Day 1 Star Wars Princess Leia Marshmallows #12daysofStarWars

Hey all! Hello to you and to December! 

Not only is it holiday season (Happy Hanukkah to all that celebrate!) but it's also the month that Star Wars - The Force Awakens comes out.  And if you haven't been hit over the head enough with all of the Star Wars merch (thank you Disney marketing machine!) I have a fun countdown for you.  

I'm doing the #12daysofStarWars where I'll be sharing a SW themed treat everyday from here on until the movie opens.  Why? 

1. We all love all that is Star Wars in this house
2. It's a great story - good versus evil and all that goes with it
3. I'm pretty much crazy.  Full time job - YES, 3 kids in elementary school - YES, plans a post a day for 12 days - YES.  See crazy.

But whatever, a new Star Wars movie doesn't happen every year and the whole world needs a distraction from the real life good versus evil that seems to be so prominent these days. 

Enough of me babbling on....First up:

The 1st DAY OF STAR WARS

Princess Leia Marshmallows!  

Doesn't everyone love Princess Leia??

She's can hold her own with the boys and is funny.  And not to shabby with a blaster either. Well ignore that she shoots at stormtroopers who can't aim for {insert poo emoji}.

These marshmallows can't be any simpler.  Some marshmallows, Hershey's kisses, and some melted chocolate are needed to make her face and iconic bun hair.

Isn't she just so cute?? And I had to make a little Han to go along with her.

Are you super excited for the new movie?? We of course got our tickets already.  Not going opening nite (although I definitely debated going to the midnight show but nixed that since it's a school nite).  BUT we are going opening weekend.  Woo! (must stay off social media once the movie opens on the 18th - technically 17th if you go to the midnight shows!)

I sure hope the movie is great - the trailers look pretty awesome so I have a *new hope* (sorry couldn't resist)

Stop back everyday for another Star Wars treat or follow along on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter! #12daysofStarWars @sugarswings

How To Make Princess Leia Marshmallows 

Ingredients:

• 10 regular sized marshmallows
• 24 Hershey's kisses
• 10 mini heart sprinkles
• 1 cup of chocolate chips
• Black edible food writer

Directions:

1. Remove foil from kisses and cut off the tips (these will be the "buns")
2. Melt chips in microwave safe bowl in 20 second intervals.  Once just melted add to a quart size freezer bag.  Snip a small corner and "pipe" on hair.  
3. Add chocolate bun to each side.  You may have to hold in place until chocolate hardens.  Repeat for other marshmallows.
4. Add a tiny bit of melted chocolate to the back of heart sprinkle.  Add to marshmallows as mouth.
5. Use edible marker to add 2 small eyes.

Summer in December "Sandmen"

We are experiencing some really mild temperatures in Jersey right now.  So mild that on many of us ate outside for Thanksgiving dinner.  It was a little bizarre but it sure was nice.  That said it kinda doesn't feel like December should be starting this week here.

So I thought I'd share a treat with you to welcome in December with sandmen instead of snowmen!

They were very simple to make with some toasted coconut marshmallows.  The toasted coconut reminded me of sand so "sandmen" had to be made.  

Just stack them and "glue" them together with some melted chocolate.  If you want them to stand up, attach them to pieces of graham cracker (used as a base).  

The rest of the details are:

1. Noses are candy coated orange sunflower seeds (attach with melted chocolate)
2. Eyes/mouth are black sprinkles (attach with melted chocolate)
3. Scarves are various flavored Tootsie rolls (microwave for 5 seconds then roll out and cut into scarf shape, snip ends with cooking shears)  
4. Beach balls are made from a vanilla Tootsie roll (microwave for 5 seconds and roll into balls, and color with edible food writers)
5. Beach hats are made from potato chips and vanilla tootsie roll (microwave for 5 seconds and roll into top of hat shape, use little more melted chocolate to keep it together)

 My favorite are the beach hats! They really make the "sandman".

Eat them as a fun snack as is or you can add to cupcakes as fun toppers.

Happy almost December! Only 3 weekends until the Christmas holiday!

Stop by starting next weekend on the 6th as I'll be doing a #12daysofStarWars countdown.  The new Star Wars movie The Force Awakens opens this month on the 18th and to celebrate I'll be sharing a Star Wars treat everyday until then!  Many are new treats but I'll be sharing my favorites over the years too.  

Follow along on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter! #12daysofStarWars @sugarswings

Thanksgiving Pilgrim Turkey Marshmallow Peeps

Hey all, here's yet another turkey treat!  I seem to be a little obsessed with the fowl of the season.  This time I'm using marshmallow Peeps chicks that are out right now and all that left over candy corn you probably have laying around.  

Add some little pilgrim hats just because you can.  

See the easy directions here at sheknows!

Here are the other super simple Candy Turkeys (in case you missed them!)

Super Easy Candy Turkeys for Turkey Day

So it seems every year I try to make edible turkeys since Turkey season aka Thanksgiving is fast approaching.  Making a cute turkey is not so easy for many reasons.  1) They are really not that cute of a real animal 2) You usually need to use brown for the body which can look a bit like - well just think about the poo emoji  3) It's kinda hard to make something that everyone eats for the main course - cute.  

But alas I try anyway!  

This year I went for really really really simple.  You'll need a few candies.  It's a great way to use up all the candy corn you may have left over from Halloween (or go grab some on super sale now at all the stores!)

Peppermint patties make up the "body".  I had leftover heart shapes from Valentine's Day but you could also use regular mini peppermint patty candies.  Eyes are made from royal icing which after dried you add the black part with an edible candy writer.  My other favorite candy to use for projects is candy coated sunflower seeds.  They are used as the "beak" and a piece of red licorice as the gobbler thing.

Enjoy as is or use as cookie or cupcake toppers!

Welcome to November and Turkey season!  I'm already starting to see holiday and Christmas goodies over on Pinterest so I'm get ready for all the yummies on deck!

Here are some of my past turkey attempts! Which is your fav??

Pilgrim and Turkey Cupcake Toppers

Candy Melt Candy Turkeys

No Bake Mini Cookie Pops

Marshmallow & Candy Turkeys

Malt Ball & Candy Turkey Toppers

How To Make Candy Turkeys 

Ingredients:

• Candy corn - in various colors and flavors
• Heart shaped mini peppermint patties (if you can't find hearts you can use round mini peppermint patties)
• Yellow candy coated sunflower seeds
• Red licorice strings
• Candy eyes (made with royal icing or you can buy pre-made candy eyes)
• Chocolate chips or candy melt (as glue)

Directions:

1. Add 1/2 cup of chips/wafers to a quart size freezer bag and microwave on high for 15 second intervals until just melted (usually 3-4 intervals)
2. Snip an end of the bag and "pipe" the chocolate glue onto the small ends of 5 candy corns.  Arrange in a fan shape.  Attach the back of the chocolate patty to the candy corn as in photo.
3. Use melted chocolate and attach eyes, sunflower seed as beak.
4. Cut 1/2 inch of licorice and attach with melted chocolate as the gobbler.

Mini Fudge Bites with Spiders!

Last Halloween treat for the season - little itty bitty fudge bites with some spiders.  Not quite sure they actually qualify as spiders - so maybe we'll just call them random bugs.  I had some left over fudge from the retro joystick fudge so thought I'd squeeze another treat out of them.

I cut them into little mini fudge bites but they were a little plain on their own.  I have melting candy wafers in almost every color they come in, so thought spiders in Halloween colors would be a fun addition to the almost black fudge.

Just melt a few discs of each color in a freezer bag in the microwave until just melted (10 second intervals - this usually takes about 3 nukes for about 10-12 wafers for me).  

Bug eyes were added with a black food writer.

And that's pretty much it!  Super quick and super fun for a last minute Halloween treat.

Put them out on a platter or add a handful to plastic baggie for favors.  OK that's it for Halloween for me, onto Turkey Day!

Thanks for stopping by and Have an Awesome Week!

Fudge Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 - 16 ounce can of chocolate frosting 
• 12 ounces (about 2 cups) of black candy melts/wafers
• 1/2 cup of candy melts/wafers in white, green, purple, orange
• Black food writer

Directions:

1. Microwave black wafers in microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals until just melted.  Stir well until smooth.
2. Stir in frosting.
3. Add to lined 9X9 baking pan.  Smooth and refrigerate until hardened (about 15 minutes)
4. Cut into mini fudge bites.
5. Melt candy wafers of each color in a freezer bag in the microwave until just melted in 10 second intervals.  This usually takes about 3-4 nukes for about 1/2 cup of wafers for me - it could me more/less depending on your microwave. 
6. Snip a small corner and while candy is melted, pipe on spider/bugs.  Let candy harden.
7. Add black eyes with black food writer.

See the other Halloween treats from this year!

Sugar Wafer Mini Halloween Houses

Tri-Color Halloween Madeleines

Meringue Ghosts

Kit Kat Candy Monsters

Oktoberfest Cereal Treats

Halloween Sugar Wafer Mini Houses

I made mini sugar wafer houses - again! I made them a few months back for sheknows and they came out super cute so when I spotted sugar wafers made in cookies and creme and orange creamsicle flavors and I thought they'd make perfect little Halloween houses.  And they did!

You do need to do a little cutting but its not very complicated.  

Once you have the sections cut out, use melted white chocolate chips or melting candy wafers as glue to hold everything together.

Then decorate with seasonal candies and sprinkles to make them Halloween houses.  I added more little birds too.  Little birds with candy corn hats - because, Halloween.

I think they'd be such a cute addition to any Halloween party - maybe as a place card setting?!

Or wrapped up as Halloween party favors!

I had so much fun making these too.  They are made of all the stuff I love Halloween sprinkles, mini, little birds, sugar wafers! Win - win - win - and win!

The countdown to Halloween is on - are you dressing up this year??  How many Star Wars characters do you think there will be? I'm guessing a lot!

Halloween Sugar Wafer Houses

Yields 8-10

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 package cookies and cream and orange cream sugar wafers— you will need about 3-4 wafers per house (depending on how large the wafers are)
• 2 cups white melting candy wafers or white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup black melting wafers
• Jelly beans - black, white, and orange
• Yellow melting candy wafers (for bird details)
• Black food writer 
• Halloween candies or sprinkles
• Candy pumpkins and candy corn

Directions:

1. For the house, cut 2 sugar wafers to give them pointed ends — these pieces will be the front and back of your house.
2. Then, cut 1 piece of rectangular-shaped sugar wafer — these will be the bottom of your house. It should be longer than the width of your pointed wafers as the birds/pumpkins will need to sit on the end of these pieces.
3. Cut 2 rectangular shapes for the roof. Cut them long enough to cover the pointed sides of your first pieces. Use the pictures above as a guide.
4. Melt candy wafers or chips in a Ziplock bag in the microwave in 10 second intervals until all melted. Snip the corner of one end to pipe the candy.
5. Add some melted candy to the pointed sugar wafers and "glue" them together. Glue the pointed sugar wafers on top of your base while making sure there is enough room at the end for your birds/pumpkins. Glue the pieces that will be your roof on each side of the pointed sugar wafers. You may need to experiment with your first house to see what will be the right fit. Cut a small piece of wafer and glue it to the very top of the birdhouse to give it a more completed look.
6. Add melted white chips and black candy wafers to add doors.  Once dried pipe a small door knob.  
7. Attach Halloween candies and pumpkins with more melted candy.
8. Using yellow melting wafers, attach jelly beans to the ends of your bird houses or on roof. Add the beaks and feet with yellow melting wafers.
9. Add bird eyes with a black food writer.  For black birds add white eyes with melted white chips.
10. For bird hats, use white and black melted chips/wafers and pipe a dime sized disc onto parchment paper.  Cut candy corns in half and add the pointed tip (wider side down) into the melted candy while still wet.  Let harden for 10 mins.  Once hardened attach hat to jelly beans with more melted chips/wafers.

See the these other Mini Sugar Wafer Birdhouses here

Tri-Color Halloween Madeleines

I made more madeleine cookies - this time more Halloween themed! Ever since I got a madeleine pan a few years back, I can't stop making them.  A couple of Halloweens ago I did them in candy corn colors here.

They are still one of my all time favs today but I thought I'd try some other Halloween colors too.

This Halloween I went with purple, orange, and black.  

Once you have your batter mixed up and tinted, add it to plastic freezer bags, snip an end and pipe your colors.

Keep an eye on them while they bake (only about 7-8 mins or so) so they don't brown too much.

 Madeleine cookies are buttery and delicious on their own but the fun colors always make them even more special.  Add a little melted white chocolate and some holiday sprinkles to Halloween them up even more - although totally optional really not needed.

Enjoy them with a nice cup of coffee or tea - just not pumpkin spice, I'm so over pumpkin spice since the PS everything has ruined it for me.

Only about 2 weeks to Halloween! Woo!

Check out my other madeleine cookies here.  They are so fun to make in lots of colors and stripes.  

Striped Halloween Madeleines

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
• Black, orange, and purple food gels
• 3 quart sized freezer bags
• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
• Halloween sprinkles/candies

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray your madeleine pan with non-stick spray
2. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and vanilla on high until well mixed
3. Add confectioner's sugar and continue mixing until all combined
4. Mix  flour and baking powder in a separate bowl.  Add flour mixture to the egg mixture 1/2 at a time and mixing well in between
5. Fold in melted cooled butter.
6. Separate batter into 3 bowls.
7. Tint each bowl orange, black, and purple
8. Add tinted mixtures to 3 separate freezer bags
9. Snip 1/8 inch from each corner of the bag and pipe color layers into each madeleine cookie mold
10. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until just done (do not over cook as the cookies will brown and you will not be able to see the layers of colors as nicely)
11. Let cool and decorate with melted white chocolate chips and/or halloween sprinkles

Colorful Halloween Meringue Ghosts

I love this time of year, not only is it monster season, but it's also ghost season!  Make some colorful little ghost meringues this year.  Meringues are pretty simple to make with just a few ingredients needed and these ghosts really don't need any major piping skills.  

Although in all transparency, my kids saw these cooling and thought I made colorful poo emojis! I can see their point, however I'm going with ghosts :)

See more details here at sheknows!

See more fun spooky treats on my side bar here from past Halloween seasons 

Like these Ghost Cupcakes in Fall Flavors

Or these Coffin & Skeleton Mini Cakes

Happy Halloween Season! Thanks for stopping by.