.
5. Brush wells of pan lightly with oil. Set pan over medium heat. When oil begins to sizzle, add 1 tablespoon of batter to each well. Place a caramel candy half in the center, and top with 1 more tablespoon of batter. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Using two skewers, flip the puffs over. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown and the puffs are firm to the touch. Remove pan from heat and transfer puffs to a plate. Let pan cool slightly.
6. Repeat with remaining batter and caramels, brushing wells with oil and reheating the pan before each batch.
7. Dust the ebelskivers with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.