by Linda ~ Pastry Chef and Cake Designer

I have assisted many different people in designing a cake that suits their style, their occasion, or the person who will receive the cake. It’s an interesting process and one worth describing in an effort to keep it easy-going, creative and fun.

Recently a bride-to-be named Sue attended a cake tasting at Pepper's Fine Catering. While enjoying a variety of cake samples the conversation naturally turned to the design of her wedding cake. Sue brought an image of her ideal design. While the picture was of a particular cake she still wanted to add her personal touches to the deign. We spoke about the tenor of her special day, color schemes, the venue, etc. She mentioned that her reception venue was an antique car museum and she wanted something to go along with the period of the autos on display. I was very excited as the era was the 1920’s and I love that time! I suggested that I do some research, make a sketch and then view and discuss the ideas together. Sue was happy, I was happy, and off I went to investigate.

Like Sue, I surfed around looking primarily at design. This included fashion, textiles, architecture, and themes.

To keep my research organized, I created a Pinterest board of interesting ideas to incorporate. Sue had mentioned that she wanted to add the color blue into the design. That went into my sketch along with the number of servings and size of the final cake. My sketch was a success! The bride liked the design concept but decided to decrease the size of the cake. We agreed on which tier to eliminate and I provided her with an estimate.

Things to consider when creating a cake design; Preparation is key if you want to personalize your cake. Surf around, look at magazines, bring pictures, swatches and thoughts to the meeting, be open about your interests and needs. Think about the display and venue. Have a budget figure in mind, as unique designs will cost more. Expect the designer will share thoughts and advice. Speak your mind and listen too, the best cake designs come from a collaboration.

Sparkling Venues, Private Holiday Parties

The air is crisp, leaves are blowing in the wind and time to think about holiday party plans. We are fortunate to have so many unique venues throughout the state, available for memorable & private holiday party planning.

Consider the built in décor & ambiance of venues as an added plus, making for a minimal investment to create that warm holiday feel. The Elm Bank in Wellesley as well as Tower Hill Holiday Party in Boylston both host horticultural festivals that include quite an array of decorated trees and wreaths, offering terrific eye-candy for your guests.

Speaking of eye candy. The Connors Center & Estate in Dover located in Dover pulls out all the stops when it comes to decorating for the holidays. This charming property offers warm ambience for chilly days and guest rooms to boot.   A Connors Center Holiday is a terrific holiday choice for a private & personal event.

The Russian Icon Museum in Clinton offers a world-class collection of priceless icons, displayed in a unique space that includes former jail cells. Perhaps a wreath set upon the doors of the two cells for a whimsical touch?

Tuckerman Hall in Worcester has been fully restored to its original 100 year old charm with copious gold accents and a full well positioned poinsettia would clearly set a tasteful holiday tone.

Décor ideas, you say ?

Peppers event designer, Heidi Bouchard recommends natural colors, classic décor, candles and birch wood accents. Let a monochromatic use of red or green simply pop among the natural background. She also loves to add hearty herbs such as rosemary & thyme and the juxtaposition of artichoke, petite decorative squash and fruit in her floral displays.

Cuisine plays such an important role in the memory of the great holiday gatherings. Go for abundant tastes & textures  and focus on small plates and hors d’oeuvres. Your guests have a blast with the choices and full control over how little or full they desire to be, but leave room for those petite squash tart Brule’s or classic chocolate or pumpkin buche noel’s prepared by our pastry Chef, linda Labarge. Recently we catered a wonderful wedding at the Worcester Airport and in lieu of a wedding cake, the bride chose simply, warm cider donuts.

Should you offer a theme cocktail ?  This goes without question. Have some fun. Eggnog & Rum, nah you can do better. Try this Pear and sweet spice cocktail offered from the NY Times: NY Times holiday cocktail recipe

Most of all, plan to have a relaxing time with your guests and put a little extra time into the pre-plan. You’ll be pleased with the outcome. Make Peppers part of your celebration planning, should you choose to relax and enjoy your guests.

~Happy & joyful holiday season to all of you from all of us~

By Sarah Blakeslee ~ Senior Event Manager

Choosing a theme for your wedding can be a big decision. You really want to pick a theme
that lets your personality shine through.

One of our most recent brides decided on a fun 70’s themed wedding. They transformed a
hall into a disco dancing 70’s club decked out with colored lights, fun linens and disco balls.
The guests enjoyed cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres in another room while having no idea what
they were about to walk into behind closed doors.

When the doors opened you could see the excitement on all of the guests faces as they
walked into the room. They picked up their cassette player escort cards and followed the
floppy disk table numbers to their tables. These were just a few fun touches made by the
bride and groom.

Pepper’s Catering own in House Designer adorned all the tables with colorful Gerber
daisies and created a truly spectacular blinged-out bar. Black spandex linens created a
unique look. Behind the smiling bartenders were Swarovski Crystal stands with various
shaped vases showcasing flowers and disco balls.

After Dinner was served, guests enjoyed the custom-designed hand painted flower cake.
Then danced the night away underneath the disco ball.

  Images by 'Le Petite Studio'

Brush Embroidery Wedding Cake

I started cake decorating using the technique of brush embroidery when it was coming into style. As with many techniques, it was very popular for a few years and then faded away. Imagine my surprise when a bride came to my tasting with a picture of a lovely embroidered cake. Hooray!

The technique is somewhat time consuming, as you can see by the pictures, but the end result is very delicate and duplicates the look of needlework, a favorite hobby of mine.

The flower is etched onto the cake using a paper pattern. I use a pin to outline the pattern. Royal icing is piped along the outline and pulled into the center with a damp paintbrush. If you want additional depth you let the first layer dry and repeat.

This cake incorporates the brush technique with copious, fun miniature butterflies in a swag pattern. The lavender shades really compliment the stark white of the fondant. The final result is a lovely elegantly designed cake.

To see more unique and creative cake designs check out our CakeART gallery page. 

By: Heidi Bouchard
~ Head of Style and Design ~

As Head of Style and Design at Peppers Fine Catering much of my time is spent helping couples bring the vision they have for their wedding day to fruition. Sometimes it’s helping them hone in all of their ideas and other times it’s making suggestions to help them expand on them.

Susan Lawrence, owner of Peppers, came to me to help with the June wedding of a friend and longtime business colleague. After meeting the bride I saw that she dressed in a style that was modern, feminine and sophisticated. For her wedding dress she chose a very elegant all lace dress. Her invitations, which she designed and made herself, were a soft shade of purple, shimmery, with a lace embellishment. I listened intently to her ideas for some of the DIY things she was planning. I had a much clearer picture of what she was hoping for. I built a design board for her with some of my ideas. She loved it and at the end of that final meeting I asked her to trust me and let me run with the feel of what I had outlined. She gave me 2 thumbs up and creative freedom.

The setting was magical; the reception for 160 guests was outside under a canopy of branches from huge old trees that were lit up with soft white lighting. Along with passed hors d’oeuvres, guests were welcomed to a beautiful cheese and crudité table which I designed to be a major focal point for the cocktail hour. Instead of the typical flowers most often used to embellish a stationary hors d’oeuvre table,  I used only fruits and vegetables to build arrangements, old Iron Gate pieces added to the natural rustic charm I was trying to achieve. I decided on slate and stone to serve the cheeses, all locally crafted from here in Massachusetts. As I was putting the final touches on the display, I overheard a couple who arrived early, comment that it was “way too pretty to eat.”

When the bride and groom visited Peppers for a cake tasting, they immediately decided on the Lemonade Cake, a new flavor for the 2013 season. After an exchange of pictures and sketches it was decided that the cake would be 4 tiers, covered with a soft pink fondant and would have lace trim. When I created her design board I included a vintage rhinestone brooch which we decided to use on her cake along with several others she collected and borrowed from family and friends. There was an adorable new gazebo on the property that sat up on a hill overlooking the patio where the guest tables were, the perfect setting for the cake.      A beautiful tone-on-tone pink patterned table cloth was chosen and the cake was set on top of a huge mirror and rhinestone covered riser I had built for another event.

In contrast to the soft pinks and whites that were featured on guest tables and the cake table, for the bar, a bit of juxtaposition was in order. I went with purples and used large single bloom flowers anchored to the bottom of tall, varying size, glass column vases that were filled with water and lit with submersible LED lights. The groupings were displayed on mirrored risers covered in twinkling candles. The look was clean, contemporary and visually striking. 

There is no greater reward than to be part of a couple's special day and help them to create wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.

By Heidi Bouchard
Head of Style and Design

In the wedding design industry, vintage China has become all the rage. From the bride who wants a “full-fledged vintage look,” complete with vintage glass ware, linen and chairs, to the bridal or baby shower hostess who wants to add just a touch of nostalgia to her party.  More and more customers are asking for us to source vintage pieces for their catered event.

Our collection took shape slowly at first—a few pieces from gatherings at antique shops, some beautiful thrift store finds, one or two pieces discovered on EBay. As we began to build our collection, it was clear we were onto something—each piece of china we added was in high demand with many of our clients. As Head of Style and Design, it became my responsibility to make sure we had enough inventory so that we could tell our salespeople to present vintage china as a viable option to clients.  Although off to a great start, we still needed more and better quality pieces….

Brimfield Here We Come!

Over the course of two days and with the assistance of two “pickers,” I scoured field after field at Brimfield, Massachusetts’ famous outdoor Antique Show and Flea Market last September.  We came home with almost everything we needed, completing the 1^st phase of our project: 125 complete place settings made up of vintage china.

The appeal of these pieces is that every dish, every cup and saucer, has a story.   It’s safe to say that every piece belonged to someone’s Grandmother.  One dealer, whom we purchased a complete service of 8 from, told us he had bought it at an auction in Philadelphia, out of a stately old brick house that had been empty for years.  He broke the original 48 place settings into 6 sets of 8 each.  We imagined the grand parties these plates had witnessed.

Midway through our 2^nd day of foraging, we stopped for lunch to have our traditional Pilgrim Sandwich (Fresh roasted turkey, stuffing and homemade cranberry sauce on a fresh bakery roll). Deciding to divide and conquer I waited in line for lemonade.  I was the last to return to our table.  There were our three Pilgrim Sandwiches served on three late 19^th century green and gold Limoges plates.  The sandwiches were of course delicious, and yes, I think the plate was partly responsible for that. What fun to sit and pause a moment and enjoy the antique china ourselves!

With wedding season upon us, I have finalized the 2013 cake flavor menu adding four new flavors.  If you read my earlier blog, you already know that we voted in favor of the Spumoni and Chocolate Chai Tea cakes.  After trying three additional flavors, we landed on the Pink Lemonade cake and the Salted Caramel Devils Food cake. 

Our staff gave both flavors two thumbs up during our cake flavor and bridal tastings. The Pink Lemonade cake conveys our colorful theme for this season, and is perfect for a summer wedding with its bright and vibrant colors. The cake is lemonade flavored and consists of three pink shades filled with tart lemon curd and lemon mousse. 

After having Chocolate Caramel Fudge cake on last year’s menu, I can say the Salted Caramel cake has replaced it hands down.  This delicious dessert is a rich devil’s food cake filled with layers of salted caramel and dark chocolate ganache.  As one of our staff tasters put it “this is chocolate heaven!” Although I was wary about using salt, I have to admit, it’s a winner. 

The third cake was just as yummy, but more in line with a seasonal menu rather than our wedding menu.  I call it Pumpkin Gingerbread cake.  It’s made up of two layers of golden cake each with a layer of spicy gingerbread and filled with white chocolate ganache and pumpkin mousse.  I am putting it on the Holiday menu and if it’s a hit, will be available to all.  Next on the “to-do” list: a Dessert Buffet makeover...Stay tuned!

If you’re interested in a tasting with Pepper’s—Contact Us, we’d love to share our delicious cakes with you and work to create your dream wedding cake.

Have you thought about offering a signature drink at your wedding? It can be a fun way to showcase your personality to your family and friends, and there are so many ways to customize your cocktails to go along with your wedding design. You can share your favorite drink with your guests, create a colorful drink that matches your color scheme, or one that is inspired by the season. You can choose a cocktail that represents you as a couple or create "his and hers" cocktails. An added benefit of offering a signature drink is that instead of paying for a full bar your caterer can offer beer, wine and your signature cocktail. 

Have fun with your drink by adding unique garnishes, colored straws, or engraved stirrers. These will sure get your guests attention! One of our wedding couples chose Pepper’s Blueberry Lemonade cocktail to offer guests at their summer wedding. It was served in a highball glass with a blue and white straw. The guests loved sipping this whimsical, refreshing drink. More than the traditional glass of champagne, the presentation added much festive charm. 

Blueberry Lemonade

2 oz blueberry vodka

4 oz lemonade

Mix with Ice

Serve with candied blueberries and a lemon wedge 

Wedding season is quickly approaching! Here at Pepper’s Fine Catering, the bakery is experimenting with exciting flavors and colors for our newest cakes.  Every year we review our most popular flavors and revise the cake list.  After lots of research involving web surfing and magazine consulting, we came up with two exciting new flavors, born out of experimentation and testing at the Pepper’s bakery kitchen.

The first flavor is Spumoni, which is comprised of tasty layered ice cream of chocolate, pistachio and cherry. The tri-layer design makes for a colorful cake, and really helps drive home a feeling of celebration. It’s filled with a bittersweet ganache and cherry buttercream. Delicious!

The second flavor, which is my personal favorite, as I am a tea lover, is Chocolate Chai. This cake consists of two layers of milk chocolate cake, and one layer of double vanilla cake filled with milk chocolate ganache and chai tea mousse. Yum!  

These flavors are put to the test—baked, filled and tasted by everyone here at Pepper’s (very tough critics). I use the feedback gathered from the internal team tasting to tweak the recipe as needed. 

We also began offering our new flavors during cake tastings. So far, several couples have been in for cake tastings since the two new flavors were instated and they have all graciously provided feedback regarding yumminess and visual presentation.  

Be sure to check back soon, as we are still working on two more flavors to roll out during this year’s wedding season!

Casual Warm Weather Menus

Here in New England we don't have the longest summers, so we have to enjoy it while we can! Nothing says summer food quite like a barbecue - especially if your planning an outdoor wedding or special event. 

I know some of you may be thinking, “barbecue and my white dress?” But trust us. Barbecue wedding catering is making a big splash on the wedding scene. Whether couples are aiming for low-key, small celebrations or a big affair with all of your family and friends, our barbecue wedding menu is specially designed to please every palate and mark a very special occasion in scrumptious style.

When we say barbecue at Peppers,  we’re talking real barbecue—cooked low and slow to produce meats that are tender, succulent and bursting with flavor. And don’t forget the options for grilled seafood—all cooked using local and fresh ingredients. Do you envision the traditional New England clambake for over 200 of your closest friends? We can make it happen! Whether it’s buffet or sit-down, we ensure that each plate is carefully thought out and constructed to please the eye as much as the palate

.

Our Pepper’s Event Designers are as much a part of the menu as the food itself, looking for ways to tie your wedding day inspirations into the presentation, with special touches like the addition of bales of hay around the buffet table at your barn wedding, or beautiful plaster starfish dispersed amongst the dishes at your seaside wedding.

The options for barbecue catering stretch as long as our imaginations (which at Pepper’s is pretty long!). If you’re planning an outdoor wedding, we encourage you to take contact us to see how we can help turn your special day into something truly extraordinary.

Reach out to Pepper’s to schedule a consultation with our Senior Event Designers. We would love to sit with you and discuss your special day.