Tag Archives: lemon

March 4, 2014 · 8:00 am

Pink Lemonade Blondies

I bought this seasonal cake mix last season.

Then it sat in my cabinet…. See how dented the box is? It had been pushed around my baking cabinet for months.

I finally broke it out and made these amazing blondies. Then I typed up this post and then realized that the flavor is no longer in stores and no one would be able to make them, so I stored this recipe away until it would be relevant again. *sigh*

But now here we are and here we go! 🙂

These are seriously SO easy. No mixer is needed. If you can stir some stuff in a bowl, you can make these!

Pink Lemonade Blondies – adapted from this recipe by Sally’s Baking Addiction

Blondie Ingredients:

1 box of pink lemonade cake mix (seasonal item)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup sprinkles

Icing Ingredients:

4 oz powdered sugar

4 1/2 tsp milk

1 packet Crystal Light on-the-go drink mix

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Spray pan with non-stick spray. (I used an 8×8 pan, but a 9×9 would work, or even a round pan if that’s all you have.)

2. Mix together cake mix, oil, milk, egg, and sprinkles. It should be thick and sticky.

3. Press evenly into the pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven when the edges start to brown.

**The center might not look fully cooked, but that’s okay.**

4. Let them cool for at least 30 minutes. (That under-cooked looking center will set up and be wonderfully perfect if you let it cool completely!)

5. Mix together powdered sugar, milk, and drink mix packet. Pour icing over blondies and spread evenly with a spatula. Let the icing set up a couple hours.

6. Cut into small pieces to share, or large pieces to devour. 🙂

These blondies are sweet and tart and pink and pretty. I can totally imagine them at a little girl’s birthday party!

What’s It Gonna Bee? [My Baby Shower]

My mommy is AMAZING. She threw a wonderful baby shower for me a couple weeks ago. When trying to find a good and easy theme, I stumbled upon “What’s It Gonna Bee?” on Pinterest. Usually this is used for gender reveal parties, but since hubby and I aren’t finding out the sex of our little one, we thought the theme was perfect.

Here is the invitation:

I made the treats. People were kind of freaking out that I shouldn’t have to make the desserts for my own party, but I feel like it would have been more weird to come to a party for me and there not be Carrie’s Creations cookies!

I fell in love with this photo a while back, and if anyone knows who it belongs to please let me know! I saved the photo from a google search to my phone and the uploaded that to my Pinterest board later… but I have been unable to find it since to give credit to where credit is due.

I was unable to find a cutter in this shape, but I did find this cutter made by Cristin’s Cookies.

I modified the inspiration picture above to fit Cristin’s cutter shape, and I have to say – I think I like it better!

I outlined the whole bee in black, then filled in each section one color at a time.

In addition to the cookie favors, I made cupcakes. Lemonade Cupcakes to be exact – some of my favorite, and they fit with the warm weather (hottttt weather actually) and the yellow theme.

Here is my inspiration picture, also found through google searching, and also without proper credit.

I had a hard time finding little bees for the tops. I eventually stumbled upon these sugar bees at Layer Cake Shop, and they were perfect! I piped the frosting using a basic round tip to mimic the hive look, without overdoing it on the frosting.

Here are a couple of the other details from the party:

(this shirt I made/wore)

(my fingernails that my bestie did for me)

(the table centerpieces I made)

(the drink table)

(the fruit salad a family friend made – her sex vote is girl btw, haha…)

(some of the other foods served, and the little tags I made.. they’re hard to see but each tag has a little bee on it similar to the centerpieces)

(and one of the games we played… everyone got to make their guess, and we will just have to wait and see who gets the closest!)

It was a great shower and thank you to Mommy, Sandy, and Ann for helping out!!

4 Comments

Filed under Cakes, Cookies

Tagged as black, buttercream, cookie favors, icing, lemon, sugar cookies, yellow

May 14, 2013 · 8:00 am

Lemon Poke Cupcakes

Poke cake. It’s a great invention.

If you’re unfamiliar, it’s basically a cake with lots of holes poked in the top after it is baked and cooled, then some kind of liquid is poured over the top and allowed to seep into the top and holes.

I made a raspberry lemonade poke cake a while back, see it here.

My mother in law asked me to bring cupcakes to our Mother’s Day lunch, and I immediately decided to make lemon poke cupcakes. Lemon and Mother’s Day just go together to me – I don’t know if its because it’s spring, or if it just reminds me of moms and grandmas, but it always seems to be a big hit so I guess I’m on to something!

These cupcakes couldn’t be easier.

1. Bake lemon cupcakes and let cool completely. I used my favorite boxed mix – Betty! Feel free to use your own recipe. The magic of these is really the glaze anyway.

2. Using a wooden skewer or toothpick, poke 10-12 holes into the top of each cupcake. They should only go about halfway down each cake.

3. Mix together 2/3 cup powdered sugar and 2 tsp lemon juice with a small spatula. (I used bottled lemon juice and it was just as good, though I probably would have used real lemons if I had them.)

4. Using the small spatula, “paint” the glaze on the top of each cupcake. You don’t need a lot, but you do want to get some on on most of the cake. It will slowly seep down into the holes and dry thin.

That’s it!

These cupcakes were so moist and just a little tart. They were a total hit with the family, and I only wish one batch had made more!

2 Comments

Filed under Cakes

Tagged as icing, lemon, lemon cake

March 26, 2013 · 8:00 am

Santa Cruz Wedding Treats

Last October I made treats for the dessert table for a friend’s Santa Cruz Beach Wedding. Unfortunately I was not able to make it to the wedding because it was out of town and during the week. Another friend who was in the wedding party delivered the goodies for me, but I forgot to take any photos before I handed them over. The wedding photos just came in, so I wanted to share the treats now!

I made 2 different flavors of mini cupcakes. The tiffany blue ones were bubblegum flavored (see here) and the pale yellow ones were lemonade flavored (see here).

Of course I also made cookies. The couple has a beloved boxer that actually took part in the ceremony and was in all the pictures. The bride asked for cookies of their pup, and this is what I came up with.

I had a hard time trying to get the facial features down, so I decided to stick to the basic outline and the coloring. (He has pale grey spots on his body.)

The wedding favors were classic S’more Pops (see here and here). I made simple little tags with the Bride and Groom’s name and their wedding date.

Thanks Katie for letting me use your pictures! Like I mentioned, I forgot to take photos of these treats… all photo credits go to Grandeur Photography.

4 Comments

Filed under Cakes, Cookies, Marshmallows

Tagged as bubble gum, buttercream, icing, lemon, s'more, sugar cookies, tiffany blue, wedding

August 14, 2012 · 8:00 am

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!

6 Comments

Filed under Misc

Tagged as graham crackers, lemon

May 18, 2012 · 8:00 am

Lemon and Strawberry Cake

I made this cake for Mother’s Day. Actually I made it twice, one for my mommy, and one for my mother-in-law.

(Sorry the lighting isn’t great in the second one!)

I made 6″ lemon cakes (with the help of my friend Betty), then whipped up some fresh strawberry buttercream. I basically make my standard buttercream, but substituted almost all of the milk for strawberry puree. I added the strawberry first, then slowly added milk a tablespoon at a time until it was the consistency I was looking for.

The picture above makes me happy.

(We’re still working on our kitchen, which is why the walls look funny. It’ll be done soon though, yay!)

Man… this cake was tasty.

Oh yeah and I threw in a middle layer of chopped up strawberries mixed with a few drops of puree and a pinch of sugar. Easy, fresh, and yummy!

After having the first piece at my mother-in-law’s for lunch, my first thought was that I wish I could have more… then I realized I would get another piece after dinner at my parents house that night. 🙂

It was loved by my family members that love sweets, as well as those who don’t care much for them. It was a perfect party cake for a small group.

2 Comments

Filed under Cakes

Tagged as buttercream, lemon, lemon cake, strawberry

March 26, 2012 · 8:00 am

Lemonade Cupcakes

These babies are GOOD. Personally I think the best cupcakes I have ever made.

I like lemon. I love lemonade. It’s pretty standard that I order it wherever I go.

I saw these cute little mini cakes on Kristan’s [hilarious] blog Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. I knew lemonade was going to be somewhere in my near future.

I decided to go regular lemonade on this, because it’s my favorite. And sometimes you don’t want to mess with a good thing.

Lemonade Cupcakes – adapted from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

1 box vanilla or white cake mix (I like to use Betty Crocker. She’s my gal.)

1 can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

3 eggs

1/3 cup water

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1. Mix 1 cup of the lemonade concentrate with the rest of the ingredients. 30 seconds on slow, scrape the bowl, then 2 minutes on medium.

2. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 the way.

3. Let batter sit in cupcake liners for about 10 minutes undisturbed. I always do this now when I make cupcakes. The tops bake more evenly (instead of looking like giant nipples when they come out of the oven.)

4. Bake at 350* for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Let cool completely before frosting.

Lemonade Frosting – adapted from my own buttercream recipe

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened or cut up into small pieces

1 lb powdered sugar

1 tbsp meringue powder

2 tbsp lemonade concentrate (you have plenty leftover from above)

5 tsp milk

1. Mix all ingredients together. It will be thick and weird at first, but trust me just keep mixing. Once all the powdered sugar is incorporated (we don’t want a snowstorm here) turn the mixer up to medium/high. It will get smooth.

2. Pipe on, or spread it on – it doesn’t matter. Whatever is faster for you so that you can pop one in your mouth as soon as possible.

Don’t forget to share!!!

The cupcakes below are the same recipe, but I colored the frostings for my cake decorating class.

5 Comments

Filed under Cakes

Tagged as buttercream, lemon, pink, yellow

February 24, 2012 · 8:00 am

Meyer Lemon Sugar Cookies

I made my usual sugar cookie recipe, with just a couple changes.

I cut the amount of vanilla in half

I added the zest from 1 meyer lemon (my lemon was pretty small)

I added the juice from 1 meyer lemon (lemon was small but had a lot of juice)

I made cookie disks like I did here, and baked for 8 minutes.

Once completely cool, I drizzled them with lemon icing:

Mix powdered sugar and a little bit of milk together with juice from a whole meyer lemon to syrup consistency.

The cookies turned out very mild lemon, but the icing was a little tart and a little sweet. They tasted light – almost like there were no calories!

Lemon Cake Balls

First things first, I have to make an important distinction that will impact the future of my little baking blog.

Cake Pop = bake cake, crumble cake, mix in frosting, form into balls, dip. Whether it has a stick or not, this is the essence of a Cake Pop. I have an entire category dedicated to them. They are heaven. If you have never tried one, go to Starbucks and get the pink one.

Some people, however, do not like Cake Pops. (Crazy, right?!) They say they are too sweet, too rich, whatever. I use those phrases sometimes too, but not about Cake Pops! Others think the texture is weird. They’re gooey-ish, so it almost seems like they are uncooked. I hate lots of foods because of texture, so I can’t hate those people either. Anywhooo, I won’t judge. Because there is a solution to these Cake Pop hating individuals.

babycakes!!!

It bakes cake (and just cake) into balls, so that you can skip the whole crumble-cake, mix-in-frosting, form-into-balls part. You just bake the cake, then dip it! Another bonus, the little balls of cake take just 4-5 minutes to cook! Sorry for all the exclamation points, this is just a very exciting idea.. especially for all the Cake “Pop” haters.

So has anyone else caught on to the dilemma here?

What do you call these little balls of cake? Although the machine refers to them as Cake Pops, they are not the same thing and I refuse to refer to them with the same name. After much thought on the matter, I have decided to call them…..

Cake Balls.

Creative, I know. (For future reference, Cake Ball posts will be classified under “Cakes” and not “Cake Pops.”)

So here we go with my first Cake Ball run!

I went with a from scratch recipe for the first time, ~~but I am pretty sure box cake works with it too~~. I’ll let you know next time. (**update** boxed cake does not work!)

First batch was a little brown. Still tastes amazing though!

If you put too much batter in the holes, it makes a little edge where the sphere halves meet. Easily broken off though.

If you don’t put enough batter in the holes, the top half of the Cake Ball is not round. Like these…

Cake Balls ready for their coating!

These are lemon flavored, so instead of coating them in candy melts (like you would use for Cake Pops), I wanted to do more of a glaze. Think donut holes!

I used the same glaze I use on my cookies, but I added some lemon extract and lemon juice to make them just as lemony as the cake.

I dropped them in a bowl of glaze, covered them well with a spatula, then fished it out with a fork and tapped off as much as I could. I carefully set it on the wire rack (with wax paper underneath) and gave it some rainbow sprinkles. Sprinkles make everything 549463135487 times better.

Aren’t they pretty?!

See?! The inside isn’t gooey, just fluffy cake! Very good fluffy cake. A couple people said it reminded them of a donut, especially with the glaze coating.

**Disclaimer – All words above are my views only and I was not paid to talk about the babycakes product. It was a Christmas gift from my brother actually. 🙂 What a good brother I have!

4 Comments

Filed under Cakes

Tagged as cake balls, icing, lemon, lemon cake, sprinkles

July 25, 2011 · 9:49 pm

Cookie Extravaganza!

I tried a new cookie recipe this weekend. I have been wanting to try a new one for a while now, but every time I make cookie I am making them for someone so I haven’t been able to experiment. I figured while I am making cookies for no reason I might as well try new cutters, techniques, and other ideas I have been bottling up for a while! So forgive the jumping-around of my designs and ideas…

Oh another thing I did different this time was not make my buttercream for the outline and decorating… basically because I was too lazy. So everything is just the icing, and for the most part I just did the same consistency rather than thicken or thin it out to outline or flood. Okay here we go…

The larger cutter came in a set I just received as a gift from some friends. The smaller ones I made myself with my circle cutter and a small crinkle edged circle to take the “bite marks” out of it. Just like shown toward the end of this post by Sweet Sugar Belle. She is brilliant.

These are also inspired by Sweet Sugar Belle. (See this post.) I thought they were soo gorgeous and I just had to try it. While it turned out nice, it took forever.. and without my precious buttercream I had a hard time keeping my lines straight and my curls curly. The dots were easy so I did a lot of those. 🙂

Next is something I have been wanting to do for MONTHS. My original idea didn’t really come through on these, but there will definitely be more lemons to come! The design was easy and looks fabulous. I totally meant to do limes too, but I forgot and just kept piping in yellow.. Oh well, next time.

A little but of fun…

I don’t know how many people know, and I’m sure I haven’t ever mentioned it here, but I LOVE dinosaurs. I want them in my life more. I haven’t stopped talking about wanting dino cookie cutters ever since my cookie craziness started. While my parents were on vacation, my mom found a few dinos and brought them home for me. So excited! These are just a few trials.. now I just need a brontosaurus and a triceratops and a stegosaurus and I will be set!

These little bite-sized cookies were just leftover colors. Simple.

The recipe turned out okay. It was too flour-y I think. I have another recipe in mind to try next time. Hope that can be soon… I have a HUGE order in less than a month! So excited…

Tag Archives: lemon

Pink Lemonade Blondies

Lemon Poke Cupcakes

Santa Cruz Wedding Treats

Lemon Freezer Pie

Lemon and Strawberry Cake

Lemonade Cupcakes

Meyer Lemon Sugar Cookies

Lemon Cake Balls

Cookie Extravaganza!

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