Mother's Day

I don't think there could be a more perfect time of year to celebrate mothers.  The trees are budding and the flowers are in bloom all over town!  I know that my mother loves this time of year, and loves to spend as much time as possible outside working in her flower garden.  She has passed that passion on to me, so when I was designing a cake to celebrate Mother's Day for the shop, I knew it had to be covered in beautiful buttercream flowers.  I love how cakes with this pastel design have such a soft, Victorian feel.

As another homage to my mother, I've put together a cookie basket with garden-themed cookies in a little pail.  It's perfect for summertime, and re-usable as well!

Gift Baskets

We have been making TONI gifts and baskets for a while now and we are pleasantly surprised at how popular they are becoming. Back in November, a corporate customer had us do thank you baskets for their clients. We loved the combination of our signature blend coffee with their branded mugs.

I have been looking for ways to expand our offerings and give our customers options for any occasion. I think the Easter Baskets we created for this weekend are adorable and I am excited about our ideas for Mother’s Day Gifts.

Spring Desserts

I find it interesting that we crave different foods during different seasons. My favoite spring desserts usually incorporate tropical fruits. I wonder if my body is craving the sunshine it takes to create these exotic fruits!

Our spring menu definitely reflects this theory. We have everything from Key Lime or Coconut Cream Tarts, to Pina Colada Cheese Cakes and Mango Raspberry Tortes.

Just looking at our Spring Bouquet Cake makes me smile! The fresh lemon mousse, light vanilla genoise, and lemon buttercream frosting add to its sunny appeal. This cake is a perfect centerpiece for an Easter or Spring celebration, especially when combined with Jane's Blue Iris' florals and sitting atop our two tiered stand!

Spring Fever at Toni

There is nothing better than getting outdoors in the spring. I’m working hard to get all of the flower boxes on my deck planted so that I can start to host dinners out there.

Being a morning person, I’m also planning a brunch for friends on my deck in the near future. I was inspired to plan a brunch when my kitchen manager, Kim was pitching her idea for a goat cheese, caramelized onion and roasted red pepper savory tart to sell in the store. Accompanied with sweet breakfast pastries and fresh fruit, I think it will be a hit.

Now we just need the weather to hurry up and cooperate!

St. Patrick's Day

Pour some Bailey's in your coffee, it's time to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! We have been busy baking all of our Irish favorites. New this year is Kennedy Rye. I got the recipe from Albert Cumin, pastry chef in the Kennedy White House. This rye bread was a favorite of the President, so we have named it after him. We also created a Ruben Sandwich which I think will be a great addition to our lunch menu and goes perfectly on the Kennedy Rye bread.

Wedding Walk Inspirations Part 2

This week we started getting ready for the 6th Annual Hinsdale Wedding Walk which is coming up Sunday, March 7th.

We always try to create a party-like atmosphere for the event, and fill the store with great wedding cakes and favor ideas.

I thought that last year our store looked especially festive with the raspberry and orange color scheme we used.

This year, we are going for a more elegant and glamorous look. I got my inspiration by looking through fashion magazines and different websites. I imagine brides do the same thing when they start the planning process of their weddings!

Our new color scheme is silver, pink, and black, which are pulled from our new logo and store colors. We are still very excited about our new look and can't wait to share it with you!

More on the wedding walk in blogs to follow!

Crate and Barrel's Bridal Party

On Sunday I attended the Oak Brook Crate and Barrel’s first ‘Bridal Party’ of the year. It was fun to meet the brides, and I always enjoy their reactions to the cakes I have on display. We will have a table set up with breakfast pastries and cake samples for all of the brides every Sunday in February from 9am-11am. It’s a fun event and I’m always glad to be a part of it.