Holidays | Grin and Bake It!

Written on August 29, 2010 by Kate

Last week, during the Orange County heat wave, I was in my kitchen making these peppermint Christmas cookies. No, I wasn’t delirious from the heat, just excited about this holiday baker’s give-away that Wilton is sponsoring. After these cookies dried, they were packed up and brought to my dad. I could tell he thought it was odd to receive Christmas cookies in August, but the man is smart and he knows better than to question homemade cookies.

There are 116 shopping days or baking days until Christmas, depending on how you want to look at it. I have gone without a paycheck since June, and am officially poor. (It’s not easy being a teacher!) The word “shopping” has been banned from my vocabulary, so I prefer to think in terms of baking days. I know it seems like there’s plenty of time before the holiday madness starts, but it always seems to sneak up on us.

These peppermint candy cookies are festive for the holiday, but you can use any colors to coordinate with your party theme, and they’d make cute cookie favors. I tried two different decorating techniques for two different effects.

OR

The fabulous people at Wilton are letting me give away one of my most used baking items… this 50 Piece Tool Caddy Decorating Set. This kit will keep your baking tools totally organized, so you’re not always searching for what you need. I keep my caddy in a kitchen cabinet right above my Kitchen Aid, and pull it out whenever I’m decorating.

Here’s what’s inside this 50 piece set:

• A bunch of decorating tips organized in a removable tray

• Flower nail

• Disposable bags and a reusable soft touch bag

• Tip brush for cleaning decorating tips

• Couplers

• Spatula

• 4 of the most popular Wilton gel icing colors

• Beginner’s guide to decorating

This kit is perfect for both beginning and advanced bakers. If you already have a baking tool caddy, this would make a fabulous Christmas present, and you’d be able to check someone off your gift-giving list.

But this is a holiday give-away, right? To get you inspired for all of your holiday cookie baking, Wilton is also including a copy of the Wilton book, Cookie Exchange. It is full of original cookie ideas, and step by step photo instructions.

Here’s how to enter*:

You have a total of 4 chances to win:

(Be sure to leave a separate comment for each.)

We have a winner! Random.org selected comment #105, Miss Jillian. Check out her adorable blog if you have a chance www.missjilliandesigns.blogspot.com . Thanks for playing along everyone. Grin and Bake it will be hosting a fall give-away soon, so stay tuned!

1. Leave a comment telling me what your favorite Wilton product is. Here’s the link if you want to shop!

2. Follow Grin and Bake it ~ Join the Grin and Bake it Facebook group, follow me on Twitter, or sign up for the RSS feed. Scroll down on the sidebar and click under “Follow Me”. (If you’re already a follower, let me know in a comment how you follow the blog.)

3. Subscribe to Grin and Bake It and receive emails when new posts are published. To subscribe, scroll down on the sidebar to “subscribe” and enter your email address. I promise this is totally safe! Post a comment letting me know you subscribed.

4. Tweet this give-away “Christmas comes early… Enter to win Wilton’s holiday giveaway @grinandbakeit http://wp.me/pnls6-2O1

Contest ends on Friday, September 3rd at 9 P.M. Pacific Standard Time. The winner will be selected randomly at random.org, and will be posted on this post. I will send the winner an email letting him/her know that he/she has won. The winner will have 24 hours to respond to the email, otherwise, a second winner will be selected.

*This contest is only open to people living in the U.S. (I do apologize to my Canadian blogging friends.)

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Written on August 1, 2010 by Kate

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These little hula bear cupcakes were fun to make. They were made for a hula birthday party. The birthday girl asked for a few cupcake suggstions when she placed her order. I told her we could make cupcakes with chocolate shells on top, cupcakes topped with fondant Hawaiian flowers, or hula bear beach cupcakes. Without hesitation, she wanted the hula bears. I love a girl that knows exactly what she wants. I had seen many cake and cupcake ideas that use bikini clad Teddy Grahams, so I knew they wouldn’t be too difficult to transform into hula bears with grass skirts.

To pipe onto the bears, you need a thick batch of royal icing. To make sure it’s the right consistency, pull the spoon out of the mixing bowl and make sure that the icing holds its shape without sinking back into the icing mixture. The best way to pipe the details on these very small little bears is with a small piping tip (Wilton #1). The hula outfits were made using Americolor Electric Pink (I love their neon color line), and Wilton’s Leaf Green. To pipe the skirt, I made a layer of small thin lines and let it dry. I then piped another layer on top to make the skirt appear fuller.The bikini tops were made by simply making two small triangles, filling them in with a toothpick, and then making little lines for the tie around the neck.

Once the cupcakes were baked and cooled, I made a batch of buttercream frosting, divided it into two bowls, and tinted it two different colors ~ Americolor sky blue and Wilton’s copper gel color. I just used a tiny bit of each to achieve the colors that I wanted. (By the way, Wilton’s copper gel is the perfect skin color, but you don’t need much.) I frosted the copper color first on all cupcakes first for the sand, varying the amount on different cupcakes to allow for different cupcake scenes. Once the sand was frosted, I filled a small bowl with crushed teddy grahams (crushing in a Ziploc by rolling over with a rolling pin). I then flipped the cupcakes over into the bowl to coat the frosting with the crushed teddy grahams. I brushed any access that had gotten on the part of the cupcake without frosting.

To make the ocean waves, I used the 1M Wilton tip. This is the magic tip that makes the cupcake swirl you see on a lot of cupcakes (see tutorial here), but it’s also a great tip for other purposes. You can make easy cupcake roses using this tip, which I’ll share later this week.

Once the bears are dressed and the water and sand have been piped, the real fun began, using different candies to decorate the cupcake scenes. Rafts,beach towels, and beach chairs can be made using Airhead candies, gum sticks, or fruit roll ups and cutting them to the size you need. The little candy fish came from Powell’s, an old-fashioned candy store nearby that I frequent. Gummi lifesavers served as floating rings, and gumballs were used for beach balls. I had Wilton flower sprinkles that looked Hawaiian-ish that I sprinkled on a few of them. Lastly, a few cocktail umbrellas finished off the scene.

But of course, before they were delivered to the birthday girl, the hula bears were kind enough to pose for me in a little photo shoot. When the birthday girl saw them, she immediately picked out her favorite and instructed her mom to reserve it for her. I’m telling you, the girl knows what she wants ~ I love it! Happy Hula Birthday Kirsten!!

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Written on July 1, 2010 by Kate

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Need a little cocktail inspiration? These are a few of my favorite red, white, and blue creations! Cheers to a great holiday weekend!

Martinis…

Whiteout Cosmo ( top row, 3rd pic.)

Bikini Martini (bottom row, 2nd pic.)

Singing the Blues Martini (bottom row, 3rd pic.)

Slushee Cocktails…

Watermelon Spiked Slushee (top left)

Make-Ahead Cranberry Margaritas (Top right) This is what I’ll be bringing to our block party. Slushee for a hot day and no blender required! LOVE these!

Shots Anyone?

Patriot Layered Shot (top row, 2nd pic.)

Star Spangled Jello Shooters (bottom right) I’m also bringing these!

Finally…

Grown-up Shirley Temple (bottom left)

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Written on June 30, 2010 by Kate

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Do you ever rack your brain trying to come up with an original idea… your very own, never been done, idea? Finally, BOOM! ~ it hits you, something you’ve never heard of… something you’ve never seen… something you’re pretty sure no one else has ever thought of. Before actually claiming ownership of your original idea you Google it, only to find dozens of links to what you can only conclude is your not so original idea. I’m not a psychologist, but I think our psyches were better off pre-Google era. We could easily claim ownership of our original ideas, and spend a lifetime patting ourselves on the back for our brilliance.

As I was brainstorming more easy kid-friendly treats for the Fourth of July, it came to me… “Firecracker Krispies”. It seems only fitting with their “Snap, Crackel, Pop!” slogan. Could it be, I just invented “Rice Krispie Firecrackers”? I bravely typed “Firecracker Rice Krispies” into the search engine and pushed enter. A few links came up, but not what I envisioned. Hmm… I did a few more Google searches, and checked the Kellog’s Rice Krispie website. Nada. Nothing. Zilch!

So without further ado, I present to you my original Firecracker Krispie. Google never lies, but if by chance there is someone out there who has already done this, please I beg you, don’t burst my bubble… at least for a day.

These are really easy to make, and kids with clean hands can join in. You can try substituting pop rocks for sprinkles. Need a 4th of July favor? Put these in cellophane bags, and add a ribbon.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Festive Fourth of July paper
Waxed paper
Non-stick cooking spray (optional)
Chocolate wafers
Sprinkles
Licorice
Star wire
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
4 cups mini marshmallows
3 tbsp. butter

Whip up a batch of Rice Krispie treats (recipe on the cereal box, or click here). Scoop the Rice Krispie/Marshmallow mixture onto a piece of waxed paper.
Take another piece of waxed paper and place it on top. Use your hands to smooth it out into a square shape. If you need to get in there with just your hands, forgo the waxed paper and spray a little bit of non-stick spray on your hands.
Once you’ve made a square-ish shape (no need for perfection), cut 1 ½” strips of the Rice Krispie mixture. Depending on how large you decide to make them, you may want to then cut the strip in half.
Use waxed paper and shape strip into a cylinder. You want to make sure that it stands up, so the bottom needs to be flat. Continue making these Rice Krispie cylinders until you’ve used up your mixture. I made 12 out of one batch (diameter approx. 1 ¼”, 4” tall)
Use a paring knife to hollow out a little hole in the top. This is where the licorice wick will go after you’ve dipped the firecrackers in chocolate. Melt chocolate in the microwave at thirty second intervals, stirring in between. Dip the top of the rice krispie treats into the chocolate, coating well, and shaking off any excess. Add sprinkles before the chocolate dries. Stand them up to set.
While the chocolate is setting, take the licorice piece and gently push it into the top into the hole that you made. As the chocolate hardens, it will help secure the licorice into place.
To finish these off, cut a strip of festive paper 1 ½” wide, wrap it around the circumference and use double-sided tape to adhere. Inside the licorice piece, put a few pieces of colorful, star wire.

Voila… my quite possibly, but I would never swear on it, original Firecracker Krispies. During my Google search, I discovered that Kellog’s was actually having a contest for a July recipe. The deadline was Tuesday. Thanks for bursting my bubble Google!

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Written on June 28, 2010 by Kate

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Yes, I have an obsession with chocolate covered strawberries. The first step to recovery is admitting it, right? When I saw a picture of these patriotic berries that Nicole of Baking Bites made, I knew I had to make a batch of my own. Nicole’s blog is one of the first food blogs I started reading religiously a few years ago. Not only does she have original ideas, but she also knows the ins and outs of baking.

In addition to the star-spangled shooters I posted yesterday, these are another quick treat that will definitely get a lot of attention. Unlike, those jello shooters, these are 100% kid-friendly. Go ahead, put them on the buffet table, and go drink wine with your girlfriends. These will disappear quickly!

Here’s what to do:

Be sure to clean your strawberries before dipping, and buy organic if you can afford to. Make sure your strawberries have dried completely so that the chocolate doesn’t seize up on you.

Put chunks of white chocolate in a small bowl (white chocolate candy wafers are easy to work with). Melt in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between until completely melted.
Fill a second small bowl halfway with blue sanding sugar.
Dip strawberry into chocolate, leaving about 1/3 of the strawberry uncovered.

Before the chocolate sets, dip the bottom third of the strawberry into the sanding sugar.

Place on waxed paper.
You can pop them in the refrigerator if you’re serving them later in the day, but don’t make these more than a day in advance.

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Written on June 27, 2010 by Kate

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Jello is one of those all American desserts that has been around forever. Don’t we all have fond Jello salad memories? The origin of Jello dates back to 1845 when Peter Cooper patented a product set with gelatine. In 1897 Pearle Wait expanded on the idea, with the hope of marketing it. His wife named the product, Jello. Short on capital, Wait sold the product’s formula to Frank Woodward, who is the man credited with creating the Jello empire.

What a better way to celebrate the birth of our country with Jello… Jello shooters to be exact. I’d like to think that the three original Jello guys would approve of my patriotic Jello shooter. Heck, they’d probably even hang out with me and put back a few.

Bring these to your Fourth of July celebration, and I can almost guarantee you that these will be a hit with the grown-ups at the party. Just as I did for the gummy bears soaked in vodka post, I feel the responsibility to put out a second public service announcement.

Kids love Jello. What’s not to love, it’s colorful, jiggly, and it’s a refreshing treat for a hot, summer day. So here’s the bottom line…

Patriotic jello stars infused with vodka are not for kids.
Patriotic vodka stars should be out of reach of children. This means do not leave patriotic vodka stars on the buffet table at your 4th of July block party, then go drink wine with your girlfriends, all the while trying to avoid getting pummeled with water balloons.
In order to ensure that you are not serving any under-age jello shootin’ friends, put the jello shooters on a platter, plop yourself in your beach chair with the platter on your lap, and let the jello shooter lovers come to you. Card anyone who looks under the age of 30. In fact, card all women, regardless of age. It’s quite sad when you get to an age where no one bothers to card you any more. (I speak from experience!) Trust me, they will love you for it.
Do not drive after indulging in patriotic star jello shooters. I have no idea what the legal limit of patriotic vodka stars is, so just designate a non-jello shooter lovin’ driver.
Be careful mixing patriotic vodka stars with wine, beer, and other spirits. Too much mixin’ and you might be seeing another kind of stars later that evening.

How to make Patriotic Jello Shooters:

Purchase a star mold. I found a two pack for a dollar at Walmart.
If you don’t have time to pick up a star mold, an ice tray will work, or make Jello in a pyrex pan, and follow directions below. Then, cut out stars with a cookie cutter once Jello has set.
Make Jello recipe below and fill ice mold stars halfway with blue Jello.
Put in the fridge to set. This won’t take long at all.
Once set, make a second batch of the Jello recipe below. This time with the raspberry Jello packet. Fill star molds to the top with the red liquid gelatin and refrigerate.
In order to get these stars out without any fatalities, run a sharp knife around the star where the Jello meets the edge of the mold.
Turn mold over and hit with force the bottom of the mold. Stars should pop out. If not, loosen them up again with the knife.

Jello Star Shooter Recipe

3/4 cup boiling water

1 envelope Knox Gelatine, 1 ounce

6 tbsp. blue jello*

1/2 cup raspberry vodka*

Boil water and stir in knox gelatine, jello powder, and vodka. Stir until gelatine powder dissolves. It sets pretty quick. Pour into star mold.

*I used homemade infused raspberry vodka. You can infuse your own, buy raspberry vodka, or substitute regular vodka.

*Use red raspberry jello for the second batch

Cheers to America! We are blessed to live here!

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Written on June 27, 2010 by Kate

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Oh how I love free holiday printables. Here are a few graphic designers who’ve posted their 4th of July goodies free for all of us to print and enjoy. These small finishing touches pull an event together.

Rebecca at The Pink Orange, posted freebies, invites, straw flags, and buffet signs that you can edit at The Sweetest Occasion

Bella Grace Party Designs offers cupcake toppers/circle tags

The Party Dress has posted food tent cards and cupcake toppers (above)

Pin Wheel Cupcake Toppers, The Long Thread

Tweedle Designs posts banner (above), tags, straw flags, invites, treat toppers, water bottle wrappers, and more.

Hope you’re inspired, I am!

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Written on June 15, 2010 by Kate

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Still need a little Father’s Day inspiration? Some of my favorite graphic design bloggers are offering free Father’s Day printables. Go visit their sites and check out all of their creative projects. I’m always in awe of their talents!

AlphaMom.com shares a bunch of printables with a super hero theme. All you need to do is gather some of your dad’s favorite foods, and she’ll show you how to put it altogether in one super hero package.

Linnette at Paper Glitter has created these adorable Father’s Day cupcake toppers for her readers to download. She also has an Etsy store with a ton of themed printables. I adore her paper dolls.

Jenn, the creator behind Parties by Hardie posted printable Father’s Day checks for dad at executivehomemaker.com. Take a peek at Jenn’s site, she posts photos of her customer’s parties. There’s a ton of inspiration over there!

Finally, we can always count on Martha to share a holiday craft. Martha Stewart Living shares some cool, retro labels, and Father’s Day gift ideas.

Hope you’re inspired! I know I am!

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Baking my way through the trials and triumphs of life!

Category Archives: Holidays