Irish I Had More Cookies...

I figured if I titled this post with a pun, then I wouldn't have to explain my love of green beer, leprechauns and Lucky Charms. Just so we're all on the same page here, I am celebrating extra hard and wearing extra bright green today because I need some luck of the Irish! Lots of exciting things happening for Littlest Love right now... The website has a temporary page up right now for those locals that would like to place an order! Just check out my current menu. In the next month or two, you should see a very official website!

To celebrate St. Paddy's this weekend...I baked. What did you expect? I figured what better way than with sugar cookies in the shape of shamrocks. And how better to dress them than with Bailey's frosting? You know it!

Tonight is the night for green beer, and I may have purchased a few articles of festive attire...

...but I think we can all safely say that nobody wants to see those pictures! Hope everyone has a fun, safe St. Patrick's Day! Remember to drink green beer (or Irish car bombs or Guiness... or...) responsibly and call up Uber if you end up practicing Irish yoga! Sláinte!

Ode to Valentine's Day

About six months ago, I realized I had very few cookie cutters. I mean, for all the cookies I bake, you'd think I had one for every holiday/shape/occasion. Alas, I had some really strange shapes. Who has 3 mustache cookie cutters and one, giant rocket ship cookie cutter?? This girl. And yet, no heart cookie cutter? No heart?!?!?! Littlest Love needs a heart. A tiny, littlest heart. Just look at that cute, little guy...

Fast forward to last week. Turns out, my purchase came in quite handy. This little rockstar turned my Valentine's treats from pretty, to adorable with just a little push of the hand and a few drops of food coloring. And push and drop I did. I pushed (and dropped) it real good.

Sorry, I always get so carried away with these hilarious puns. Back to the Valentine's treats! I found this BuzzFeed "39 Absolutely Perfect Comic Sans Valentine’s Day Cards" list, and like every other BuzzFeed list, I went down the rabbit hole. About an hour later, I had clicked my way into a circle, and found myself at this list once again. And I thought, "Well, #26 is clearly the best thing I've ever seen." And it was. So I saved the image, printed several copies, and vowed to use it for at least 30 people (that's how many I printed).

I figured my client wouldn't appreciate this the way it needed to be appreciated, so I made them for my boyfriend's office because he works at an ad agency. And if anyone hates Comic Sans more than me, it's them. And if anyone loves butter more than Paula Deen, well, you need a triple bypass.

So I made the best sugar cookies in the world, and then I made two kinds of royal icing: strawberry (pink) and raspberry (purple). And they were these tiny little bites of heaven. Just perfect for my little Valentine's treat bags, which were filled with raspberry flavored Hershey's Hugs and the ultimate York Peppermint Patties (heart shaped!). Needless to say, these treat bags were hugely successful. Paula Deen, you butter believe it.

In the midst of all this heart-shaped madness, Justin and I decided to keep our Valentine's Day low-key. However, I still love this day, and I always want to do something special. So we planned an indoor picnic (because there was freezing rain, and because it's easier). I got to thinking about picnics, which led me to think about the "outdoors." And then when I was thinking about the outdoors, I started thinking about camping. And then my brain lit up like a Christmas tree in February and I was all "I'M GOING TO MAKE S'MORES!" Which I realize is not a picnic-y thing. But, I don't care because I love s'mores and you can't stop me. Also, I have a kitchen torch, so you should really stand back.

I grabbed my Littlest heart cookie cutter and got to work... I needed to make marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate. And so it began with strawberry-flavored, heart shaped marshmallows for the win!

Then, I searched high and low for graham flour in Nashville to rock some homemade graham crackers, but sadly, all 10 grocery stores that I called either said "What's that?" or "Sorry, we have every kind of flour but graham flour." And it's true, so my mission semi-failed. However, I went for the next best thing, which are cinnamon-honey shortbread cookies. Spicy, sweet, and crunchy? I'll take it. Two down, chocolate to go. 

If you know anything about Nashville, you know that we are spoiled rotten by our incredibly talented local artisans. And if you've ever seen the beautifully branded, epic-sized chocolate bars, then you know Olive & Sinclair is what is up! They are flavorful, and masterfully crafted to make your taste buds say "whaaaaat!" That being said, I didn't even pretend to try and make my own chocolate. I grabbed a few of the more intense chocolates (Sea Salt & Cocoa Nibs) and there you have it. Homemade s'mores!

Justin was super excited about his gift, and I was even more excited about the dinner he prepared! Our picnic was a foodie success! We enjoyed pasta salad with chicken & roasted veggies and fresh out of the oven homemade sweet potato biscuits with Tru Bee "Tennessee Snow." Between that and the s'mores, we went to bed full and happy.

And the next morning, we woke up early and ran the Hot Chocolate 15k! Luckily we ran, because we got even more chocolate afterwards! I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day weekend! A special shout out to MY funny valentines: Bo & Justin. <3

Bake Sale & the Return of Love!

Oh my, it's good to be back! How I've missed writing and picture taking and sharing all of my treats with all of you readers (all? some? a few?)! I took several months off - about 3 to be exact - and I'm not even sure why. After Thanksgiving, I started getting a lot of orders, my full-time job picked up big time, and quite frankly, I just kept getting bogged down in the day to day. But I'm back, and I've got lots of fun, exciting news to share and delicious goodies that are calorie-free if you just LOOK these pictures. No touching. See? I'm looking out for you...

Last weekend I was lucky enough to be part of a very important bake sale. The lovely founder of Tiny But Mighty Fund reached out to me to help with a Puppy Love Bake Sale. And if you didn't know, I love dogs. LOVE. DOGS. So supporting the fund, which donates to the Nashville Humane Association, through my treats was a no-brainer.

So, I got my little thinking cat on (right, meow)....

I decided on a combination of seasonal treats that would be fun, simple, and tasty, so I made my Mardi Gras cupcakes - because duh! - and my oatmeal cookies with white chocolate chips and raisins (which tasted like yogurt covered raisins, bonus win). 

 Here are the beginning stages of those cookies...

Look at that nutty, brown sugary goodness! Yum!

And the final product, all dolled up with a sprinkle of kosher salt on top for good measure.

And then there was whiskey caramel...

Which, is what I like to call, angel sauce. Because it tastes like what I imagine heaven to be. And that goodness was mixed with toasted pecans and well, that's what's inside these almond flavored cupcakes. And yes, that's cinnamon cream cheese frosting. You're welcome.

But no so fast, my friend. I quickly realized I needed to bake something new for this bake sale. And there was no one more pleased with my choice than my big, silly Bo Dog. That's right, I made dog treats! Pumpkin and peanut butter to be exact, and they were a hit!

So coming up this weekend is another post about - you guessed it - Valentine's Day! Love is in the air with Littlest Love, and usually, love means butter...and sugar. May your Friday be filled with sweet excitement, if for no other reason than the fact that it's Friday! And if it's not exciting to you, then hopefully this will cheer you up... 

Pink Mustaches & Breakfast Desserts

After days and weeks of traveling the country and the world, I'm back! No, wait. I leave again Friday! This time for Charleston, South Carolina for a bachelorette party of epic proportions. Not only is it one of my best friends, but it is my last trip out of town for at least two and a half weeks... and that's gotta count for something!

While my summer travels this year have and are taking me to Chattanooga, Pigeon Forge, Miami, Key West, Charleston, and Buenos Aires (Argentina), they have not taken me too far from Littlest Love.  Fortunately, I've still been able to focus my energies on Littlest Love. I have a meeting scheduled for tomorrow to speak with a business owner, and several meetings planned for early September to review my business plan, develop a marketing plan, and gain some financial insight into the world of baking. Not to mention, I am about to start website development! It looks like my new target is for the end of September, so keep that in mind!

In the meantime, I've been excitedly baking new concoctions and trying out seasonal flavor combinations! The latest are my pink lemonade sugar cookies - special for the Key West bachelorette party. Yes, those are mustache cookie cutters!

And let's not forget about the very last day of Peach Season! I got into town from Argentina, and was greeted by two bags of The Peach Truck peaches. So naturally, I made their peach cobbler. Look at those beauties!

Yum to peach cobbler with a scoop of Jeni's Loveless Biscuits & Peach Jam ice cream on top. Did I mention that this was my breakfast??

Stay tuned for more summery sweetness and the latest and greatest on Littlest Love's progress!

Brain is Storming + Sun is Shining

I am still trying to talk myself into it being Tuesday. Anyone else having that problem?  Hopefully everyone had a fun-filled weekend - I know I did! I spent most of it outdoors soaking up the perfect 75+ degree weather, but I spent a good portion sampling the competition in the Nashville area. I mean, twist my arm with their chewy, salty peanut butter cookies, right?  After all, what's more American than peanut butter and a little healthy competition on a beautiful Memorial weekend?  I even got to spend a little time by the pool with a local baker.  He's very talented and impressive, and unbelievably humble. Just talking to him got me to thinking.  I don't have to know it all to jump in head first, right?  Into the market, not the pool. Stay with me, people!  

I have this very conflicting, layered fear of trying new skills in the kitchen that is somehow combined with feeling like I having to know how to bake EVERYTHING in order to be considered a respected baker. So you see my predicament.  In order to conquer this fear, I've given myself a goal to bake two items every week this summer that will teach me a new skill in the kitchen.  Also, I am signing myself up for two buttercream classes, so that I can make delicious - and beautiful! - treats for all.

The overall goal is to have a well-developed menu and a beautiful array of desserts to offer everyone by September 2013.  That's right!  September 2013, you should **fingers crossed!** be able to buy something wonderful from Littlest Love. 'Merica!

So, in honor of the American dream, and the people who defend it, I bring you three somewhat patriotic sweets: homemade carrot cake, Sweeteeth "Sea is for Caramel" chocolate bar, and homemade shortbread cookies.  Okay, well at least this carrot cake is WAY patriotic! I mean, it's got red, white & blue carrots!  And while it was a little dense and too moist for my taste, it went over pretty well with friends.  Not bad for my first attempt at carrot cake, or cake in general!

The cream cheese frosting was creamy + tangy + delicious! I'll be attempting carrot cake again soon, but next time I'm thinking layered. I mean, it allows for more of that frosting!

Next up was the best chocolate I have ever set on my tongue - by Sweeteeth.  I had no hand in it (other than the one that was moving the chocolate from the wrapper to my mouth). Which is probably best, since I know how temperamental chocolate is and I have yet to gather my patience to attempt that feat.  But this bar was sweet, smooth dark chocolate that encased a buttery, rich caramel filling.  And the bar was crusted with thick, flaky fleur de sel.  AND I got to enjoy it with a glass of red wine on a picnic at a local vineyard with my love.  Talk about perfection!

Seriously. Yum...

And lastly but not leastly (spell check ignored because it sounds kitschy), homemade shortbread cookies.  This was my first ever attempt with a recipe that I came up with on the fly.  And you know what?  I love it!  Talk about a home run on this one.  The cookies were lightly sweetened, buttery and had a perfect crumb.

I made little and big stars, depending on whether people were feeling a little indulgent, or a lot indulgent.  I don't judge - I'm an equal opportunity baker and taste tester!

And below you can see the fun Vine video I posted!  Follow me on Twitter and Vine @lyndicakes to see more happy, baked goodness!

shortbread stars. #baking #cookieaddict #littlestlove vine.co/v/bVxwtjH5Zbb
— Lyndi Michele (@lyndicakes) May 27, 2013

Cookies, Meet VoicePlay!

If you give a bass singer a cookie, he'll probably ask for a cup of coffee.  

This weekend, I was visited by the amazing a cappella group VoicePlay, who is currently on tour traveling and performing all across the Southeast.   These five, wonderful guys are Eli, Geoff (pictured right), Earl, Tony and Layne, and they stopped by Nashville to hang out, eat cookies, and play with my dog (pictured left), Bo.

So lucky for them, when I have guests, I bake. This time, I had some truly talented taste testers! They got to enjoy the cookies fresh out of the oven while relaxing at my apartment, drinking coffee, and nursing a burger coma after visiting Burger Up for lunch.  They liked the cookies so much, even Earl couldn't resist a picture on the road!

If you like cookies, stay tuned for exciting news to follow in an upcoming post.  If you like music, check out VoicePlay's hit mash-up with Nashville's very own Rachel Potter!

Whole30 Craving Post: Fall, Shmall, I Want Pumpkin!

Sadly, Fall and Winter foods are no longer in season. Now if only the weather would just intuitively know this and STAY warm! Fortunately for me, I stocked up on cans of pumpkin. A lot. Of. Pumpkin. Today's craving IS pumpkin, and fortunately for me, I can have that! Just not in it's most delectable form, which is mixed in with cream cheese frosting, slapped between two fluffy, chewy cookies, and rolled around in mini chocolate chips.  I suppose I can make something else with my many cans of pumpkin sitting wistfully in the pantry, but in the meantime, at least I can oogle this beaut in photos!

Anyone else's mouth watering yet?

pumpkin chocolate chip cookie-which

Whole30 Craving Post: The Rabid Cookie Monster

homemade chewy chocolate chip cookies

I made these chocolate chip cookies late at night last weekend. I mean, literally, in the dark. Hence, the nighttime cookie picture you see above you.  They were for post-race enjoyment for my boyfriend, Justin, and wonderful friend, Charlotte, once they crossed the finish line of the Oak Barrel Half Marathon in Lynchburg, TN. And they each PR'd! I'd like to give a warm, chewy shout out to my cookies, which I truly believe contributed to their big finishes.

Okay, maybe not.  But they were delicious! And I think these might be my biggest Day 3 craving, especially after just playing soccer.  In fact, my inner cookie monster [quite the ferocious beast] just growled at me.  Better go feed her something wholesome!

That's Not a Cookie!

I know, I know! You're probably wondering what all of this is you see in this picture.  It's my lunch.  That's right. I'm cleansing Whole30 style.  This book has changed my mind on how I want to think about food, and honestly, I needed that change.  Due to my hectic schedule, and my love of Kraft Singles, I have been relying on processed foods my entire life.  For me to shift my reliance to all natural foods is a great lifestyle change for me, so that the treats I offer can always be held up on the highest pedestal.  Before I can begin preparing for all of you, I'm going to prepare MYSELF!

So I will be on a baking hiatus for the next 30 days, and I will be working on the business side of things instead.  I'm gearing up to hopefully work with some incredibly food-conscious people to offer you a great product...and soon!  In fact, it could be as soon as July that you could be receiving Littlest Love's first baked item.  What item will that be?  Hmm, any guesses out there?

In honor of the Whole30, I am going to post a picture a day (hopefully!) of a delicious treat that has gone down in my baking history.

Stay tuned!