Cake Pops

Cake pop: [keyk - pop] n. A simply irresistable bite-sized dessert made of balls of cake, dipped in a thin layer of candy melts,  all served on a stick. (AKA, my latest food obsession)


I was lucky to receive a cake pop maker as a Christmas gift and I've been hooked ever since.  Babycakes has made it easier to bake these delicious confectionery creations (As opposed to taking the trouble of baking a cake and mixing it up with a bunch of frosting). This way, I was able to bake the cake pops directly from batter to ball — much cleaner, quicker, and probably healthier, too. After my first time around making them, looked and tasted just right – especially covered in rainbow sprinkles.   For the wine and food pairing,  always make sure the wine is sweeter than the cake: try a late harvest Riesling...or a good ol' glass of milk. ;)

My secret weapon for these bad boys, the babycakes cake pop maker!!! I will never go back. 

Here's a visual guide how I made them. 

1. Cook cake batter for ~4 minutes until golden brown

2. Place them in freezer for 15 min

 3. Dip sticks into melted candy coating before inserting into cake, then wait 5 minutes so they may stand on their own...

...like this!

The cake pop forest in my kitchen. I had fun experimenting with different colors and sprinkles, too:

Enjoy!

Cheers,

B

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TASTING NOTES—2008 Ehler's Estate: One Twenty Over Eighty

I'm a big fan of this 2008 Ehler's Estate: One Twenty Over Eighty.

We bought this Cab on a trip to Napa on my birthday weekend in Napa (seen in this post), and waited for another special occasion to enjoy it together with the family. Sadly this 2008 vintage is now sold out, but it is available on wine.com as of today.

Tasting Notes

This Bordeaux blend is comprised of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with just 4% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc.  The name, 120/80,  is the 'ideal' blood pressure and is a playful reminder of this fully non-profit winery--all proceeds go toward cardiovascular research.  It is a nice, full-bodied and balanced wine with notes of raspberry, dark berry and spicy oak on the palette and ends with a bold, tannic finish. 

My rating: A-

Wine Profile:

Final Blend: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc

Harvest Date:  September 21st – October 15th, 2008

Bottling Date: August 18, 2010

Alcohol %: 14.5%

Fruit source: 100% estate grown Farming: California Certified Organic Farmer since July

2008 Oak Regime: 100% French Oak, 50% New 

Primary Coopers: Nadalie, St. Martin, de Jarnac, Baron, Demptos

Cheers,
B

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For those that kick it old school

With so many ways to take and share photos (via iphones, ipads, digital cameras), virtually anyone can share high-quality photos in a snap. Remember when it wasn't always that easy? I have memories of going to the local photo store (which has since gone out of business) with my mom to get her twenty-something rolls of film developed after family trips and vacations. It was always exciting getting the photos back. Our family had this thing where we wouldn't peek at a single picture until we returned home and looked at them together, during which we reminisced about all the fun times.

A sneak peak of what I'll be posting this week...
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{Clockwise from top left: My old-school camera, Cakepops: my latest food obsession (I'll share how I made them!), a visit to Napa, & a mention-worthy wine soon to be reviewed.}

Lately I've been playing around with an old film camera (pictured above) and I seriously cannot wait to see how my photos turned out! I'll be sure to share the best ones with you.

Happy weekend!

Cheers,
B

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Brewery Visit--Stone: Escondido, CA

Stone Brewery

 {Kicking back in an adirondack, soaking up sunshine and sipping on beer....aah :)}

San Diego has a growing reputation for some of the best microbreweries in California, and Stone Brewery is one of them.  I know what you're thinking: why am I writing a review about a brewery on a wine blog? It's all relative. (Plus, beer is cool! Why not?) In fact, this quarter I am taking a beer brewing course, titled "Malting and Brewing Science"--more on that later.  To me, I am fascinated with how things are made, and it is interesting to compare the science of winemaking to the practice of making beer.  

Stone Brewery has a cool, hip vibe with all sorts of yummy ales to enjoy and bring outside in the beer garden, or even inside paired with food at the bistro.  And if you are not a huge beer fan, not to worry! They have a great wine list (yes, I approve!) available at the bistro.

If you go to Stone, I would definitely recommend that you try to catch one of their tours--I found them to be very informative plus it included a complimentary tasting of four beers. 

 

{Loving the unusually warm winter weather outside in the garden}

 

{Soft pretzels +  IPA = awesome pairing}

Prost,

B

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TASTING NOTES—2007 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon. Where to begin? This wine is simply outstanding. A total knockout, if I could give it a letter grade, I'd give it an A+. As soon as I took my first sip, I thought to myself, "this is the kind of wine I want to make." As I tasted the wine I tried to take it all in, jotting down notes...I didn't ever want to forget its wonderful taste--a truly aspirational Napa Cab.

Wine Spectator, Insider – Hot wines May 5, 2010
Rated 96 points
“A firm, ripe, muscular wine that’s tight, deep, structured, intense and concentrated, serving up a mix of ripe currant, cassis, plum, black cherry and blackberry fruit that’s clean, pure, complex and layered, with touches of anise, cedar and black licorice. Ends with chewy tannins.”

Ever since 1998, Wine Spectator has rated every vintage of Caymus Vineyards between 91-93 points. (With a wine this good, I'm not surprised).

Cheers,
B

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Back to School

{A beautiful afternoon in Davis makes me happy to return to this college town}

Today marks the first day of Winter quarter this year.

Returning to UC Davis means more bike rides, new classes, ample amounts of coffee shops, double-decker bus rides, great friends, delicious Thai food, hot cocoa, and rain boots, to name a few.  Plus there's something about the beginning of a new term that makes me giddy: visiting the campus bookstore to buy textbooks, finding out how my classes are, reuniting with classmates after the holiday break (or meeting new ones), new professors...its an exciting fresh start and I look forward to beginning it right! 

:)

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Blue Velvet Cupcakes

Blue Velvet Cupcakes. So tasty. A spin-off of the traditional red velvet cupcake, these beauties are deliciously moist, with the same great buttermilk tang and subtle chocolate taste you get from a red velvet cake--just a striking blue color! And they make a great food-wine pairing. I suggest enjoying them with either a Sparkling Rosé, (like Domaine Chandon's Etiole) or a Demi-sec, from Moet & Chandon to compliment the blue velvet flavors.

How to make them:

{For the cake}

Beat together cake ingredients with mixer on high speed for approx 60 seconds, or until batter is smooth in consistency. Scoop 2/3 cup into lined cupcake tins and bake for 18-24 minutes. I would check them at about 20 minutes just in case--mine were ready between 20 to 22 mins.

Allow the cupcakes to cool. (Note: this is the most difficult step!)

{For the frosting}

microwave marshmallow creme (this helps soften the texture) for 15-20 seconds. Combine 1 cup (2 sticks) of softened butter, and beat till creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar and a pinch of salt to the mixture. I also added 1 tsp vanilla to spruce it up a bit, but that's completely up to your taste!

*recipe adapted from Betty Crocker

{The secret to getting the perfect hue of the deep royal blue: add just a dab of violet icing color}

nom nom nom :)

Cheers,

B

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When in doubt, pinky out!

Funny man Zach Galifianakis demonstrates his wine helmet

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New Years Resolution: Drink Better Wine

"Fine wine can—and indeed will—expand your world. It broadens and deepens the reach of your senses. It can help soften the rough edges of daily life and even remind you that beauty exists in moments when it seems least likely to penetrate your daily life." --Matt Kramer

Matt Kramer, in his article (here) from Wine Spectator,  encourages wine consumers to branch out, giving good wines a chance.  Pitching in a little more mulah for the wine reaps great benefits, too.  Wine is something to look forward to at the end of a busy week, enabling us to actually use our senses to taste and explore different places of the world--for each wine has a story to tell.
 That being said, for 2012 I will continue to share wines that I especially enjoy on this blog through my "tasting notes" posts.

{Sometimes when I drink wine I imagine all of the steps involved in the process of making it, even including the people that worked to produce the final product. How about you?}

Wine related or not, what are your resolutions for the New Year?

Cheers,
B

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TASTING NOTES—2006 CALI 351 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Notes:

When we opened this wine last night with dinner, I knew I had to share this one on the blog! Awarded 92 Points--Wine Enthusiast, this Cab has "classic Napa tannins" and just the right amount of acid to give a nice sharp bite on the tongue while balancing well on the palate.  Tasted great after allowing it to aerate a bit.  It was a sad moment when the last drops of the fruit-forward, musky ripe raspberry and dark cherry-driven flavors left the bottle.  I have a feeling this wine will age well and will taste great in a few years...good thing we purchased more than one bottle!

Harvest Chemistry:
Avg Brix: 25.6
pH: 3.65
TA (g/L): 6.5

Technical Wine Notes:
Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon: 84%, Cabernet Franc: 16%
New Oak: 80%
Alc %: 14.7%
pH: 3.72
TA: 6.1 g/L
RS: 1.1 g/L
9L Cases Produced: 969
---

Cheers,
B

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