Remember the entry 'Little peepers'? I wrote something about my preparation for my son's christening a few months ago. Well, the busy days came and the long wait was over. The big day came and ended well. I was busy the entire week prior to that Saturday. I bought colorful small boxes for my vanilla and cookies and cream bars. And on the first day of that busy week, I started on the boxes. When I bought them from Baker's Depot, you still need to assemble them. But it's pretty easy compared to the transportation difficulties that you'll experience when you bought them assembled already. Imagine, I bought 20 pieces! Then on the middle of the week, it's the tower and the designs. My choice for the tower is a wrapper that is made from special paper, and not the glossy, colorful wrappers that are mostly used for gift wrapping. My mind is already made up on this light blue, see-through wrapper when my husband came and looked at it with dismay. What? I asked. My husband pointed out that the paper will not do. Apparently, it's see-through effects is a disadvantage on the white surface of the tower. The white paint will still be vivid despite the wrapper. So, I put down the wrapper and check on the long rack again. Hmm, so what to choose? Actually it's so hard to pick just one, mainly because most of the colors are too girly for my taste. And finally on the last row, I found this almost shiny, blue and green baptismal-themed wrapper. On the wrapper are the words 'BABY BOY' in silver. So, I guess this is it, huh? And so it was.
Wrapping the tower is another challenge to face. To wrap each layer is to cut the wrappers in triangular shapes just to fit the wrapper on each surface. Picture a piece of a pie, that's how I cut the wrapper. The other parts of the tower's surface that's going to show after I glued on the triangular pieces are going to be hidden by patches of the wrappers that'll be cut according to the shape of the surface that's showing. After several hours on wrapping the tower (yes, several hours, argh!), I worked on the ribbons that's going to be glued around the edges of each layer. I bought two ribbons, light blue and light green. Since using one ribbon for each layer isn't going to make the ribbon noticeable at all, I decided to glue the two ribbons together to make it thick enough. When the ribbons are now in place, I look at my work and smiled. The over all effects of the wrapper-ribbon combination is cute.
So after the tower, I started reviewing my notes for my edible favors. The first that I baked are my vanilla and cookies and cream bars. I used the Vanilla cake recipe that we're using for our cupcakes in Sweet Possibilities Cupcakery (my small business, remember?). But I generously added cookies in the batter. But not all cookies will do. What we need is a sandwich cookie with vanilla cream on the center. I already bought one bag in my Baker's Depot visit but couldn't find one with cream on their centers. I resorted to buying the nearest substitute and that's the bag of cookies without the cream on the center, same cookies used on making the cookie sandwich. I decided to make the bars 2 days before the event. Before I went to the office that day, I made 6 batches of the bars, sliced them in squares, and placed them in air tight containers. Then off to the refrigerator they went. I opt to place them in the box on the same day and thought otherwise. The moist of the bars could ruin the overall presentation, for they may stain the boxes.
In the afternoon of the day before the event, I prepared my stainless bowls for Iman's give-away cupcakes. My good friend K took over in preparing the square fondant cake and the 30 pcs chocolate cupcakes, half of the 60 pcs cupcake tower for the celebration. The other half are vanilla-strawberry cupcakes topped with white chocolate buttercream. The chocolate cupcakes were iced with the same buttercream. I used 3 hues for the buttercream: light green, light blue, and sunny yellow to give the tower a merry combination of pastel colors. Of course this country is not a strawberry country and to buy them fresh here is expensive. You'll spend more than 400 bucks and all you get is a handful. I need one strawberry for each cupcake. As an alternative, I bought canned strawberries from the supermarket. I think this is a perfect substitute. Not only does it contain more than 30 pcs of preserved strawberry but the pieces are drowned in thick strawberry-flavored syrup. I will add the syrup also into the cupcake to accentuate the flavor a few notch. While I was preparing the cupcakes, adding too much syrup into each cup is a disadvantage. The center became too soft, although it's good, I don't like the appearance. It gave the cupcake a sunken center and for me it's not too appealing. On the other batch, I limited the addition of the syrup and it turned out okay. Another technique that I've learned is that, after adding the syrup, try swirling it with the batter so that the center will become firmer, compared to just spooning the strawberry and syrup on the cupcakes' centers.
On the day of the event, I am at my best, I believe. With just 3 hours of sleep, my body is tired but my spirit is on a high level. I'm excited for our son. He's wearing a white polo and white shorts with suspenders and blue bears as designs. He's such a darling! Our entire family came to celebrate with us as we welcome our son to the Christian world. Most of our good friends stood as godparents to Iman. We chose only those who meant a lot to us. The ceremony in the baptistry is very solemn and as I look at my son, sleeping at the beginning of the ceremony, I felt proud to be his mother. And I feel blessed having him as my son. The joy that I felt overcame the tiredness spreading through my body. The entire week of preparation and sleep deprivation was rewarded more during the reception when people admired Iman's cupcake tower. The combination of the pastel color is cheery. And the cake! Carrot-walnut covered with white marshmallow fondant, with a collage of edible pictures showing off Iman's smiles sitting on top of it bordered with fondant rattle, baby over-all, booties, feeding bottle, pacifier, and bib in blue and white is such an eye-candy. Oohs and ahhs are heard from people peering at the table. K has done it again. As for my bars in their colorful boxes, aligned beside the colorful tower is an added attraction. These bars are for notable guests (godparents and close family friends). And the taste? For the bars, cupcakes, and the cake, we received thumbs-up signs. Some are even asking for more. Hurrah!
Ahhh, looking back after I saw the sun set in the horizon, I wouldn't change one bit part of the celebration. My decision intensified as we start unwrapping the gifts and remember each giver who willingly spent the entire afternoon with us. And as I peered at Iman as I turn-off the light in our bedroom, I saw one happy baby. He didn't throw tantrums the entire day as if he knows this is his celebration. A day marked in the calendar destined to be called Iman's day.
View of the Welcome banner bearing my son's name, Immanuel. Beneath the banner are the tower, cake, and the bars in colorful boxes.
The vanilla and cookies and cream bars in colorful boxes. Palatable tokens for noted guests.
The cupcakes close-up. Gastronomical treats for the children and child-at-heart.
Iman's cupcake tower. Blue, green, and yellow buttercream hues sitting on top of yummy chocolate and vanilla and strawberry cupcakes.
Carrot-walnut cake covered with white marshmallow fondant. The colorful edible collage of pictures show how adorable my son is.
Treats you can take home after celebrating with us.
