Author Archives: sweetsimplestuff

Pumpkin Pie Gone Wrong

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This gallery contains 2 photos.

This is the pumpkin pie that I took to my in-law’s yesterday … kind of ugly and embarrassing. This is the pie that I baked to leave at home. Let me tell you what happened … I baked two pies … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Review …

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This gallery contains 7 photos.

What are you making for Thanksgiving?  Here is a quick “round-up” of my Thanksgiving ideas for this year …   Sweet Acorns … I’m bringing a bowl to the in-laws … does it count as a side dish? … or … Continue reading →

Turkey Leg Cake Pops

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This gallery contains 7 photos.

Are these an entrée, appetizer or dessert?  Yes, they are cake pops!  A simple and fun little treat to make for Thanksgiving or anytime. This is what you will need … 2 pounds of milk chocolate candy melts 16 oz. … Continue reading →

Marshmallow Pilgrim Hats

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The weeks are flying by … can you believe it’s mid November?  These little goodies are quick, easy and can be made now and kept until Thanksgiving.  The kids could help  … they’ll love making the Marshmallow Pilgrim Hats … eating the pops too!

0081 marshmallow pilgrim hats

This is what you will need …

  • Large marshmallows (I used the caramel/vanilla swirl, just because)
  • Famous Chocolate Wafers (or something similar)
  • Lollipop sticks
  • Melted dark chocolate (about 1 pound for 24 marshmallows)
  • Melted chocolate of a contrasting color (I just used up some leftovers)
  • Marker with edible ink (oops, forgot it in the photo)

Dip the tip of the lollipop stick in melted dark chocolate … then poke it in the marshmallow … set it aside to firm up.  This will help prevent the marshmallow from slipping around on the stick and create a clean line of chocolate on the stick …

Dip the marshmallow in the chocolate … tap off excess chocolate and place in styrofoam or similar holder.  Then pop them in the fridge or freeze for a few minutes to firm up …

Lay out some chocolate cookie wafers on a cookie sheet (break off any uneven pieces) … dip 1/4 to 1/3 of the chocolate marshmallow in a contrasting color … then place it on top of a cookie …

Use the marker (edible of course) to draw a buckle …

I told you that this project was fast and easy!

Are you wondering who the winner of the giveaway is?

     The winner is #12, Janice!  I will be sending an email.

Thank you to everyone for participating … I hope it was helpful to you … it was to me.

  • I had forgotten about Cost Plus World Market … thanks Carolyn.

  • I never would have thought of Avon … thanks Sandy.

  • Have you ever checked Cracker Barrel’s candy section?  They carry all sorts of stuff.

I ♥ comments …

Marshmallows

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This gallery contains 3 photos.

  Remember the Pumpkin Spice Mallows that I bought at Wal-mart some time ago?  Here are few thoughts on how to use them … Quick and edible cupcake toppers! How about putting them on a stick and using them to … Continue reading →

Cornucopia Cupcakes

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Cornucopia or horn of plenty?  Either way … I think of it as a traditional Thanksgiving symbol.

These are very easy to make and I did find the pumpkins that seemed difficult to locate … i just had to try a different grocery store!

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway … it ends in a few days!

This is what you will need for today’s cupcake project …

    Bugles … that I had to wrestle away from son #2 (he claims they were in an “undesignated” area of the kitchen!), melted chocolate, candy pumpkins, chocolate jimmies and leaf or fall colored jimmies …

  cupcakes and frosting … I used my light chocolate icing and a Wilton #1M tip

Pipe the icing in a swirl motion … starting on the outside edge of the cupcake … *helpful hint … take the cupcakes out of the pan FIRST … I don’t know what I was thinking … I usually end up sticking my finger in the icing when I do it this way, duh!

Add some sprinkles …

Now make the cornucopia … I used a lollipop stick to hold the Bugle while spooning melted chocolate over it … tap off the excess chocolate …

Stand the chocolate Bugles and put in the fridge to firm up …

Dip the Bugle edge in melted chocolate and immediately dip in chocolate jimmies …

Then place it right on a cupcake and add a pumpkin …

Tomorrow … more marshmallows …

 

Supplies, Ingredients, Tools, etc. and a Giveaway !!!

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Do you have a favorite place to find supplies for baking, or crafting?

Where do you buy your ingredients?

Do you buy new equipment/tools frequently or use what you have on hand?

I am not talking about our staple ingredients … we can usually find flour, sugar, etc. … it’s the other stuff …

The only place that I know to find the edible markers that I like … is at local cake decorating store or order online.

So, sometimes I am guilty of hoarding … or at least buying too much … and taking advantage of coupons and sales.

I have picked up a few “necessary” supplies that may be useful … and I am giving them away!!!  Here they are …

Anyway, if I can’t find what I want … I rely on talking with friends … because most of my friends are bakers/cooks/crafters … we can all get helpful info by networking.

Here are some of my reliable sources – Cake decorating stores, Williams-Sonoma, SurLaTable, Michaels, Jo-ann, Wal-Mart, Target, dollar stores, Home Goods, Marshalls, Ross, WinCo Foods, Trader Joes and grocery stores.

What are your sources?  Do you have any secret sources that you would like to share?

To enter the giveaway just leave a comment below … if you have a source to share, that would be great!  The contest ends Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 11:59pm PST.  The winner will be selected via Random.org and notified via email.  Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and only one entry per person.

Giveaway is now over

Pumpkindoodle Cookies

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It’s November and I just realized that I haven’t made anything with pumpkin! I have thought about pumpkin, a lot … cut recipes out of magazines … printed recipes from other blogs … gone thru old recipes … even bought two pie pumpkins … but I still had not baked anything pumpkin! So, I finally did it … and actually came up with a new creation. I hope you enjoy it.

Before I started to make these cookies, I had decided to call them Pumpkin Pie Cookies. Then as soon as I started rolling the dough into balls, then rolling them in sugar with spices … I realized how much they remind me of making Snickerdoodles … and they became Pumpkindoodles!

I will take this time to apologize for the photos … I started this project in the day … and continued at night … I bake better than I take pics … someday I’ll take better pics … someday I’ll get a “big girl” camera … maybe I should learn to use what I have.

First, make the cookie dough –

Have you tried vanilla bean paste?  I think that it adds something special … a richer deeper vanilla flavor … and little flecks of color …

Cream together the butter, vanilla and sugar … see how thick and rich the vanilla paste is … don’t worry if you don’t have the paste, vanilla extract also works well …

It will look like this …

Mix in the flour and salt …

   Cover and set aside …

Now, make the pumpkin filling …

Mix cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar and pumpkin pie spice …

Mix until well combined …

  Set it aside …

Mix up more sugar and pumpkin pie spice to roll the cookies in …

Start the assembly line … roll the cookie dough in balls, about the size of a walnut … then flatten slightly … and dip it in the sugar mixture …

Lay the cookie dough on a parchment lined cookie sheet …

Make a well in the center of the cookie … I used my knuckle … I guess they could be “knuckle print” cookies, not “thumb print” cookies … sorry, I couldn’t resist …

I put the filling in a plastic zip top bag … snipped the corner off … and squeezed the filling into the cookies …

Bake the cookies … cool the cookies … consume the cookies … yum!

P.S.  The cookie dough may seem familiar … it is 1/2 recipe of my favorite Shortbread Cookies.

Pumpkindoodles

Cookies

  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (paste or extract)
  • 2-1/4 cups unbleached flour (or all-purpose)

Filling

  • 4 ounces (1/2 block) cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Sugar Mixture

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Make the cookie dough – Cream together the butter, vanilla and sugar.  Add the flour and salt.  Mix until blended.  The dough will be stiff.

Make the filling – Cream together the cream cheese, pumpkin, spice and sugar.

Make the sugar mixture – In a small bowl, mix the sugar and spice.

Roll the cookie dough in balls about the size of a walnut (1″ to 1-1/4″), flatten slightly.  Roll the dough in the sugar mixture and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Make a well in the cookie dough and fill with pumpkin filling (spoon it or pipe it in the well).  Bake at 375°F for 11-13 minutes or until lightly golden on edges of the cookie.  Cool completely.  Makes about 36 cookies.  Store in a covered container, not airtight.

I love your comments, please leave one …

Turkey Cupcakes

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It’s November … let the holidays begin!!!  Have you been to any stores in the last few days?  The ones that have visited are definitely geared up for the holiday season.

Most of us have many ideas, plans and goals for the upcoming holidays.  I want to share my Thanksgiving ideas with you and then move on.

Here is the first cupcake idea for Thanksgiving … my favorite Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting  that I have shared before.  The reasons that I chose peanut butter are …

  1. Peanut butter is a good turkey color
  2. The turkey head is made with a Nutter Butter peanut butter cookie
  3. My family has a love affair with peanut butter

… or …

Of course, you could make them any flavor you wish

This is what you will need … I tried to give options …

  • Frosted cupcakes
  • Nutter Butter Bites (small round cookies)
  • Candy eyeballs
  • Feathers – candy corn or indian corn (I found it in the Halloween clearance section!)
  • Beaks – candy coated sunflower seeds or candy coated chips
  • Gobbler – candy coated sunflower seeds or heart sprinkles
  • Feet – leaf sprinkles or flower sprinkles
  • A small amount of icing or melted chocolate to use as “glue”

First, place the tail feathers on your turkey cupcake body …

Now, assemble the turkey heads.  Use a toothpick and a little icing to “glue” everything in place.  Tweezers may be helpful.  I do think they are starting to develop personality …

Place the heads on the cupcakes …

They need feet …

They do make me smile … I named this one Mr. Turkey Lurkey …

Hoosier Homemade - Making Your House a Home

I look forward to reading your comments …

Pumpkin Marshmallows

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A few weeks ago I showed you my newest marshmallow finds.  Last night I played with the orange pumpkin ones.   They can be used for so many different themes … fall, harvest, Halloween or Thanksgiving.  I tied a simple name card on the stick as a place card for the Thanksgiving table … useful and edible!  Here are a few ideas done my favorite way … fast and simple …

This is what I used …

  • The black lines are made with an Americolor Gourmet Writer
  • The green leaves are made with melted green chocolate (candy melts) & a toothpick
  • The orange lines are made with melted orange chocolate (candy melts) in a squeeze bottle
  • The green stem is a Sour Punch Candy
  • The brown stem is made with melted peanut butter chips & a toothpick
  • Pumpkin # 3 and #5   have regular white sugar sprinkled on the melted chocolate

Last week while camping, we used these for s’mores … let me just say, they make one mega s’more!  These are the marshmallows that I used …

Just a reminder … some candy can be difficult to find after Halloween.  Yesterday I bought the last bag of “Autumn mix” at my grocery store.  It contained candy corn, indian corn and only 2 pumpkins!!!  I am going to use the candy and indian corn for turkey tail feathers.  I need more than 2 pumpkins for another project!  As soon as I finish typing this, I am off to go candy hunting.

The moral of this story is … stock up on the candy or sprinkles that you can’t find regularly.

I ♥ comments, suggestions, or whatever is on your mind …