Reindeer Cupcakes 17!

Merry Christmas! I actually made these yesterday. These are super yummy and super cute! The glaze is super easy to make and it tastes like the glaze they put on Boston cream donuts! yum! Don't get scared by the actual cupcakes because they have Greek yogurt in them. They taste better than ones from a mix! Also with a few tweaks in the decorations you could make these dogs or tigers or even cats!

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

• 18.25 oz Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake mix
• 6 oz fat-free Chobani Greek yogurt
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 2 large egg whites

For the chocolate glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

For the vanilla glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 - 2 tsp milk

For the face:

• 24 'nilla wafers
• 72 m&m's, 24 red, 24 pairs of eyes, blue, green, or brown
• 24 pretzels, broken in half to create antlers

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Line cupcake tins with liners.
Combine all the cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat until combined. Pour into prepared liners. Bake about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting. Make the chocolate glaze: whisk all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Keep the chocolate glaze in the bowl. Make the vanilla glaze by whisking all the vanilla glaze ingredients in another bowl. Place vanilla glaze in a piping bag. To assemble the cupcakes, spread the chocolate glaze evenly on top of the cupcake (you can dip them but I thought it was easier to spread the glaze on) and quickly press the vanilla wafer onto the bottom of each cupcake. also attach the antlers now because once the glaze hardens you won't be able to. The chocolate glaze will dry fast so you want to make a few at a time. Let the glaze harden at least 5 to 10 minutes. Add the nose by piping a little bit of vanilla glaze on and attaching the m&m to it. When the chocolate glaze on the cupcake dries attach the eyes in the same way you attached the nose. I only made 13 and I barely had enough chocolate glaze so I suggest you make twice the amount it says to.
Makes 24 reindeer cupcakes
(I don't know where my pictures of these cupcakes finished went but I will put them up as soon as I find them.)

   

16 Chocolate cheesecake!

So easy and so yummy! Really simple and delicious! I made a different size pan then this makes but its the same recipe. The only problem is the calories.... I'll write them at the end but personally I suggest that you don't look at them. But the calories are worth it. I promise, I don't eat very much cheesecake but this is a great one. I actually got the recipe from a magazine a month or so back and I've been meaning to make it! I made this on December 18th.

Ingredients:

• 24 OREO Cookies, crushed (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
• 4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted, slightly cooled
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup blueberries

Directions:
Heat oven to 325ºF.  Mix crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch foil-lined pan. Bake 10 min. Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add chocolate; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust. Bake 45 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil to lift cheesecake from pan. Top with berries.


416 Calories per 1 slice! (but its totally worth it!)

Sorry!

Okay. Quick post! I am very sorry I haven't been posting! First my camera wouldn't download the pictures and then the fan in my computer broke so that had to get fixed. When that was done it was only 2 days till Christmas and I was out shopping with my dad, caroling with my friends... In short either I couldn't blog or just didn't have time!

Spritz cookies!

Christmas Cookies! We always make spritz cookies. They are kind of like sugar cookies but better! Here are some pictures! I don't have the recipe though!

Cream Puffs! 15!

I love cream puffs. They are probably one of my favorite desserts ever. I've wanted to make them for a while and they are easy to make. If you don't have time to make the dough please make this filling! I honestly think I could have this every day for dessert and never get tired of it. I love cream puffs, especially when they're this east to make! My dad's mom used to make these and I got the recipe from my aunt. My dad kept bugging me to put chocolate on top but I didn't have time. They tasted AMAZING anyway. I'm sorry about the posting on Moday's and Tuesday's I just haven't had time over the weekends lately! Well here's the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• A little less than 2 cups heavy cream
• A little less than 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Mix together vanilla instant pudding mix, cream and milk. Cover and refrigerate to set. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture turns into pea sized shapes. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, add vanilla. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Centers should be dry. When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells ( I used a zip-lock bag and cut the tops off. The key is to make sure that there is a  lot of cream in them!)

                                                                                                                                

14th 52! Nutcracker Cake Pops!

These were awesome! I mean it. I am very proud. I had doubts because I don't make cake pops to often especially not ones that I came up with the idea for.... Yep, I came up with this idea! See my sister, Grace, was in a production of the nutcracker. The ballet. So I thought it would be cool to make these because I haven't made cake pops yet for a 52! If you want instructions on how to crumble cake and such you should see my cake pops post... I don't have the instructions here.

Ingredients:

• 18 cake pops with tan candy coating ready to dip
• 18 cinnamon imperial noses
• 18 pairs of eyes cut out of fondant (white for whites, black for pupils)
• 144 little bones (I will post a pic of these later) (8 for each head 4 for each side)
• 18 mouths (white fondant with black edible pen)
• 18 Rolo candies (for hats)
• 9 mini marshmallows cut in fat slices (to make beards)

The great thing about cake pops is that you can experiment with the decorations. You can use whatever decorations you want to make it your own! The key is preparation. You don't want to be counting candies while dipping and realize that your 10 candies short!

Here is how I did it:
I dipped one then quickly attached the hat, eyes, nose, mouth, beard, and hair in that order and let them dry! Of course its the preparation that counts! The counting candies, rolling and cutting fondant shapes, melting candy coating, dying candy coating. It's a lot. But its oh so worth it at the end... You might not think so when your waiting for them to dry but once you bite into these things.... You'll be in love!


                                                                                                                              

More Pumpkin Pie Pictures!

Here are pictures of the finished pumpkin pie... There are also mini ones too!

 

wow that's a lot of pictures!

13 Thanksgiving pumpkin pie!

First off happy Thanksgiving everyone! Now I took a lot of pictures and then I forgot my camera at my grandmoms house (oops! I'll get it back on Saturday though). But I did download pictures of cooking the pumpkin already and my mom let me use her camera to take pictures of the pie. I'll probably put more up later but until then I have the ones I already downloaded. I'll put the recipe up now too. Anyone who wants to make one from pumpkin it really isn't that hard. Honestly the hardest part for me was cutting the pumpkin! When I poured the filling into the pie shell it was like broth, super thin, but it did firm. And definitely put the foil around the edges it looks burned if you don't. To clarify I made 2 actual pies and 3 batches of filling because I made the cute mini pies that you make in mini cupcake tins. I didn't make any of the crust though either my sister Mads or my mom did because whenever I make it by myself or help make it the pie crust gets messed up. I promise I will have more pictures soon!

Ingredients:
 
For the pie filling

• 1 medium pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

For the pie crust

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• A little more than 3/4 shortening (packed tightly)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6-7 tbsp cold water

Cook your pumpkin:
Cut your pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds and lay face down on a foil covered pan. Roast at 400 for 35-45 min. Let  cool a little bit and scoop out the innards. Process them until smooth. They can be frozen or you can refrigerate for up to a week.

Pie Crust:
I believe I used this recipe in the apple pie. Cut the shortening into the flour and salt with a pastry cutter. Once mixture is pea sized add the water one tbsp at a time until dough forms. Don't over mix. Cut the dough ball in half and roll one half out. Lay in a 9 inch pie pan.

Pie Filling:  
In a large bowl, slightly beat eggs. Add brown sugar, flour, salt, 2 cups of the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and evaporated milk. Stirring well after each addition. Pour mixture into the uncooked pie crust. Place a strip of aluminum foil around the edge of the crust to prevent over browning. Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove the strip of foil about 20 minutes before the pie is done so that the edge of the crust will be a light golden brown. Cool pie, and refrigerate overnight for best flavor.

The pie crust recipe makes 2 pies. The leftover crust tastes rolled out, sprinkled with brown sugar and cinnamon/pumpkin pie spice. Cook until golden brown.
Adapted from allrecipes.com

More Pictures To Come!!

12 Reese's Suprise Cupcakes!

Yay, I just got the pictures! I used a store bought cake-mix and homemade icing. What made these special was the reese's cup that I put in each one!! The one thing that you really need to make these is cupcake liners, if you don't have them the cupcakes will stick. Also don't push the reese cup down, it will sink a little while cooking. I did use a baking tip when I iced them but I attached it to a plastic bag because whenever I use an icing bag most of the icing ends up on me! The icing recipe I used is really simple and take probably 5-8 min. to make! Pictures to come (hopefully) but here is the recipe!

Ingredients:

• Chocolate cake mix (and ingredients to make the cake)
• 17-18 reese's cups (regular size)
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 tsp milk

Directions:
Prepare the cake mix as directed and put a giant tablespoon of batter into 12 cupcake slots in the cupcake tin. Put one reese cup on top of each tablespoon and put another tablespoon of batter on top of the reese cup. Cook at 350 for 17-22 min. or till a toothpick comes out clean, be careful that you don't hit the melted chocolate when you stick the toothpick in though. To make the icing first cream the butter and vanilla together in a mixer. Add the powdered sugar in 2-3 batches, add the cocoa and mix thoroughly, add the milk to make the frosting creamier. Chop the remaining 5-6 reese's cups up and set aside. Frost the cupcakes and add the chopped up reese's and enjoy!