May Flowers

My middle child Mackenzie recently graduated from preschool. So I needed a gift for her teachers.

This is what I had to work with. What to make, what to make...

Oh yeah, I had some cake pops too. Mackenzie's teachers fell in love with the cake pops last year when they had my oldest daughter Samantha. They were pretty happy to find out they had Mackenzie this school year so they would still have a chance to have cake pops. (they are also happy that they get next year too with my son) So, with some white chocolate covered cake pops that I sprinkled some pink sugar on, I decided to make the teachers little bouquets of flowers. I cut a slit into the circle to about the middle and then punched a hole. I wrapped the circle around the cake pops and tapped it together and on to the stick.

After that I made eight small triangle cuts to create the pedals. I then rounded the edges to make them look even more like flowers.

I did three fun bright colors (we have had a ton of rain as of late and need any color we can get around here).

I bundled them up and tied some pretty ribbon to finish it off. Mackenzie was happy with the outcome and so were her teachers.

So Much in Love

One of my husband's cousins is getting married this summer, and this past weekend was her bridal shower. I was asked if I could make favors that could double as place cards for the party. So I got to thinking what cookie cutter did I have that is approriate for a wedding and big enough to write a name on...

My answer was a wedding cake. After baking and icing the cookies, I piped a white border around the edge. Now I probably could have piped the border first and then do the flooding technique to cover the cookie, but I wanted to make sure that the border was raised higher than the icing. I really wanted it to stand out since it was the same color.

Next I colored some of the royal icing a pistachio green and piped some scroll work in the corner. I love scroll work, don't know why, just do.

Then I used a dab of royal icing to glue a royal icing flower to the cookie. I had all different color flowers to add more interest to the cookies.

Once I had the corners decorated, I wrote a name on each cookie and let the icing dry for 24 hours before I put them in bags and tied them up with pretty ribbons to finish the favors.

Congratulations Erica and Tim! May you have a wonderful life together!

The Blue Bird of Happiness

A month ago, I made some cakepops that looked like birds. I had seen some brownie pops dressed up as birds and wanted to do pretty much the same thing for my bunco buffet and for little favors for a playdate I was having for my oldest daughter and a bunch of her school friends.

I started by shaping the cake pop more like a strawberry then a ball. Then dipped it in blue candy melts (and a few got covered in yellow as you will see below). After they were all set, I mixed up a batch of handy dandy marshmallow fondant, coloring some a periwinkle blue and some orange.

I took little balls of the orange fondant and shaped them into little triangles. Then I used water to glue them onto the front. I used a food color marker to create the eyes of my sweet little birds.

I cut tear shaped pieces for the wings. To make them a bit more realistic, I curved the tips of the wings. I used water once again as glue, to put the wings on the side of the bird.

And there you have it, my blue (and yellow) birds of happiness.

I'm Baaaccckkkkkkk.

Sorry for the absence...it's been a crazy two weeks. First it started with me having gallbladder surgery. I knew I had to have the little bugger out, but thanks to an attack that started Sunday night, and really didn't end until they removed my gallbladder, it happened a lot faster than expected. Then last week, after dropping the kids at school and my Mom at the airport, I got back to our house without power (thanks to a storm and bad driver) in time for my hubby and I to find water in our basement. Yep, that's what you need to find, I'm sure you all agree, to make life calm and easy.


So anyway, now I am back and have recipes that I promised you all like three weeks ago. At my recent hosting of bunco, I made brownie whoopie pies, and that is the recipe I have for you all today. These are so simple to make and you really don't have to be a talented baker to make them. First, I started with some Duncan Hines Brownie Mix. Yep, you heard me right, brownie mix...something I have nothing against and find handy to have in house at all times. Instead of making the normal recipe, you simply take the mix and add 2 eggs and 1/3 cup oil. Stir until just blended and dry ingredients are moistened.


Use a cookie scoop (my preference) or drop by tablespoon on to your cookie tray and bake at 350 for 11-14 minutes, until cracked in appearance and just barely set at center when lightly touched.

Once cool, fill with you favorite frosting. I picked coconut pecan, and turned the whoopie pies into mini German Chocolate cakes. You can either buy the coconut pecan frosting or make your own. It's a pretty simple recipe.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

1 c. evaporated milk

1 c. sugar

3 egg yolks

1/2 c. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. flaked coconut

1 c. chopped pecans

Combine first 5 ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add coconut and pecan. Beat until cool and thick. Spread cooled frosting onto one of the brownie disc and then top with another brownie disc to make a sandwich.
So here is your finished product. All that's left to do is enjoy!