Mini Pie Pans

With the pie baking season just around the corner(sorry,but true),what a great pan for making mini treats. What I love about this set is that you have the mini pie pan,4 pie shields so your crust doesn't burn,and a decorative cutter to enhance the appearance of your pies!Love,love,love this!This set is perfect for making mini apple pies(or any other pie) that you can then freeze  so that you will always have a sweet treat on hand.The set can be found at http://www.chefscatalog.com/

Paula Deen's Latest Cookbook

This book just might make you want to slap your mama!Paula has put together a great new book featuring over 300 recipes.This is  a must have for all of you who love southern cooking!It is available for pre-order on Paula's website,and is slated to hit the shelves in early October.A great gift for a new bride or for the cook in your life. Just thought y'all would like to know!Check out Paula's site for an autographed copy.
http://www.pauladeen.com/

Taste Testing New Ready To Bake Pastries by Jean Yves Charon

    This week,I had the privilege of  trying some pastries in the new mini  "Ready To Bake" line from Jean Yves Charon of Galaxy Desserts.Excited does not begin to describe how I felt about doing this.I LOVE french desserts and pastries,and could not wait to start tasting!As soon as the package arrived at my door,I opened it,lined my baking sheets with parchment paper,and was ready to go!
   Of course,being the patient person I am when it comes to desserts (ha,ha),I had to bake all three of the samples together...immediately!While my fellow taste-tester (my husband) and I waited for the treats to bake,the smell of the house was incredible.Now,mind you,we only had to wait about 11 minutes,but for me,it seemed like forever!As I removed them from the oven,I had to take care as to not place the hot pastries too close to my husband,or risk not having one left for me to taste!So,I waited the recommended few minutes to let them cool,then all bets were off!
   First ,we tried the chocolate croissant.Let's just say that it was a good thing that I only made a couple of these,otherwise we would have eaten them all.Imagine a buttery,flaky dough surrounding delicious,warm chocolate.....need I say more?Absolutely divine! Now,I am a big fan of chocolate,and love gooey desserts,but this  croissant is not overflowing with chocolate. It has just the right amount..definitely enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.While I enjoyed this immensely,I knew I had to try the next treat.Oh well,a girl has got to do what a girl has got to do.Onward we go!
    Our second treat was a warm morning bun that made the kitchen smell wonderful.Now,this treat is definitely not for those of you with dentures!The sticky,sweet sugary topping,flavored with cinnamon and hints of orange is almost too good to be true.If I am being honest here,I must admit,that I made three,and only let my hubby have one.I'll let you guess who ate the other ones! Simple,sweet and utterly delicious!
    Our last pastry of the day was the famous croissant that Oprah loves so much.Well,there is a reason that she does....they are pure,french perfection.Plain,with butter,jam or anything else you choose, this is the real thing.Not what you find in local grocery stores....no comparison whatsoever.Heaven on a plate.
   Needless to say,we enjoyed every bite,and had to show some restraint,as we wanted to put more of everything in the oven right away.I think what I truly like the most about this line is that they are ready to bake.They go straight from the freezer into the oven...no rising,no egg wash.As a matter of fact,they are so easy to make,that you would need a really great excuse not to.In addition to that,they are the "mini" versions,so it is enough of an indulence to put a smile on your face,without eating enough calories for an entire day!
   I must say,I enjoyed the simplicity of it all.They are made with the best,all natural ingredients.They are easy to bake,and are the perfect example of french baking at its best...delicious taste using very few,but top quality ingredients,and only a biteful.Not too hard on the waist line,but enough to satisfy.
   Why am I sharing all of this?Well,I have always believed in sharing great things when I find them,and that is why I started this blog.Unfortunately,as summer nears its end,we will all find ourselves thrown back into the chaos of schedules,school and work.Before long,the holidays will be upon us.How great would it be to have the most decadent , breakfast ready to go in your freezer for your family,as well as any holiday guests that you may be entertaining? Try them....you will be glad you did.I know my freezer will be stocked.......if I can keep myself away from them!
   For more information check out http://www.galaxydesserts.com/ ,or http://www.williamssonoma.com/ .You can thank me later.

EBATES

  Okay,here is something that I discovered a few years back and would like to share.If you are not familiar with the Ebates website,you are missing out on an opportunity to save some money while shopping.Ebates has relationships with many great companies,and if you like to shop online,this is the way to go.When you sign up with ebates,you shop throught their website at your favorite online stores,and you save a certain percentage of each purchase.Four times a year,you will receive your"rebate" check (the percentage saved from each purchase)from ebates.That's it...easy!No membership fees,no strings attached!All that is needed to sign up is your name,e-mail address,and home address.No personal information necessary.It is like getting paid to shop online!How fun is that?! Since we all would love to save a little extra these days,and it is time for back to school shopping,why not save whatever we can?Their website is http://www.ebates.com/ .Happy savings!

Tips For Cake Decorators

The new book by the Cake Boss,Buddy Valastro is due out in early November.This one is filled with recipes,along with great tips on how to decorate your own cakes and cupcakes.A great gift idea for anyone you may know who loves to bake,or just for yourself!Although it doesn't arrive in the stores until the fall,it is available for pre-order from both Amazon and Barnes & Noble.Just a little tasty tidbit I thought I would pass along!