Baking vibes were in the air and the oscillations were headed my way.  Shortly after I was asked to bake a Shopkins birthday cake, my friend Morgan asked if I could put together a dessert table for her sister’s surprise baby shower.  I was flattered at the request and ecstatic at the opportunity to whip up my very 1st desert table; not 1 dessert or 2…but a whole table!

After meetings with Morgan and shared pins on Pintrest, we nailed down the inspiration and aesthetic for the party.  With the bun in the oven’s gender reaming a surprise, we went  with a gender neutral yellow-green colour story.  I took this pallet to heart and did my best to whip up desserts that were yellow or green in either colour or flavour.

To aide in dessert inspiration, I actually sifted through this blog for past recipes and dessert ideas that would fit the theme.  I think I put together a nice + easy to eat dessert menu befitting the honour of a mom to be of a baby girl or boy.

d e s s e r t  m e n u :

• green + yellow cake donuts
• lemon pavlova with kiwi + mint
• sparkling wine marshmallows
• pistachio macarons
• honey macarons
• croquembouche

s o m e  r e c i p e s :

sparkling wine marshmallows -substitute the lemon for a couple drops of sparkling wine flavouring

croquembouche -Instead of whipping cream, these cream puffs were filled with pastry cream

honey macarons – Follow cookie instructions and colour with yellow dye. To make filling, flavour milk with tablespoons of honey to taste before heating. 

I’d like to say that the baking went off without a hitch….but I’d be lying.  For the most part it appeared smooth sailing, but once again I underestimated bake time.  I was on my feet in the kitchen for collectively 20+ hours.  In the last hour, pre party, the worst thing that could have happened happened; we didn’t temp our sugar sufficiently and our croquembouche crumbled.  It was heart breaking.  After a mini meltdown, I gathered my assembled deserts and jumped into an Uber headed straight for Morgan’s to set up.  I was late but thankfully so too was the guest of honour – struck in traffic.

Meanwhile back at our condo, Mike + his mom [who stopped over for a visit on her way home from a trip to Spain] made a brand new batch of cream puffs and pastry cream and reconstructed ANOTHER croquembouche.  Though the party started without the dessert table centre piece, when the cream puff tower arrived [in record time!!!] it made quite the entrance.  Present opening stopped and all eyes were on the croquembouche.

Though it was a stressful Sunday, we pulled it off and I made it out alive. Unlike this past [week 8 Football] Sunday…Dallas was playing the evening game and it was a close one. The boys barely made it out alive.

The baby shower was a successful surprise and the desserts were well received -sugar comas for everyone!

Cheers to a healthy + happy little baby boy or girl!

P.s. Thanks to Mike + Mom for coming to the rescue during my croquembouche crisis!