Monday, December 15, 2008

Holiday Party Treats

My husband had a work party and they asked that I bring some desserts to the party. I made 3 things: holiday cupcakes, cookies and fudge.

Holiday Cookie Muffins
I will admit- I used refrigerated cookie dough.

Get about a tablespoon of the dough, and drop in a mini muffin tin.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375.
I placed a M&M in the middle of each cookie muffin, red or green of course!!!
Holiday Cupcakes

I used my favorite vanilla cake recipe and my favorite vanilla icing recipe.
* Don't forget to add a package of vanilla pudding. It will make it more moist. Try it with your favorite scratch cake recipe or try the one I have linked there.

Quick and Rich Vanilla Frosting
(this is THE BEST vanilla frosting I have ever made. This has now become my new staple vanilla frosting)

2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt

Stir these 3 ingredients in a bowl until the salt dissolves.

Beat in until smooth: 2 1/2 sticks butter, softened

Reduce speed and slowly add in 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar.

This is the trick, beat this for at least 3 minutes. I literally watched it transform in front of my eyes. After 1 minute, I thought, "Ok, this looks like frosting, I can stop." But the recipe said to beat it for 4 minutes, so I kept going. It just got fluffier, and prettier as I kept going.

My sweet husband and dad bought me these silicone baking trays in holiday themes. I sprayed them with Pam even though they are silicone, I don't want to take my chances.
Fill these only 2/3 way full, maximum. Bake for 15-20 minutes, keep your eye on them.
Let cool in the pans, don't try to take them out of there when they are still warm, they will break on you. I iced this side of them, because the other side had all the pretty snowflake detail on it.
I did say I made fudge. I made fudge the weekend before and sent the leftovers to the party. I was in a hurry the day I originally made the fudge, so I didn't take pictures. It was a recipe for "easy fudge" and it was definitely easy, so I will make it again.

1 comment:

Sonya said...

I am so envious of those neat molds! I wish I could find those here in the netherlands.