Thursday, March 27, 2014

Choosing a Cake Topper for Your Wedding

A wedding cake topper is one of the few things that represents the personality and tastes of both the bride and groom, so it should be given as much priority as the cake itself. Years ago, the traditional bride and groom figurine was always a great way to go, but, more recently, we’ve been noticing couples take quite a creative turn when it comes to their cake toppers. Here are a few tips to consider when choosing a cake topper for your own wedding:

Pick a theme.

If you already have an overall wedding theme to consider, choosing a wedding cake topper becomes much easier. You simply need to accent your cake with a symbol or motif from that theme. For example: snowflakes for a winter theme, birds for a fall theme, anchors or seashells for a nautical theme, etc.

What’s your personality?

When you choose a topper based on personality, you want it to be a direct representation of your union. This is definitely a more personal and artistic choice that has the potential to radiate a specific vibe or emotion throughout your wedding. Through custom-made figurines, monograms, flowers or lacy wedding toppers, you can depict the style of your relationship, whether it be romantic, trendy, quirky, funny or dramatic.

Consult your baker/pastry chef.

It is crucial to coordinate your cake design and cake topper decisions together. Keep your pastry chef in the loop about any decision relating to your wedding cake. He or she can help you decide if the cake topper you have your heart set on will integrate well with the design of the cake or perhaps even fit on it at all.

Bring a picture.

The perfect way to keep your cake designer updated is to show him pictures of the cake topper you want to buy. Figuring out the logistics beforehand and having the dimensions readily available is advised as well.

If you have a specific theme in mind and don’t see what you’re looking for on our site, please don’t hesitate to contact us with your desired look. We would be happy to locate more options for you to choose from.

As lovers of everything wedding and baked-goods related, we’d love to hear your own experience choosing the perfect cake topper for your special day. Let us know in the comments below!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

How To Temper Chocolate the Easy Way

The sheer idea of tempering chocolate can be scary for many inexperienced candy makers. This fear leads many new candy makers to shy away from creating tasty chocolate masterpieces using some of the best melting chocolate available, such as our Merken’s Marquis Milk Chocolate. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With our step-by-step guide, you’ll see how easy this technique can be once you get past your fears.

Using a microwave makes it super easy to temper your chocolate to get it to the perfect consistency, so we’re going to show you how to temper chocolate that way.

For best results, you’ll need a:

  • Large microwave-safe bowl
  • Melting chocolate
  • Spoon
  • Chilled bowl
  • Immersion blender

Roughly chop your melting chocolate and add the pieces to your microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate for 20 seconds at a time, stirring well in between each 20-second interval. Keep putting the chocolate back into the microwave until the chocolate is mostly melted but still has some lumps. If you got a little overzealous while heating your chocolate and it all melted, don’t fear: Just add a handful of chocolate pieces to your melted chocolate and stir.

Once your chocolate has gotten to the right consistency, transfer all of it to the chilled bowl and use your immersion blender to smooth out the lumps in your chocolate. Your chocolate will be ready to mold into candy when it dries in less than a minute.

Once your chocolate is ready, ladle it into the candy mold of your choice and create delicious chocolate candies that your family and friends will love.

Are you more of a visual learner? Watch our favorite video to learn how to temper chocolate in the microwave. The video also goes on to show how to mix different colors of chocolate to create beautiful candies.

Have you ever tempered chocolate? Share your tips and tricks with us and other readers in the comments below!