Dessert Recipes with Dates

 I enjoy using dates in my dessert recipes for several reasons:

1. Dates are the fruit of the date palm tree. These little wonders have increased in popularity as a dessert ingredient. They have a chewy texture and a naturally sweet flavor - making it easier to use less processed sugar in recipes. As an added bonus they contain antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals.
2. Dates have a wonderful sticky texture which makes them useful as a binding agent in recipes.  They help hold together ingredients which is useful for desserts that require shaping, such as dessert balls and cookie bars.  This moisture also helps keep desserts moist and tender.
3. These fruit wonders have a distinct taste which adds richness to many types of desserts.  

Check out a few of our date dessert recipes on the blog:

• Oatmeal Date Bars: The date filling for this recipe is baked between two layers of an oatmeal cookie dough.  
• Rugelach Cookies with Date Filling:  the perfect treat when you want something sweet and fruity.   The addition of sour cream and cream cheese adds a lovely tang to the cookie dough.

Both of these yummy desserts include a printable recipe and a how-to video!

I hope you enjoy making these desserts using such a delicious fruit!

Pie Recipes for your Thanksgiving Dessert Table are on our new blog!

We have a collection of holiday pie recipes that would be perfect for your Thanksgiving dessert table.  Please check out the following recipes for a variety of recipes:

1. Coconut Custard Pie Recipe:   This old-fashioned coconut custard pie has a creamy egg custard filling, just the right amount of sweetness and is loaded with coconut flakes. This pie is super easy to make, mixes up in just 5 minutes and only requires a whisk, a bowl, a spatula and a pie crust to create
2. Pecan Pie Recipe:  Pecan pie is synonymous with Thanksgiving.  The custard portion of this pie sets perfectly and I will show you how to avoid common issues with pecan pies, such as burnt crusts or pecans and a runny center.  An instructional video is also included on our new website.
3. Apple Walnut Frangipane Tart: This Apple Walnut Frangipane tart is almost as stunning as it is delicious! It contains the complementary flavors of apples and walnuts – with the walnuts starring in the frangipane base. What is frangipane? Most commonly it is a baked pastry cream made with finely ground almonds, eggs, butter and various flavorings. If you have ever had a Bakewell tart – you have had frangipane. This recipe replaces the almonds with walnuts since they are the perfect pairing with apples.

The above is just a small selection of the many pie recipes on our site.  I also have pumpkin chiffon tart and parfaits, a peart tart, an apple walnut cranberry pie and many more.

Wishing all of my readers the most wonderful of Thanksgivings!

The Perfect BlueBerry Pie: Using Frozen Blueberries

 

Easy Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Recipe - Chiffon may also be used for a pumpkin chiffon cake filling

We added our No Bake Pumpkin Chiffon Pie to our new website - Desserts With Stephanie.  Please visit us to view a printable recipe and our step-by-step video to make the pumpkin chiffon.

This recipe produces a light, creamy and fluffy pumpkin chiffon that is poured into a sweet dough crust and chilled for a few hours before serving. For years this Pumpkin Chiffon Tart recipe has been a favorite among my bakery customers and I hope you add it to your favorites!

This produces the best pumpkin chiffon dessert.  I am a pumpkin pie lover  - but give me a choice and I will go for this easy pumpkin chiffon recipe as it never fails to 'wow' my guests. An added bonus with this recipe is you may use it when making a pumpkin chiffon cake.

Pumpkin Chiffon Recipe - for tarts, cake fillings, dessert parfaits

This is an easy no bake pumpkin chiffon.  It does require the use of gelatin for pies and tarts. You do not need to use gelatin if using for parfaits.  Give yourself at least four hours to make this dessert as it requires time in the refrigerator to set properly.

Please Visit Us at Our New Site

 Our new name is Desserts With Stephanie

Thank you for all the support you have given us over the past 12 years!  We have opened a new website which is more robust, faster and easier to navigate. Please visit us at our new site:  https://dessertswithstephanie.com

Our new recipe site is well organized and includes recipes for a plethora of dessert ideas for you, your family and friends.  To list just a few of our categories and recipes:

• A few of the Pie Recipes we have (visit us for the full list)
• Wild Maine Blueberry Pie Recipe: this recipe has been perfected as we have made it thousands of times for our customers.  This blueberry pie is made with frozen blueberries - these are tiny blueberries that pack a lot of punch!  For a detailed video check out Blueberry Pie From Frozen Blueberries.
• Apple Frangipane Tart:  Yes!  This is the same classic apple tart made with our walnut frangipane and baked in sweet dough.  A much loved dessert among our readers.
• Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Ganache: words can't describe how sinful this pie tastes - a peanut butter cookie crust filled with a Peanut Butter Mousse and swirls of rich chocolate ganache.
• Our Pecan Pie Recipe: We include a video and tips on how to avoid a runny pecan pie and a burnt crust.
• These are just a few of our pie and tart recipes.  Be sure to check out more recipes on our new site.

• Visit our Candy Recipes for gift basket ideas - or just a treat for yourself:
• We are always looking to improve recipes. Our Mixed Nut Brittle candy recipe originally published here was upgraded.  Check out our new site which includes a video on making nut brittle.
• A Divinity Candy Recipe that is chock full of pistachios and dried cherries.  These look beautiful in holiday gift baskets.

• Our Cake Recipes (also Filling and Icing Recipes) have been perfected by making thousands of cakes at the bakery.
• Our Vanilla Cake recipe: super moist yet fluffy!  This is a great recipe to add to your repertoire as you can easily flavor (e.g. lemon cake, lime cake, etc..).
• A Blackout Chocolate Cake recipe:  we use a combination of black cocoa powder and 'regular' cocoa powder to achieve an ultra-chocolatey cake.  
• An Apple Rum Spice Cake which is lovely for the holidays!
• We have many more cake recipes, filling recipes and suggested icings and fillings for your cakes.
• Cookie recipes galore!  
• Including our well-known Sweet and Salty Chocolate Chunk Cookie Recipe and our Coconut Macaroons without condensed milk.  We also have several cookie bar recipes which work well for informal dessert tables and cookouts.

In addition to our site we have many videos where we walk you through every step of making sweet recipes.  To view our videos please visit our YouTube channel.

Baby Shower Cake Designs - NJ Custom Cake Bakery

We all enjoy making a fuss over a new baby, even before the little bundle of joy arrives! We 'shower' the parents-to-be with well wishes and gifts. Not only is a baby shower a way to congratulate the parents, it also helps family and friends feel connected to the big event.

A baby shower indubitably calls for something sweet! At Confectionary Designs we consider it an honor to create cakes and dessert tables for our clients' showers, and we love working with them to create a unique design that works with their theme.

About Us: Confectionary Designs is a boutique bakery located in Northern New Jersey. We specialize in delicious and amazingly detailed custom cakes for all of life's special occasions. 

Pies For Your Holiday Dessert Table - Bergen County Pies

Be sure to get your order in early for your holiday desserts. Visit us at www.stephsweets.com before end-of-day Monday, December 19th to place your order.

This year we are offering the following scrumptious selection:

• Blueberry Pie: Loaded with scrumptious blueberries and baked in a prized flakey dough with just a bit of sugar crunch.

• Pecan Pie:  A southern-inspired recipe that includes a rich, custard filling, loaded with pecans, and baked in a sweet buttery dough.

• Pumpkin Chiffon Pie:  A unique pie that combines a traditional pumpkin filling, layered with a lighter-than-air chiffon filling, and topped off with cinnamon-whipped cream and ginger cookie crumbs (note: this pie requires refrigeration)

• Apple Rum Spice Cake:  A 9" cake loaded with Honeycrisp and Fiji apples, with just the right amount of rum, cinnamon and nutmeg to spice the cake up.

www.stephsweets.com

Holiday Pies 2016: Bergen County Bakery

Looking for handmade, super yummy pies for your Thanksgiving dessert table? We've got you covered!

We are accepting orders in our online store until end-of-day Friday, November 18th, 2016 for pickup at our Bergen County, NJ bakery.  

This year we are offering four items:

• 9" Pecan Pie: A rich filling with loads of pecans, and a buttery sweet pie dough.
• 9" Pumpkin Chiffon Pie: Pumpkin pie with a lighter-than-air chiffon filling, topped with cinnamon whipped cream.
• 9" Apple Spice Rum Cake: Honeycrisp and Fiji apples, with just the right amount of rum, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
• 9" Blueberry Pie: Scrumptious blueberries encased in our prized flakey dough.

Orders may be placed at www.stephsweets.com

www.stephsweets.com

Wedding Cake Guide for New Jersey Brides!

http://www.confectionarydesigns.com

Bergen County, New Jersey

One of the most important decisions a bride will make in planning her wedding will be the design of her wedding cake. It is not the most important design decision, but it should be made together with the other decisions that will make your wedding the special event you want it to be. Here's a guide to help.

Eight Months to Go:

Come up with design ideas that you think will work as an overall theme for your wedding. Browse the internet or bridal magazines for inspiration. Don’t just look at cakes; use other elements for your design. For example, do you want your cake to compliment the lace on your dress? Use any idea to spark your imagination!

You should have an idea of the type of cake you want – will it be a traditional cake, a farandole of mini cupcakes or a whimsical cake that fits your personality? The style of cake may also depend on the number of guests at your wedding. Discuss this with each baker you interview.

Start to narrow down the list of bakers you would like to meet with and make tasting / design appointments. Make sure you discuss your budget with the baker prior to making the appointment as some may not be able to work within your budget. Your goal during this initial meeting is to determine if you are satisfied with the product quality, review the baker’s portfolios, and determine who can help you create your dream cake.

Six Months to Go:

Many specialty bakers are booked several months in advance, especially during peak wedding seasons, so book early if you have a specific baker in mind. Your baker should be working with you on the design, and asking questions such as: "How do you envision your wedding? What color/design are your flowers? Is it a lunch or dinner? What is being served? Is this an outdoor wedding? What's the theme? Are you thinking of something offbeat or classic? What does your dress look like? Approximately how many guests are you anticipating?" All of these questions, and others, will help determine the best design and flavors to fit your preferences.

Most bakers will require a signed contract and a 50% deposit to book a date.

One Month to Go:

Double check all the details with your baker – from the final payment to the delivery instructions.

The Day After:

Enjoy the first day of your new life and let your bridesmaids or mother do all the work for you! If you want the top tier saved for your first anniversary, they need to remove any sugar flowers, double wrap the tier in several layers of plastic wrap, seal it in an airtight bag and store it in the freezer. Also, they will need to return any items you may have rented from the baker, such as a cake platform.

Wedding Cake Flavors - NJ Cake Bakery

Wedding cakes are often the centerpiece of the decor of your reception. And although your guests may be impressed with the appearance of your wedding cake, what they will remember most is the taste.

Selecting flavors for your cake should be one of the sweetest parts of planning your wedding. Can you think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than sampling a few slices of several delicious cakes?

Finding the right bakery to work with is the first step in selecting the flavors for your wedding cake. Many bakeries will charge a small fee if you wish to taste specific flavors. Often this fee is deducted from your final cost should you decide to order from them.

Have a good idea of what your wedding menu will be like when you go to your tasting, so you can tailor the cake to the rest of the meal. For example, if your meal is focused on Spanish flair, how about a rich vanilla cake with dulce de leche or a guava filling? Or maybe a cake with hints of ginger would be a perfect ending to an Asian feast.

Think about choosing a flavor that might have personal meaning to you and your beloved. Was your first date over coffee? Perhaps a mocha filling. Is your fiancee Italian? A fresh cannoli cream may delight him.

Don’t be afraid to stray from basic flavors such as vanilla and chocolate. Some of the more unique and complex flavor combinations we like are:

• Coconut cake striped with key lime curd and vanilla bean filling. This cake is not only a delicious pairing of flavors, but it also looks amazing when plated .
• Dark chocolate cake with coffee buttercream and almond toffee bits. The crunchy toffee offers an unexpected yet delightful texture.
• Vanilla cake with banana cream and passion fruit filling. The combination is so very refreshing and perfect for a summer wedding.
   

You may also want to serve more than one flavor of cake at your reception. This can be accomplished by having a groom’s cake in addition to the wedding cake. Traditionally, groom’s cakes are a richer flavor like chocolate, red velvet, or a dense fruit cake. Of course, you could just choose the groom’s favorite flavor! You may also request your baker to make each tier a different flavor. This can often be done at little additional cost.



About us: Confectionary Designs is a boutique bakery located in Bergen county New Jersey NJ. Our specialty is creating custom cakes for all of life's occasions. We work with you every step of the way in creating a detailed and delicious wedding cake that you and your guests will remember!

Holy First Communion Cake - NJ Cake Bakeries

Click here to see more of our special occasion cakes

We created this pretty bible book cake for one of our favorite customer's daughter. She celebrated her first holy communion in style!

Girl's Birthday Cake - NJ Bakeries

Click here to see more of our children's birthday cakes

At Confectionary Designs, our NJ Bergen county based bakery, we love creating these pretty cakes for little girls. We made this cake for a special little girl turning six. She asked us to make her a cake 'like a wedding cake!'

Elegant Birthday Cake - NJ Cake

Click here to see more of our custom birthday cakes!

I love working with our clients on creating just the right cake for their special occasion. In the cake above, the client gave me just two requirements: 1) black and white, and 2) elegant!

Birthday Favor Boxes

Confectionary Designs

How cute are these favor boxes for a dinosaur themed birthday party? We purchased the gable boxes from PaperMart, created a custom label for the birthday boy, and filled each box with a dinosaur cookie, a chocolate #7 lollipop, and a decorated cupcake.

Happy Holidays from Confectionary Designs

 

Confectionary Designs wishes you a sweet holiday season!

"Under the Sea" Baby Shower Cake - NJ Bergen County Bakery

A very sweet welcome to baby Levi! We were thrilled to make this baby shower cake for a special couple. We usually create a sketch for our clients but in this case the father-to-be created the sketch and sent to us. We loved his design and enjoyed making all the sugarpaste elements, including the baby crab and boat. 

 

Click here to view more of our baby shower cakes

Carnival Birthday Cake - NJ Custom Cake Bakery





A fun, festive cake for a little boy turning 6! We've been lucky enough to create cakes for is 3rd, 4th, and 5th birthday party. Every year his mother puts together a great party with a theme fitting for his age.

 

This year the theme was a big-top circus theme. We came up with this design for his cake and everything you see is edible including the sugarpaste popcorn!

 

 

Click here to see more of our children's birthday cake creations!

 

or contact us via email at info@confectionarydesigns.com  or phone (201)655-2302 to discuss your birthday cake needs.

Happy Birthday Purse Cake - Bergen County NJ Bakery

Click here to see more of our custom cake creations

 

Another purse cake from us at Confectionary Designs! Everything you see is edible, including the scarf, jewelry, purse handles, etc...

 

This cake was made for a 'fashionista' birthday party. The lovely recipient is known for her saying "it's all about the accessories!" We hope she liked gobbling up these sugar accessories.

Car Cakes form our Custom NJ Bakery

Please visit us at www.confectionarydesigns.com to see more of our cakes.

A batmobile cake for a great kid turning 5!

Can anyone guess what year the birthday boy was born?

A little Porsche action!

New Jersey Wedding Cake Bakery

We created this wedding cake for a wonderful couple this summer. The only thing better than the outside of the cake is the inside! We made equal amount of servings of 1) chocolate with raspberry puree; and 2) key lime cake with key lime curd - both wonderful and refreshing flavors.

The couple asked for a special added touch to personalize the cake even more - can you see the sugar replica of the groom climbing out from the sugar peony on the bottom tier?

Click here to view some of our other wedding creations!