Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, The Weekend Gourmet Guest Post

NinjaBaker — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 13:30:00 +0000

“Life's too short to eat bad food.” So says Wendy, The Weekend Gourmet. And this Texas Rose walks her talk. On her blog, she consistently serves up desserts like Margarita Ice Cream, Raspberry Champagne Cake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting on her blog. Savory dishes, which are spectacular but do-able like Speedy Shrimp Pasta, also appear. Besides, the blog, Wendy is a TV star! Check out all her television appearances here. Currently, Wendy is in NYC attending a James Beard Foundation event. (The organization that hands out the Oscars of the food world!)

Guest hosting for the Weekend Gourmet is a privilege. To ensure that I bring my A game, I turned to Martha Stewart…Or more accurately, I visited Martha Stewart dot com.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Filling

With the advent of autumn, I thought a pumpkin treat was in order. In Japan, the kabocha squash is the star of the season. A bit of brown sugar and melted butter with roasted kabocha is lip-smacking yummy. But, this is a post for the Weekend Gourmet! So, I opted for a treat with a tad more pizzazz - Sweet ‘n Spice and Everything Nice Pumpkin Whoopie Pies! To balance the spicy soft cookie sandwiches, I filled them with a sweet maple cream...Read more at The Weekend Gourmet.

Wishing you goodies that make your day sweet.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

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The Weekend Gourmet

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Maple Cream

Cookie Smiles

NinjaBaker — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 05:34:30 +0000

Popping into Gelson’s Supermarket to purchase eggs, the in-house bakery, Viktor Benês called to me. (Enjoy life. Eat dessert first. Right?) The lady next to me asked that Happy Birthday be written on a luscious tart piled high with fresh blueberries, sliced strawberries and kiwi. Chatting with the decorator, I picked up a few tips. Such as when working with melted chocolate, use small amounts. If it hardens, stick the chocolate into the microwave for some seconds. I also learned that Viktor Benês is an immigrant from Czechoslovakia who came to the US in the 1920s. In the seventies he sold the bakery to the current owners who retained the name and franchised the successful operation.

Speaking of the seventies, the smiley-face cookies behind the glass spun me back to my youth. And innocence. And the wisdom of surrounding myself with cheery smiley face pens, t-shirts and mugs.

Perusing the shelves more cookie decorations and shapes made me smile. Thought I’d share with the hopes of bringing a grin to your face, too.

?Just like this Viktor Benês sugar cookie with hard icing is a once-in-a-while treat, occasionally I believe it is healthy to take in an afternoon film matinee. Or a massage. And/or une petite shopping spree.

?This year's birthday was blessed with many phone calls and Facebook posts from family and friends. Some were former work colleagues and it was a pleasant surprise to be remembered. Another happy birthday gift was discovering two designerish purses on sale. Sweet victory!

?Just like part of the joy of buying a bunch of yummy Viktor Benês cookies is sharing; so is a day at the mall with the intent to pick up surprise gifts for those who are less fortunate. Like a deserving little girl in Calcutta who David (my husband) and I sponsor through Children International.

Another joy: That initial bite into a cookie, that first sip of morning coffee, that big toe dip into a bubble bath. Nothing like it. Right?

Well, a close second would be reminders of all the great times in front of the TV as David and I cheered on his alma mater's basketball team: The University of North Carolina's Tar Heels.

By the way,the Viktor Benês classic French macaron is pretty unforgettable, too. Glossy finish. Crunchy outside. Gooey inside with a cream accented with tart citrus.

But of all the sweet smile-producing moments of life, David's proposal on the Eiffel Tower (au deuxième étage) takes the cookie! Ok. Cake.

Wishing you a week of sweets and smiles.

?The Ninja Baker

The Ninja Baker - cookies

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, The Weekend Gourmet Guest Post

Cookie Smiles