Cannaboe Confectionery

We just had 23 4th year LCVP students from Bailieboro Community School accompanied by their guidance counsellor, Christine McNamee, on a visit to our premises on a fact finding mission.

Our little showroom was packed to capcity.  The students had a list of questions about our business which I tried to answer for them.

I gave them a little of the sugarpaste to taste and they seemed to like it. I was finishing a handbag cake before they arrived so they got a look at that and I had a Bailieboro Community School jersey cake made for them as a surprise.

They had their own built in photographer, Glebe, who took lots of photos which I hope he will send on to me. They stayed about an hour and hopefully have enough information for their project.

It seems the current trend for cupcakes as weddings is as strong as ever.   

After attending the Radisson Blue Sligo Wedding Fair yesterday Sunday 17th Jan 2010 I noticed that the trend for cupcakes is still there and even on the increase.  We have a huge amount of interest in our stand and with the volume of couples at the fair it was hard to give everyone the time they needed.

I directed most of the bride and grooms to our website which I hope is helpful to them.

Thanks to everyone stopped and chatted, hopefully we will talk again in the near future.  Thanks also everyone who booked on the day and will receive a 10% discount off their wedding cake.

Our next wedding fair is in Kilronan Castle on Sunday 28th February next. 

Here is a link to our cupcake set on Flickr

Cavan Institute’s Information and Enrolment Evening for Spring 2010 takes place on Wednesday 13 January 2010 from 6.00-9.00pm and we are currently accepting applications for next Spring. For an application form click here.  

Contact details for the college :

Margaret Tiernan

B.A., H.Dip., M.A.

Director of Adult EducationSchool of Lifelong Learning

Cavan Institute

Cathedral Road, Cavan

Telephone: (049) 4332633

Facsimile: (049) 4361933

E-mail: adulted@cavaninstitute.ie

www.cavaninstitute.ie

The Advanced sugarcraft course will start this Monday 18th January.  Anyone interested should contact the Adult Education Department of Athlone IT.

Looking forward to the next 8 weeks.  I just hope the weather improves.

We are into our 8th week in Athlone IT and we have two classes of great sugarcrafters.

In the last two weeks we made sugarpaste novelty animals and sugarpaste flowers.  The students brought in their own cakes tonight and created flowers and novelties for them.

Here are a few of their cakes from tonight.

Next week we are getting into the Christmas spirit, covering our fruit cakes with almond paste and making some novelty Christmas cake toppers.

During our 4th basic sugarpaste course in Athlone IT we made a few Halloween cake toppers.

This is a sugarpaste ghost being made step by step. 

Using the sugarpaste create a short column which will be the body of the ghost.

Pinch the sides of the body to make arms.

Roll out a round thin piece of white sugarpaste and cover the body fully. 

Using a toothpick dipped in black sugarpaste colour, dot two eyes to finish.

Now place your ghost on your covered Halloween cake and write your message.

I will be teaching an 8 week basic sugarcraft course in Cavan Institute starting tomorrow evening, 14th October.

It is from 7pm to 9pm and will teach you how work with sugarpaste, royal icing, almond paste and piping.  This course will equip you with the skills to produce a celebration cake with a difference.

Contact name for the course is Margaret Tiernan and telephone number is 049 4332633.

After a call a few weeks ago from Aisling of Bailieborough Community School, we had a group of her LCVP students visit this morning.

Aisling and the students arrived by bus after an hour and a half journey.    I gave them a brief outline about the type of products we make and showed them our production kitchen.

I made a little teddy bear and a baby from sugarpaste which they took back with them.  They were extremely interested in the chocolate machine which was running while they were here.

After answering the questions they had for me and standing for a photo, they headed back to Bailieborough.

Hope you all enjoyed it. 

It is that time of year again and we are starting our 10 week Sugarcraft Course in Athlone IT.

Here is the outline of the course.

Sugarcraft and Cake Decorating 

Aim of Course 

This course is designed to equip you with all the necessary skills to design and decorate your own speciality cakes.

 Course Content

 This course will teach you the correct application of almond paste, sugar pate and hand made fi gurines.

 Learn how to cover cakes with sugar paste and make sugar fl owers or hand paint your cake. You will also learn how to make figurines for birthday cakes and place your own photo on for a novelty touch.

Intended for 

This course is for candidates who have little or no knowledge of sugarcraft and cake artistry. An advanced Sugarcraft course may be offered for those that have already completed the basic course with us.

Duration         10 weeks – Monday 7.00pm to 9.30pm

Commencing   7.00 Monday 22nd September 2009

Award            Institute Certificate of Attendance

Course Fee     €240 (Please note that participants will have to purchase materials seperately).

 If you are interested in taking this course please contact:

Department of Adult and Continuing Eductation,

Athlone Institute of Technology,

Dublin Road, Athlone, Co. Westmeath.

090 6483050

Email: cburke@ait.ie / jking@ait.ie / jcooper@ait.ie

We were asked by MKC Communications, a public relations consultancy firm based in Dublin, to make a cake which would be suitable for the launch of Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning in aid of the Irish Hospice Foundation.

Bewleys sponsor this event and it was taking place in Bewleys of Grafton Street at 10am on Sunday morning last.

MKC sent us an image of the new Bewleys crockery and we duly made a giant coffee cup and saucer using maderia cake and some carrot cupcakes.

I delivered the cake to Bewleys on Sunday morning at 10am.   One of the waitors helped me in with the cake as it was quite heavy and had to be brought up to the James Joyce room, two floors up, where the event was to take place around 11am.  I asked a lovely waitress to take a photo of me with the cake and then left it in their capable hands. 

It was an early start but when I got the photos today from the photo shoot I knew it was worth it.

Sharon Ni Bheolain launched the event and Patrick Bewley also stood for the photo shoot holding the new crockery which I’m glad looked a lot like our cake.

Anyway we love a challenge and enjoyed making a completely different type of cake.