The Fashion Caker: December 2013

Okay sorry for the half naked picture...but the Victoria's Secret fashion show was just on and I couldn't resist. I watch every year. It's the only time you can watch a fashion show on prime time television! Everything else is you have to search for on YouTube.

So last year around this time, I was featured on a couple different blogs to promote my Craftsy classes. I didn't get a chance to post them myself so I thought I would do that this year!

The first one I did was on cake pops. Here is the recipe.

Christmas Tree and Santa Hat Cake Pops

Ingredients:

5 cups cake crumbs

½ cup icing

24 oz. chocolate (candy melts, red, white, green)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Pop sticks

Holiday sprinkles

First you will need to crumble the cake into a bowl.

Then add the icing and mix. Keep in mind, all cake is not created equal! So you may need more or less icing. Just make sure that you achieve a "cookie dough" texture.

Now form the pops into the shapes you want. I made spheres and cone shapes.

Then place the shapes in the cooler for at least 2 hours. From there, I work one or two at a time, leaving the rest in the cooler. Dip the pop stick in chocolate and then into the cake pop. This will ensure that the pop stays on the stick while you are dipping the whole thing.

Then dip the pop. I am using colored candy melts.

If you are making Christmas trees, you will need to sprinkle them before the chocolate sets. This will give the illusion of ornaments!

Too cute.

Here are a couple others I made including Santa and elf hats and ornaments.

I poked holes into a cake drum to stand the pops upright for presentation.

The next one is a project that will help cut costs...cause gifts can be expensive!

Edible Holiday Gifts

As an instructor for Craftsy, it’s my job to teach people techniques that will further their culinary careers and hobbies! As a friend and family member, however, I am the one who is always required to bring dessert to an event…..and really, I don’t mind. This is why every holiday season, I not only whip up treats for the parties, I try to make everyone a special gift from my kitchen. Now anyone can just follow a recipe and hand it over in a decorative tin. I’m going to show you how to make something unique and also how make it look like it came out of the pages of a magazine.

Decorative Boxes

Packaging can be expensive…..especially around the holidays. So here is a way to make some customized boxes that are inexpensive, simple and beautiful.

Here is what you need….

1.) Plain white boxes (Container Store)

2.) Rubber stamps (you can use whatever design you like but choose one you will reuse often!)

3.) Ink (these you can find at craft stores….they last a long time)

4.) Ribbon and bows

5.) Small name card (to personalize)

6.) Tape

7.) Scissors

8.) Ornaments (optional)

This is super easy. Just make sure you stamp the boxes while they are flat, let them dry, and then fold them.

Now to fill the boxes. These are a couple of my easy recipes.

Peppermint Bark 3 Ways

· Peppermint Rice Cereal Treats

· Swirled Peppermint Bark

· Peppermint Diamonds

Peppermint Rice Cereal Treats

Ingredients

6 cups cocoa rice cereal treats

6 cups marshmallows (mini)

3 Tablespoons butter

4 to 5 candy canes (crushed)

7 to 8 peppermint patties (chopped)

Additional chocolate and crushed peppermint for the bark and diamonds

· First you will melt the butter and candy canes over medium heat until dissolved

· Add marshmallows and continue to stir until melted

· Add cocoa rice cereal and patties and stir until incorporated

· Then turn out onto a siplat or parchment paper and spread thin

· Once this sets we are going to spread chocolate over the top and break it up to look like traditional bark

For the more traditional bark, I just melt dark and white chocolate and drizzle them together on parchment paper.

Then swirl them together with a skewer and sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Once set, I break them up by hand.

For a variation, I use the remaining chocolate, mixed with crushed candy canes, to place in a diamond mold from Fred and Friends. This is a great site to get a funny gift too!!

Ta daa!! Now here is an important note. You will need to place the treats in a plastic bag or liner before placing into the boxes. This will keep the boxes from getting greasy!