Beachy Fun Crab Cakes

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Hopefully you are not in the path of Hurricane Dorian, but if you are, prayers that you stay safe!

My family and I have had a beach trip planned for months and we may get rained out but we are still making the trek!

So I wanted to make a fun and beachy themed treat to celebrate our end of summer vacay. I came up with some sweet & crabby crab cakes. 😛

I have lots of photos to go along with my post, but my new-ish laptop doesn't want to cooperate. I will post an update with said photos once Bessie is feeling like herself again!

**updated with photos**

I used, Hostess Ding Dong cakes, vanilla and aqua frostings, graham crackers, strawberry licorice wheels, cherry Pull-n-peels, large candy eyes, and fondant for the seashells.

Pull strips of the twizzlers and then cut into equal size pieces for the crab legs!🦀

I used star tips and decorator bags to pipe onto the cakes. I piped white frosting on half of the cake and then topped with crushed graham cracker "sand". 
I then piped on blue icing "waves".

Next, I placed six pull-n-peel crab legs, placed a licorice wheel body on top of that, and then the candy eyes to top it all off.

I can 👀 you!

Can you 👀 me?!

I wanted some nice seashells for my crabs so I pulled and folded the white and light brown fondant together to create a pretty, marbled look.

Then I dusted the mold lightly with cornstarch and pressed fondant into mold and gently unmolded.

If you're like me and like a nice sheen on your seashells-say that three times fast-just apply a little white pearl dust to them with a food only paintbrush. Woah! Looks like I need to invest in some new ones!

Know somebody that's feelin' a little crabby?

These sweet crab cakes can turn that frown upside down!

Now here's to praying that Hurricane Dorian dissipates!!

'till we sweet again, Karen 😊

Christmas In July Chocolate Gingerbread House Cookies with Rudolph!

 Merry Christmas In July!

It's been a fun month! My daughter, grandmother, granddaughter, sister, and nephew were all born in July! Hallmark has been playing Christmas movies all month. I have been reading the Christmas story of the birth of Christ! My hubby and I have just completed plans for a trip to Disney World in December when everything will be decked out in beautiful Christmas decorations! And I just finished decorating these festive Christmas cookies!

July is nearly through, but not to worry, Christmastime will be here before we know it!🎄

For my cookies, I used Lila Loa's amazing chocolate cookie recipe! They smell of brownies and are so yummy!

Roll out dough and use your favorite house and reindeer cutters. I rolled my dough to 1/4 inch thick, but should have made the reindeer a little thinner. By the time I dipped and added decorations, they got a little too weighty. I had a couple to lose their heads!

Also, don't try-as I did- to bake Rudolph's "sprinkles" noses into the cookies. They will melt. Instead, use mini M&Ms after they bake!

To decorate my cookies I used, jumbo rainbow nonpareils, black sugar pearls, chocolate jimmies, mini M&Ms, Christmas tree sprinkles, chocolate wafers, ready-made vanilla frosting, and yellow and red fondant.

I also used a fondant roller, a flat edged spatula to cut my fondant, a large tip to cut the circle window, and a star and round tip to pipe frosting.

 Let's pipe some snow up on the rooftop!

 Wouldn't it be great if putting Christmas lights on the house were this easy?! 

Cut out round window and door as pictured above.

 Attach candies and decorations using a little melted chocolate.

I rolled out red fondant and cut small strips to use as Rudolph's collar.

I dipped the tips of reindeer feet in chocolate to resemble hooves.

 I then dipped the reindeer antler tips in melted chocolate and sprinkled on some jimmies.  I let set to harden and added black pearl eyes, the collar and "jingle bell" sprinkles!

Fly, Rudy!!

 And lastly, after attaching Rudy to the rooftop with melted chocolate, I propped a couple of spoons under his head until chocolate hardened just to keep him level headed! 🤣

Don't forget to be nice! Wanna make sure we make Santa's Nice List!

Thanks for dropping by!
'til we sweet again, Karen😊

Chocolate Fireworks Cakes!

When life is crazy busy and you want a cute sweet to serve for your 4th of July get-together, I've got your back! These Suzy Q's are the perfect vehicle for our sparkly chocolate fireworks!

My hubby and I are heading out of town and will return just in time for our family's Independence Day cook-out. I will be whipping up a few of these as they are seriously the easiest and quickest thing I've ever made!

HAPPY FLAG DAY! 

 SNAP! CRACKLE!

BOOM!!

I used red and blue candy melts, red and blue sprinkles, Wilton edible glitter stars, pre-made and pre-filled bag cream cheese frosting with star tip.

And don't forget these adorable and sweet Suzy Q's cakes.

I filled disposable decorator bags with candy melts and melted on defrost setting in microwave in 30 second intervals. Knead bag after each nuking session. Mine took about 1 1/2 minutes.

Snip off just the tip end of each bag and pipe your design onto parchment paper.

I'm feeling patriotic!

Pipe the second color/layer right on top of the other and don't worry about letting the first layer dry first. Immediately sprinkle on the silver stars and let dry. It takes just a few minutes to set.

Now you can decorate the cake tops any way you want with the frosting and top with sprinkles.

Just gently peel/lift your candy fireworks from the parchment paper and place on top of your decorated cakes. 

 These turned out so cute and were so much fun to make!

Hope you all have a blessed 4th of July!

Thanks for stopping by!

'til we sweet again, Karen🧡 

Triple Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats Bon Bons Drenched In Chocolate

Triple Peanut Butter! Umm, yes!

These little yummies were created out of desperation.

My hubby's sweet Mom has been sick and nothing was tasting good. So I was going to surprise her with her favorite candy, the "back of the box" Peanut Butter Bon Bons. But as I set about making them I realized I was out of graham crackers! Oops!

I did however have marshmallows and I've been making a lot of rice krispies treats lately. Let me just add some peanut butter, and candy chips, and then I'll roll them into balls, and then I'll dip them in chocolate! Yeah, that sounds good I thought! 

She ate five as soon as she opened them. I shared the rest and they were a hit! Yay!

After a trip to the store to restock, I said, let's make these a triple threat and drizzle them with even more peanut butter goodness. Yep! These are a keeper.

Just look at this ooey gooey cross section! Oh yeah!

Ingredients I used. (Not pictured:Coconut oil)

Prepare a parchment lined pan and a large bowl by spraying lightly with nonstick spray.

 Melt 5 tablespoons butter in large pot or dutch oven over low heat.

 Add 9 cups mini-marshmallows (you can approximate 1 1/2 bags), stirring occasionally to melt.

Meanwhile, melt 1 cup peanut butter in microwave in 30 second bursts till melted. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

To the melted marshmallows, add peanut butter mixture.

Stir until combined.

 Stir in 6 1/2 cups Rice Krispies until fully incorporated. 

 Does this not look scrumptious!!!

Now it's time to add the additional 3 cups marshmallows and 1 cup peanut butter chips. Stir until combined.

Pour into prepared large bowl.

Now let's roll! I used food-safe gloves to roll my treats and had no sticking issues, but if you do just use a little nonstick spray on your hands. 

Melt 2 10 ounce bags Ghirardelli chocolate and drench these babies in it!

Place on parchment paper to set.

 Melt 1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips in microwave in 30 second bursts until melted. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil. Drizzle onto bon bons. Let set.

Now this is a thing of total beauty!😋

Triple Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats Bon Bons Recipe

6 1/2 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

2 10 oz. bags mini-marshmallows (divided)

5 Tablespoons butter

1 cup peanut butter

2 1/2 cups peanut butter chips (divided)

1 teaspoon vanilla 

2 10 oz. bags Ghirardelli chocolate melting wafers

1 1/2 teaspoons coconut oil

In a large pot or dutch oven, add 5 Tablespoons butter. Melt over low heat. Add 9 cups (or you can just "eyeball" 1 1/2 bags) marshmallows, stirring frequently until melted. Meanwhile, melt 1 cup peanut butter in 30 second bursts in microwave. Stir in vanilla. Add this mixture to melted marshmallows stirring to combine. To this, mix in 6 1/2 cups Rice Krispies until fully incorporated. Now it's time to add the remaining 3 cups (or half bag) of marshmallows and 1 cup peanut butter chips, stirring to combine.

Transfer to prepared bowl and begin rolling your treats. You can spray your hands with nonstick spray or if you have food safe gloves as I do, I had no issues with stickiness. Place treats on prepared parchment lined pan.

Melt 2 bags or 20 ounces of Ghirardelli chocolate wafers and dip candies. Let set. Melt 1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips in 30 second bursts in microwave until melted and smooth. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut oil until melted. Drizzle onto bon bons. Let set.

Makes 46 Bon Bons 

Thanks for stopping by!

'til we sweet again, Karen🧡