Celebrate

Happy Fourth of July everyone! Whether you're headed to the beach in a star-spangled bikini or cooking up some hot dogs with your family on this long weekend, I hope you have a fun and safe holiday weekend!

Today if you mention that you follow Becker's Bakery on Twitter or on Facebook, you can receive a free red, white, or blue star cookie from the Manhattan Beach bakery. That is, if you can find parking downtown Manhattan beach. For those of you headed straight to the beach, Old Navy has some great red, white, and blue bathing suits currently discounted as a part of their Star Spangled Sale, so hurry over before you hit the waves.

If you're hosting a backyard barbecue, try out this awesome hot dog sauce recipe. My mom makes a similar one every year that can't be beat--sorry though, that recipe is a family secret. Still in need of some party snacks? Harry & David's candy and snack tubs are 30% off this weekend, so celebrate our independence with delicious food, snacks, and gourmet appetizers.

Then when it cools down and the sun sets, check out abc7.com for a map of firework locations in the South Bay. Some shows start at 8pm, whereas others don't begin til 9pm, so be sure you double check times. Or if you're lucky enough to know someone with a view along the coast, you might be able to catch four or five different firework displays from Malibu to Redondo Beach.

Happy Independence Day, America!

Images from facebook.com/beckersbakery, yumsugar.com and artofmanliness.com

What's Black and White and Red All Over?

Ok, funny guy, here's one for you.

Knock Knock. Who's there?
Meringue. Meringue who?
You'll be meringue-ing on our door for these red velvet cupcakes.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Fluffy Meringue Frosting

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Meringue Icing

• 5 large egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
• Pinch fine salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 drops pure almond extract
• Equipment: Standard 12 (1/2 cup) muffin tin

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For meringue icing:

Bring a few inches of water to a gentle simmer in a saucepan large enough to hold a standing mixer bowl above the water. Whisk the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt together in the bowl until combined. Set the bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture is smooth and hot to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until meringue is cool and holds a soft peak, 4 to 5 minutes. With the speed on low, add the vanilla and almond extracts; increase speed to medium and continue whisking until mixture is glossy and holds a stiff peak, 1 to 2 minutes more.

To decorate:

Using a spoon or offset spatula, spread about 1/2 cup meringue over each cupcake and sprinkle with sprinkles.

Seriously, these cupcakes are no laughing matter.

Recipe and image from foodnetwork.com

Eat Cake

Marie Antoinette clearly stepped on some toes when she suggested, "Let them eat cake." Unfortunately her comment landed her a date with Lady Guillotine. Ouch.

But Becker's Bakery throws caution to the wind and simply commands you to "Eat Cake" with their buttercream confections tantalizing the Manhattan Beach community. A family-owned and locally-run business, the beach-side Bakery humbly boasts the best baked goods in the South Bay as one of the only buttercream bakeries in the area. Known for their creative custom cakes, cookies, and cupcakes, Becker's caters to any sweet tooth. Cupcakes ranging in side from jumbo, regular, and mini fit the perfect craving as a rich, decadent treat. Cookies come in giant frosted oatmeal, sugar with rainbow sprinkles, screen-printed-frosting, delicious large-and-in-charge chocolate chip cookies, and--if you're daring enough--the frosting-filled Cookie Monster cookie. And any event is reason enough to order a scrumptious Becker's cake. Custom-made for you by Todd and his crew, they have never failed to produce an edible wonder. With fillings such as fresh strawberries and chocolate buttercream, to red raspberries and whipped cream, the confections are truly finger-licking. In a hurry? Grab a fresh cake from the glass and have Todd ice it right then and there. Their Giant Cupcake cake is perfect for any occasion, and delicious enough to order anytime!

When you're walking up from the beach--it's lunchtime--and you need a bite to eat, stop by and grab the perfect Becker's sandwich from their deli on their fresh roll or sqaw bread, made to order.

That's just one more reason that Becker's won't be getting the axe anytime soon.


Becker's Bakery and Deli, 1025 Manhattan Ave, Manhattan Beach CA, phone (310) 372-3214, order online here, or email Todd Becker at tbecker55@roadrunner.com

Images from beckersbakeryanddeli.com

Sweet Treats

Ok, I have to come clean. Like any child, I have a sweet tooth. A very sweet tooth. And my biggest vice? Cupcakes. Thankfully, a brand-new SusieCakes has just opened a hop, skip, and a jump away from my Manhattan Beach home.

Walking over with my sister on one side and golden labrador on the other, the simple, clean aesthetics of the bakery beckoned us in further (Abby was left outside with complementary organic doggie treats and fresh water!). While Tori eyed the classic flavors of Vanilla, Chocolate and Red Velvet, my tastebuds tingled with excitement at the Other flavors -- Peanut Butter, Lemon, Mint, Coconut and Strawberry! Like a kid in a candy shop -- quite literally -- I was ready to try them all. Thank goodness for their Miniature Cupcakes: little bite-sized morsels of their creative flavors. With an assortment of cakes and cookies for sale, a custom cake option, and samplings of cake by the slice, SusieCakes has easily perfected the "classic all-American treats" that are "sure to transport you back to a more carefree time and place."

Images from SuzieCakes.com