Sugar High Sunday: Gingerbread House Tour

Have you ever gone on one of those luxury house tours? The ones where you visit 4 or 5 fancy houses on one street, to gawk at their decorating and dream of your own one-day-mansion. This Gingerbread House Tour will take you on a smaller version, visiting tiny, perfectly decorated candy mansions. While these perfect little sweet shacks are the peak of perfection, you can get lots of ideas from them to apply to your own gingerbread house.

If you make a house, send me a link! I would love to see your creations.

Gingerbread House Tour

1. I like the Necco wafers as roofing material in this sweet number from Sweetopia.net. Includes a video and free printable templates. 
2. I love this one, also from Sweetopia.net. There are many detail ideas to use. The frosted cereal used as roofing material, for example, is pretty great. Isn’t the jelly bean coach light just the coolest idea? 
3. Amelie’s House brings us a trio of the cutest little white gingerbread houses, with adorable owl gingerbread cookies and hand-painted embellishments. 
4. At the Zinke family’s blog, you will find a sweet little steepled church. I love the M&Ms as siding and the Andes mint stairs! 
5. From Martha Stewart, cute little gingerbread cottages! 
6. At Torie Jayne, find this wintery white birdhouse, with faux bois detail, a sugary owl and lots of candy mushrooms.

Sugar High Sunday: Chocolate Bars

Why spend all that money on commercial chocolate bars when you can make your own? That way, you know exactly what's in them — no chemical surprises!

Here are a few recipes I found. Let me know if you try them and how you like 'em!

Homemade Snickers Bars from How Sweet It Is!

This could be Twix Bars — Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread from Annie's Eats

Not technically a candy bar, but Pop Tarts sure are a yummy treat! Make them yourself, courtesy of Hello Hanna.

Did you call it a Ding Dong, a Ring Ding or a Devil Dog? Whatever you called it, these delicious cream-filled chocolate cupcakes will take you back! Here's a recipe from Bean Town Baker to help you get started.

Here's a gluten-free Reese's Peanut Butter Cup from famous pastry chef, Stella Parks aka Brave Tart. Yummmmy!

Do you like to recreate famous candy bars at home? Which ones have you tried?

Cheers,
Lulu xoxo

Sugar High Sunday: Cheesecake

I'm thinking of making a cheesecake this week, so I prowled the blogs for interesting recipes. I found some pretty good ones, and I thought I would share them with you. Here's a tip for making a successful cheesecake: if you are baking one in the oven, wrap the bottom of the pan in aluminum foil, and set it in a shallow pan of water (bain marie). These really helps set the cheesecake and prevent cracks from forming. Happy baking!

From the goddess of desserts and photography, Tartelette, here is Lemon Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Blood Orange Sauce... oh my drool...

Also from Tartelette: Pillow Cheesecake with Salted Butter Caramel Sauce

Are you crafty? You could try Bakerella's Cheesecake Pops... they look divine!

Mmmmm Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake from Amandeleine

Another Blood Orange Cheesecake: this one's from Martha Stewart

Margarita Cheesecake, also from Martha Stewart

Here's a Lemon Blackberry Cheesecake that looks really yummy

One more lemon cheesecake, lol! Triple Lemon Cheesecake from With a Grateful Prayer

Last but not least, here's my Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust and Maple Caramel Sauce

Pumpkin Cheesecake, Gingersnap Crust and Maple Caramel Sauce

Enjoy!


Cheers,
Lulu
xoxo

Sugar High Sunday: Citrus

What's in season now, in the middle of winter? Citrus! Colourful, jewel-toned orbs; juicy and bursting with bright flavours. I have found a few interesting recipes for you to try — I know that I will definitely be trying them!

From Always With Butter: Blood Orange Bars and some seriously beautiful photography. 

Glug! Glug! Glug! Aaaahhhhh! Serve up a Grapefruit Margarita from Sweet Life in Texas. 

More grapefruit! From Whisk Kid: Grapefruit Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Strawberry Rhubarb Jam and Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Oooooohhhh my goodness I think I just drooled all over myself typing that! 

Vegan Blood Orange Cupcakes from Shauna Sever

These look so delicious, I licked my screen: Lemon Thumbprint Cookies from Glorious Treats

Coconut and Citrus Cake from Bakers Royale 

Mmmmm Mini Lemon Cheesecakes with Gingersnap Crust, from Baking Bites 

Coconut Lime Bars

Here is a citrus recipe from me: Coconut Lime Bars 

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Lulu

Sugar High Sunday: Pinterest Edition

Have you heard of Pinterest?

It's a social network-style community on which people "pin" their favourite images, kind of like a vision board. The pins maintain the original links to their original web pages. Think of it as a visual bookmark. I first found it a couple of months ago and I was quickly hooked. And not just for the food!

Today's Sugar High Sunday features cool baking projects I found on Pinterest. You can follow me and my pins on Pinterest here; be sure to drop me a line if you like what you see.

Just a small sampling from one of my boards on Pinterest.

From Sweetapolita: Neopolitan 5-Layer Cake

Here is Half Baked's gorgeous Blueberry Rainbow Cake

Banana Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting from A Dash of Sass

Caramel Cake by Mac & Cheese

How Sweet It Is! brings us Homemade Snickers Bars... yummmmmmy

Red Velvet Cream Cheese Brownies from Jamie Cooks It Up

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Lulu

Sugar High Sunday: Get Ready for your Christmas Cookie Swap!

Have you ever participated in a cookie swap?

 
Some of you (you know who you are, you naughty minx) may be thinking this is a euphemism for something immoral and vaguely illegal. I assure you, cookie swaps or exchanges are completely dessert-related! (Sorry, minx) 

The premise is simple and brilliant — you and let's say, five of your friends each make six dozen of one recipe. You keep one dozen of your own for yourself, give away five dozen to the other swappers, and in return you receive five dozen other treats! That you didn't have to make! See? Brilliant! It's so much easier to make six dozen of one recipe, than six separate recipes. Often, you only have to double a recipe to get the proper amount. The best part is that it doesn't have to be cookies, it can be anything by the dozen — brownies, lemon bars — anything you like. 

Here are some ideas from some other food bloggers to get you started. I promise — Cookie Swaps are fun and rewarding!

Martha Stewart's roundup of Holiday Cookies

These Chocolate truffles pack a tiny hint of heat, that is. From Art of Dessert: El Diablo Chocolate Truffles

Our Best Bites gives us the perfect Sugar Cookie

From the Idea Room: Chocolate PepperMint Cookies and a fudge recipe

Delicious Mint Chocolate Chip Bark from Bakers Royale looks beautiful, too.

It's not Christmas without nuts! {That's what SHE said} Ahem. Anyhoo… here's some Nut Caramel Bars with Dried Cherries from honey & jam

So, yeah. It's been a very long week.

Sugar High Sunday–Halloween Edition

Happy Halloween from Lulu & Co!

Happy Halloween!

Here at Let Them Eat Cake, we LOVE Halloween and all the sugary fun it brings! This Sugar High Sunday features Halloween-themed posts from my favourite blogs. I hope you have fun, be safe tomorrow night and remember to brush your teeth! ;-)

Check out Marshmallow Ghost Cupcakes from yours truly!

The lovely Bakerella  has a fantastic post about Halloween sprinkles.

I've heard of whoopie pies, but spooky pies? Sugar Plum shows us the way.

This cake is GORGEOUS! I'm so jealous of Bakingdom's Chocolate Orange Layer Cake.

You'll have to find the surprise for yourself at I am Baker...

Confessions of a Cookbook Queen posted a whole whack* of awesome Halloween recipes.

Hostess with the Mostess brings us a beautiful & elegant Halloween party. Le sigh.


Jelly Shot Test Kitchen brews up some very cool glow-in-the-dark Vodka Tonic Bat Shots. *hic*

and finally, from Half Baked, three beautiful and chic black & white Halloween styling ideas.

Happy Halloween!

*like, a whole lot

Sugar High Sunday

Welcome, my friends, to another Sugar High Sunday; where the sugar is sugary and the butter is all up in your grill. Here's a round-up of some other sweet treats found around the dessert world this week. I hope they inspire you!

Half Baked discusses a trend I am loving at the moment: Cake Trios

Raspberri Cupcakes makes a beautiful Orange Cake with Fruit Tingle Frosting. I don't know what Fruit Tingles are, but I want some.

I am a Candied Apple fan! As Hallowe'en approaches, you may want to brush up on your Caramel Apple skills with this post from Glorious Treats.

The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle has the cutest-ever Pumpkin Cookies! As a bonus, she has a nifty tip about orange food colouring.

Why am I not eating these RIGHT NOW? My Baking Addiction's Chocolate Caramel Tarts are taunting me with their awesomeness.

Enjoy!

Sugar High Sunday

Here's a round-up of some other sweet treats found around the dessert world this week. I hope they inspire you!

Healthy and allergen safe Nut-Free Energy Bars from Baking Obsession

Avocados? In ice cream? I say, "Yes, please!" Avocado Ice Cream from Art of Dessert

Dairy-free Hazelnut Chocolate Milk from Always Order Dessert

Zoë Bakes revisits The Ultimate Carrot Cake

Sprinkle Bakes' Pumpkin Brown Butter Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting made me {almost} lick the screen!

Mmmm Cinnamon Roll Cookies by Bakers Royale

If you see deliciousness that deserves to be featured here, drop me a line!

Sugar High Sunday

Here's a round-up of some other sweet treats found around the dessert world this week. I hope they inspire you!

Beautiful food and photography at Sweetapolita - Nutella Swirl Pound Cake with Espresso Glaze

Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Cocoa Cream Cheese Frosting from Fleur-de-Licious

Super yummy-looking Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes from Bakingdom look amazing — these are on my list to try soon!

A Sweet Spoonful shares a sweet story and a sweet recipe for Ginger Molasses Cookies

Simple, beautiful, classic — another Apple Pie for the holidays from Brown Eyed Baker

These Salted Caramel Cupcakes from Cake Events look scrumptious, and as a bonus, include free printable tags!

Dessert for breakfast? Yes, please! Make it a Breakfast Banana Split from Bake at 350 — made from fresh strawberries, bananas, greek yogurt and drizzled with melted Nutella. *DIES*

Here's a healthier alternative to the above breakfast craziness: Olive Oil Granola from Everybody Likes Sandwiches

Enjoy — thanks for reading!