Flip Flop Cake

This flip flop cake was easy to make. I baked a normal cake mix in two bread pans. It made them kind of thick, so it could easily be baked in one bread pan, and the cake split in half. I used butter cream frosting for the white, and pink lemonade frosting. I used gel frosting for the dots, and found some cute ribbon and fake flowers for the decoration. I ended up pinning down the ribbon, it made it easier to stand up on the cake to make it look  like flip flops. That is all it took, easy and fun!

Grape Cookies

Grape cookies, yes, you heard me, grape cookies!
I love to use candy oils in my cookies, so here is the recipe.

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. grape extract
4 cups flour
Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, buttermilk and extract. Mix until combined. Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Scoop cookies onto greased pans, bake 10-12 minutes on 350 degrees. I can tell the cookies are done when they don't look wet on top.

For the frosting-
1/2 cup soft butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2-4 Tablespoons evaporated milk, yes evaporated. It makes the frosting fluffy.
1 tsp. grape extract

Combine the butter and powdered sugar, add the milk until you think the frosting is thin enough, but not too thin. You want it to look like cake frosting. Add grape extract and mix well. Spread onto cooled cookies.

melted snowman cookies

These cookies are simple and fun! You can just use a sugar cookie mix, or your favorite recipe. I made my own, but not giving away the recipe, sorry!

For the decorations you will need:

large marshmallows

powdered sugar frosting: just milk and powdered sugar to make it runny, add flavoring if you like.

Gel frosting in red, orange, green and black

Frost the cookies so the frosting looks like melted snow. Cook marshmallows for about ten seconds each. I microwaved a whole bunch on a plate for about 30 seconds. You don't want them to double in size, just microwave long enough that you can mash them down when placed on the cookie. Place on top of cookie, mash down to make it look melted, then add your gel frosting. Black for the arms, buttons and eyes. Red and green for bow ties and bows and orange for the noses. Very simple, but cute!

red velvet cheesecake

This is one of my favorite recipes. A cake and cheesecake in one. First, bake a red velvet cake mix in two 9" pans. Freeze the cakes so they come out of the pans easier. It is best to bake these a day ahead, along with the cheesecake. Yes, I cheated and didn't make my own. It was easier. For the cheesecake:

2 pkgs. cream cheese

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 Tbs. flour

1/2 c. sour cream

Mix cream cheese and sugar together, add eggs one at a time, add flour then sour cream, mix well. Pour into 9" springform pan lined with parchment paper. It will come out easier this way. Bake 350 degrees, about 40 minutes, or until set. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. To assemble, put one cake on a cake serving plate or keeper, then put the cheesecake on top of that, and then the other layer of red velvet cake. Trim the cheesecake as needed so that the cake and cheesecake are even. That way you can frost it. For frosting, you can frost with canned cream cheese frosting, or make your own. My recipe for frosting:

1 pkg. cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

4 cups powdered sugar

Mix the cream cheese and butter, add powdered sugar. I add more sugar if it is too runny. I put sprinkles on my cake. You can decorate as you please.

turkeys

These cute little turkeys are a cinch to make. Get some fudge striped cookies, at least two packages, chocolate chips, or chocolate melts, candy corn, and rice krispy treats. I made the rice krispy treats, and then shaped them into balls, about 2 inches across. You don't want them bigger than the cookie. I attached the candy corn for the feathers with melted chocolate melts, and let them sit to set up. I then attached the rice krispy treats to another cookie. "Glue" the feet on with more chocolate, and then attach the feathered cookie to the back of the rice krispy treat with more chocolate. Attach the turkey's face a.k.a., another candy corn with more melted chocolate. I then used gel frosting to make eyeballs. You will need to make sure the turkeys have back support. They tend to separate since the cookie is heavier than the rice krispy treat. I found refrigerating them after I made them, helped. This made about 24 or so.

under the sea cake

This cake is easy to make. I used a regular cake mix, baked it, froze it, and popped it out of the pan. It is easier to frost when frozen. I dyed frosting blue, crushed graham crackers for the sand, and then I used candy rocks for the gravel, airheads for the seaweed, swedish fish, and other gummy creatures, and voila, it is done!