Sweet Relief Bake Sale!…Come Eat for the Cause.

It’s been over 2 years since the first Sweet Relief bake sale raised over $1000 for the Nashville flood relief efforts. In light of recent events, we felt it’s a good time to resurrect this event and show our support for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. This Saturday, November 10th, Nashville’s food bloggers unite to raise money for the hurricane relief efforts, with all proceeds benefiting the Community Food Bank of New Jersey. The Sweet Relief bake sale will run from 1:00 pm until 4:00pm (or until the goodies are gone!) at the Well coffee shop in Green Hills. All proceeds from the event will benefit Community Food Bank of New Jersey and their efforts to provide relief to victims of hurricane Sandy.

Be sure to come by and show your support by enjoying sweets for a great cause!

Sweet Relief: Nashville Food Blogger Bake Sale for Hurricane Relief
Saturday, November 10th, 1:00-4:00pm
The Well Coffee Shop, 2035 Richard Jones Road in Green Hills (map)

Are you planning on coming? RSVP on Facebook!

We’re also excited that several Green Hills businesses including Parnassus Books will be donating a portion of their proceeds to the cause during the hours of the bake sale. Stay tuned for a full list of participating businesses. A good way to make your trip to Green Hills worthwhile, and maybe get some early holiday shopping done?

Want to bake?
While we’re calling this a food blogger bake sale, it doesn’t mean you can’t participate if you don’t have a blog. Food bloggers, non-food bloggers, and food blog fans are more than welcome to participate! We’re looking for helpers and bakers regardless of blogging status. Be creative! Some ideas for what you could bring include cookies, sandwich cookies, cupcakes, brownies, rice krispie treats, cake pops, whoopie pies, homemade candy, cinnamon rolls, quick breads, muffins, pretzels, etc. If you do plan to bake, here are a few requests:

All baked goods should be dropped off at The Well between 12:15 and 12:45 on Saturday.
If you cannot drop your baked goods off at the specified time, please get in touch. We have folks in East Nashville, West Nashville, and Germantown who are willing to collect baked goods ahead of time.
Everything will be priced at $2, please bake accordingly. You may decide to, for example, package 2-3 small cookies together in a bag or cut your brownies to a specific size you feel warrants a $2 price tag.
Please package your baked goods to make it easy for folks to purchase and take it with them. The packaging doesn’t have to be fancy, but loose cookies or messy cake slices floating around can be problematic. Treat bags, cello wrap, or gift boxes are great options. It doesn’t need to be fancy, just functional.
Feel free to label your baked goods so people know what they are, we’ll also have little signs the day of so that everything is clearly labeled.
Feel free also to bring your blog business cards or package them with your treats. Even better if you feel like sharing the recipe on your blog!

Since we have less than a week to get the word out about this event, please do all you can to promote it. You can use the graphic above to promote the event on your blog. If you need a different format/size or a print version, just shoot me an email and I’ll happily send it your way.

Please don’t hesitate to email Lindsay if you have any questions, suggestions, comments, etc. Thanks in advance for you help in making this event a huge success! See you Saturday!

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Pumpkin Smore’s Cupcakes with Espresso Caramel

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 T. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
  • 1  T.  pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs

Directions

For the pumpkin cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 1 (12-cup) muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the butter and both sugars. Beat with a hand-held mixer until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree and the vanilla extract. Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time. Incorporate the dry mixture into the wet mixtures together until thoroughly combined.

Using an ice cream scoop, fill each cupcake liner 3/4 of the way full. Bake until the tops turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

4oz.Cream Cheese (room temp)
1.5 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 heavy whipping cream
pinch of salt

Whip cream cheese with hand held mixer until light and fluffy. Then, add remaining ingredients until desired consistency is reached.

Marshmallows

Preheat oven to Broil. Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray and evenly distribute marshmallows.Now, you will have to bend down and stay in front of the oven or else you will start a fire. Watch the mallows until they are browned to your liking and remove quickly. you will be able to pick up marshmallows ans lie them on top of the icing once cooled.

Caramel

Here’s the link for the caramel sauce. You are simply going to add 1 shot of your favorite espresso with the heavy cream and butter.

Assembly: Last but not least. you are going to pipe the caramel sauce into the center of the cooled cupcakes. Ice them accordingly and add your marshmallows on top. This recipe is not for the faint or weary. Enjoy!

Fox’s Donut Den…Iconic Deliciousness!

Tell Ya Kids, Tell Ya Wife! These glazed bits of heaven will  have you claiming to be a morning person. The only way I’m  recommending these donuts  are  straight from the grease, by-pass the coffee dipping,  and send it straight to your tum-tum. The Donut Den has been an iconic piece of Nashville, TN history for over 30 years and the tradition of needing those donuts and pastries in your hands continues on.

I sat down with  Mr. Fox himself to discuss the nostalgic donut shop nestled in the heart of Green Hills… but not before I grabbed a maple glazed doughnut and a cappuccino. The Business originally began in your current day Pizza Perfect location on Granny White Parkway.  Mr. Fox had a friend whom  he sold books with.  This friend told him he should open a donut shop and the rest is history. The concept was derived from Harlow’s Bakery based out of Memphis, TN. The place where Fox and his staff learned one on one from the best in the business. He tackled this endeavor while in the Doctorate program at Vanderbilt University.  Fox believes…I mean, knows that their fillings, toppings, cinnamon & products are indeed the best in the game. The Local Forkful believes it and we’ve gained 10 lbs. in the last few days doing research just for you. I mean there is over 54 years of experience from Mr. Oliver Harlow himself to back it up.

They moved to their current location in Green Hills during 1977 because it was the “perfect location”. It is said that some 40k + cars pass by the Donut Den a day. Not hard to believe if you’ve ever sat in Green Hills traffic…nightmaaaare!

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I was itching to see how these tasty treats were produced, and Mr. Fox was nice enough to oblige in letting us create these infamous goodies. We spent a few hours with the man who pumps out those consistent donuts.  Thee Harold Graves is his name and he’s been working for the Donut Den since 1977.  An amicable little man reminiscent of every child’s favorite grandpa, but don’t tell grandma.

It is an understatement to say that Fox’s Donut Den is a just another piece of edible iconography. You haven’t experienced Nashville until you’re removing the icing crumbs from the corner of your lips!…or licking them, which ever you prefer. Dr. Fox says, “Everyone from the Janitors to the Senators eat here.” And I wouldn’t dare contest that statement; these donuts can’t be tamed to the realms of social hierarchy.

I’m pretty sure I’ve tried everything they offer over the course of this interview. During this venture, I’ve yet to find something I disagree with recommending to my followers. Now, I will point you in the right direction. So upon arrival, snatch some of these delicious bits. 

*The Apple Fritter-a delicious deep-fried pastry studded with cinnamon swirl and little chunks of apple, drenched in vanilla icing. Your first trip or next trip to the Donut Den tackle these or just splurge and grab a dozen….or two!

*Kolaches-A sausage cuddle-bummed in their sweet donut dough accompanied with shredded cheddar, baked to perfection. It makes for a great afternoon snack or lunch.

*Raspberry & Blackberry filled Doughnuts-my wife is a pretty picky eater so if shes says I need to add these to my recommendation list then so-be-it.

Last but not least, if the Kolaches weren’t a great way to step outside the box go ahead ans grab yourself a couple of bagels to go. The Spinach and Parmesan as well the Cinnamon Crunch are deliciooooous!

If you’re still hanging in their with your New Year’s Resolution crap, that’s a shame! And I have no idea why you’ve tortured yourself thus far. Come on! put down the ‘shake weights’ and  get some doughnuts!

Extras: Do you want to know more about Fox’s Donut Den? Check these sites and deals out!

Sweet Jack.http://www.sweetjack.com/deal/nashville/50-donut-den-10-spend-1

Grouponhttp://www.groupon.com/deals/fox-s-donut-den Catch it before it expires.

http://placesandplatypie.com/index.html They declare that Donut Den has the Best Donuts in the U.S., but we’ll let you be the judge.

Eat It Tennessee: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Donut-Den/15153771875

Like them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Donut-Den/15153771875

Darlene’s Kakes now resides at Fox’s Donut Den Location: http://www.darleneskakes.com/#!