Thanks for the new pan, Mom!

I baked these pineapple "cakes" in my new dessert shell pan. I will never serve another plain store bought shell again. I really like the combination of pineapple, coconut and blueberry and I also used one to show off the first sugar paste flower I ever made. I have a feeling I will be using this pan a lot.

More Summer Inspiration

Now that it is officially summer, I thought I would share more summer inspiration with these luau pictures from a recent event at a local school's last day. The thoughtful principal provided her staff with a dessert buffet including pina colada cake pops, white chocolate macadamia cookies, dipped nutter butters decorated like flip flops and bright cupcakes.

Tequila!

Well, actually there isn't any tequila in these but that is where the inspiration came from. When searching for ideas for Cinco de Mayo desserts I found pictures from Cinco de Mayo a couple years ago. These mini trifles have layers of lemon lime cake and whipped topping, tinted green with food coloring, and garnished with lime zest. The rim is coated in lime juice and dipped in sugar. From what I remember they were quite good and the only complaint was that the "shot" was not large enough.

What a Month! Part 1

It's For The Kids

That is what we told everyone today at our bake sale when they either mentioned : their diet, fasting for lent, or money. And boy are we glad they listened. Because of everyone's generosity and hard work, our "adopted" camper will be attending MDA camp this summer on us. Great Job guys!
Everyone loved the little teaser samples we strategically placed around the building giving them just enough to come to the bake sale for more. The cupcake bar was also a hit. Mini pound cakes, chocolate cupcakes with vanilla icing, and chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing could be topped with your choice of treats.
We made our goal and now McKenzie gets to go to camp. Happy Day.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy Baking

These yummy bars were a hit at a recent event and I thought I would share the recipe. They will get you through until strawberry season is in full swing.

Resume'

Blue and Brown Bridal Shower

I had the pleasure to help my sister host a bridal shower for her best friend over the weekend. When a shower was mentioned I jumped at the chance to help. Even though I do not have children, I liken my desire for entertaining to childbirth, painful, but after it is over you forget the pain and it is all worth it. I had so much fun designing, baking, and decorating for this shower. I took inspiration from the shower invitations that my sister picked. The cupcakes and cheesecake pops were decorated with candy clay, which I have worked with before, and chocolate shavings. I tinted the chocolate using a coloring made specifically for chocolate, do not use regular food coloring, it will ruin the chocolate. For favors, we had sugar cookies speckled with melted chocolate to resemble robin's eggs. I used the same sugar cookie recipe I have in the past, hasn't failed me yet. Now, just waiting for more of my sister's friends to get married.....or start having babies!

Happy Valentine's Day

I received an email from my husband's friend who wanted a special Valentine gift for his wife. He told me she loves peanut butter cups so they were my inspiration. I immediately thought of peanut butter and chocolate cake balls. The cake is German chocolate with crushed peanut butter cups baked inside, the icing is chocolate, also with crushed peanut butter cups and the coating is peanut butter flavored candy melts. I used a fondant cutter to make the cut-outs and heart impressions in the peanut butter cups. To my delight, the recipient loved her gift. Happy Valentine's Day all.

Valentine Inspiration

Sugar Cookies

A very Happy Birthday to my boss who is also a shoe lover like myself. I made the presentation extra special by packaging them in a parchment lined shoe box.

I used Paula Deen's recipe for these cookies as well as the sugar cookies I made for Christmas.

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract ( I used 1/2 tsp)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and almond extract until combined.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until smooth. Wrap dough in heavy-duty plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with assorted snowflake cookie cutters and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Chill dough 15 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes ( I baked mine 8 minutes), or until edges are very lightly browned. Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Give

Lemon Pecan Cookies for Grandma

Thanks for the pecans, Grandma

Over Christmas weekend my grandmother gave me some pecans so I thought I would return the favor by baking her a batch of cookies. I found a recipe for orange pecan cookies using an orange cake mix, unfortunately, I didn't have orange but did have a lemon mix and lemon is my grandmother's favorite flavor so it worked out perfectly. The recipe called for vanilla yogurt but I used lemon instead, glad I did because I feel they had the perfect amount of lemon flavor. I also added a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a tiny bit of coconut extract. My husband thought they were delicious. Hope Grandma agrees.

What I Have Been Doing For The Past Month

Details and recipes to come.....after I take a nap.

My Contributions

Another successful Thanksgiving dinner at my parent's. This year I was in charge of the sweet potatoes and a dessert. Of course I brought two desserts. In my defense the first was more of a salad than a dessert (but it did have candy bar pieces in it.) I found the super easy apple salad recipe here.


I don't think this one needs much explaining. Apples=good, candy bars=good, pudding=good, and whipped topping=gooooood. So put all together and called a salad - I say good.
I also decided to go with something a little less traditional since I knew there would be a pumpkin and a pecan pie on the menu. I chose to make these oatmeal-cranberry-sour cream bars.

The only thing difficult about the bars was remembering the name when everyone asked me what they were called and if they could have the recipe. The sweet tanginess of the filling made them different than most others I have made. I will definitely be making these again.

I used the recipe photos from Taste of Home and Betty Crocker, respectively, because they both turned out exactly like the recipe photos. That's a first!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Halloween!

From All Things Domestic

Headed to the Coast

My mother-in-law requested lemon cake balls to take with her on her trip to see her sister in Hilton Head, South Carolina. I guess they probably have enough shells out there already but I thought I would add a few more to the population. Click here to find out how to make the sand dollars and shells out of candy clay.

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