Toy Story 4 Pretzels & Mini Cupcakes

Well look finally new post! 

Sheesh it's been since February since I posted something new! I won't bore you with all the details but life is just really busy and moving so quickly and unfortunately the posts are fewer and farther in between. 

But I'm back with 2 of my favs - decorated pretzel snacks and cupcakes!

These are for the new Toy Story 4 movie that's out now.

And there are some new characters too. Super cute and fun!

Make a whole bunch of them since they are pretty simple to make.  I just use various colors of candy melting wafers to decorate and add sprinkles as needed.

You can serve the pretzels by themselves (an awesome sweet and salty combo) or this time I used them as toppers for some mini funfetti cupcakes.

Have you seen the movie?? I haven't - YET! But it's definitely on my upcoming weekend to do list! 

We just started Summer here - and that means my 3 kiddos are home.  They have a couple weeks off before classes and camps start so we're enjoying the easy less stress days. Hoping to get a few new posts together too! 

Thanks for hanging in even though the posts have been meager lately!

PS I do post a lot more frequently over on my Instagram with stuff from the blog AND more sweet and geeky stuff that I love!

Disney Tsum Tsum Pretzel Snacks

Since I love all things cute and tiny - I am a huge fan of Tsum Tsums!

What's a Tsum Tsum you ask? They are cute plush versions of your favorite Disney characters that can be stacked.  They were originally created for Disney Japan since Japan loves all that is cute and tiny as well - but the craze has caught on all over the world.  The name comes from a Japanese term for stack and you pronounce it "soom soom" 

Aren't they the cutest? I am trying to get my kids to collect but they are not as interested as I would have been at that age! My daughter also has this super cute Tsum Tsum t-shirt...

So I was inspired to make them in pretzel snack form!

They actually came together pretty quickly since the base is a square pretzel topped with discs of candy melt circles.  Details are added with other candies, sprinkles, more melted candy melt, and edible food writers.

You can mix and match your favorite characters.  They pretty much all come in Tsum Tsum form these days and not just plushies either - there are plastic or vinyl figures, games, and all kinds of other trinkets, clothes, and stuff plastered with Tsumy cuteness.

My favs are still Mickey and Minnie and Donald and Daisy

But Pooh and his friends come in a close 2nd!

Do you love Tsum Tsums? Which are your favs?? 

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by!

Disney Tsum Tsum Pretzel Snacks

by Michelle Clausen May 20 - 2017

Ingredients

• Pretzel squares
• Various color candy melt wafers (plus extra for melting to attach to pretzel and adding details)
• Various candy and sprinkles (m and m's, candy coated sunflower seeds, heart shaped sprinkles, various colors of non-pariels)
• Black edible food marker

Instructions:

1. Melt wafers in a microwave safe bowl and add to a freezer bag.  Snip an end and attach wafer to pretzel square.  Eeyore is made with purple disc and part cream colored disc.
2. Use more melted candy in coordinated colors to attach other candy/sprinkles as the detail.  Follow pictures for directions.
3. Add additional detail with edible food writers.

Prep time: 45 minutes Yield: about 24 pretzel snacks

Potted Plant Cake Bites (Baby Groot, Harry Potter Mandrakes, and Little Shop of Horrors Audrey II

Is everyone excited for Guadian's of the Galaxy Volume 2?? It opens on May 5th and its one we've definitely been waiting for since Vol 1.  Hoping the story and the soundtrack are as excellent as the first! 

So in prep I made some Baby Groot cake bites.  My kiddo reminded me that in Vol 2 Baby Groot has grown a bit and no longer needs his pot - but way too cute not to keep him in the pot for now.  

And since I was "planting" I thought there should also be some mandrakes - you know those potted plants that when you pull them out of the dirt will scream - and can be deadly! Make sure you wear your earmuffs if taking Herbology with Professor Sprout!

And one of the other "famous" potted plants is the blood craving plant Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors.  She starts out so little and cute until Seymour finds out she needs human blood to thrive - not so cute anymore!

My green thumb for growing real plants is pretty bad but this kind of planting I can handle!

Pots are made using a plastic candy mold (cordial cup but you can use any cup shaped mold you have) and candy melts.  Fill with cake bite mixture and top with crushed chocolate cookies or "edible moss".  I have a post on edible moss you can find here.  

Baby Groot is definitely my fav - as he seems like he's dancing away in his little cup.

And those mandrakes are most definitely super annoying!

Have a great week all!

Baby Groot, Harry Potter Mandrake, and Little Shop of Horrors Audrey II Cake Bites

by Michelle Clausen April 29 - 2017

Ingredients

• 1 cup of candy melts/wafers in (use whatever color you prefer) for flower pots
• 1 cup of chocolate chips or candy melts/wafers
• 1/4 cup red candy melts/wafers
• 10 Square pretzels and 10 pretzel sticks
• 10 Teddy Graham graham crackers
• Green leaf sprinkles 
• 10 black and 10 green jelly beans
• 1 cup of chocolate cake bite mixture (about 1 cup of crumbled cake mixed with 1 tablespoon of frosting)
• 1/2 cup of crushed chocolate wafer cookies

Instructions

1. Melt each candy wafers in a microwave safe bowl in 20 second intervals in microwave.  Coat mold on the outside to create pot shape (you may need to let candy harden and repeat to get a thick enough wall to your pot).  Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until candy is hardened.  Pop shape out of mold.
2. Add cake bite mix to each pot to fill almost to the top.  Sprinkle with crushed cookie as dirt.
3. For Groot: Cut the 2 ends of each black jelly bean - for eyes.  Melt chocolate in microwave safe bowl in 20 second intervals - add to plastic bag, snip and end and "pipe" chocolate onto pretzel.  Before chocolate hardens, add green leaf sprinkles to top randomly, add eyes eyes.  Let chocolate harden for 10 minutes.  Draw wood lines and mouth with a toothpick.  Pipe chocolate onto pretzel stick as Groot body.  Before it hardens add a head and let harden 10-15 minutes.
4. For Mandrakes: Melt chocolate in microwave safe bowl in 20 second intervals - add to plastic bag, snip and end and "pipe" chocolate over teddy graham into mandrake body shape.  Repeat with green candy wafers and add leaves on top.  Let chocolate/candy harden for 10 minutes.  Draw mandrake face with a toothpick.
5. For Audrey II: Melt green wafers in microwave safe bowl in 20 second intervals - add to plastic bag, snip and end and "pipe" 3 leaves for each Audrey.  Let harden for 5-10 minutes. Pipe one nickel shaped circle of melted green candy to parchment paper, add green jelly bean to center and add leaves around - use more melted candy as needed.  Melt red wafers and pipe on mouth.  Let harden for 10 minutes.
6. Insert Groot and mandrakes into pots (push into "dirt" to stand them up) and set Audrey's on top of dirt. 

Prep time: 1 and 1/2 hours Yield: about 30 cake bites (10 of each)

Narwhal and Unicorn Sweet & Salty Pretzel Snacks

Narwhal versus Unicorns!! Which would you choose?

I know the popular choice would be unicorns. Duh, they are like everywhere.  Those awesome unicorn cakes are on all my social feeds.  I can't get away from them. But I don't want to - they are so cute and creative, love them all!

BUT I am probably leaning toward the narwhal - aka unicorn of the sea

Whales with unicorn horns.  What's not to love?  It's like a long lost cousin - you don't really look alike except for that one weird family trait that gets passed along.  And bonus - they are real! As much as I love unicorn stuff, they are unfortunately not real.  Sorry to burst any bubbles out there.

And my unicorns and narwhals are pretty easy to make.  They start with a candy melt/wafer on top of a pretzel square. 

Their horns are candy coated sunflower seeds (which are one of my favorite pseudo candies to decorate with!)

And I know my narwhals look a bit like fish with party hats AND the unicorns look like girls with curly rainbow hair but please let's suspend judgement and play along!

And BTW both are fun sweet and salty treats!

But which would you choose??

And happy almost Saint Patrick's Day! I've been away from my fam all week on a work trip so instead of celebrating out at the parades - I'll toast to all that is green and Irish from the comfort of my cozy couch snuggling my 3 kiddos and hubby!! Miss them!

Narwhal and Unicorn Pretzel Snacks

by Michelle Clausen March 15 - 2017

Ingredients

• 24 pretzel squares
• 18 light blue candy wafers plus 1/4 additional blue candy wafers
• 12 vanilla/white candy wafers 1/4 additional white candy wafers
• 12 white candy coated sunflower seeds
• 12 pink candy coated sunflower seeds
• Rainbow sprinkles
• Rainbow candy curls (or use other rainbow sprinkles)
• 24 white confetti sprinkles (for unicorn ears)
• Pink edible food marker
• Black edible food marker

Instructions:

For Unicorns:

1. Melt white wafers in a microwave safe bowl and add to a freezer bag.  Snip an end and attach white wafer to pretzel square.  
2. Pipe more melted candy over edges of wafer and attach rainbow candy curls as mane.
3. Pipe more melted candy and attach pink candy coated sunflower seed as horn. 
4. Pipe more melted candy and white confetti sprinkles as ears.
5. Add additional detail (eyes, nose, rosy cheeks, ear color, stripes on horn) with edible writers.

For Narwhals:

1. Melt blue wafers in a microwave safe bowl and add to a freezer bag.  Snip an end and attach blue wafer to pretzel square.  
2. Cut blue wafer into quarters and use 1/4 as narwhal tail.  Attach with more melted blue candy.
3. Add some melted candy on top of tail and sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles.
4. Pipe more melted candy and attach white candy coated sunflower seed as horn.
5. Before candy dries add sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles around horn.
6. Add additional detail (eyes, nose, rosy cheeks, stripes on horn) with edible writers.

Prep time: 45 minutes Yield: about 24 pretzel snacks

Beauty & The Beast Decorated Pretzel Squares

Are you guys as excited as I am for the new Beauty and the Beast movie opening on March 17th??

Belle has been my daughter's fav princess since she was tiny so we are totally making it a girl's nite out to see the movie.  So fun.

And although I love that Emma Watson (aka Hermione Granger) is Belle, I'm really excited to hear some of my favs as the infamous furniture and stuff in Beast's castle.  In case you hadn't heard, the voice line-up is pretty sweet:

Ian McKellen is Cogsworth the Clock

Emma Thompson is Mrs. Potts the teapot

Ewan McGregor is Lumiere the candlestick

Stanley Tucci is Forte the piano

And some of the other peeps are neat too:

Kevin Kline is Maurice (Belle's dad)

Josh Gad is LaFou (Gaston's lackey - he was also Frozen's Olaf!)

So in prep for the movie I made some pretzels decorated as Belle, Beast, and their time sensitive rose.

In general they are pretty easy to make.  I have a ton of candy melts in various colors and sprinkles hanging around the house so it was easy to pull these together on a Friday nite.

You could make your own little candy roses in place of these cereal roses, but I just happened to have some Moana cereal in the house (the cereal marketers get me every time!) so it worked out well.  Spray them with some edible food spray and you have some quick roses that actually are pretty tasty on pretzels snacks.

My kiddos love sweet and salty so decorated pretzel snacks are an easy win for me (see below I've made them a bunch of times).  

Plus that kinda represents Belle and the Beast to me with the sweet and salty theme - although not sure anyone would call the Beast "salty" - let's just go with opposites then!

I may have to save a few and smuggle them into the theater opening weekend when we go see it.  Can't wait!

Beauty and The Beast Movie Pretzel Snacks

by Michelle Clausen March 5 - 2017

Ingredients

• 36 pretzel squares
• 12 white or egg nog candy wafers
• 12 chocolate candy wafers
• 1 cup of white candy wafers
• 1/4 cup extra chocolate candy wafers
• 1/4 cup dark blue candy wafers
• 1/2 cup yellow candy wafers
• 1/4 cup tan candy wafers (or use white and add 1/2 chocolate disc to make tan)
• 36 chocolate candy coated sunflower seeds
• 24 blue confetti sprinkles
• 36 yellow pearl large non-pareil sprinkles
• white mini non-pareil sprinkles
• 12 mini heart shaped sprinkles
• Black edible food marker
• Green licorice candy laces
• Red color spray
• 12 cereal shaped like rose (found using Moana cereal)

Instructions:

For Belle:

1. Melt yellow wafers in a microwave safe bowl and add to a freezer bag.  Snip an end and pipe to cover pretzel square.  
2. Sprinkle with white non-pareils and add white or egg nog wafer to center.
3. Melt chocolate wafers in a microwave safe bowl and add to a freezer bag.  Snip an end and pipe Belle's hair.  While still wet add yellow pearl non-pareils to hair.  
4. Add 2 black eyes with edible food marker.
5. Add heart sprinkle as mouth (attach with white melted candy).

For Beast:

1. Melt blue wafers in a microwave safe bowl and add to a freezer bag.  Snip an end and pipe to cover pretzel square.  
2. Add chocolate wafer to center. 
3. Outline edge with yellow melted candy (use same bag as Belle - if needed reheat candy for 5-10 second intervals until re-melted).
4. Melt tan wafers in a microwave safe bowl and add to a freezer bag.  Snip an end and pipe Beast's mane and fur.  
5. Add candy coated sunflower seeds as horns and nose.
6. Attach blue confetti sprinkles as eyes.
7. Pipe teeth with melted white candy.

For Rose Flowers:

1. Cut 3 small pieces of green licorice strings for rose stems and leaves.
2. Spray cereal shapes with red color spray.  Let dry 10 minutes.
3. Melt white wafers in a microwave safe bowl and add to a freezer bag.  Snip an end and pipe to cover pretzel square.  
4. Add green licorice in shape of stem/leaves.  Add tinted cereal as rose.

Prep time: 60-90 minutes Yield: about 36 pretzel snacks

You may like to other decorated sweet and salty pretzel snacks too!

Minions

Little Jelly Bean Birds

Frozen Friends

Mickey Mouse and Friends

USA Flags

Super Man and Wonder Woman

Football Team Colors

Christmas Ornaments

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

by Michelle Clausen December 9 -2016

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: 60 mins Yield: 12 cupcakes

Other Jelly Belly Birds treats you may like!

Bird on a Wire Graham Crackers

Mini Birdhouse Treats

Jelly Bean Bird Pretzel Snacks

Halloween Sugar Wafer Houses