Bunny Cake Balls

This week has been super chaotic and awesome! I have made so many cake pops that my dreams are filled with them and any thought that I have throughout the day is centered around them. Honestly, I'm enjoying working with them so much and I love how creative you can be with them! This weekend alone I made cows, pigs, baseballs, pepsi cans, beer mugs and a body in a bikini. I have never been so tired, but I've also never had so many creative juices flowing at once!

I had been trying to think of what I wanted to make for my daughter's class Easter party (which is this Friday!) and I couldn't really make up my mind, so I asked my daughter. Her response, as simple as it was, helped me to realize that I was totally over-thinking all of this. She said: "Make a bunny!" So I did. Today I made this little guy... errr girl. I think she came out pretty cute and I think her class will love some little fluffy bunny cake balls! After all, what says Springtime and Easter more than a cute little fluffy bunny?

Bunny Cake Balls:

Round cake balls (already formed)

White chocolate melting disks

Pretzels

Mini marshmallows

Sprinkles (hearts for nose and bow and rainbow chips for eyes)

Roll mini marshmallows between your fingers to make a long, bunny ear shape. Attach two of them to each cake ball by applying a small amount of chocolate to the bottom.

Dip your pretzels in the melted white chocolate and place on parchment paper. Using toothpicks, dip the cake balls into chocolate and tap off the excess. Place on top of the pretzel. 

Before they dry, add eyes, nose, ears and bows and use a toothpick to swirl the chocolate to create "fur". 

Leprechaun Cake Pops

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day as I'm sure you already know. What you may not know is that today I am bringing these Leprechaun Cake Pops to my daughter's class! I am so thrilled with how cute they turned out! I had a vision for them and they turned out exactly how I'd imagined (better actually!) This was only my second attempt at making cake pops and it seriously went so smoothly. By smoothly I mean that:

1. The cake balls actually stayed on the sticks and didn't fall off from being too heavy.

2. When I dipped them in chocolate, I did my little *dip, twirl, pull out* method and it was flawless.

3. My chocolate did not seize at any point from me accidentally getting a drop of water in it. 

4. I did not panic, cry or throw any cake or chocolate.

All in all, this was a very successful project! I watched Bakerella's Cake Pop Tutorial Video to give me some confidence and some much-needed support. Thanks Bakerella!!

Due to the fact that these little guys were just too darn cute, I just kept taking pictures:

And here's one more of them all packaged up and ready to go to their new homes (The stomachs of 23 little kindergarten children that will take one look at it and pop it in their mouths). 

How to make Leprechaun Cake Pops:

Ingredients and materials:

For cake pop base:

1 Box Yellow cake mix

1 Can vanilla frosting

eggs (the amount your cake mix calls for)

oil (the amount your cake mix calls for)

water (the amount your cake mix calls for)

white melting disks (I got like 3 pounds, just in case I had any boo boos)

9"x13" cake pan

Lollipop sticks

Mug or measuring cup to dip

For hair/hat/details:

White Melting Disks

Orange candy coloring

Green candy coloring

Black candy coloring

Mini Marshmallows

Rainbow Chip Crunch Sprinkles (or any other yellow sprinkle you might have)

2-3 #2 Decorating Tips

Double boiler

Decorating bags

toothpicks

Bake your cake according to package directions. Allow it to cool, then, In a large bowl crumble it into tiny little pieces. Add in some frosting (I used a little over 1/2 a can of it) and mix it all together. You don't want it to be too gooey. 

Roll mixture into balls. I'd say a large, heaping tablespoon full is about right. You should be able to get somewhere around 40 balls (depending on how big or small you make them)Place on parchment paper and into freezer for about 30 minutes or so, or until they become somewhat firm.

Melt about 2-3 cups of white chocolate in a double boiler. Place it in something like a mug or even a measuring cup (for better dippage!) Place a tiny bit of orange dye and mix until you get the perfect shade for your Leprechaun's skin.

Remove balls from freezer. Dip the tip of the lollipop stick in the chocolate and insert into ball about halfway.    Place on parchment paper with stick up in the air. Repeat with all cake balls. 

Grab one of the sticks and dip the cake ball into the chocolate. Move it around (just a tiny bit!) to make sure it's all covered, then remove it! Don't spend too much time in the chocolate or your cake ball will begin to melt and then it will fall into the chocolate and you will cry. Place back on the parchment paper (once again, with the lollipop sticks in the air.) You want them to get slightly flat on top so that the hat will sit on there perfectly! :)

While they are drying you can take some of your melted white chocolate and tint it green. 

Place whole white chocolate melting disks onto parchment paper. Take a mini marshmallow, dip only the bottom into chocolate and place it on top of the melting disk. Repeat with all melting disks. Once they are hardened, insert a toothpick into the top of the marshmallow and dip it into the green chocolate. Place back on parchment paper and allow to harden.

Take about a cup of melted chocolate and tint it orange. Place the orange chocolate into a decorating bag fitted with a #2 tip. Pipe some hair on the flattened part of the cake pop and make a beard, using swirling motions to make it look more textured. Lay them on their sides on the parchment paper to harden.

Take about 1/8 cup of melted chocolate and tint it black. Using another decorating bag fitted with a #2 tip, pipe a black rim around the place where the marshmallow meets the melting disk. While it is still wet, place a yellow candy on on the black chocolate.

Using the same bag filled with black chocolate, make tiny black dots for the eyes.

Using the same chocolate you used to dip the cake pop (the skin colored chocolate) and place it into another bag fitted with a #2 tip. Use this to pipe bigger dots for noses.

Using the orange chocolate, pipe a little more hair on the top of the cake pop and adhere hats. 

You're done!

  

todays creative blog

Favorite Finds #2

It seems like this week flew by in no time and I haven't finished all the projects and cleaning I wanted to! I guess a lot of it is because of Martha. I always like to put on her show when I'm cleaning because it helps to encourage me and to keep me on track with my cleaning. Well, that's not taking into account that she's going to be making a totally amazing craft that I want to see... so, there goes 20 minutes of my cleaning time. Then she decides to bake a really delicious looking dessert and another 15 minutes is gone... That's pretty much how my morning goes.

On the bright side, I've found a lot of super yummy recipes this week and I've put them together for you, just to make you drool :) Here are my favorite recipes and treats from this week!

 

Tortellini with Ham and Peas @ American Family

 

Marshmallow Chicks @ A Farmgirl's Dabbles

 

Pink Lemonade Mini Cakes @ Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

 

Vodka Cream Pasta @ Rachel Ray (featured on Dr. Oz)

 

Rainbow Oreo Pops @ The Sweet Swiper

Irish Stout Stew

St. Patrick's Day is coming and it's coming soon! Every year, on St. Patrick's Day, I make a corned beef and cabbage dish, Irish soda bread and my husband has a few Guinness' to go along with the meal. This year, I decided that I wanted to make a couple of other Irish dishes leading up to the big day! Luckily, my local grocery store had 6 packs of  Guinness for only $5.99! That is an amazing price and I feel much less guilty for using it in my recipes! I was browsing around on... wait for it... Pinterest (of course!) and I found a bunch of delicious looking recipes for Irish stew using Guinness, so I took this one from Martha Stewart and tweaked it just a tiny bit until I had the recipe I wanted to use and let me just say... it was perfect! Thick, hearty and super flavorful. After you've finished it, you will no doubt be singing that ever-so-popular song from Yo Gabba Gabba! "I tried it, and now I like it!!" So do it. Try it... because you're going to like it!

Guinness Stew Recipe:   |Print Recipe|

3.5 pounds Chuck Roast (cut into 1" cubes)

1/4 cup flour

12 ounces tomato paste

4 large carrots (cut into 1" long chunks)

1 large onion or two smaller ones (cut into 1" pieces)

2.5 pounds red potatoes (halved)

15 ounces Guinness Extra Stout Beer

2.5 cups Beef Broth

10 cloves of garlic (sliced)

1 bag (16 ounces) frozen peas

Salt & Pepper

Oil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large pot (oven safe) or dutch oven, heat about 2 tablespoons of oil. Add beef, season with salt and pepper and flour to coat. Allow the beef to sear and brown for about 4 minutes, toss around and sear for another 3-4 minutes, or until beef is a nice, deep brown color.

Over medium heat, stir in tomato paste and mix. Add carrots, onions, potatoes, garlic, beer and broth. Season with more salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

Put the lid on the pot and place it in the oven. Cook for 2.5 hours, or until meat is nice and juicy.

Once you remove the pot from the oven, add in your peas and stir. If your stew looks a little too thick, you can add in 1/2 cup-1 cup of water.

Season with more salt and pepper.

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Churros

Honestly, is there anyone out there who doesn't like churros? I've met people who don't like chocolate, I've met people who don't like peanut butter, but is there really anyone out there who doesn't love a good churro? I remember these sugary little treats being a huge part of my childhood. Every time we went to the Fair or to a Carnival I had to get a churro, and usually by the end of the night I was begging for another one. The best way I can think to describe a churro is that they are stick-like donut things with a crispy exterior, soft, pillowy interior and a delicious cinnamon and sugar coating. "Stick-like donut things" may not be the best descriptive words out there, but they are the only ones I could come up with right on the spot. 

Here is a delicious recipe that I found years ago and I can't remember where I got it, but it is the recipe that I use and will always use when I'm craving something sweet. The great thing about this recipe is that you probably already have all of the ingredients you need to make them and you won't even have to make a special trip to the store! Yay! :) Just make sure you have one of those awesome frosting decorating tools you use to decorate cakes and cupcakes and you're all set!

Churro Recipe:    |Print Recipe|

1 cup water

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter

1 cup all purpose flour

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon/Sugar coating:

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a medium pan, add the water, brown sugar, salt, and butter and heat until it begins to boil.


Remove from the heat and add in the flour.


In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs and vanilla and add this mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until it's all nice and mixed together.


Fill a frosting decorating tool (fitted with a large star tip) with the churro mixture.


In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.


Heat your oil to 350 degrees and make sure it is nice and hot before you proceed to the next step.


Squeeze about a 5" long piece (using the decorating tool) into the oil.Use a knife to cut and release the end of the dough from the decorating tool.


Fry for about a minute, then flip. Cook for additional minute or two, then remove and place on paper towels.


While the churros are still warm, roll them in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.


Now, try not to eat them all before you are done frying them all! :)

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Favorite Finds #1

I have decided to highlight 5 of my favorite recipe finds (that I usually find via Pinterest) every week and share them with you all! I have become so obsessed with Pinterest lately and all of the delicious recipes I find on there! If you don't already have an account, you can leave your email address in the comment section below and I will send you an invitation! Be warned that once you do join, your life will never be the same. Even if you don't sign up for an account, you can just sit back and enjoy these super yummy recipes! Here are a few of the amazing things that I discovered this week:

Orange PushUp Smoothie @ Averie Cooks

Cake Batter Pancakes @ Chef In Training

Bailey’s Chocolate & Caramel Irish Cream Cupcakes @ Tidy Mom

Saffron Chicken @ Kalyn's Kitchen

Mongolian Beef @ Favorite Family Recipes

- You can find all of my boards and follow me at: http://pinterest.com/devimcdonald/ -

Growing Your Own Green Onions

In this post where I shared the recipe for the Mexican Casserole that I made, I mentioned that you can grow your own green onions. Yesterday I decided to snap a picture of the progress that my green onions had made after less than 2 days of growing! I don't know if it's just me, but I am seriously excited about this! This success and the rewards that will come from it have truly inspired me and my goal is to begin my own garden full of herbs and veggies that I can use in my recipes! 

I have never planted anything outside, aside from the tree that my dad and I planted when I was 6, and I am hoping that I won't fail miserably and be left with just a mound of soil in the end. Having a garden can't be as hard as I think, right? Everybody wish me luck! 

How to grow your own green onions:

• Cut onions about 2" up from the bottom.
• Place in a container in your window. 
• Fill with water about 1/2 way up the side of the onions.
• Change water every single day!
• Enjoy your green onions. :)

I hear you can do the same thing with Celery, so I will have to give that a try!

Rocky Mountain Candy

Ahhh peanut butter. There is really nothing quite like it, is there? A very little known fact is that March 1st was actually National Peanut Butter Lover's Day and this year, I decided to go big! To celebrate this obscure holiday I decided I would invent my very own oh-so-delicious peanut buttery treat. This delicious candy is full of peanut butter, marshmallows and coconut, all nicely packaged in a delicious white chocolate shell. The name of this candy seemed obvious as when I looked at the mounds of white chocolatey goodness that lined my baking sheet, I couldn't help but picture the beautiful snow-covered Rocky Mountains!

Rocky Mountain Candy Recipe:  |Print Recipe|

3/4 cup mini marshmallows

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

1/4 cup shredded coconut 

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter (melted)

1-1/2 cups white chocolate melting disks (melted)

In a medium bowl, combine marshmallows, coconut, peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar. 

Roll into 12 ping pong sized "balls" and place on a baking sheet. 

Put the baking sheet in the freezer for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture begins to firm up.

Remove from freezer and using a spoon, roll mixture in white chocolate, remove and place directly on parchment paper or in cupcake liners to harden.

Makes 12 candies.

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