Getting ‘Chatty’ about cake: Bakery shares recipes in new cookbook
Chatty Cupcakes Buttercream is a European-inspired variety that is less sweet than traditional buttercream frostings. (Photo courtesy of Chatty Cupcakes)
无毛视频淢ichelangelo of Cake无毛视频� features some of Chatty Cupcakes无毛视频� best recipes in an organizer-style binder. (Photo Courtesy of Chatty Cupcakes)
Ella Gannis, left, and Ellan Toothman-Gannis recently published 无毛视频淢ichelangelo of Cake,无毛视频� featuring some of the recipes that are the foundation of their Chatty Cupcake business. (Photo Courtesy of Chatty Cupcakes)
Courtesy of Chatty Cupcakes
Courtesy of Chatty Cupcakes
Ella Gannis notes that their book provides the foundation for bakers looking to create sophisticated desserts.
Chatty Cupcakes just became a little chattier.
Six years after introducing dessert lovers to their decadent gourmet cakes and cupcakes, bakers Ellan Toothman-Gannis and daughter Ella Gannis have published a cookbook featuring the recipes that have become the foundation of their Chatty Cupcakes business.
无毛视频淢ichelangelo of Cake无毛视频� is the culmination of the successes 无毛视频� and failures 无毛视频� created in their licensed residential bakery, which recently relocated from Waynesburg to the Gannis family无毛视频檚 newly built home in Venetia. The move offers a shorter commute to The Galleria of Mt. Lebanon, where their ACM 无毛视频� automated cupcake machine 无毛视频� has been dispensing scratch-made goodies to loyal customers for the past five years.
On a recent morning, the two took a break from the bakery to explain the philosophy behind sharing recipes they无毛视频檝e perfected through years of trial and error.
无毛视频淎ll of our best recipes, our foundation, are in the book,无毛视频� Ellan says.
She dismisses the notion that they are divulging proprietary formulas. Instead, the book 无毛视频� attractively bound in the style of a personal organizer with the intention that it becomes a cook无毛视频檚 go-to guide 无毛视频� serves as a natural next step toward the entrepreneurs无毛视频� latest goals: to teach classes in their new, expanded work space and produce a second book dedicated to cake design and decorating 无毛视频� Ella无毛视频檚 specialty.
无毛视频淲hat无毛视频檚 a secret? I don无毛视频檛 believe we ever have any secrets,无毛视频� says Ellan, who spent 25 years as a management consultant providing executive training to corporations. 无毛视频淭he more you give, the better.无毛视频�
It无毛视频檚 apparent both women are passionate about baking and maybe more so about learning, and teaching, too.
无毛视频淭he two questions that we ask ourselves constantly: 无毛视频榃hat differentiates us?无毛视频� and 无毛视频榃hat distinguishes us?无毛视频� Ellan explains. 无毛视频淭o differentiate us, here, here无毛视频檚 all the best of all of our failures, all of our successes,无毛视频� she says, referring to the book. 无毛视频淲e have learned a lot. We decided it was time to share some things we无毛视频檝e learned along the way.无毛视频�
The book has always been 无毛视频渙n the back burner,无毛视频� Ellan says, adding that 无毛视频渋t distinguished us.
无毛视频淲e realize that not everyone who likes to bake wants to own a bakery, but all bakers realize the joy in making special desserts for their family and friends, or for making memorable occasions with loved ones. Cakes made from scratch always taste best, but can be time-consuming to create.
无毛视频淭here are no shortcuts to quality, but we are sharing our recipes to help others make delicious cakes in their own kitchen with more ease, less guesswork and greater satisfaction. This is for the caring person in the family who wants to make something really special and something really delicious.无毛视频�
The project was set into motion with Ella无毛视频檚 2019 appearance on Food Network无毛视频檚 Cupcake Championship, where she competed against three other bakers to win the $10,000 prize. Before the competition, potential contestants were required to document their recipes for the show无毛视频檚 producers, which helped get the ball rolling on their book.
They happened upon the book无毛视频檚 title somewhat serendipitously.
无毛视频淎 couple of years ago, a customer gave us the compliment that we were really excited about, that we were the 无毛视频楳ichelangelo of Cake,'无毛视频� Ella recalls. 无毛视频淚t was on Facebook, and it was one of the nicest things. We kept that in the back of our minds. It was such a pretty turn of phrase and really, really kind.无毛视频�
In tribute, Michelangelo is quoted in the book无毛视频檚 introduction: 无毛视频淎ncora imparo,无毛视频� the Italian master wrote at age 87, which translates, 无毛视频淪till I am learning.无毛视频�
无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 what we are trying to prove, that we are still learning, but we will share our best, and nobody else does that,无毛视频� says Ellan. 无毛视频淲e are still learning, and that无毛视频檚 the story of us.
无毛视频淲e are Chatty Cupcakes because Ella and I love words, and we love writing, and in here are little inspirational quotes, funny quotes.无毛视频�
Adds Ella, 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 punctuated by the quotes.无毛视频�
无毛视频淏ut that无毛视频檚 just for fun and timeless,无毛视频� Ellan interjects.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 fun,无毛视频� she adds. 无毛视频淵ou无毛视频檙e baking. You无毛视频檙e in the kitchen, and you want to play a little bit, and that无毛视频檚 the important part.无毛视频�
The 74-page book is divided into five sections 无毛视频� frostings, fillings, cakes, extras and inspiration. Pockets inside the cover offer room for favorite family recipes, and a plastic zip-lock pocket is included for safe storage of smaller notes and recipe cards. Attention was paid to every detail, from the miniature plastic tasting spoon tucked in an elastic band on the inside cover, to the pink pen accented with glitter for making notations.
无毛视频淭his book is dynamic, not static,无毛视频� Ellan says. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 dynamic because the baker that you might be will look at this and will say, and we say it in the beginning, 无毛视频楳ake this your own.无毛视频� Put it in the kitchen. Splatter batter on it. Write in here. It will become your own personal baking book and all you无毛视频檒l need in your kitchen.无毛视频�
Ellan says the recipes are basic. 无毛视频淎nd when I say basic, I mean we knew we had to do a vanilla cake and a chocolate cake recipe, and you can go anywhere from there.无毛视频� Toss in chopped-up hazelnuts or toasted pecans, she suggests, or add spices to create an elegant spice cake. 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 the foundation that无毛视频檚 in here.无毛视频�
Chatty Cupcakes uses only real butter, sugar, cake flour, high-end chocolate, fresh fruits for compotes, fresh eggs and pure extracts (with the exception of vanilla, which is cost-prohibitive 无毛视频� 无毛视频淲e can无毛视频檛 taste the difference or we wouldn无毛视频檛 do it,无毛视频� Ellan notes). She recommends home bakers follow suit and use the best ingredients they can afford.
Nine frosting recipes are included, among them, their own Chatty Cupcakes Buttercream, a light, airy, European-influenced variety that calls for less sugar and 无毛视频渄ifferentiates us,无毛视频� says Ellan.
In the extras section are recipes for rich, fudge-like brownies (the unlikely ingredient is sweetened condensed milk); sugar cookies 无毛视频� 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e tried them all, and this is our standard that I always use,无毛视频� confides Ellan 无毛视频� and the simple Buttery French Sable Cookies. 无毛视频淵ou egg wash the tops so they come out shiny. They无毛视频檙e just delicious 无毛视频� just a butter cookie that you have with a cup of coffee.无毛视频�
And, yes, there无毛视频檚 even a chocolate chip cookie recipe.
无毛视频淓verybody thinks they have the best chocolate chip cookie recipe,无毛视频� Ellan says. 无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e so subjective. It无毛视频檚 what you like. But we do have the best,无毛视频� she says with a laugh. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 the salt. Who knew?
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 good if you like it, and that无毛视频檚 the theme of this. If you want it to be a little chewier, put in a little more Karo or butter, or whatever you want to put in to make it chewier. If you want to add pecans or oatmeal 无毛视频� do what you like.无毛视频�
Bakers are urged to take their cake creations up a notch with some of the filling recipes, like marshmallow cream or raspberry compote, a fresh fruit filling that will elevate cakes from 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 good无毛视频� to 无毛视频淥h, my gosh, that无毛视频檚 the best thing I无毛视频檝e ever eaten!无毛视频�
The final section, inspiration, showcases some of the elegant and whimsical cake and cupcake designs Chatty Cupcakes has produced over the years, intended to inspire ideas and creativity.
无毛视频淚 believe that in life you无毛视频檝e got to be willing to give,无毛视频� Ellan says. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檒l tell you the good, the bad 无毛视频� it无毛视频檚 more fun that way. It无毛视频檚 more real. And that无毛视频檚 the way it is.无毛视频�
To order 无毛视频淢ichelangelo of Cake,无毛视频� visit www.chattycupcakes.com.