Birthday Cakes!!

Lots of celebating going on. My daughter just celebrated her 12th birthday. Somehow she talked me in to making 2 birthday cakes and 27 cookie candies for her. She stretched her birthday out over a whole week, celebrating it 3 times.

This first cake was made for her actual birthday day. There were just a few of us, my family and the kids. It's a chocolate cake with white buttercream frosting and fondant accents...yumm!!

This second cake was for friday night when her friends all came over. The bottom layer is a lemon cake, the second and top layers are both orange cake. It's covered in a buttercream frosting and fondant with gummy accents on top.

I don't believe I got any photos of the cookie candies. I will have to check my cell phone, I may of snuck a photo. They were made by using a candy mold that you fill with chocolate and press a chocolate sandwich cookie in to the back. Very cute and they were a big it at school.

I have a few more birthdays coming up in the next couple of months, so I'm excited to try my hand at some different cake designs. Stay tuned.

The Children of Sol

So my husband has a book coming out in August called The Children of Sol.  Check out his website here.

Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

I really love chocolate...alot.  More than I should.  So on a whim tonight I whipped up these cookies.  My mom used to make them when I was a kid, but hers had coconut in them I think.  She used to leave about a cup or so in the pan after she scooped them out and eat it.  That way, it didn't really count as eating 5 cookies, it was just licking the pan.  I'm on to you mom...:)

Here's what you'll need:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups granulted sugar
1 Tbsp Karo syrup
1/2 cup milk
1/8 tsp salt (pinch)
3 Tbsp unsweeted cocoa powder
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/4 cups quick cooking oats

I bought some really interesting cocoa powder recently and I've been itching to use it.  This seemed like a really good use.  Anyway, on with the recipe.

Combine butter, sugar, Karo syrup, milk, cocoa powder and salt in a heavy sauce pan and bring to boil.

Bring to complete boil and set the timer for 1 minute.  

After boiling for 1 minute remove from heat and add vanilla, peanut butter and oatmeal. 

I make my own vanilla with vodka and vanilla beans...yumm!

Stir ingredients until combined and thickened.

Scoop onto parchment paper or aluminum foil and allow to cool.  Enjoy!!