Carolyn's Confections

Today I went to the 1st birthday party for my best friend's baby, Vinny. Baby Vinny is this adorable little Italian boy with smooth ivory skin, the plumpness of a Rubens figure, and a head of hair as fiery red as a Viking's. He looks strikingly like a little man, which made choosing the theme of his party a no-brainier: "Little Old Man." Everyone was adorned in play 'staches, bow ties, and glasses, fedoras were thrown from the head of one toddler to the next, and every table was decorated with candy and balloons. Pretzel cigars replaced popcorn at the bar, and a face painting clown worked arduously on glittered unicorn cheeks and Spiderman masks. 

Similar to a big Italian wedding, this was a big Italian birthday party. Pockets of family members crowded the banquet hall, and the back wall was cluttered with trays of antipasti, penne, meatballs, and lasagna (just to name a few). Bellies were full and the children were thoroughly entertained, what more could you ask for?

While the food, company, and entertainment were second to none, the real star of the show was our dear friend Carolyn's desserts. Carolyn, a professional art student and former designer, put her NYC career to the side in order to pursue her true passion, baking. Ever since she left her cubicle, Carolyn has been churning out bountiful amounts of cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and tarts. Her execution is flawless and her presentation is spot on. She has managed to take her background as an artist, and incorporate it with her gift for baking... this girl is definitely on to something....


As a gift to our friend's little bambino, Carolyn catered the desserts, and boy did she go all out! Trays of cupcakes flooded the table, and a beautiful three tiered cake stole the show. Of the cupcakes, I have to say that her strawberry-strawberry was my favorite, as it was creamy, moist, and loaded with fruit, inside and out.  The other accompanying flavors were banana with a cinnamon sugar frosting, a chocolate with a coffee frosting, a red velvet, and chocolate-chocolate. I'd be lying if I said my finger didn't end up scalping several samples :-) This is especially impressive because I am not a cupcake lover. It is evident in her treats that Carolyn doesn't just bake for the sake of baking, she has a love for what she does and infuses it into her work.

 Thankfully for the rest of us, Carolyn has started her own company in the NJ/NY area called Carolyn's Confections and, before she gets found, I suggest you put in your order. With Carolyn's Confections supplying your sweets, your party will undoubtedly be the talk of the town.

(Leave a comment for her 4-1-1)