No grass growing under my feet

So it was Pesach. The holiday of freedom, that chains us first to our brooms, Fantastik spray, paper towels, and magic eraser sponges, and then to our ovens. But I always enjoy Pesach, if for no other reason than the nicest gift I ever received - my Pesach kitchen. It was something I always dreamed of having (some people dream of jewels, cars, vacations, but this was my aspiration), and now love so much. It makes preparation for Pesach so much less pressured, and less painful for the whole family. And since I agreed with my husband that there should be a break from selling cookies, this was my vacation from work as well.

But because I can never get away from my sweet tooth, I spent some time over the weeks developing a couple of new items. I also broke my promise not to work, taking just one birthday cake job as a favor.

This was a dark chocolate cake, filled and decorated with chocolate mousse buttercream, and covered with chocolate ganache glaze. Hard to believe it's Pesachdik - and gluten free.

Growing up in a non-gebrukts house, pretty much everything we ate on Pesach, with the exception of matzah, was gluten free. Over the last year, I have received a lot of interest in gluten free cookies, but never put the two and two together to realize that despite my instinct, I did know quite a bit about gluten-free baking. One new recipe I made this year, thanks to my blogging friend Laura, is these dark chocolate-chocolate chip cookies. They were so rich and delicious, that is is hard to believe they are Pesach cookies!

I also came to the realization that French macarons are the ideal Pesach dessert - not to mention decadent and luxurious for the whole year round. I made chocolate filled with ganache, chocolate filled with buttercream, almond filled with ganache, and lemon filled with lemon curd.I am planning to try making a coffee flavor this week as well, and am offering a free sample with this week's orders. Next week, they join the menu as a special order item. I hope they will get a good reception, as I love them, and hope others will too! The gluten free aspect is really a bonus, as I am happy to be able to offer gluten free products that are of the high quality and attractiveness I pride myself on.

All in all, it was a good Pesach. Because of Dani's allergies, we can't go out, so we do a good amount of preemptive enertaining. We had a really good time, enjoying our company, both friends and family. Nonetheless, I look forward to a quiet Shabbat. Hope you are having a sweet week!

Dvora

And one more happy couple

This goes out not to an engaged couple, but to an old, boring married couple celebrating 19 years together. That would be me and my wonderful husband. Nineteen years ago, we started on an adventure that has only gotten better with every year. Four kids, three homes, and lots of tuitions later, it is hard to believe we are not those little kids starting out anymore. But with age comes benefits - like this one, the gift that Shana made for us.

How cool is that?! Last year she made a sketch of one of our wedding photos, and this year a caricature of the family now. Loved last year's, but adore this one even more. It is a reminder of how far we have come, and how proud we are of what we have built together. Here's to many, many more happy anniversaries!

Dvora

All the happy couples

One of the best types of orders for me is for an engagement. I love helping a new couple celebrate their new status. Here are a few from the last couple of months that I had not managed to post.

Mazal tov to all the beautiful couples - wishing you many years of joy and health together, and much nachat for your families!

Dvora