Doughnuts With A Difference!

Planning on providing a late night snack for your guests as your reception winds down? Serve these doughnut holes with a difference.  Ask your caterer to make you a variety of these great donut holes in a variety of hot colors and serve them in a gold or silver cone.  Add some good coffee and your guests will thank you!  Thank you Martha Stewart for the great idea and photo!

Doughnut recipe at Martha's site.

Pie Pops--Bet You Can't Eat Just One!

Pie Pops! I found some in an Etsy store, went back to order them later and they were gone! This gives you an idea how popular they must be.  (BTW, these photos are from that Etsy store but since they don't have them anymore...just search Etsy, I'm sure they'll be back soon!) These are so easy it's almost a sin NOT to make them yourself.  For once a DIY project that is EASY!  OK, you all know if you read my blogs that EASY is my middle name (at least when it has to do with DIY projects!) 

Some pie pops are plain, others have decorations on them, some are covered with 10x sugar and some painted pie dough, your creativity sets the limits if you're making them yourself.  For a tutorial on how to make these great pops yourself go to Luxirare.  BTW, Luxirare is an incredible blog just to sit and read for pure enjoyment and to revel in the pure creativity of the author.  Another recipe is available at Bakerella.  For anyone not into making their fillings for scratch head down to your local grocery store a buy a jar or can of your favorite pie filling.  Remember, these are lollipop size so a little filling will go a VERY long way.  I also suggest using premade pie crust, it will simplify your life and make clean up so much faster.

If you want something more creative than simple rounds, you can choose other cookie cutters and change the shapes or do what Cake Pop Bake Shop, another Etsy shop did and decorate it.  Easier yet, order them straight from them.  OK, so I AM Lazy!

No matter how you get your pie pops your guests are sure to enjoy having the option of tasting different flavors and textures of delicious pies at your sweet table.   The pie pops shown below are apple pies with confectioner's sugar and some painted shapes on top..so creative.  Be sure to order some to taste yourself so you'll have enough left for the wedding.  Enjoy!

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Bars for Sweet and Salty Favors

Recipe and Photo courtesy of Eliazbeth at http://guiltykitchen.com/

Now that you've fallen in love with the photo, here's the easy to follow recipe for these to die for bar desserts.  Perfect for your sweet table or to give as favors for your guests.  To quote Elizabeth at Guilty Kitchen as to why they are called Idle Hands Bars "idle hands are the Devil’s playground and the Devil definitely made me make these, because they are sinful. Eat your boring, chocolate heart out, Devil’s Food Cake!"  So chocolate and peanut butter lovers you owe Elizabeth a huge debt of gratitude for your new favorite dessert!

Idle Hand Bars

Base Layer

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup sugar

5 Tbsp. Cocoa

1 egg, beaten

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

3/4 cup coarsely crushed pretzels

1. In double boiler (or a bowl resting over a pot of lightly simmering water), melt the first three ingredients.

2. While still over water, add egg and beat to combine (will thicken quite a bit here). Remove from heat and add crumbs and pretzels.

3. Press into an 8 x 8 cake pan. Set aside.

Middle Layer

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly.

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 cup smooth, natural peanut butter (no salt added, reduce salt accordingly if using salted)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1. Add peanut butter and butter together in small bowl.

2. Mix in sugar, salt and vanilla to form a thick paste.

3. Dump onto base layer and smooth over, patting down to make a flat, even layer.

Top (final) Layer

5 oz. Semi Sweet Choclate chips (or other fine chocolate)

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

Pink Himalayan salt (or other fine sea salt)

1. In double boiler (or microwave), melt butter and chocolate chips together. Stir until complete dissolved and smooth.

2. Pour over peanut butter layer and spread out evenly.

3. Cool in fridge for about 5 minutes (should still be slightly soft on top but not warm).

4. Sprinkle, lightly, with Himalayan salt. Return to fridge (or freezer, if you’re in a hurry like I was), and let cool completely to become hard.

5. Cut into small squares and don’t say I didn’t warn you….these things are addictive.

You can freeze these too, might make them last longer and would let your make them ahead of time for a wedding.