When it Rains, I bake....but this time, for someone else!

 

This week, our home went on the market for sale....and I decided to bake up some 'enticements' for the real estate folks who are having  rough time of it right now.  Not very much is selling and what IS selling is selling for much less.  So, I think we all have to have some kind of 'edge' when we sell these days, so I thought I'd sweeten them all up a little! My mom has been making cream puffs since I was little....I remember her turning them into swans....I was amazed at how they all looked on a pretty dish, so I decided to make them, too.  It had been rainy and cold all week...perfect for baking!  I also made eclairs and profiteroles....all pretty related, just varied the fillings and toppings.  My cream puffs got just a dusting of powdered sugar but my eclairs got a deep dark Valrhona chocolate spread atop each.

 

 

Profiteroles and cream puffs

The graduation cupcakes all finished

A good friend of mine has a daughter graduating from high school this week, so I made up some chocolate bouchons ( not pictured ) and these spicy cardomon cupcakes with mocha frosting.  I had to make extras for the man in my life who said...."Now THAT'S a good combination!"  Hope the graduation party thought so, too!

A for Allison, the graduate

 I found these cute 'A's' to top off each of the cupcakes ( for ALLISON) and they all got snuggled into a red wire basket I found and wove the polka dot ribbon through.  Their school colors are red and black.

All placed in their RED wire basket with black and white spotty ribbon

 I managed to tuck 20 of them in there

 I got them all delivered and then stayed up REALLY late on friday night cleaning up the kitchen as we had a 'return visit' from the folks who came to see the house earlier in the week.

Hope they enjoy them!

I'm so inspired by all of you out there who bake.....I have an upcoming baking surprise that I will tell you about really soon, so stay tuned.  In the meantime, does anyone have a fabulous strawberry cupcake recipe that REALLY tastes like strawberries and is moist and wonderful?  I really need one!!
On the topic of the folks who came by today----unfair advantage: I browned a bottom round roast last night with onions and garlic and put it in the crock pot to slow cook today with broth and carrots....the first thing they said when they came in was....ooooh, the house smells so good!  They stayed for 2 hours and 15 minutes.  We know that because we were here when they arrived at 1 and we returned home at 3:15 and they were just leaving!  I'll keep you posted.....

Love you! xo