Friday, February 25, 2011

Brownie & Heath bar crunch infused Cupcakes

Brownie & Heath bar crunch Infused Cupcakes



My daughter and her basketball team had their last game this week and I wanted to bring them a scrumptious ending to a great season.  These girls are my biggest fans when it comes to my cupcakes.  You have to love being around them and hearing across the recess yard or down the halls "Mrs. Brennan your cupcakes are the best!" or "Mrs. Brennan when are you making cupcakes & cookies for us"  to me that is priceless and makes it all worth it!  

These cupcakes as one Mom noted "definitely worth the calories"!  Away we go here is what you need & do~


What you need~
Your favorite cake & brownie batters
Muffin Pan
Cupcake Liners
Piping bag and large tip
A little of self control when they are finished it is hard to eat just one!

What to do~  

Preheat your oven to 350 
Prepare the batters in separate bowls & fill the cupcake pan with liners
Fill a piping bag with prepared brownie mix

Fill each cup with a heaping TBSP of cupcake batter ( to cover the bottom)
Pipe in brownie mix into each one like so~

Sprinkle the Heath Bar Crunch over the brownie mix (I just used a generous pinch for each one)
Cover each cup with cupcake batter until 2/3 full

Bake for 20 mins
Let cool and top with your favorite buttercream!  I used my basic vanilla and did not use a lot. The cupcake was if I don't say amazingly scrumptious!  


A perfect Scrumptious Ending to a great basketball season for sure!

Peace, Love & Infused Cupcakes~

Stacy

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

{Scrumptious Ending} Puff Pastry, Strawberries & Ice Cream

I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's 
how ever you decided to celebrate it!  

We enjoyed this dessert last night but honestly is a perfect & a scrumptious ending for any occasion!  It is also, most importantly so simple and looks & tastes fantastic when it is served!


Here is what you need & what to do~ 

Heart or any cookie cutter shape~ at least 4-5 inches
Box or more of puff pastry found in your stores freezer section~ I use Pepperidge Farms brand
Ice Cream
Fresh Strawberries
Hershey's Heath Toffee Bits
Hershey's Chocolate to melt and drizzle on top
Confectioners Sugar



Thaw your pastry sheets according to the package, when thawed cut out the shapes you wish and bake.  Let them cool. When you are ready to serve, split carefully your pastry, slice your strawberries & melt your chocolate.  Arrange as pictured below ( I also sprinkled the strawberries with a bit of confectioners sugar too ;) for extra sweetness)

Enjoy!  It is so scrumptious & easy I promise!!


Peace, Love & Scrumptious Endings~ 


Stacy

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Last minute Class Valentine's


A little less then 24 hours to get your son or daughter's class Valentine's together, I wanted to share what I did for my 3 1/2 year old daughter's class last Thursday!  



I wanted to have Emma be involved in getting her Valentine's together so I printed a few different freebies that I found on some sites and had her choose~ she wanted "Oh Pretty one's" and chose these perfectly simple & pretty tags that my friend Kim from The TomKat Studio offered, you can download yours here~ If you visit The Tomkat page she has a few other freebies too~


We filled them with sugar cookies, I punched both the tag and my glassine bags from Fort & Field with my heart hole punch, signed Emma's name on the back and tied them with my red twine from The Twinery!  Her and I also made a cute little bag for her to bring her treat bags into her very 1st school Valentine party and she joyfully brought the Valentine's she received home in the decorate bag too! 


Perfect, Sweet & "Pretty" Valentine's ~



Now off to help my 11yr old make hers ;), she is baking these snicker brownie bites for her class but she would also like to buy her Valentine's....can't complain, I am happy she is baking her friends all treats!!  

Peace, Love & Kid's Valentines~

Stacy

Friday, February 11, 2011

{Recipe} Brownie Snicker Bites with Toasted Marshmallow

Happy Friday!

Just in time to celebrate Valentine's~ an easy but oh so 
Scrumptious Ending dessert for you to prepare!!


Here is what you need~
Your favorite Brownie Mix
2 King Size Snicker Bars
Jar of Fluff
Mini Muffin Pan
Non-stick spray
Kitchen Torch

I made these addicting chocolate treats last weekend, I was going back and forth with whether to top it off with vanilla ice cream or buttercream.  Then the other day, I had the pleasure of relaxing for an hour when the Martha Stewart Chocolate Show was airing when I got the "ah-ha" of what to top the snicker brownie bites with....MARSHMALLOW!!  She made a chocolate marshmallow cake.  There are many recipes from that show you have to take a peek, I plan on preparing the chocolate creme brulee on Sunday for our family Valentine's dinner...yum, yum, yum! I can't wait, but back to these brownie snicker bites!!!  

Mix the brownie mix according to the box.  Spray the mini muffin pan with non stick spray very generously.  Bake for about 14 minutes.  While they are baking cut up the snicker bars, if you buy the king size cut each piece into 6.  Like so~


Take the brownies out of the oven (you do not want them to be baked all the way through) pop the snicker pieces gently into the tops of each brownie.  Like pictured above~ put back into the oven for 3 minutes.

The brownies will need to cool for at least an hour in the pan to set.  After that time, gently remove them with a knife around the edges.  

You can do 2 things either make your own marshmallow (find the recipe here) or use Fluff.  Spoon the marshmallow into a piping bag and pie the marshmallow onto the tops.  Make heart shapes if you wish.  



Finish them off with your kitchen torch, hold it about 3 inches away and toast.  
If you don't have a torch, place them under your broiler for a few minutes or enjoy as is without toasting.  


Let it cool for a few minutes and ENJOY!!   I dare you to eat just one ;)!!  

A Scrumptious Ending to any day!!  
Try it this weekend, 
you will happy you did!!  


Peace, Love & Brownie Snicker Bites~

Stacy


Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Animal Crackers 1st Milestone Birthday {Sweets}

I had the pleasure of monkeying around for my sweet niece & goddaughters 
very 1st birthday party last month!  In this post I will share all the sweets from the sweetscape that all 90 guests both young & old enjoyed!!
  Tomorrow, I will share all the other elements and accessories of the party!  

The idea came to my brother & sister in-law's mind with the picture of my niece from Halloween, she dressed up as a monkey!  She played her role very well, almost perfectly to the point that one of the adorable photo's was used in many elements throughout the party.  I was so lucky and fortunate enough to have a wonderful, thoughtful, full of energy & creative talented Rebecca of Fresh Chick Design Studio for the custom work of the invitation, custom scrapbook paper, wall signs, cake sign & the any other graphic detail you will see!  

You will also see Maddie's monthly photos on the cupcake toppers I made and the glittery bunting keepsake that Kristy from The Purple Pug created & assembled with the photo's I sent her.  My genius sister in-law took a photo of Maddie each month with her teddy bear & a sign that noted how many months she was, creative & genious...YES!  I have 3 girls and I never thought to actually note the month in the photo with a bear...I Love it! We also used that in the element to celebrate her 12 month milestone to turning 1!  

{The Invite, Cupcakes & Toppers}

Semi-DIY decorated cake stand from Homegoods.
Pom fringe from Jo-Ann's fabric that I
secured it

Photo's punched with your favorite paper punch is always a great way to celebrate the special quest of honor at any age!  It is a great way to display & decorate with photo's of the person even the cupcakes!! 

Fresh Strawberry & Banana Buttercream cupcakes

Vanilla Buttercream Cupcakes

Vanilla Buttercream cupcakes topped with animal crackers.

Besides the photo cupcake toppers, for any animal theme type of party top your cupcakes with animal crackers or cookies to keep the theme going throughout the desserts! 
 I also topped the strawberry banana buttercream cupcakes with Nilla wafer cookies!  



{Cake, Cookies & Smash Me Cake} 


Photo image cookies by the one and only Allyson Jane
Number, Polka Dot & Initial Cookies by me
Homemade banana mini muffins
topped with crusted honey nut cherrios by our Aunt Jane
Top layer banana cake with vanilla buttercream
Bottom layer butter cake with vanilla buttercream 
DIY Smash Me Cake Bunting
Butter cake with vanilla buttercream
Muslin bags filed with strawberry sugar wafer cookies

{Sweets Table}


Like what you see?  There is so much more!
From the party favors to the custom party hats by Posh Party Pretties & door signs that
Rebecca of  Fresh Chick Design Studio created and unique party elements that anyone can do to be a fabulous mom & party host!  Oh and I'll share a recipe ;)

Cakes, cupcakes, muslin bags, event styling & photos by Stacy ~ Scrumptious Swirls
Custom Invite, Paper, Cake Sign, Birthday Signs
 Photo Graphic for cookies & bag ~ Fresh Chick Design Studio
Milestone Banner on Backdrop & custom animal table sign~ The Purple Pug
Paper Suitcases~ A Touch of Whimsy Shoppe
Paper Straws ~ Fort and Field

Peace, Love & Monkeying Around~

Stacy