Cookies for Dogs

     How many of us have four legged family members? I know my chihuahua is a big part of my family. She is always there when I am sad or alone to offer comfort. I feel that they deserve yummy home made treats just as much as we do. So i decided to get in the kitchen today and make dog cookies and I must say I am proud of how they turned out. My sister-in-law was wanting to eat them they look and smell so good. And of course they were a hit with my baby girl. She is eating for four right now and is a picky eater when it comes to treats. She devoured three of them before I could even blink. I even got two orders (one quite large) within half an hour of posting the pic online. I am going to have a busy few days whipping up more. And I am going to try more recipes to see what happens. So excited!

(Cake) In A Jar

     What can you put in a jar? Not a question that you would really think to ask, is it? Well I decided to put cakes in a jar. They are cute and artsy gifts. Something that most people wouldnt expect to get. Not to mention easy to eat, just open the jar, pour on your choice of icing and dig in. When you are done you just put the lid on and pop it in the refrigerator if you did not eat it all. Another plus is you get to control the amount of icing you have if any at all. 

     Baking in the jar can be fun because different cakes rise differently. Some will rise just to the top and some will decide to turn into little cake volcanoes in your oven (a cookie sheet under the jars is a must). You have to play around and figure out just how much batter to put in the jar. Its not as easy as cooking in normal cake pans. But I love a challenge and the satisfaction of making something fun. I fully intend to keep playing around and seeing what all I can come up with. 

The top pic is my yummy Key Lime Cake recipe (a favorite among those who have tried it) that i make with my special home made cream cheese icing. The next pic is my crumble cake. It is just plain white cake dyed for Christmas. The first one in the pic was baked to have a marbled affect and the second was baked three separate colors to make a layered cake.  
    

Red Velvet and Cheesecake

     Red Velvet Cake and Cheesecake are two yummy treats to make. But have you ever tried to combine them together?? Well I have and have so far had to amazing treats come from it. The fun part of baking is combining things together and making new things (along with getting flour and sugar all over you and the kitchen lol). If it doesn't work you just try again.

     Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies was my first blending of the two treats together. I was a bit skeptical at first about how they would turn out (which is normal for a new recipe). But how could you go wrong with a soft yummy red velvet cookie with a gooey cheesecake filling in the center and drizzled over the top? You just cant! That first bite when they are fresh out the oven and still warm is enough to make you weak in the knees. Being chilled doesn't diminish them in the least. Also if you wanted something with a little chocolate these are great with chocolate melted and drizzled over the top in place of the cream cheese icing. 

     My latest creation is a red velvet and cheesecake cake. Now this is a bit different than the cookies being the cheesecake portion is not baking into the red velvet. It is more like two cakes in one. Its a red velvet cake with a cheesecake layered in the middle. You have the moist fluffy red velvet set off by the creamy cheesecake. It can either be covered with a cream cheese icing or the icing of your choice. I did mine with a vanilla icing as i was covering it with fondant and turning it into a "christmas present cake". The one pic is just the cake to show the layers and the other cake is the finished cake for those who may be curious. It was just a trial with the decorations to try out my home made fondant (post of that previous to this one).

Home Made Marshmallow Fondant

      You will find out that I am a do it myself kinda girl. I love to get in the kitchen and make things myself instead of just going out and buying things pre-made. Although some pre-made things are pretty good they don't always live up to something that is made by hand in your kitchen. Making from scratch may cost more in the long run but you cut out all the additives and/or preservatives that are added into the pre-made items to make them last longer sitting on a store shelf. Big companies also have the added benefit of being able to buy ingredients in bulk cheaper than what you or I can get just going to the local grocery store. 
     Today I decided to make some home made fondant for my cake decorating. Buying the fondant already made in a store is crazy expensive and although I have not tried it myself, I have heard that the taste leaves something to be desired. So me being me I decided to find a way to make my own. My first attempt is now sitting in the fridge ready to go on a cake. It is supposed to set overnight so I am still unsure of the taste as of right now. I am excited to see how it tastes and works on a cake. If it works out then it will be an amazing tool for my cake decorating. Not to mention the cost of making one batch (covers an 8 or 9 inch round cake) is about three dollars. To buy that amount of fondant in a store is about twelve dollars and up.

A Bit About Me

     Hello. I am a 27 year old country raised girl with a passion for a few things in life. One being writing, so i figure that writing a blog about my other passions could be fun. Other than writing I am very passionate about cooking and baking. The majority of my posts will more than likely revolve around baking. I am sure I will throw in some other topics along the way too. I look forward to sharing my achievements and even my failures in (and out) the kitchen with you.