It's been a while since I've posted. I'm just going to be honest - some days I am going to post, some days I'm going to say, "Why do you have a blog, dummy? You can't even muster up enough energy to shower."

Let's face it, - I'm what they might call a half-bake - or maybe that's just what I call it (I'm afraid to Google what the true Urban definition of a half-bake might be).  But any-who, what's that you might ask? Waaayyuull, a half-bake, by my definition, is someone with GREAT intentions, who starts out with the energy of a thousand Red Bulls, and for a good 2 weeks they are like, "Yes. I am a RED Bull and I will BE Ginseng. I will spit at Ginseng, in fact, because mine will be so much that any others will be like what are you?" BUT THEN - I'm chugging along and chugging along and life starts to get really heavy, and  you start to realize that there may be other things out there that are more important than a blog that people will only go to when they're stressed or right before the Holidays when they need to learn unhealthy recipes. I then give up. Fast forward 6 months, and I'm bored thinking, yes...this blog idea was a good one - let's fire that baby up.

If I had to categorize myself as a dessert specifically, I would say that I might be a lava cake. I don't particularly love lava cakes, because I actually hate desserts that are warm, for example - warm brownies. They do NOT taste the same as cold, room-temp brownies (I think we would all agree with that) and they stink. BUT I do tend to have the strong, cake-like determination of the lava cake's exterior, and the runny, messy focus of the cake's interior. 

Someday I will strive to be a chocolate chip - it's tough and to the point, and has the power to make other things extremely great. 

Let's be that together.

Here come's Sweeter Mallow-tail, hopping down my mouth-hole trail! 

HipPity HoppITY, FliPPity FloPpity--right.into.my.mouth. And soon that bunny will be in my tummy, theeeeeennnnnn-- I'll eat all of his friends.

If you've ever thought about buttering up YOUR Easter bunny, put down your spatula, and take a look at a much easier, much cuter, less likely to land you behind bunny bars version.

This adorable recipe comes to life using the classic powdered doughnut, marshmallows, FuNFetti frosting (emphasis on 'fun'), white chocolate discs, and my best friend, sprinkles.  They're PERFECT for those classroom holiday parties, and are sure to score you big points in the most fluffiness and most tastiness in your mouth at one time categories. 

Now, if you follow the sticky, powder-laden trail in my kitchen, you'll find these cheeky characters, half-eaten, but fully prepared to tickle your tastebuds. But since you probably want some of your own, free from my bite-marks, here's how to create your own:

FLUFFIE BUNNIES!

1. (1) tub of Pillsbury Whipped Supreme Vanilla Funfetti frosting, with sprinkles
2. (1) bag of Jet-Puffed marshmallows
3. (1) bag of Jet-Puffed mini marshmallows
4. (1) bag of Wilton White Candy Melts
5. (1) bag of Hostess donettes (I bought the individual package, but you can purchase larger bags with more donettes)
6. Easter-themed cupcake wrappers (optional)

1. Spread a little mound of Funfetti frosting on top of the donette. ALERT: It does not necessarily "stick" because of the powder, but just lump it on top, no need to look pretty.

2. Press one marshmallow on its side (longer ways) into the mound of frosting.

3. Take one mini marshmallow and stick it into the frosting on one of the sides, where the marshmallow meets the donette. 

This will be the tail! I decided to stick mine on the side that makes the head more rectangular, but if you're looking for a more traditional bunny head, place it on the side where the bottom, round part of the marshmallow is showing.

4. Take one of the white chocolate candy melts, and cut it down the middle, making two half-moons.

SHA-ZAM. 

And we now have ears.

5. Dip the half-moons into a little, TINY bit of the frosting, and stick them down into the middle of the marshmallow, as close together as you can stick them.

*PLACE THE MOONS FACING OUTWARD! I placed them both facing inward the first time around, and it looked like I had created an evil gremlin. Nnnnot the look we're going for this time. Nobody wants a demon bunny for Easter.

6. NOW FOR THE FINISHING TOUCHES! 

"ALREADY?" yes. already. voila!

From the Funfetti sprinkles that came with the frosting, pick out 2 same color sprinkles for the eyes, 1 sprinkle for the nose, and 2 same colored sprinkles for inside the ears. Dab each sprinkle into a little frosting, and attach, as shown.

Blue or green works best for the eyes, and pink sprinkles work best for the ears and nose, if you're trying to achieve the realistic look. If you're really just in it to devour this thing a second after you make it, have fun and go crazy with the color choices!

DISCLAIMER: This step is a little messy, and in no way, shape, or form is it meant to result in a "clean" appearance. Did I mention these aren't hoity toity bunnies? These are bunnies that just woke up from a nap, and throw their hands (that they don't have) in the air like they just don't care what they look like...because they know they're still gonna taste good anyways.

7. For a fun serving suggestion, place each bunny in a decorative, Easter cupcake wrapper. 

NOW, SERVE AND BASK IN THE FLUFFY, BUNNY-NESS!

SHWEW. Hello, world. I have returned from my blogging hiatus, resulting from new puppy syndrome--lots of attention, lots of exhaustion--no time for baking blogging, just time for baking eating. :)

SO, given my crazy self lately, and the upcoming Easter holiday, now is the perfect time to showcase the BASKET-CASES.

You can't have Easter without Easter baskets, am I right, or am I right? I can still remember every year waking up post-Easter bunny visit to a room full of hidden and perfectly placed eggs. BUT the fun could NOT start until the Easter basket was found! And most years that Easter bunny had a real knack for finding difficult hiding spots--the shower, the washing machine, the stairway, you name it. 

Hey--I'm 23 and when I get the chance to go home for Easter, I still NEED to find my basket. I know your tricks Mr. Cotton Tail--but you can't go into retirement just yet. 

In honor of my favorite Easter memory, I made tiny little Easter baskets, with huge amounts of sweetness and big amounts of FUN to make!

CANDY BASKET-CASES!

1. Unwrap your Reese's. (And do a dance-because that sounds like a song, and opening a Reese's is the perfect excuse to do a dance.) You can choose to leave the wrapper on or take it off, but for these baskets, I removed it.

2. Take your pretzel twist, and break it into 2 halves so that it looks like the picture shown. These should look like little handles. You will not need the middle bottom part, so you can break off any excess pretzel...or eat it, whichever is fine.

3. Spread a little dab of Pillsbury chocolate frosting onto the Reese's miniature

4. SPRINKLE away with your favorite Eastery color

5. Place 2 Cadbury Mini Eggs into the frosting

6. Add the finishing touch--THE PRETZEL HANDLE. (Just press it down into the frosting a little bit so that it doesn't fall out.)

7. Refrigerate if not being consumed instantly...which would just be ridiculous anyways. ;)

So, between you and I, let's be real. What is Valentine's Day reaaallllllly about? 

Yessss, it's about showing your significant other you love them, BUT it's also about eating sweet treats that you can't normally get away with eating GUILT-FREE any other time of the year, am I right? 

You come home to a BEAUTIFUL box of assorted chocolates and candies, and to us ladies, that can only mean one thing...TIME IS TICKING. 

The second you crack open the seal on that heart-shaped treasure chest, it's game time, and the game is called: STUFF AS MANY CHOCOLATES IN YOUR MOUTH AS PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE.  I've kind of deemed it an unspoken rule that you HAVE to gobble up every last bit of those chocolates before the clock strikes midnight, because it's Valentine's Day, and everyone knows that calories and judgement do NOT exist until February 15th. 

SO. With that in mind, whether you are looking for something to MAKE your Valentine this year, or just want a sneaky way to hang onto those glorious assorted chocolates a little bit longer, here's a recipe that turns a classic dessert, FUDGE, into a fancy, fun treat for ANY loved one.

*Twist on an original recipe found on Pillsbury Frosting, which calls for 1 bag of chocolate chips and 1 can of frosting.

FANCY FUDGE

1. Unwrap the box of chocolates. Stare at them...........Okay, now, next step.

2. Using a double boiler (or two sauce-pans if  you're crafty like me and left your double-boiler at your parents' house), fill the bottom sauce-pan half-way with water, and place the second pan on top. Turn the stove-top to medium-high heat.

3. Dump the assorted chocolates into the top sauce-pan.

4.  Stir continuously until all chocolate is melted so the chocolate does not burn.

5. Once the chocolates are completely melted down, (mine started to look like sort of clumpy, meaning I probably had the heat too high), remove the bottom sauce pan from the double boiler, and place the top pan with the melted chocolate directly onto the stove-top. Lower the heat setting to low-medium heat, stirring constantly.

6. Add 1 full can of Milk Chocolate frosting.

7. Stir constantly, until both the frosting and chocolates are completely melted together into a smooth, runny river of chocolatey liquid heaven.

8. Unpack the sugar cones. 

*WARNING, IF YOU ARE USING THE SUGAR CONES, YOU MUST FIND A WAY TO PROP THEM UP FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES WHILE THE FUDGE STARTS TO HARDEN. GET CREATIVE. OR JUST BUY THE STAND-UP ICE CREAM CONES, LIKE A SMART PERSON WOULD HAVE THOUGHT TO DO.  I LEARNED THE HARD WAY.

9. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of melted fudge into each cone. The chocolate should come almost all the way to the top of the cone. 

10. After the cones have hardened for a few minutes, lay them down and place them in the refrigerator to fully solidify. Leave them in for about 15-20 minutes.

11. Remove them from the fridge, and prepare to put on the finishing touches!

12. Using a butter knife, mix around the Strawberry frosting, and then spoon desired amount into each cone. I like to do a little spoon twist at the end to make it look more like ice cream! Play around with it!

Jiggle, Jiggle, Jiggle, Jiggle, Jiggle, YEAH!  

This is one sexy dessert, and oh boy, does it know it.  You might know it as the Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad.  Which is...MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!!! 

Strawberry Jello swish-swishing through my cheeks, creamy filling, on top of a sugary, buttery pretzel bed, fit for the Kingliest of Kings. 

Serving Size?  1 full pan, please.  Annnnd I will take a to-go dish as well. Thank you, thank you.

Because of my love for it, there have been many times I have tried to make this dessert. Seems easy. Jello is a piece of cake, just wigglier. And I think I can handle crushing up a few pretzels with my best friend, butter.

BUT IT'S NOT EASY. Or maybe I'm just impatient. I want that swishy, sweet flavor to hit my tongue as fast as possible. So the second that Jello boils, I stick it in the fridge, and open the door only about every 3 minutes to plunge my finger into it, checking to see if it's ready. 

Let me just tell you, it is never ready. 

But there comes a point, about 1 hour into it, where I say, "This IS ENOUGH." And then proceed to wrecklessly dump the bowl of Jello on top of my amazing creamy cheesey pretzel crust. As visions  of sweetness dance through my head, and I give it even MORE time to get itself together...It's FINALLY ready!!  Sort of. 

My result is usually half congealed Jello, half runny jello, soggy pretzels, but all in all, still delicious, just not pretty. 

Well, I'm done settling! I want it to taste amazing AND be the prettiest dessert at the party. 

So, TA-DA: Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad's sexier, sweeter cousin just moved into town. 

PRETZELLO-ZAGNA.

8. Stir until completely smooth.

14. Spread pretzels onto the cream cheese filling, covering the filling entirely.  

Yeah, toast!  

Now, maybe everyone doesn't get that excited for toast, but whether you're 2 years old or 222 years old, EVERYONE gets excited for FRENCH toast!!

The sweet, cinnamon aroma that creeps out of the kitchen, up the steps, and into your nostrils. Normally, you try to keep things out of there, but you welcome this smell with open sniffs. If you could use your salivating tongue as a slide to get down to that kitchen faster, you would, but you can't...so you run faster than the dickens, SLAM through the doorway, and feast your eyes on something even better than a dream.

Beautiful slices of buttery bread, sprinkled with grains of cinnamon and sugar, and the slightest bit of egg glistening in all of its glory. 

SYRUPPP. Yes, bring me that, too. I like my french toast to need a life-saver flotation device after I'm done visiting with ol' Auntie Jemima.

---NOW. PREPARE TO TAKE THAT VISION, and AMP. IT. UP. ----
Say Hello to: MINI MUFFIES


These little pops of flavor incorporate everything you could want in a breakfast bite--fruit, chocolate, sugar, cinnamon,  and a whole lotta YUM.

2. Measure out 6 tbsp of egg whites. (3 tbsp per 4-5 slices)

3. Add the muffin slices to the egg whites, and cover until fully coated.

4. Spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray

5. Turn the stove-top heat to medium

6. Place the muffin slices down on one side of the pan for about 2 minutes, or until that side has started to brown

7. Once the first side has browned, flip the muffin over, and allow the second side to brown, so that both sides are fully cooked.

8. Remove from heat.

9. Spray the top of each slice with the desired amount of butter, using butter spray, or a butter spread.

10. Sprinkle each slice with a pinch of sugar.

Sit down, pop in your mouth, ENJOY, and wish for MORE.


© 2014 Lacie-Bakes 

Question: If you were stranded on a dessert island (yes, I said deSSert), and could only eat one thing, what would it be?
Answer: CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Chocolate cake.




And if that wasn't the first thing that came to your mind, prepare to reconsider, and allow me to introduce: 
The Chocoberry Shortcake-cake.
This cake is for the sweetest of sweet teeth. Chocolate cake topped with Funfetti frosting, dabs of milk chocolate frosting to add the perfect amount of richness, and a tasty little, familiar surprise tucked away in the middle.

3. Line the rolls up on a cutting board. You will need roughly 2 rolls per pan.

4. Cut them into 1/2" pinwheels. This works best if you stick the pre-packaged rolls in the freezer for a little bit first. 

5. Pour a thin layer of batter in two 8"x8" or 9"x9" pans (I used heart pans! <3)--Just enough to coat the bottom of BOTH pans.
**BE SURE TO EITHER SPRAY THE PAN OR COAT WITH CRISCO BUTTER-FLAVORED MARGARINE & A DUSTING OF FLOUR TO PREVENT STICKING & TEARING APART YOUR BEAUTIFUL CAKE.

6. Place about 2 rolls worth of pinwheels on top of the thin layer of cake batter in each pan.

7. Pour the remainder of the cake batter evenly over the pinwheels in both pans.

8. Bake both cakes according to the temperature listed on the back of the cake mix box. (Varies depending on what type / size of pan you're using). 


9. After the recommended baking time, stick a toothpick in the cake and pull it out. If little-no cake mix comes out on the toothpick, it's READY. If an ooey-gooey mess comes out on the toothpick, leave it in for another few minutes, and then repeat. 


10. Once the cakes are fully baked, leave them in the pans until they feel cooled. Then pop them out onto a plate / rack. Once they are fully cooled (won't feel sticky or clammy), they are ready to DECORATE!

11. Place one of the two cakes onto your decorating surface. Cover the bottom layer with a coating of Funfetti frosting. 

12. Arrange about 2 ShortKake roll's worth of pinwheels on top of the bottom layer and cover with another blanket of Funfetti frosting.

13. Set the second layer of cake on top of the middle layer of pinwheels.


14. Ice the entire cake with Funfetti frosting, trying your best to fill in any crevices with Frosting! (It's difficult, I know.) 2 tubs of frosting is recommended in order to properly cover the cake.  

15. After your final coating of Funfetti frosting...DECORATE TO YOUR HEART'S DESIRE! Add Pillsbury Milk Chocolate frosting to achieve the cake-lover's dream duo.

*I use a frosting decorator with different tips to create a little bit of texture. (I'm still in the process of getting the hang of it, if you can't tell by my wreck-less, YET tasty-ful application of chocolate frosting and just shameless amounts of sprinkles. (HEY. YUMMY DOES'NT HAVE TO BE PRETTY.) 

© 2014 Lacie-Bakes