Brianna's Birthday

Flowers.  Cupcakes.  Flower cupcake cake.  What more could a 9 year old Princess ask for?  This weekend, I helped create the sweets portion of my niece's 9th birthday part.  Usually, I do something simple: cupcakes piped with frosting or maybe some brownies or cookies.  You know, simple baking.  There's always more than enough sweets floating around...the birthday cake, some kind of Asian dessert, my simple baked goods, and of course, the pinata.  Every single year, it's the pinata that receives the majority of the excitement.  I mean, who doesn't enjoy whacking a cardboard character and having tons of chocolate fall atop their head?  ...aaah...the memories... :)

This year, however, it was my sweets table that garnered the excitement and awe.  This year, I made ALL the sweets (minus the chocolates in the pinata, of course)..and might I say so myself, it was beautiful.  This year's baking started early for me...about a week before the birthday party, I was already preparing and making my list of what needs to be done and when (especially those macarons!).  It's hard enough to bake and decorate and set up goodies, but add packing and transporting them (and everything else I could possibly need) 2 1/2 hours away from my residence makes for a difficult task for someone who is a tad bit forgetful...Overall, the sweets were a hit and the kiddies (big and little) loved them!  Here are the highlights:

The Sweets Table:

Chrysanthemum Flower Cupcakes:

Strawberry Macarons and Chocolate Hazel Macarons:

Miniature Fruit Tart with Lemon-Lime Curd:

The Flower Cupcake Cake: