You're the Apple of my Eye Puff Pastry~

Bringing you today a scrumptious and decadent dessert for you that is perfect for Valentines Day.  Who doesn’t love puff pastry, this light and flaky buttery treat dates back to 1694 by a French pastry cooks apprentice named Claudius Gele.  How I read the story is that he was making bread for his father who was sick and added so much butter to the dough ending with the result of the puff pastry.  He went on to be a top pastry cook and very well known for his pastry treat in Paris and Florence.  Why I don’t make my own puff pastry I do take full advantage of having it in my grocer’s freezer to buy which allows me more time to be very creative with it when I am entertaining.  This tasty creation you should love especially if you like when warm apples and ice cream are brought together. 

What you need~

Heart or any cookie cutter shape
Puff pastry found in your stores freezer section~ (I use Pepperidge Farms brand)

1 Egg for eggwash

2 Apples – try a Pink Lady & Granny Smith

½ cup of chopped pecans

1 tsp granulated sugar

1 TBSP Light Brown Sugar

½ teaspoon of Cinnamon

1 TBSP Butter

Chocolate to Melt

Vanilla Ice cream

Thaw your pastry sheets according to the package, when thawed cut out the shapes you wish.  Line them onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush them with you egg wash.  Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.   

Cut up your apples and coat with the granulated sugar and set aside.  Melt butter in a pan add the apples, brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon.  Sautee the mixture for 5 to 7 minutes. 

When the pastries are done baking let cool for a few minutes and carefully separate the top and the bottom.  Set out the dishes you will serve them on to set up the dessert.  Take your apple mixture from the pan and spoon onto the bottom layer of the pastry, next a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Drizzle melted chocolate on top of the ice cream and place the other half of the pastry on top and garnish with apple mixture and the more chocolate.  

There you have it a scrumptious dessert that is so easy to prepare and tastes amazing, I promise!   

Stacy ~ Scrumptious Swirls Blog

DIY Games for the Apple Party

A quick post on the games we played at the "Apple" party.   It is easy to figure out some games and things to do for older children's parties for example, last year at my daughter 10th birthday party we did a chocolate fondue, played the toilet paper game, rate G truth or dare and the commercial game.  But for 2-3 year olds it is hard to come up some friendly games for them to play.  At least that is my opinion, and I am not into hiring a clown to make balloons and painting their faces.  So what did we do or Emma's apple party??

After thinking for a bit and searching around to keep with theme we had and "Apple Hunt" and played "Put the Apple in the Tree" (my apple version of pin the tail on the donkey ;)).  Fun & Easy!!

Here is what I made and we used~ a barrel full of Apple Yarn Balls

Cute little styrofoam balls that I wrapped in yarn to make yarn apples ;)!!

Where did I get the idea???  From Stephanie from Couture Parties she has so many cute, creative & crafty ideas for children's parties.  If you look at her blog and website, some of her most recent features she had balls of yarn as decor at her son's birthday party which was featured here on the Hostess with the Mostess blog and the recent article she contributed here in the magazine Eco Magazine .

Sorry I don't photos of the children playing I couldn't play and photograph at the same time :)!

What are other young children friendly games that are out there to play at parties?  I would love to hear!!

Love, Peace & Yarn Apples~

Stacy

{New Post} Apple Birthday Party

First I would like to start off by wishing my Emma Mae a Happy 3rd Birthday!  We celebrated her birthday with an apple theme.  Why apples do you ask? A few reasons....I love baking things with apples and with the Fall season beginning this week the apple season in the northeast east is in full swing!  So my choices were fresh and plentiful!  My Emma loves apples and she reminds me of an apple....she is sweet and is a very colorful child in so many ways.  Which you get with apples so many different variations of them and each one no matter what is so good!!

It was a wonderful little celebration and scrumptious to say the least!  I hope you find inspiration within this post for your child or upcoming party and perfect for any party you are hosting this Fall!

I made the bunting on my computer and I made mini poms to hang in the tree with bakers twine.  Speaking of have you heard or know of The Twinery?  They offer so many great colors & it is perfect for crafting and hanging things like I did above!  I used it on my cake plate too~ see below

Cakes, Cupcakes & Apple Toffee Tarts~

Apple Caramel Buttercream Cupcakes!!! Come back Wednesday for the Recipe.  By far the best buttercream I have created thus far and my new favorite! 

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Ruffle Cake with what were to be tempered chocolate ruffles.

 I will not lie it did not work for me......honestly I think it was too humid in my kitchen the day I did it.  And at that points I could go and add more icing ruffles because because I would have to make new green and you will never get the same color with coloring buttercream.  So I just chopped it up more and layered it on top with some fondant apples.  And what happen to my pretty ruffles you might ask?  Well, lol with totally disregarding everything that I have read from Amy Atlas about buttercream and outdoor elements the sun was hitting it for about 10 mins and they started to fall!  Thank goodness it was my 3 years olds cake ;)....and I learned my lesson for sure ;)

White Cake with Apple Buttercream covered and decorated with Satin Ice Fondant.  

This cake is one of my favorites that I have made so far...so cute...so Emma!  Do you like the stand it is on?? I bought everything at Michaels then my 11 year old painted the letters and I glue her name and apples on it to create a personalized cake plate!

 

Apple Toffee Tartlettes recipe via Better Homes & Gardens.  So delicious, everyone should bake them!! 

More apple friendly snacks everyone enjoys!  Gingersnap cookies, pretzels & all natural apple juice!

And what are the super fun cones filled with caramel corn in the picture??  They are custom made Kandy Kones from the one and only SuperChick from Celebrate TODAY...the SuperChick Way!  Perfect for any party theme...click on the link above to check out her new etsy shop.

And the whole table put together~ 

The birthday girl & her table~ 

and her cake~ 

Did I ever mention how I adore the age Emma just turned?  Three & four are my favorite ages for me!  They are so exciting, they can communicate, they listen (well mine does) they understand their birthdays for sure!  How do I know that?  It was like Christmas morning for her yesterday she had us all up at 6:30 and she was looking for her cupcakes to eat right then and there because it was finally HER birthday!!  LOL...Cupcake Cheers to my little favorite 3 year old!  

Love, Peace & Apples,

Stacy