Sad Day at Poppy Mallow

When I started Poppy Mallow a year and a half ago I didn't have a plan or a vision for her future - I just played it by ear and when the opportunity for growth arrived, I took it. We began with a few orders of a dozen or two every few days to prepping months in advance for 150 person weddings. While most of our orders came from right here in Kingston we also took orders from places as far away as Boston and Los Angeles. She's has been a small, comfortable operation that brought me closer my new community and taught me about things like organization and planning - all of the unglamorous behind the scenes work that has to happen. It was just what I needed to feel settled after moving from Alberta.
But in February I was fortunate enough to get a teaching offer at a private school and, while so excited at the prospect of using my education, I knew there would be no room for cupcakes come September. It's been difficult to let things slowly come to an end and I wonder if there will ever be a time to revive Poppy Mallow - I really hope so. However, for now, we are officially shut down as of last week. We need to thank the people of Kingston who have been welcoming and supportive and to our customers, many of whom we've seen on more than one occasion - Thank You!

Puppy Birthday...
I tried my hand at some sculpting techniques for a friend's daughter's birthday who wanted a puppy theme on eighteen cupcakes



My favorite are the little bowls with bones and sticks. I'm loving my new set of fondant tools, I put off getting them for a long time thinking that I could do just as well with my fingers and toothpicks, but I was sooo wrong. It's not only easier and faster with the right tools but the result is better.





Next, I want to try a giraffe. Wouldn't he be cute, all squat with a tall neck?

Easter!

Planning a little later than I aught to but I'm thinking of three varieties in a mix pack with some Eastery flair:

Coconut Gale - a nest of Sweet Coconut Shred on Coconut Buttercream with pretty litte candy eggs waiting to hatch perched on Deepp Chocolate Cake.

Little Violet Tarte - Lemon Buttercream on Lemon Custard-filled Vanilla Cake be-flowered with violets and daisies.

Blushette - White Chocolate Buttercream on Raspberry Curd-filled Vanilla Cream cake strewn with white chocolate and sporting Bunny ears.

Regular: 31.20 per dozen
Mini: 16.80 per dozen

We like 48 hours notice but we can always come up with something in a pinch.

This is the only picture I snapped of the Valentines flavours that went out - part of a little order of Mini's going to an 'un-valentines party'.


The Strawberry with Chocolate dip and Strawberry dust were the biggest hit. I think I will make the Caramel Buttercream a new flavour - it shall now be known as....I dont't know yet. Soon.

Hockey!!!!!!

Busy, busy busy here at Poppy Mallow, just like I like it - I was able to sneak a few minutes to take some pictures of the hockey-themed dozen I was working on today though. Apologies for the bad lighting


They're not supposed to be but I think the pucks are so cute - they're made out of chocolate fondant. The sticks are painted with gel colour - I learned very quickly that a hockey stick has a distinct proportion - if you get it wrong it just looks like a funny twig thing.


In real life they were vanilla and strawberry buttercream and the red was red not an orangey colour. I don't mean to toot my own horn but the strawberry buttercream is deee-licious - I bumped up the strawberry content so much I was nervous that the buttercream base had been pushed to it's limits and would separate into a hideous clumpy mess, but she held. Proud of her.

Valentines Day...


Because Valentines Day is about couples it stands to reason that ordering a dozen cupcakes at one time might not suit everyones needs - so, between Friday the 12th and Sunday the 14th, we will be taking orders for half-a-dozen. AND because it's such a special day, there will be three different flavours per box!

The Valentines Special - two each of Choclit-choclit with caramel ganache, Nilla-Nilla with strawberry swirl and Baroness - all of which will be tastefully spiffed up to suit the occasion! This comes to you, delivered free of charge within Kingston for a Cupid-pleasing price of 17.50.

Let me know 24 hours in advance if you're interested!

Pretty on The Inside...


You know, I've never really had a long, thoughtful look at the insides of my filled cupcakes - when I make them I taste-test as each componant is finished but rarely eat a fully assembled cake - they get sent out into the world as quickly as they're made. However, after a midweek order was completed and boxed up, I found myself with enough leftovers to make two more Blushette - one for me and one for Kevin. So, taking just as much care as I would if they were part of an order, I fussed up my two tiny cakes, with their sweet, vanilla-ey white chocolate paired with tart raspberry, and took them home to our fridge. No eating them that night - I wanted to wait for daylight to take some snaps of their 'guts' - which consisted of Raspberry buttercream and an up-turned raspberry.



So now I know. Not bad but I think they probably look a little creamier when they havn't been refridgerated overnight - the buttercream gets a little stiff when it's cold and I wonder if the raspberry might hold its shape a little better the first day. Next time I'll make sure to take it apart right after I put it together - then I can eat it on the spot as God intended.