The Ninja Baker - Shark Tank

Fresh as Daisy Cakes

NinjaBaker — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 22:22:24 +0000

“Daisies infinite Uplift in praise their little growing hands, O'er every hill that under heaven expands.”

Daisy photo credits: Click here for photo 1, picture 2 and photo 3.

So said the English "Poet of the Poor", Ebenezer Elliott, in the 1800s. He championed the causes of the hungry with his efforts to repeal the Bread Tax. At about the same time, the Civil War was brewing in North America and the English were supporting Confederate soldiers.

Centuries later, long after British warships had left Southern shores, another artist, Kim "Daisy" Nelson was inspired to uplift her South Carolina community with her Daisy Cakes. Kim Nelson's muses were her Great-Aunt Daisy and her grannies, Miss Nervilee and Miss Nellie (love those names!) Daisy Cakes desserts boast the trademark of homemade goodness: farm-fresh eggs, butter and other quality ingredients combined with much care. A pound of carrots provides moisture to each of their carrot cakes. Fresh zest is sprinkled into lemon cakes. Southern classics such as red velvet and four-layer coconut cake are bestsellers. The latter is frosted with an icing using fresh coconut and coconut milk. Yum!

Click here for the carrot photo credit.
Credit for the picture on the left is here. The right image credit is here.

Fast forward. The Daisy Cakes owner, Kim Nelson, appears on ABC’s Shark Tank. A millionaire, Yankee real estate mogul, Barbara Corcoran, invests in the business. Sales of Kim Nelson’s Daisy Cakes dramatically increase. The demands for appearances on the prestigious stages of Miami’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival and The Nate Berkus Show also increase. (Oprah Winfrey’s darling decorator who now has his own TV program.) With Barbara Corcoran at her side, on The Nate Berkus Show, the Southern baker reveals her family’s recipes for pound cake and lemon curd. (Understandable. Nate’s dimpled smile could charm secrets from the CIA!)

You can bet this Ninja Baker was taking notes. I’ve yet to make the pound cake. But I did make Daisy Cakes’ Lemon Curd. (After slathering the tops of strawberry mini cakes and lemon cupcakes with organic strawberry jam, I piped lemon curd on top. ) Not only did Kim Nelson share her secret recipes with Nate on TV, she also generously posted the how-to for her Lemon Curd on the Daisy Cakes South Carolina Facebook page. (As of this writing, Daisy Cakes has an impressive 11,305 Likes on Facebook!)

Strawberry cake mini loaf slathered with strawberry jam and topped off with
Daisy Cakes' Lemon Curd.

I always associate lemon curd with English style afternoon tea. A sort of marmalade scooped onto scones. However, Kim Nelson’s Southern version is more of a lemon meringue flavored whipped cream. And is dee-licious! In the tasting process, I had to remind myself to save some for the piping bag.

The Daisy Cakes’ Lemon Curd requires a willingness to constantly whisk (or immersion blender whisk) the custardy substance over a flame for fifteen minutes. The family recipe also calls for a separation of a bunch of eggs. (Be prepared to buy two-dozen at the supermarket. I like to buy free range. Maybe it’s my imagination but it seems birds out of cages produce better tasting eggs.) Yes, this luscious lemon filling/topping demands attention and care. And is worth every single step.

The Ninja Baker's Lemon Cupcake with Daisy Cake's Lemon Curd swirled on top.

Do you have a smart tip for separating the yolk and white of an egg? If so, please e-mail NinjaBakerBlog@gmail.com In the meantime, click here for a video link to a clever lady who has mastered the art. Her visuals are crystal-clear albeit the explanation is in Chinese.

Wishing you fresh as a Daisy Cakes filled with luscious Southern-style lemon curd.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker's recipes are also available at:

?Allrecipes.com:
The Ninja Baker's Japanese Plum Sweet Memories and Recipes

Bob's Red Mill

Wholesome Sweeteners:
The Ninja Baker's Gluten-Free Coconut Chocolate Cheesecake Minis with Espresso Cream

Wholesome Sweeteners:
The Ninja Baker's Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Champagne Glaze & Optional Lemon Peach Marmalade Filling

?LifeKraze

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Daisy Cakes Lemon Curd

cupcakes

Kim Nelson

Shark Tank

Blondie and the Sharks

NinjaBaker — Sat, 26 May 2012 07:43:13 +0000

	Brenda “Blondie” Coffman started her baking business in the kitchen of Married Student Housing apartment at Indiana State University in 1984. Twenty-six years and twelve stores later, on Friday the 13^th in April 2012, sharks circled the cookie maven. Right there on ABC television. Despite the smiles and compliments upon sampling her baked goods, a scent of the death of a deal filled the Shark Tank. The proposed 3% stake in exchange for a $200,000 investment in Blondie’s handcrafted cookie business was about to crumble.
	Diverting the billionaire/millionaire entrepreneurs of ABC’s popular Shark Tank, Blondie mentioned her 2.3 million dollars in sales in 2011. The sharks attacked. They pointed to the lagging sales in her newly opened Florida stores and bank loan debt of $800,000. (Due to her straying away from her Indiana home base.)
	In the end, none of the sharks were willing to invest. And billionaire, Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team (as well as Landmark Theatres and Magnolia Pictures) confessed his fear of Blondie. He’d have to go to the gym for a three hours daily workout if continuously exposed to her cookies. (As a former Dancing with the Stars contestant, I’m surprised he didn’t mention a more fun method of “cha-cha-chaing” away sweets.)
	The sharks with their sharp business skills acknowledged, however, that with Brenda Coffman at the helm, Blondie’s Cookies owns two huge assets. Number One: Her hug-from-mom homemade cookies (soft shortbread circles frosted with buttercream and sprinkled with rainbow-colored sugars, fudgy brownies and more!) Two: Her bubbly smile and personality.
	And if actions speak louder than words, it appears Brenda Coffman is a woman with a huge heart. Ten percent discounts are given to military personnel and college students. All unsold product is donated to those in need in the community. Now, that’s a way to win friends and influence people and attract customers to your store. Don’t you think?
	I met Tanya, the main cookie maker at the Blondie’s Cookies in Sarasota. I can only assume she is an extension of her employer’s priorities: loving people, cookies and profit. Cheery, professional and proud of her product, Tanya offered samples and answered questions with a genuine smile. She also explained that her boss visits frequently.
	One bite into Blondie’s bestselling Sprinkles confirms that quality control is not an issue. My favorite is her vanilla shortbread slathered with buttercream frosting. The cookie is buttery, not greasy. The shortbread is super soft and topped with just the right amount of sweet icing. The kind where nostalgic childhood memories of licking the beaters on the mixer for the cake-frosting bowl kick in.
	My father, who lives in Florida, made Blondie’s second bestseller “White Chocolate Mac” (short for Macadamia) and third most popular Koko Swirl (a chocolate cookie smothered with frosting) vanish faster than a rabbit disappearing into a magician’s hat. “Excellent” was the pronouncement upon consumption. (Mind you this is a man who has traveled the world, tasting the fine cuisine of Maxim de Paris, Trader Vic’s and other five-star establishments.) He was also partial to Blondie’s Chocolate Chip Cookies. According to Tanya at the Sarasota store, the demand for the American classic never dies.
	So, Brenda Coffman’s first go-round on TV resulted in rejection from the entrepreneurs on Shark Tank. But with her magical combination of handcrafted baked goods, bubbly charm and huge heart, the sharks may circle Blondie again; taking a huge bite into her phenomenal cookie business. She only needs a little time and a few more Floridian customers. By the way, Brenda Coffman is already capitalizing on her appearance on TV with a Blondie’s Shark Box Assortment that contains all of her bestsellers.
© ™ Watkinson 2012	Wishing you the love baked into Blondie’s Cookies. The Ninja Baker