Lollipop cookies (Elmo)

These Elmo cookies were made as a loot for my neices 2nd birthday and she is a Sesame Street fan! The cookies are sugar cookies, and decorated with Royal Icing.



How to make Cookie Lolipops:

* First I made my usual favorite Vanilla Sugar cookie recipe (which you can find on my site).
* Then I cut out the dough with Stars and circle cookie cutters from my 101 cookie cutter set.
* Right before I baked the cookies, I used lolipop sticks and pressed into each cookie about half way and covered the stick on the back of the cookie with extra dough the make sure that the stick is going to stay put.
*After the cookies have cooled. I out lined them all with white royal icing using tip # 3 for piping. Then let that cool for at least 30 minutes. this outline is going to prevent the thinner icing from leaking out the edges when filled in.
Then fill in the cookies with a thinner consistancy royal icing with the color of your choice..this is called "flooding"

Elmooooo!!!

Sunshine Award

I am so flattered! I was just given a special award from a follower of my blog. She is from www.kimmama.com . check out her Blog. I just recieved the Sunshine award! Thankyou thankyou! I am so happy to see that all my hard work pays off and is making others happy.

Quoted from her site

" I am going to make this award a little more elite by passing it on to only one. And the winner is…
Ashley from Baking with Ashley
Because there is nothing more full of sunshine and happiness than adorable and delicious cupcakes and other goodies."

Thanks Kim!

Choco-Mint dipped cookies

1 1/2 cup mint-chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter -- softened
1/2 cup brown sugar -- firmly packed
1/4 cup sugar -- granulated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Melt 3/4 cup of the mint-chocolate chips in a the microwave , stir until smooth. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla extract; beat until creamy.
Add melted chips and egg; beat well. Gradually blend in the flour mixture. Stir in remaining 3/4 cup of mint-chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake at 375Fdegrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Allow to stand 2 to 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely on wire racks.


After they are done baking, I used chocolate candy wafers and melted them in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

When the chocolate is melted, dip half of the cookie into the chocolate and cover the area well. dont forget to double dip. Then right after when the chocolate is still wet sprinkle colorful sprinkles to decorate. use whatever candy you like.


My daughter had lots of fun with these cookies. A really fun recipe to do with the kids.




I love white Chocolate....my weakness. the mix of the white chocolate and the Mint is so good. especially when warm. I think I sent half the batch to work with my husband so I wouldnt eat them. Crazy good cookie!!!

Strawberry Muffins

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, sifted
1/3 c. granulated sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sliced strawberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat eggs, blend in oil, vanilla, and milk. Add liquid to dry ingredients, stir quickly, just until moistened. Fold in strawberries. Spoon into well-greased 2 1/2 inch muffin tins or paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack. Serve warm.

Spring is in the Air....

Chocolate cupcakes-- with royal Icing blossoms, buttercream icing for grass and Sugar cookie Lady-bugs.. Arnt they Cute?!

It all Started with a little mini-lady bug Sugar cookies.........



Then they started to come to life with some red buttercream icing....




Did some piping with tip # 23, doesnt quite look like much yet, sort of looks like green hair.

Icing was colored with (Wilton icing color...leaf green color) , still doesnt look like much yet... do you know what it is going to be?

Some wild grass...for the Lady bugs to hang out on.

And some more.....


Some Spring Blossom candies made of Royal icing...yum!


What to do with the Flowers? I thought I'd turn them into lolipop flowers and stick them in the cupcakes. In order to do that...some chocolate wafers had to be melted as glue.


Melt, melt, melting.....

And stick them!

And Voila!

S'mores Cookies

Danger, Danger!! Bad Ashley!!......I couldnt help myself. I got to stop baking dangerously good things like this. I found this recipe today and I didnt plan on making them for a while. But the recipe kept calling my name all night long. So..eight o'clock on a Tuesday night I gave in to my Sugar addiction. They turned out so good. Campfire cookies cooked right in my kitcken.

Marshmallow & Chocolate & Graham crackers.
"Yummy"....

*1 cup, 250 mL All-Vegetable Shortening

*1 cup, 250 mL sugar

* 1 egg

*1 tsp, 5 mLvanilla

*2 cups, 500 mL All Purpose Flour

*1/2 cup, 125 mL graham cracker crumbs

*1 tsp, 5 mL baking powder

*1/4 tsp, 1 mL salt

*1 cup, 250 mL miniature marshmallow

*8 oz milk chocolate, chopped









Preparation Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.





Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg then vanilla. In separate bowl, mix together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Stir in marshmallows and chocolate. Stir flour mixture into creamed mixture. Gently press into 1 ½" balls (4 cm); place 2" (5-cm) apart on prepared baking sheet.


Bake in centre of oven for 12 minutes or until golden. Let cool 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks.

S'mores anyone?

Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

How to make the best fudge in the world:
*Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk.



Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
Stir in peanut butter and vanilla...OMG I love peanut butter. Nothing better than melted peanut butter and brown sugar...







Pour over confectioners' sugar in a large mixing bowl.




Beat until smooth...Mix...mix...mix...

Still mixing...getting out all the clumps.

pour into an 8x8 inch dish. Then the hardest part of all...waiting it to set in the fridge.

Chill until firm and cut into squares.