AnimalSports: 2016

Soft Sugar Cookies and Decorated Cookies with Buttercream Frosting

Belated Merry Christmas to all of you, my loyal readers. Hope you all had wonderful, joy and laughter filled Christmas.
Surely by now most of you are making plans for New Year's Eve. So let me wish you Happy and Healthy New Year.
Be well, be kind, be strong, eat well, smile more.

I've tried a new recipe for Soft Sugar Cookies few months ago. It's delicious and a keeper. Trust me.

I've

Christmas Meringue Wreath cake with SugarVeil®

I feel like I've said it million times : I love meringue.

Today I'm going to show you how to make beautiful and delicious Meringue Wreath Dessert. It's perfect for holidays. Not only it's delicious, filled with whipped cream light as snow. I also paired with fresh raspberries. Such a great flavor combination, you'd think it can't get any better. But it can.

It looked rather plain on its

Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Drippy Cake

Today we are celebrating a long lasting marriage of peanut butter and chocolate.

These two have been together for so long and still get along so well. Today this perfect relationship resulted in this delicious cake Reese's Peanut Butter and Chocolate Drippy Cake.

STEP BY STEP VIDEO TUTORIAL
Peanut Butter Cake Recipe

3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, 1 1/2 sticks of butter

1

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake Tart with Finlandia™ Creamy Gourmet Cheese

Last week I shared with you a delicious recipe for Rum Raisin Challah using Finlandia™ premium
butter. Today I'm working with another high quality product by
Finlandia™ - new Creamy Gourmet Cheese. It comes in 3 savory and 2 sweet
flavors and can be used as a dip, spread, or as an ingredient. When
deciding what to make - the baker in me reached for the Finlandia™ Sweet Lemon
Creamy

Buttercream Mums Burlap Wreath Cake

Today we are celebrating colors of Fall with this beautiful buttercream cake. And, like that wasn't enough it's also all about the falling leaves season inside as well. I made a pumpkin pound cake.

It really is a delicious cake.

I used Swiss buttercream to fill and ice the cake. It's one of my favorites to use. It's silky and just delicious.

I also used to make these pretty Fall

Rum Raisin Challah with Premium Butter Finlandia™ and a chance to win $1,000 gift card

Is there anything better than butter spread on a piece of thick crusted artisan bread, melted and drizzled over potato gnocchi or whipped with sugar into sweet buttercream? I love simple things in life and butter is one of them. Butter reminds me of home and memories I share with my family : eating lots of bread, potatoes and butter. Laughter and all the good times.

Why am I talking

Pumpkin Cut Out Cookies with Maple Watercolor Frosting

I feel like this year we have completely, without a hesitation skipped magical Fall; and all the beautiful red, yellow, greens and brown hues are being replaced by green and red Christmas colors, Wait a second, I want FALL. I love Christmas but I still want a little bit of Fall, like more pumpkin and cinnamon and golden sun rays. Just the other day we were driving to a store. End of the day

Mummy Flower Vase Cake with SugarVeil®

Few weeks ago I worked with new SugarVeil® line and I made this humorous Mummy Vase Cake using Flower Toppers, Medallions, Leaf Toppers and Burlap mats.
New SugarVeil line is now available at Michaels Craft Store.

I've used SugarVeil before -see my 3D Wedding Cookies I made last year.

New mats are compact and really easy to work with and they produce beautifully detailed, delicate

Day of the Dead Cherry Skull Cookies

I had this design on my mind since last year but never got around to make the cookies.

I'm not sure where I first saw the idea but I suspect it was a tattoo design of some sort. You know things you come across when you browse the online world, it got stuck in my head.

Those of you who saw my Nutella Cookies tutorial, probably will remember this super fun and easy decorating technique

The Addams Family Gingerbread House

Hi folks,

I pretty sure I have mentioned it once or twice, maybe even more than that - I love gingerbread houses and centerpieces.

Few years ago I started a tradition of making a Halloween House. This year I picked, I suppose an unusual inspiration from a popular TV series The Addams Family. Creepy yet adorable family adventures.

I started off with baking all the house parts, I used

Pumpkin Pound Cake, Kenwood Chef Titanium Kitchen Mixer Review

Slowly but surely we are paddling towards the busiest baking season of the year, with all the Holidays on the horizon I'm already planning what dessert I'll bake for Thanksgiving and what cookies I'll make to give to my friends and family this Christmas.

This year I'll have an extra hand - Kenwood Chef Titanium KMC010 o help me get it all done, as smoothly as possible, provided to me by

Pumpkin Apple Smoothie, Braun PureMix Blender Review

I have been without a blender for a few years. It all changed last week, Braun Household Product company sent me a new PureMix Blender 7172BK to review. I jumped on the opportunity. I was especially keen on trying out Braun's Smoothie2GoCups, included in the Pure Mix Blender Set.

Smoothie2GoBlending Set is compatible with all Braun JB 7 jug blenders, type : 4142, 4142 4144.

Blender

Unicorn Apple Pie Pop Tarts

I needed edible magical unicorn in my life and I made these adorable Unicorn Apple Pie Pop Tarts.
Aren't they super adorable!?

For the Dough (makes 9, 3x3inch pop tarts)
STEP BY STEP VIDEO TUTORIAL

2cups all purpose flour

1/4 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

10tbl unsalted chilled, cubed butter

2 egg yolks

1/4cup chilled milk, or water

1/2tsp vanilla extract

In the food processor :

Eye Ball Halloween Cake

Halloween is around the corner so I thought I'd kick off the season with this Eye Ball Cake.

I used coconut truffles to make the eye balls and a delicious organic cake mix to make the cake. Filled with raspberry jam and frosted with whipped cream it sure is to please your guests at the Halloween party this year.

Be sure to watch the video how to make the eyeball and how to create

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcake Cake

Pumpkin Spice Cake - STEP BY STEP VIDEO TUTORIAL
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3cups all purpose flour
3 whole eggs
1 cup oil

2tsp vanilla extract

1tsp baking soda

1tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1tsp freshly zested nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp salt

15 oz can pumpkin puree, or use homemade

1 to 2 tbl espresso powder, instant

Preheat oven to

Sushi Cookies

I made Sushi Cookies. I hand cut the shapes using paper template and exacto knife.

Salmon, tuna and caviar were made ahead of time, I piped royal icing on the wax paper and it was then let to dry. I then placed dried royal icing transfers on wet white icing, dipped the cookies in white nonpareils. Simple and effective.

To make the cookies you need
STEP BY STEP VIDEO TUTORIAL
Sugar Cookies

Olympics Soccer Rice Krispies Cake

To celebrate Olympics I made a Soccer Cake.

STEP BY STEP VIDEO TUTORIAL

Rice Krispies Soccer Cake (you can also use puffed rice)

Tools you will need: 9x13 inch cake pan, white, yellow, blue, brown chocolate candy melts,

piping bag, lego silicone mold, food coloring, grass piping tip, paper flag, toothpicks, chocolate soccer ball(available at party city or on amazon)

Rice Krispies

Mini Pink Lemonade Cheesecakes

When it comes to lemon deserts I simple can't resist. I love sour sweet candies, pickles(yes I know not exactly a dessert but can't help not mentioning them as I just canned 32quarts) and of course lemon curd. Lemon curd, for me, is the queen of lemon desserts, followed another favorite - lemon souffle.
Originally I was planning on making pink lemonade cake roll but I ran into some issues so

Dory Aquarium Jello Cups

In the heat of the Summer jello is a perfect snack to cool you off.

I made these fun Finding Dory jello cups to celebrate the new movie that came out.

I hope you like them.

AQUARIUM JELLO CUPS RECIPE - STEP BY STEP VIDEO TUTORIAL
Jello Cups - 4 servings
2 Jello Packets , follow directions on the packaging
(Jello, berry or other kind that is blue)
Gummy Worms, cut in half lengthwise
1

Seashell Cream Puffs with Blueberry Mousse

We love cream puffs! I make them quite often actually. Once a month at least. I usually fill them with German Vanilla Buttercream, dust them or drizzle them with melted dark chocolate. They are so delicious and easy to make.

Seeing all the seashell desserts on pinterest got me thinking, what if I made seashell cream puffs. It's not impossible, right?
To make seashells I used my favorite

Shark Infested Cake Roll

It's a Shark Week and I made a delicious Shark Cake Roll. I was playing with the idea of shark cake roll for a little while and while I wanted to add a shark silhouette to the design; I think it would have complicated the design. Making the fins, either from cookies or fondant works great and it's effective.
Cake roll can be made ahead of time, stored in the fridge you can make it up to

Dragon Fruit Cookies

Have you guys tried Dragon Fruit? I'm a bit ashamed to admit I've only learned about this vibrant looking fruit few weeks ago. I'm doing series of cookie decorating videos inspired by real food and one of the ladies on my you tube channel suggested that I make Dragon Fruit. Dragon fruit? What's that? It made me curious and so I looked it up.

Dragon fruit is so inspiring with beautiful

Father's Day Heineken Beer Can Cakes

Strawberry season is here. I wait for this time of the year all year long. Local farms start to fill their stands with farm fresh produce. Even though we have a pretty big garden we don't grow strawberries.
I got 8 quarts of local strawberries at a near by farm.
Most of them I used to make the strawberry puree, rest I devoured with yogurt or dusted with some powdered sugar. Fruit puree is

Orange Creamsicle Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ice cream sandwiches, anyone?
I made delicious Orange Whoopie Pies that look like orange slices and then I sandwiched super creamy vanilly ice cream rounds between them. So good.

Orange Slice Whoopie Pies (make six sandwiches) - STEP BY STEP VIDEO TUTORIAL

1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tbl room temperature butter
1 large egg
1tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
3/4tsp baking powder
1/4tsp

Apple Cream Cheese Meringue Cakes

Today I'm making delicious Apple Dessert.

Apple Cream Cheese Meringue Cakes(can be made as a sheet cake style, makes 12 small cakes/cupcakes)

Cake Batter
10tbl room temperature butter, unsalted
4egg yolks
1/2 cup room temperature milk
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Meringue
4egg whites
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt

Cream Cheese

Walnut Sponge Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Diamonds

Usually this cake is made into bars, walnut based cake is baked in a sheet pan, cooled and then buttercream is spread on the top followed with a thin layer of melted chocolate.

Once chocolate hardens, cake is then carefully cut with hot knife into small bars.

I wanted a little change and so I used the same recipe to make a round cake out of it.

I ended up using ganache this time which

Vans Shoe Cake

Today I'm collaborating with Sue from Munchkin Munchies. Sue and I are old blogging buddies.
We collaborated in the past before and here are some of our latest collaborations :
Easter Bunny
Mini Gingerbread House
Candy Crush

Since we both love sprinkles we decided to do Sprinkles Collaboration.

Rainbow Sprinkles.

Sue made adorable Fairy Bread Cake and you can find all the details

Braided Cinnamon Star Bread

Few months ago Gretchen from Gretchen's Bakery and I decided to collaborate each month, using a specific ingredient or a theme. This month we are doing all cinnamon theme. I decided to make braided star bread. It turned out beautiful and ooh so delicious.

Sweet Bread Yeast Dough - STEP BY STEP VIDEO TUTORIAL

1 cup warm milk (about 115F), divided into 1/4cup and 3/4 cup

1 packets (1

Layered Casserole with Pasta and Ground Pork

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Barilla Pasta Company.

Recipe was developed by me. All photographs, video, all the text and opinions expressed in this post are all mine and are not shared by the organization.

#sponsored #ad #Sponsored by Barilla #BarillaOrganic #BarillaMarinara

Campaign Twitter Handle : @BarillaUS

I'm so excited to share this delicious casserole

Rainbow Buttercream Ruffle Cake

Do you like Ruffle Cakes? How about rainbows?

You are in the right place because I just I made rainbow buttercream ruffle cake.

Ever since I saw a short video clip on instagram showing how to pipe buttercream with ruffle piping tip I wanted to try this easy buttercream ruffle technique.

I ordered my Ruffle Piping Tips and made this pretty rainbow cake.

Vanilla Pound Cake
STEP

Twix Cake

I made a Twix Cake and here are the recipes and tools you need to make it too.

Recipes used
STEP BY STEP VIDEO TUTORIAL
Vanilla Pound Cake 1/2 of the recipe
Marshmallow Fondant 1 batch
Caramel Buttercream : Swiss Buttercream 1 batch, beat in Thick Caramel(you can half the recipe) - 1/2 to 1 cup
Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Bring to boil, boil for 4 minutes, remove from the heat,

Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have a friend with dairy allergy and so when I was asked to bake a few desserts for his wedding this past Summer I knew I had to make something that he could eat. I turned to the classic : Chocolate Chip Cookies. Dairy free version is super baker friendly, using basic ingredients that you probably already have on hand. They take no time to whip up and are delicious fresh and you can also

Chocolate Locket Hearts with a Surprise Inside

Give a gift of Chocolate Heart Locket filled with candies, dried fruit, nuts. They are easy to make, delicious to eat.

Although I made these for Valentine's day these little chocolate hearts would be perfect for so many occasions.

To make Chocolate Locket you need:
STEP BY STEP VIDEO TUTORIAL

Wilton Fondant Tool, used in the video
Chocolate Merkens Chips - Dark
Chocolate Merkens

Bee Mine Valentine's Day Cake Roll

I made beautiful cake roll! This time I got a little more creative. I made fondant bees for decoration.
You can learn how to make it in my step by step video tutorial.

BEE MINE CAKE ROLL RECIPE - STEP BY STEP VIDEO TUTORIAL

PATTERN BATTER

1/4 cup all purpose flour
3-4 tbl powdered sugar
1 tbl room temperature butter
1egg whites at room temperature
splash of tsp vanilla extract

Cream

Lay's Potato Chips Cake

As we enter a new year one thing I would like to say is Thank You to my friends, viewers, readers. Happy and a Healthy New Year!

Few months back, in October my neighbor Jeff was celebrating his 63rd birthday. I have made a birthday cake for Jeff several times before.

Here is a quick recap.

Owl Cake

Owl Apple Pie

Level Cake

This time to help Jeff celebrate I