Sunday, July 23, 2006

Sublime Saturday

If you adore good chocolate then after one of these you'll pledge your eternal love to me along with ALL your bank cards. Indulge at your own risk. Don't say I didn't warn you.


Once upon a time I ate Oreos. Yes, I know...disgusting things with ingredients reminiscent of a chemical laboratory. Never again. So, I had to find a way to recreate them using only the most natural & organic ingredients. The crispy chocolate cookies above are filled with a dreamy combination of organically grown (in MY garden) mint leaves infused in cream, then whipped up with European style butter & powdered sugar. I'll NEVER crave a store-bought Oreo again!


Buttery crumbly thin lemon zested wafers held together with Belgian white chocolate. Simply elegant!


Tiny (not even an inch in diameter!) fresh raspberry cheesecakes in a shortbread shell mere seconds after they've come out of the oven. I love how they look all poufy & shiny. After they are cooled & refrigerated the center settles into a dense heavy mouthful of creamy berry cheesecake delight (as shown below, drizzled with white chocolate).


Only one wedding yesterday. I'll give you 2 angles for definition of the hexagonal tiers. This is the fourth 'scroll pattern' wedding cake in the last month. I have a theory on why different clients tend to choose the same cake repeatedly during a brief time period.


I have several portfolios for the brides to look through for design ideas. Most pick an exact cake, some pick 2 or 3 designs to be combined & a wonderful rare few just give me a colour scheme with free artistic license (I like these the BEST!). One month every year a particular design rules. I believe when certain people flip through my portfolio & land on 'the cake design' a tiny bit of energy stays on that page. It's truly amazing because the next half dozen or so brides STOP on that same page. With every 'STOP' I think more energy hovers there. Call me crazy if you like...but I've seen it too many times in the last 13 years to believe otherwise.


I wanted to get a photo of this raspberry white chocolate mousse cake I made. It started selling soooo fast I had to quick grab a piece for 'tasting' (quality control, you know ;-). It was a rather large piece that I set on the kitchen counter for the 4 of us working to sample. I ran to get the camera & 3 seconds later this was all that's left!
Well, once I tasted it I knew why. OMG! Seriously one of the 5 best tasting cakes I've ever made. On that note.....Happy Monday! :-)

27 Responses to “Sublime Saturday”

Gyrobo said...

They all look good... and that top one reminds me of a winter wonderland neighborhood post-snowfall.

Unknown said...

This comment will have to be extra short, because after looking at all of those amazingly beutiful pics I need to run to the kitchen and try to find something sweet to eat.

I bet I have some more of my grandmothers oatmeal chocolate chip cranberry cookies left. Yes that might do.

Sorry for the drool, when I finally come by, I will remember to bring paper towels.

For the drool.

jin said...

gyrobo: Wow! You got first comment! That's actually pretty hard to do around here. Everyone is going to be awfully jealous while rapidly clicking on your funky avatar. :-)

Shhhh...don't tell anyone, but I love snow! (Um...& those brownies!) :-)

real: If you ever visit, you won't need to drool because you'll be stuffing your face with the real thing!!! Just think, no teasing anymore...a tray of pastries right within your grasp.....woops, that was another tease again, so sorry! ;-)

Polyman2 said...

Ummmm, brownies and orioes and cheesecake tarts and wafers and cakes-
I need...

Dino said...

okay here is my order for my next visit. Rasberry cheesecake (the little ones) Rasberry white chocolate mouse cake, and oreos (mhh maybe with rasberry cream)

I wonder if I can get a layover one my trip to seattle next week so I can pick up my order :)

Dino said...

oh i forgot - can you guess what Grumpy gets me when he tries to make up for something (like Friday morning) ? yes Rasberries - store bought but I never splurge as they are so expensive around here $5 for a little thing of maybe 15.

Ace said...

I'll NEVER crave a store-bought Oreo again!

Darn it, now I probably won't, either. And I love Oreos. But your cookies sound (and look) so heavenly.

When do you start that whole shipping thing?

I think it was the hint of mint (haha, rhyme!) that sold me.

Gyrobo said...

I feel like a winner.

Fuff said...

Oooooh, more cake. I have not a sweet tooth but I think I might have to get one. Lovely, lovely :)

Pat said...

Yummmmmmyy! I think my favorites would be the lemon cookies w/Belgian white chocolate!

Anonymous said...

Damn the Nabisco conglomerate! I admire the ingenuity required to recreate you favorite processed food stuff.

I feel like making a request. How about Nutterbutters?

jin said...

poly: Hey, I think that overnight package you sent yourself in got rerouted or something. It's been over a week! ;-)

katy: This could be a new trend. People looking for layovers on purpose! Hahaha!!! Call it a 'Pastry Pickup Lovely Layover'. LOL!

Yeah...fresh raspberries. YUM! I get them by the case for open houses & use half in the bakery & half in my mouth!!! :-P

ace: If you don't want to spend a lot on fast shipping (w/cool packs) when it's warm then you have to wait until October. Then you can usually get 2 to 3 day delivery for $7-10.00 depending on the size of the package! LOL.

BTW, there were a few of the mint oreo sandwiches left. I'm eating one right now while simultaneously typing this comment. MMMmmmmm.....*tease* :-D

gyrobo: You are ! You are! You've won an imaginary chocolate chunk cookie the size of New York! ;-)

fuff: You live in the land of Thornton's Continental & you've not a sweet tooth!??!
I'm ashamed to admit a very large box of Thornton's only lasts us about 3 days...& that's WITH restraining ourselves!!! Heeheehee!!! :-)

curious: Well, what a coincidence, I just ate one of those!!! YUMMMM!!! :-D

andy: OMG!!! I have not thought of those in years & years!!! Those were one of my faves! I can do it! MMmm...maybe even this week. I'd make them round tho, not that figure 8 shape. When I perfect them I'll have to get a shot of me eating them & I'll describe to you how incredibly awesome they are!!! ;-)

Dino said...

LOL - Pastry Pickup Lovely Layover it is just to bad that you are so far from O'hare

jin said...

katy: You'll have to shoot for a layover in Milwaukee...I'm only an hour from that one! LOL!

MeHereNow said...

"I pledge allegiance to the jin and her wonderful creations.....!"

Cherry! said...

I can't decide what to write...

Andrea said...

I've never visited your site with all your baked goods, now I know why

I gained 10 lbs just LOOKING...

yummie..thank goodness you aren't just around the corner.......I'd be HUGE

Dino said...

well the problem is they don't really do layovers in milwaukee :(

The raspberry Mousse reminds me of the albino possum that didn’t quite make it across the road. I'll bet it was tasty though – ain’t no one don’t like no damn raspberry!!

Ace said...

you have to wait until October.

Sigh.

depending on the size of the package!

Lady, you don't want to know the size of my package!

BTW, there were a few of the mint oreo sandwiches left. I'm eating one right now while simultaneously typing this comment. MMMmmmmm.....*tease* :-D

Life really isn't fair, is it?

So are you giving us the raspberries?

jin said...

meherenow: OOOooo...I LIKE that! I think I should put it on my brochures or business cards! :-)

cherry: Ok...that sounds like me when I have pms! Hahaha!!!

andrea: Welcome to 'The Blog That Started It All' ! LOL!!! I only started the other one because people begged for more personal info! :-) Feel free to peruse the archives here...I think they're quite 'unique'. ;-)

katy: Oh, too bad. Sounds like you did check into it tho?!!? :-D

phos: Shame on you! I'll never look at a piece of rasp mousse cake the same again! I'll eat it tho! Hahaha!!! ;-)

And if you absolutely MUST know, I am still here, but I have my period & I feel really crappy. :-P I'll be back to normal blogging in a couple days. You'd better stay on my good side until then, because for the next couple days I may even ***SCREAM*** at anyone who says anything to me!

ace: Lady, you don't want to know the size of my package!

*GASP* My poor poor virgin ears! Tainting my sweetness with foul ideas! Now I may need therapy! I think, yes! I think I may need a mint oreo cookie type of therapy!
*As jin devours 3 mint oreo therapy cookies she wonders what ace said to upset her so.....
;-)

cp: Why thank you my good man! :-)

Cherry! said...

It's a nervous breakdown! hahaha!

jin said...

cherry: Nope, sorry. Virgo chicks NEVER get those! LMAO!

How come guys never hear word one about the PMS stuff untill after the wedding??

jin said...

Because phos, it stands for
Putting up with
Mens
Shit
!!!