Icing Smiles New Jersey Candy Shoppe Cocktail Bop!

If I close my eyes,  I can still hear "The Way You Look Tonight",  and taste the chocolate mousse.

I could say a thousand things about how much I loved this event, and how moved I am at  the love and generosity of everyone involved, but I'm going to try to let the gorgeous photographs by photographer Tania Colamarino (with some friends and family snapshots sprinkled in for good measure) do the talking... 

What a fun and fabulous night!! I never cease to be amazed by my friends, (and powerful forces-of-nature), Anne Heap and Elisa Strauss.  They pulled out all the stops to create the first ever Icing Smiles New Jersey Candy Shoppe Cocktail Bop.  top right: Anne and her team of "Candy Girls" were absolute Show-Stoppers!  bottom left: me, Anne, Elisa and Tracy Quisenberry, the outstanding founder of Icing Smiles.  bottom right: Amazing Vintage Candy Design Cake from Pink Cake box!

 

THANK YOU, Team Theresa Fisher (aka BFF)! Yaaay! Theresa devotes a huge amount of love, time and energy to a cause that's very close to her heart, Tunnel to Towers.  So when I invited her to be part of a cause that's close to my heart, not only did she jump in, but she jumped in with both feet and all of her heart!  Theresa made a special trip in from New Hampshire and brought her both own family and some of her Tunnel to Towers family with her.  top left: Donna Fisher, Bridget Fisher, Kate Sullivan, Theresa Fisher, Nell Simon and Sierra Coughlin. top right: Nell Simon, Theresa Fisher, Colleen Grace, Amanda Stefanese and Paola Tornabene.

 

Thank you to Marc Coolrecht, Benny Rivera, Sarah Pleitez of City Cakes, not only for bringing the muscle and joy to the party...but for the HUNDREDS of amazingly delicious as always cupcakes  

 

Hearts of Gold: Meet the Biggars! What can I say? I practically accosted Liz Asaro-Biggar at a party recently and asked her for advice about helping out with a fundraiser.  Once she heard about what Icing Smiles was, her immediate response was to say "Can I buy 10 tickets?" Liz and her family added a special magic to the evening. clockwise from top left: sweet Anne with one of her auction prizes; Family photo: Matt Asaro, Steve Biggar, George, Liz Biggar, Jack, Anne, and Sydney.  Treats: Happy little chocolate cake-pop cones based on Wayne Thiebaud‬ Painting by Cake Power

 

(George. George's mom told me at the beginning of the evening that he doesn't like candy)

 

clockwise from top left: Donuts! I seriously love this doughnut-shop cake by Christina Pagan!  Wonderful Robert DeLuca of BobbyDbaker with Vikki Scotti DeLuca;

and Gin Fizz setting the tone and serenading us through the evening

 

Q: What do you get when you ask dozens of bakers to dinner?  A: Lots of leftovers... seriously, a veritable fantasy never-ending dessert table!

 

Two more of my BFF's, the inimitable Aster and Terefech, honored guest bakers.

 

I enjoyed meeting Stacey and Orlando León of Butterfly Bakeshop so much! We were able to both bond over what it's like to have a cake business in NY,  and it turns out that our kids are about the same age, so we could also compare parenting notes...not to mention discuss and compare the merits of the 2 Yummy signature cocktails of the evening.  Cake: Amy Kolz of Village CakeCraft made this so crazy adorable (the milk bottle is out of control!) Its alway great to see Denise Passarelli of Denise Makes Cakes and Shamar Frisby.

 

The Incredibles: Elisa Strauss, Jenny McCoy and Danny Tagino; The sultry and sophisticated jazz quintet, Gin Fizz

 

and a sampling of what seemed to be hundreds of thousands of really delectable and adorable desserts from mousses to tarts to a colorful macaroon tower brought by Corina Dumitru-Fritz - Cake Passion and Yvonne Ortiz-Galarza - Heavenly Sweets and Pastries

clockwise from top left: The Marvelous and Lovely Ladies of Keremo Cakes pictured here with the Scintillating and Amazing Cynthia Hsu; The Fascinating Brad Jarman and Jeff Grossman; The Death-Defying Michael Timmons and Jennifer Bunce of The Hudson Cakery

 

clockwise from top left: The Remarkable Stephanie Grajales and Bethania Gonzalez; A Jewel-like Pulled Sugar Lollipop Cake by Lauri Ditunno of Cake Alchemy; The Always Delightful Amy Kolz of Village Cake Craft  and John Kolz; and Raspberry tarts that melt in your mouth.

 

I'd like to thank Michelle Effron of Eat Great Cakes (left) for making it look like I had the super hot and sought after silent auction item by revving things up with a good old fashioned bidding war!  No really, you rock.  Wayne Thiebaud ‬inspired "Ice Cream" Cake: Cake Power

and thank you, Marc Ricks, David Levinthal and Jesse Heap.

Hello, Carmen Serrano... always working!

There are so many people we want to shout-out to... this is just the first in a series of posts...