Jennifer Shea - Trophy cupcakes and parties!: deliciously fun party ideas and recipes from seattles prize-winning cupcake bakery

Copyright 2013 by Jennifer Shea
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form, or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published by Sasquatch Books

Editor: Susan Roxborough
Project editor: Nancy W. Cortelyou
Design: Anna Goldstein
Photographs: Rina Jordan
Prop styling: Jenn Elliott Blake
Craft creator: Jenny Batt
Illustrations: Julia Manchik
Copy editor: Diane Sepanski

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication
Data is available.

eISBN: 978-1-57061-865-9
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-57061-864-2

Sasquatch Books
1904 Third Avenue, Suite 710
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 467-4300
www.sasquatchbooks.com

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I proudly dedicate this book to my mom for teaching me to craft and bake and pay attention to all of the little details.

And to Michael and Fleetwood for making every day feel like a magical party.

You could say that party planning is in my DNA. Im not sure which of my ancestors was first bit by the hospitality bug, but I clearly come from a family of celebrators with a flair for festivities and a knack for fun. Take my first birthday party. My mom marked the anniversary of my first twelve months with a Raggedy Ann theme, complete with a rag dollshaped sheet cake and copious decorations, favors, and games in red, white, and gingham bluelets just say that shades of Miss Ann were found in just about every corner of our house that day. Looking back, Im surprised Mom didnt dress me in candy-cane tights and tie a wig of dyed mop yarn on my head! Her father, my grandfather, was also a legendary host, often throwing cocktail parties where everyone dressed to the nines and danced through the night, while his parents, my great-grandparents, once celebrated Halloween (this was long before grown-ups were crazy for Halloween parties) with an elaborate costume gala that my relatives still talk about to this day.

So as you can imagine, I was hooked on entertaining from the start. I began crafting and baking (mostly fresh blackberry pies!) with my mom when I was knee high, and I won a couple of baking contests including a blue ribbon for my grandmas Pumpkin Roll by the time I was eight, as well as the Home Economics Award in the 8th grade. Pretty soon, I was the unofficial family baker and party-maker, frequently enlisted to make cakes for parties and generally depended on to deliver magic through vanilla and buttercream. I loved the challenge and the pleasure that comes from feeding others with beautiful, sweet confections. Through the years I never stopped baking and always gravitated toward entertaining and food, whether working in bakeries and restaurants or earning my bachelor of science in nutrition (yes, this cupcake lady has a degree in nutrition!).

As you can see, it was no great surprise when some years later my husband Michael and I opened a cupcake and party store and pretty much made it our lifes work to make every day a party. The first Trophy Cupcakes and Party opened in a cinnamon-colored historic schoolhouse in 2007 after eight years of recipe testing. Our plan? Make delicious, magical, and transcendent cupcakes in a festive space that would inspire others to celebrate the good things in lifeand do it often.

At Trophy, we believe every day should be a partyfilled with colorful confetti, exquisite treats, and happy surprises. We are confection creators, fun curators, and magicians of mmmmm. And every day, we pour our hearts into inspiring truly amazing parties.

Trophy was founded in 2007 by dessert lover Jennifer Shea and her husband Michael Williamson. Jennifers passion for dreamy, decadent desserts has made Trophy Seattles favorite boutique cupcake bakery. Even Martha Stewart calls Jennifers cupcakes utterly delicious! They adore serving up party-perfect confections and accoutrements from their five Seattle-area locationsand are thrilled to share their love of all things fun and scrumptious in this book.

My inspiration for Trophy came from any number of the gazillion European bakeries I visited while traveling over the years. Stop in just about any town in France and Italy, and youll find a shop that sells bread, another that sells cake, and still another that sells candies. I became obsessed with the idea of putting all my heart into just one craft and making it the best it could be. Cupcakes became my mantra, and my motivation came through the joy of upholding the age-old tradition of artisan-style baking.

I learned early on that the best ingredients make the biggest smiles. So at Trophy, we only use pure cane sugar; local, hormone-free dairy products and eggs; French cocoa; Belgian chocolate; pure Madagascar Bourbon vanilla; organic berriesyou get the idea (see ). I will never bend or compromise on ingredients! And it sounds clichd, but love and care must go into every cupcake to bring out the magic. I always say, if youre going to indulge, it should be on the very best.

Trophys look and style are inspired solely and simply by things Michael and I love. Our striped awnings are an homage to European bakeries; hand-painted signs recall old-world specialty shops; our marble countertops are like ones Ive seen in 1940s bakery photos; and the aqua decor matches my collection of vintage Franciscan dishes. Historically, cake is equated with celebrations, so I created an area in our stores displaying a handpicked selection of truly festive items, such as nostalgia-inspired party favors, so that people can take the magic home with them.

But it wasnt until after I planned my son Fleetwoods first birthday party (a playful circus theme in red, white, and blueMom clearly hardwired that color story into my consciousness early on!) that I realized not everyone has the gene for throwing magical parties. By his second and third birthdays (with French Nautical and Woodland Creatures themes, respectively), Id overheard other moms whispering that they could never do anything like this and wouldnt know where to start. It hadnt occurred to me that throwing a party isnt as simple as having the tools, such as pretty decorations and yummy sweets. No, a memorable party comes from an inspired ideaand a well-organized checklist. I began compiling my favorite recipes, ingredients, and decor sources, and created planning tools and cheat sheets to help others draw out their creative spirits. My hope is that this book will serve as your go- to party-planning resource, a place for finding ideas, making notes, and creating memories to last a lifetime.