Market Menu - 25 March

As usual, you can find Lemon Tree on the lower level of the St. Lawrence Market this weekend! The macaron flavours are always changing and this Saturday you can choose from:

Macarons

Salted Caramel

Raspberry

Vanilla Bean

Chocolate Mint

Cinnabean

(cinnamon vanilla bean)

Roasted Pistachio

Petit Fours

Chocolate Almond Flourless Cake

(see the previous post for the recipe)

See you at the market.

Cheers,

Kelly

Estabar and Chocolate Flourless Cake

A couple years ago, when Husband and I were newly weds and traveling through Australia, we stayed for a time in a city called Newcastle, just a couple hours north of Sydney. I had visited Newcastle first in 2007 when I stayed with my college roommate, Rachel, who had married an Australian and left Canadian winters behind forever. Smart girl.

The small city with it's laid-back Novocastrians worked it's magic on me when I first visited and so Husband and I were eager to "get away from it all" and find our newly-wed life in a warmer clime. We packed our bags, said our goodbyes and left it all behind indefinitely.

It was a great decision and it looks even better as I sit here in our sixth month of Toronto winter.

Market Menu - 19 March

I haven't prepared a post with insightful things to say this week so I won't go on about nothing. I did, however, snap some photos of this week's treats for the Market and they say it all. I'm still crazy about cherry blossoms and they've worked their way into the market spread this week again. 

Strawberry Mocha Tin-pan Cakes

I have a surprise.

With a few extra hours, and some left over strawberry preserves a girl can accomplish a lot! I've added an extra item to the Market Menu for tomorrow so look for these oh-so-cute cherry blossom tin-pan cakes.

A Chocolate PB & Cherry Blossom Market Menu - 12 March

Chocolate. Peanutbutter. Cherry blossoms.

Wait.... what?

While the first two make a stellar combination, I can't say the natural next step is to cherry blossoms, it's true.

In my last post I mentioned a serious craving for cinnamon buns. I'm still craving them and just a general range of sweet and yummy comfort foods that winter and dreary, cold weather inspire. We are having our share of it (cold, dreary weather, that is).

Sitting at the top of my favourite comfort food list are both chocolate and peanut butter. Not just chocolate on it's own, and certainly not just peanut butter, but the perfect collaboration of the two joined in peaceful and harmonious bliss.

Pause

It's been a whirlwind of a month and suddenly I find myself sitting quietly, after the rush and enjoying a pause. I even went to the gym this week! Twice! **pat myself on the back**

Last week I put together the brightest macaron tree I've made so far and I think it's my favourite. It was for a moroccan themed wedding shower so the orange and the red were just two colours of the dessert table being designed. Since the bride loves salted caramel macarons so much, the whole tower was graced with just that.

Market Menu - 5 March

Hi There,

Happy March!

I know, I know - shame on me for skipping the Market Menu last week. The days just keep flying by and they all seem to be filled with wedding events. Either I'm attending a wedding, baking for a wedding, or attending and baking for a wedding! It's got my head spinning. And I didn't think it was even wedding season yet. When spring rolls around, the bridal bonanza will only intensify. Last week, I was wrapped up in putting together a macaron tree and other treats for an engagement party. This week I'm scheduled for another tree, but this time for a bridal shower. I've also been experimenting with the traditional look of macaron trees. What do you think about a macaron pop tree??

The Macaron & This Weekend's Market Menu - 19 February

I can't believe it's Thursday already!

I've been wrapped up this week preparing an order for a baby shower. My client decided that macarons would make the perfect take-home favour for the guests at the party and I couldn't agree more. There isn't much you need to do to a macaron to dress it up and whether they've had a macaron before or not, most people only need one look to know that this pretty little pastry, all filled with cream, is going to taste delicious.

Life after V-Day

So it's come and gone and you're saturated with pink, red (and every shade in between), chocolates, roses (though one can never receive too many roses), and love. So what now?

That's the question that hits me the day after every holiday or big event. My mind has to shift out of one gear and sometimes reluctantly into another. Quick! Get every heart-shaped cookie cutter out of my sight! Pack away the hot pink glitter and hide the conversation hearts lest they tempt me to draw out the theme long after it's appropriate.

A good black & white theme ought to shake the pink out of me. These are monogram cookies I designed for a little girl's birthday dessert table put together by Elle & Yolanda of Sweetfix. Check out their website, they are doing some pretty glamourous things here in Toronto.

Je T'aime le Marche

Thanks so much to everyone who showed up on Saturday to pick up their Valentine's treats! The market was bustling even as I arrived early in the morning and it wasn't long before I had put together a pretty little display.

It's energizing to be in the midst of the crowd on a Saturday morning. Most of you stop to say hi and I get to meet some pretty great people. This week my family decided to surprise me by coming down to see (and taste) the treats too. I felt so loved! My dad's sweet tooth got the better of him and he left with a box of petit fours.

And some of you who stopped by later in the afternoon would have been served by my very own mom who came down to help me out.

Next week I'll be attending a dear friend's wedding on Saturday so I won't be at the market myself. However, my mom has graciously offered to fill in for me, so make sure to stop and say hi to her if you're passing by. She's one of the sweetest women I know.

And my Valentine's Day? Well it's still going on right now, but so far it's consisted of a heart-shaped banana pancake breakfast and a "get out of folding laundry" coupon which I immediately cashed in! Later today (though it's pretty gray) we're heading to the Colonel Sam Smith skating trail so hopefully it doesn't rain on us while we're enjoying the scenery by the lake. Then we'll come back home and cozy up for a movie. No fancy dinner necessary.

Love and chocolate from me to you today!

Cheers,

Kelly