Rose Easter Cake

Easter candy, you are killing me. 

This time of year is always tough. Right as I decide I am going to get in shape for summer, BAM! I forget about the 5 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies I ordered and they show up on a day when I could eat every single one in a sitting. Then, just as I get those out of the picture I am inundated with all that delicious and tempting Eater candy. (I think I had more  fun shopping for Easter Bunny candy for Mini Mac than I did shopping for Christmas. That aisle is so much fun.)

Oh, and did I mention that ALL of the above takes place during Lent? Yeah. Pretty dang tough for this gal. I had to quit giving up sweets for Lent because I failed miserably EVERY year.

I made this cake for my friend Sherry for Easter. Her in laws are coming into town and she wanted something special for their visit. They are not big chocolate fans so she decided on strawberry. I make a mean strawberry cake. My secret? Just a boxed mix, but in place of the water I use pureed strawberries. It makes SUCH a difference. 

I have had this rose pattern on my to-do list for a while now. I thought it would be perfect for an delicate Easter cake. Yes, the large rose to the left screams "Look at me! I want all the attention!" But I think it's pretty for my first try. Check out the tutorial I found at I Am Baker.

And then since it's Easter, I nestled a few Cadbury Mini Eggs in the center. These are the perfect candy for Easter baked goods.

Aren't they adorable?

One last tip that I must share. I was on a discussion board at Wilton.com one day and the topic was how to get a moist cake. One of the commenters shared that her grandmother ALWAYS put any cake she made in the freezer for at least 24 hours and then thawed it prior to decorating. She claims that her cakes were always so super moist and comparable to bakery cakes. Once my layers were cooled, I wrapped them twice in plastic wrap, tied each one up in a plastic bag and tucked them into my freezer. I laid them out to thaw the night before I was set to decorate. They appeared super moist to me, but I can't wait to hear the reviews from Sherry.

A very Happy Easter to you and yours!

Easy Cake Mix Cookies

I love Reese's ANYTHING. Pieces, cups, mini cups, eggs, cereal (Have you had this? It rocks.), ice cream bars (These rock even more), Blizzards, you name it. If it has Reese's in the title I am likely to salivate profusely over it. As with any other sweet treat these days, I approach this love affair with much moderation. But let me tell you, it is super tough.

Recently on a walk, I saw an unopened Reese's egg just lying casually under a tree next to the sidewalk. I was sure there was an early Easter egg hunt of some sort going on, but no one was around. It crossed my mind that it would be so easy to take off with that little guy and treat myself in celebration of all my walking calories burned. But, I stayed strong and passed that sucker up for the sake of my rear end and thighs. Boy, was it hard. I am bound to believe that my arch nemesis strategically planted the egg there to bring me down.

  

Need a quick Reese's fix? These cookies are perfect. They are oh so delicious and pretty much the easiest cookies I have ever made!

Easy Cake Mix Cookies

1 -18.5 oz. devil's food cake mix*
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
2 tbsp milk
2 large eggs
1 cup Reese's Pieces

-Preheat oven to 350. Combine cake mix, peanut butter, eggs and milk in a large mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until blended. Stir in Reese's Pieces. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet. Press down a bit to flatten. Bake 7-9 minutes or until lightly browned. Once out of the oven, press down again to flatten a bit more.** Let rest about 5 minutes then remove to cooling racks.

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*We are getting jipped on cake mixes these days. Manufacturers have reduced the size of the mixes but we are paying the same price. Many run between 15.5 ounces and 16.25. The standard is 18.5 ounces. I have found that the store brand mixes have stayed true to this amount. And they are just as good.

**These cookies do not spread well on their own. The first batch I made came out baked in the exact shape they went in, round balls. That is why I flatten them before I put them in the oven and again right when they come out. This second time is not necessary, but I just like a flatter cookie. 

Springtime Magic Bars

The weather at my house this weekend was such a wonderful taste of Spring. It was beautiful and it got me in the mood for some type of pretty springtime dessert.

These ARE truly magic. I know I often say,  "These are SO unbelievably good," but honestly, THESE are the best things I think I have ever made. OK, best BARS I have ever made. I had to specify "bars" because I just remembered a cupcake recipe I am going to share with you guys soon and it's pretty unbelievable, too. But seriously, bar-wise, these rock the house.

I adapted this recipe from one I came across at Lauren's Latest last week. Love her site. I didn't have the toppings her recipe required (chopped Oreos, mini chocolate chips and mini marshmallows--YUM!) so I used what I had. These bars are so easy. It's a graham cracker crust topped with sweetened condensed milk and then pretty much whatever you want to throw on top. I used chopped peanut butter sandwich cookies and pastel Sixlets. The magic happens when they are baked. The milk turns all caramely (that's a word, right?) and binds the ingredients together.

Right when they came out of the oven, I topped them with chopped Reese's Minis. Look at those guys. Simply gorgeous. Kate Upton has some serious competition in that shot above. I have SUCH a thing for peanut butter and chocolate. I was never a fan of peanut butter sandwiches or even PB & J for that matter. (I was an odd child. I also didn't like pancakes, waffles or donuts for breakfast. I wanted oatmeal. Don't worry. I have more than made up for that in my adult years.) But give me something sweet that has peanut butter as an ingredient and you could probably get me to do most anything you needed me to. Except push ups. I loathe push ups. And ironing.

To make them prettier, not to mention more delicious (if that is even possible), I drizzled on some melted white chocolate.

I love a recipe that can be adapted so easily. This is definitely one of those. As I mentioned, you can top these bars with basically whatever you want. With all the fun Easter candy out right now, lots of experimentation could be had with this recipe. I do recommend, however, if you want to use Reese's cups or something similar in texture, throw them on AFTER they come out of the oven. That way, they hold their shape but melt just enough to stay put on the bar.

Springtime Magic Bars

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter
1-14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups chopped peanut butter sandwich cookies
1/2 cup pastel Sixlets or M & M's
1 cup Reese's Minis cut in half
1/4 cup melted white chocolate (optional)

-Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter until blended well. Press into the bottom of a sprayed 9 x 13 pan. Pour on the condensed milk. Spread evenly. Sprinkle on the cookies and Sixlets. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until edges are browned and bars are set. 

-Once out of the oven, sprinkle on the Reese's cups. Let bars cool completely.

-Carefully invert out of pan onto chopping block. (I invert them onto one board, then lay another board on top and flip them again so that they are right side up.)

-Drizzle with the white chocolate. Once that is set, cut into 16 bars.

For Lauren's original version with Oreos and marshmallows (that woman is a genius) check out the recipe here.