Cooking Mama Birthday Party

My daughter's have always asked to have princess parties to celebrate their birthdays with their friends and that is what I have been used to putting together and throwing for them.  This year my 8-years-old daughter asked to have a Cooking Mama party.  I was going between feelings of sadness that for the first time ever in our family, The Disney Princesses weren't going to make their annual debut; and a little excited to plan something completely different.  I first googled "Cooking Mama Birthday Party"...nothing came up on the internet.  I couldn't believe the theme was nowhere in the realms of "internet space"!  Apparently, Cooking Mama is part of the Wild Frontier of birthday parties.  So, to my birthday party planning board I went and this is what I put together for her.

  Hamburger Cake

I usually bake from scratch because that's what I enjoy doing.  But with a guest list of 26 cute and silly friends, I went the boxed route.  No biggie! It made my life so much easier to do it this way.  I purchased enough boxed yellow cake mixes, brownie mixes and sugar cookie mixes to make the yummy treats I needed for the party.

This cake is fairly simple to make.  I baked a yellow cake mix in a regular round cake pan and a second yellow cake in a Pyrex glass bowl.  Spray each with Pam Cooking Spray For Baking~it has flour mixed into the spray making it much easier to turn the cakes out of the pans.  While the yellow cake "hamburger buns" are cooling, mix one brownie mix and pour into a round cake pan (either the same pan that has been completely washed, or another pan exactly the same size as the one previously used).  Bake the brownie "hamburger patty" just until set.  Remove from the oven, turn out of pan and let cool completely.

Now assemble the hamburger cake with lettuce, mustard and ketchup Frosting, here's how:

This is another of my favorite frosting recipes~

(You can use canned frosting too, nothing wrong with that.  Whatever makes your day easier! I just enjoy the flavor of homemade frosting best.)

Perfect Buttercream Frosting

                                     5 T butter                    2 1/3 c powdered sugar

                                     dash of salt                   1/2 t vanilla extract

                                     3 T milk                       red, green, yellow and blue food coloring

                                          

 Soften butter, add salt and powdered sugar.  Beat until smooth and fluffy.  Add vanilla extract.  Separate frosting into 4 different medium sized bowls.  Keep one bowl of frosting white (mayonnaise), add red food color (a lot!) into another bowl with 1 very tiny drop of blue (this will make the ketchup a little bit deeper in color), add yellow (again, a lot!) into another bowl (mustard), and in the last bowl add a few drops of green (lettuce).

Fill 1freezer Ziploc baggy (thicker than the regular baggies) with red, another with yellow and last with green.  Cut a small tip off of the corner of each baggie, set aside.

First place bottom hamburger bun on a cake stand or plate, using the white frosting frost a medium size inner circle on top of the bottom bun.  Place round brownie center on top.  Frost a smaller inner circle on top of the brownie layer, also pipe each condiment frosting as desired for the lettuce, mustard and ketchup.  Place top cake bun on top of the brownie layer.   Place in refrigerator until ready to display and serve.  That's it, you're done!

Mini Hamburgers and Sugar Cookie Fries
 

Next I found this great tutorial for Mini Hamburgers and Sugar Cookie Fries here:  

http://www.bakerella.com/fast-food-fun/ I think the buns came out much more realistic and cute when I left them in the oven until they were a medium golden brown.

I made these as part of the party favors.  I made a small "Cooking Mama" card to add to the theme and slipped them into each of the vellum fry holder's I made.  I also made the paper food trays which I downloaded from here: http://zakkalife.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-to-make-paper-food-baskets.html.  I googled "red gingham images" and found  a cute pattern I liked.  I then resized it and printed the pattern onto cardstock, reran it through the printer with the paper food tray download and made enough for each guest at the party.  I then lined each paper food tray with tracing paper and added the hamburger cupcake and sugar cookie fries.

Sugar Cookie Fries with Mustard and Ketchup Frosting

I used the extra Sugar Cookie Fries and condiment frostings as part of the treats at the party. I also made Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi Rolls and Honey Caramel Popcorn.

Games!
  As each guest arrived they chose a handkerchief to wear on their heads like Cooking Mama.  The boys can wear the handkerchiefs around their necks like a chef.  They chose from Red, Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Purple.

Marshmallow Skewers

 

The kids had 15 seconds on a timer to put 5 large marshmallows on their sticks.  This one was a lot of fun!

  
Hot Dog! (Hot Potato)

My husband found the cutest plush hamburger and hot dog at the dollar store.  We played Cooking Mama music from Youtube as they passed the Hot Dog around as quickly as they could! 

Egg Relay Race

I hard boiled 3 eggs and split everyone into teams of two.  One person had to walk across the room balancing an egg on a plastic fork in their mouth, while the other tried to catch the egg being dropped into a cupcake cup at the end.  Lot's of fun and giggles!

Cook The Fish In The Pot Toss

Frost The Cookie...and eat it!

30 seconds to frost and eat their cookies.

Decorations

The Party Fun

The Birthday Girl

Cooking Mama says, 
"It's Delicious!" 

Maple-Walnut Cupcakes with Spiced Maple Frosting and Honey-Candied Walnuts

 Fall is in the air and I had an undeniable craving for maple this afternoon.  I could actually smell maple throughout my home and thought the scent was being carried in by the breeze through my windows! Summer is coming to an end and graciously handing the season over to Fall, like good friends.

I love the Honey-Candied Walnuts on top, they look like lovely little candied flowers.

The Recipe

2 3/4 c unbleached flour                                         1 c sugar plus 1/2 c pure maple syrup

1 T baking powder                                                  1 large egg plus 2 egg whites

1/4 t salt                                                               1/4 c unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 t cinnamon                                                    1 t vanilla extract

1/4 t nutmeg                                                          1 c milk

1 c I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spread                   1 1/2 c walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line standard muffin pan with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Set aside.

In a large bowl beat sugar with butter until creamy.  Add egg and egg whites, one at a time and mix.  Add applesauce and vanilla and mix until combined.  Add flour mixture alternating with milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.  Stir in chopped walnuts.

Scoop batter into muffin cups until 3/4 full, bake until top bounces back when touched, about 18-20 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.  Frost with Spiced Maple Frosting and top with Honey-Candied Walnuts.

Spiced Maple Frosting

4 c powdered sugar

1/2 c pure maple syrup

1/4 c milk

1/4 I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spread

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

Mix all ingredients until combined, add more powdered sugar, as needed until thick and creamy.

 Honey-Candied Walnuts

1 c whole walnuts

1/4 c honey

Place walnuts in a pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray, drizzle with honey, bake in oven at 350 degrees F, until honey is bubbling and golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.  Let candied walnuts cool on parchment paper on a flat surface.

Smart Little Cookie Tip:

I love adding vegetable purees into recipes when I can, so my kids get extra nutrition without some of the fuss.  They happen to love sweet potatoes, so I like to add 1/2 c sweet potato puree into the batter, along with 1/4 t ginger.  So Yummy!!

I hope you enjoy these wonderful treats with a good friend 
while welcoming this lovely season!

Chocolate Bavarian Creme Cupcakes

These scrumptious little goodies are a take on two of my favorite childhood donuts, Chocolate Bavarian Creme and Chocolate Old Fashioned.  Mmm...I've lightened them up and put them in cupcake liners for the yummiest, creamiest, chocolate treat.  

You won't be able to eat just one!
Makes 2 dozen

The Recipe

                                                  

Cake:                                                                   Filling:

2 c unbleached flour                                              1 pckg french vanilla

3/4 c cocoa                                                             instant pudding mix

1 t baking powder                                                 1 1/4 c skim milk

1 t baking soda                                                    

1/2 t salt                                                             Frosting:

1 c I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spread                 basic chocolate frosting

1 3/4 c sugar                                                        chocolate sprinkles

2 t vanilla
4 large egg whites                                

1 1/3 c skim milk

Prepare french vanilla instant pudding according to package directions and chill in refrigerator.  When set, scoop into a pastry bag fitted with a small circle tip, refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare muffin tin with cupcake liners.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and egg whites two at a time and mix until combined.  Alternately add flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture, while mixing.  Scoop into prepared cupcake liners and bake about 20 minutes, or until tops are firm.

As soon as cupcakes come out of the oven, insert tip of decorating bag into the center of each cupcake and fill pudding to the top of hole in each cupcake.  Scoop away any pudding above the surface, if needed.  Refrigerate cupcakes.

When cupcakes are chilled, frost with basic chocolate frosting and dip in chocolate sprinkles until completely covered.

Smart Little Cookie Tip:
You might like to add chocolate chips into the cake batter for an extra chocolatey treat!

Sit back, Relax, and Enjoy your Bavarian Creme.

Luscious Lemon Cupcakes

Some days are just meant to have the flavor of lemon in them, and these pretty little yummies are the perfect treat for today.  They will sweep you off your feet!

Makes 2 dozen

The Recipe

Cake:

1 lemon                                                                1 3/4 cups sugar

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour                        2 large eggs

2 t baking powder                                                 2 egg whites

1/2 t salt                                                              

1 cup skim or 1% milk

6 ounces non-fat lemon yogurt                              Frosting:

(or, 6 ounces non-fat plain yogurt with                  3/4 cup I Cant' Believe It's Not

 2 t lemon zest mixed in)                                                    Butter Spread  

1 t lemon extract                                                  16 ounces confectioner's sugar  

3/4 cup I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spread          2 T lemon juice (from zested lemon)     

1 T butter, softened                                             1/2 t lemon extract            

Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.  

Zest lemon peel (about 2 teaspoons).  Juice lemon, set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix well with a whisk until completely combined.  In a measuring cup, whisk together milk, yogurt and lemon extract, set aside.  In a large bowl, beat butters and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each.

Mix flour mixture into the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with milk mixture.  Start and end with flour mixture, mix well after each addition.  Fold in 2 t lemon zest.  Divide batter evenly into each cupcake cup.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of one, comes out clean.  Cool completely.

Frosting:

Beat butter, confectioner's sugar, reserved lemon juice and lemon extract.  Mix until smooth, adding more confectioner's sugar as needed for desired consistency.

Smart Little Cookie Tip: 
If you like, or even love the flavor of lime, like I do, substitute 1 lime in place of the lemon in this recipe for both the cupcakes and the frosting.  You could also use 4-5 key limes for the equivalent of 1 lime-You can never go wrong with the flavor of key lime! Yum!!!

Avoir un jour succulent de citron !

Have a luscious lemon day!

Somewhere Over The Rainbow Cupcakes

These are the best little rainbows you'll ever eat! They're worth the effort and are a lot of fun to make. They're definitely worth their weight in gold!!

Makes 2 dozen

The Recipe

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour                 2 1/4 cups sugar

2 t. baking powder                                        1/2 t. vanilla extract

1 t. salt                                                        1 cup skim milk

1 stick unsalted butter                                   8 large egg whites

1 cup unsweetened applesauce                       food coloring~red,
                                                                    yellow, green and blue       

     
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with white paper liners.  Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt (I love to use Redmond Realsalt sea salt, found at Target or your local health food store).  Set aside.

In a separate medium size bowl, beat together the butter (I like to use natural and organic unsalted butter, such as Tillamook-found at Walmart, and Archer Farms-found at Target), applesauce and 2 cups sugar (I like to use organic Florida Crystals brand sugar, found at Walmart), until light and fluffy.  Mix in the vanilla extract.  Add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; mix until just combined.  Set aside.

In another clean medium size bowl, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy.  With the mixer on, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form.  Do not over beat.  Gently fold a third of the egg-white mixture into the cupcake batter mixture until combined.  Gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

Divide the batter by 1/2 cups into 6 separate bowls.  Add food coloring in each bowl making the colors of the rainbow-red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.

With a small cookie scoop, scoop a half-scoop of purple batter into the bottom of each muffin liner.  Rinse scoop, add blue on top of purple...green on top of blue...yellow on top of green...orange on top of yellow...red on top of orange, rinsing the scoop before each new color is added.  Liners should be about 3/4 full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, and until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Move cupcakes to a cooling rack.

White Cloud Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup skim milk

1 T. natural or organic unsalted butter, softened

2 t. almond extract

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl, adding extra powdered sugar until desired consistency.  Frost each Rainbow with White Cloud Frosting.

Keep an eye on your pot of gold while eating this treat, leprechauns are very aware of how distractingly yummy these are!

My two-year old daughter, excited to eat her first rainbow!