Tag Archives: chocolate sprinkles

Chocolate Strawberry Ruffle Cake

BY HELEN S. FLETCHER, ON
COPYRIGHT, HELEN S. FLETCHER, 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PHOTOS BY PASTRIES LIKE A PRO UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Chocolate Strawberry Ruffle CakeThis Chocolate Strawberry Ruffle Cake  came about when a friend of mine was gathering items to auction off to help someone.  She wanted a spectacular, showstopper of a cake  cake that would draw a high bid.  I was happy to donate the cake.  I had made the cake, filled it and frozen it a week earlier. The day came to finish it and the night before she was to pick it up,  we lost all power – for 19 hours.  I couldn’t open the freezer or fridge until the power came back on.  So this Chocolate Strawberry Ruffle Cake never came to fruition for the auction.

This is another example of a cake made from recipes already on the blog.  One of the reasons I love baking and pastry is that it is infinitely changeable.  The chocolate cake is one of my base cakes that I use over and over in different versions. Continue reading →

Two Ingredient (almost) Fudge Hearts

BY HELEN S. FLETCHER, ON
COPYRIGHT, HELEN S. FLETCHER, 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PHOTOS BY PASTRIES LIKE A PRO UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Two Ingredient Fudge HeartsTwo Ingredient Fudge Hearts couldn’t be an easier surprise for that someone special on Valentine’s day.  Just a couple of steps and these Fudge Hearts are ready to go.

For those in St. Louis that watch me on KMOV’s Great Day St. Louis, I will be on the first Thursday of every month now.  This is the segment for this Thursday.

These do not require anything but heating a few ingredients together.  No taking temperatures or concern that the fudge hearts will be grainy when finished.  Perfect fudge, every time.

They can be finished with any topping you wish such as nuts, chocolate chips, etc.  I chose red sugar, chocolate sprinkles, brick pieces and white chocolate drizzle.  But anyway you choose to do them, no finish, all one finish or multiple finishes these fudge hearts are sure to please. Continue reading →

Sprinkles, Jimmies, Decoratifs or Vermicelli

BY HELEN S. FLETCHER, ON
COPYRIGHT, HELEN S. FLETCHER, 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PHOTOS BY PASTRIES LIKE A PRO UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Jimmies/DecoratifsSprinkles, Jimmies, Decoratifs or Vermicelli –  whatever you call them these little chocolate decorations can make or break a cupcake or cake!

When I first started in business there was no internet and very little help for someone who was not a trained baker.  I had to learn everything on my own and very quickly.  One of the things that took me a while to find was the real chocolate sprinkles.

Basically there are two different kinds of chocolate sprinkles.  The jimmies are made with cocoa and shortening,  can be dull and rather fat in comparison to those made with real chocolate. JimmiesThe Decoratifs by Guittard and Vermicelli by Cocoa Barry are made with real chocolate, are delicate and shiny.  They can add an elegant touch when it comes to finishing.  Looks-wise, they appear to be made by the same company and just packaged differently.Decoratifs Continue reading →