The Artisan Kitchen Featured on BeantownBride.com

Last summer we had the pleasure of sprucing up a candy buffet bar at a wedding at the Kittansett Club for Sarah and Ryan. Recently, the wedding was featured on www.BeanTownBride.com! You can read a bit about the couple and there wedding HERE or by clicking on the photos below:

Baking Class: Breads and Rolls MARCH 28, 2010 10:00am-2:00pm

Sunday March 28, 2010
10am-4pm

Winter Series BAKING CLASS
Breads & Rolls

This six-hour class will feature four recipes taught by our pastry chef and our baking assistants.

A hands-on class, lunch included.
All recipes included with detailed course guide with instructions, conversions, and resource guide.

All students will bring home 3 loaves of bread and 1 dozen rolls

We provide everything you need, just come hungry for knowledge and a good loaf of bread.
Ingredients will be available for purchase at the conclusion of the class.

PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL TO REGISTER!
Cost: $90.00
Last day to register 3/22/10

Buttercream Flat Art Cakes: Toyota FJ Cruiser

Here is a buttercream flat art cake that we created for a child's birthday party. Our buttercream flat art cakes are a simply frosted buttercream cake with a two-dimensional design on the top, in this case a Toyota FJ Cruiser.

Flat art cakes can be done in any number of designs, just remember that the design on the top is two-dimensional and sits flat on the cake itself. The great part about these cakes is that they are custom-- in any design and in any color scheme and the cake is iced in buttercream!

Valentine's Day: Stop Into The Shop!

The girls and I have been busily dipping strawberries and truffles in decadent dark and oh so smooth white chocolate for the Sweetest Day of the Year-- Valentine's Day.

The shop will be open on Saturday February 13th from 10am-4pm & Sunday February 14th from 10am-2pm.

We have a great selection of
+ Premium Select Chocolate Dipped Strawberries: sold by the pound.
+ Chocolate Strawberry CupCakes, Yummy CupCakes with Fanciful Valentine Decor
+ Cake Truffles: Peanut Butter, Vanilla Snowball, Chocolate Truffle, & even a Choice Mix including Red Velvet-- YUM!
+ Our Artisan Breads and Sandwich Loaves
+ Breakfast Pastries including warm cinnamon buns, plum & raspberry strudel pockets, and scones
+ & whatever else we baked up that day!

Valentine's Day: Chocolate Dipped Strawberries & Truffles & Cakes

1/2# Box Dark Chocolate Dipped Premium Strawberries $9.00




7" Single Layer Red Velvet Cake with Vanilla Buttercream. Serves 4 - decorated for Valentine's Day




Baker's Choice Cake Truffles- 1 dozen + white chocolate scallop shell- $24.00
- - may vary from picture below- -

CupCake Display: Confirmation Cake with CupCakes

This top cake display was created for a confirmation party at Turk's Restaurant in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts. This small top cake fits perfectly on the top tier of our cupcake stand.

Sculpted Cake: Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cake

We created this Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cake for a little boy Reese for his Reese's Birthday Party.

The giant Reese's Peanut Butter Cup sits on the bottom tier while a giant wrapped Peanut Butter Cup package sits on top. The cake also includes ribbon curls and curly-q's in the Reese's colors.







The cake flavored included nothing less than chocolate cake with peanut butter filling.

Buttercream Flat Art Cakes: Two Shih Tzus' Dog Cake

Our talented art staff created these two shih tzus' for the top of this cake: one tan & white puppy and one black & white dog. The tan shih tzus was created with a tiny bow!

This cake is one of our custom buttercream flat art designs- many customers ask us for cakes sans the fondant covering and this is a great altnernative to fondant while still having the look of a custom cake.





Here is what the birthday girl had to say about her cake....

Hello,

My sister Caty purchased my birthday from you and I just wanted
to tell you it was the most moist delicious cake I have ever eaten.

The two shih tzus' that you put on it look like the real thing.

I just wanted to express my thanks.

Regards,

J.D.

Wedding Cake @ Lebaron Hills Country Club

This simple four tiered hexagonal wedding cake was piped simply and classically for an elegant reception at the Lebaron Hills Country Club in Lakeville Massachusetts.

This design and piping technique is reminiscent of cakes from the late 1980's and early 1990's, many years before fondant and sugarpaste were popular options for wedding and celebration cakes.

Baking Class: Cookies 101

Last weekend we held a baking class entitled: "Cookies 101" where we explored different mixing methods, troubleshooting the cookie baking experience, and made 6 varieties of cookies. For a list of upcoming classes click HERE or visit http://www.theartisankitchen.com/classes.htm .

During the four hour class each student learned different measuring methods and the science behind the art of baking. Here is a sample recipe.

Thin & Lacey Tuile Oatmeal Cookies
42 – 1 oz cookies (1 generous Tablespoon)
Just like the thin chocolate chip cookies, these cookies will spread quite a bit on the sheet pan so be sure to only place 9 cookies on a tray at a time. I love to serve these as ice cream sandwiches with rum raisin ice cream.
Butter which is softened to a melting stage will yield a cookie that spreads and is thin & crispy.
Ingredients

By Cups
By Weight
Butter, unsalted, very, very soft. 1 ¼ c. 10 oz
Brown Sugar 1 ¾ c. 12 oz
Sugar ½ c 3 ¼ oz
Salt ¼ tsp ¼ tsp
Baking soda ¾ tsp ¾ tsp
Cinnamon ¼ tsp ¼ tsp
Nutmeg, freshly ground ¼ tsp ¼ tsp
Honey 2 T. 2 T.
Vanilla 1 tsp. 1 tsp
Eggs 2 2
All-Purpose Flour 1 ¾ c. 7.5 oz
Old-fashioned rolled oats 3 c. 10 oz
Method:
Place the butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, & honey in the bottom of a large mixing bowl or on your stand mixer. Cream with the paddle or beaters for 7 minutes on low or medium-low speed.
Turn off the mixer, scrape the bowl and add the vanilla and 2 eggs. Mix on medium speed for 1 ½ minutes or until the eggs are incorporated, and the mixture looks slightly curdled. DO NOT mix until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add the flour and oats and mix until combined on low speed.
To make 1 oz cookies, scoop with the yellow handle scoop then divide each scoop in half or just use two tablespoons to scoop balls and scrape them onto the tray.
Using a plain aluminum cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, bake 375 °F for 10-13 minutes. They will be brown across almost the entire top, with a small ¼”- ½ ” coin of blonde in the center.
Cool completely on the tray.

The Artisan Kitchen @ Garden of Cakes, Boston Flower Show 2010

We are so excited to be showing our design at the Flower Show this year in Boston. I'm not quite sure what the design will bring, but I promise that it will be something not to be missed.

The Boston Flower & Garden Show
Wednesday, March 24 to Sunday March 28, 2010
Seaport World Trade Center
Boston, MA 02210



Here is a little bit about the cake display at the Boston Flower Show from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society:
A new feature - The Garden of Cakes - will offer yet another way to appreciate flowers, as adornment on dramatic and romantic creations by some of the region's top professional cake artists. See the latest designs from well-established Boston bakeries as well as the work of smaller, more boutique-oriented shops on the leading edge of cake design.

http://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=119890207765

Funny things happen when you use Google....

Just like every other cake designer, I find myself pouring over current issues of cake and wedding magazines for those new trends or ideas and just to get a head start on what pictures are going to be in my brides' hands this year. I also find myself "Googling" cake phrases & such. Ironically, as I googled "Blue Starfish Cake" today I found a familiar cake in a block of photos on www.squidoo.com which allows you to make single web pages.

This teal and red starfish cake has always been one of my favorites and thanks to New England Clam Jams, Lyn Keith, for the photos!

You can find the article here:
http://www.squidoo.com/beach-wedding-cakes

Our nautical starfish wedding cake is the one in the top left hand corner from a wedding at the New Bedford Yacht Club in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts!

Slot Machine Cake: Take 2

Anniversary Cake: Tiered Buttercream Cake with Sugar Flowers

The two tiered buttercream cake was created for a 40th Anniversary party in Marion, Massachusetts.

The color scheme: a classic kelly green and cranberry was mimicked in the hand dusted edible sugar calla lillies, roses, ivy, and and berry flowers.

A small sugar plaque was created with a "Happy 40th" inscription. You'll see a closeup of the flowers below, and yes they are all edible and made by hand. We can create a number of cake toppers from sugar flowers in tens of different flowers and any color scheme. Think gerbera daisies and orchids, roses and hydrangea, dogwood flowers, or even tulips with hyacinths.

Bar Mitzvah Cake: New England Patriots Cake

We created this round buttercream flat art cake for a Bar Mitzvah at Hawthorne Country Club in Dartmouth, Massachusetts.

Our talented artist created the logo, candle holders, and assorted theme colored footballs and silver pearls for the border. The silver plaques inscribed with "Mazel Tov Corey" are also edible, made of sugarpaste painted in edible silver.

Buttercream Flat Art Cakes: Daisies & Sailboats

We created this square buttercream cake for an 80th birthday this summer. Sailboats and daisies were the theme for the birthday girl. Classic white daisies with pale yellow centers are a favorite around here for that classic and feminine birthday cake. Topped off with a light sprinkle of tiny white non-pareils -- it is a simple and elegant combination.

Buttercream Kayak Cake

I am so lucky to have such a great artist right on staff, Jody Church doesn some amazing sculpting and if I give her a picture she has a realist eye that is utterly amazing! Here you'll see a simple two tiered buttercream cake with a kayak theme. Jody created not only the kayak out of sugarpaste but oars, life vests, and an "Happy Birthday" plaque for the top of the cake reminiscent of woodgrained signs at National parks.

Specialty CupCakes: Chocolate & Peanut Butter

When winter arrives we get a little bit of time to do some recipe testing and of course....tasting!

Here we created a Peanut-Butter-Cup CupCake: a devilish chocolate cake with an intense peanut butter buttercream topped with chocolate shards and chopped toasted peanuts....YUM!

Lily Pulizter Inspired Birthday Cake

This third birthday cake was inspired by Lily Pulitzer a clothing line known for its brights fushia pink and chartreuse lime green color palettes.



This simple round buttercream cake is decorated with hot pink and lime green sugarpaste polka dots. The hot pink whimsical "3" is a great substitute for a traditional birthday inscription.

Wedding Pies @ Eastover Farm, Rochester, Massachusetts

The Artisan Kitchen makes Boston Magazine Featured Weddings.....

We received a call from a prospective bride who started with...."I saw that you make tiny pies for weddings in Boston Magazine". The bakery was abuzz...."When were we in Boston Magazine?!"

We created individual pies, tiny cider donuts, and other tiny creations for the country chic dessert buffet along with tiny caramel and pecan apples from a local farm.

Below, are a few gorgeous photos from the wedding photographer Connie of Studio Atticus she can be reached via web or phone @......

http://www.studioatticus.com
making a soft poetry of the documentary tradition
Connie Allyson Miller
617.784.2780


Photo Courtesy of: Studio Atticus


Photo Courtesy of: Studio Atticus

Here is a little bit about Jaime & Mike's Wedding @ Eastover Farm in Rochester, Massachusetts


Photo Courtesy of: Studio Atticus

Real New England Weddings: Eastover Farm
Taking advantage of our region's diverse landscape, this couple ties the knot in style.
By Hillary Geronemus
Jaime Langione & Mike Endreny
October 11, 2008
Eastover Farm, Rochester, Massachusetts
Photographs by Studio Atticus


Photo Courtesy of: Studio Atticus

They may have found each other in Mexico, but Jaime and Mike's wedding was closer to home. Planning a ceremony at a working farm had its fair share of challenges, Jaime admits, but it was important to both of them that every detail be as local and sustainable as possible. Their caterer used organic, regional ingredients, the flowers were sourced from local farms, the centerpieces featured seasonal fruits and nuts, and the individual pies (in lieu of cake) came from a bakery down the road. The setting itself, a green field overlooking a pond, perfectly embodied the couple's green leanings. And with grasshoppers and butterflies following her down the "aisle" and two swans appearing out of nowhere during the vows, Jaime says, "nature came through for us."

VIEW THE SLIDE SHOW! Click HERE

Catering: Season to Taste, 617-921-9130, seasontotastecatering.com
Flowers: Stacey Daley, Bay End Farm, Buzzards Bay, 508-759-8050, bayendfarm.com
Desserts: The Artisan Kitchen, 265 Walnut Plain Rd., Rochester, 508-763-4905, theartisankitchen.com
Music: Ceremony and cocktails, the Pegheads, 401-247-0159; dinner and dancing, Soul Kitchen, 617-469-4381, soulkitchenband.com
Tents: Sperry Tents, 11 Marconi Ln., Marion, 508-748-1792, sperrytents.com

Summer Wedding: Plymouth Massachusetts Waterfront

With all of the recent snow on the South Coast of Massachusetts we decided to take a look back on summer and some of the wedding cakes that we created!

This four tier casual strawberry shortcake buttercream cake was the feature at a clambake reception on the waterfront in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The bride asked for us to create a swirl pattern in the buttercream for the look of a "homemade" cake iced in whipped cream.



The cake flavor included vanilla cake with strawberry filling, the top tier featured gluten-free cake!

Wedding Cake & CupCakes @ Whaling Museum

We created this unique cupcake display tier for a wedding at the Whaling Museum.
160 cupcakes covered the tiers of our large cupcake display tier topped with blue hydrangea blossoms, dark chocolate daisies and tiny forest green leaves.



The top cake, saved for the couples anniversary was a chocolate torte filled with buttercream and topped with a hand sculpted owl perched on a dark chocolate branch. Jody, our resident artist, created the owl and branch by by hand, her work is absolutely immaculate!



The cupcakes flavors included devilish chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream icing and was delivered to the Whaling Museum in Historic Downtown New Bedford.

Graduation Cake

A few weeks ago we sent one of our most valued employees off to Culinary School and my alma mater, The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Dana was here at The Artisan Kitchen from the age of 16 and although we'll really miss him, I couldn't be happier to see him follow his dream at the country's premier culinary college.

Below, is Dana's high school graduation cake, a chef's toque. These are the tall hats worn by students and chef instructors at the CIA- quite fitting don't you think!



Best Wishes Dana!

The Artisan Kitchen: Looking Back At 2009

We have lots of pictures of the bakery, our staff, and yummy things that we make but I never seem to be able to share them so here is a favorite....our artisan loaves and sandwich breads on a cooling rack!



All of our breads are scaled, formed, slashed and packaged by hand. Our list of varieties ranges from cheddar onion dill to classic semolina sesame loaves.

Christmas 2009

We've had a few crazy weeks here at the bakery and I haven't had time to post! Here are a few recent fun and tasty treats that we worked on this holiday season...

A holiday cupcake wreath....


A buche de noel yule log cake...


A flourless chocolate cake with some festive decor...


A pretty round gift box cake with a gold bow....



Red Gift Box Cake....


Our two and one half pound cookie tray with about 34-40 cookies....

Perfect Pair Wedding Cake @ McGovern's Tavern, Fall River, Massachusetts

We created this simply elegant perfect pear cake for the perfect pair for an evening wedding at McGovern's Tavern in Fall River, Massachusetts.

The pears were hand sculpted from sugar paste, being sure that each was just a little different, one being taller than the other just like the bride and groom.




We received this lovely note from the bride:

Hey Meredith!
I know it's been 3 months already, but I just wanted to say thank you for doing such a wonderful job on our wedding cake. It was perfect! From the way it looked to the way it tasted. We absolutely loved it. And all of our guests we impressed as well. I can't wait for another occassion to come up so we can get another cake from you! Thanks again, Meredith. You will see us again!

Take care
Amanda

NEW! White CupCake Stand: Mini CupCake Stand Holds 18-27 Cupcakes

The Artisan Kitchen's custom designed white wooden cupcake stands have been a staple at the bakery for the past four years, but our customers always asked for a white MINI CupCake stand.

Our master craftsmean has done it again and crafted our new MINI white CupCake Stand. Holding anywhere from 18 to 27 cupcakes, it is the perfect size for children's parties or a small dinner party or even a sweet additon to a candy buffet! It can even be trimmed in grosgrain ribbon for a festive flair.



Unlike the originals this MINI CupCake Tier stores and travels flat and easily assembles in under 2 minutes. It is almost indestructible & can be carried by the top knob or by each tier without having to worry about breakage. Our marine grade material can even be washed in the dishwasher!



Our CupCake Stand Display Tiers are available for rent, please inquire by phone 508.763.4905 or email meredith@theartisankitchen.com

Here is the MINI stand in use these Baby Shower CupCakes feature little peapods and gerbera daisies:


We are proud to carry these stands exclusively, please be aware they are not available for purchase and rental must be accompanied by an order of cupcakes from The Artisan Kitchen.

Holiday Dessert: Coconut Snowman Cake

This 7" single layer cake is the perfect little sweet treat for a small dinner party or hostess gift. Two layers of vanilla butter cake filled and iced with vanilla buttercream. Decorated with tiny sugarpaste snowmen, it's festive and delicious.



Our 7" Coconut Snowman Cake Serves 6-8 people and is priced at $20.00

Baby Shower Cake: Pregnant Lady with Gifts

Wedgewood blue, charteuse green, and dark chocolate brown were on the pallette for this baby shower cake. The invitation included a pregnant lady all dressed up in a frilly dress carrying a stack of gifts complete with purse and baby bottle--and Jody matched her perfectly (you'll see the invitation hung behind the cake)!



The top of the cake was decorated with 5 petal flowers, similar to magnolia blossoms but with chocolate brown centers.



A dark chocolate ribbon wrapped the multi colored striped top cake and was finished with a bow.