We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Who doesn't love ice cream?  It comes in so many flavors that you have to favor at least one.  It can be eaten in a bowl, a cone, on a stick, in pie or as a cake! Well, if you happen to be one of the few that doesn't care for ice cream (or are lactose intolerant), these cookies are for you, and ice cream fans alike.

I have been so smitten lately with all the adorable ice cream related cookies on facebook and blogs, that I've been itching to make my own.  It was such a fun cookie project!  I was only going to put faces on a few of them, but could not stop once I started :) I'm sort of attached to them now.

Did you notice the tiny ice cream cones?  They are actually marshmallows.  I dipped some in candy melts, and the others in leftover royal icing (pink, blue), added sprinkles and then topped each with a cherry (mini m&m).  I snatched this cute idea from the creative Kim, The Partiologist .  Check out her tutorial (and blog) right HERE. You'll be glad you did!

When I was a kid, my friend and I used to order two single scoops at Sav-on drug store and then put the one scoop on top of the other, tossing the extra, empty cone (wasteful I know).  Our reasoning was that when you ordered one scoop you were given bigger scoops than when you ordered a double scoop, so we beat the system by ordering two single scoops and converting them to a generous double scoop:) We didn't waste any money because one scoop was 5 cents, and two was 10 cents.  I know, I'm ancient:)

If you'd like some ice cream cookies, simply make a batch of sugar cookie dough, and some royal icing.  Add some food coloring to the icing to make any "flavors" you'd like. Don't forget the sprinkles, and top with "cherries" too~regular and mini, red m&m candies.
Try some this summer; you don't have to worry about this ice cream melting:)

Have fun!

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Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday

Inside Out Chocolate Bundt Cake

This chocolate cake has been a family favorite years before I even had my own family.  It was made many times by my mom and I think I made it for the first time for my dad's birthday after I had been married for three months.  Since then, I have made it a multitude of times.

It starts with a boxed mix which places this cake in the easy-peasy category.  You can take that theme all the way through if you buy a ready-made chocolate frosting (which I've done) to finish it off, but I usually opt for a homemade frosting, which was the cake this time.  Hershey's cocoa is in my pantry at all times and right there on the canister is the frosting recipe I use:  "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting.  So simple and yummy!  

My daughter requested this for her birthday the other day, and I was happy to comply:) The m&m's were added as a festive touch and they match the cute, mini bunting that I picked up at Target a couple of weeks ago.  

If you have a hankering for chocolate, you've found the perfect way to satisfy it in record time with this recipe! 

Inside Out Chocolate Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

1 box of devil's food cake mix

1 small box of (JELL-O) instant chocolate pudding

1 12-ounce package (two cups) of chocolate chips

1 3/4 cups milk

2 eggs

Chocolate frosting

 Directions:

Combine cake mix, pudding mix, chocolate chips, milk, and eggs in a bowl. Mix by hand until well blended, about two minutes.

Pour into a greased (and "floured" with cocoa) bundt pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly pressed.  Do not overbake. Cool 15 minutes before removing from pan.

Let cake cool completely before frosting it. 

ENJOY! 

Cookie Catch Up

I've been busy making cookies lately, but have not been keeping up with posts to feature the cookies, other than posting them on facebook.  Today I thought I'd use one post to catch up:) All three are sugar cookies, decorated with royal icing...

{Who knew that hanging onto our beat up picnic table would come in handy as a photo prop, and a popular one at that?!?}

My daughter and son-in-law traveled to Idaho recently to visit his family, and while they were there they celebrated his mom's 60th birthday.  I heard that she liked tulips, so sent along these cookies for her.  

Recently, my sweet friend Heather of SprinkleBakes, sent me a surprise package with some sweet baking supplies: cupcake cookie cutter, a cupcake kitchen towel, and some cupcake icing decorations; it made my day!

Last Tuesday, my friend (since 2nd grade) came for a couple of days to visit. She asked beforehand if we could decorate cookies when she came, so I thought it would be the perfect time to put all the cute cupcake supplies to good use. These cupcake cookies were made using the sugar cookie recipe from Heather's fabulous book,  They turned out perfectly shaped and delicious!  Thanks Heather for the fun goodies! 

Lastly, I made about 50 (plus some for my grandsons) Thomas the Train (and Percy) cookies for a friend's twin nephews celebrating their third birthday.  I was very busy last week, so started these a little later than I had planned to.  I stayed up till 3:45 a.m. finishing them and then had to be up at 6:30 a.m (on the day they were due).  2.5 hours of sleep is not enough, and I vow never to do that again.

At least everyone loved the cookies.

A special Thanks to Elizabeth of SweetArt Sweets for the Thomas cookie design inspiration!