Bubblegum Cupcakes

 
 Is it weird that my 4 year old told me today that he wanted to be an organ donor?

(Then he continued the conversation by saying,  "Like maybe they could use my face.")  
I'd really like to know who he knows that doesn't have a face, but that's a topic for another day.

This is the same kid who was discussing politics with his teacher last week.

I'm pretty certain we could do a little freaky-friday switcheroo and no one would notice.  Probably they'd be all, "Wow.  You know about politics and medical terms?  When did you get so smart? You're so refined now!" And I, in a 4 year old body, would just eat bubblegum cupcakes all day and throw my socks on the floor and tromp mud through the house.

Obviously we would never switch back.


The idea for these cupcakes has been in the back of my brain for awhile and I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out.  The frosting tastes just like the pink bubblegum ice cream from Baskin Robbins, which is a wonderful thing. 

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Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

This frosting doesn't really taste like marshmallow, but because it uses marshmallow it makes a lighter fluffier version of buttercream that I much prefer.  It isn't so heavy and you won't need to feel like you need to scrape it off your cake/cupcakes because it's "too rich".  It is pretty sweet but not insanely so like some buttercreams are.

It flavors really well, so feel free to experiment.  Maybe use bubblegum, for example? :)

This is my go-to vanilla frosting recipe (although I'd almost always prefer cream cheese frosting or whipped cream frosting).

I usually use this one if I need my frosting to hold up well in the heat, or for transportation, or just over a several day period.

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Raspberry Jello Pretzel "Salad"

Whenever I'm asked to bring a salad to some sort of dinner or function, I usually bring this.  Because, even though I'm good at lots of things like spinning straw into gold, and harvesting beets, I am a dismal salad maker.  I guess my heart's just not in it.

My mom always tries to convince me that this is a dessert and not a salad or side dish, but since names, like hips, do not lie, I'm pretty certain this is a salad and therefore healthy.

Raspberry Jello Pretzel Salad

-2 cups crushed pretzel sticks  (I don't pulverize mine, just crush them a bit.)

-3/4 cup melted butter

-3 Tbsp sugar

-8 oz cream cheese

-1 cup sugar

-8 oz Cool Whip

-1 (6 oz) pkg raspberry Jello

-2 cups boiling water

-2 (10 oz) pkgs frozen raspberries, partially thawed 

Mix pretzels, butter, and 3 Tbsp sugar and press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 8 minutes.  Let cool completely.

Beat cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar together.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Spread evenly over pretzel crust.

Mix Jello and water until dissolved.  Add raspberries, then set aside for 10 minutes.  Pour gently over cream cheese layer. (It may help with splashes to spoon the raspberries into the pan instead of pouring.)

Chill until firm.  Serve cold.

 

Note: You may substitute frozen strawberries and strawberry Jello for the raspberry fruit/Jello in this recipe, I just prefer raspberry.

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Chewy Cinnamon Bear Popcorn

Pink snacks make me happy.  Happiness in an edible form is necessary when you become the mom of the kid who brings politics to preschool. 

Seriously.  That just happened. 

Note to self: Do not let your preschooler watch Super Tuesday ever again.

After today I need a whole crackload of this pseudo happiness.



This is great right after it's made (warm, gooey, and delicious), or several hours later (chewier and clumped together but still delicious).  I think it is best within a day or so, so eat it up quick.

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Chocolate Raspberry Frosting

I am about to tell you a secret that equivocates to treason in blogger bakingdom.

Seriously.  Don't throw rocks at me.


It is this:

I am a big believer in box cake mixes.  

(This is where I need a large black grandma to be like  "Oh No, she Dit-n't!)

 currently taking auditions for that part if you'd like to volunteer

Oh yes I did.

Let me explain. 

Except for specialties like coconut or carrot, box mixes are usually just as good as homemade and take about 1/8 the effort. In my opinion, it's really the frosting that makes that much of a taste difference.

Not to be a snob, but this is why canned frosting in my house just doesn't happen.  Homemade frosting typically takes less than 10 minutes to whip up and tastes a million times better.  It's kind of like a disguise for a cake mix.  Like the opposite of when Lindsay Lohan dresses up as a zombie for Halloween in Mean Girls.  Please tell me you remember that part.


I developed this recipe based on my favorite chocolate buttercream frosting by Williams Sonoma.  This chocolate raspberry version is really great on a plain old Duncan Hines chocolate cake.  It adds just enough raspberry and goes great with a glass of milk.

The candy oil can be found at baking stores or craft stores like Hobby Lobby.


A tip for using the LorAnn candy oils-  The bottles are hard to pour from. They will drip all over the place as you pour.  Just a drop or two makes a BIG difference in taste, so when you are pouring your oil into measuring spoons- do it over the sink and NOT over your recipe.  The last thing you want is to overwhelm your recipe with excess candy oil.  Not that I have experience in that area or anything.

(Seriously it's nasty... it will give you aversions for years)

If you're *really* smart you might want to use a dropper to measure the oil into your measuring spoon so you don't waste any. 

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Birthday Cake Oreo Fudge

In honor of Oreo's birthday today, I really felt like I needed to make this fudge. At my house we don't discriminate celebrating birthdays just because they don't happen to belong to a human being. 

My cute bloggy friend Dorothy at Crazy for Crust posted this a few weeks back and I went out that very day and bought the birthday cake Oreos.  (I'll be honest, I was just waiting for an excuse to buy some.  More than happy to oblige, I'm sure.)

I decided to use a 2-ingredient fudge as my base because... welp, I was feeling lazy, but I followed her main idea.

This fudge is crumbly and incredibly sweet but only takes about 5 minutes to whip up.  The benefit to one piece being PLENTY is that you have lots to share.


When you cut this fudge, the Oreos and sprinkles make a huge mess...  If you are worried about that you can omit the Oreos on top (add about 5 more to the batter) and just sprinkle with jimmies.

Happy Birthday Oreo!!

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Chocolate Raspberry Bark

I think that cars should come with built-in signs.  Like so you could communicate with other drivers.  Maybe you could have a touchpad in your center console so you could select one to display on the side or back of your car.  I'm pretty sure it would be beneficial to have signs that said things like:  "Dude, use your blinker", "Sorry for cutting you off!", and "Stop picking your nose". 

(When you used that one you'd put on your sunglasses and look the other way so the driver thought maybe it was an accident...)

And when you were out of gas and coasting 1.6 miles to the closest gas station you could put out your sign that says "Sorry for going 3 miles an hour, my tank's dry."  and then the guy behind you wouldn't be riding your tail, honking his horn, and giving you a whole flock of birds.

Plus it would make driving a lot more entertaining. 

Like when the sign in front of you said "Honk if you think it's okay to drive while wearing a snuggie", or "If any of my six deer heads fall out of my trunk, please stop immediately.  Deer are people too."

And of course this wouldn't be distracting at all.

And obviously, my next invention would have to be a company that sells bling for your car signs.  You know, so you could put purple rhinestones and feathers on your sign that says "Dude, your truck smells horrible, and when you stare at me at stoplights, it makes me uncomfortable."


Now that you see how busy my brain has been, you can probably understand why I forgot to post this bark back around Valentine's day...  If you can forgive me maybe I can give you some free car-sign bling someday or something. 

Enjoy!

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Sugar Cookie Frosting

 

On Valentine's day the kids and I baked up some Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix cookies to decorate.  Super yummy but super flat... maybe should've followed the baking directions for high altitude and added some more flour...  The frosting was so complimentary I thought I'd post it.  It is sweet and rich so you only need a thin layer, but it was the perfect "kid cookie".  The hearts of course got eaten up right away. 

And in case you need photographic evidence of this frosting's deliciosity:   

(The cookie is fully intact but the frosting is all licked off.)

Told ya it's good.

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Creamy Lemon Crumb Bars

Anybody else feeling like winter should have been over about a month ago??  Unfortunately, where I live it's pretty much winter until May.  Seriously.  Sometimes it's still snowing.  I cry about it daily.

During this last stretch of winter I like to bake a bunch of springtime/summertime treats and pretend we don't have three more months of winter ahead of us.

These lemon bars are great because they aren't too tart and never taste metallic.  The crumb topping goes perfectly with the creamy lemon filling, and a big glass of milk.  I've made these lemon bars 4 or 5 times and probably will never look for another recipe.  They really are that good.



PS- Don't use a foil-lined pan to make these.  Once refrigerated they cut and remove pretty easily just using a small metal spatula, so you won't even need it.

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White Chocolate Raspberry Scones

I want you to know I like you.  Like really I do. I so appreciate everyone who reads and follows and leaves sweet comments or lets me know they've tried my recipe.  It feels good to be able to share something I am so passionate about.

I love these white chocolate raspberry scones and hope you can consider them a big (super late!) Valentine's THANK YOU from me for being part of my life.

(Yes, they turn out looking like freaky alien brains, but hopefully you can overlook this because they are super delicious and only taste a TINY bit like freaky alien brain.)

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