Archive for May, 2010

May 26th, 2010

All-Stars of the Cake Pops! Minnesota Twins Cake Pops

Minnesota-Twins-Cake-Pops

 

Baseball season is here! And so are Twin pops!

I thought this would be such a fun one to attempt to make, being that we are in Minnesota and enjoying outdoor baseball (it’s a new thing for us)!  Here I am going to make the Minnesota Twins mascot and baseball cake pops.

So first off  we need cake balls! (Basic cake pop recipe on the first page:Minnesota Twins Cake Pops)

Next - shape some of the balls into the shape of a bear’s head I used a picture of the mascot as a guide, somewhat! (Be sure to set aside some of the cake balls for the baseballs!)

For the facial features, you will need black cake decorating gel, vanilla CANDIQUIK®, small red sprinkles, and whole almonds.

Stick the almonds into the sides of his head (pointed side in).

And for T.C.’s complexion: I used 1 pkg of vanilla CANDIQUIK® w/ a dash of yellow powdered  food coloring (just a hint to give the vanilla a creamy/off-white color, only use powdered or oil based food coloring).

Attach a lollipop stick to his head and dip completely in the CANDIQUIK® mixture and place him in a Styrofoam block to dry.

While we are waiting for him to cool and the CANDIQUIK® to set, lets start on the baseballs themselves!

Same thing – cake balls on top of lollipop sticks = cake pops. But this time, I used plain vanilla CANDIQUIK® (12 oz) and broke off two squares (4 oz) and set aside (we will need this for the hats later)! Coat the baseballs in the Vanilla and place in the styrofoam block to let dry.

I am going to toggle back and forth between the two types of cake pops. While waiting for the baseballs to set, we can start adding a little more life to T.C.

Using a toothpick and vanilla CANDIQUIK®, draw little circles for his eyes (add the pupil when the vanilla CQ is dry, with your black cake decorating gel or a small black candy)

For the nose, simply draw a cute little “triangle” shape with the black decorating gel.

Once the soon-to-be baseballs are dry we can slowly, with a steady hand :) draw the lines that we will attach the laces to next!

Once that dries for a few minutes,or if you’re brave, slowly go back and draw horizontal lines to make the stitches. (I used a picture of a baseball as a guide, recommended!)

   

 

Now, for the second part of coloring T.C.  his brown trim fur! Carefully dip the back of his head in chocolate CANDIQUIK® and slowly roll to the sides of his face, ears, etc. to coat the edges of his head in brown!

and finally, paint on a big smile with the black decorating gel! You can add a red, heart shaped candy, or even a plain red sprinkle as a tongue to add a little more character! Place this candy on top of the gel before it completely dries.

Minnesota Twins Cake Pops

He’s looking pretty cute now! Almost cute enough not to eat…almost!

Now T.C. would not be complete without his baseball hat! First, I melted the remaining 4 oz of the vanilla CANDIQUIK® that we had set aside and added navy blue oil based food coloring. With a spoon I dropped little round dots of the blue CANDIQUIK® onto wax paper (and place in the fridge for fast drying)! These will eventually be the bills of the hat. For the dome of the hats, I chopped a round candy in half  (I used Whoppers), insert a toothpick into the chopped candy, and coat in the blue CANDIQUIK. Quickly attach the dome of the hat towards the back of the bill.

Let these set for at least 5 minutes. After the hats are dry, use a dab of the blue CANDIQUIK and attach the hat to T.C.s head. Let dry. Tah-dah!

Minnesota Twins Cake Pops

Ingredients:

  • 1 box cake mix (use a light colored cake for best results, so it doesn’t show through the CANDIQUIK® coating)
  • 1/2 of a 16 oz can of ready-made frosting
  • Wax paper
  • Baking sheets
  • 2 pkgs Vanilla CANDIQUIK coating
  • 1 pkg (16oz) Chocolate CANDIQUIK coating
  • Blue food coloring (oil or powder based only)
  • Yellow food coloring (oil or powder based only)
  • Round, hard candy (I used Whoppers®)
  • Whole almonds (ears)
  • Black cake decorating gel or black edible ink pen (eyes/nose/mouth)
  • Red cake decorating gel or red edible ink pen (laces on baseballs)
  • Red confetti sprinkles (tongue)
  • Toothpicks
  • Paper lollipop sticks
  • Styrofoam block(s)

If you’ve never made cake pops/balls before, I suggest checking out this tutorial: http://blog.candiquik.com/?p=3020

CategoryCake Balls, Pops, & Bites, Cakes, Cheesecakes & Pies, Recipes, Sports, Uncategorized | Comment9 Comments »

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May 13th, 2010

7 Money Saving Ideas for Graduation Parties

 

Even in tough times and on a limited budget, it is still possible to throw your graduate the party they want. Your party will be memorable, unique, and fun without the budget you think it may take! So, how is it possible?

1- Make your own personalized desserts, treats, hors d’oeuvres. Rather than hiring a caterer and an expensive cake maker – stand out with your own food trays, personalized, more creative dishes and desserts made with CANDIQUIK. Everyone will be talking about your creativity, and you’ll be happy you stayed in budget! Rather than having the typical potato salads, cookies, chips… Spice it up with:

  • CandiQuik chocolate dipped potato chips
  • Chocolate Dipped Strawberries personalized with your graduates’ school colors, name, etc.

You will surely stand out and be remembered with these ideas!

2- Invitations- Many ways to cut costs on these: for one, you can send out e-invitations (www.evite.com). If you prefer the paper invitations, you can always make them yourself (or have a willing, crafty family member/friend do so). Check out my free printables page! And there are loads more of free printable invites on the web. Buying the invitations at a discount party store such as Party America or Party City will also save huge (vs. ordering from the school). Another option is to consider making your invites on postcards, which will save you from the cost of envelopes and extra postage. And of course, hand deliver the invites to people that you see often!

http://www.livinglocurto.com/2010/05/graduation-party-free-printables/

3- Affordable location. It doesn’t get easier than hosting a graduation party right in your own backyard. Set up your food arrangement, tables and chairs (try your local rental center if you do not have enough) and get creative decorating! No backyard? In this case you could ask a relative that may have one, consider a local park, or possibly an apartment complex party room.

4- Low entertainment costs. Most people are just stopping by, as they have multiple parties to attend and many will entertain themselves. You can have games set up such as volleyball, bean bags, horseshoes, potato sack races, and badminton. Include a fun CANDIQUIK “fondue station” with fruit, pretzels, etc. for dipping. For music, you don’t have to hire a live band but playing some CD’s, an iPod, or MP3 player would be fun and give the guests an area to dance and kids to play.

5-Decorating costs for a party can be expensive, ways to cut back: you can buy many of your decorations (e.g. table cloths, napkins, plates, cups, balloons, streamers, banners, etc.) at stores such as Party America and Party City or dollar stores (Dollar Tree, Family Dollar).

6- If you are considering hiring a photographer at the party, consider this idea instead: have disposable cameras for all the guests at the tables. That way, they can create their own memories and have fun doing so. And this way you will get pictures with variety, which you didn’t even realize were taken!

7- Joint open houses. Consider bringing it up to your graduate and their best friend and see if that is an option. Chances are your son or daughter has a close friend(s) that they may want to do this with, so it is worth at least contacting the parents and bringing up this idea. This will let you split costs, share ideas and give the graduates a bigger party.

 

CategoryGraduation | Comment2 Comments »

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May 10th, 2010

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake (Flourless Chocolate Cake)

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake (Flourless Chocolate Cake)

Something to talk about, delicious, decadent, flourless chocolate cake! I decided to make this recipe because May is Celiac Awareness month!

I’m sure we have all encountered a friend, family member, or even know personally about a gluten allergy. For those who are not sure exactly what Celiac disease is, I will go into a bit of detail.

Celiac disease (CD or gluten intolerance) is a genetically linked disease with an environmental trigger. In people with CD, eating certain types of protein fractions, commonly called gluten, set off an autoimmune response that causes damage to the small intestine. This, in turn, causes the small intestine to lose the ability to absorb the nutrients found in food, leading to malnutrition and a variety of other complications. The term “gluten” is basically a generic term for the storage proteins that are found in grains.

And the good news is, CANDIQUIK is gluten free.

For more information and info provided here, see: http://www.celiac.com ,  http://www.celiac.com,  http://www.csaceliacs.org

There are so many things that you can do with CANDIQUIK®, and this recipe dives right into baking with it!

This decadent version of chocolate cake is a little different than your average, missing a main ingredient, but I bet you won’t mind. Gorgeous cake that any chocolate lover will fall in love with!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

It starts with 8 simple ingredients…

 

1 package chocolate Candiquik - 1 cup plus 3 Tbsp butter – 1/2 C sugar – 6 eggs - 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder -1 Tbsp milk - 1 Tbsp honey - 1/4 tsp gluten-free vanilla extract.

Preheat over to 375 degrees F.

Spray a 9-inch (I used a 12″ because it was all I had!) spring form pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Spray the paper with cooking spray too, then set the pan to the side – and now time for the good stuff :)

Place 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter (cut into chunks) and 8 oz (half of the 16oz package) CANDIQUIK in the heat and serve microwaveable tray (put remaining CQ in separate container/bag). Microwave on high for 45 sec- 1 minute, stirring often, continue in 15 sec increments- if necessary, until melted and completely blended. Do NOT overheat Candiquik.

Looks like it needs a bit longer!

 

There we go – this is how it should look!

Now pour the CANDIQUIK and butter mixture into a large bowl. Add sugar and mix well.

Add an egg…

 

and repeat…

 

one at a time…

 

Whisking well after each one.

And after all 6 eggs… it will look like this! Or it should!

Next — sift cocoa into the bowl

and stir until just blended

Keep stirring…

Once blended, pour the batter into the prepared spring form pan.

…and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until cake has risen and the top has formed a thin crust. The cake should be just firm in the center when done.

 

Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate by removing the sides of the spring form pan.

You can also throw away the parchment paper – set the cake aside to cool completely.

In the mean time – we are going to make the chocolate glaze!

Break apart two squares from the unused CANDIQUIK (you will have 2 squares left-over after you use these) and 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat -  stir until smooth.

Remove the glaze from the heat, then stir in vanilla, honey, and milk. Set aside to slightly cool off.

   

When the cake has cooled, pour the glaze onto the center and use a spatula or the backside of a spoon to smooth the glaze along the top and sides of the cake.

Chill the cake in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 30-60 minutes before serving to allow the glaze to set and it will also make the cake much easier to slice!

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake (Flourless Chocolate Cake)

 

And finally, you can add  raspberries, strawberries, powdered sugar, whipped cream…you get the idea! Yu-Um!

 

CategoryCakes, Cheesecakes & Pies, Gluten Free, Recipes, Uncategorized | Comment5 Comments »

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May 3rd, 2010

“Cinco” ways to celebrate the month “de Mayo”

Remembering the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla, May 5, 1862, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with festivities, music, and food! Below are “cinco” recipes that are fun, easy, and I think you will enjoy making!

!Express tu amor!

Chocolate Fruit Tacos

This creation of a dessert taco is delicious and looks good too. Personally, I like the flour tortilla-version! To use flour tortillas, if you have a deep fryer or large frying pan, you can shape the tortilla into a “taco” shape with tongs – just heat the oil, dip the tortilla in for approximately 30-45 seconds on each side. (Variation: sprinkle with cinnamon sugar!)

1 package Chocolate CANDIQUIK

12 taco shells (or you can try making your own by frying flour tortillas!)

1 package fresh strawberries, sliced

3 bananas, sliced

Whipped cream

Directions: Melt CANDIQUIK according to package directions.

Dip shells in chocolate coating, set on wax paper to dry.

Mix sliced fruit together in a medium bowl.

Drizzle remaining chocolate over the fruit mixture in the shells, and top with whipped cream!

Fiery Fiesta Peppers!

For the spicy lovers – so simple to make and very decorative for the cinco de mayo festivities. Even use these simply for presentation on another dish!

Melt 1 package vanilla CANDIQUIK, dip jalapeno peppers in so the pepper is mostly covered, sprinkle with red colored sugar before the coating is set. Allow to dry! Done.

Sombreros Delicioso

Simple cookies made fun – use any type of cookie you desire and simply add the raspberry as the head of the hat. Perfect for cinco de mayo.

You will need: 1 package vanilla CANDIQUIK®, 24 round sugar (or your choice) cookies, 24 fresh raspberries, and decorative icing and colored sugars (red/green for cinco de mayo).

- Melt CANDIQUIK according to directions on package.

-Dip raspberries in vanilla CANDIQUIK…and set on wax paper to dry (if using sprinkles - do so before the coating is dry)

-Dip cookies in vanilla coating, and before they dry place the raspberry on top and finally… add any colored sprinkles you want.

-Decorate to your liking!

Mexican Queso Dip

Doesn’t get any easier. Delicious and nutritious – kind of.

Ingredients:

-1 box (160z) Velveeta® Mexican processed cheese (Velveeta® is a registered trademark of KF Holdings)

-4 oz. cream cheese

- 1 lb. spicy sausage (chorizo), fried and crumbled

-1 can diced tomatoes

Directions: Place all ingredients in a microwaveable dish. Microwave on high 4 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips or bread!

(Recipe at http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/t–3088/mexican-hot-cheese-dip.asp)

Margarita Granita
MMM! Invite your friends over, these are scrumptious. You can also serve these on the “rocks” (reduce the water to 1 1/2 cups). And if you don’t have time to freeze – just reduce water (enough to melt sugar in), and follow the same steps – when the mixture is ready – throw it in the blender with 2-3 cups of ice for a frozen concoction.
(makes 5 drinks- should I have doubled it?)
3 cups water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons orange liqueur
6 tablespoons gold tequila
2 teaspoons grated lime rind
Sugar (to rim the glasses)

To make:

Bring 3 cups water and sugar to a boil, stirring mixture constantly. Pour into a large bowl; add lime juice and next 4 ingredients. Cover and freeze for 8 hours.

Put frozen mix in a blender until slushy.

Dip margarita glass rims into water and dip the rim in sugar. Spoon granita into glasses.

(For a nonalcoholic version add 1/2 cup fresh orange juice in place of liquors)

(Found in Southern Living, MARCH 2002)

CategoryCinco de Mayo, Holidays, Recipes | Comment1 Comment »

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