Well, it’s On The Road Again….. for Chef Nicholas.  Do you remember that song Willie Nelson sings about being “On The Road Again….. Just can’t wait to get on the road again….”?  That song reminds me to move the “Nick Stick” to a new location that he is traveling to this week.  Chef Nicholas will be in South Shields, working with Flower Pro for the next 9 days.  He is going to be working on designing and developing new products and creating the YouTube videos that will go with the new products.  Chef also says "I am developing something totally new too".....I’m so excited about this because I can’t wait to see what he is going to come up with next!  If I can get a sneak peak at the new stuff, I’ll be sure to pass it on to you!

After the 9 days, Chef will be returning to Atlanta where he will be in the ISAC studio for the Spring Open House on March 14.  This is a wonderful chance to see the new ISAC showroom and classroom and to get some new ideas for Spring!

As most of you probably know, Chef Nicholas is on the road traveling all year long, around the world to so many different events for the Sugar Arts.  It’s hard to keep up with his schedule and keep track of where he is going to be next because he is so busy.  I am going to do my best to keep up with him from a virtual level and report back here to everyone.

This week, Chef Nicholas is traveling to Milan, Italy for the FIPGC Cake Designers World Championship.  This is an international competition that only happens every two years.  This year, it will be held on October 19 – 20 and will have literally thousands in attendance.  FIPGC stands for Federazione Internazionale Pasticceria Gelateria Cioccolateria or to translate, it is the International Federation of Pastry Gelato Confectionery.  Thank you Google Translate! 

 A few weeks ago, I told you about the Sunflower and Daisy Flower Pro molds from Chef Nicholas and Katy Sue Designs that help make your sugar flower creations easier and more fun.  I hope you have these molds as part of your cake decorating supplies by now!

I also hinted about a new mold was coming out and it’s finally here!  This mold creates the most beautiful large and small size Antlers.  This new mold is definitely not a flower but is so much more versatile than a flower.  Just take a look at these fabulous creations.

The team at Katy Sue Designs and the many fans of Chef Nicholas have created some beautiful designs that I want to share with you.  Here are a few cake designs.

These cakes are amazing!! 

Now, I have to admit, when I first saw this mold, I started thinking of all the different cake designs I could make with this mold.  But then I thought…. this mold can be used to create so much more than just cake!  How about cookies or cupcakes?  How about a centerpiece for your table-top or pretty wreath to use during a Holiday celebration?  The team at Katy Sue Designs and everyone out there stepped outside the ‘cake box’ and came up with so many other ideas.  Just take a look.

This is definitely something no one should be without.  These molds are amazing.  Now is the best time to get yours!  

Click on the mold photograph to go straight to the website to place your order.  The Antler molds come in 2 different sizes, but can be used in the same way.  ISAC has plenty of these molds in stock, but you better hurry and order yours before they run out.  

Be sure to post photographs of your designs to the Katy Sue Designs Cake Decorating or Nicholas Lodge Facebook page so we can enjoy your work.  Chef Nicholas has also created a tutorial for the Antlers mold. Here is the link to the YouTube videos for all the great tutorials created by Chef Nicholas, including the Antler molds.  The NIcholas Lodge Antler Mold YouTube Tutorials.  There are 2 parts to this tutorial.

I never thought about the antler molds being on anything other than a cake, but the wonderful cake decorators and designers that work with these molds have really taken this to the next level. 

Who would have thought about this idea?  How cute is this?!

The Antler molds can be used for any holiday decoration or a rural Country theme cake or cookie.  The possibilities were endless.   Order yours today!

Stay Sweet and Keep Learning!

SAVE THE DATE!  Don't forget about the upcoming ISAC Grand Holiday Open House.  The event is scheduled for November 16 from 9:00am – 12:30pm OR 12:00-3:30pm; or you can attend November 17 from 9:00am – 12:30pm.  Each day will have the same demonstrations, so you can choose one of these days and times to attend and not miss a thing!

Registration is $15.00 for the event.  You will receive a $5.00 credit on any purchase you make during the event.  Got to www.nicholaslodge.com/classes to sign up today!

The team here at ISAC is always trying to make things better, easier and more efficient for our customers and friends.  There are many ways we can accomplish this.  We can do this the old-fashioned way and send out surveys by mail; or we can make phone calls to everyone.  But surveys by mail just get tossed in the trash can (at least that is what I tend to do) and who has the time to make all those phone calls?   

With the age of computers and fast technology, the internet is a much better option for these types of things.  There are a lot of websites that ask their users to leave a review about a business, like Yelp, Trip Advisor, Google or Ebay to name a few.  The more reviews that a business gets, the better the business is perceived and people who read the reviews will be more inclined to use that business if others have given it a favorable review.

So, based on that introduction and without getting too technical…. We would like your help.  Would you consider writing a review for ISAC?  We would love to hear about your thoughts, suggestions and creative ideas about how we are doing. 

Hello!  You probably looked at the title of this blog, rolled your eyes and groaned loudly thinking Christmas stuff already??  Well let me assure you that this Christmas blog is going to be one of the ones that you will want to pay attention to, so keep reading!

One of the best and “must do” events of the season is ISAC’s Grand Holiday Open House.  This is a great way to kick off the holiday season and get you in the holiday spirit! Did you know this will be the16th year for this celebration?

Mark these dates on your calendar - November 16 OR November 17.  The open house will be held at the ISAC show room and will be packed full of great Christmas ideas, demonstrations and shopping.

Hello!  Have you been missing the weekly blog that used to come out from ISAC?  Me too!  Stephanie did a wonderful job keeping us up to date with everything going on with the team at ISAC and Chef Nicholas, but she has decided to move on to bigger things (taking care of her family!)  Thank you Stephanie for all that you have done!  Your blogs were full of information and lots of fun!!

So what’s next?  Well, I’m happy to announce that I have the privilege and honor of being the person that is going to continue what Stephanie was doing and deliver the weekly blog on behalf of ISAC!  My name is Susan and I would like to welcome you to a new series of blogs that will give you all the latest that is happening with Chef Nicholas and his entire team at ISAC. 

First, I want to give you just a little about myself.   I have been a cake decorator and involved in the sugar arts for over 25 years.  I love to make sugar flowers, decorate, travel and mostly play with sugar!  I am a member of the International Cake Exploration Society and the Treasurer of the Florida Chapter.  I have met so many people and made life long friends in the sugar industry.  It’s hard to say what is more fun, playing with sugar or meeting new friends!

It is that time of year again, folks. The National Gingerbread House Gingerbread Competition at the Omni Grove Park Inn was held last week, and that perennial staple, Head Judge Chef Nicholas Lodge was there presiding over all the pomp and circumstance. And this year television crews from both FoodNetwork and NBC were there filming all the delicious action. As always, we wanted to share all of the amazing gingerbread creations and the winners from all the different categories. Sadly, with all of the network and cable TV crews there, Scott was limited as to what he could capture with his magic camera. So, I give you the top three from the professional category below. However, I do bring good tidings as well! FoodNetwork will be airing their episode, Gingerbread Giants 2, four different times over the holidays! Um, yay! 

FoodNetwork Gingerbread Giants 2

Sunday December 23 - 9pm EST/ 8pm C

Monday December 24 - 12am EST/ 11pm C; 11pm EST/ 10pm C

Tuesday December 25 - 2am EST/ 1am C

Now, without further ado, the top three winners of the 2019 National Gingerbread House Competition at the Omni Grove Park Inn!

Scott has assured me that while a picture is worth a thousand words, no photos could do these three gingerbread "houses" proper justice. They are just too spectacular to allow a camera to catch every intricate and edible detail on each of these three winning entries. You're in luck because Scott was able to take a brief video of the winning design! Click here for the video! 

Don't forget to tune into FoodNetwork in December to see all the entries and footage of the three winners!

 Sweetly yours, 

Stephanie 

Our goal is for you to be completely satisfied with your Amazon order! If for any reason this is not the case, we would appreciate it if you would give us a chance to address your concerns, before leaving feedback or a review, by emailing us at customersvc@nicholaslodge.com. We would be grateful if you would leave us a positive feedback and review of your Renshaw Fondant. Leaving feedback seems like such a little thing, but it has great impact on our business and we would greatly appreciate your time in leaving it.

2017 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

WINNER of the 2017 Golden Tier Educator of the Year Award

Winner of the 2015 Craftsy Blogger Award for Best Craftsy Cake Decorating Instructor Blog

Chef Nicholas Lodge: 2015 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

Last week Chef Nicholas winning the Cake Hero Award had to be celebrated. But there was more to celebrate last week- brand new Nicholas Lodge products by Katy Sue Designs were released! First is a new product in the Nicholas Lodge Collection by Katy Sue Designs- the Blackberry and Oak Leaves mold, and second the Flower Pro Poinsettia mold and veiner! The timing is obviously perfect to make some golden autumn oak leaves, and with Thanksgiving one week away, Poinsettias and the Christmas season are a blink away! 

Today is November 1, 2018. That means that our annual Grand Holiday Open House is just 17 days away! EEEK! I thought I would do a quick post this week, giving you all the nitty gritty (or should I say sugary sweet) details on our event this year! First of all, you need to know the dates, right?

This year, ISAC's Grand Holiday Open House is on the weekend of November 17-18. As in years past, there will be several sessions over Saturday and Sunday. There will be three sessions on Saturday, and one session on Sunday; Saturday sessions will be held at 9am (sold out), 12pm, and 3pm, the Sunday session will begin at 9am. Each session is three and a half hours long, and each session will present the EXACT same demonstrations. Besides the 9am session on Saturday November 17, there are still some seats available in each of the other sessions. There is a $15.00 fee to register, and once you check in the day of the open house, you will receive a $5.00 to be used on any purchase at ISAC on the same day! Yay! As always, please remember that due to some demonstrations using hot sugar mixtures, extremely hot equipment, large crowds, and for the safety, comfort and enjoyment for everyone, we ask that small children and babies in strollers not attend the open house. We thank you sincerely for your understanding.

Now, on to our special guest this year- Sandra Beltran from You Can Call Me Sweetie! If you are a fan of Sandra's blog, you will know that she makes amazingly beautiful cookies. When I went to her website to grab the links, I fell into the rabbit hole of her cookie photo galleries! I was totally engrossed with zooming in on each photo to gawk are her amazing attention to detail. I spent a good half hour looking at her photos before remembering I was in the middle of writing this post! If you plan on attending our Grand Holiday Open House, then you are going to have the privilege of watching Sandra's fun and festive cookie demonstration. These holiday cookies are going to wow you! Personally, I myself cannot wait for her demonstration! I have been looking forward to it ever since Molly showed me Sandra's suggested projects earlier this year. Oh, and you lucky ducks even get the opportunity to sign up for some hands on classes with Sandra as well! After open house Sandra is teaching 3 five-hour classes! Each class is a collection of cookies, and each collection is absolutely gorgeous! The Unicorn Bliss cookie collection class has already sold out (not at ALL surprised, I love rainbows and unicorns and this class is ALL that and a bag of whimsy), but the sleek and sophisticated Art Deco Cookie Collection class (think of glitz, glamour, and The Great Gatsby), and the Bohemian Love Cookie Collection (a free-spirted but stylish cookie collection) each have a few seats still available for interested students. FYI0 You cannot sign up for any of Sandra's class on our ISAC website!!! She is hosting the registration for HER CLASSES on her own website. Scroll down until you see the classes held at Nicholas Lodge International Sugar Art Collection. **OPEN HOUSE REGISTRATION IS ON OUR WEBSITE!!**

I know you are all dying to know what new tricks and tips and mind blowing ideas Chef Nicholas Lodge is planning on sharing with you all this year. He never fails to pull out ALL of the stops with his demos. Sadly, just like I have to tell you every year, Chef Nicholas doesn't even tell us, his own ISAC family, what he is planning until the last minute. Sometimes I have an inkling on what he might be doing. Sometimes Molly catches a glimpse of what he is working on, or perhaps he asks Ann to prepare paste in a specific color that gives us a clue. But this year he has been traveling so frequently, that I have absolutely no idea what he is planning to dazzle you all with this year. Of course, that means when he starts his magic, I will be there oohing and ahhing along with all of you! I am pretty excited!

To sign up for our Grand Holiday Open house, click on the following links; choose the date and time that works for you! If are interested in being added to the wait list for the 9am Saturday 11/17 Open House session, please call the store at 1-800-662-8925. Alternatively, if you have already registered, and know you will not be able to make it to any of the sessions, please call us and cancel your seat, many people would love to attend if you cannot not! Thanks!

Saturday 12pm-3:30pm Grand Holiday Open House Session

Saturday 3pm-6:30pm Grand Holiday Open House Session

Sunday 9am- 12:30pm Grand Holiday Open House Session. 

There are still seats available in these great classes this summer at ISAC! Click the links below to register now. 

English Over-Piped Elegant Wedding Cake with Ceri Griffiths, 11/7-8

Unicorn Bliss Cookie Collection with Sandra Beltran; 11/18

Art Deco Cookie Collection with Sandra Beltran; 11/19

Bohemian Love Cookie Collection with Sandra Beltran; 11/19

 Sweetly yours, 

Stephanie 

Our goal is for you to be completely satisfied with your Amazon order! If for any reason this is not the case, we would appreciate it if you would give us a chance to address your concerns, before leaving feedback or a review, by emailing us at customersvc@nicholaslodge.com. We would be grateful if you would leave us a positive feedback and review of your Renshaw Fondant. Leaving feedback seems like such a little thing, but it has great impact on our business and we would greatly appreciate your time in leaving it.

2017 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

WINNER of the 2017 Golden Tier Educator of the Year Award

Winner of the 2015 Craftsy Blogger Award for Best Craftsy Cake Decorating Instructor Blog

Chef Nicholas Lodge: 2015 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

After my blog last week my husband and son went out and picked some apples from North Georgia. They brought home several varieties and we turned them into a delicious apple crisp (my apple crisp recipe that isn't even an apple crisp!). I was enjoying it hot and bubbling out of the oven, and thinking about how much I love fall desserts, and that I was looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner with all the yummy desserts. THEN I thought, hey! A few years ago I did a series on Christmas cookies, why the heck not do a series on Thanksgiving desserts. Buckle up people, we're talking about that nutty favorite: Pecan Pie!

I love pecans. LOVE THEM. My father-in-law has several pecan trees in his yard. So we have an endless supply of fresh pecans. Yay! I love eating pie, but I am not a pie baker (LOVE me some cakes, and I can bake cakes like nobody's business). Nope, I tried making apple pie once, and it was a disaster. I also cannot make mashed potatoes, but otherwise I'm a fairly good cook. But, I digress. Back to pecan pie. I have not even attempted to make pecan pie. Let's take a look at the history of pecan pie, and figure out how it made its way to our Thanksgiving dessert tables. 

Many people know that our current traditional Thanksgiving meal doesn't resemble the first Thanksgiving meal back in 1621, so it should come as no surprise to find out that pecan pie was NOT on the menu 397 years ago. When did pecan pie burst onto the scene? Well, it's really not clear based on historical evidence. If we start with the humble pecan.

If we step out of the kitchen and into the field, we find out that archaeologist had discovered that Native Americans were using pecans 8,000 years ago. Even the word pecan is of Native American origin (thank you to the Algonquin tribe for the name!). If pecans have been used for this incredible length of time, then surely pecan pie must have a long and storied history, right? That would be a hard- nope. 

The first solid evidence for the existence of pecan pie is fairly recent in the history of food. In 1886, February 6th to be exact, Harper's Bazaar, printed the earliest known reference to pecan pie:

"Is not only delicious, but is capable of being made a 'real state pie,' as an enthusiastic admirer said. The pecans must be very carefully hulled, and the meat thoroughly freed from any bark or husk. When ready, throw the nuts into boiling milk, and let them boil while you are preparing a rich custard. Have your pie plates lined with a good pastry, and when the custard is ready, strain the milk from the nuts and add them to the custard. A meringue may be added, if liked, but very careful baking is necessary."
---"Pecan Pie," Harper's Bazaar, February 6, 1886 (p. 95) 

Not quite a fully formed recipe, but there it is! While there is no hard evidence for pecan pie earlier than this, there are claims that pecan based desserts and candies were created by the French after the settled the area around New Orleans, Louisiana (early in the 1700s). While the French settlers may have invented the sweet pecan dessert, there is just no proof. It seems that most modern food historians believe that pecan pie is a 20th century invention, and that it is deeply entrenched in southern traditional cooking. After some recipes published in the late 1800s, the next boom for pecan pie was in the 1940s when recipes appeared in Fannie Farmer and The Joy of Cooking. 

Many people associate pecan pie with the Karo Corn Syrup brand. It is true that Karo really popularized the pecan pie as we know it today (as well as many of its variants), and it claims that pecan pie was a discovery of a new use for corn syrup in 1930. However, the recipes for pecan pie before this do not include corn syrup! So there are plenty of recipes for pecan pie without the corn syrup. In fact, I thought it would fun to share one of these recipes! 

I was hoping to find a fully fleshed out older recipe with actual amounts AND cooking temperature or time. I was able to find plenty of modern recipes, but I was really hoping to find something from the days BEFORE corn syrup. I did hit on a significant clue; the 1929 Congressional Cookbook allegedly includes a recipe for pecan pie using pecans, eggs, sugar, and milk -no syrup. Unfortunately, I could not find the full recipe online, nor a copy of the book. Sad day. 

The best I could find from the pre-corn syrup days is from one of my favorite sources- The Food Timeline. This fantastic website shared a recipe from 1898. It was originally printed in Ladies Home Journal, but was found reprinted in the Goshen Daily Democrat, on November 26, 1898 (fun fact, I looked it up, this was two days after Thanksgiving that year!). Without further ado, here is the recipe (without out a cooking temperature I'm afraid). 

"Texas Pecan Pie.
One cup of sugar, one cup of sweet milk, half a cup of pecan kernels chopped fine, three eggs and a tablespoonful of flour. When cooked, spread the well-beaten whites of two eggs on top, brown, sprinkle a few of the chopped kernels over. These quantities will make one pie.--Ladies' Home Journal." --Goshen Daily Democrat, [IN] November 26, 1898 (p. 6)

I have to admit, I am very intrigued by the idea of a meringue on the top of pecan pie! But wait, I have more to offer you! Many of you know that Scott has a fantastic cookbook (Lunch is Ready!), and he offers three different pecan pie recipes, including one without corn syrup! YUP! 

Creamy Pecan Pie

This is a variation on the southern classic. This version is not as sweet as a traditional pecan pie, but is just as good...only different!

1 (3 oz.) box cook-&-serve vanilla Jell-O Pudding (not instant!)

1 cup light corn syrup

3/4 cup low-fat evaporated milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 (9 inch) prepared pie shell, unbaked

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the pudding mix, corn syrup, milk and egg, stirring well after each addition. Stir in pecans. Pour into prepared pie shell and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until top is slightly cracked and a thin knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack and allow to cool and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours until chilled. Recipe from: Atlanta Journal-Constitution Newspaper Food Section

I hope you give Scott's delicious recipe for yourself! Personally, I have never NOT liked anything Scott has made, so I know you will love this recipe too! Where do you fall on the pecan pie? Like it? Love it? Pass? Next week will I will be sharing another yummy Thanksgiving dessert recipe! 

There are still seats available in these great classes this summer at ISAC! Click the links below to register now. 

English Over-Piped Elegant Wedding Cake with Ceri Griffiths, 11/7-8

Unicorn Bliss Cookie Collection with Sandra Beltran; 11/18

Art Deco Cookie Collection with Sandra Beltran; 11/19

Bohemian Love Cookie Collection with Sandra Beltran; 11/19

 Sweetly yours, 

Stephanie 

Our goal is for you to be completely satisfied with your Amazon order! If for any reason this is not the case, we would appreciate it if you would give us a chance to address your concerns, before leaving feedback or a review, by emailing us at customersvc@nicholaslodge.com. We would be grateful if you would leave us a positive feedback and review of your Renshaw Fondant. Leaving feedback seems like such a little thing, but it has great impact on our business and we would greatly appreciate your time in leaving it.

2017 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

WINNER of the 2017 Golden Tier Educator of the Year Award

Winner of the 2015 Craftsy Blogger Award for Best Craftsy Cake Decorating Instructor Blog

Chef Nicholas Lodge: 2015 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

I love the fall. I love fall desserts. I have a recipe for a baked apple dessert, I call it an apple crisp. Every time I make it my husband calls it apple cobbler. Is he right, or am I right? Or are we both wrong... could it be a crumble? And what in the heck is a buckle? I had never even heard of a buckle before researching for this blog, so I am including it! Do you know the differences? I sure didn't, so let's get started learning about yummy desserts.

Let's start with the buckle, since it was my first time even hearing about it. So, from what I have gathered it seems that a buckle dessert is a cakey dessert, similar to a coffee cake, made with fruit and a streusel topping. The reason it is called a buckle is due to the way the cake bakes up; while the batter rises, the heavy streusel topping causes the surface of the cake to buckle! Well, that's awfully straight forward, isn't it? Turns out, I have eaten a buckle. Yup, I didn't even realize, because I called it a blueberry coffeecake. If you want to make a delicious fall fruit buckle, try adding fresh apples and caramel to your buckle! 

Next up, let's talk cobbler. Is my apple dessert a cobbler? This dessert can trace its origins back to the middle of the 1800s. Pies were already a popular dessert, but with the American westward expansion, many pie recipes needed to be modified to be easily baked in Dutch oven pots. Instead of traditional pie crusts, often rough biscuits were baked on top of the fruit, which formed a thick syrup. Many people assume that this dessert is called cobbler because the topping (which can be biscuit dough, batter, or dumplings) resembles the cobblestones people find on an old road. This does seem pretty likely. However, there is also a type of traditional English bread called cob bread. This bread is small and round, it may have been similar to the look of the biscuit on top of the baked cobbler? My husband grew up eating cobbler, and his favorite was a combo of blueberry and peach. Here's a laugh for you, he blended the names of the fruit and called it "bleach" cobbler. Taste great, sounds horrifying! Go get yourselves some fall apples and bake yourself up a cobbler!

Which desserts are left to discuss? Crisps and crumbles. These two are not so easily distinguished. Both are baked fruit desserts with streusel toppings, nuts are optional on both crisps and crumbles. Unlike buckles there is no batter and it is not cakey, unlike cobblers, there is no dropped biscuits, dough, or batter on top. If we take a closer look at the streusel ingredients we will find the difference. In a crisp, the streusel topping contains oats; as the crisp bakes in the oven the oats crisp up. A crumble simple leaves out the oats. As this is a very minor difference, it does seem that the terms crisp and crumble can be interchangeable. In fact, a quick google search showed me that even a big famous television channel that takes about cooking a lot has an apple crumble recipe that contains oats. Interestingly, I had a more difficult time finding a crisp recipe not including oats. In fact, I had to search the phrase, "no-oat crisp recipe," to have any luck. So, while the terms crisp and crumble may be interchangeable, it seems to be one way. Crisps with oats are always called crisps, but crumbles (traditionally made without oats), may include oats. 

Well, now that we have that all cleared up (and I didn't even mention Clafoutis!), is my apple crisp an apple crisp after all? Here is my recipe, I have been using for over 8 years, and it was given to me by a friend:

For the filling:
2-1/2 lb. apples (about 6 medium), peeled, quartered, cored, and sliced to yield about 6 cups
2 to 3 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour

For the crisp topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (I like pecans)
4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled

Heat the oven to 350°F.

To make the filling:

In a 9-inch pie pan that’s 2 inches deep (or a similar baking pan), toss the apples with the sugar to taste, cinnamon, and flour.

To make the topping:

In a medium bowl, mix together all the topping ingredients with your fingers or a pastry cutter until small pebbly pieces of butter are distributed throughout the mixture. Sprinkle the entire mixture over the apples. Bake until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling and tender, about 1 hour and 15 min. for a large crisp and 1 hour for individual crisps. Cool slightly before serving.

Notice anything missing from the ingredient list? Oats... My crisp isn't even a crisp! I have always called it a crisp, because that is how my friend titled the recipe when she emailed it to me years ago. I didn't look at my recipe until after I researched all the types of dessert. After my google search showed me that crisp recipes nearly always include oats, I was pretty confident mine included oats as well. I was pretty surprised when I opened my recipe (I haven't made it since last fall), and scanned the ingredient list and saw oats were missing! It appears I have two options, start calling my dessert by its real name, Apple CRUMBLE, or just add some oats.

Actually, I searched my entire recipe cache and I did find an apple crisp recipe (as yet untried) that did have oats on the ingredient list. Perhaps I will bake both for an epic apple crumble v. apple crisp bake-off! What is your favorite fruit dessert to make in the fall?

There are still seats available in these great classes this summer at ISAC! Click the links below to register now. 

English Over-Piped Elegant Wedding Cake with Ceri Griffiths, 11/7-8

Unicorn Bliss Cookie Collection with Sandra Beltran; 11/18

Art Deco Cookie Collection with Sandra Beltran; 11/19

Bohemian Love Cookie Collection with Sandra Beltran; 11/19

 Sweetly yours, 

Stephanie 

Our goal is for you to be completely satisfied with your Amazon order! If for any reason this is not the case, we would appreciate it if you would give us a chance to address your concerns, before leaving feedback or a review, by emailing us at customersvc@nicholaslodge.com. We would be grateful if you would leave us a positive feedback and review of your Renshaw Fondant. Leaving feedback seems like such a little thing, but it has great impact on our business and we would greatly appreciate your time in leaving it.

2017 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

WINNER of the 2017 Golden Tier Educator of the Year Award

Winner of the 2015 Craftsy Blogger Award for Best Craftsy Cake Decorating Instructor Blog

Chef Nicholas Lodge: 2015 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

Just last night Chef Nicholas returned from his big trip to India. He taught several classes at the SEP, judged and gave demos at Cakeology, and attended the Cake Masters Top Ten Indian Cake Artists Awards! Chef Nicholas has now visited India a total of 12 times! He loves the warm people, the culture, and especially the food! Chef is known for his refined palate, and Indian food has always be at the top of his list. I normally reserve my photo blogs for ISAC Open House events, but Chef Nicholas' photos from his trip are so visually pleasing that I knew I had to share them all with you! Enjoy! 

Chef Nicholas has a wonderful time on his visit to India. But, we sure are glad to have him back with us at ISAC! We are gearing up for the first ever Renshaw Academy Master class this Saturday. It's one adventure after another with Chef Nicholas Lodge! 

There are still seats available in these great classes this summer at ISAC! Click the links below to register now. 

English Over-Piped Elegant Wedding Cake with Ceri Griffiths, 11/7-8

Unicorn Bliss Cookie Collection with Sandra Beltran; 11/18

Art Deco Cookie Collection with Sandra Beltran; 11/19

Bohemian Love Cookie Collection with Sandra Beltran; 11/19

 Sweetly yours, 

Stephanie 

Our goal is for you to be completely satisfied with your Amazon order! If for any reason this is not the case, we would appreciate it if you would give us a chance to address your concerns, before leaving feedback or a review, by emailing us at customersvc@nicholaslodge.com. We would be grateful if you would leave us a positive feedback and review of your Renshaw Fondant. Leaving feedback seems like such a little thing, but it has great impact on our business and we would greatly appreciate your time in leaving it.

2017 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

WINNER of the 2017 Golden Tier Educator of the Year Award

Winner of the 2015 Craftsy Blogger Award for Best Craftsy Cake Decorating Instructor Blog

Chef Nicholas Lodge: 2015 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

Photo: roadsidepictures. www.flickr.com/photos/roadsidepictures/

The title of this blog either made you roll your eyes or got your mouth watering. I happen to like pumpkin spice. I do, I admit it freely. However, I am not on the pumpkin spice crazy train. I like things that actually HAVE pumpkin spice in it. Not a bazillion random food goods that are really just pumpkin flavored. Since it is now October, and officially fall (although here in Atlanta today, we will have a high of 89 degree!), I thought we could take a peek into the history of the infamous pumpkin spice blend!

Can you name the spices that make up pumpkin spice? I'll give you a hint, there are five different spices... Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Thanks to the ever informative Food Timeline website, I found a reference to a "Pumpion Pie," recipe from the cookbook, The Accomplisht Cook. This cookbook was published in 1685, and while not exactly like pumpkin pie as we know it today, the recipe does call for cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves (and also pepper!)- three out of the five spices we use today. Oh, and fun fact, the name pumpkin is derived from the French word pompion, which itself is derived from the Greek word pepon (it means melon!). 

Another cookbook, American Cookery, from 1796 (and that I have referenced here on this blog before) has a recipe for Pompkin that includes ginger, allspice, nutmeg. No cinnamon or cloves, but getting closer! So, what REALLY unified these spices into the seasonal powerhouse that dominates our lives every autumn? Well, in the 1950s, McCormick & Company started bundling common spices, and voila! When combining cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and ginger, they labeled it Pumpkin Pie Spice. Of course, these tasty spices complement a number of cool weather foods, and was never used exclusively for pumpkin pies. In 2003, Starbucks introduced the Pumpkin Spice Latte. It was not a new creation, many small coffeehouses had been roasted pumpkin spice coffee beans since the mid-1990s. Of course, Starbucks is no small coffeehouse- with the Pumpkin Spice Latte (affectionately known as the PSL) a star was born. 

Fun fact- the PSL, and in fact MOST pumpkin spice flavored foods DO NOT contain any pumpkin! Nope. The PSL original recipe did not contain pumpkin (it did contain an artificial coloring that contains low levels of a possible carcinogen- yuck!). It was not until 2015, a full 12 years after its introduction, that Starbucks added a small amount of pumpkin (oh, and they removed the artificial coloring- yay!).

In 10 years, from 2003 through 2013, Starbucks sold over 200 million PSLs. Holy moly. But even more unbelievable is that PSLs generate at least $80,000,000 a year. AT LEAST 80 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. With seasonal revenues that high, it really shouldn't be surprising on how many food products have jumped on the pumpkin pie spice bandwagon. In fact, as of 2016, pumpkin spice consumables (candles, foods, yogurt, cereal, beer, vodka, beard oil... I could go on and on. And yes, that last list item said beard oil. Pumpkin Spice Beard Oil) generates roughly $500 million dollars a year. 

Whether you love or hate the PSL trend, there is no denying the comforting, loving, belly-warming feeling you get from a slice of pumpkin pie. And, if we are being honest, those feelings are thanks to the spices that go into the pie- pumpkin itself is very bland in flavor on its own. Those spices, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves are delicious together. They do make a good team. No matter if you LOVE all things pumpkin spice, or you are a tried and true traditionalist, pumpkin spice has been a part of our fall season for much longer than the current trend. 

So, share your favorite use of pumpkin spice! Mine? I have a pumpkin spice blondie recipe that I love- and for the record, yes it does contain actual pumpkins! I have to admit, the thought of those blondies has made my mouth water... time to break out my pumpkin spice! OH OH OH! How about I share the basic recipe for pumpkin spice so you can make your own?! 

Pumpkin Spice Recipe

3Tbs Ground Cinnamon

2tsp Ground Ginger

1tsp Ground Nutmeg

1tsp Ground Allspice

1/2tsp Ground Cloves

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place. 

Easy peasy, right? Of course, any of these ingredient amounts can be adjusted to taste. Some recipes call for 4Tbs of cinnamon, in others the amounts of allspice and cloves is bumped up to 1 1/2 tsp each. Others may have 2tsp of nutmeg. Experiment and find the blend that works for you! Happy Fall y'all!

There are still seats available in these great classes this summer at ISAC! Click the links below to register now. 

Renshaw Academy Master Certification Class with Chef Nicholas Lodge, 10/13-10/22

English Over-Piped Elegant Wedding Cake with Ceri Griffiths, 11/7-8

Sweetly yours, 

Stephanie 

Our goal is for you to be completely satisfied with your Amazon order! If for any reason this is not the case, we would appreciate it if you would give us a chance to address your concerns, before leaving feedback or a review, by emailing us at customersvc@nicholaslodge.com. We would be grateful if you would leave us a positive feedback and review of your Renshaw Fondant. Leaving feedback seems like such a little thing, but it has great impact on our business and we would greatly appreciate your time in leaving it.

2017 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

WINNER of the 2017 Golden Tier Educator of the Year Award

Winner of the 2015 Craftsy Blogger Award for Best Craftsy Cake Decorating Instructor Blog

Chef Nicholas Lodge: 2015 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

It's that time of year again. Those lucky students in Chicago who attend the French Pastry School's L'Art du Gâteau get Chef Nicholas' full attention for two weeks’ time. Chef Nicholas naturally teaches the Cake Decorating Techniques portion of the 16-week program. This is an intensive program. Imagine taking ALL of Chef Nicholas' classes in less than two weeks’ time, and you'll understand just how much these students learn in a short amount of time. 

These students are training to be professionals, like many of you readers have become. As I said, this program is no joke. Here is a snippet from the French Pastry School website concerning the course outline:

• The foundation of fondant, buttercream, royal icing, and modeling chocolate. (9 hours lecture; 52 hours lab)
• The foundation of gumpaste decorations and piping skills. (8 hours lecture; 52 hours lab)
• The foundation of chocolate and sugar decoration. (9 hours lecture; 52 hours lab)

Let's count that up. That is 182 hours of cake decorating instruction. That is seven and a half days. Think about that, they are learning fondant, buttercream, royal icing, modeling chocolate, gumpaste, piping, chocolate AND sugar decorations. Think of all the classes you have taken, think of the time it has taken you to learn ALL of the skills in those areas. Of course, under that general "gumpaste," it includes botanically correct flowers! Sugar decoration includes pastillage, pressed sugar, pulled sugar, and blown sugar. So again, look at everything these students are taking into their cake decorating brains in only 182 hours. The days are often very long, and start very early. 

If you follow Chef Nicholas on Facebook, you will have seen the class projects from his students. Usually the students create a set of cookies, a Sweet 16 cake, and a wedding cake. Chef Nicholas shares the vision boards and then the final cakes that the students create. When Chef Nicholas posts these photos on his Facebook page it is unbelievable how many people post with really supportive, admiringly, and complimentary words. My favorite part though is when the students themselves get to respond to the thoughtful comments that people have left in admiration for all the hard work put in. I'm not even a student and I find all the compliments so gratifying. 

 What do you think? Would you love to be a student in L'Art du Gâteau at the French Pastry School? Or do you prefer taking classes with instructors at your leisure, or at cake and sugar art shows? No matter how to walk down your cake decorating career path, learning from Chef Nicholas is always worthwhile. I wish all of the current student's learning with Chef Nicholas the best of luck becoming amazing cake decorators and pastry chefs!

There are still seats available in these great classes this summer at ISAC! Click the links below to register now. 

Renshaw Academy Master Certification Class with Chef Nicholas Lodge, 10/13-10/22

English Over-Piped Elegant Wedding Cake with Ceri Griffiths, 11/7-8

Sweetly yours, 

Stephanie 

Our goal is for you to be completely satisfied with your Amazon order! If for any reason this is not the case, we would appreciate it if you would give us a chance to address your concerns, before leaving feedback or a review, by emailing us at customersvc@nicholaslodge.com. We would be grateful if you would leave us a positive feedback and review of your Renshaw Fondant. Leaving feedback seems like such a little thing, but it has great impact on our business and we would greatly appreciate your time in leaving it.

2017 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

WINNER of the 2017 Golden Tier Educator of the Year Award

Winner of the 2015 Craftsy Blogger Award for Best Craftsy Cake Decorating Instructor Blog

Chef Nicholas Lodge: 2015 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

So, now that everyone is at home making all kinds of roses and flowers and ferns with their amazing Flower Pro toys... let's talk about what's happening at ISAC this fall! 

A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED CHEF NICHOLAS LODGE AND KATY SUE DESIGNS'

FLOWER PRO LAUNCH!

Last week was the launch of the Flower Pro line of molds and veiners, designed and created by Chef Nicholas Lodge and Katy Sue Designs. The product line contains 6 brand new products, and they were flying off the shelves like hot cakes! The product first launched in the UK, and Chef Nicholas was on HOCHANDA, and sold out of all of the products allotted for the viewers of the show! It was so exciting! People were (justifiably) very worried they would be unable to secure their own new Flower Pro products! Luckily, when the products were launched one week ago, here in the USA, there were plenty of items to go around!

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last couple years, it's impossible to escape the allure of rose gold. This warm hue has become omnipresent in tech gadgets, makeup, clothing, jewelry, and even cakes. Rose gold even inspired the 2016 Pantone Color of the Year 2016- Rose Quartz! Makeup artists and fashion designers claim that the warm shimmery rose gold is universally flattering on all skin tones, one claimed it will add radiance to your skin! Um, yes please! Who couldn't look more radiant? This color is literally everywhere. I recently visited Walt Disney World Resort, and you can find rose gold shirts, sparkly backpacks, jewelry, and even rose gold Minnie Mouse ears!  Ya know what? I am totally in love with rose gold. Growing up my grandmother had beautiful rose gold jewelry, and as a little girl I loved it because it looked pink! So seeing that rose gold have become so pervasive makes me giddy. While I love it, I was not the driving force behind this week's post. My illustrious co-conspirator, I mean co-worker, Molly mentioned that given its popularity, we should spotlight the color with a blog post. Done and done! 

This week I have a short and sweet blog post to share! I would wager that everyone who reads this blog knows that Chef Nicholas is the undisputed king of sugar flowers. So it should come as NO SURPRISE that Chef Nicholas has been named Cake Masters Magazine's August Cake Icon! This is a huge honor, and Chef Nicholas wanted to share the link for this month's magazine (see below). We hope that you enjoy his interview honoring him, as much as he enjoyed giving it! Chef Nicholas always says that he is dedicated to his students and clients, so it is so meaningful to be honored in this way. 

http://www.cakemasters.co.uk/product/august-2018-issue/

Now, as the king of sugar flowers, Chef Nicholas also has the best tools. He designs all of his own sugar flower cutters, and has them custom made by a company in the UK with a 25 year history in the business. These metal cutters are made of top quality, tin-plated steel; they are finished with a lead-free solder to ensure your sugar flowers are 100% safe for consumption. These cutters aren't flimsy, and they are not cookie cutters. They are serious cake decorating tools. Guess what? Chef Nicholas has been creating some brand new designs to go with some new techniques he has been developing. So, we have decided to offer a fantastic sale on some of our most popular metal flower cutters! 

Right now, you can get select cutters on sale for up to 50% off! This sale will run while supplies last, so hop on over to our online retail gallery and check out all these wonderful cutters! These cutters will help you create incredibly lifelike flowers that are sure to impress all your clients! I hope that you can all find some cutters that you just need to add to your collection! There are a lot of choices to look through! Click here for some retail therapy!

There are still seats available in these great classes this summer at ISAC! Click the links below to register now. 

5-Day Ultimate Gumpaste Flower Class

French Macarons and Chocolate Bon Bons with Joseph Cumm, 8/25

Tea Party Pastries with Joseph Cumm, 8/26

Renshaw Academy Master Certification Class with Chef Nicholas Lodge, 10/13-10/22

Stephanie 

Our goal is for you to be completely satisfied with your Amazon order! If for any reason this is not the case, we would appreciate it if you would give us a chance to address your concerns, before leaving feedback or a review, by emailing us at customersvc@nicholaslodge.com. We would be grateful if you would leave us a positive feedback and review of your Renshaw Fondant. Leaving feedback seems like such a little thing, but it has great impact on our business and we would greatly appreciate your time in leaving it.

2017 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

WINNER of the 2017 Golden Tier Educator of the Year Award

Winner of the 2015 Craftsy Blogger Award for Best Craftsy Cake Decorating Instructor Blog

Chef Nicholas Lodge: 2015 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

Anyone out there read this blog from India? In Mumbai, maybe? Well, if you are reading this, get excited! Chef Nicholas will be heading to Cakeology this October! What is Cakeology you ask? According to the vent website, "Spread over 3 days, Cakeology 2018, is the first show of its kind – bringing every day cake artists, sugar artists, bakers, chocolatiers, retail bakers, ​professional ​pastry chefs and foodies to celebrate the world of Baking and the Art of Cake Decorating. This exciting weekend has something for everyone." Hmm, that does sound like a fun weekend. This is the third year of Cakeology, and Chef Nicholas is so excited to be a part of this year's event! 

We have a month packed full of classes this August! We have two classes with our very own Chef Nicholas Lodge (yay!), and two classes with Chef Joseph Cumm. I have written about Chef Joe's classes, but we have had a change to one of the classes that I think you will all be very interested to hear about. Before I tell you all about the new class projects that Chef Joe will be teaching, let's talk about Chef Nicholas' two August classes!