Jello Cookies

Today my sweet baby actually turns 2.  We had her party over the weekend but today the Hubs and I are going to take her out to dinner (no one get excited, I know she's only 2 - we're talking McDonald's or Chick-Fil-A) where she can have her all time favorite of chicken nuggets and then run around on the playground for awhile.

Since I made the Jello Cupcakes for the party, I decided I would do something small for dessert tonight and decided I would stick with the Jello theme.

JELLO COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:
3 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 & 1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 packages (3 ounces) Jello Gelatin - any flavor


DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat the butter until it is creamy.  Add the sugar and beat until combined - should be kinda fluffy.  Beat in the egg and vanilla just until moistened.  Add the baking powder and then beat in the flour 1 cup at a time until a soft dough forms.  Separate the dough into 3 portions.

On a floured surface, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of one of the jello flavors into one portion of the dough.  Knead your dough until the Jello is combined - I added 1 tablespoon at a time of the Jello.  Pour remaining Jello into a small bowl. 

Shape the dough into 1/2 tablespoon size balls.  Coat the balls in the remaining Jello powder.  Place on your cookie sheet and then flatten with the bottom of a bowl. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Let cool on the pan for 2 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  Repeat the steps with the remaining dough and Jello packages.


NOTES:
*This recipe made 3-4 dozen cookies.
*The Jello flavors I used were Strawberry, Berry Blue & Passion Fruit - I did not add any food coloring to any of the dough

RECIPE INSPIRED BY: I {heart} Naptime

PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

THIS RECIPE PROUDLY LINKED TO: Couponing & Cooking, Skip To My Lou, Simple Living With Diane Balch



Princess P Turns 2

Who needs a fork when you have fingers!?!

We celebrated Princess P's 2nd birthday this past weekend with a small party with friends and family.  We did a balloon theme and rented a bounce house for all of the kids to stay entertained.  BEST IDEA EVER!!  We had to practically force the kids to come inside for the cupcakes!!

Other than the birthday girl passing out halfway through the party, it was a hit!

SORRY THIS ISN'T THE BEST PICTURE -

I REALIZED AFTER THE FACT I NEVER TOOK ONE OF THE CUPCAKES :(

JELLO CUPCAKES WITH JELLO BUTTER CREAM ICING

INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE:
1 box white cake mix
3 large eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup milk
1 box (3 ounces) Jello Gelatin - any flavor - reserve 1 tablespoon for icing

INGREDIENTS FOR ICING:
1/2 cup butter flavored vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon Jello Gelatin - reserved from box used in cake
food coloring to match Jello flavor/color


DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place paper baking cups in a regular size muffin tin.

In a large bowl, combine your butter, milk and eggs for the cake.  Lightly beat the eggs.  Add the dry cake mix and stir just until combined.  Then add the box of Jello reserving 1 tablespoon for the icing.  Stir until just combined.  With a mixer, beat the batter on medium for about 2 minutes.  Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling about 2/3 of the way full.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make your icing - in a large bowl, beat shortening and butter until smooth.  Add in the vanilla and beat again.  Add the sugar, one cup at a time, making sure everything is combined completely.  Once you've added all of the sugar, add the milk.  Then add the reserved 1 tablespoon of Jello*.  Continue beating the icing on low until everything is combined and smooth.  Add in the food coloring a drop or two at a time until you reach your desired color*.


NOTES:
*Adding the 1 tablespoon of Jello will not change the flavor of the icing very much, it just gives it a slight hint of the flavor - you could always add more but we thought it was a nice complement to the flavor in the cupcakes.  Also, depending on the flavors you pick, the Jello may not really change the color at all - I used Grape as one of my flavors and you could barely tell anything was added to the icing so we ended up using alot of purple food coloring.
*I used the Neon Gel food colorings - I highly recommend depending on what food colorings you use to taste test your icing as you add the coloring - sometimes the coloring can start to alter the flavor of the icing - we've all had that not so yummy bright red icing!


CUPCAKE RECIPE INSPIRED BY: Betty Crocker
ICING RECIPE INSPIRED BY: Chocolate, Chocolate & More

PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

Flashback: Princess P Turns 1

Princess P - 1 year old

My not a baby baby turns 2 this week!!  Where has the past year gone??  We had her birthday party this past weekend and I'm going to share all the recipes and fun we had this week but I thought I would take a minute and go back in time a year.

Last year for her 1st birthday we did just a small party with the family.  The Hubs made the decision we would do a princess theme for her 1st so I made a pink princess cake.

STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE W/ CUPCAKE SMASH CAKE

INGREDIENTS:
1 package strawberry cake mix
water, oil & eggs called for on cake mix
1 container strawberry icing
1 container chocolate icing
princess stencil (or stencil of choice)
Wilton Decorating Gel - I used Violet

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare cake batter according to package directions using 2 8-inch rounds. Don't pour the batter in the pans yet.

2. Fill one individual cupcake tin 3/4 of the way with batter.

3. Pour the rest of the batter evenly between the two rounds.

4. Bake the cupcake in a muffin tin and the two rounds according to package directions. Let cool. I put everything in at the same time and just pulled the muffin tin out after about 10-15 minutes and let the rounds finish cooking.

5. Once the rounds are cooled, level each cake.

6. Spread the chocolate frosting on top of one of the cakes. Use as much or as little frosting as you would like. I used almost the whole container and it was almost too much - it almost overpowered the strawberry.

7. Place the other layer on top of the frosting and let it set in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

8. Use the strawberry frosting to frost the cupcake and the top and sides of the cake. Let the icing set in the fridge again for about 20 more minutes.

9. Place the stencil on top of the cake. Trace the stencil using a toothpick. Allow room around the stencil to place the cupcake on top of the cake.

10. Use the decorating gel to color in the stencil markings to make your words or pictures.

11. Once you have completed your decorations, place the cupcake on top of the frosting using a little bit of the decorating gel as 'glue'.

12. Put the cake back into the fridge so the decorating gel can set.

The Hubs & Me

Princess P checking out her new toys with her cousins

Uncle Wes gave her extra icing!

Bath Time in Aunt Dawn's sink!