Christmas Cookie Jars

I would love to take credit for this idea, but with festive honestness, i thought i would come clean, an adorable idea that I borrowed from an inspirational blog i read called 'made with pink', but obviously with my own 'Little Wood Oven' twist!

They are easy peasy jars all layered with all the exact dry measured ingrediants to make delicious and naughty cookies. I gave them to friends as little gifts, a fun thing to do with the 'kiddywinks' if the weathers bad over the christmas hollie-jolly-days

All you need to do is add a few extra ingrediants and follow the fairy-proof method and 'Alacazzzam' you have yourself some yummy cookies, i'm eagerly awaiting photographic evidence of the baked cookies being enjoyed by the Christmas Cookie Jar recipients!

Peace out/ cake out!

Sammy's Spitfire Propeller Pops

Its almost written in stone, boys will be boys and girls will be girls, and in this case its completely true, gorgeous Little Sammy is a proper boy and just loves Spitfire planes, the old camo planes that fills millions of boys playtime and dreams, the kind of plane that you just have to glance at a picture and you can almost imagine the deafening roar of the engines as it races through the sky.

So for Sammy's Birthday I made these cake pops, to immitate the propeller of the planes he loves so much!

Chocolate Cake pops, with camo fondant propellers, I hope Sammy had a fun time and enjoyed sharing his Party Propeller pops with all his friends.

Peace out/cake out!

Double Dozen Birthday Box

Believe it or not, this is my first Box of cupcakes I have done to order and there was something so satisfying handing these 24 cupcake delights over to the customer, they were a gift as a Birthday present for a family member, given with love and definately made with large mixing bowl full of love, as we all know cakes made with love always taste 'a hundred and thousands' times better!

Peace out/cake out!

Sing it Sister!

So my gorgeous Sister, oh where do I start, a lot of amazing things come to mind, but those of you that know her, know she likes to sing, shout, croon, holler, whatever you want to call it! That girl just loves to sing at the top her voice and sees any opportunity as a singing competition, even if it is a wedding or funeral!

She’s had many memorable moments in her warbling ‘career’ over the years on and off stage, but the one that I really remember, or the one I was never allowed to forget as it was practiced, morning, noon and night with the volume on extra high was the unforgettable solo at a Christmas Carol concert at a Cathedral in the homeland:

‘silent night, holy night

All is calm, all is bright

…………………..’’

Our Parents and Grandparents were ‘proud as punch’ but obviously I wasn’t jealous of the attention, just jealous of the voice,coming from me, the one that was ceremoniously asked not to return to choir, and not even politely asked to mime, I’ve kind of got the message now , even when I utter a tiny  squark I see my family snigger and cringe as they reach for the earmuffs, so in my own Little Wood Oven way, I want to dedicate these cakes to my super douper sister interpreted with their own little Christmas Carols, to get you all in the festive spirit

Mini Christmas Tree Cupcakes

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are your branches!
In beauty green will always grow
Through summer sun and winter snow.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are your branches!

Holly Berry Christmas Pudding pops

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

Love you lots Sis, Peace Out/cake out!

                  

Christmas at First Light

This was for the  'Christmas Shindig' at the store First Light, cupcakes and cake pops for hungry shoppers to get them in the festive spirit.



A day of fun making festive decorations, lots of ,sparkles, snowflakes, bows and holly, all sprinkled with plenty of Christmas glitter and magic!

                                                           Peace out/ Cake out!

Pop the Cakey Flower

These little Hydrangea Cake Pops were made especially for a local Charity Coffee Morning, hopefully they put a smile on someones face, one of my favourite summer flowers, eaten and enjoyed in winter, thank goodness there's no seasons when it comes to Cake, no rules, available all year round!

 

Don't make me take sides!

Here at The Little Wood Oven, i'm not one to take sides, but I made an exception this time as the customer is always right and besides this football kit is in such a pretty blue. The request was Mancity cake pops with Surname and Lucky number, a bit of a 'Blue Peter' challenge getting the right size and thickness, but I got there in the end!

If football did actually exist in the pink and floury world of The Little Wood Oven and we did actually have to choose a side, it would probably at a push be 'red' because of the homeland, but obviously it would be a slightly different game, far more civilized, a vision of refs in fairy wings with candy whistles , heavily sprinkle'd cake pops at half time, goal keepers on spacehoppers, players in pink legwarmers, fans that cheer by tap dancing and managers that smile as they pass round the lemon drizzle fingers..............................just imagine!

Peace out/cake out!

Never too old for PINK!

I made these cupcakes and cake pops for a gorgeous little lady's 7th birthday party this week, her Mum wanted as much pink as possible as she thought her daughter might grow out of pink soon, so it was a good excuse to go all out soft, pastel,sugary, sickly sweet, pink all wrapped up in a little bow!

 I think i'll never grow out of pink, especially when it comes to cake decorations!

Peace out/cake out!

Santa's little helper

I don't usually allow myself to think about Christmas until that 1st window is open on the advent calendar and with a rustle of tinsel and a painful untangle of the antique fairy lights I gently ease myself into the festive season, but this year I thought i might dip my toe in early, i guess even Santa's helpers need a head start!

I've been asked to cater a friends party for her shop's Christmas Preview Party, so i wanted to come up with a few ideas. I didnt want to go the usual  christmas tree and holly line, but still very traditional with Santa as my timeless style icon in red and white, so here's Christmas The Little Wood Oven way, with lots of fairy dust, sprinkles, sugar, icing and most importantly, CAKE!

 I usually get slightly frustrated with how early business' and shops jump on the Christmas train, picking up momentum even before December has begun, but this year I'm embracing it, Christmas is coming, dust off the baubles, buy the party dress, simmer the mulled wine, watch Elf the movie, sing 'Last Christmas' ..... at the top of your voice, overdose on the mince pies(with extra cream) let the 'eat-a-thon' begin, lets do it properly this year, Little Wood Oven would like to be the first to wish you a very Happy Christmas 

Peace out/ cake out!

Cake Pops Perfect for any little Princess come Lifeboat hero!

I made these little cake pops this week, i had them in mind for a little girls princess party, little delicate treats on sticks, with a lemon zing, generously dipped in chocolate topped with pretty pastel bows and vintage buttons. Definately one for the girlies, to be politely nibbled and savoured, not gobbled in one mouthful like those 'Yorkie bar' loving boys.

Mr Wood is a helm on the local Lifeboat Crew and to my huge amusement, these little pops of love were taken to their Thursday night training session, the thought of these big strong sea-fairing boys eating these pink delicate pops really rather tickled me, probably devoured in one bite, Mr Wood came home with lots of nice feedback from 'the boys' but my most favourite of all was ''can she do JCB ones........?''

Who needs grapes, when there's magic cupcakes!

Its official Little Woods' Words of wisdom, has some advice for you all, the next time you visit a friend who is poorly  and don't want to arrive empty handed, don't reach for the grapes, think out of the box, take some cupcakes, bound to put a smile on anyones face!

Mr Woods and I recently went to see an amazing young chappie in hospital, armed with cupcakes of the double-choc variety, which had been requested! Even on the way in, I caught the nurses eyeing up the box, nudging each other, I was expecting a right 'finger wagging' from the ladies in blue for corupting their patient's diet, instead I was greeted with wide eyes and hopeful 'ooooh they look nice'.

In the hospital room, i spied the pile of fruit on a table in the corner, the healthier option, i know its naughty but i definately got more pleasure giving a box of cupcakes, even more so, if it means our special recovering friend gets extra attention from the nurses, just incase there happens to be any spare buttery chocolate crumbs. I left a happy Little Wood knowing that they will be enjoyed and surely any thing that makes you smile as much as cake must have magic healing powers!!

Peace out/ cake out!!

Cake your heart out at The Cake Show

Last Friday i made a little trip to the NEC to The Sugarcraft and Cake Show, I was literally like a child in a sweet shop, i think it was nervous excitement about the unknown as I had never been before. As we got there i nearly broke out into a mixture of a skip, hop and trot with enthausiam almost smelling the fondant and chocolate in the air.

I was barely through the door and was hit by a crowd of people 3 deep, all huddled round a jostling stand, entrigued i jumped up and down (height not on my side) to see what all the comotion was about, and to my huge delight they were selling fairy edible dust! A whole stand devoted to making cakes come alive and send subliminal messages to be EATEN! From then on I knew this was going to be a great day.

The huge selection of products available was almost mind blowing, cake supplier shops are very hard to come by round my neck of the woods, so i was running around like a busy bee, soaking up the atmosphere, getting an insight into the amazing professional industry of cake and chocolate, i was literally floored by how nice and helpful everyone was, if a little shocked at how busy it was.

Here's a few of the amazing competition cakes, they were on a whole different level, a standard I have never seen before, with the most outrageous detail and thought, everyone was a winner in my book!

So it was trip completely worth while, i came home with a bag full of inspiration and lots of bits and pieces that i can't wait to put to use, so watch this space

Peace out / cake out!

Flower Power Cupcakes

There's nothing like a pretty flower to turn a cupcake into a grown up treat, a cherished creation for one. Mr Wood disappeared with a food shopping list and to my huge delight he came home with these flower and leaf cutters, he gets 'a gold star' and he can definately do solo shopping more often, who knows what he might come home with!

Tingle the cupcake tastebuds with Vanilla sponge and  creamy vanilla frosting decorated with a delightful little flower.

I really love tinkering and pottering in the kitchen making the flowers, but really need to update the sugarcraft tool box and get some proper tools! Really must learn to not get the Edible glitter Litterally everywhere!

If only I'd invited friends round for tea.........................oh well maybe next week,

Mr Wood deserves these all to himself!

Peace Out / Cake out!

Cake Coated Christening

  

An amazing customer asked me to bake cakes for her daughter's christening, definately my kind of customer, no dilly-dallying around she knew exactly what she wanted, when left to my own devices i usually veer off the pink sugar coated path but on this occasion only a dash of cake-pop persuasion was needed. The brief was cream and purple, a perfect combinatination  that made me think of  the purple foil covered 'Quality Street' in all its royal glamour.

  40 White Chocolate Cake Pops with royal purple sprinkles

40 Vanilla Cupcakes with buttery vanailla icing decorated with 'EM' Innitials

Peace out/Cake out! 

Victoria's Vintage Tea

Ive got a very close friend called Victoria and it was her Birthday way back in July, it was a special birthday so I wanted to throw her a mini vintage tea party, it was my perfect chance to prove Mr Wood wrong and 'actually use' all the vintage crockery I'd been hamstering away over the years. In my perfect daydream world cake should only be eaten off pretty plates with vintage silver forks, washed down with tea drunk from delicate china stirred with a shiny spoon that makes a high 'ding' when tapped (gently) on the side of the cup to prevent any tea drips. This was the kind of elegance i wanted to emulate for Victoria, blow those candles out in style with good company, delicious cakes and a glass of bubbles!

We were utterly lucky with the weather and I managed to lay the table outside, which was rare for this summer. It was surprisingly hard work (forearm aching from holding my hand-mixer for too long, Kitchen Aid desparately still needed!), but i got there in the end.  

                                 

                                                       Vanilla and Chocolate Cupcakes

White and Dark Chocolate Cake Pops

 

        Honouring the Birthday Girl with a Victoria Sponge,

with Strawberries and Meringues

 Blueberry and White Chocolate Cheesecakes

All went to plan (apart from an over excited 2year old pukage, but we wont talk about that!) and most importantly I think Victoria had a lovely afternoon, before the crazy evenings festivities!

Peace out/ Cake out!

Cake Attachment Syndrome

I know I'm completely bonkers and I can admit that, cakes don't have feelings, but if its not mutual why do I towards them? I most definately love it when a cake is eaten, that innitial slice of a knife into a creation makes my mouth water, but if things don't quite go to plan, my bottom lip does wobble ever so slightly thinking of the time and effort of each little crumb.

So on this particular occasion I can definately see the funny side of it.......................now!

Infact its completely and utterly hilarious but dare I confess, that it did take me a while to get there, i think I need to have a word with myself about my serious 'cake attachment syndrome'

A very dear friend, asked me to bake a cake for a Halloween fundraiser, a cake that would be the prize if you guessed its weight. Big cakes still slightly scare me, i think its the fact that its the suspense that you cant try even a tiny morsal, untill the cake is actually finished and  thats assuming you're invited to the party, whereas with a cakepop or cupcake you can have a little try of the one that isn't quite so perfect, all in the name of taste-testing and not my rumbling belly! So I looked on some very elaborate cake websites, and scared myself, alot, hoping there wasnt any great expectations, but i knew my boundaries and settled on a very dark, heavy, fudgy, sickly, yummy (ok i think you get the idea) chocolate cake with chocolate butter icing, decorated with a white chocolate web and spiders on top.

The cake was successfully dropped off at my friends house for the fundraiser the next day, it wasnt perfect or completely out of the ordinary  but sometimes triumphant cake delivery 'intact' is sometimes out of my hands. I had a phone call the next day to say the cake hadn't actually got to the  fundariaser and was unfortunately and maybe embarrassingly eaten by her dogs, its lucky we're such good friends and by the sounds of things Ruby and Chocolate had really enjoyed it! I did have tiny stab of heart ache for the cake that was never enjoyed but definately can see the humour in it now.

There is a lesson to be learnt in this story, no more cake attachment for me, its a leaf to be remebered and put on my tree to sit proudly in my 'Little Wood' and besides i'm sure it will be one of many cake disasters to come.

Peace out / Cake Out! x

Bake me a name

So with a few very amateur ‘cake jobs’ and no poisonings under my belt and a gleaming bowl of family and friends encouragement, I decided I want to be more that just ‘that girl from Boardrider who can make a cake pop.’

Boardrider is the surf shop I very gratefully sold my soul too many years ago, my  adopted baby who has taught and given me so much to be thankful for, kept me from a student loan, prevented me doing more snow seasons and importantly helped to nurture a happy relationship with my gorgeous and very hungry cake loving husband Mr Wood, but all this is another story, another blog!

So ‘that girl from Boardrider’ needs a name for her cakes, a disguise or a flour-power of an umbrella to hide behind. So ‘a name’, why does this feel so hard, like I’m stuck at the airport waiting for lift-off to an amazing chocolatey destination (for those of you that are interested looks like a mixture of a scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the house from Hansel and Gretal with a touch of the vintage crockery from the Madhatter’s tea party), but I’m delayed  in the departure lounge until I make the decision and get a chance to enjoy the ride or the sugar hit, as we all know its all about the journey and not the destination.

 So I’ve been brainstorming a few ideas, playing with words, taking inspiration from my surname, granny’s middle name, where I live and nicknames trying to combine them with a clever blend of me, ‘Mrs Wood’ whisked up with a mouth watering daydream of sweet delights. So here’s a few I’ve dropped in the mix and see what surprise comes out of the oven and see what sticks to the tin! Gertie’s Bakes, The Pink Cake Stand, Benar Wood Bakery, Bumble Bell bakery, The Pink Apron, Poppy Wood’s, The Bell and Wooden Spoon, Kiss my wooden Spoon. But there always seems to be one I keep coming back too, one that I first thought of, one that describes me in a few little words, one that makes me proud of who I am, so here it is sugar-aholics ‘drum roll please’ and yes I am going to shout: ‘THE LITTLE WOOD OVEN’