Recipes, Cooking & Cookware
Every fall since we were young, a family friend with a small apple orchard has served fresh apple cider mulling in her home whenever company came over. The delicious aroma has always been heavenly. As her guests file in, she greets them with a warm…
Are you the office de facto cake decorator? The staff seems to celebrate everyone’s small-to-medium size life milestones, which means lots of celebratory cakes. Unfortunately, many of those cakes are purchased the day of a forgotten milestone, and in the poor planning, a personalized message…
Cupcakes have become the hot trend in addition to or instead of cake at various celebrations and parties, and being able to decorate cupcakes yourself is fun and easy once you get the hang of it. You can achieve professional results at home with a few easy to use tools. Frosting decorations on cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and pastries make them look so professional and add to the festivities for parties, weddings, showers, and bake sales.
WHY I LIKE THIS CUPCAKE DECORATING SET
Many Russian frosting tips give great results but require that your frosting is very stiff, which means a very sugary frosting that is often too sweet to enjoy eating. Russian Frosting tips also generally cannot work with a favorite homemade frosting recipe or even recipes that do not use gel food coloring. I love the results of Russian frosting tips, but they do have a learning curve and restricted frosting consistencies.
This cupcake decorating kit can be used with frosting from a can or your personal frosting recipe as long as you chill the frosting in the refrigerator in advance for about 20 minutes. This makes it easy even for a kid to frost cupcakes. Frosting cupcakes, cookies, pastries or cakes is a fun party activity.
AN OVERVIEW OF THIS KIT
PLUNGER STYLE FROSTING CONTAINER
A feature I like about this set is there is an easy to use handle that presses out the frosting instead of squeezing a pastry bag. It is simpler to manipulate, and I have more control over the frosting flow which leads to fewer accidental gaps and blobs of frosting. My frosting does not get too soft to work with due to the heat of my hands as can happen when holding a pastry bag. It is easy to clean out, and the tips screw on and off very easy when it is time to switch out designs. I also like that I can switch out tips without a coupler or make a new frosting bag.
The plunger pushes out even the last bit of frosting, so there is no waste, and it is very easy to clean up.
NewXshop Cake and Cupcake Decorating 8 Piece Set
DECORATIVE TIPS
This kit comes with eight tips that screw onto the bottom. The tips include a thin and thick tip for writing, stems, basketweave, and scrollwork. There are two tips suitable for making leaves or petals, a rosette tip, and flower tips. There is a wavy pattern tip for general ruffle patterns on a cupcake. I like having two writing tips so that I can personalize a cupcake or cake without having to buy a cake at the bakery.
NewXshop Cake and Cupcake Decorating 8 Piece Set
USE:
I removed the cap and plunger, and filled the clear base with frosting, loading it in with a spoon. After it was about halfway full, I screwed on the cap and using the dual handle; I pressed down the plunger until the frosting was at the bottom. Then I selected a tip and began to frost. You may find it easier to start practicing with the tip that is one small circle; this is the writing tip that just creates a line. To create a flower, hold the frosting plunger vertical to your surface, with the frosting tip almost touching the surface to be frosted. Press down on the handle with even pressure and slowly pull your hand away.
TIP: If you can learn to use the ruffle tip all around the sides of cake, (the tip that looks like a tilde character: ~ ) you can create a tiered ruffle cake. Starting at the bottom of the cake, hold the plunger at a 45-degree angle near the cake and pipe a ribbon, partially touching the top of the ribbon edge to the cake, so it adheres to the cake. Keep rotating your cake while you pipe the ruffle all the way around the cake, and then do ruffle layers about 75% overlapping above the last ruffle until you reach the top. If you add some food coloring stripes but don’t blend it very well into the frosting in the tube, it can add some great pops of color once piped onto your cake or cupcake.
NewXshop Cake and Cupcake Decorating 8 Piece Set
I like that the plunger and base can be stored in the refrigerator with any remaining frosting to pull out for easy use to quickly decorate a dessert.
CONCLUSION: A sturdy, well made decorating set that is a high-quality Polypropylene material. The plunger is sturdy as are the handles. Safe for washing in the dishwasher, it is easy to use and durable.
Got guests who drink decaf? Need to cut down on your own coffee consumption? Finding a tasty cuppa sans caffeine can be a tall order. Read about Five Cups Coffee, that uses a special Swiss Water method to make the most of the flavor so…
Zoodles, or Zucchini Noodles, are easy to make with the right spiralizer. Also, veggie courses get a makeover when carrots, potatoes, squash and other firm veggies get spiralized. A healthy alternative to pasta, but making them can be a chore. Many spiralizers require lots of…
How would you like to drink organic liquid dark chocolate all day, not gain an ounce, get your vitamins and a massive amount of antioxidants?
Yes? Me too.
So we were delighted to learn about MiCacao Loose Cacao Tea. When we think of chocolate or cocoa, we tend to think of what comes from the inner nib of the bean. MiCacao Loose Cacao Tea is made of the Cacao Shells, which are organic. This is an herbal Chocolate loose tea that is nothing but the organic, gluten-free, vegan Cacao shells. There are no preservatives, artificial flavoring, or starches. It is caffeine free as well.
The shells have a ton of health ingredients, including a massive amount of anti-oxidants and minerals including Iron, Zinc, and Magnesium.
You might be wondering why the health benefits are so much better than from the actual cacao nib. Think about it: in fruits, the nutrients tend to be more concentrated in the rind. For instance, orange rind has much more Vitamin C than the part we typically eat. The oils that flavor many dishes come from the rind. The same applies to the Cacao Shell: it contains a concentrated amount of all the good things we hear about eating dark chocolate. For instance, they provide 40 times the number of antioxidants as Blueberries.
The shell “leaves” themselves are absolutely beautiful, a rich golden variegated brown. When hot water is added, the leaves dance in the water, giving a kaleidoscope-like show until they settle to the bottom of the pot to brew.
To brew the tea, add one to two tablespoons into boiling water and let it steep for about five minutes. I found that it doesn’t get bitter if you let it brew for longer, but the flavor does get more intense. So you can adjust it to taste.
The tea has a dark chocolate top note that is very reminiscent of intense organic chocolate and a buttery chocolate aftertaste. It has a bit of a wine note, but not overly sweet. It is a complex and smooth taste that could easily be enjoyed at any time, from a treat in the morning to a special treat for your guests at a wedding.
Try it with just a hint of vanilla to enhance the chocolate flavor a bit more. If you want to make it an after dinner “dessert tea,” try adding a bit of dark chocolate liqueur for a truly sublime cup.
And much like dark chocolate, this tea can help curb your appetite. I found that it cut down on my cravings for sweets, which is a lovely perk!
Find MiCacao Loose Cacao Tea at MiCacao.com
We received compensation for my time and effort in this review. However, our experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% ours.
If you have acquired some specialty coffee beans and wanted to show the flavor to best advantage, the pour-over coffee method is an ideal way to enjoy your prized beans. Pour over coffee is an easy method to brew coffee for one or more persons. This…
My favorite quick pick me up juice is a drink of wafer-thin slices of fresh ginger steeped in freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. The only problem: finding a knife that can cut the ginger wafer thin. Got a favorite recipe that requires the thinnest slices you can achieve?…
A French Press is designed for use with ground coffee, espresso, and tea. The brewing method of a French Press lends towards a smoother, richer cup of coffee because it is a slower gradual brew than when water is run over coffee grinds in a coffeemaker. It is also an easy method to do espresso at home without the expense and mess of coffeehouse-style brewers.
But what I like about the Ayo French Press is that does loose leaf teas very well, allowing the tea to open and unfurl and thus reveal the full flavor, especially so with delicate oolongs, whites, and even some monkey-picked green teas that brew quickly. If you enjoy loose leaf teas, you will really like having a way to brew that allows the flavor room to breathe and it is intriguing to watch the tea brewing process. I enjoy brewing in a French Press instead of a tea ball or tea bag because it allows the tea to release the best flavors, and the French Press keeps unwanted tea leaves out of your brewed cup.
ABOUT THIS FRENCH PRESS
The premise of a French press is it is a cylinder shaped beaker often of glass (in this case, this French Press is made with heat resistant and Borosilicate glass) and a plunger that attaches to the lid. The piston of a French Press plunger is generally some sort of mesh. This French press does one better by having a heavier weight colander type multi-layer screen strainer that allows water to flow through but does not allow the grounds or tea leaves to pass into the water.
The French Press is small so it is the perfect size cup that will stay warm until served. There are no flimsy pieces, it feels durable and strong and the design suits various decors.
The French press is well made and easy to clean when brewing tea. Finely milled coffee grounds can get into the air holes in the strainer and require a bit more attention to clean, but no more so than any other coffee brewing method.
Because this particular French Press is made with Borosilicate glass, it makes for both a very sturdy and durable container that can withstand fairly high heat and exposure to cold. What I particularly like is this type of glass lends towards the cylinder NOT absorbing the taste of previously brewed beverages, namely, you will not taste a residual espresso taste within a later brewed delicate white tea. I prefer this to some plastic brewers that retain the flavorings of other previously brewed teas. To me, this is a big selling point.
HOW TO BREW LOOSE LEAF TEA WITH THIS FRENCH PRESS
Remove the plunger and strainer component to add the tea underneath. Replace the plunger and strainer. Secure the lid and press the plunger down as far as it goes without touching the tea leaves. Add enough hot water for the first brewing only and replace the cap. Allow enough room for the tea leaves to unfurl by slowly raising the plunger up to about the halfway point. It is very pretty to watch the tea brew, even if it is a simple black or Earl Grey, and it is a functional piece that is sturdy despite being glass. After the appropriate brewing time (use a timer for very delicate brews to avoid a bitter taste), pour off all the tea. If a second brew is desired, use only new water to not diminish the taste due to over-brewing. This is different than when brewing coffee in a French Press as a longer brew time does not make the coffee bitter.
Durable, sleek and attractive, this French Press is ideal for making a personal serving (or two) of tea, coffee or espresso. Easy to use and to clean.
Find it at Amazon.com.
We received this product in exchange for my unbiased review and we were compensated for our time and effort, however, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.
Sky Mat is a commercial grade comfort mat to reduce stress on the body during long periods of standing, such as while cooking or baking. A trick of professional chefs and bakers that enable them to stand for hours on their feet while prepping food…
