Happy 1st Birthday Talia!

Mark and Mer wanted to have a party to celebrate Talia's 1st birthday. Once they pinned down a day, I started contemplating their dessert menu. The week before we finalized the details. I wanted enough variety, something seasonal, something chocolate, lots of bright pretty colours and some fruit ;) I had only the evening before and morning of to create the desserts, so I had to be very selective. I prepped the chopped chocolate the thursday before (a little tedious). I should of prepped the caramel apple filling but was too tired. The final menu was Devil's food cupcakes with vanilla frosting topped with Lindt white chocolate hearts (+a 3 layer mini cake version to blow out a candle), Pecan pumpkin whoopie pies with pumpkin cream cheese filling, Chocolate Chunk cookies with Guittard and Hershey chocolate, Cookies with Lindt white chocolate, toffee bits and oatmeal, Caramel apple triangles in Phyllo pastry, and Chocolate Pavlova.
I worked on Friday from 9-5:30. I went to buy Talia's birthday gift on my lunch break. Picked up the photos I had developed after work. Traffic was horrible. It was on the way home that I realized I forgot to borrow the Whoopie pie pans from work...so I called Yorkdale and had 2 put on hold. By the time I got home, had some dinner, tried to explain to my dad that he can't just save numbers on his cell phone, he has to input their matching names too...I started baking around 9pm. Cookies first, then cake and cupcakes, pavlova meringue base. Too much to do, I asked John to peel some apples and wash some dishes. (He declared the peeling part...Fun:) Made the white chocolate hearts to chill in the fridge. Made the caramel apple filling, left to cool. Made the frosting for the cupcakes, did the lighter pink first, then added extra red for the second half. At 4:45am I called it a night after I put all the cupcakes and cookies in containers and meringue under plastic. (Thank goodness John helped with the dishes)
The next morning, I woke up before my alarm at 8:50am. I bolted up, afraid I had overslept. I immediately asked my mom for some help rinsing and cutting the fruit for the pavlova. I started on the apple phyllos triangles. Then the whoopie pies and cream cheese frosting. Lastly the whipped chantilly cream for the pavlova. With my mom's help as dishwasher, I was able to even have a shower before I had to pack up the car to go. The car was so packed up, that I had to ask mom to carry the mini cake on her lap on the way down in my dad's car.
Once at Withrow park, thankfully John Kim (Mark's cousin) helped me unload everything and we set things up in record time. The place was open and airy. They decorated it with huge paper balloons and hundreds of 8x10 photo copies of pictures from Talia's first year.
I was very pleased with the result. I received many complements on the desserts and how pretty everything looked. Even Cat's mom pulled me aside to tell me she "loved" the caramel apple triangles. I packed her up 6-7 to take home (and another bag for Sooky's mom)
The party was lovely, although a little short on time. It seemed like we had just settled in when it was time to pack up and go. When I think about how short a time it took me to make everything on my list...essentially 10 hours, I'm amazed at how well everything turned out. Next time though, I'll save myself some heart palpitations and insist on having the day off the day before.

Following Korean tradition, the birthday child picks items to predict their future. For the record, Talia picked a paint brush, money and the book. Happy birthday Talia...xo Aunt Carol.