Mixed Plate: Baked Goods for Goodness Sake

One of the reasons the Seattle area is such a special place is not only is it full of incredibly multitalented and creative people, those same creative and multitalented people like to get together and activate their Wondertwin powers for good. Case in point: you need sweet stuff, the new Cakespy book, Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life is FULL of sweet stuff, and for even more sweetery goodness, the second annual Will Bake for Food bake sale fundraiser extravaganza is gearing up for more sugar-addled charity goodness! Let the sugar rush... BEGIN!!!!!

Because nothing bad can happen at Tiffanys... when you're eating a cookie - Photo by Wasabi Prime

So, I'm writing this post on a wicked sugar high, thanks to the sweet little Tiffany and Co.-inspired bonbon recipe from Jesse Oleson's new book. I feel like I could flap my arms and fly to the rings of Saturn from the buttery-sweet sugarbuzz I'm on right now, these cookies are so addictive. The recipe didn't even have a picture-perfect photograph of the cookies, Jesse's adorable little drawings of anthropomorphized cookies being all sassy-like were enough for me to say, that's it, I'm making these! Best known on the interwebs as Cakespy, Jesse wrote this incredibly cute, sweetly clever cookbook-slash-illustration bonanza that is now available in bookstores and an Amazon.com account near you. It's a mix of colorful photos mingling with Jesse's signature illustrations, guiding you through each recipe. I like this book because it's got an attitude all its own. These aren't fussy desserts that will fill the hearts of the baking-fearful full of dread, they're a mix of classic comforts and easy to make treats that combine prepared sweets with homemade touches. It reminds me of a book I would have enjoyed with my mom when I was little, inspring and demystifying the art of baking, as there are a lot of recipes in here that you could do with a little one, with minimal need for ovens and sharp objects. Baking and cooking shouldn't be work or drudgery, it should be fun, creative and a way to express yourself, just like this book.

Easy-bake cookies, dangerously quick to make and eat! - Photos by Wasabi Prime

The Tiffany Bonbon recipe was super fast and easy to make -- I literally whipped up the dough in the morning, baked everything, and had it iced and decorated by the afternoon. The recipe recommends filling the cookies with something extra, like nuts, chocolate or coconut. Since I'm awash with Halloween candy, I used chocolate covered maltballs, aka, Whoppers. They were easy to push into the centers of a dough ball made with a cookie scoop, a handy tool when making these cookies, since you'll get evenly-sized shapes. Since the recipe doesn't require baking soda or baking powder, the cookies pretty much stay the same shape and size you form the dough into when you bake them. I'm already thinking of more cookies I'll make with broken up candy bars or peanut butter cups, as I've got a ton of those leftover as well. The dough for these cookies is buttery and rich, like a shortbread, but more creamy. As simple as the recipe is, you get a really satisfying cookie. It's easy to decorate and you can make it as simple or as fancy as your patience will carry you. I'm already thinking of putting this one into the Christmas cookie roster, maybe adding a little cocoa powder and doing a chocolate version, so stay tuned!

Will Bake for Food 2: The Cookie Empire Strikes Back!

The recipes in the Cakespy book are so easy, I hope you not only get this book, but use some of the recipes to make some baked goods if you're thinking of being involved in the upcoming Will Bake for Food event, happening in Seattle on Saturday, November 12th. Last year's event raised hundreds of dollars and this year's event hopes to do the same and more, fighting the good fight against hunger, with the Emergency Feeding Program being the beneficiary group this year. Unfortunately, bad timing is preventing me from being present at the event, but I still want to voice my continued support for this community effort, taking something as simple and good-hearted as a bake sale, and making it extra fabulous with well-known local bloggers, cool raffles and oh yeah -- hella delicious homemade sweets! So, please mark your calendars, tell your friends and family about this event, and do your part to help stamp out hunger in our own community.

Elegant and sweetly delicious - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Mixed Plate: Giving Thanks

This is just a short Thanksgiving Day thank-you post to all the bloggers and supporters who came out on November 20th, to make the Will Bake for Food bake sale a big hit! And a special shout-out to all the fabulous folks I got to chat with, meet for the first time, and old friends I hadn't seen in waaaaay too long. I don't know what gave me a bigger high, the sugar rush from all the sweets or just being around all you amazing, wonderful folks.

Will Bake for Food booty - Photo by Wasabi Prime

This is the last trace of the goodies I was lucky to purchase -- as in, it's just this photo, because the sweets have been thoroughly om-nommed by now. The bake sale was such a runaway hit, I didn't get a chance to buy nearly as much as I wanted because everything sold out so fast!! I only wish I priced my simple sugar cookies and peanut butter cookies a little higher, as I really didn't think my own meager baked good offering would sell out so quickly as well. Well, live and learn -- and expect ticket inflation the next time I do a bake sale!

Much thanks to The Jennys for making this even happen and inspiring everyone with the energy to find more ways to do good, as every little bit helps in the great cosmic shape of things. I think my karma needs some touch-ups, as you can see what I did with my nametag stickers when I got home. Indy the Wonderpupple was double-nametagged in my sugar-addled fit of being totally punchy. Don't worry, we took them off with no harm done to the fuzzy pup. While we couldn't share the sugary sweets with her, we made sure to sneak her a little bit of bacon the next morning. Happy Thanksgiving, Everybody!!

Yet another reason Indy hates me - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Mixed Plate: Will Bake for Food (and a good cause)

If you live in the Seattle area and haven't been completely inundated with #bake4food hashtag posts over Twitter, take note that Saturday November 20th, aka Tomorrow Morning, is the Will Bake For Food event, where local food bloggers are gathering at the University Congregational Church in the U-District to sell home-baked goods for the benefit of local charity, Northwest Harvest, which supplies goods to local food banks and programs in our area.

The cake originally said "Will Bake 4 Food," but it was awful. Extra icing coverup. - Photo by Wasabi Prime

There are MANY AWESOME PEOPLE who are donating their time and baking efforts to supporting the fight against hunger. I was just lucky to be asked to join the Blogger Baking Brigade. It's also a food drive, so if you come, bring some canned foods and/or a monetary donation. NW Harvest has a list of things they're especially in need of, namely infant and baby items.

If you come, I would love to meet every one of you and thank you personally for helping to fight the Big Bad of hunger in America. What baked wares will I be offering? Well, have a sneak preview and see what I'll be setting out: Maple-Iced Sugar Cookies and Peanut Butter Chai Cookies.

C is for Cookie and that's damn good enough for me - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Don't worry, I made more than four bags. And yes, they're all packaged like a Martha Stewart OCD Freakazoid because... that's just what I am. So come on out this Saturday, meet and greet the bloggers, get a wicked sugar high, and do it all in the name of a good cause. Hollaback, yo!

Much thanks goes out to the organizers of Will Bake for Food, "The Jennys" -- Jenny Miller of Rainy Day Gal and Jenny Richards of Purple House Dirt. Two fantastic gals who are seeking to change the world, one sugar-sprinkled day at a time. Also big thanks to Luke Burbank of the podcast Too Beautiful to  Live for giving Will Bake for Food a shoutout on his Nov 12th podcast. Download it on iTunes for free or listen on their website and you can hear him eating the bribe of whoopie pies and cookies I sent to his office. Monsieur Burbank, yet again, I'm so sorry I derailed your health with the half-stick of butter that's probably in each gigundo whoopie pie.

See you Saturday! - Photos by Wasabi Prime