Mothers Day - Homemade Edible Arrangement

Check it, check it out! 

Edible arrangements from the store - $80.  

Homemade, under $20.

And you certainly can't put a price on something homemade, especially by a little five year old boy and given to his grandmother for Mothers Day!

  Thats made with love!

What I used:
Skewers
Fruit - grapes, strawberries, pineapple, melon, blueberries. 
Clay Pot - I got mine from Michaels for around a dollar.
Foam piece - to hold the skewers in place.
Paint markers - easier for my little man to decorate with.
Cookie Cutter
Wiltons Chocolate Melts - to dip the strawberries.

Grandma was extremely pleased!

Happy Mothers Day!

Rum Balls

These rum balls are simply another variation of the Basic Babycakes Cake Pops minus the lollipop stick.


What You Will Need:
Fudge Brownie Mix - 1 box.
Wiltons Candy Melts - Dark and White Chocolate.
Sprinkles - Cookies and Cream, Chocolate, and Confectioners Sugar
Rum - 1/2 Cup.


Directions:
Follow the exact directions used for the Basic Babycakes Cake Pops but also include 1/2 cup of rum to the mix.

Here's everything you need and here's how the cake balls came out. They don't look very promising but don't worry, because once you cover them in chocolate, they will look quite nice.

I'm not very neat in the kitchen.

Oooh Ahhh, don't they look good?

As good as an iPhone picture can make something look... but really, they really taste good!!

Basic Babycakes Cake Pops

Cake pops are everywhere these days. I have to admit I have never tried one from the store or one that anyone else has made, but I'd like to assume that the ones I make taste as they should.  I'm definitely not good enough at making them yet to make fancy designs on the outside, but I can toss on some sprinkles and that works just as well for me.  All this work to have these yummy little cake bites gone in a flash. You really can't eat just one!


I found the Babycakes Cake Pops maker at the craft store for $29.  There are little slots for a dozen cake balls.  I should have picked up the model that came with the stand because after just my first run with this model here, I quickly came to learn that it is important to have something sturdy to hold the pops up while they cool.   I did end up using the styrofoam inserts that where in the box holding the maker steady, but thats only because I didn't have anything else in the house and had no intentions of leaving the house.  From what I can tell though, using a solid rectangular foam piece should work fine.  So if you happen to get the model I got, make sure you grab a block of styrofoam too.  Your other option is to just set them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.  The only problem then would be a flat dent at the top of your pop.  

What You'll Need:

• 1 Box of your favorite cake mix and everything in its instructions that you need (eggs, etc)
• 1 bag Wiltons Candy Melts - flavor is your choice.
• Sprinkles, crushed graham crackers - whatever you'd like to decorate with.
• Lollipop Sticks - I got mine at Michaels.
• Parchment Paper

Directions:

• Make the cake mix according to the directions on the package.
• Plug in the Babycakes maker and when the light is green, slowly pour batter into each of the 12 wells - approximately 1 tablespoon of batter.  
• Close the lid and let it bake for about 4-6 minutes. Once thoroughly baked, remove and set aside. A box of cake mix should get you about 3 dozen cake balls.
• I used Wiltons Candy Melts for my outer coating after trying Hersheys white chocolate chips, which I found took a lot longer to melt and I had to add vegetable oil to thin it out.  Wiltons melted fairly quickly and tastes just as good.  Follow the directions on the package to melt the chocolate. 

• Once melted, dip one end of a lollipop stick into the chocolate and then into a cake ball.  This will help the ball stick to the stick better when you dip the entire ball into the chocolate.  

• Next, dip the chocolate. I found it works best if you dip and roll the ball.  Tap it slightly not he side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate.  
• Sprinkle with your favorite sprinkle and then if you have the stand or styrofoam, prop each cake pop up. If you don't have either, you can lay them head down on some parchment paper on a baking tray - reminder, this will cause the chocolate to harden with a flat surface at the top of the pop.  
• Place in the fridge for a few hours or the freezer for 10-15m (this is what I did). The chocolate will set and then are considered ready to eat! Michaels has these little treat bags you can use (they are right by the lollipop sticks) if you plan on making them for a special occasion.  

** If you don't have a Babycakes maker, you can make the cake balls by hand. There are countless recipes online for cake that you can follow.  Or here is a very basic cake from scratch recipe:


1 1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar and baking powder. Add milk, margarine or butter, egg and vanilla. Beat on low speed until combined. Beat on medium speed 1 minute. Bake as directed and then follow the same steps with the chocolate melt.

Kit Kat M&M Cake

Totally pretty and colorful, and kinda of impressive if you ask me... but most importantly, EASY to make.  


You Will Need:


2 boxes of cake mix.  I used Yellow Cake - you can use whatever your heart desires.
36 Kit Kat sticks (the regular sized ones, not the snack size).
12.6oz bag of M&M's - any color.  
2 tubs of icing - your choice - vanilla, buttercream, chocolate, etc...


Instructions:


Follow the instructions on the box to make two 8inch round cakes.


When the cakes are cooled, ice between, around and on top.


Next place all 36 Kit Kats in a ring around the cake. They will stick to the icing.


And finally, pour your bag of M&M's in and you are done!


You can change up the colors for whatever holiday, celebration or taste you'd like. 
Red for Valentines, green for St. Patricks Day, etc.. 
Most recipes i've seen online for this cake have a pretty matching ribbon tied around the Kit Kat part. I had no ribbon today. It would have just come off anyways.
The cake was absolutely fancy with total non fancy effort!

Sriracha Peanut Butter Cookies

(Original Recipe from The Sugar Pixie)

By now everyone knows what Sriracha is, you know, Rooster Sauce...  and if you don't know, you should probably try it. It goes great with almost everything, like ketchup. Even in ketchup.  And on eggs, and rice, and noodles, and soup, and peanut butter cookies...  ??   Apparently so.  I found this recipe by The Sugar Pixie, and really I couldn't wrap my head around the idea at first.  But then I thought, it has to be good - especially because the hoisin dipping sauce used for the fresh garden rolls I eat have peanut butter and Sriracha..  so its got to be good. Has to be. Must be.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 1 cup of peanut butter
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 large egg - lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• 1 tsp of Sriracha (more/less depending on you)
• Granulated sugar for dipping.

* NOTE - you can use any peanut butter cookie recipe

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix the peanut butter and sugar together first.
• Slowly add in the egg, vanilla, and Sriracha. 
• Scoop out about 1.5 tbs of dough and roll into a ball.
• Dip the top of the balls into the granulated sugar and place them 1.5 inches apart on the baking sheet.
• Flatten the dough balls and make a cross pattern on the cookie with a fork.
• Bake for 10-12 mins. The edges should be golden brown.
• Let them cool for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

You're either going to love it or turn your nose up. Luckily for me, they weren't favored very much by everyone else in my house....more delicious greatness for me!!

Bacon Ranch Cheese Pulls

This is a really easy recipe that you can throw together for a gathering of friends, eat all to yourself, or whatever it is that you do. The one thing that attracted me to this is the bacon. And here's where I initially made a huge mistake.... I used bacon bits. Shock! (anyone who knows me knows its bacon or bust) I had never tried them before this and I will never eat them again. Use REAL bacon. Otherwise it just tastes gross... unless you like bacon bits... but they're gross!! DON'T do it!
Anyhow, easy to make bla bla bla, you are just five quick ingredients to yumminess.


What You'll Need:
1 round unsliced loaf of sourdough bread (you can use other bread too. I used an Italian loaf here)
1 bag of shredded cheddar cheese.
Bacon - cooked and crumbled (or gross Bacon Bits if you must)
1/2 cup melted butter
Ranch Dressing

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the bread in both directions. Be sure not to cut through to the bottom though. 
Spread ranch dressing between the cuts and then sprinkle with cheese. 
Sprinkle your real bacon all over and in the bread too.
Pour your melted butter over the bread.
Wrap it all in foil and place the loaf on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Unwrap and bake for another 10 minutes and you are done!