Call for Testers: 12th Avenue Flea V-Day Extravaganza!

This post will not be as photo-laden as previous ones because it's mostly to say that I've got some recipes that I'm testing, and I'm looking for some folks to both take them off of my hands and give me some constructive feedback before I finalize the recipes and throw them into the Internet ether.

Where will I be?
I'll be out at the 12th Avenue Flea, located out in front of the old Sacred Heart building (1010 N. 12th Ave, Pensacola, Florida 32501) this Saturday, February 14, from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. I'll be sharing a table with my mad-crafter sister of Felt Up Good fame.

I'm not selling the baked goods. I'm just giving them away. There may be a tip jar if eaters feel compelled to contribute to the Sugar-Butter-Flour fund, but that's about it. At this point, that's not my goal--I just want to make treats that people like, and it's easier to do that if both the goods and I leave my kitchen from time to time.

What are the Goods?
Here's the tentative plan:
Salted Caramel Pretzel-Crusted Brownies
Grapefruit Shortbread Bars
Mardi Gras King Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

The brownies will make use of the salted caramel I figured out how to make earlier this week.

I've never been a huge fan of caramel, but I think it might just be that I'd never had anything but store-bought or pre-made caramel. To me, this stuff tastes... rounder? I have a hard time describing it. It seems to have more depth than what I'd remembered caramel-flavored things having. It's sweet (because it's sugar), salty (salt), rich (cream), and it has layers of flavor, probably from the caramelization and the vanilla... I don't actually know anything about candy making. This project was all totally new to me, and I can certainly write about it more coherently after taking several more cracks at it. I thought it would be far more difficult than it was, which is how I feel about a lot of aspects of baking. Thus, this blog. 

The grapefruit bars will be similar to a traditional lemon bar. I have always been a huge grapefruit fan, and I've been seeing them all over at the farmer's market, so I thought I'd make use of them. Although I've never actually seen or tasted a grapefruit bar before, I've been reassured by Pinterest that others have thought of them before. As such, this will just be my take on it. 

The cupcakes are the most ambitious good I'm attempting, as they utilize a yeast dough, something not in my repertoire, not even a little bit. And I don't have a fancy stand mixer. Don't worry. Even if it all goes south, and I end up breaking my hands trying to knead dough, you'll at least have brownies and citrus bars. 

Come on down. Try some treats. Check out some softies. Say hello. 

Curious about the 12th Avenue Flea?

Check them out on Facebook .