Tag Archives: New Years dessert

Strawberry Cream Confetti Cups!

Posted on December 26, 2016 by Ruthanne

Nothing says “Happy New Year” like confetti!!! These cakes, baked in cups, have confetti in every fun bite!

Confession: I am a confetti addict. I LOVE it. I don’t mind vacuuming it up for months after New Year’s Eve- at all! A few years ago we piled as much confetti as we could on my ceiling fan blades and at midnight we turned on the fan. Ah— SO much fun!!!! You should totally try it. As a side note… on Cinco de May0 we also piled little candies on the fan and turned it on. We called it a “FAÑATA” ! 🙂 It hurt a little…but the memories!!!

Someday I want to be in Times Square on NYE…mainly for the confetti, but this year I will celebrate at my dad’s, and I have serious doubts about the level of confetti at our party…but he reads my blog, so maybe he will be inspired by my ideas! (*hint *hint dad…!)

Whether your party includes real confetti or not, these cups of cake will add some edible confetti to the celebration! Plus the strawberry and cream flavors… oh my.

Here’s how we made them: (printable recipe here)

INGREDIENTS: (makes 12-16 cups of cake, or 24 cupcakes)

One boxed strawberry cake mix (plus water, oil and eggs to make according to package)
2 cups (seriously- or more…) confetti sprinkles
2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, softened
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of clear vanilla
A little white food coloring to brighten up the frosting (if desired!)
12-16 (8 oz.) party cups. I got mine at Target in the dollar section, but there are all sorts on Amazon- like these. (or make these as cupcakes with polka dot cupcake liners!!)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees and place cups on cookie sheets (preferably the sort with edges, to prevent sliding!)
Make cake according to package.
Mix in a cup of confetti sprinkles, and spoon batter into cups, filling them about 1/2 full.
Bake according to package directions for cupcakes- but add a little extra time since they are bigger, and test with a toothpick. When it comes out clean, they are done!

*Note: I was a little uncomfortable baking in these paper cups- so I kept a constant eye on them. I’m not sure if they can burn- I suppose it depends on the cup- and I read about people who made cupcakes in Starbucks coffee cups and just did it with no problems. Please be careful though- and use your good judgement about baking in paper cups. If you have any hesitation, use cute cupcake liners instead! 😉

Remove from oven and allow them to cool completely.
Make frosting by combining butters, powdered sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat on high until very light and fluffy (about 4-5 minutes). Add white coloring if desired.
Scoop frosting on top of each little cake and then press the frosting into a bowl filled with confetti sprinkles to coat the top completely.

My thoughts: These are a delicious and pretty way to say “Happy New Year!!!” I hope you love them as much as I do!!!

Other fun New Year’s treats to make for your party! (click on a photo to see the recipe)

3 Comments

Confetti Sugar Cookies!

Posted on December 26, 2014 by Ruthanne

What better way to celebrate the New Year than with confetti? Especially the edible kind that pours out of the center of a delicious sugar cookie? So. Much. Fun!!!!

These sugar cookies are a fun and festive surprise that are sure to make your guests smile as you ring in 2015! These are easy to put together and a creative addition to any celebration!

Here’s how we made these fun treats: (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS: (makes about 24 cookies)

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of butter flavoring
3 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 bags of Wilton Candy Melts in any colors you wish to use
2-3 cups of small confetti sprinkles

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.
Add eggs, vanilla and butter flavoring and mix well.
Add all dry ingredients and mix until able to knead into a firm ball of dough (add additional flour if necessary).
Roll out on a floured counter with a flour coated rolling pin to desired thickness.
Cut about 72 circles using a cookie cutter (I used a 2″ cookie cutter)
Use a slightly smaller circle cutter to cut out a center circle from 24 of these cookies.
Place cookies on cookie sheets covered in parchment paper and bake at 350F degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.
Slide baked cookies and parchment paper together onto a counter to cool completely.

Melt about 1/4 of a cup of candy melts (I used white, but you can use whatever colors you’ve chosen) in the microwave for 30 second increments, stirring between until completely melted and smooth. Place the melted candy in a small zip top bag and cut one corner off.
Pipe around the bottom of the “ring” cookie and place it on a “solid” cookie.
Fill the open center of the “ring” cookie with confetti sprinkles.
Pipe melted candy melts around the top of the “ring” cookie and set another “solid” cookie on top.
Allow these cookies to harden completely (I placed mine in the fridge for about 20 minutes).

Melt remaining candy melts in the microwave in 30 second increments until completely melted and smooth.
Dip cookie into melted candy and cover completely, using a spoon. Use a fork to lift out and tap against side of bowl until excess melted candy falls away. Slide bottom of cookie against side of bowl and gently slide onto parchment paper to harden.
Immediately sprinkle with confetti or other decorations before candy melts harden.

Package up in a tightly sealed container or in cello bags.
Wait until midnight and celebrate with the BEST confetti ever– the edible kind!!!

My thoughts: these look complicated to make, but they really went together quickly and it was so fun to see people’s surprise at all that confetti inside. I did warn them to take that 1st bite over a plate- haha- I guess that just depends on how messy you want your floors during that NYE party! Enjoy!!!

Other fun NYE treats:

12/19/14: On a personal note: I blog my recipes ahead, and I prepared this post (and scheduled it to publish) several weeks ago. Since that time, my mom has been diagnosed with very, very aggressive cancer and admitted to Hospice. I just wanted to ask for all of you who have followed this little blog and enjoyed these recipes to keep our family in your prayers as we say good bye to her during this Christmas and New Year season. Because of this, and because I am in the process of starting a new job, I will be taking a few weeks off from publishing recipes here. May this New Year bring great hope and joy to you and your family! God Bless! Back in a few weeks. *Hugs* ~Ruthanne

13 Comments

Posted in Candy, Cookies and tagged birthday party cookies, chocolate cut-out cookie recipe, confetti, confetti cookies, cookies, dessert, fun cookie recipe, holiday, kids, New Years dessert, New Years eve cookies, party, sugar cookies, sweets, unique cookies. Bookmark the permalink.

A big pile of cupcakes!

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Ruthanne

Make everyone smile with a stack of three colorful cupcakes! Made with peanut butter cups, these mini-cupcake decorations are SO yummy with the chocolate cupcake they top. The occasions you could serve these at are endless. What a fun New Year’s Eve party treat, or birthdays? What about a Dr. Seuss themed party? SO much fun!!!! Here’s how to put them together:

INGREDIENTS:

One boxed dark chocolate cake mix (with oil, water and eggs to make according to box)
2 sticks (8 oz) salted butter (softened)
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter (softened)
3 cups of powdered sugar
2 tsp clear vanilla
24 Reese’s miniature peanut butter cups (unwrapped)
24 Reese’s minis peanut butter cups
Wilton Icing Colors
sprinkles, jimmies to decorate cupcakes

DIRECTIONS:

Make cupcakes according to the box. I used brown cupcake liners to match the chocolate on the peanut butter cup toppers.
Cool cupcakes completely.
Make butter cream frosting by combining butters, powdered sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
Beat on high until frosting is light and fluffy.
Divide frostings into bowls and color using icing gels. I made 5 colors, but you can do however many you want.
Pipe frostings on top of cupcakes and (using a smaller tip) pipe frosting on top of the two sizes of peanut butter cups. (I clipped both corners of a zip top bag and put the large tip in one and the small in the other. I piped the large cupcakes 1st and then squeezed the remaining frosting into the other corner and piped the frosting on the Reese’s cups.)
Gently stack the tiny cupcake on the medium and the medium on the full-size. (this buttercream recipe worked GREAT for these- it is nice and firm and hardens just a bit as it sets. I didn’t lose even ONE topping!)
Decorate with sugars and jimmies as desired I used Red Sixlets Candy for the large cupcakes and they looked so cute- like cherries!

Aren’t they fun? I just couldn’t stop taking pictures!

My thoughts: Goodness these cupcakes made me happy. My friend Danielle and I made them together and we both kept saying, “Ah! They are so CUTE!” My neighbors and coworkers were the recipients of these treats and the smiles when they saw them made my day! I love easy ideas that are high on the “WOW” factor. To give credit where it is due, my friend Megan from Happily Ever After Cakes pointed this idea out to me on Edible Crafts. They had only used one cupcake topper, but I love it so much with two!! Enjoy!!!!!! ~r