The Brownie Pop

Yes, I'm that girl!

The girl that gets sucked in my good marketing tactics by stores. Yeah, I'm talking to you Sur la Table!

On a recent shopping trip with my mom in Santa Barbara, we popped into Sur la Table...a personal favorite of both of ours! And to no one's surprise, we bought several things including a silicone brownie pop baking dish. From first glance I knew I had to have it! I thought they would make terrific little individual wrapped gifts in clear bags. I had visions of sprinkle colors dancing in my head!

I've been waiting for the right moment to make them and well, the right moment and time finally came around. With a day off work and several sorority events over the weekend I figured now was as good as any. So, I whipped up a bunch of brownie mix and off we went...
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Note to self: Buy SEVERAL more of the brownie pop baking dishes to execute this in a much more timely fashion in the future.
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HOURS later...

I haven't quite mastered what the exact amount of brownie mix to put in each mold is, but I got close. Also, I forgot to mention, I got the 'pop sticks' at Sur la Table too. They come is packets of 25, if I remember correctly!

Anyways, here's the finished product:

A Tradition of Baking

Welcome to UMMOYER'S BAKESHOP!

I love to bake! It's a form of therapy so to speak! I love to create something that is as pretty as it tastes good. The kitchen is my design studio, my sketch pad, my laboratory. Baking is as much of an individual activity as it is a fun group activity.

Ready, set, start that mixer.

I come form a a long line of family bakers. With French and Belgium blood running through my veins, I've learned from the best! My maternal grandmother (aka Omie for those that know her) and my mother (aka Carolyn) are true masters in the kitchen. They certainly know their way around a pastry bag and sugar flower. I'm still learning, but loving every masterpiece and disaster along the way.  

The best piece of advice I've ever received is to BAKE FROM SCRATCH. Now, I know what you're saying. It's more ingredients, it's more money, it's more hassle...and for what? Trust me, the pay off is in the taste. It may be subtle, but subtle is what makes the "best" stand out from the "good." Plus, with everyone choosing alternative eating choices - Vegetarian, Vegan - baking from scratch allows you to find healthy alternatives to the traditional ingredients. Now with that said, I'm a believer that some recipes should just not be messed with. Sometimes the butter and the sugar really do make the difference.

Now that I have this snazzy (ok, perhaps ordinary) blog, I figure we can start a conversation. We (me and YOU...whoever YOU might be. And BTW, I'm so glad YOU decided to read this blog!) can share baking tips, recipes and stories. To me, the story behind why you're baking something or where you got the recipe is as important as the final product. So, I'll be sharing the stories behind every little thing that I make. From my Kahlua & Vodka bundt cake (ok, maybe not the whole story) to birthday cakes to celebration cupcakes, I'll give you the specifics - the who, what, where...you get it. Themes, color choices and flavors all add up to the 'baking experience.'

Now, let's go make a masterpiece!