Birds Nest Cake

We have found you the ultimate Easter Cake and it looks great and is very easy to make.

Ingredients:

Carrot Cake Recipe:

2 cups of unbleached flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
3/4 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
3/4 cup of white sugar
3/4 cup of packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
2 cups of grated carrots
1 cup of crushed pineapple
1/2 cup of chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl and whisk together well. Set aside.
In your mixing bowl beat together sugars, eggs, oil and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour and spice mixture until well combined. With mixer set on low, add carrots, pineapple and pecans.
Pour into prepared cake pans or cupcake pans.
Bake cakes at 350° for 40 minutes until cake tester comes out clean. For X-large cupcakes bake for approximately 28 minutes at 350° until cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in baking pans before removing to cooling racks.

For the tutorial go the the website shown below. Also check out their website for more wonderful recipes.

Source:  vanillabeanbaker.com

Peanut Butter Christmas Trees

Ingredients:

Each tree requires:

2 mini PB cups,
1 snack size PB cup 
1 chocolate kiss
White Chocolate Pieces

Directions:

Melt the white chocolate (this will be the “glue” that holds each layer together) and put it in a squeeze bottle or ziptop bag with a tiny cut off corner. 

Set up an assembly line …

• Tree trunk – upside down mini PB cup – white chocolate “glue”
• 1st layer – upside down snack size PB cup – drizzle white chocolate around the edges & sprinkle with non-pariels
• 2nd layer – upside down mini PB cup – repeat drizzle & sprinkle
• 3rd layer – chocolate kiss – repeat drizzle & sprinkle

Each tree requires … 2 mini PB cups, 1 snack size PB cup & 1 chocolate kiss

Source: Sweetsimplestuff.com

The Perfect Fall Cheese Ball

 

This is no ordinary cheese ball. This is the cheese ball that will get your friends asking: How did you do that?

Ingredients: 

16oz cream cheese, room temp
2 cups cheddar cheese
3 tbsp minced onion
3 tbsp salsa
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cups nacho cheese chips, crumbled
top of 1 bell pepper for stem garnish

Directions:

1. With a mixer, combine cream cheese, cheddar, onion, salsa and cumin. Mix until creamy.
2. Scoop mixture onto plastic wrap and use wrap to form a ball and chill for at least 2 hours.
3. When ready to serve, roll ball into the crushed nacho chips and place bell pepper stem on top. Serve with chips, vegetables or pretzels!

Source: familyfreshmeals.com

Peter Pumpkin Cheese Puffs

 You, too, can be "Peter the Pumpkin Eater" from the classic nursery rhyme when you prepare a batch of these fluffy and tender cheese puffs that look like mini pumpkins. Romano cheese gives them a nice tang and their cream cheese stems complete the seasonal look. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

• Prep: 20 min. Bake: 20 min.
• Yield: 18 Servings

20 20 20 40

Ingredients

:

• 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 drops yellow paste food coloring
• 1 drop red paste food coloring
• 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
• 2 eggs
• 20 sprigs fresh Italian parsley, stems removed

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and vinegar. Cover and refrigerate. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter and salt to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine the yellow and red food coloring; stir Romano cheese and food coloring into dough. Add eggs, one at a time; beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny.
• Drop by level tablespoonfuls 3 in. apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
• Using a star tip and reserved cream cheese mixture, pipe stems onto puffs. Add parsley sprigs. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 10 servings.

Originally published as Peter Pumpkin Cheese Puffs in Halloween Party Favorites 2009 , p20

 

A Christmas Fruit Tree

Ingredients:

Apples
1 Carrot
toothpicks
Pineapple
Strawberries
Oranges
Grapes
Pears
Lemons
Kiwi
Berries


Directions:

• Cut the core out of an apple and put upside down. This will be your base.
• Stick a carrot in the hole.
• Place toothpicks in the carrot.
• Attach fruit to the tooth picks. Use pineapple, strawberry, oranges, grapes, apple, pears, citrus bundles, kiwi and berry bundles.
• Garnish with parsley or another leafy herb.

Source: Flicker