Mustache Chocolate Valentine Pop

You’ve seen all the cute “mustache” tags out there in blogland, right?  Well, there’s no way my kids would hand Valentine’s out at school if they contained the words ”love”, “be mine”, “heartbreaker”, “eyes for you”, you get the idea.  Boys are gross, girls are gross, end of story.

But I love the mustache so much, so this was my answer, and as luck would have it I’m planning on making 70+ chocolate mustaches for Valentine’s Day this year – I know, I’m crazy!

However, if my kids are any indication, these should be a big hit with their friends.  I got some great pics of them all posing with their chocolate mustaches – too cute.

I bought the mustache mold from here.  The treat bags can be purchased at Walmart in their cake decorating/wedding section, or from here.  The lollipop sticks can be purchased here.

Chocolate Mustache Valentine Pops

Chocolate compound coating. 1 pound makes approx. 12 mustaches

lollipop sticks

mold

Melt the compound coating according to the directions on the package.  Place the lollipop stick into place and spoon the melted compound coating into each mustache well and roll the stick around to make sure it’s completely covered in coating.  Gently tap the mold onto the counter to smooth out the coating and help prevent bubbles (some of mine still had some).

Place in the freezer, lying flat, for 10 minutes.  When done, carefully turn the mold over onto a clean counter and they should come right out.  If not, gently tap the corners of the mold to release any that are resistant.

Let come to room temperature before you package.

Gingerbread House Cookies

Nothing says Christmas to me more than the taste, and smell, of freshly baked gingerbread.  I always get excited about the kids’ class parties, especially when there’s “gingerbread house” decorating.

I’m using that term loosely because I’ve seen ice cream cones, graham crackers, and (my least favorite) milk cartons decorated like gingerbread houses.  In fact, last year I was asked to donate candy to decorate “gingerbread houses,” and I thought it sounded like fun.  Until, I walked into the classroom and saw a mom hard at work hot glue gunning graham crackers to the sides of milk cartons for the kids to decorate with frosting and candy.  Not such fun – because it’s not edible!

What a complete and total waste. . .and nothing chops my hide like wasted time and candy.  The good news is that out of that, came this cookie.  My kids had a blast decorating their own cookies and consuming their creations, and this would be a great activity for the kids to do at their school parties.  I just filled disposable frosting bags with royal icing (tying the tops off with rubber bands), and snipped of the tips (instead of dirtying frosting tips) and let them loose with the candy.

Click here for a soft and chewy gingerbread recipe.

Now for the fun. . .the decorated cookies:

I bought my bird house cookie cutter from King Arthur Flour last year, and they don’t carry it anymore.  But no worries, you can find a great selection of house cookie cutters at Copper Gifts, Copper House Cookie Cutter.

Rose Cake

I received a comment from Lisa (Hi!) and she requested some information on this cake - which previously was nothing more than a  photo in a birthday collage I’d thrown together earlier this year.  See, I do read comments!

Anywho, this is the rose cake. . . and I love it.  Like me, you’ve probably seen these rose cakes everywhere, and they are so much fun.  I wanted to do something a little different with mine – I wanted a strawberry cake (something about strawberry just screams summer to me) covered in colored roses.  And I wanted them layered so some actually stand taller than the others, for visual interest.  For the recipes, see below.  For a great tutorial, click here.

To layer the roses (on the top of the cake only), simply pipe a rose over the bare space between roses.

Although this particular cake was a soft Strawberry Cake, I think a lovely white cake (just omit the sprinkles unless you want a “funfetti” cake) would also make for a stunning interior.

Super Soft Strawberry Cake Adapted from Family Circle Magazine

3 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup solid vegetable shortening
2 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons strawberry liqueur
1 cup buttermilk
Red food coloring
2/3 cup diced strawberries
6 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 350.  Spray three 9 inch (round) cake pans with PAM spray and line with parchment.  Set aside.

Whisk the cake flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.  In a large bowl, cream the shortening and 1 ½ cups of sugar together.  Beat in the vanilla and the liqueur until combined.

Next, in three additions beat in the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk – beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

When the flour and buttermilk are completely incorporated, add the diced strawberries and a few drops of red food coloring.*

In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy and add the cream of tartar, and gradually add the remaining ½ cup sugar.  Continue beating until stiff peaks have formed.

Gently stir some of the stiff egg whites into the batter.  Then fold in the remaining egg whites until completely incorporated.

Divide the batter between the three prepared cake pans and bake in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until done.  Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan (placed on top of a cooling rack).  After 10 minutes, turn the cakes out onto the wire rack to continue cooling.**

*The cake lightens up after baking, so I like to add enough color for the batter to be a shade or two darker than my desired color.

**My sister-in-law (Hi Lisa!) shared this tip with me – it not only keeps your cake really moist, but it also helps when assembling layer cakes.  Instead of cooling on the wire rack after the 10 minute cooling period in the pan, turn the cakes out onto plastic wrap and carefully (they’re hot!) wrap them up.  Then wrap each layer in foil and stack them on a cutting board (or cookie sheet) and place them in the freezer for at least an hour.

Click here to get the recipe for my favorite Italian Meringue Buttercream.  It’s delicious and the perfect consistency for piping frosting.

Candy Apple Whip

You’ve probably seen this “salad” around the web. . .I think it’s known as “snickers salad.”  I love the concept of a dense whipped cream base loaded with crisp apples and chewy bits of candy, but I can’t in good conscience call it a salad – it’s a dessert!

No matter what you choose to call it, it’s delish, and it’s the perfect time to make it with all those leftover Halloween candy bars.

Candy Apple Whip

4 ounces cream cheese (full-fat)

1/2 cup powdered sugar (dip and scoop method)

2 cups of heavy whipping cream

1 granny smith apple, peeled and sliced into chunks

4 small snickers, baby ruth, milky way, and/or 3 musketeers bars – chopped

Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth.  Slowly add the heavy whipping cream and beat until nice and fluffy.  Taste to make sure you’ve added enough powdered sugar, and adjust as needed.

Add the apple and chopped candy bars.  Stir together and serve, or refrigerate until serving time.  Enjoy!

Fishing Pole Cupcakes (for a Fishing Party)

I saw these cupcakes here, and fell in love with them.  I knew they’d be the perfect sweet ending for my son’s Fishing Party.

I used my favorite chocolate cake recipe, filled them with freshly sweetened whipped cream (because everyone loves a surprise cream center), and topped them with ganache.

Then I frosted them with my favorite frosting recipe (tinted blue) and decorated with pretzel rod and goldfish connected with a white frosting “fishing line.”  Super easy!

Tackle Box Party Favor (for a Fishing Party)

I just couldn’t resist making “tackle boxes” for my son’s Fishing Party.  I think they turned out pretty cute.

I used a paper punch to make the tags (using cardstock with printed names) and removable glue dots to stick the tags to the boxes.  I purchased these mini kraft gable boxes when they were featured on Pick Your Plum.

As you can see below, I didn’t have time to devote to making cute labels for the candies, but I still wanted them labeled so the kids could tell what the individual bags of candy were supposed to represent.

Fishing Line – red licorice wheels

Hooks – Flipz white fudge pretzels - cut into hook shapes

Bait – gummy worms

I didn’t actually buy these candies from the above linked sites, but I wanted to have links so you could find them yourself.  I was able to purchase the licorice and gummy worms at my local Fresh Market, and the pretzels in the candy section of my local Walmart.

Mason Jar Party Favors

The Mason Jar Drink glass is trendy right now, but if you’re like me, then you probably know people who’ve been drinking out of these beauties for years.  I am loving the square Mason jar – so I purchased some of these for my daughter’s Bowling party favors.

I’ve listed some resources below in case your considering doing the same.  I put a hand sanitizer, a glow in the dark holder, and some candy inside for a sweet (and useful) gift.  Trust me, I hemmed and hawed about this one – do I buy something that everyone might throw away even though it’s reusable, or do I buy junk that’s definitely going to be thrown away?

I think you know where I landed.

*Just a note, I haven’t purchased from all of these sites, those that I have are marked with an “*” and I’ve had good experiences with them - no broken glasses and such.

Candle Soylutions Square Mason Jar*

8 ounce Mason Jar with Daisy Cut Pewter Lid*

8 ounce Mason Jar with Daisy Cut Lid*

Daisy Cut Mason Jar Lids*

Daisy Cut Lids – it’ll say $0.00 until you add them to your cart*

8 ounce Square Mason Jar

Pewter Daisy Cut Lid – sold separately

Kara’s Party Ideas – where to buy square Mason jars with lids individually

Spiced Apple Hand Pies

My daughter wanted to make apple hand pies, and after I saw this post I knew exactly what recipe I was going to use for the crust.  It’s basically a short-cut puff pastry, and it’s flaky and fun to work with.

We used these cutters for the star.  The trick to using these, is to push the cutter by the base into the dough (like a cookie cutter), then push the plunger down and lift out.  Next, you can push the plunger and out pops the dough shape.

Pie Dough Adapted from this post

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup cold butter, divided and cut into 16 pieces

1/2 cup cold sour cream, full fat

In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and baking powder and pulse until combined.  Next, add 1/2 cup (which is 1 stick or, 8 pieces) of butter and pulse until crumbly.  Then add the remaining stick of butter (cut into chunks) and pulse for just a few seconds.

*You want big chunks of butter in the dough so that when you fold it you create layers of butter that puff up really nicely in the oven.

Pour mixture into a bowl and add the sour cream.  Stir until the dough starts to form a ball, and then roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface.  Fold the bottom up,  then the top down, and turn it so the fold is on your left, and roll it again, repeating the folding.

Cover with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for an hour, or overnight.

When you’re ready to roll out the dough, place it on a lightly floured surface and roll to about 1/4 inch thick.  Then cut it into rectangles (a pizza cutter works well for this).

Next, scoop some filling in the center of one pastry, and place a star cut-out pastry on top and then crimp the edges with a fork, and brush with egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 Tablespoon water).

Next, place the star cut-outs on the egg washed pastry and press gently to adhere, then coat the star accent with egg wash.  Bake in the oven at 425 degrees for 18 minutes.

Coat with glaze (see recipe below) while still hot.

Enjoy!

Apple Filling

3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cut into chunks

2 Tablespoons cinnamon

pinch of salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Toss the apples into a bowl with the cornstarch, sugar, and cinnamon and stir to coat.  Next, add the salt and lemon juice and continue to mix until the apples are completely coated.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat, and pour in the apple mixture.  Cook until the apple mixture thickens, about 5 to 8 minutes.  If it becomes too thick, add water a Tablespoon at a time until it loosens.

Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.  Take off the heat and set aside to fill pastries.

*The apples shouldn’t be completely cooked down, since they’ll continue to cook when the pastry is baked.

Glaze Adapted from this post

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

1 Tablespoon milk

Whisk together until there are no lumps.  Add more milk as necessary.  Brush onto hot pastries to create that beautiful shine.

Linking to Jam Hands, Lil’ Luna

Macarons

I love macarons – not to be confused with coconut macaroons.  These cookies are soft, dense, and chewy with great almond flavor, and they’re addicting!  If you interested in a challege, then this recipe is for you.

If you know me personally, then you know that I like things streamlined.  Why include unnecessary steps which inevitably lead to more work?

With that said, this recipe is not foolproof – if you don’t whip the egg whites to the right consistency, grind the almond flour and confectioners sugar together, or if you over/under mix the batter, they will fail.

By the way, those beautiful “ruffles” in the middle are referred to as the “feet,” or “foot” (if you referring to one cookie).  And you can’t really see the filling (because my husband doesn’t like a lot of it), but they’re filled with ganache.

Still interested in giving them a whirl?  Lets get to it!

Macarons Adapted from here

3 egg whites

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/2 cups almond flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

food coloring gel

Line an extra-large baking sheet, or two baking sheets (if you are lucky enough to have two ovens) with parchment.  Set aside.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grind the powdered sugar (be sure to add this first) and almond flour in the food processor for about 3 minutes.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar just until foamy.  Slowly add the granulated sugar (a little at a time) while continuously beating.

Next, add in gel food coloring (I like to do this so I can tell when all of my flour has been incorporated into the meringue).  Beat until soft peaks form and the meringue is shiny.  It should look a lot like shaving cream.

Dump the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture on top of the meringue and fold until the flour is incorporated, and just until the batter that falls from your rubber scraper almost ”melts” back into the rest of the batter.

Pour all of the batter into a piping bag and snip off the tip (about an inch) and pipe circles – I do this by piping straight down and releasing pressure when the circle is big enough.

Once all of the batter has been piped, rap the cookie sheet on the counter and place it in the oven for 15 minutes.*

When done, take the cookie sheet out and leave cookies on to cool completely.  This will make removing the cookies easier.

When you’re cookies are cool, simply lift one corner of the parchment (and hold the top of your cookie in your other hand) and peel the paper from it – carefully.  It kind of reminds me of removing a sticker from its backing.

Fill with your favorite frosting or ganache.  Store in a covered container in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before eating (my preference), or eat cold straight from the frig – like my husband does.

*All of the cookies need to go in the oven immediately once piped, otherwise they’ll crack on the tops during baking.

See – ganache in the center!  This is what (I think) a macaron should look like in the center - soft and cake-like.  Yum!

4th of July Fruit Stuffed Pastry

The 4th of July is almost here!  I can’t believe how fast this summer if flying by.  If you’re looking for a fast, fresh, and festive dessert to celebrate the holiday – look no further!  Fresh fruit is the perfect way to end a barbecue since it’s so light and refreshing.

I made my own puff pastry dough, but you could also purchase some in the freezer section of your grocery store.

I cut the dough into rectangles and scalloped circles, then brushed them with eggwash, and sprinkled sugar on top.  Next, I baked them in the oven at 425 degrees for 16 minutes.

Since they puffed up so much (hence the name), I pulled off the top layer and then scooped a generous portion of sweetened whip cream in the center of each, and topped them with fresh fruit.

As an extra treat, I filled the raspberries with melted chocolate.

Serve immediately after assembling.

A big salute to all veterans, the troops, and their families . . . .because freedom isn’t free! 

Happy 4th!

Linking to Tidy Mom, I Heart Naptime