Big Red's 33rd Birthday!

We don't have a Sprinkles Cupcake Shop close to us here in Tucson so I went to Williams Sonoma and bought the DIY cupcake kit : ) They turned out lovely but were extremely rich. There's 3 sticks of butter in 12 cupcakes! Yikes! I love the look of them probably a little more than the taste. When I bake my own cupcakes they're usually much lighter and make me feel way less guilty : )

A Bit Behind Schedule

I'm just now getting around to posting a mosaic of all my baking for February! The sadest thing is that March's baking journal is sparse and lonely. I haven't had much time to spend in the kitchen these past five weeks....but it's been a good trade off. It's not that I haven't been creative ~ just into a different medium these days...polymer clay. The opening of my etsy shop has been life changing.

But enough about that and back to baking! February 17th was my birthday and I always love to bake up a storm right around then so here's a few of the things I baked up for my birthday month.

I actually had a hankering for cupcakes last night and whipped up a batch! I'll post pics soon!

Welcome to the Circus!

Busy today baking fun whimsical creations! I'm always inspired this time of year because my birthday is right around the corner. The wooden animal candle holders are from my 5th birthday! They are still in very good condition ~ my mom gave them to me a few years ago as a birthday gift : )

Frost Tah Tahs

These cuppies turned out so good. My husband has named them Frosty Tah tahs : ) Cute eh? Theses are a yellow cake with pink buttercream and coconut topped with a Meiji strawberry chocolate candy! Delish! I pack my husband a lunch for work and instead of putting in a messy cupcake I put in his favorite chocolate candy Reese's Peanut Butter Cups : ) thinking he'd be happy with that...I guess not. He told me when he got home from work it was the first time he was dissapointed to see those in his lunch- he says it's becasue of the cupcakes he was dreaming about all morning long...poor guy...he's so deprived!

Easy Recipe for Coconut Ice

Hello Naomi posted a couple of gorgeous pix of her pink and white treats COCONUT ICE! She reminded me of how much I love this special treat and how easy it is to make : ) I made some last night and kind of put a little twist on it : )

Recipe as follows:

In a large mixing bowl combine (on low speed):

1 lb. confectioners sugar (about 4 cups)
I and 1/2 bags of Sweetend Coconut
1 can of Sweetend Condensed Milk
1 t. Vanilla extract

You will have to scrape the mixing bowl a few times. Make sure it's all good and mixed (it will be VERY sticky!). Remove about 1/2 of the mixture and press into a 7 X 7 in pan lined with waxed paper. I dipped my hands in powdered sugar before pressing because this stuff is like sticky glue!
Add a couple of drops of Red food coloring into the remaining 1/2 of the mixture and mix until a nice pretty pink color emerges. You can tint it any color you choose depending upon the holidays! Green for St. Patty's Day, Orange for Halloween etc.
Now press this layer on top of the white layer.

I added a chocolate layer to mine and it makes it more like a Mounds Candy bar!!! Mmmm yummy!
If desired melt about 1/2 bag of chocolate chips with a couple of T. of half and half and spread evenly over the top. Cover with foil or plastic wrap . Chill for a few hours or it's best to chill it over night.
Use your sharpest non serrated edge knife and cut into squares. I got about 50 pieces. They're very rich and look beautiful laid on their sides so you can see the three layers!
Keeps well in the freezer.

Super duper easy recipe ~ great for making with kids because it's no bake!

Thanks again Naomi! I had forgotten all about COCONUT ICE! I'm so glad to have made it again and this time with a twist~ I bet chopped up cherry chips would be delish to add too...

Guten Tag Cupcake Lovers!

Just a quick batch of Old Fashioned Applesauce Spice Cuppies with Lemon~Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting I whipped today. I was in the mood for some comfort food!