Sweet Treats: Summer Berry Cool Whip Cake

I am taking a little summer vacation to see family and get crap done, so I leave you with a treat that I like to think is *healthy*, and takes but minutes to make. We have made this cake a few times this summer. The fun thing is, you can play with what fruits and berries (cherries, kiwi, banana, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, mandarin oranges) you want to use and the frosting too. I used chocolate frosting this time, but last time I used pink lemonade frosting and it was amazing!! Plus, you can make it all pretty and festive!!

Mix together some of your cool whip and a frosting flavor of your choice.

  Slice your angel food cake in half and frost the middle. Top that with chopped strawberries.

 I added extra dollups of cool-whip to decorate the top. Then add your berries, sprinkles, chocolate shavings, fresh mint leaves, shredded coconut or whatever. The cake tastes best if you chill it for at least 30 minutes. And enjoy, for a light and fluffy, refreshing summer treat!

Sweet Treats: The Cake Thief

My hubs turned 32. His work had some big shenanigans, than gave him this monster cake. I, (okay, my mom) baked him a b-day cake (chocolate by request), and me not being a fantastic decorator (which I fully intend to remedy one day, well my Halo one was awesome)... outright STOLE the flowers off of the store cake and put them on the chocolate one. Ah-ha! It was spectacular, trick candles and all. And oh boy, did that bad boy smoke!!

The pilfered flowers had some smudging, so I just did some slight camouflaging with the chocolate icing

and used a toothpick to blend the weird edges, and it turned out alright. Sprinkles helped, naturally. By putting foil around the bottom of your cake, you can freely frost it without getting icing smudges all over the cake stand. Then you just pull the foil bits out and it's nice and clean!

 

 

 Yes, he got a venus fly trap, homemade cards, balloons and hugs and kisses for his birthday. 

I also made his favorite dish, chicken enchiladas... my first time! Recipe coming soon :)

 Some people say we look alike. We got confused for a brother and sister the other day  Oo

The trick candles kept relighting, it was a family effort to get them all out. In order to avoid a cake full of spit, we eventually resorted to throwing them in a bowl full of water.

 

 

Sweet Treats: Perfect Vegan Sugar Cookie Recipe

 These fall inspired sugar cookies are from the cheerful Dainty Squid. Seriously, isn't that one adorable acorn? She used this vegan recipe by John and Kristie.

"The cookies were just hard enough to keep their shape, but soft when bitten. They tasted buttery and melted in your mouth. The icing was glossy, smooth and sweet. Like the cookies, the icing was just hard enough to allow stacking, but soft to bite. They were a hit at the party! And surprise, they were vegan!"

PERFECT VEGAN SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE
This makes about 36 cookies. We made two batches.

1 cup margarine	3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar	2 teaspoons baking powder
2 whole egg replacements (Ener-G)	1/4 cup tofu cream cheese (Tofutti)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1.	In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar. Stir in the egg replacements and vanilla. Gradually add the flour, baking powder and tofu cream cheese. You may have to use your hands at this point to finish the mixing. Form the dough into a long loaf and wrap in cellophane. Refrigerate for a couple hours.
2.	Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease the cookie sheets or use a non-stick foil.
3.	On a lightly floured surface (we taped down a sheet of non-stick foil to our countertop instead), roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place about 1 inch apart cookie on sheets.
4.	Bake for 12 to 14 minutes in the preheated oven, until bottoms and edges just start to get light brown. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

PERFECT VEGAN ICING RECIPE
Each batch is enough to easily coat 24 cookies. We made four batches, one for each color.

2 cups confectioners' sugar	1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
6-8 teaspoons of soy milk (Silk Vanilla)	Assorted food coloring
4 teaspoons of light corn syrup

Directions:

1.	In medium bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and soy milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.
2.	Add food coloring to desired intensity. Dip cookies and allow to dry overnight.

Sweet Treats: Graham Cracker, Icing and Strawberry Summer Dessert

I love baked goods... when other people make them. Sometimes, I get excited to bake, but the energy, ingrediant checking/shopping and the stress of eating them while fighting off my boys is just too much.

 Also, the heat. Ovens, especially in {Texas} summer, I would rather avoid. Now, this treat may not be for the high society, elitest of bakers, but maybe someone out there may enjoy it, so here goes.

 I simply break the graham crackers along the perforated lines, smear on some chocolate icing (store bought or you can make your own), top with chopped strawberries and a shot of whip cream. If you have fresh mint, that is yummy on top, but my mint plant didn't move with us when we moved.

Easy, fast, no baking involved, simple ingredients and you make the amount you need in one sitting. Oh, and kids love it. Sometimes, I like to spread just a bit of frosting on the graham cracker and eat it without anything else.

Also, can you believe this monster of a strawberry? It's as big as my hand. Of course, my hands are fairly small, but still, it was huge... and most importantly, delicious.

Sweet Treats: Magic Pumpkins Holiday Desserts

I love pumpkins. I probably love decorating them more (though I prefer white cinderella ones), so stay tuned for that post, oh yeah) , but really, I love them. I tend to like them on the sweet side, but am not opposed to a hearty dinner version either. Plus, they are quite healthy for you (minus the sweets), and who can resist that? And even WITH the sweet toppings, can you resist that either?!!

*mouth waters from below image*

 Maltese Bakes -Pumpkin Cake RECIPE

zoe bakes for a streusel apple pumpkin cake recipe

When I was first married (6 years this month), I got adventurous and made a pumpkin jambalaya, IN the pumpkin. Oh, it was heavenly. I made some mistakes, but nothing that still couldn't be enjoyed. And the fact that you can cut away the pumpkin as you eat, and dip it in the stew as if it were a crusty soft chunk of bread, made it all even better! I don't remember the recipe I used, but it had rice, sausage, various veggies... you can make it more stew like with beef, potatoes, celery, carrots, or jambalaya like, I've done both and both were delicious! I also read, that if you use non toxic paints, you can paint a jack-o-lantern face on it prior to baking, how fun would that be for the kids or even a Halloween party!! Here is a good recipe, but there are way more out there, just search for "dinner in a pumpkin".

You can also make mini pumpkins into desserts by baking them with butter, brown sugar and spices and topping with ice cream or whipped cream. Lots of possibilities. I used an acorn squash for this one, as shown in my pic above. Just cut that sucker in half, add some butter, cinnamon, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice, then pop it in the microwave for a few minutes and you are done. Top it with whip cream or ice cream for some extra yum factor. You can also bake it, but you have to put it in a thin layer of water... too much work!

 saffron pumpkin macaroons form tartelette... I know!

And though, I am not a huge pumpkin pie fan, I do love pumpkin bread, cookies, those swirl things. Also, canned pumpkins are one of the few natural canned foods that is just as healthy as a fresh pumpkin. This pan cooked pumpkin with duck fat looks amazing! Lots of good and simple pumpkin recipes here!

 Libby's Pumpkin Roll Recipe, photo by Pinch my Salt

Candy Jamamas Pumkin Bars with Cream Cheese Icing

If you have any good pumpkin recipes or food ideas, please share in the comments... or bring me a sample and I will love you forever ;)

Sweet Treats: Have a Cupcake while I'm UNDER CONSTRUCTION

This blog is having a little make-over, so please pardon the mess!! Instead, have a cupcake, heaven knows I NEED one with this massive headache.

Maybe I will attempt Billy's buttercream frosting recipe from Martha Stewart.

But for now, nerves are shot, the dog won't stop barking, the boys won't stop screaming/hitting/breaking things/staying off the 3rd floor patio and all I really need is a cupcake. Though it won't make much change, it will transport me a into sugary dreamland where clouds are whipped frosting and it rains sprinkles.

I think it's nap time.