Why Hello There Kitty…

Hey Cupcake Lovers!

What a week we’re coming off of!  I must send out a big “thanks” to the Chronicle Herald (in particular Martha) for the awesome article they ran about us!  I did the interview a few weeks ago and was expecting it to be a tiny skim over type article no one would see and then to my complete shock, there I was on the front page of the newspaper and then took up almost ¾ of the front of the Business section!  I couldn’t have paid for better advertising than that!  We had a lot of new folks visit the shop the past week that still weren’t aware we’re here so it definitely helped.  So again, THANK YOU! 

 

We’re in full swing of preparing for tradeshow season.  You may only see Halloween in our shop but believe me, for us it’s already Christmas!  Trying to come up with some new offerings for the holidays this year and am excited about testing some new recipes (we’re hoping to offer a larger variety of sweets for the holiday season only, in addition to our regular roster of goodies).  More to come on those along with the specials we’ll be offering for Christmas, so stay tuned!

For now, let’s focus on the next holiday, which is Halloween.  We currently have 3 seasonal cupcake flavours available for the month of October – Caramel Corn, Trick or Treat and Pumpkin Spice.  Get ‘em while they’re here!  Here’s a pic of our Halloween display section in our shop:

 

 

Something new we are now offering are SHAPED CUT OUT COOKIES!  They are made from a modified version of our shortbread recipe (I had to alter it to make the cookies more stable as our original recipe is not for roll out cookies, it is far too delicate).  For Halloween we are offering 4 different shapes – Ghosts, Bats, Pumpkins & Black Cats:

And of course, don’t forget to order your Halloween Cupcakes! 

Now onto some of the special orders we’ve worked on recently…

Logo Cookies (employee appreciation gifts for the Worker’s Compensation Board of NS – There were also custom favour boxes that went with this order but they went out the door faster than I could get a picture of them unfortunately):

 

Old School Birthday Cake (chocolate cake w/ a vanilla buttercream centre topped w/ chocolate ganache & trimmed w/ more vanilla buttercream):

Autumn Cupcakes (chocolate & vanilla cupcakes topped w/ pink buttercream & fondant autumn cut outs):

 

Autumn Wedding Top Tier Cake (marble cake topped w/ chocolate buttercream & trimmed w/ orange & yellow vanilla buttercream to match the mini cupcakes on their wedding tower):

Blue Polka Dot Cake (vanilla cake topped w/ homemade marshmallow fondant):

 

Creamsicle Flower Cake (vanilla cake w/ a vanilla buttercream centre topped w/ tangy orange buttercream, trimmed in pink & adorned w/ sugar flowers):

 

Elmo Cake #2 (chocolate cake topped w/ yellow vanilla buttercream & a handmade fondant Elmo):

 

Girly Girl Cake (vanilla cake topped w/ pink vanilla buttercream & a hand sculpted fondant shoe, purse & lipstick):

  

And what now be my absolute favourite cake to date…

Hello Kitty Cake (vanilla cake topped w/ pink & purple vanilla buttercream & decorated w/ a hand sculpted fondant Hello Kitty & fondant flowers):

 

Finally on a personal note, I thought I would finally introduce you to our daughter Chloe.  She will be 3 next month (wait for that cake…we are currently planning a compilation of 2 different character themes as she can’t decide…should be interesting!)  She is not eating a cupcake in the pic, but she is wearing cupcake pajamas!

 

Happy baking…or eating until my next blog session…  =)

Ladybug, Ladybug, Fly Away…

Just a quick post today with a few pics of some of the things we’ve been up to…

Kitty Cat Cake (vanilla cake w/ vanilla buttercream & sugar cat decos):

Flower Cake (vanilla cake w/ chocolate buttercream & sugar flower decos).  This was Michelle’s 1st cake she decorated at Susie’s and it turned out great! 

Photo Cake (chocolate cake w/ chocolate buttercream & Toblerone centre topped w/ vanilla buttercream, an edible photo & more Toblerone chunks):

Carrot Cake (moist carrot cake w/ cream cheese frosting):

Present Cake (marble cake w/ pink vanilla buttercream centre covered in marshmallow fondant decorated w/ daisies & a bow):

Ladybug Cake (carrot cake topped w/ cream cheese frosting & decorated w/ handmade fondant ladybugs):

We also made some “naughty” cupcakes for a stagette/bachelorette party.  They turned out great too but we are not posting those types of photos for the general public.  If you are interested in having something like this made, please email me and I will send you the pics!  Contact info is on our website – www.susiesshortbreads.com

Trick or Treat…

We will be unlocking our Halloween vault on October 1st.  Throughout the month of October, we will be making our seasonal cupcake flavours of “Pumpkin Spice”, “Trick or Treat” and “Caramel Corn”.  Watch our daily updates for these seasonal treats, here for a limited time.  We will also be offering custom decorated Halloween Cupcakes (vampires, mummies, spiders, monsters and eyeballs).  Available by order throughout October (minimum order of 6) and on our store shelves in limited quantities Thurs Oct 29 thru Sat Oct 31.  We even have special Halloween themed 4 pack boxes for purchase for your special treats!

“C” is for Cookie…

Hello Cupcake Lovers!

Once again, it’s been far too long.  All I can say is I am completely exhausted.  We have been short staffed and the orders don’t stop coming so we’ve all been hustling.  I’ve hired a few new girls so there will be some new faces in the bakery again. 

Here’s a few things I’ve been doing on the business side.  I FINALLY completed my application for the nomination we received for the Halifax Chamber of Commerce New Business of the Year Award.  So please wish us luck!  We are also currently working on compiling a portfolio book.  So you will soon finally be able to come into the shop and flip through a book of sample work we’ve done…cakes, cupcakes, cookies, etc.  It will of course be a work in progress but it’s a start.  I love our scrolling computer display but it’s not helpful when a customer is asking about a particular design and I don’t have a photo at my fingertips.  Plus my computer recently died so I had to steal the Mac from out front so there currently is no scrolling display!  And finally, believe it or not, Christmas is coming!  So it’s time to get ready as tradeshow season is only weeks away now.  Oh man, I am even more exhausted now just thinking about it!  So entrepreneur wannabe’s…the saying really does ring true…”The difference of owning your own business is just that you get to choose which 100 hrs+ per week you work”!

So enough of the business…let’s look at some of the stuff we’ve been up to.  I thought it was time we focused on cookies.  We did afterall start as a cookie company.  And although the cupcakes have somewhat taken over, here are some examples of why our shortbread cookies still reign supreme:

Corporate Logo Cookies (3” shortbreads topped w/ an edible image design surrounded by a frosting border for the NS Gaming Corp):

 

 

Wedding Favours (mini white truffle boxes containing 2 of our traditional frosted shortbreads with custom designed box wraps to give to wedding guests):

 

 

Wedding Favours (mini white truffle boxes containing 2 of our traditional frosted shortbreads with custom designed box wraps to give to wedding guests):

 

 

Birthday Cookiegram (extra large 12” shortbread cookie):

 

A closer look:

 

 

“X” Cookies (for a product launch for a pharmaceutical company):

 

 

 Now onto some cakes…

 Corporate Logo Cake (marble cake topped w/ caramel buttercream, vanilla caramels, chocolate covered caramel balls, and an edible image design):

 

 

Law Firm Cake (marble cake w/ a chocolate buttercream centre topped w/ vanilla buttercream in their corporate colours for a law firm welcoming a new lawyer to the partnership):

 

 Wundercake (chocolate cake w/ a caramel buttercream & chopped Wunderbar cany bar centre topped w/ peanut butter buttercream and more chunks of Wunderbar):

 

 

White Chocolate Raspberry Cake (vanilla cake swirled w/ white chocolate chips topped w/ real raspberry buttercream and chunks of white chocolate):

 

 

Peanut Butter Cup Cake (chocolate cake topped w/ peanut butter buttercream & chunks of Reese’s peanut butter cups):

 

  

Fondant Daisy Cake (top tier wedding cake for our “recycling couple” loyal customers, Mike & Nada -  the daisies matched their colourful cupcakes – Creamsicle, Cotton Candy, Susie’s Classic, Revenge of the Nerds):

 

 

Drum Cake (chocolate cake w/ a peppermint buttercream centre topped w/ chocolate buttercream and fondant accents to look like a drum, complete with drum sticks of course, for our extremely supportive customer, Julie for her soon to be hubby’s birthday):

 

 

Daycare Teacher Cupcakes (vanilla cupcakes side rolled in sprinkles piped w/ each teacher’s name on them):

 

We’ll Miss You Cupcakes (chocolate & vanilla cupcakes side rolled in sprinkles  piped with a personal message to a co-worker):

 

 

Birthday Cupcakes  (vanilla or chocolate cupcakes w/ a piped name or number mixed within standard cupcakes in a box):

 

 

 

Party Platters (platter upon platter loaded with mini cupcakes, cheesecake babies, cupcake truffles, shortbread cookies and fudge for a company’s treat day):

 

 

So I hope these will tide you over for a bit.  I anticipate being even busier (and more exhausted) in the weeks to come as we approach Halloween, tradeshow season and Christmas.  We will be closing early this week – Thurs thru Sat at 6pm and Sun at 5pm just as a heads up.  We will post our new Fall/Winter hours soon…

Argh!!!!

Just lost a huge post I was typing…will have to do a new one later!  Man, WordPress can be frustrating!!

Did somebody say CAKE???

You asked for it and now the time has come!  Susie’s is now offering full sized tiered wedding and special occasion cakes! 

Allow me to introduce you to the newest member of the Susie’s team – the extremely talented cake designer/decorator, Brittany Pottie.  Brittany has several years experience designing and decorating custom cakes and is bringing her talent to Susie’s.  Below are some samples of her amazing work:

I’m sure you can all see why we are so extremely excited to have Brittany joining our growing team!  So please send her a warm welcome!  We are now booking for custom cakes beginning mid October 2009 so call us to book a consultation today for the custom cake of your dreams!

Susie’s Shortbreads – 1589 Dresden Row – Halifax, NS
902-406-7075 – www.susiesshortbreads.com

Introducing…our new Cupcake Mascot!!

Well at long last, here is the unveiling of our new Cupcake Mascot!  She is not yet named and we are considering having a contest to name her so stay tuned.  In the meantime, look for her sporadically on Spring Garden Road or at special events!  Come meet her this Saturday August 29th at our Anniversary Celebration!!

 

See you soon!! 

Beep, beep, honk, honk…on our way to Sesame Street

Hey Cupcake Lovers!

Sorry I’ve been MIA and depriving you from seeing some of our yummy cake/cupcake creations.  Well, the wait is over so onto some pics (and there are quite a few since it’s been awhile)…

Red Velvet Cake (southern buttermilk cake w/ a hint of cocoa coloured a vibrant red topped w/ cream cheese frosting).  This is a 12″ cake for a wedding celebration (there was also an 8″ one that went with it):

Chocolate Wedding Cake Topper (chocolate cake topped w/ turquoise buttercream for the top tier of a wedding cupcake tower -cupcakes were matching colours):

Baby Shower Cupcakes (It’s a Boy! – vanilla cupcakes topped w/ blue buttercream and white pearls):

Sweet 16 Cupcakes (vanilla cupcakes topped w/ multi-coloured buttercreams with a few flower toppers and hand piped #16’s):

Old School Cake (chocolate cake w/ a vanilla buttercream centre topped w/ rich chocolate ganache and buttercream squiggles on top).  This was for a surprise wedding (seriously, the groom didn’t know they were getting married) and it was supposed to be as non-traditional, non-wedding cake looking as possible:

Rose Wedding Cake (vanilla cake topped w/ vanilla buttercream and pink roses for a wedding celebration): 

Wedding Favours (mini white truffle boxes containing 2 of our traditional frosted shortbreads with custom designed box wraps to give to wedding guests):

Top Tier Wedding Cake (this cake is for the same wedding above – the pink & white favour boxes – it was the top cutting cake that went with matching pink and white cupcakes):

Now onto the fun, “stars” of the week…Trucks and Elmo!!

Truck Cake (vanilla cake topped w/ green & yellow  vanilla buttercream and hand made fondant dump truck, fire truck and #2 – they also had matching cupcakes):

Elmo Cake (chocolate cake topped w/ yellow vanilla buttercream and a hand made fondant Elmo including a #1 and the birthday boy’s name):

I have to say I really enjoy and also do my best work when I am given carte blanche from the customer.  They tell me a theme and then trust me to create something wonderful, which I think I’ve done an okay job at so far…so keep ’em coming!!  I really want to do a “Hello Kitty” cake or cupcakes soon so someone please order her!!

Anyways, lots more big orders on the books coming up.  But this week will be all about preparing for our BIG ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!!  So please mark your calendars and pop by our store on Saturday August 29th for some free samples and a chance to win some great prizes (including the grand prize of a FREE 1/2 Dozen Cupcakes every month for an entire year!!)  Plus come meet our new CUPCAKE MASCOT…who I will be posting a photo of very soon.  We LOVE her already, and hope you will too!!  So come join the fun!  Everything is better with cupcakes!!

We’re makin’ Whoopie…pies, that is…

Allow me to introduce you to the newest product in the Susie’s line up – Whoopie Pies!  And of course we’re doing them Susie’s style…like a cupcake sandwich in a variety of flavours such as:  Red Velvet, Vanilla, Chocolate, Choc Mint, Choc PB, etc.  Pop by our store or the market to taste our newest creation…they’re selling fast already!!

Now onto some photos of a few of the orders we worked on this week.

Creamsicle Anniversary Cake (vanilla cake w/ a vanilla buttercream centre topped w/ tangy orange buttercream):

Wedding Shower Cupcakes (Pink vanilla buttercream topped cupcakes w/ wedding themed sugar toppers):

Kiddie Kake Cupcakes (confetti cupcakes topped w/ multi coloured vanilla buttercream, sprinkles and gummy bears) for a little boy’s 1st birthday.  This is a small version of the 3 dozen order which also included one jumbo cupcake with a hand made fondant/gum paste #1:

Yellow Daisy Anniversary Cake (vanilla cake topped w/ yellow vanilla buttercream and sugar daisy toppers):

 

Now for some more news…we are about to embark upon larger sized cakes.  Until now we have been offering any of our nearly 100 cupcake flavours as double layer 6 or 8 inch cakes.  New inventory has just arrived which allows us to expand into 10 and 12 inch cakes as well.  And very soon we will also be offering any combination of these sizes as tiered cakes.  We are just working on our pricing structure and packaging, etc and then we will release all of the details.  So stay tuned to watch us continue to grow…

Ridin’ in my John Deere…

Here’s some of what we were up to the past week at Susie’s.  Let’s start with a few cakes:

Another “Death by Chocolate” cake (chocolate cake w/ chocolate buttercream) w/ some birthday themed sugar toppers added:

“Revenge of the Nerds” Cake (vanilla cake swirled w/ Nerds candies topped w/ vanilla buttercream and sprinkled w/ more Nerds candies):

“Happy Face Birthday Cake” (vanilla cake w/ chocolate buttercream & fondant happy faces):

“Flower Cake” (chocolate cake w/ chocolate buttercream covered in fondant w/ fondant flowers) – trying to mix up the images a bit with this one:

Now on to CUPCAKES…

Thought I should finally post a sample photo of what our “Variety Boxes” of Cupcakes look like – this is what we bake, decorate and package all day long every day and we very rarely stop to take a photo, so here it is (this is a two dozen box – containing 12 different flavours – from our 100 flavour line up):

“Wedding Cupcakes” – most of the wedding cupcake orders we get are an assortment of our cupcake flavours, but this one was just chocolate and vanilla cake topped w/ vanilla buttercream in their wedding colours (fuschia & yellow):

 

“Tuxedo & Wedding Dress Cupcakes” (this is not our first time making these but the colours are different this time – brown & turquoise).  This is actually from a few weeks ago but I forgot to post it (yeah, I do that a lot!!):

 

“Tractor & Dump Truck Cupcakes” (chocolate & confetti cupcakes topped w/ vanilla buttercream and hand made fondant tractors,  dump trucks & # 2’s):

And let’s end with our Medium Party Platter filled w/ mini cupcakes, cheesecake babies, cupcake truffles, cookies & fudge…YUMMY!!