Mermaid cake and cupcakes

My son's high school marching band did a show about mermaids and how they are thought to have lured sailors to their deaths.  At the end of the marching season, one of the color guard moms asked me to bake some cupcakes for their end-of-season party.  I went to work making up the scene.

I decided to do a small cake to look like a rock with some mermaids sitting on it...and then make cupcakes to surround that rock.  I thought it would be cool to add some fondant in the shape of a shipwreck to put in some of the cupcakes.

I cheated and used box mix cakes.  Our local Walmart sells basic chocolate and vanilla for $1.00 per box.  I doctored up both batters so they wouldn't taste like box mixes.  I made both a vanilla and chocolate cake in a 9 x 13 pan, which I would later use to build my rock.  I then covered it with gray fondant.

I molded some teal fondant for the mermaids and used a piping tip to create the scales.  Then, I used a combination of pink, blue, purple and silver luster dust to paint over the mermaids to give them an iridescent sheen.

I baked my cupcakes and decorated them to look like waves.  I even piped white on some of the cupcakes to look like breakers in the water.  I molded brown fondant in my wooden board mold and then gave it dimension by painting over the brown with some black.

My friend, who ordered the cupcakes, stopped by my house the day I was working on them.  She had no idea what I had up my sleeve and she all but squealed with delight.  She couldn't wait to surprise the girls with their treat.  The next day, she came to pick up the cupcakes and promised to call me and let me know what the girls thought.

Sure enough, my phone rang like a half an hour later.  It was my friend's number.  When I answered, it was the entire color guard, 20 girls strong, saying thank you.  It just made my day.  It fills my heart with joy that I could give them a treat like this.

Here is the final product...

Snickerdoodles

If you have been reading my blog, Thank You, and by now you know that my husband loves cinnamon.  I am constantly looking for different cinnamon recipes to try for him. He doesn't really have a sweet tooth, but occasionally, he will indulge in a sweet treat.

I found this recipe through ohsodelicioso.com.  It's a snickerdoodle cookie, but it's like a traditional snickerdoodle and a sugar cake had a baby.  This snickerdoodle is crispy to bite into, but it is soft on the inside.  I liked these so very much, and my husband....well, he could not get enough of them.

This dough needs to be refrigerated for at least an hour before baking the cookies.  When I started making this dough, I forgot about this detail.  I usually do my baking before I go to work around noon.  I was making this dough and then got to the "refrigerate dough for an hour" part, and I was heartbroken.  Then, I had to work for 8 hours thinking about these cookies.  I immediately started baking them when I got off work.  Trust me when I tell you they were worth the wait!

Ingredients

• 1 C butter, at room temp
• 1 1/2 C sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 3/4 C flour
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar together with electric mixer. Add eggs.
2. In separate bowl sift flour, tartar, baking soda, and salt together. Slowly combine with butter mix.
3. Chill dough in fridge for at least 15 minutes more if you can.
4. Meanwhile grease cookie sheet and make a cinnamon-sugar mix by combining 3 T sugar and 3 tsp. cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
5. When dough is chilled, take a small amount and roll into a ball about 1..5 -2 inches wide.
6. Then roll ball in cinnamon-sugar mix to coat and place on cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 400 deg. Baking time varies depend upon size of dough balls so watch them close. Cool on rack.

Pumpkin cupcakes - dairy free

I had to do some baking for my son's percussion group today.  The group has a few members with dairy sensitivities.  I am constantly searching for dairy free recipes I can use for their treats.

Upon my search through recipes, I came across a paleo pumpkin cupcake recipe.  I decided I didn't have half the things I needed so I would just wing it.

Here is the original recipe:

• 4 eggs
• ⅓ cup coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons palm shortening
• ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
• ⅔ cup sweet potato flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• For frosting...
• 1 cup palm shortening
• ½ cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Baking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare a standard size cupcake/muffin pan with 8 cupcake liners or grease very well.
2. By hand or with an electric mixer, cream together the eggs, coconut sugar, and shortening.
3. Add the pumpkin puree and combine well.
4. Add sweet potato flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Combine well.
5. Divide batter evenly into eight cupcakes.
6. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, allow to cool completely.
7. Prepare frosting while cupcakes are cooling. Whip together palm shortening, honey, vanilla, and lemon juice. Spread, drop or pipe a generous amount on each cupcake and serve!

Here is my revision:

**  4 eggs

**  1/3 cup granulated sugar

**  2 tablespoons coconut oil

**  1/2 cup pumpkin puree

**  2/3 cup all purpose flour

**  1 tsp baking soda

**  1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

**  dash salt

for the frosting

**  1 cup coconut oil

**  1/2 cup honey

**  1 tsp vanilla extract

**  1 tablespoon lemon juice

**  powdered sugar to taste and consistency

for the filling

**  brown sugar

**  coconut oil

**  pumpkin puree    (I mixed this all together on the stove for a few minutes).

I followed all baking instructions as listed above.  My batter made an even dozen cupcakes.

NOTE:  I do not eat pumpkin so I did not try them.  I had my husband try them and he said they were dry....and didn't taste like cupcakes.  I took them with me to my son's rehearsal and had the director try one.  She said it tasted more like a muffin than a cupcake but said it was good.  (I love her, she's my favorite).  I believe using butter would have made the consistency more like a cupcake.

Salted Caramel Chews

My husband is self employed.  He has several employees working for him.  For reasons unbeknownst to either of us, 2 of his long-time employees have left the company.  That means poor hubby has to pick up the slack and do the work of 3 people.  He has been working long days and nights, and he is often less than pleasant when he finally arrives home.

What does this have to do with cakes or baking you ask?  Well, I was just about to get to that part.  It doesn't really, but I found a recipe for caramel chews and wanted to try them.  I asked him sort of off the cuff if he liked them and he said yes.  Light bulb!  I can make these caramel chews to help cheer him up.  I mean, everyone drowns their sorrows in sugary goodness right?  Usually not my husband as he does not have a particularly sweet tooth.

Anyway, before I get myself off topic.  These caramel chews are pretty easy to make.

This picture was done in a hurry and absolutely does not do these things justice. I am not a big caramel fan, but I did sample one before I wrapped it.  The coarse salt makes something magical happen.

Here are the ingredients:

• 1½ sticks butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)
• coarse sea salt

Here are the instructions:

1. In a medium sauce add butter and sugar and stir over medium heat until melted. Stir in corn syrup and condensed milk.
2. Bring to a boil and then decrease to simmer 7-10 minutes or until mixture achieves golden brown color, stirring constantly.
3. Poor caramel into a foil-lined 8 x 8 inch pan and allow to cool completely. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
4. When completely cooled, cut into squares and wrap in wax paper.

Pumpkin spice cookies

It's October, and that means the whole world is going pumpkin spice crazy.  Admittedly, I cannot say I am part of that craze as it's not one of my favorite flavors.  However, far be it from me to deprive my family of the flavor they love so much.

I decided to try this recipe this morning while both my husband and son were at work.  What a surprise they will get when they come home.  They will be singing the praises of Momma from the rooftop!  Hey, a girl can dream.

Here is the recipe from Cookies and Cups:

Ingredients
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs plus 1 yolk
2 tsp vanilla
3 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 cups flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

How to Make
1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. In bowl of stand mixer cream butter and both sugars together for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
3. Add in both egg and additional yolk into butter along with vanilla and beat until smooth, scraping the
sides as necessary.
4. Mix in Pumpkin Pie Spice, baking powder and salt until combined.
5. Reduce speed on mixer to low and mix in flour until dough comes together.
6. Chill dough for at least an hour.
7. When ready to bake, line baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 375°
8. Mix coating ingredients (light brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice) together in a bowl, set aside.
9. Roll dough into large balls, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and then roll into the sugar/pumpkin pie
spice mixture, coating completely.
10. Bake for 7-8 minutes until cookies are lightly browned on the bottom. Remove from oven and
transfer to wire rack to cool.

I did not follow this recipe to the letter, but I think the results will be the same...and here are my results:

Sugar Cookies

No matter if you call them sugar cookies or sugar cakes, the fact remains that they are delicious.  I have a few recipes for these cookies, but I am always willing to try more.  My personal preference is more of a soft pillowy cookie....unless I am going to frost the top.  Then, I make a recipe with a crispier cookie.

This is a new recipe for me, and it seems to blend the two ideas together.  It is soft and crispy at the same time.

The recipe I found was named Amish Sugar Cookies.  I'm not sure what makes them Amish, but that's really not the point.  These cookies are good.

The recipe does not call for milk, but have a glass on hand when the cookies come out. It's the perfect compliment to a warm cookie!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter 

1 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)

1 cup sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract (I would add a bit more for a bolder tasting cookie)

4-1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

Directions

1. In large bowl, beat the butter, oil and sugars. Beat in eggs until well blended. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; gradually add to creamed mixture.
2. Drop by small teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: about 5 dozen.

Banana bread counts as fruit...right?

Every week when I go to the market, I have the best intentions.  "I am going to buy lots of fruit and vegetable so the family can eat healthy."  Yeah...about that.  Every week I have an over ripened bunch of bananas to do something with.  This week, banana bread came up in the rotation.  You know, now that I think about it....I think there may be a conspiracy.  If we don't eat the bananas, she'll make something sweet with the.  Hmmmmm..I believe I'm being had here.  They are luck they're cute.

Anyway, I had soooo many bananas yesterday, I had enough to do 2 loaves of banana bread.  I baked these up while the troops were away, so I was able to freeze one loaf for later in the week. Are any of you as excited as I am for school to start again?  If for nothing else, to ease up on my food bill.

Wow...I'm a little scattered today.  Sorry about that.  I found this recipe on line quite some time ago. It is enough to make 1 loaf of the bread. I doubled the recipe and it turned out just fine.  It is really tasty.  It's moist with lots of banana flavor, but not too sweet.  I would imagine you could give it a quick toast and put butter on it.  Yummmmm ...

Preheat oven to 350 F

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking SODA
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2-1/3 cups mashed bananas

Lightly grease loaf pan (I line with parchment)

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.  In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and the brown sugar.  Add eggs and bananas until well blended.  Add banana mixture to the flour bowl and mix until just moistened.  Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.


Bake for 60-65 minutes.  When done, a toothpick inserted in the center will come back clean.  Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing.  Then, place on a cooling rack until completely cool. ..if you can wait that long.