My boy is 8!!! He took some of his buddies to play laser tag and then we came home for chocolate “8” cake.
Laser Tag Cake
I baked a 9 inch and an 8 inch chocolate cake with a cup in the middle to create a donut shape for each circle cake. Then I put them together and added chocolate icing. I used blue icing to write on the cake and added glow sticks to look like laser tag! AND of course 8 candles too.
I tried to make the boys special lunches for Valentine’s Day since it’s on a school day this year! I cut out cantaloupe hearts, had heart candy and cakes, wrote cute sayings on the bananas, and made a special peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a heart cur out and sprinkles added!
I participated in a Christmas Craft & Bake sale this year at a local church. Here are some of the things that I made and sold…
Snowy Wonderland Trees
I baked a cake and some cupcakes according to the directions on the box. Then I made my own buttercream frosting; 1 cup butter, 1 cup Crisco, 4 cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 tablespoon milk (if too thick). I frosted the cake and cupcakes and added coconut to look like snow. For the trees, I got thin dowel rods, candy melts, and sprinkles. I melted the candy melts and placed in piping bags; then I placed the dowel rods on wax paper and squeezed out the melted candy back and forth across the dowel rods to look like trees. I added the sprinkles before the melts hardened.
Hot Cocoa Cupcakes
I baked Devils Food Cake box recipe into cupcakes. Once they cooled I topped them with my buttercream icing. Then I added mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, and crushed candy canes. I placed a small candy cane on the side to look like a handle to a mug full of hot cocoa.
Peppermint Lollies
I placed the hard peppermint candies with a lollie stick on some wax paper on a cookie sheet. Melted them in the oven at 250 degrees, waited for them to cool and put them into bags with a cute red ribbon.
Candy Cane Forest Cake
I baked a white cake according to the box directions and placed a few drops of peppermint extract in the cake mix. I topped the cake with my buttercream icing and then added crushed peppermints, and candy canes.
Holiday Pretzels
I covered pretzels in white chocolate and milk chocolate. I used hot glue to attach buttons and a scarf to my Snowman Jar. And I attached eyes, red nose, and antlers to my Reindeer Jar.
Melted Snowman Ornament
I filled clear glass ornaments with fake white powder snow. Then I added buttons, a carrot nose, tiny twigs, and a red scarf in the ornaments. I used letter stickers to spell out, “Some People are Worth Melting For”, on the outside of the ornaments. These turned out soooo cute!
Poinsettia
I added gold stars and cute poems to these poinsettia’s and gave them as gifts to co-workers and neighbors!
Christmas Tree Cake
I made a chocolate cake with my Giant Cupcake pan. I dyed my buttercream icing green and used it to decorate the top of my Giant Cupcake. I used yellow and red candy melts to make a star and bows to decorate the Christmas Tree Cake.
Santa Hat Cupcakes
I decorated cupcakes with red buttercream icing. I added a mini marshmallow to the top and white icing around the base of the icing.
My “Brilliant Boy” is 12 now. It goes by so fast… and I love him so much! He loves playing Nerf with his friends, so they all came over for a few hours and they had fun playing Nerf!
I used homemade marshmallow fondant to decorate his cake!
Marshmallow Fondant Recepie
Ingredients:
16 oz. Mini Marshmallows
3 TBSP water
2 lbs Powdered Sugar (4 cups)
Crisco
Directions:
Grease a large glass bowl with Crisco.
Pour in the marshmallows and water; then microwave at 30- second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted.
Reserve about 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar. Place the red of the powdered sugar in a large bowl of a standing mixer.
Grease the paddle attachment with Crisco and pour in the melted marshmallows on top of the powdered sugar.
Beat until a dough form; there will be a lot of loose bits and sugar in the bottom of the bowl.
Grease a clean work surface with Crisco and dump out the fondant and all the loose bits. Grease your hands liberally with Crisco and knead the mixture together, just like kneading bread, for about 5 minutes until smooth.
Grease hands again as needed. As the fondant becomes smoother, use the reserved powdered sugar to coat the surface to keep it from sticking.
Once smooth, you can divide and color the fondant. While working with one piece, cover the remaining fondant with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
When you have your colors finished coat the fondant in a light layer or Crisco; wrap in plastic wrap and place in a large baggie for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
Store at room temperature for several months. To us it, dust the surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar and roll out to 1/8 of an inch.
She wanted a Cookies -n- Cream cake for her 8th birthday!
Cake Recipe:
2 boxes of some sort of chocolate cake mix
2 boxes of 3.75 oz. vanilla pudding
6 eggs
1 c. oil
1 c. milk
Mix all the ingredients and bake in 4 round cake pans according to the directions on the cake box.
Filling Recipe:
1 sticks butter
1/4 cup heaving whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 jar marshmallow cream
3 c. powdered sugar
1 c. crushed Oreo’s
Whip butter and cream together then add in the other ingredients. Put between the cake layers.
Buttercream Recipe:
1 c. butter
1 c. shortening
2 tsp vanilla
8 c. powder sugar
milk
Whip the butter and shortening together then add the vanilla and powder sugar. Add a little milk if the buttercream is too thick. Frost the sides and the top of the cake.
Chocolate Ganosh Recipe:
1 Tbs. butter
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
Warm the whipping cream in the microwave for 2 minutes and then dump in the butter and chocolate chips. Keep stirring until melted and runny. Place in the refrigerator for about half an hour so it thickens up. Drizzle it around the top of the cake so it drips part way down the sides.
Cake Toppings:
Hershey’s Cookies -n- Cream Bars
Oreo’s
Mini Oreo’s
Decorate the top and sides of the cake to look beautiful!
Fruit Dip:
1 package of cream cheese
1 jar of marshmallow cream
Mix the ingredients and whip together. Then add the fruit to dip!
My son is turning 7 and LOVES the How to Train Your Dragon movies. I found the How to Train Your Dragon cake toppers and I let him decorate the cake with them.
I was able to find him a How To Train Your Dragon gift bag for his new Toothless!
The boys and I made Christmas Cookies to deliver to the neighbors. They love baking with me.
Mini Santa Hat Cupcakes
I decorated mini cupcakes with red buttercream icing. I added a mini marshmallow to the top and white icing around the base of the icing.
Andes Mint Cookies
Ingredients Cookies:
1 Box Devil’s Food Cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 C. butter melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
Ingredients Mint Frosting:
3/4 C. butter softened
1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
2-3 C. powdered sugar
milk if needed
green food dye if desired
Ingredients Chocolate Glaze:
1 1/2 C. chocolate chips
4 Tbsp. butter
Instructions:
1. Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets.
2. Combine cake mix, eggs, butter, vanilla and sugar. That batter will be stiff.
3. Make dough balls a little large than a Tablespoon and place on cookie sheets to bake. Pat each dough ball down a little bit.
4. Bake for 7-9 minutes and let cool.
5. Mint Frosting: Beat butter for 2 minutes. Add peppermint extract and slowly add it powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Add 1-2 Tablespoons milk if it gets too thick. Add green dye for color if desired.
6. Chocolate Glaze: Melt chocolate chips and butter together in a microwave proof bowl. Zap for about 30 seconds, then stir, then microwave in 10 second increments and stir until smooth.
7. Assemble Cookies: Pipe on frosting, smooth over with a knife, spoon on your glaze in the middle, and top with roughly chopped chopped Andes Mints.
Christmas Lights Mini Cupcakes
I decorated mini cupcakes with white buttercream icing. I added a line of black icing around the buttercream, then I added Wilton Light Bulb Sprinkles.
Peppermint Fudge
Ingredients:
24 oz white chocolate chips
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp peppermint extract
1 cup crushed peppermint candy
Instructions:
Line an 8 or 9-inch square pan with non-stick foil.
Combine white chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and salt in a medium bowl.
Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
Stir in the peppermint extract.
Pour the fudge into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
Top with crushed peppermint candy canes.
Refrigerate for 2 hours until set.
Cut into 1 inch squares.
Andes Mint Fudge
Ingredients:
3 cups Nestle Dark Chocolate Chips
1 cup chopped up Andes Mints
14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
Instructions:
Line 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish with foil, then spray foil with Pam.
In large microwave safe bowl, combine dark chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk.
Microwave for 1 minute, then stir.
Microwave for an additional 45 seconds, and stir until melted.
Once melted, quickly transfer to foil lined baking dish and spread out evenly.
Sprinkle chopped Andes Mints on top of the fudge.
Chill for approx. 2 hours, or until set.
Cut into 1 inch squares.
Candy Cane Hearts
Ingredients:
Mini Candy Canes
semi sweet Chocolate Chips
Directions:
Place wax paper on baking sheet.
Place 2 mini candy canes next to each other in the shape of a heart.
Melt chocolate chips in a microwave proof bowl. Zap for about 30 seconds, then stir, then microwave in 10 second increments and stir until smooth.
Spoon chocolate into the hearts.
Place a few candy canes in a ziplock bag and crush them with a spoon.
Add crushed peppermint to the chocolate in the hearts.
Let the hearts cool.
Sugar Cookie Drops
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 ½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Red, Green food coloring
Red, Green Sprinkles
Variety of Hersey’s Kisses
Directions:
In a bowl cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir till soft dough forms.
Divide dough into 3 parts and color each part red, green, and white with food coloring. Place some sprinkles into the white dough. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Roll spoonful balls of dough in the sprinkles.
Grease a pan and place the balls of dough on the pan.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Bake cookies for 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
Place a Hersey Kiss into the center of each cookie.
Chocolate Covered Pretzels
I dipped pretzels into melted chocolate and then sprinkled crushed peppermint over them.
Christmas Candy Cookies
We placed various types of store bought cookie dough squares into our mini cupcake pan. We sliced the cookie dough and then cut them into fourths. Then we baked them for a few minutes and added the chocolate candies (Hershey’s Kisses and Mini Reece’s Cups). Let cool and removed from pan.
Rolo Pretzels
I placed wax paper on a cookie sheet and spread out square pretzels. Then I added a Rolo to each pretzel and melted in the oven for a couple minutes. Add another pretzel to the top of each Rolo and let them cool. Sweet and salty… my favoite!
This is the first Thanksgiving dinner that I have ever made. My family came for a visit from the west coast, so I had a lot of help 🙂 I also tried to make some fun Thanksgiving Treats to snack on during the beginning part of the day!
Carmel Apple Turkey
My boys LOVE carmel and apples so I made this little guy to snack on.
Thanksgiving Cornucopia
I used Pillsbury Crescent Dough to shape and bake the Cornucopia, then added the fruit that my family likes.
Fruit Dip
I also made my fruit dip that the boys LOVE! Mix one package of cream cheese with one jar of marshmallow cream!
Vegi Dip
Mix one tub of sour cream with one Ranch packet for the vegetables.
