{Recipe} Thin Mint Truffle Chocolate Bundt Cake

You can never go wrong with mint and chocolate...
Especially when you add Girl Scout Thin Mints to the mix.
This cake has a faint mint taste due to the truffles and a mint buttercream frosting.

Thin Mint Chocolate Truffle Bundt Cake

1 Batch Thin Mint Truffles
1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix
1 Batch Mint Buttercream Frosting

Make the cake mix according to package directions.
Pour into a greased bundt pan.
Drop as many of the truffles as you want into the batter. (I used almost the whole batch)
Bake as directed.
As the cake bakes, it will grow around the truffles, so no need to push them down or cover them.
The truffles will also bake, turning them into a soft cookie with a different texture than the cake.
Once done baking, allow to cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.

Thin Mint Truffles

1 sleeve Thin Mint Cookies
6 oz Cream Cheese, softened

Use a food processor to turn the cookies into crumbs.
Mix the crumbs with the cream cheese until well incorporated and holds it's shape.
Roll into 1 inch balls then refrigerate.

Mint Buttercream Frosting

1 stick Butter, softened
1 pound Powdered Sugar
1/4- 1/2 teaspoon Mint Extract
2 Tablespoons Milk, to desired consistency
1-2 drops green food coloring, optional
1 pinch Edible Disco Dust, optional

Cream the butter.
Add powdered sugar and mint extract.
Slowly add milk until you get the consistency you want for piping.
Using a 1M frosting tip follow I Am Bakers instructions for frosting roses.
Fill in ant spots between flowers with little star dollops of frosting.
Sprinkle with the pinch of edible disco dust to give it that faint minty sparkle.

{Recipe} Pumpkin Streusel Bundt Cake

Even though "pumpkin season" has technically come and gone...
I had to share this recipe.
For the frosting alone this is a recipe worth looking at.
It would taste amazing on almost any dessert!

I found a recipe that I adapted from Taste of Home for the cake...
And my own concoction for the frosting.
The flavors that really make this recipe are the streusel with the vanilla bean frosting.

Pumpkin Streusel Bundt Cake with 
Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake Batter
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 Tablespoons molasses
zest from 1 large orange
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt.
1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup Hershey's Cinnamon Chips

Streusel Topping
1/3 cup flour
3 Tablespoons cold butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 Tablespoons brown sugar

Frosting
8 oz Cream Cheese, alomst room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 vanilla bean pod, scraped or 1 Tablespoon clear vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Spray or grease the bundt pan
In a bowl cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy.
Beat in the pumpkin, eggs, molasses, buttermilk, and orange peel.
Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture until just combined.
Gently fold in the chips.
Pour into the bundt pan

For the streusel topping pour all the ingredients into a small bowl.
Using a pastry knife or fork, smash until the butter crumbles and incorporates with the dry ingredients,
Sprinkle the streusel mixture until the entire top of the bundt cake batter is completely covered
Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until inserted knife comes out clean.

After the cake is cooked, allow it to cool completely before frosting.
You can speed this process along by transferring the cake to a cooling rack or cake stand,
Approximately 5-10 minutes after removing it from the oven.

To frost the cake place the cream cheese and scraped vanilla bean seeds in a bowl and whip.
Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar until it is thoroughly blended.
You can pipe the frosting on or use a knife and spread it on.

This cake tastes best when it has chilled in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
Yummy streusel on the bottom, delicious frosting on the top and chocolatey pumpkin goodness in the middle.
You can't go wrong:)

{Recipe} Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

A couple of weeks ago was my MIL's birthday.

I was in charge of dessert, so I asked her what she wanted as a birthday treat?

She told me...

"Anything Chocolate!"

So I created...

Mini Chocolate Cakes with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

 Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

4oz Cream Cheese, softened

1 stick Butter, softened

2/3 cup Nutella 

2 T. Cocoa Powder

4 cups Powdered Sugar

1 T. Vanilla Extract

Milk as needed

Caramel Sauce *optional*

Chocolate Jimmies *optional*

Cake Prep

I used my go to Scratch Recipe for Chocolate Cake.  I need to get that recipe on here soon!  It has more than a normal cake mix, so if you need a lot of mini cakes... you may need two boxes of cake mix.

I baked my chocolate cake in a jelly roll pan so that the cake was about an inch-inch and a half thick.

Using a 3 inch round cookie cutter, I cut out multiple circles approx. 24.

I then spooned and spread a layer of caramel onto each mini cake so that it could start to soak in.

Frosting Prep

Beat the cream cheese and butter together, then add Nutella until incorporated.

Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, then slowly add to the mixing bowl. 

Add the vanilla extract.

Add the milk as needed for desired consistency.

Using a 2D Wilton tip, make a frosting rosette- starting from the center of each mini cake.

Stack the cakes so that they are 2 high.

Drizzle more caramel sauce and top with chocolate jimmies

Reality Check-
How is it that Blogger and Pinterest still don't consider Nutella a word?  It is a beautifully delicious word:)


I used a caramel sauce that was too runny.  This would have tasted better, with a richer flavor if I would have used a thick caramel sauce... store bought or homemade.


The combination of the toasted hazelnuts in the Nutella and the cream cheese, for some reason reminded me of camping and roasting mallows. Who knows why, other than I am weird:)


These were the perfect little portion with a great cake to frosting ratio.  The flavor combinations that you can do with these are practically limitless.


Linked to~ My Favorite Finds

{Recipe} Dulce de Leche Bars

 I have seen all over the Internet through investigations...

That you can make Homemade Dulce de Leche

Using a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk, Water, and a Crockpot.

Having never had Dulce de Leche before...

It wasn't bad, and it was a set it and forget for 8 hours type of thing.

I have wanted to make this homemade confection ever since Cheerios came out with a Dulce de Leche Cheerios.

This treat is super sweet and reminiscent of a rice krispie treat. 

I brought these to work where they were promptly gobbled up by coworkers...

 Which is good because I didn't need them around the house taunting and tempting me.

Dulce de Leche Bars

5 T  Butter

16 oz Marshmallows

7 cups Dulce de Leche Cheerios

1 1/2 cups Toasted Coconut

3/4 cup Mini Chocolate Chips

2 cans Dulce de Leche

Directions

Mix the cereal, tasted coconut, and chocolate chips in a large bowl, set aside.

Butter 2/3 of a jelly roll pan/cookie sheet.

Melt Butter on low heat, then stir in marshmallows.

Stir constantly so that the mallows melt, and so that it doesn't scorch.

Pour on top of the cereal mixture, carefully stirring and folding, until evenly coated.

Gently spread and press the treat in the pan.

Once it has set, and the Dulce de Leche is completely cooled,

Spread approximately 1 1/2 cans on top of the treat.

Cut, serve, and enjoy each sticky, gooey, sugar coma inducing bite. 

Reality Check~

Next time I make these, I am adding more toasted coconut and less chocolate according to my flavor preference.

These tasted better the second day, because the Dulce de Leche had time to meld flavors together, as well as adding additional moisture to the bars.

Toss the mixture around before pouring on the mallows, or all of the coconut and chocolate will be on the bottom.

Linking to~

BruCrew Life, Topsy Turvy, Vintage Wanna Bee, Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom, Tip Junkie, Sugar and Dots, Southern Lovely,
Lil Luna, Uncommon, Ginger Snap Crafts, Someday Crafts, 52 Mantels, Whipperberry, Happy Go Lucky, One Artsy Mama, Ladybird Ln, Answer is Chocolate, 

{Recipe} Hot Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

Hot Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

7 cups Rice Krispies or Cocoa Krispies

16 oz Mini Marshmallows or 16 oz large Mallows cut in half

7 T Butter

1/2 cup Stephens Milk Chocolate Hot Chocolate Powder

1 cup Dehydrated Marshmallows, optional

Melt butter in a pot on medium heat.  Add hot chocolate powder and mallows, save the dehydrated for the end.  Stir until mallows have melted and is smooth.  Pour over rice krispies in a large bowl until everything is evenly coated.  Add the dehydrated marshmallows and pour entire mixture into 9x13 pan.

Hot Chocolate Frosting

3 T Butter

1/2 cup Shortening

2/3 c Hot Chocolate Powder

1/2 c Cocoa Powder

1-2 cups Powdered Sugar, I did 2

1 t Vanilla

Milk to desired consistency

Cream the butter and shortening, then add vanilla.  Add the rest of the ingredients, pouring a little milk at a time, until mixture is well incorporated and smooth.  Immediately spread onto rice krispie treats and top with fun Christmas sprinkles.

Notes:

The frosting has a slight crunch to it due to the undissolved hot chocolate powder... I like it.

It will have more of a chocolate flavor if you use cocoa krispies... I didn't have any.

I didn't use 16 oz of mallows.  I only used 10 oz, and they dried out before the end of the night.  I think Rice Krispie Treats should be GOOEY, so I bumped up the mallows to 16 oz. I will be making it that way next time.

Enjoy this little Christmas Treat at your next party, candy night, Christmas Eve.

Linking to~
The Gunny Sack
My Junk Drawer
The Girl Creative
Marvelously Messy
Vintage Wanna Bee
Tip Junkie
The Blackberry Vine
Topsy Turvey
Lil Luna
Whipperberry
One Artsy Mama
Happy Go Lucky
Ladybird Ln

{Recipe} Coconut Cream Chocolate Cupcakes

 Back in July I was reading a post on the blog Sprinkle Bakes.  I saw that she had made a sweet treat for Frosting for the Cause.  I immediately wanted to join in.  My family has experienced many different forms of cancer. My Mother in Law is a breast cancer survivor, currently in remission and had recently done the Race for the Cure.  My Step Father is a Prostate Cancer survivor, and my Great Grandmother, who passed away in May from complications to age, was a Skin Cancer survivor.  Two weeks prior to reading the Sprinkle Bakes post, a high school friend lost her 34 year old Sister in Law to Breast Cancer.  My heart was broken for my friend and her family.  A little girl was left behind to grow up without her mommy, just the memories they had shared together.   I am grateful that my family was spared the death, though not the worry, and that my Mother in Law is in remission.  Yet my heart aches for those families that face a battle lost and lives shattered.

For my contribution, I wanted to make my Mother in Law's favorite dessert which is 

Anything Chocolate

Lucky for me, this is a very versatile request:)

Coconut Cream Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe-Yield 12 cupcakes

1 cup Sugar

1 1/2 cup Flour

1/2 cup Cocoa

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup Oil

1 Egg

1/2 cup Milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1/2 cup Hot Water- held out until the end.

Mix together dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients.  Scrap down sides and bottom of the bowl until incorporated.  Add the hot water and mix slowly to avoid splashing.  Don't panic that the batter now seems to runny, that is normal and it will bake up properly.

Fill the 12 cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

After they are baked, remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan to cool until room temperature.

Take a can of full fat coconut milk, and place it in the fridge overnight.  Scoop out the thickened coconut cream and place it in a chilled mixing bowl.  Discard the coconut water at the bottom of the can, or use it on another recipe. I learned this trick HERE.

Take 1 Vanilla Bean and scrap all of the seeds out, then add to the Coconut Cream

Whip together until soft peaks form, then add 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar, and whip until incorporated.

 Refrigerate the Cream then add to a squeeze bottle.

Insert the squeeze bottle into the dome of each cupcake, and inject a small amount of the coconut cream.

 Coconut Buttercream Frosting

1/2 stick Butter- room temperature

3 cups Powdered Sugar

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

1-2 Tablespoons Milk

Toasted Coconut Topping

Cream the butter. Slowly add the powdered sugar.  Pour in the vanilla and 1T of the milk.  Beat until mixed, add more milk until desired consistency.  Place frosting into a piping bag with a 1M Wilton tip, and do a large swirl on each cupcake.

Toast 1/2 of shredded coconut at 300 degrees, stirring every 90 seconds until golden brown.  Once it has cooled, sprinkle onto each frosting top.

Linking to~

The Gunny Sack

Marvelously Messy

My Junk Drawer

Craft O Maniac

The Girl Creative
Blackberry Vine
Today's Creative Blog  
Tip Junkie
Topsy Turvey
Lil Luna

{Recipe} Fruity Rainbow Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream

This past week was the Weber County Fair.

I entered some of my photography, and won two First Place Ribbons

I was going to enter some baked goods, but missed the deadline.

We were left with this cake tempting us from the counter top...
In BRIGHT, Tasty, diet demolishing, GLORY!

Six layers of Fruity, Creamy goodness!

Fruity Rainbow Cake

2 boxes white cake mix

6 eggs

1 c. water

2/3 c. oil

3/4 c. raspberries

Zest of 1 orange + 3 T. juice

Zest of 2 lemon + 3 T. juice

Zest of 2 lime + 3 T. juice

3/4 c. blueberries

3/4 c. blackberries

Wilton Icing colors in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple

I dip the tip of a clean butter knife into each color and scoop out a dollop, roughly 1/4 Tablespoon. 

*

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, water, and oil together.

Scoop approx. 1 cup of batter into six small bowls. 

In the first bowl, mix mashed raspberries and red coloring. 

In the second bowl, mix orange zest, juice, and orange coloring. 

In the third bowl, mix lemon zest, juice and yellow coloring. 

In the fourth bowl, mix lime zest, juice and green coloring. 

In the fifth bowl, mix mashed blueberries and blue coloring. 

In the sixth bowl, mix mashed blackberries and purple coloring.

Prepare your 8 inch cake pans by greasing and flouring each.  I only have two, so I had to rotate.  Pour each flavor into it's own cake pan. Bake in an oven, preheated to 350 degrees for 17-20 minutes, or when toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool 5 minutes, then flip cake onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

If you don't have six cake pans, don't make the same mistake I did.  I chose not to forgot to grease and flour the pans again, after the first batch of cakes came out of the oven.

When the second batch came out, they stuck to the pan, and Asher got to eat some Raspberry Cake Crumbles.  I had to steal another cake mix from my grandma.

Recipe Adapted from Cheeky Kitchen

White Chocolate Buttercream

1 package Ghiredelli White Chocolate Chips

2 sticks Unsalted Butter, room temperature

2 1/2- 3 pounds Powdered Sugar

Enough Milk to desired consistency

Melt chips in microwave safe bowl or double boiler.  You don't want them hot, just melted.

Beat butter until whipped and creamy.

Pour in melted chips and whip IMMEDIATELY on high speed until incorporated.

Slowly add powdered sugar and whip once incorporated.

Add milk as needed, being careful not to add too much.

Because this has chocolate and liquid in it, it will begin to set.

Not to the point of being a hard shell, but enough the can become more difficult to spread.

The frosting in between each of the cake layers will stay nice and soft, while the outside frosting will develop a nice candy-like crusting.

Frost and enjoy!

Next year I will skip the Photography, because everyone gets a ribbon like in T-Ball; and focus more on the Baking Division.  It is less saturated with participants.

Next year Asher can start entering as well, so it should be fun.

We will make sure to PAY ATTENTION to the deadlines:)

Keeping It Simple, My Junk Drawer, Making the World Cuter, Craft-o-Maniac, The Girl Creative,
A Well Seasoned Life 
The Blackberry Vine, Today's Creative Blog
Topsy Turvey,
Vintage Wanna Bee, Tip Junkie
Funky Polkadot Giraffe, 4 Princesses
My Girlish Whims, Lady Behind the Curtain, Sugar and Dots, Lil' Luna  
Free Pretty Things For You
Someday Crafts 
A Step in the Journey, Trendy Treehouse  
House of Hepworths, Fireflies and Jellybeans
Bear Rabbit Bear 
WhipperBerry, Ladybird Ln, Little Lucy Lu, Delicate Construction, The Answer is Chocolate, Faith Trust and Pixie Dust
Just a girl
Cupcake Apothecary

{Recipe} German Chocolate Frosting

German Chocolate Frosting

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Evaporated Milk

1 stick Butter

3 Egg Yolks

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 1/3 cup Coconut

1 cup Chopped Pecans

Mix sugar, milk, butter, and egg yolks in a saucepan on medium heat.  

Cook until thick- about 12 minutes.  Stir in vanilla, coconut, and pecans.

Thicken frosting with more coconut, or add more milk for a thinner frosting.

Allow frosting to slightly cool, all while resisting the urge to spoon this straight into your mouth:)

Frost your cake, cupcakes, or chocolate covered donuts and enjoy!

Linking up~ My Girlish Whims, Free Pretty Things For You, Trendy Treehouse, Sugar and Dots, Lil Luna, Sisters Stuff
Whipperberry,  Delicate Construction,  LadybirdLn

{Recipe} Easy Nutella Buttercream Frosting

Easy Nutella Buttercream Frosting

2/3 cup Nutella

1 stick Unsalted Butter

1 lb Powdered Sugar, roughly 4 1/2 cups

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Milk to desired consistency

Directions

Whip the Nutella and butter together until well incorporated.  Add the powdered sugar and vanilla.  Add the milk if the frosting seems too thick. 

I didn't have to add any milk, as the hazelnut oils in the Nutella give the frosting the consistency I desired.  This is a soft, light frosting, so I just used an offset spatula; rather than attempting to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.

This recipe can easily be doubled

This tastes great on the chocolate cupcakes I made.  Asher loved it on saltine crackers, graham crackers, toast and pretzels.

Note~ Because of the oils in the Nutella, this frosting does not hold up well in the sun.  Place the cupcakes in the fridge, then display in the shade if serving outside, if possible.  These cupcakes were all gone, so you may not have to worry about it anyway;) 

Linking to~ Skip to My Lou, Topsy Turvey, Tip Junkie, The Blackberry Vine, My Girlish Whims, Trendy Treehouse, Sugar and Dots, Sisters Stuff, Lil' Luna,
Faith Trust & Pixie Dust, Ladybird Ln, Whipperberry,Paisley Passions
Tatertots and Jello, The Creative Crate, LollyJane,

{Recipe} Fresh Raspberry Buttercream with Chocolate Cake

Fresh Raspberry Buttercream

2 sticks of Unsalted Butter

2 lbs Powdered Sugar

1 1/2 cups Fresh Raspberries

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

Cream the butter, then add powdered sugar one cup at a time.  Add the vanilla. 

The frosting will be thick, but you don't want to add any milk; the juice from the berries will add the necessary moisture. 

The frosting will still slightly breakdown, so frost your cake, then place in the fridge to firm up the frosting.  Top your cake with several fresh berries before you place the cake in the fridge. 

The chilled frosting brings out the flavors of the raspberries, but you could serve at room temperature as well.

You can get a regular buttercream recipe in THIS post

Enjoy, because you will want to eat this by the spoonful, with chocolate graham crackers, through a straw... this frosting is sinfully good.

Linking to~ The Blackberry Vine, Topsy Turvey, Tip Junkie, Vintage Wanna Bee

Young Nester, Sisters' Stuff, Free Pretty Things For You, Lil' Luna, Trendy Treehouse, Your Girlish Whims

Thrifty 101, WhipperBerry

{Recipe} York Peppermint Brownies

I saw this recipe for Cool Peppermint Brownies on Cheeky Kitchen last year, and I finally made them this weekend.

My Review and Adaption of Cool Peppermint Brownies

{If you want the entire recipe, in original form, click on the link above and go to Brooke's site}

Pros~ That Mint Buttercream Frosting was a little piece of heaven.  It was so easy to make, and I could have eaten a whole bowl with some chocolate cookies.  It is light, and not overpowering.

My Frosting Adaption was...

1 stick of butter

1 lb of powdered sugar + up to 1 cup

1 1/2 t of peppermint extract

4 T milk

The Chocolate Topping was...

1 3/4 chocolate chips

4 T butter

I used Ghirardelli 60% Dark to make Matt happy, but I thought it was much too rich.  Next time I will use 1/2 cup 60% dark, and 1 1/4 c milk chocolate.

Cons~ I am not a brownie fan to begin with.  My cousin Christie has a great recipe that I actually sneak the edges off of because they are crispy, chewy, chocolaty, and delicious all at once. 

I did not get that from this recipe. 

 It actually turned out to be more of a cake than a brownie.  All of the butter rose to the top and melted out, and all of the mini chocolate chips sank to the bottom.  The result for my baking experience as well as a friend's, both resulted in a dry cake that didn't do the frosting justice.

 As I have established in multiple posts I am a nerd, and I also like even flavor distribution on everything because I am somewhat OCD.  By baking this in a 9x13 pan instead of a jellyroll pan, there was an improper frosting to brownie ratio. 

Result~ Using Christie's brownie recipe + a jellyroll pan + with the peppermint buttercream frosting and milk chocolate topping = The Ultimate Brownie Combination (As chocolate and mint can never be a bad thing)

{Recipe} Buttercream Frosting & Lemon Curd Cupcakes

I had to make six dozen cupcakes for Andrew and Whitney's Wedding Luncheon. I wanted them to by easy, delectable, and semi homemade (but not in the Sandra sort of way.)

 I gave myself certain criteria~

 chocolate cake-box

 white cake-box

bright white buttercream frosting- homemade

 little sugarpaste flowers-homemade

Cobalt Blue and White Polka Dot Liners...

 and a surprise inside each cupcake

For the chocolate cupcakes, I added mini chocolate chips to the batter.

For the white cupcakes, I added an oh so divine Lemon Curd recipe.  It was super easy.

Note: I used my micro cheese grater instead of a carrot peeler.  It went faster, and I didn't have to worry about getting any of the white pith in.

I wanted to put a raspberry puree in the chocolate cupcakes, but as they are not in season right now, it would have been much too expensive.  Maybe this summer:)

I really like how this recipe for buttercream frosting turned out.  Fortunatley I remembered what I did this time, since I haven't ever written my "concoctions" down. 

Bright White Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks Unsalted Butter- room temperature

2 lbs CandH Powdered Sugar

2 t Clear Vanilla

3+ T milk (+ means to desired consistency)
covers approx. 2 dozen cupcakes

Use whisk attachment and cream the butter.  Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until incorporated.  Scrape the sides down often. 

If it is too stiff or crumbly, add 1 Tablespoon of milk and the vanilla.  Once the powdered sugar is incorporated, start adding the milk 1 Tablespoon at a time until you get the consistency you want. 

*If you don't add enough milk, the frosting will be more difficult to pipe.  If you add too much, the frosting will not only by runny and refuse to hold it's shape, it will also take on a separated/greasy look. Greasy=frowny face. 

Once you have the frosting where you want it, turn your mixer on high and whip for 1-2 minutes.  Pipe to your hearts content, and make sure to cover the frosting if you have to leave it.

Don't wait to long to decorate, or the frosting will develop a super thin crust and the decorations won't stick.  

To decorate, I used edible sugar paste flowers that I rolled out and cut in three different sizes and styles.  When the flowers hardened, I used canary yellow luster dust  and colored the centers of the largest flowers.

I learned so much on this baking adventure.  I have much to utilize on the next project.  My mom requested these as her birthday present this weekend, so I have to get to it:)

Happy Baking!

Onesie Cookies

My cousin had a baby shower for her soon to be arriving little boy Ryker.  I love this onesie cookie cutter, and so I volunteered to make some yummy cookies.  I still want need to get the larger cookie cutter, because then you can add more details to the onesies:) 

The cookies were so soft and fresh; baked and stored from the night before, just begging to be covered.  The frosting was a buttercream that melted in your mouth.  I just threw it together, but forgot to write down my concoction.  Hopefully I can remember how to make this buttery goodness next time I need it!

Asher actually gave me the idea to make the baby block cookies.  When I frosted the white on it looked like a W to him, and I thought that an R for Ryker would wonderfully.  Asher was also super excited when I whipped out my edible disco dust to give the cookies a fun but still boyish sparkle.

I made Allie two onesies for Ryker and some homemade Baby Legs out of tube socks.  I love the look of argyle, and the argyle onesie was so easy to make. 

Supplies

onesie- mine was Gerber brand 12 month old

Stretch Blue Denim Fabric

Wonder Under

Needle

Coordinating Embroidery Floss

I fused a strip of Wonder Under in size I needed onto the fabric.  I then free handed the diamond shape and ironed it onto the onesie.  I threaded the needle and stitched the pattern I wanted.  I had everything on hand, so the cost was great:)  I want to make a girl version for Abbie to wear. It is so easy! 



For the Firetruck Onesie, I purchased a felt firetruck iron on patch.  Ryker's daddy is a firefighter, and this was added to the collection of all of the cute firetruck oriented presents Allie got.  All I had to do was iron it on, though I would like to figure out a way to do these on my own:)

Allie looked pretty, and she was so happy at the shower.  It is always a blast to get presents, especially when you are so close to having the baby in your arms.  Saturday was such a fun day... relaxing, not rushed.

{Recipe} Orange Buttercream Frosting

This cake was soooo yummy. It tasted just like a chocolate orange. I can still taste it as I type.

I did a chocolate cake made from scratch, and a homemade orange frosting/ cake filling. For the hearts I just purchased some of the Wilton Melting Wafers in Light Cocoa and piped out hearts with different designs in the middle.

Orange Frosting Recipe
4 T Softened Butter
1/2-1 t Vanilla
3 cups Powdered Sugar
3-4 T Fresh Orange Juice
Zest of 1 Orange

Mix it all together with an electric mixer. you may have to add more or less juice to get the desired consistency. I had to make two batches of frosting to cover two- nine inch cake rounds, and fill in between. I wouldn't suggest automatically doubling the recipe as it may dilute the intensity of the orange flavor. 6-8 T of orange juice may be too much in one batch, and by scaling it back you would lose some of that orange-y goodness. Maybe it wouldn't, I don't know.