These homemade marshmallows are flavored like cotton candy, colored like cotton candy, and packaged like cotton candy!
Monthly Archives: August 2012
Blue’s Clues Party
The baby that was in the belly at this baby shower (more treats here) just turned 1!
Blue’s Clues was the theme, so we made lots of blue sweet treats!
Of course there had to be cookies. These were bagged and used as favors.
I made cake pops, but we wanted them to have puppy paws on them. I came up with the idea of using an oreo pop mold that I found online. I will definitely be using this technique again!
I did the paw print darker blue. I squeezed candy melts into the paw print, then tapped the tray to settle it into the mold. This also helped get all the air bubbles out. Tapping is key! Then I put these in the fridge for a few minutes to harden up.
With the lighter blue I squeezed a layer across the bottom of the mold. Then tap tap tap!
I mixed up the cake pop dough like normal, but instead of rolling it into balls I flatted it into a thick pancake and cut circles out of it with a circle cookie cutter. Then I just dropped a disk of cake into each mold and gently pressed it into the candy melts.
Then I just squeezed more candy melts around the cake and across the top, tapped it against the counter, and popped it into the fridge to harden up.
Once they had hardened completely (maybe 20 minutes?) they came out of the molds really easily.
Look how fancy they look!!
I also made the little guy his very own smash cake… that will be forthcoming!
Fireball Frosting
This frosting is awesome.
Seriously awesome.
I used my regular buttercream recipe, but substituted 1/2 the vanilla for cinnamon oil. They’re just a tad spicy, but not too hot to finish the rest of the cupcake. Or 5 more after that.
I used it on plain white mini cupcakes here because I wanted the frosting to be the star. Not that it wouldn’t be anyway.
If you love cinnamon, you must get some cinnamon oil and flavor your life accordingly.
There will be more cinnamon to come soon, I promise you that.
Filed under Cakes
Bridal Shower Lingerie Cookies
Last time I made lingerie it was for Valentines Day.
These were for a bridal shower! Wedding colors are eggplant and taupe. I got permission to throw in some hot pink to make them Pop! There were 3 dozen total, each a little bit different. Here are just a few of them:
Filed under Cookies
Blue Baby Elephant Cookies
These adorable elephants were for a baby shower!
I used the same basic design as the elephants for this circus party, but in boy colors!
I’m so obsessed with these I will probably do some for my own someday baby shower. (No I’m not pregnant so don’t get excited.)
Filed under Cookies
Lemon Freezer Pie
This is my mother-in-law’s recipe. Thank you Wendy for letting me share!
I love lemon. Anything lemon. This dessert is simple and not too sweet. Just perfect for a hot summer day.
I usually get this just once a year – on my father-in-law’s birthday, because it’s his favorite! My mother-in-law makes it in a pie pan or divides it between 2 small pyrex dishes, but I decided to make it as individual servings. I have these cute little dishes from pampered chef that have their own sealing lids. Everyone gets their own serving and they are easy to transport and eat!
Lemon Freezer Pie – adapted from Bon Appetite magazine (years ago)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp melted butter
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup whipped cream (thawed if using the frozen stuff)
Directions:
1. If using fresh whipping cream, whip. Cover and place in the fridge until ready to use.
2. Mix together graham crack crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until crumbles start to stick together. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 3-5 minutes. (If making in a pie pan or other dish, press this into the bottom and up sides and then bake.) Let cool.
3. Beat egg whites until frothy. Gradually add sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Add yolks one at a time and beat until combined.
4. Fold in lemon juice and then whipped cream.
5. Divide evenly between single serving dishes. Top with graham crumbles. (Or pour into prepared crust.)
6. Freeze overnight before serving. (I made mine in the morning, it froze for about 8-9 hours, and it was perfect by after-dinner time.)
This recipe is always a hit. Try it for your next hot summer day/night get together!
Filed under Misc
Wedding S’more Pop Favors
Today is National S’mores Day!
A friend of a good friend of mine is getting married today and I made her these S’more Pops as her wedding favors!
Aren’t the tags just adorable?
If you love s’mores, you have GOT to make these. They take no time at all to whip up a few, and I promise they taste sooo much better than you can even imagine they would. I’m pretty much addicted.
How to: (sorry no pics. It’s easy though I swear.)
1. Stand up the mallows on a flat surface.
2. Shove the sticks straight into the tops of the mallows without lifting the mallow from the flat surface. (The stick may be into the mallow crooked, but it should be straight up and therefore sturdier. If you hold the mallow while you shove the stick in, it will end up crooked like 46.5% of the time. Ugh.)
3. Melt chocolate chips or candy melts in the microwave. I did candy melts this time and it seemed easier/smoother. But either works fine and tastes great. By the way, I like to melt in a short drinking glass. It’s taller and less wide so the chocolate is deeper and easier for dipping.
4. Dip the sticked mallow and shake downward to get as much chocolate off as will drip off. Trust me, they’re messy if you skip this step.
5. Roll the chocolated mallow in graham cracker crumbs.
6. Set the mallow “stick up” on wax paper to set up.
Enjoy!!!
Filed under Marshmallows, Misc
Pink Ribbon Party
I made these lovely treats for a woman who just finished radiation for breast cancer and was throwing herself a fabulous party!
The colors were PINK and BROWN. So cute.
Cookies…
Chocolate Cake Pops…
and Marshmallows!!
The pink ones were pomegranate, but ended up tasting nothing like pomegranate… I will have to try again one of these days because I love pomegranate!
I decided to try a little piped swirl for these. There were going to be a lot of guests at the party so the smaller the treat the farther it goes! I decided later that I’m glad I didn’t do the swirls with the chocolate mallows ….. 
These chocolate ones were a million times better than the first chocolate ones I made… dark chocolate is the key!
I hope the party was as fabulous as it was sweet!
Filed under Cake Pops, Cookies, Marshmallows
Dairy Free Cupcakes with Vegan Frosting
I made these cupcakes for Baby Jude’s 1st birthday!
Due to some dietary restrictions, his treat needed to be dairy free. I bake with milk and butter and all that good stuff usually, so I had to do some research to find a recipe that was able to be made dairy free.
What I found was the BEST THING EVER. A cupcake recipe that makes 2 cupcakes. I know what you’re thinking. Whaaaaaaaat!? And it was easy too. I have a feeling I will be coming back to thing recipe again very soon. Small batches = opportunity for experimentation. Like I did here.
Anyways, back to these cupcakes.
Dairy Free Cupcakes for Two – adapted from How Sweet It Is
Ingredients:
1 egg white
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp melted vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup flour
heaping 1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tbsp coconut water
Directions:
1. In a bowl, whisk together egg white and sugar until combined.
2. Stir in melted butter and vanilla.
3. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and stir until completely combined.
4. Stir in the coconut water.
5. Divide equally between 2 cupcake liners in the center of the cupcake pan.
6. Preheat the oven to 350*. (Do not do this first, do this last. While the oven is preheating, the cupcake batter gets to rest in the liners which makes them rise more rounded and beautifully.)
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
**Note** This cake recipe can be flavored with anything you want. Substitute the vanilla for almond or lemon extract, or substitute some of the coconut water for pureed strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries.
Now for the frosting. I had never made vegan frosting before, but I was confident it wouldn’t be a problem. My regular buttercream recipe is very adaptable so I started there and ended up with something wonderful. We even had a taste test comparison and everyone said tasted the same. Awesome.
Easy Vegan Buttercream Frosting
(Enough to frost about 12 cupcakes.)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
12 oz powdered sugar (if you don’t have a scale, that’s almost 3 cups. Start at 2 and add at the end until it’s the right consistency.)
3 tbsp coconut water or non-dairy creamer
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
With a hand mixer or a stand mixer, mix together all ingredients until fully incorporated. If the mixture is too thin, add powdered sugar a little at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
**Note** This frosting can be flavored with anything you want. Substitute the vanilla for almond or lemon extract, or substitute some of the coconut water/non-dairy creamer for pureed strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries. If it gets to thin, add powdered sugar. If it gets too thick add more coconut water/non-dairy creamer. Easy!
Filed under Cakes
Cookie Carrie 