Chocolate, anyone?

I admit I had my last poll up for longer than a week, but here are the results from 24 people total:
Question: What is your favorite delectable dessert?
Cake: 5
Anything chocolate: 7
I like to be healthy and eat fruit: 2
I scream for ice cream: 5
Macarons of course: 5
Other: 0

I see there are plenty of other chocoholics out there, like me! But really, who can choose just one "favorite dessert"? I personally love them all!
I now have a new poll in the yellow box on the right, so please take it! Thanks!

*Note-The chocolate pictured on the left is the "Ligne Classique" from Richart, available for $23.50. Mmmmmmm...............

-R*

Let them eat cookies

Nothing like simple, easy to make sugar cookies to satisfy your sweet tooth. These are dressed up a bit with "Barbie" sprinkles and a pretty platter of mine:
I just love the gilded-look of the edges and the romantic flowers! To me it's slightly reminiscent of Le Petit Trianon. This has been in my family for years, and I haven't used it much till now...

-R*

Tea in bloom

I apologize for not posting in over a week; I was out of town in Richmond for a few days. Lucky for me there were several antique shops in the area...I saw many beautiful chandeliers, plates, etc that screamed Marie Antoinette or 18th century France, but of course, the prices were not exactly in my budget. I mean c'mon, $800 for a chandelier? Read below for something I know you will love, that won't give you sticker shock....
If you're like me, and you see every little detail in movies, you may have noticed the tea that blooms in "Marie Antoinette". After scouring the internet, I have found it at last! You too, can have this awe-inspiring tea. Jasmine Blooming Flower Tea, made by Summit Tea Company, is available on Amazon.com. For $9.99, it comes with 10 hand-tied jasmine flower teas made in the Fujian Province, China. Watch as the jasmine leaves slowly unfurl once you pour the hot water in a teapot, and a beautiful Red Globe Amarnth flower is revealed! This would be great to wow your guests at a party, or as a unique gift for a tea-loving friend. There are also other blooming tea varieties available by Adagio Teas on Amazon.
To heighten the blooming tea experience, Numi makes a flowering tea glass teapot, also available on Amazon.com for $21.99. Everyone will get to see the bloom with this teapot!-R*

Easter 2007 at Ladurée

Easter is only a couple days away...and what better way to celebrate than with something sweet(I'm sure many of you have given up dessert for Lent, as have I)?? Celebrate Easter with elegance...Laduree's 2007 Easter creations are perfect for the occasion. Here's a tempting list of what they are offering this year:
-Chocolate eggs in various flavors
-Pink or Green chocolate bunnies
-Three new Easter flavors of macarons: Chocolate Blackcurrant, Chocolate Passion Fruit, & Chocolate Lime
In addition to this, they are offering these even more mouthwatering treats, with descriptions from their website:
-Easter Eggs, available in various colors and boxes of 9 or 16:
*Green: chocolate ganache and pistachio paste
*Pink: crispy praline and milk chocolate ganache
*Violet-violet-flavored ganache and candied blackcurrant
*Red-dark chocolate ganache and macaron flakes
-Easter Desserts:
*Dark Chocolate Nest
*Coconut and Strawberry Nest
And, for Easter 2007, they have created a gift box of Easter bells in various ganache flavors and pastel colors. These are available in boxes of 9 or 16 and are pictured above.
Just typing about these sweet treats makes me hungry. To look at more pictures of what they are offering and the pricing, click here.
Happy Easter!

-R*

Correction-it's macarOns, not macarOOns!

Thanks to Shabby in the City for correcting me on my previous post about Ladurée bakery and their macarons. Macaroons and Macarons are completely different foods; macarons are not the coconut-y cookies I thought they were. After doing some research I discovered that the French macarons are actually a pastry made of egg whites, sugar, almond powder, and icing sugar. The result is a sweet and moist filling sandwiched between two domes of pastry that is slightly crunchy. In contrast, Macaroons as we know them are a cross between cookie and confection, similar to a meringue. Coconut is the dominant ingredient. This would explain the obvious difference in the two treats' appearances!
I have corrected the Ladurée post, and resolved to fully do my research from here on out!
If ever you see something in my posts that needs to be corrected, please do not hesitate to leave a comment. Thanks!

-R*

Show off your goodies, part I

By goodies, I mean your desserts. Macaroons and candied fruits, more specifically. You're going to need something attractive to display your confections on, and tiered serving trays do just that. These were in any well-appointed home in the 18th century, and they're a good investment: they do their thing while also serving as a work of art. So for your next party, check out these food stands:24" Atlantis Food Stand / Dessert Tray - 3 Tiers
This stainless steel, silver-finished dessert stand defines elegance. Just think of the food arrangements you could do with this. While it's a bit pricey at $225, it really is a great piece. You can buy it here at a website called Sarah's Sweet Fountains. Did I mention this website also sells some neat-looking fondue items?Tiered Pedestal Serving Plates-set of 3
Not only is this dessert stand a steal at $19.99, it's a two-in-one kind of thing: the 3 glass stands are stackable, so you can stack them on top of each other for a tiered-stand, or use one by itself as a simple yet chic cake stand. Buy it online at Target.

If either of these don't suit your fancy, you can find tons of serving stands in various styles on Ebay. From modern to vintage, you're sure to find something you like there. Once you get your serving stand(s), pile on the goodies and show 'em off!

Your comments and/or suggestions are appreciated=)

-R*