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Easter Cupcakes Decorating & Ideas

March 29, 2012 Leave a Comment

It’s almost time for Easter!  Next week is spring break for my kiddos, and we are planning at least two days of cooking and baking and prepping for the Big Day.  I selected a few fun Easter cupcake decorating designs that we are going to make!

First up, from DisneyFamily.com, check out the super fun “Rabbit’s Easter Cupcakes“  You will not believe how incredibly easy those darling little candy carrots are to make!:

And did you know you can buy EDIBLE Easter grass for your baking?  You CAN!  Check out the post from Warning Sugary Goodness, that details how to use it (AND where to get it!)

I found another great recipe/tutorial on DisneyFamilyFun, with instructions on how to make edible Easter Basket cupcakes… so CUTE!

And one more… adorable Easter Chick cupcakes tutorial from Bird on a Cake:

 

 

 

Filed Under: Cupcakes, DIY Diva, Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

March 26, 2012 Leave a Comment

Diva Entertains Stuff Mushrooms

Friends at the recipe swap that I belong to have long-raved about these spinach stuffed mushrooms.  I had been avoiding them because the last time I made baked stuffed mushrooms they were less than stellar.  But just the other day someone on the swap made them and then posted about how much her company had liked them.  That was the little kick start I needed to try again!

They certainly were good.  And rather easy to make.  What I loved about the recipe is that, if I wanted to, I could remove the spinach from the list of ingredients and then use it as an excellent base for stuffed baked mushrooms that are just screaming “doctor me up!”.  For example, the addition of lobster, crab meat or sausage would be delicious! (All need to be cooked before adding to the stuffing mixture.)

I also tinkered with the recipe a bit and swapped Panko breadcrumbs for regular breadcrumbs to give a bit more texture to the stuffing.  As well as added some wine to the topping mixture for flavor. Also, just before they went into the oven for baking, I topped them off with some grated Parmesan cheese.

 

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

  • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 24 large mushrooms, stems removed, chopped and set aside
  • 2 Tbsp. butter (preferably unsalted)
  • 1 cup onion, finely diced
  • 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh spinach, finely chopped
  • 3 Tbsp. Panko or regular breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup white wine or chicken stock
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.  Oil a rimmed cooking sheet with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and place mushroom caps on it, stem site up.
  2. In a large, skillet, heat butter over medium heat and allow to melt.  Then add onions and thyme.
  3. When onions begin to brown add the chopped mushroom stems, spinach and bread crumbs.
  4. Continue to cook on medium to high heat until tender and moisture has evaporated, approximately 5 minutes.  If the pan becomes too dry before the vegetables have time to soften ,add 1 Tbsp. of wine or chicken stock at a time to prevent the mixture from burning (it will give great flavor too!).
  5. Remove from heat.  Add Parmesan, season with salt and pepper, and stir well.
  6. Stuff each mushroom cap with filling – use all the filling (packing tightly if need be).
  7. Drizzle a bit of oil over the stuffed mushrooms and then top them with a bit of grated Parmesan.
  8. Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Serve & enjoy!

Don’t forget that Diva Entertains has you covered when it comes to fabulous Birthday Favors!

Filed Under: Appetizers

Springtime Cookies

March 22, 2012 Leave a Comment

I know I have mentioned SweetSugarBelle.com more than once, but I just can’t get over how adorable her cookie designs are… and now that SPRING is here, I simply must share her work again.  She has the BEST tutorials and help around, and her photos just WOW me every time.

Check out her post about Flowers Pots cookies… everything is so incredibly detailed that even *I* might be able to make ADORABLE spring cookies.

And because it’s almost Easter-time, you have to click over to the Bunny Cupcakes post.  AGAIN, incredibly detailed, with photo instructions, step-by-step…

What kind of cookies will YOU be making this spring?

 

Filed Under: Cookies, Desserts, Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,

Graham Cracker Bars – Old Fashioned Goodness!

March 19, 2012 Leave a Comment

A friend at Eat.at introduced me to this recipe and it brought me back to childhood snacking on graham crackers.  But these are oh-so-much better!  Why?  They have a chewy center reminiscent of pecan pie filling but not as sweet. And they are a snap to make with the food processor.

The only thing I would do next time is add 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips to the filling to make them chocolate graham cracker bars – YUM!

Graham Cracker Bars (adapted from a LA Times Top Ten Recipe of 2009)

Makes a 9″ x 13″ pan of bars

Crust:

  • 2 2/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 3/4 cup  butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into ¼” slices
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9×13” pan with non-stick cooking spray (preferably one formulated for baking).
  2. In the bowl of a food processor add the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and flour and pulse until the butter is finely chopped and the crumbs are moist. Press the mixture firmly into the prepared pan. Bake at 350º until the crust is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes (check after 10 minutes).
  3. While the crust is baking make the filling (see below).

Filling:

  • 2 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 4 extra-large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup pecans
  1. Place the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and baking powder into the food processor and mix until the sugar is well blended. Add the graham cracker crumbs and the pecans, and pulse 2 or 3 times to incorporate (you don’t want to chop up the nuts too finely).
  2. Pour the mixture over the baked crust and return to the 350º oven until the filling is dark-golden on top and jiggles slightly when tapped, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and cool completely. Refrigerate until cold, so that it’s easier to cut into bars. When cold sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.

Turn to Diva Entertains for the very best party favors.  “Making the world a little bit happier…one party at a time!”


Filed Under: Bar Cookies, Desserts Tagged With: , ,

St. Patrick’s Day is Almost Here…

March 15, 2012 Leave a Comment

And I think we need some GREEN around here, don’t you?  I’m thinking Green Desserts just in time for St. Patricks Day.

How about some green MARGARITA cupcakes, from Good-bye Gluten?  They fill in perfectly for  St. Patrick’s cupcakes. Actually – the recipe give is for the Green Margarita Buttercream, use if on store bought or homemade cupcakes (Yes…I’ve been know to buy unfrosted cupcakes from our supermarket).  Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, in every way:

Always wanted to know how to make a rainbow cake?  This tutorial is fabulous.  Great photos and instruction.  Read all about how to make a Leprochaun Trap Cake, from not martha:

Looking for St. Patricks’s cookies?  Try this incredibly fun twist on S’mores, check out these Leprochaun Hat S’mores from Hostess with the Mostess:

And one more for the kids (and kids at heart)… from Gluesticks, a rainbow fruit platter, with marshmallow clouds!

Filed Under: Desserts, Events, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Pi Day, 2012

March 13, 2012 Leave a Comment

Did you know that tomorrow, March 14, 2012 is “Pi Day”?  What exactly IS Pi Day?  Well, I googled a definition and found this:

“Pi, Greek letter (π), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th. Pi = 3.1415926535…”

Blink… blink.  Ok, then!  Honestly, I’m not ever going to be accused of being a math enthusiast… but I do like PIE… so in honor of “pi” day, let’s chat about PIE, shall we?

From Quick Dish, a great tutorial on making mini peach pie in a jar!  Perfect for a shower or party dessert!


An absolutely GORGEOUS triple berry pie recipe from Instructables, with detailed instructions on how to make a decorative pie crust like this:

I found a great tutorial series on MarthaStewart.com, for making decorative pie crusts.  The series was technically written for Thanksgiving, but definitely works for pi…er… pie day!

For a non-traditional, but YUMMY looking pie, check out the Family Kitchen… and her S’mores pie:


And last (but not least), check out this recipe from Country Living, for MINI cherry pies.  I think these would be perfect come summertime for an afternoon/evening barbeque.


So glad those math enthusiasts came up with PI day, aren’t you?

 

Filed Under: Desserts, Pie, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Chocolate Silk Tux Pie with Scrumptious Nut Crust

March 5, 2012 Leave a Comment

This may be my husband’s all-time favorite dessert.  I created it for Passover, when Jews don’t eat products with leavening (so no flour crusts).  But my husband far prefers this chocolate silk pie with the nut crust.  You can easily pour the filling into a pre-baked pie crust or a graham cracker crust.

This easy chocolate pie is a snap to make.  The filling is rich and luscious.  Keys to success?  There’s really only one.  And that’s when adding the beaten eggs to the hot chocolate mixture you only add a teeny bit at a time to slowly bring down the temperature of the chocolate filling.  Otherwise you are going to have little bits of scrambled eggs in it.  Believe me when I say I learned the hard way:)

Chocolate Silk Pie (adapted from a 1981 Gourmet magazine recipe)

Crust

  • 1.25 cups minced walnuts or pecans
  • 2 T. light brown sugar
  • 2 T. unsalted butter

Filling

  • 3/4 stick (6 T). unsalted butter
  • 4.5 oz. unsweetened chocolate
  • 3/4 cup superfine sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/8 tsp. salt

To Make Crust:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  2. Spray a 9″ pie plate with non-stick cooking spray.
  3. Mix crust ingredients in a medium bowl until well moistened.  Press mixture into  the pie plate and bake in a preheated  oven  for 10 minutes.  Let the pie shell cool in the plate on a rack.

To Make Filling:

  1. Lightly beat eggs, set aside.
  2. In the top of a double boiler set over simmering water heat butter, unsweetened chocolate, and sugar until the chocolate is melted.  Mix thoroughly. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool 10 minutes.
  3. Add 1 Tbsp. of the lightly beaten eggs into the chocolate mixture and stir quickly to incorporate.  Repeat two more times.  Then add the remaining eggs to the filling and mix until well blended.
  4. Pour the mixture into the cooled shell.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap, letting the wrap touch the surface of the filling.  Chill the pie for at least 4 hours.  Slice and serve with whipped cream if desired.  Can be frozen.

Planning a party?  Turn to Diva Entertains for great birthday favors, baby shower favors and so much more!

Filed Under: Pie Tagged With: , , , , ,

Oreo Brownie Cupcakes – Amazingly Simple To Make!

February 27, 2012 Leave a Comment

Oreo Brownies

This recipe, and the beautiful photography,  comes from Camber over at Instructionables. That website is devoted to pictorials of DIY projects including recipes!  And the recipe itself?  *DELICIOUS*.  And  oh-so-easy to make!  Thanks Camber!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Oreo Brownie Cupcakes,   Makes 12

  • 1 box brownie mix, 8×8 inch size
  • 24 Oreo Cookies
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 muffin cup baker with paper liners.

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. For each cupcake cup spread 1 teaspoon of peanut butter over 2 Oreo cookies and stack them on top of each other. Place oreo stacks into the cupcake lined muffin cups. Spoon 2 tablespoons of brownie batter over each stacked oreos and let it run down the sides of the cookies. If you have left over brownie batter, bake separately in a separate baker or muffin tin. Bake cookies and brownies for 18 to 20 minutes, until brownies are cooked through. Let cool completely then serve.

 

Filed Under: Brownies, Cupcakes, Desserts, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Fancy Flower Cupcakes

February 22, 2012 Leave a Comment

It’s almost time for spring (isn’t it??), and I’m in the mood for SPRINGY, eastery, flower cupcakes! And thankfully, there are plenty of tutorials out there to show me HOW to make edible flower cupcakes.

Check out this post from TomKat studio, with simple instructions on making a swirl ruffle rose cupcake:

 

If simple ruffles aren’t quite enough, why not try making Hydrangea cupcakes? These are much easier than you would think!  From Glorious Treats:

Using a simply icing tip, you can make a “field of flowers”!  Get easy flower cupcake instructions from Bake Decorate Celebrate (basically – you are using a star tip #22 to make the simple stars that create the flower, then a #352 tip to make the leaves – both readily available at craft store):

And from Hostess Jo comes a fun and very UNIQUE way to decorate your cupcakes with roses: (you’d never guess if we Hostess Jo didn’t tell you!)

And finally, a step-by-step tutorial on how to make big petal flowers can be found at My Sweet and Saucy:

Definitely time for cupcakes… and time for spring too!

 

Filed Under: Cupcakes Tagged With: , ,

Rosemary Mashed Potatoes (with Lemon and Parmesan too!)

February 20, 2012 1 Comment

Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Truth be told, the hubby and I are not to big mashed potato eaters.  They tend to be a bit on the ‘blah’ side.  That is until I concocted these.  It combines some of our favorite flavors: rosemary (which pairs perfectly with potatoes), lemon and Parmesan to elevate plain mashed potatoes into something a bit more sophisticated and special.  With very little extra effort.  In fact, I didn’t peel or use beaters or a potato ricer to make these; I simply use a wooden spoon to break up the small red potatoes called for in this recipe.  And although this recipe calls for butter, to turn these into low fat mash potatoes, swap out the butter with fat free evaporated milk.

Rosemary Lemon (S)mashed Potatoes), Serves 4

  • 1.5 lbs of  red potatoes
  • 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tsp. finely chopped rosemary
  • 1 tsp minced lemon zest (more if you’d like)
  • 2 to 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F.
  2. In a small bowl, combine Parmesan cheese, chopped rosemary and lemon zest.
  3. Pierce each potato with a fork or knife to let steam escape while baking.  Bake for 30 minutes, test to see if done (insert a knife into a potato to see if it is tender). When done, remove to large bowl and mash with back of a wooden spoon.  Once broken up (remove too-large pieces of skin if necessary), add butter, cheese, rosemary and zest; mix to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.

You can make these a day or two in advance and keep them in the fridge.  Bring to  room temperature and then heat 15 minutes in a 350 F oven.  To finish, you can broil them for a couple of minutes to achieve a top crust as shown in the picture above.  Make sure you check after two minutes so that they don’t burn.

 

Filed Under: Potatoes, Recipes, Sides Tagged With: , , , ,
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