Last week I was busy putting together a dessert bar to celebrate Baby Kate and her Mom-to-Be. My dear friend Laura’s daughter, Christa, will soon be welcoming her second girl. Lucky for me, I was asked to do the baby shower favors and desserts for the celebration. If you know me well, you know how exciting this was for me…Pink, Pink, Pink - everything pink to my heart’s content. I always thought I’d be a girl’s mom and had the fantasy of dressing her up in ruffles and doing pig tails and playing Barbies, but nine years ago I learned that sometimes God has a better plan than we can even dream for ourselves. He has blessed me in so many ways by giving me my son.  But whenever offered an opportunity to do the girly thing, I always accept!

Everything came together beautifully.  Laura did a few wine pairings with cheeses and meats and breads that went together nicely to enhance the flavors of the wines. She also had a secret stash of Kendall Jackson in her fridge for me. Now, that’s a true friend!

 The dessert bar included cupcakes, white chocolate mousse, brownie truffles, and chocolate covered pretzels. The cookie favors turned out gorgeous. I’ll post them tomorrow with detailed instructions.

 The cupcakes were adorable. Christa requested something that wasn’t chocolate so I opted for a white cake with white buttercream. I tried out a new buttercream recipe and loved it. It is on the sweet side, but isn’t that the point of frosting? The icing swirls are piped with the infamous 1M Wilton tip, and the pink gum paste flowers on top made them pop. Do not fear gum paste. I promise it will bring back great play doh memories. You can buy a can at Michaels or any cake decorating supply store (but Michael’s of course, always has the 40% off coupon.) It’s really easy to work with and without too much work, you can dress up your cupcakes by adding a unique touch.

The brownie bites were the hit of the dessert bar and are so simple to make. There is beauty in the simple things and these are proof! You literally make a boxed mix of fudge brownies (get the box that specifically says “fudge”, as that what binds it together), crumble the brownies up, roll into balls, freeze, and then cover with melted chocolate from the microwave. See directions below. You can turn these into brownie pops by putting a lollipop stick in them.

They are great for kids parties, but can also disguise themselves as elegant truffles for grown-up events.

 Come back tomorrow to see the cookie favors! They are so adorable. Pink, polka-dotted, monogrammed hearts for Baby Kate… 

So cute, I can hardly stand it!!

Brownie Bites (Pops, Truffles…Call them what you like!)

1 pan (13×9) “fudge” brownies, baked and cooled

1 lb chocolate-flavored candy coating (always available at Michael’s)

Sprinkles or other decorating items

2 cookie sheets lined with waxed paper

*lollipop sticks (optional)

Crumble the brownies into a large bowl, working it with your fingers until it is in small pieces. Roll brownie dough into balls (I use a tablespoon so they all come out the same size). Place them on a baking sheet covered with waxed paper. Freeze the balls for 30 minutes, or until they are quite firm. If they are not firm, when you go to dip them in chocolate, bits of brownie will end up in your dipping bowl. I freeze them overnight (If you do this, cover them with Saran Wrap).

Once the balls are firm, melt the chocolate candy coating in the microwave, stirring after every 45 seconds to prevent overheating. I do the dipping at the counter near my freezer and only take out a couple of brownies bites at a time (to prevent thawing). Place the brownie ball (one at a time) into the melted candy coating until it is completely submerged. This can be done with a spoon or a fork. A spoon works well to cover the brownie with chocolate. The fork works well when you remove the brownie because you can shake off the excess chocolate right back into the bowl.

Once well-coated, take it out and place it on another cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Sprinkle with decorations right away. The cocoa candy coating dries very quick. The white coating is slower to set. If you plan on piping designs with another color of melted candy coating, wait until the chocolate has set to begin piping details.

Repeat with the remaining balls and candy coating. Chocolate will take about 20 minutes to completely set. Brownie Truffles can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.