Fawn's Leapfrog Cupcakes, Pixie Hollow

image & recipe @spoonful.com

What you'll need

• Batch of baked Vanilla cupcakes
• Frosting tinted "frog" green
• Small tube of white decorating frosting or cookie icing
• Small candy eyes (look for them in the baking aisle at large craft or department stores)
• White candy melts
• Green or sour apple-flavored gummy ring-style candies
• Kitchen scissors

How to make it

1. Frost the cupcakes green.
2. 
   For each frog, create a pair of large eyeballs by using dots of decorating frosting or 
   icing to stick candy eyes to the centers of white Candy Melts, as shown. 
   Set the eyeballs aside until the icing hardens and holds.
3. 
   Cut a gummy ring candy in half to create two green "eye sockets."
4. Gently press the cut ends of each pair of gummy rings down into a frosted cupcake top, positioning them side-by-side just a bit in front of the center. Place a candy eyeball right in front of each socket, again gently pushing the lower edge into the frosting.

Cars; Tow Mater Cupcakes

image & recipe @spoonful.com

What you'll need

• 1 box cake mix
• 2 16 oz cans of milk chocolate frosting
• 16 oz can of vanilla frosting
• 6 cup large muffin baking pan
• 12 cup regular size cupcake baking pan
• 4.44 oz box of Keebler Fudge Shoppe Grasshopper Cookies (100 Calorie Right Bites)
• Ziploc bag
• 12 White M&M's candies (headlights)
• 12 Green M&M's candies (eyes)
• 6 Eclipse gum pieces (teeth)
• 6 inch cardboard cake boards
• Black edible ink pen
• Toothpicks

How to make it

1. Coat both pans with non-stick spray. Prepare cake batter and fill both pans about 2/3 full. Bake as directed on the package and let cool.
2. 
   Count out 60 cookies and set aside. Place the remaining cookies in a Ziploc bag and finely crush them with a rolling pin or glass.
3. 
   Set aside 12 green and 12 white M&M's. (Use yellow if you can't easily find the white ones.)
4. 
   For Mater's teeth, cut each piece of gum into two pieces so one piece is larger than the other.
5. 
   Cut the tops off of 6 of the cupcakes so you can place them upside down for the truck bed. Before turning upside down, frost the sides and bottom (now top) with milk chocolate frosting and sprinkle with cookie crumbs
6. 
   Place the cupcakes, cut side down toward the back of a 6-inch cake board. Place a dollop of frosting on the board to help the cupcakes stay in place.
7. 
   Frost the sides of the larger muffin-size cupcakes. Sprinkle some of the crushed cookie pieces on the sides and then place on the cake board right in front of the other cupcake. Frost the top and sprinkle with more cookie crumbs. Attach one cookie to the front of each muffin-size cupcake for the mouth.
8. For each tire, attach two cookies together using frosting and then attach two tires to the larger cupcake and two in back to the smaller cupcake.
9. 
   Place one more cookie on the top for the tire on Mater's hood. Attach the teeth to the cookie mouth with a small amount of frosting.
10. 
    For the top of the trucks, first frost about half of each of the remaining cupcakes with vanilla frosting. You can place these in the freezer for a few minutes for the frosting to harden and then it will be easier to frost over the vanilla edges with chocolate frosting to finish Mater's face. Frost the sides and top with chocolate and sprinkle with cookie crumbs.
11. 
    Attach two green M&M's in place for eyes and two white M&M's in place for headlights. Use a black edible ink pen to draw pupils on the eyes and when dry, you can use a toothpick to dot a small amount of vanilla frosting for extra detail. Heat it slightly in the microwave and it will be easier to dot on.

Dairy-Free Coconut Chai

Total time: 10mins

image & recipe @yummly.com

	Ingredients: 1 chai tea bag (I used Stash)
	1 tablespoon vanilla simple syrup*
	3 tablespoons lite coconut milk
	1 pinch cinnamon Method: Place the tea bag in a mug and pour hot water over it. Steep for five minutes, the remove and discard. Stir in the simple syrup or (*honey is also a good sweetener in lieu of the syrup) and stir until completely dissolved. Warm the milk in a small saucepan or in the microwave until it steams just a little bit. Stir the warm milk into the chai and top with a pinch of cinnamon.

Vegan Fluffy Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Total time: 8 mins

Makes:  4 cups

image & recipe @yummly.com

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup nonhydrogenated shortening
• 1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margarine
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup plain soy milk or soy creamer

Method:

1. Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes.
2. Add the vanilla and soy milk, and beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy.

Variation:
Cookies ‘n’ Cream Frosting (pictured): Stir into frosting 1/2 cup (about 5 cookies; mash first, then measure) of finely mashed vegan chocolate cream-filled sandwich cookies, like Newman-O's. Frost cupcakes generously, and top each cupcake with half of a sandwich cookie.

Almond Breeze Vegan Rice Pudding

image & recipe @yummly.com

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups rice (sushi rice, jasmine, basmati are really good in pudding)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, seeded and scraped
• 7 cups Almond Breeze, vanilla or unsweetened
• pinch of sea salt
• berries

Method:

1. Start by rinsing the rice with water. Add rice to a medium saucepan. Add sugar, vanilla bean and pod, salt, and 1 cup of almond milk.
2. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the milk is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Gradually add 5 more cups of almond milk, about 1/2 cup at a time. Let the milk absorb before adding more.
3. After 25 minutes, the rice pudding will be thick and creamy.
4. Let cool, and stir in the last cup of milk. Remove vanilla bean and spoon into a pretty glass. Garnish with fresh berries, or a spoonful of preserves.

Low Carb, Gluten Free Cheesecake

Prep time: 5mins

Cook time: 45mins

Ingredients:

• 2 (8 ounce) packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temperature (Not fat free)
• 1/2 cup splenda sugar substitute (Xylitol also works)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

Method:

1. Mix together softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup splenda, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, beat well.
2. Then add 2 eggs and beat again.
3. Cook in a pyrex dish about 6 x 6 glass dish at 180'C [350'F] for 40 to 45 minutes until centre is firm.

Note:

• Do the "hot water bath" baking method for it to turn out even creamier.
• Try recipe with additional extracts, lemon w/some zest, almond, orange w/some zest, etc

Divine gluten free chocolate cookies

image & recipe @yummly.com / Food 52

Serves a crowd

• 2.5cups powdered sugar
• 1/2cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4teaspoon kosher salt
• 3egg whites
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2.5cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 180'C (350'F) and line baking sheet(s)with parchment paper
2. In a bowl of standing mixer or large bowl with hand held mixer , mix powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt on low. Stir in the egg whites with a stand or hand mixer until the batter is well mixed. Stir in the vanilla extract and chocolate chips by hand. The batter will look weird. Don't worry about it.
3. Using a small cookie scoop or spoon blob batter onto the baking trays, about an inch apart. They will spread a bit.
4. Bake until the cookies are cracking on the surface, about 15 minutes.
5. Let cool for ten minutes on the trays then carefully remove to cooling rack.
6. These will keep in covered container for three days but you'll never keep them that long.

Melting Moments

image @http://www.food.com

Ingredients:

Makes 16-20

• 3 tbsp. [40g / 1 1/2oz] butter or margarine
• 5 tbsp. [65g / 2 1/2oz] lard
• 1/2 cup [75g / 3oz] caster sugar
• 1/2 egg, beaten
• few drops of vanilla or almond essence
• 1 1/4 cups [150g / 5oz] self-raising flour
• Rolled oats for coating
• 4-5 glasé cherries, quartered

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180'C conventional [350'F / Gas 4]. Grease two baking trays. Cream together the butter or margarine, lard and sugar, then gradually beat in the egg and vanilla or almond essence.
2. Stir the flour into the beaten mixture, then roll into 16-20 small balls in your hands.
3. Spread the rolled oats on a sheet of greaseproof paper and toss the balls in them to coat evenly.
4. Place the balls, spaced slightly apart, on the prepared baking trays, place a piece of cherry on top of each and bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned. Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Sugared raspberry biscuits

INGREDIENTS

24 biscuits

image @http://aww.ninemsn.com.au

Basic biscuit dough:

• 90g reduced-fat margarine
• 110g (½ cup) caster sugar
• 250g (1 2/3 cups) plain flour
• pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Sugared raspberry biscuits:

• 1 quantity of basic biscuit dough
• 70g (¼ cup) raspberry jam
• 24 fresh raspberries, if desired
• icing sugar to dust

Method:

Basic biscuit dough:
Cream margarine and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and beat until just combined (do not overbeat or dough will become tough).

Divide dough in half and roll each half in caster sugar to form 2 x 12cm logs. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and freeze for 2 hours or until very firm.

Cut each log into 12 x 1cm biscuits, place on greased baking sheets and bake in a moderate (180°C) oven for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cool on wire racks.

Hint: Dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Sugared raspberry biscuits:
Follow the basic biscuit dough recipe to the end of step 4.
Before placing baking sheets in the oven, make a hollow in the centre of each biscuit with your forefinger or the back of a teaspoon.

Place ½ teaspoon of raspberry jam in each hollow and bake as for the basic biscuit dough recipe.

Place a fresh raspberry on top of each biscuit before serving, if desired, and dust with icing sugar.

Mr. Galini's Coconut Cream Pie

Ingredients: 

image @http://www.cooking-with-us.com

• 3 cups half-and-half 
• 2 eggs 
• 3/4 cup white sugar 
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1 1/4 cups flaked coconut 
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked 
• 1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed 

DIRECTIONS 

1. In a medium saucepan, combine half-and-half, eggs, sugar, flour and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring continuously. 
2. Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the coconut and the vanilla extract. 
3. Pour into pie shell and chill 2 to 4 hours, or until firm. 
4. Top with whipped topping and with remaining 1/4 cup of coconut.

Layered Pavlova Torte

serves 8-10

image & recipe@gabo.ninemsn.com.au

Ingredients

For the meringue

• 6 egg whites
• 1½ cups caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornflour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 150g almond meal, toasted
• 250ml thickened cream, whipped
• 250g strawberries, hulled and sliced or chopped
• 2 tablespoons passionfruit pulp

To finish

• fondant and food dye to make strawberries and leaves

Utensils

• 2 baking trays, lined with baking paper
• Preparation Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Draw 3 rectangles, 24cm long x 12cm wide, on the baking paper. Place the paper, ink side down, onto 2 baking trays.
2. Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form. Add the sugar a little at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the cornflour, vanilla and white vinegar. Fold in the almond meal.
3. Spread or pipe the meringue evenly over the rectangles. Bake for 50—60 minutes, then turn off the oven and allow the meringue to dry for a further 30 minutes. Remove the meringue layers from the oven and rest them on a wire rack to continue cooling.
4. Spread some whipped cream over a meringue rectangle and top with fruit. Layer another rectangle on top with more cream and fruit. Finish with a third layer.
5. Colour the fondant red and pink with the food dye and shape into small strawberries. Dye some fondant dark green (use blue and yellow dye plus a small amount of red to avoid a lolly-green colour). Shape this into leaves. Decorate the top meringue with a final smear of cream and top with the fondant strawberries and leaves.