The turkey is now just a memory (and some frozen stock), no more pumpkin pie left and now my attention is focused on all the holiday hussle bussle here at the store!

In this newsletter -

• New Products and Seasonal Products
• Seasonal Classes
• Guest Instructor Class - Airbrush with Bronwen Weber
• The Cake Show - February 23 and 24
• Guest Instructor Classes - Nicholas Lodge, Earlene Moore
  and Autumn Carpenter
• Candy, Candy, Candy - see the recipes below
• Cookies - look below for a great chocolate cookie recipe
• So much more!

We get so many new items this time of year - it is like Christmas opening all of the boxes - oh, it is Christmas! Here are some of the new favorites - a great new Candy Making book by Autumn Carpenter, a beautiful ceramic Santa cookie mold, the new Wilton Cupcake pan and a 36-piece mini tartlet set. These are my favorites - come into the store and find these and your own favorites!

This time of year we have so many specialty classes scheduled! Look at the list and click on the link below to get more information and register for these classes

• Gift Candies - learn to make easy and delicious homemade candies
• Cookie Decorating - decorate a beautiful cookie bouquet for the holidays
• Fondant Project - create a gorgeous holiday cake
• Buttercream Project - make an impressive seasonal cake centerpiece
• Chocolate Truffles - roll and dip chocolate decadence to make bite- size candies
• Advanced Gingerbread - cut, bake, assemble and decorate a large gingerbread house
• Petit Fours - learn to make dip and decorate these two-bite little cakes
• Giant Cookie - decorate a single stocking-shaped cookie - enough to feed a crowd
• Cupcakes - decorate a dozen in cute designs for the season
• And More...Click for Details...

Have you started your entries yet? There's still plenty of time - but start making your plans now for the 2008 Capital Confectioner's That Takes the Cake! Cake & Sugar Art Show - February 23 and 24, 2008. The 2008 rules are on our website. Read them over, start planning your cake and make plans to participate in and attend this fun and informative event. Last year we had over 200 entries, and we expect even more this year.

So much happens at this event - there are the entries that are brought for the competition for viewing, special tasting competitions, many onsite competitions, lots of roundtable demonstrations and vendors all going on on Saturday and then Nicholas Lodge, Earlene Moore, Bronwen Weber, Steven Stellingwerf and Autumn Carpenter will all be here conducting demonstrations during the Showcase Demonstrations on Sunday.

Start planning your entries now and don't miss this show - it will be a great one!

Nicholas is one of the leading cake decorating instructors worldwide. His knowledge and techniques for life-like gumpaste flowers is unsurpassed. He has authored many books and videos. His teaching methods and techniques make everyone, regardless of skill level, feel comfortable and successful in his classes.

He will be teaching a Wedding Gumpaste Flower class here in Austin on February 25th and 26th. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take classes with such a talented cake decorator and instructor.

Earlene Moore is an amazing cake decorator from Lubbock, TX. Her cake decorating career began at a very young age when her mother would allow her to make a huge mess in the kitchen. There were no classes available at that time, so, trial and error were Earlene's teachers. Earlene is now the teacher - she is a published author/contributor, she has written several cake decorating articles, and has had numerous cake picures published.

Earlene has won many ribbons, plaques and awards at cake shows - but the ribbons and awards are not what she feels is important. The important thing about cake shows and "Days of Sharing" is the people you meet (for networking) and the information you learn as well as share. Earlene is now phasing out her very successful custom cake business to allow more time for teaching.

Earlene's class - All Day Buttercream on February 25th will focus on buttercream side designs and Earlene's specialized buttercream techniques.

Autumn has been around the confectionery arts all her life. Her grandparents, Wilbur and Mildred Brand are the founders of Country Kitchen - a specialty baking supply store in Fort Wayne, Indiana. By 1991, Autumn was working full time at Country Kitchen making displays of cakes, cookies and candies and also as their wedding consultant. Autumn is the author of several books on cookie decorating and candy making.

Autumn is going to teach 2 classes - Classic Cookie Decorating in the morning and Cookie Bouquets in the afternoon. Don't miss this opportunity to meet Autumn and learn her specialized cookie decorating techniques!

This is my new favorite cookie! Watch out though - because they are addictive. I have seen black cocoa cookies highlighted in several cookie magazines this season - they are so striking because they really are black - not from food color, but from the cocoa. I have worked on this recipe - it is an easy recipe to work with - just be careful with the black cocoa - it has a tendency to go everywhere. This is a good cut-out cookie because it doesn't spread when it is baked. The black cocoa makes all of the difference - in both looks and taste. It will make a very black cookie and the cookie is very, very chocolaty - like a soft Oreo cookie. We are now carrying black cocoa here in the store. The black cocoa made some great ghosts and hand modeled spiders for Halloween and now I can't wait to make some fancy snowflakes.

Holidays - the time of year for gift giving. What better gift than a sweet, homemade gift? Here are some candy recipes - tried and true and easy to make. Candies like these make great gifts for teachers, neighbors, friends, anyone. Now that the weather has cooled off a little bit - all of the chocolates and crunches are in stock. We also have all kinds of bags, boxes and packaging to make the presentation just as nice as the goodies inside!

Mmmm... there is nothing like the smell of cinnamon rolls baking. This is an easy recipe to make and then bake the next morning. Imagine how delighted your overnight holiday guests will be when you treat them to homemade cinnamon rolls! Randy just loves when I make cinnamon rolls - he has been craving them now that I put them in this newsletter. I will have to make some soon...

We are excited to have Bronwen Weber coming back to teach an airbrush class! Sunday, January 20th Bronwen will be sharing her signature airbrush techniques and after this class you will start airbrushing everything! In class you will practice airbrush basics, color mixing and control. You will learn how to turn plain white pre-made gumpaste flowers into beautiful, colorful flowers. You will also carve, sculpt and cover a small shaped cake in white fondant that you will then airbrush to bring it to life!

There are 2 options for this class - class only or class with an airbrush set. If you don't have an airbrush yet, this is a wonderful opportunity to get a great airbrush set at a great price. Bronwen loves this new airbrush!

Don't miss this fun full-day class chock-full of techniques that you will use all the time!

If you've been really good this year, maybe Santa will bring you a new airbrush and this great class!

Here are our December classes. Check the link below for other classes scheduled into 2008.
Cookie Decorating with Jennifer
Saturday 12/1 - 9 am to 12 pm
Gift Candies with Jennifer
Saturday 12/1 - 2 pm to 5 pm
Cookie Decorating with Jennifer
Monday 12/3 - 10 am to 1 pm
Chocolate Truffles with Jennifer
Tuesday 12/4 -10 am to 1 pm
Chocolate Truffles with Jennifer
Tuesday 12/4 - 6 pm to 9 pm
Fondant Project with Sallia
Wednesday 12/5 - 6 pm to 9 pm
Petit Fours with Michelle
Saturday 12/8 - 9 am to 12 pm
Buttercream Project Class with Sallia
Saturday 12/8 - 2 pm to 5 pm
Sweet Gifts with Jennifer
Monday 12/10 - 10 am to 1 pm
Advanced Gingerbread with Jennifer
3 sessions - 12/10, 12/11 & 12/12 - 6 pm to 9 pm
Chocolate Truffles with Jennifer
Saturday 12/15 - 9 am to 12 pm
Cookie Decorating with Jennifer
Saturday 12/15 - 2 pm to 5 pm
Chocolate Truffles with Jennifer
Monday 12/17 - 10 am to 1 pm
Chocolate Truffles with Jennifer
Monday 12/17 - 6 pm to 9 pm
Cookie Decorating with Jennifer
Tuesday 12/18 - 10 am to 1 pm
Cookie Decorating with Jennifer
Tuesday 12/18 - 6 pm to 9 pm
Sweet Gifts with Jennifer
Wednesday 12/19 - 10 am to 1 pm
Holiday Cakes, Cookies & Candy with Jennifer
Wednesday 12/19 - 6 pm to 9 pm

Look for our schedule into 2008 - back to Wilton Classes and more!

We hope you enjoy this newsletter. Please use the forward link below to send this email to others who you think may enjoy it. As always, we want to hear your feedback...just click on the email address below.