Owl Cupcakes

The summer has really flown by! As much as I love summer, I’m ready for my favorite season: fall! If only it wasn’t followed by winter! 😀

These little owl cupcakes look perfect for a fall party! They are really easy to assemble, too! 🙂

You will need:

Cupcakes – any flavor you prefer (I choose orange butter cake)

Oreos (or Oreo style cream filled cookies)

Frosting (I used a standard chocolate)

Reese’s pieces

Frost your cupcakes with a thick layer

Separate the cookies. Try to keep the cream in the center intact.

Place the cookies on the cupcake center, cream side up

Cut the cookie pieces with no cream in half. I found it easiest to gently saw it with a small serrated knife. This keeps the cookie from shattering.

Place the cut cookie pieces at an angle above the cream filled cookie, rounded side out.

Stick the brown Reese’s pieces in the center of the cream for eyes (I used a bit of frosting on the bottom so they would stick). Place  the orange and yellow Reese’s vertically  for the nose.

Now go surprise your kids with some cute little owls!

I’ll be joining these fun parties:

Hawaiian Wedding Cake with Whipped Cream-Cream Cheese Frosting

So far this week has been uneventful. We are trying to transition school assignments from one grade to the next. Not a lot of excitement, just a  relaxing pace here! 😉

A few years ago I made this Hawaiian wedding cake for my husband and he really enjoyed it. I kind of forgot about it until the other day when I found it in my recipes. I tweaked the recipe a little to bring out the natural flavors and added a cream cheese frosting made with whipping cream.

For the cake you will need:

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup finely chopped (or crushed) walnuts
3/4 cup flaked coconut
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all of your dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Then mix in the eggs, vanilla and crushed pineapple with all of the juice.

Pour into a well greased pan 9″ round or 9″X13″ rectangle

Bake for about 35 – 40 minutes at 350 degrees (or until toothpick in the center comes out clean). You can serve it this way if you want…or you can kick it up a notch with a simple creamy whipped cream-cream cheese frosting!

For Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting you will need

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (let it come to room temperature for easier blending)
1 cup white sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Gently fold the cream cheese mixture and whipped cream together.

I topped mine with a little toasted coconut. 🙂

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Lemon Pound Cake with Strawberries and Cream

I have been in the mood for sweets lately. Anyone who knows me will tell you, I have a major sweet tooth. My husband was not big into sweets when we first got married, but now after nearly nine years of me constantly baking lots of goodies, I have converted him (Insert maniacal laughter).

Yesterday was a sad day for my creations: it seems everything I tried turned out badly.   Perhaps it was because I didn’t really feel very well, or maybe it was this freaky weather we’ve been having…Let’s just say, it’s not a good sign when one of your kids looks at the white chocolate mousse pie you made and says “Mom! You made a sheep pie!” He was of course referring to the top of my pie which had curdled enough to resemble  lamb’s wool. But my kids enjoyed the pie even if it was botched and that is enough for me. 🙂

Today I was in the mood for strawberry shortcake. And while this isn’t a proper strawberry shortcake, it’s what I grew up eating. 🙂

You will need:

Pound cake

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

Mix eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Pour wet ingredient into dry ingredients and blend until smooth. Add oil and mix well.

Pour ingredients into a well-greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Strawberry Sauce

1 lb fresh or frozen strawberries

1 cup hot water

2/3 cup sugar

2 Tbsp corn starch

Mix hot water and sugar together until sugar dissolves. Pour into blender and add 4 or 5  large strawberries and cornstarch, blend well.

Pour ingredients from blender into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove immediately and cool.

Cut your pound cake into slices and serve with strawberry sauce, the remaining fresh strawberries and homemade whip cream.  Yummy! 🙂

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