Saturday, December 4, 2010

Pink Glamour Girl Birthday Party - Real Party

Pink Girly Glamour
When my friend told me she was having a pink girly glamour party for her daughter's 7th birthday party, I couldn't help but offer to help.

I mean did you hear what I just said PINK..... GIRLY..... GLAMOUR....PARTY.  I was there whether she wanted me or not.


Luckily she was happy for me to help and I did what I do, that is baking and she decorated up a storm.

I was provided with some cookie cutters, a colour theme, a cake preference and was pretty much given free rein.

 Glamour girl cookie pops, sugar cookie with marshmallow fondant, royal icing and fondant decorations

I had a great time making these treats, my girls particularly liked the glamour girl cookies I made with red hair to match the birthday girl's beautiful hair. I cut the sugar cookie freehand without a cutter and the decorations were inspired by the fairy wand cookies I made for my daughter's party.

And I also made the stand to pop them in, y'all know when I do craft it's easy peasy, A styrofoam box wrapped in pink polka dot wrapping paper with some scrap material I had laying around stuck on with double sided sticky tape and then a pink ribbon also stuck on with double sided sticky tape finished with a cute flower.

I told you it was Easy Peasy.

and Jo my friend made these dazzling glam bottles up for the strawberry and chocolate milk.


 Bottle Bling it's my new favourite thing

Yup that's right it's bottle bling.

Jo found this beading bling at Stacks (local discount store) and stuck it onto recycled juice bottles. Some of the mums already have plans for using these at their next party with some more adult type drinks.

Jo also wrapped up chocolates in pink and brown polka dot paper and stuck various glamour stickers she grabbed at the local discount store. Could it get any cuter.....well it did .

Even the juice poppers got the same glamour treatment.


Oh and while she was at 'Stacks' she found these little pink and purple handbags for $2 each she used for treat bags. I think they were a great find.


The party was held at a local dance studio Stepping Out at Underwood. The mum's got to sit upstairs and relax while the hosts played games and entertained the kids until they were ready to tackle the food. Have to love that, happy kids and happy mums.

It was totally girly, totally glamorous and the kids had a wonderful time.
 
The birthday girl checking out the treat table
 

Party Menu

Cake Pops

Raspberry French Almond Macarons

Assorted glamour cookies (handbag, nailpolish and mini mirrors)



Glamour Girls with Red Hair Cookie pops

Chocolate layer cake


Strawberry and Chocolate Milk
Assorted lollies (candy and sweets)

mini chocolate tarts


mini jellies and puddings

juice pops

and glamour chocolates

Glamour wrapped chocolates and the party invitation




Party Treats made by Bubble and Sweet
Mini Jellies, puddings, chocolate tarts and decorating by Jo
Party held at Stepping Out Dance Studio Underwood
Pink Beanies and square cake stand by Sharnel Dollar Designs
Round paper lanterns Robert Gordon
Pom poms on ledge by Ah Tissue
Photos.......as though you can't tell I had to take them myself this time.

Related recipes in this blog:
Macarons
Fairy Wand Cookies
Cake Pops
Sugar Cookies

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Christmasy tim tam pops the super fast no bake way



I'm a bit behind on my Christmas cooking, I have so many great ideas and just not enough time.

If your a bit like me, check out this cheat's version of a tim tam pop, there's no mixing, it's really just a tim tam on a pop.

Ok well I did make the decorations from mini cookie cutters I bought from Little Betsy Baker.
But you could even buy the decorations ready made if you want, sooo cute and the kids could help stick them on too.

and to display them I bought this pop up RUSS Christmas Card, I picked it up from my local newsagent, just stick some clean styrofoam inside and maybe a little weight.

Or if your not into the whole cookies on a stick thing, they would be cute in a little box with a ribbon as a sweet little gift for someone.

Apologies to all those countries out there who don't get white Tim Tam's, you might be able to substitute a more local cookie.


Christmas Tim Tam pops

Equipment and Ingredients
8 inch cookie pop/ lollipop sticks (make sure you do not get the thick Wilton ones)
Metal skewer
packet of white tim tams
little melted chocolate or candy melts
microwave safe dish
fondant or royal icing decorations

Using the metal skewer make a hole in the center base of each tim tam as per picture.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave on short bursts at med low until smooth.

Dip the end of each cookie stick/ lollipop stick into the melted chocolate and then carefully push into the hole you have made in the Tim Tam.

Pop onto tray and repeat with remaining Tim Tam's. If you are adding decorations pop them onto the Tim Tams using the remaining melted chocolate.

If necessary refrigerate a few mins until chocolate is firm.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Baked Cheesecake with Salted Caramel, Jam Tart and the Daring Bakers Challenge November 2010

 

The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

Mmmmmm this salted caramel topped cheesecake was super duper delicious

I just wasn't feeling the pie or tart love and went with a cheesecake instead, I though I could get away with using the pasta frolla (pastry) as a base, and it worked but it just felt wrong.


The cheesecake I baked with salted caramel was so delicious it completely overwhelmed the pastry and I felt I was doing the challenge a disservice.


So I went as plain as I could and made a jam tart, using the same pastry base. It was simple, it was sweet and it worked nicely. Not what I would usually bake but that's what the Daring Bakers is about.

recipe after jump