Sugar Swings! Serve Some: 2016

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Super Hero Villain Gingerbread Men Cookies


Super Hero Villain Gingerbread Men Cookies

Hey all, it's only 5 days to Christmas! My kids are already so excited that they already are too excited to go to sleep and feel like everyday is taking forever.  I miss that feeling - I'm in a bit of a panic as I still feel like I have a bunch of stuff to run around and get.  The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas flies by faster and faster every year.  I guess I'm just old now!

That said, I did make time for gingerbread men as that's always a request from my kiddos this time of year.

I do them every year with a new theme, this year is:

Super Hero Villains!

Super Hero Villain Cookies

I've done super heroes before here so figured it was time to give their arch enemies some equal blog time.

I started with my favorite blank canvas - gingerbread men cut outs.  I used a gingerbread cookie mix to speed up the process, but of course you can use your favorite homemade recipe as well.


Do some prep work with royal icing and then add detail with melted candy wafers (I have almost every color they come in) and various sprinkles and edible food writers for more detail.


I just googled pictures for all my favorite villains - like the rebooted duo of Harley Quinn and Joker from Suicide Squad!

Harley Quinn and Joker cookies

Mystique from X-Men is one of my favs too - escorted by Thanos and Magneto of course.

Thanos Mystique Magneto cookies

It's actually hard to pick a favorite villain.  I mean who would you pick? Cat Woman, Poison Ivy, or the Riddler?? They are all so unique and fun.  I was only going to do a handful but then had a hard time narrowing them down!  Go figure.

Poison Ivy Cat Women The Riddler Cookies

Ultron got a little funky but I love Venom's red tongue!  I don't know Red Skull as well but one of my kids said he was a must - he's the archenemy of Captain America, apparently.

Ultron Red Skull Venom cookies

And of course the trio from Batman.  (The Penguin's umbrella is a candy coated pretzel stick!)

Mr. Freeze The Penguin Two-Face cookies

A couple of docs (as in Doom and Octopus) and Loki - Thor's evil brother - is he really evil or just misunderstood?? Don't really care and I love him regardless!

Doctor Doom Doc Ock Loki cookies

And for those of you that can't blend comic book universes (you know who you are!), here they are with their own "kind"!

Marvel Villains

Marvel villain cookies

And

DC Villains

DC Villain cookies

I've been making gingerbread men over the past few years so it's kind of a tradition now.  Who would you do next in gingerbread form?

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great week!


P.S. Take a look at past themed gingerbread men and ladies!


Super Hero Gingerbread Cookies


Peanuts Gang gingerbread men cookies


Star Wars Trooper Gingerbread Men Cookies


Rainbow Gingerbread Men Cookies


Star Wars christmas gingerbread cookies


Disney Frozen gingerbread men cookies


Disney Princess gingerbread cookies




mint chocolate chip men cookies

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Holiday PEEPS Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake



My edible crafting with marshmallow PEEPS continues! 

The fun people that work with the PEEPS brand were kind enough to send me some of their latest seasonal flavors! Sugar Plum Delight, Cinnamon Roll, Red Velvet, and Sugar Cookie. How fun are they?? 

Although they are already very festive, you can add some easy details and make them really ready for any holiday or Christmas party.


 Make them into wintery polar bears!


Or give them fun little Christmas hats!


Birds get cold too so add some tiny ear muffs!


Or turn them into reindeer - or go directly to the most famous reindeer of all


I usually add PEEPS to cupcakes (which would be A.DOR.A.BLE) but this time went with a Christmas-y chocolate chip cookie cake.


I mean who can resist a huge chocolate chip cookie during the holiday season??


The cookie cake disappeared in no time flat last nite!



Holiday PEEPS Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Ingredients
  • PEEPS chicks in assorted flavors (I used red velvet, sugar plum, sugar cookie, and cinnamon roll)
  • 1 roll of refrigerated cookie dough ( I used chocolate chip)
  • Assorted sprinkles and candies for decorating: orange candy coated sunflower seeds, green m and m's, black and green dot sprinkles, holly and berry sprinkles, red-green-white candy corn, vanilla tootsie rolls, large red ball candy, 
  • Purple candy melting wafers (cut in half)
  • 1 cup of vanilla candy melting wafers
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips (or chocolate candy melting wafers) and green candy melting wafers
  • Green and red food writers
  • Vanilla buttercream (tint some red and green)
  • More holiday sprinkles for cookie cake
Instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. For Rudolph Reindeer PEEPs: Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and add to a freezer bag.  Snip an end and pipe antlers onto parchment paper.  Let harden 5-10 minutes before moving. Attach to cinnamon roll chick with melted chocolate.  Attach large red candy to with melted chocolate as nose.  Use melted vanilla candy and add detail around neck and add green sprinkle in center.
  3.  For Polar Bear: Melt vanilla wafers in a microwave safe bowl and add to a freezer bag.  Snip an end and pipe ears and nose onto sugar cookie flavored chick.  Attach black buttons and nose detail with more melted candy. Soften vanilla tootsie roll for 7 seconds in microwave.  Roll out long strip for scarf.  Cut to size with clean kitchen shears.  Color with red and green food writers.  Wrap around chick as scarf.
  4. For Bird with earmuffs: Attach green m and m's to side of chick with melted candy. Add white band with more melted vanilla candy melts.  Attach orange candy coated sunflower seed with more melted candy.  Attach 1/2 of purple candy melt wafer to side as wings.
  5. For Red Velvet chick with hat: Melt green candy wafers in a microwave safe bowl and add to a freezer bag.  Snip an end and pipe small discs onto parchment paper.  Add christmas candy corn.  Attach small red ball sprinkle on top of hat with more melted candy. Let harden 5-10 minutes.  Use more melted candy and attach holy around neck of chick.  Add holy berries for detail.  Attach hat to top of chick with more melted candy.
  6. For cookie cake: Add cookie dough to a 9X3 springform pan.  Spread cookie dough evenly.  Bake for 30 minutes or until top of cookie is just browned.  Let cool completely.
  7. Remove cookie cake from pan and pipe buttercream around the outside top edge.  Add christmas or holiday sprinkles. 
  8. Add decorated PEEPS on top.  Slice and serve.
Prep time: 60Yield: 1 - 9 inch cookie cake

Friday, December 9, 2016

Winter Bird on Mini Chairs & Trees Cupcakes


Hey all! I'm trying to get myself into the holiday spirit since we're only about 2 weeks away from Christmas (and Hanukkah too!)

I've used jelly bean birds a bunch of times (scroll down to see more!) so I thought I'd try some little winter birds this time around.


I also love love LOVE mini things so thought they'd be cute on some mini chairs or trees.

The chairs are made from pretzel sticks "glued" together with some chocolate.


The chairs have a nice rustic look and are perfect perches for these little birdies!


I love Jelly Belly jelly beans because they have great colors and some look almost mottled and very much like bird colorings already.  Add some little details - super easy with some melted candy - and you get some cute little winter birds.  Don't forget to add simple eyes with a black food writer!


The trees are made from Hershey's Bells and Kisses stacked on top of each other.  Use whatever flavor you like since it gets covered in green melted candy wafers.  I used peppermint to go along with the winter theme.


Use your favorite cupcake recipe and white frosting as snow.


Put all of it together to make a fun little winter scene.


And don't worry about being perfect with you candy melt "piping"! Small details are needed and it doesn't take a lot of skill.  Once you practice on one or 2 birds it gets easy and the results are super cute!  


Making these cupcakes really did help to get me in the winter holiday spirit!

Thank you for swinging by and have an AMAZING weekend!  Take time to enjoy the moments and don't forget to spread some kindness in the world!


Little Birds on Pretzel Chairs and Tree Cupcake Toppers
Ingredients
  • Pretzel sticks
  • 1 cup chocolate chips or chocolate candy melts 
  • Assorted color jelly belly beans
  • 1/4 cup of black, blue, red, and yellow candy melts
  • Black food writer
  • Hershey's Kisses and Hershey's Bells chocolate candy
  • 1 cup of green candy melts
  • Star sprinkles
  • White non-pareil sprinkles
  • 12 of your favorite cupcakes with white icing
Instructions:
  1. To make chairs.  Break or cut pretzel sticks into sizes (2 long and 9 smaller pieces) 
  2. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and add to a freezer bag.  Snip and end and add some chocolate to pretzel stick and attach as in picture to "glue" chair together.  Let harden at least 15 minutes before moving. Repeat for as many chairs as you need.
  3. For birds: Select jelly beans colors you like.  I like Jelly Belly as they are a little mottled which make great birds! Melt each color wafer in a microwave safe bowl and add to a small freezer bag.  Snip and end and add some details to birds (beak, wings, top feathers) as in pictures or use your creativity!  Let harden at least 5-10 minutes or until candy is dry. 
  4. For trees: Melt green wafers in a microwave safe bowl and add to a small freezer bag.  Snip and attach Kiss to Bell to make tree shape.  Add more candy to outside of chocolate to make green trees.  Before candy dries, add either bird or star sprinkle on top (candy must be starting to harden to easily attach or you can hold it in place until candy is firm enough to hold it in place).  Before candy dries also add some white non-pareil sprinkles on outside of trees.
  5. Once chairs are ready, use more melted candy and attach birds to chairs randomly.
  6. Add trees, birds, and chairs to iced cupcakes as toppers.
Prep time: 60Yield: 12 cupcakes

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Autumn Tree Graham Cracker Treats


So I was driving with my kid the other day and we both noted to each other how pretty the day was outside.  A perfect autumn day with leaves all sorts of colors with a pretty blue sky.  Some leaves were still on the trees and some already had fallen to the ground.  It was so nice to not only to take the time to pause and really enjoy the moment - something many of use don't do anymore - but it was also great because I shared that moment with my kid, my baby - who is now 12.


I often get inspired by nature and I wanted to make something that was all autumn.  I've used graham crackers as "canvases" before so thought they would be great as a background for some fall trees.

Start with popcorn! 


I used Skinny Pop popcorn and sprayed it with some Wilton color mist.  Again I love this stuff.  It makes coloring stuff so easy.


Mix it up and you have some fun rainbow popcorn.  


Use some melted chocolate to attach the popcorn to the graham crackers and use pretzel sticks as the tree trunks.  I added some fall leaf sprinkles as fallen leaves.


They definitely remind me of the fall trees we were admiring the other day!

I plan on giving them to some kids that we will be spending time with as part of a Girl Scout volunteer activity.  There is a temple that is hosting some families that are in transit and without a home until they get back on their feet.  I figure some fun treats may brighten their day and make them smile.  With so much anger and unrest these days I'm making it a point to do more to help or make a difference in the world.  Even small things matter.  


Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!


Autumn Tree Graham Cracker Cookies
Ingredients
  • Popcorn (I used Skinny Pop Popcorn)
  • Wilton Color Mist spray in green, yellow, and red
  • 8-10 graham crackers
  • Pretzel sticks
  • 1 cup of chocolate chips
  • Leaf shaped sprinkles
Instructions:
  1. Spread popcorn in baking pan and spray with Color mist (to have a mix of
    "leaf" colors)
  2. Melt chips in a microwave safe bowl and add to a freezer bag.  Snip and end and add some chocolate to pretzel stick and attach to a graham cracker as the tree trunk.
  3. Use more melted chocolate to attach popcorn to cracker as the leaves.
  4. Outline the edges of the graham cracker and attach leaf sprinkles along bottom as fallen leaves.
Prep time: 30Yield: 8-10 graham cracker cookies

Other Graham Cracker Cookies and Treats you may like!

Back to School Graham Cracker Snacks




Xylophone Graham Cracker and Twizzler Treats


Birds on a Wire Graham Cracker Cookies