Christmas Balls!

Are you guys surprised that my Christmas goodies are in the shape of balls? No? I didn't think so. Balls are just so cute, I love them! Yes, I said it. I LOVE BALLS!

Every year I make some goodies to bring over to some of my favorite people, our neighbors, Chriss and Irene. They are like family to us and we are lucky to have them living so close. Since I have started this interest in baking, they are the first to try it. Yes, even my flukes! They are so nice they wouldn't tell me if it was gross, but this latest tasty treat I whipped up was pure heaven in your mouth. There was no fluke here, just a bunch of yummyness!

I made Peanut Butter Pretzel Balls Dipped in Chocolate! YUM!

I originally wanted to make truffle balls and then form it into a tree, kinda like this:

But when I came across a suggestion by Martha Stewart in her latest magazine to mix crushed pretzels with peanut butter, confectioners sugar and butter, I had to try it. Then when I tried to attach the balls to the styrofoam tree, they wouldn't stay on the toothpick. The consistency wasn't solid enough, like a truffle would be. But it was okay because I didn't know what I was gonna use those tiny cupcake liners for that I had in my cupboard forever... viola! PERFECT! And cute. And did I say deeee-licious?

These were probably my favorite thing I have made so far! The pretzels stayed crunchy and they had the perfect mix of salty and sweet. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

a wedding invite in a hurry...

Last week, I received an email from a sweet girl that heard of me through a friend. She said that her wedding is less than 3 months away and the designer that was working on her invites wouldn't return her calls and now she is starting to panic. I actually started to panic for her! She asked if I would be willing to design her invites as she couldn't afford to wait on a response from the other designer. Well, if you know me, you know that I strive to be prompt and anything that remotely resembles being late, makes me break out into an anxiety attack! So, I not only agreed, I put on my turbo boosters in order to get this done for her as soon as possible. I was a bride once and something like this can very possibly throw a bride into a manic frenzy of emotions! Planning a wedding is not fun... even if you are super prepared like I was!


It only took one day and we had the design finalized and ordered! This is the front:

and this is the back:

here are the reply cards:

and the back:

Here is her response (this is why I LOVE what I do!)


WOW, WOW, WOW!!  You are incredible.  Ohh Sommer!!  These are amazing!!!  Thanks again for all of your help.  I can't believe I woke up yesterday without invites and this afternoon it is complete. 
 It is perfect!  You captured my vision and have made the most gorgeous invitation I could have dreamed or asked for.  Thank you so very much for your hard work, creativity, promptness and professionalism.  I am so thankful for you. Thank you does not say enough.  Please know that I will pass your name to my friends who are getting married.  You have been such a pleasure to work with. 

It's never too late to give thanks...

Ok, I know we are now in the Christmas season but let me take you back a few weeks. Here are the goodies I whipped up for Thanksgiving:

Every year I make the same pie. Creamy Pumpkin Pie. I have always loved the taste of pumpkin but hated the texture of traditional pumpkin pie, that's why every year this pie is a must for me!

Here is the easy-peesy recipe. No bake and takes no time at all!


Creamy Pumpkin Pie
1 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 c. cold milk
1 (6 serving) pkg. vanilla flavor instant pudding
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3 1/2 c. (8 oz.) thawed Cool Whip
1 graham cracker pie crust
Whip with wire whisk the milk, pudding mix and pumpkin pie spice in large bowl. Add in pumpkin until well combined. Fold in 2 1/2 cups of Cool Whip. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate until firm. Top with remaining Cool Whip.


But also every year, I like to try something to new to send over to my awesome neighbors who are like family to us! So this year, I found a recipe for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies... and they were yummy!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

• Cookies:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 1/4 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 
  
• 
  
• Cream Cheese Filling:
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 
  

1. For cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease or line four baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large mixer bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin and vanilla extract; beat until smooth. Stir in flour mixture until combined. Drop by heaping measuring teaspoons onto prepared baking sheets. (A total of 72 cookies are needed for the recipe.)
3. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until springy to the touch. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
4. For cream cheese filling: Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Spread a heaping teaspoon of filling onto flat side of one cookie; top with flat side of second cookie to make a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

I had a few extra so I brought them over to Momma Coffin's:

Rice Krispie Pops!

The bad news? I thought I invented these, and I didn't. The good news? It doesn't matter cause the deliciousness makes up for it!


I offered to make my friend, Konnie, a dessert for her baby shower. In the interest of my blog, I wanted to make something new so I don't bore my readers with the same old desserts. I have made cake pops and cheesecake pops, but I have never made Rice Krispie pops. I thought that it was so original that nobody has ever made them before. A quick google search proved me wrong, but hey, it would be new to me!


They were so easy and soooo yummy! I added crushed up heath bar to add a little oomph to the plain old Rice Krispie recipe. I also added a little peanut butter to the butter as it was melting, before putting in the marshmallows. But other than that, its just your standard recipe from the box!


I found that once they cool a little, its easier to shape into balls without it sticking to your hands, or you can butter your hands if you don't wanna wait.


I wanted to personalize it, so I designed something, printed it out and wrapped it around my container.
Look how cute!

Look how happy they made Konnie's little girl, Nari! The look on her face made all the effort worth it!

Kaitlin the Graduate

I was honored when my boss asked me to design her daughter's Graduation Announcements and even more excited when she asked me to take her photos too.
We went to the Maitland Art Center which had a beautiful, unique decor that matched Kaitlin's personality perfectly.

Congratulations Kaitlin!




front:







back:

my sweet momma's surprise!

Every year my momma goes to the mountains with her husband for her birthday. This year, I thought it would be fun to rent a cabin, get there before she does, decorate and SURPRISE HER! And she was surprised! She just stood there and cried and couldn't move!
This is what she saw when she walked in...

I wanted to make her a cake for her birthday but I wasn't sure how well it would travel 10 hours in a car. So I decided to make her Raspberry Pound Cake Balls dipped in Chocolate. Sounds good, right? Um, not really. I am not really sure where I went wrong, but it had something to do with the raspberry extract. I made the pound cake recipe that I made for my birthday but substitute the lemon extract for raspberry extract. As I was making it, I kept tasting it and it never tasted "raspberry-y" enough so I kept adding and adding and adding. I even added some to the chocolate and glaze that I dipped them in. They ended up not tasting "raspberry-y" but not good either. My sweet momma didn't think I noticed when she SECRETLY put the other half of one down the disposal! hahahahaha!!!
But they were pretty and sometimes it's the thought that counts! See how pretty?

I can't believe I forgot to post this too! This is a puzzle I designed for my mom and she had no idea what it looked like until we put it together!

out of the ordinary

I usually don't post any projects that I work on during my 40-hour a week job, but these came out so good, that I wanted to share. And these were all RUSH jobs, I'm glad my creative juices were a flowin!

a day off to relax?

No, not me... I take a day off to bake! I know, I am a glutton for punishment. If the cakes didn't turn out so well, I would regret my decision. But they were AMAZING! Check out this spread, and you can imagine how lovely my house smelled!

Well, I decided to make a trip up to see my cousin, Nikki. I realized her daughter had just turned 3 and I hadn't even met her yet! Yes, my entire family is horrible about staying in touch with relatives but I am hoping to change that. 


She said Pineapple Upside Down cake was her favorite but I don't like it. I have a rule, I have to make something I like or I won't be able to tell if it came out good or not! Makes sense, huh? That, and I LOVE sweets and if I am slaving away in the kitchen, I want to be able to reap the rewards! So, I decided to make mini ones to satisfy the birthday girl, but also make a Hummingbird Cake. I have made one before and it was surprisingly good even though I don't like fruit in my cake.


So, I found a recipe for mini Pineapple Upside Down cakes on allrecipes.com and made a few adjustments. WARNING: Put some foil down in the bottom of your oven or you will have a smokey mess from the abundance of brown sugar/butter mixture overflowing.  The extra mixture is worth the mess! BELIEVE ME!

MINI PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKES

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup butter, melted
• 2 (20 ounce) cans sliced pineapple
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package pineapple supreme mix
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 12 maraschino cherries, halved

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and butter; mix well. Spoon into 24 greased muffin cups. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice. Trim pineapple to fit the muffin cups; place one ring in each cup. Push cherry into middle.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oils and 1 cup water and 1/4 cup of the reserved pineapple juice; mix well. Spoon over pineapple, filling each cup two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
3. Let rest for 5 minutes in pan before inverting onto wire racks to cool completely. 

For the Hummingbird Cake, I couldn't find the original recipe that I used so I just found something similar. I don't think it was as good as the first one I made, but it's still worth sharing the recipe.

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Ingredients

• 3  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 2  cups  sugar
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground cinnamon
• 3  large eggs, beaten
• 1  cup  vegetable oil
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
• 1  (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
• 1  cup  chopped almonds
• 2  cups  mashed bananas
• Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

Preparation

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not beat.) Stir in vanilla, pineapple, almonds, and bananas.

Pour batter into three greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake; Store in refrigerator.

For the almond flowers, I just toasted some slivered almonds and then formed the flowers with a mini M&M for the middle.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients

• 1  (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2  cup  butter or margarine, softened
• 1  (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract

Preparation

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

But, that's not all! Saturday was Pete's BFFs birthday, Dennis! His wife said he likes anything with chocolate and peanut butter. I could have made the 8-layer cake that I made before with Reeses but I like to try something I have never done before so my blog will stay interesting! (You're welcome)

So, I decided to try and make a chocolate/peanut butter marble cake. I have never made a marble cake before and they always look so fancy! I found a recipe on allrecipes.com and then added 2 different frostings (chocolate and peanut butter, of course) and a sprinkle of Butterfinger to add some crunch!

Here's the recipe for the cake:

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER MARBLE CAKE

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 1 cup smooth REESES peanut butter 
• 1 tablespoon shortening
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 3 eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). With a non-stick cooking spray, coat two 9 inch baking pans. Dust with flour and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the cocoa, confectioners' sugar, butter and 2 tablespoons hot water until smooth and set aside.
3. In microwavable bowl, place peanut butter chips and shortening. Microwave on high for 1 minute, or until chips are melted and smooth when stirred.
4. In large bowl, combine cake mix, brown sugar, 1-1/4 cups water, eggs and reserved melted peanut butter mixture; beat on low speed of electric mixer until moistened. Increase speed to medium, beat 2 minutes until smooth. Remove 1-1/2 cups of the batter and add it to the reserved cocoa mixture; blend well.
5. Pour the peanut butter flavored batter into the prepared pan. Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate batter on top. Swirl with a knife or spatula for a marbled effect.
6. Bake at 350 degree F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and frost as desired.

For the frosting, I could have just bought it at the store already made but it's not as impressive. Frosting is actually really easy to make and tastes so much better! For the chocolate frosting, I used the recipe that I always use when I make chocolate cake:

THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 3 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
• 5 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Cool several minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture and beat until smooth. Frost cooled cake.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING:

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 
  

Combine 1 cup peanut butter, and 1/2 cup butter or margarine cream together until light and fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar. Mix in enough milk to make the frosting of a spreading consistency. Apply to cool cake.

I decided to cut my 2 layers in half so I would have a 4-layer cake (the lazy way). By doing that, it made it hard to see the marbling effect that had drawn me to this recipe to begin with. But it was soooooo good that I didn't care! I alternated the 2 frostings between the 2 layers and I sprinkled some Butterfinger on the peanut butter layer. Then I frosted the sides of the cake with chocolate, sprinkled with more Butterfinger and then mixed the 2 frostings together for the top of the cake. I was hoping to make a swirled effect but I don't think I added enough milk to the peanut butter frosting so it wasn't wanting to cooperate. But it didn't matter cause it was so freakin yummy! VERY VERY VERY GOOD!