Caramel Apple Pretzels

Yesterday Jordan and I had a girls day at the mall. We picked out her "first day of school" outfit.

I am still having a hard time with the fact that one, there is less than two weeks of summer left, and two, I'm going to have a second grader.

SECOND grade. Which we all know is, like, three days from High School. {By the way she already acts, I think we may be even closer than that.}

She's seven and a half. Which is almost eight. Which is almost a Tween. And after that is Teen, when she will refuse to talk to me and her only "words" will be eye rolls.

Hello, Father Time? Will you slow the heck down please? Thanksmuch.

I figure I only have a few more years of "cutesy things" left. Things like showing her a dress at Old Navy that has a zebra on it and her grabbing it from me and insisting I buy it. Or holding my hand in a parking lot. Or allowing me to make cute back-to-school gifts to give her teacher.

{You know, before she's too cool to do those things and I have to do them behind her back or threaten that I won't think she loves me anymore if she won't hold my hand.}

So I figured I best get as much in as possible, before it all goes away. I bought her the zebra dress. And then I made apples for her teachers.

I must say, these apples gave me a pain in my head. I love the way they ended up. But they were not what I originally envisioned. The idea for the red pretzels came from Party Pinching. But you know me. I have to do MORE. I can't be happy with just some cute red pretzels that look like apples.

The "MORE" ended up with two failed recipes and a second batch of pretzels.

But I'm happy with these. They're good.

And make me want Fall.

Pretzels dipped in caramel. Dipped in red candy melts. Topped with a green "stem."

Perfect for back-to-school.

They're small. So if your kid is past "cute," just hide them in his supply box. He'll never know.

Are you excited for back to school?

~Read More~

Sugar Cookie Bark

I bet that, if you're a blogger, I could say the name of an ingredient and you could immediately spout at least five things to make with it.


Like, if I shouted "REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS!" in a room at a food blogger conference I would immediately get responses like:


Stuffed Cupcakes!
Stuffed Cookies!
Pudding!
Pie!
Cheesecake!
Ice Cream!
Rice Krispie Treats!
Truffles!


Am I right?


It would be like brainstorming gone mad.


But what about when the ingredient is the dessert? Makes it a little harder.


Like, for example, sugar cookies.


When I think "sugar cookie," I think cute designs and royal icing. I think about Christmas.


{I mean, sure I think about pie crust too, doesn't everyone?}


But if you want a treat that actually tastes like a sugar cookie, it's a little harder.


My step-father-in-law (that's a mouthful, let's call him M), loves sugar cookies.


Like, really loves them.


So, every year for his birthday and Christmas I make him some.


But really, I can't just make sugar cookies anymore.


{Except at Christmas. Not making them then would be sacrilege.}


In blog-land-life, when you make stuff like carrot cake cinnamon rolls and ICEE cupcakes, you can't just make a sugar cookie a second time (says the little voice in my head).


Besides, I did that last year. But I made it a bar cookie.


So this year, when M's birthday rolled around I was stumped.


And then I remembered Shelly's Brownie Batter Bark.


And I realized how I'd create another good sugar rush for the man who can eat an entire batch of cookies without gaining an ounce.

Enter sugar cookie dough and white candy melts.


Add some sprinkles and you've got a super sweet sugar cookie dessert.


That's not a sugar cookie.


But kinda is.

I can't wait to try the other options for this.


I'm sure it involves Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.


And, maybe, pie.

~Read More~

Patriotic Nutella Cookie Dough Dipped Pretzels

Do you ever have those weeks days where you just cannot make up your mind? Getting dressed, eating breakfast, working out. All the decisions normally so easy and effortless now make you feel like a confused teenager just willing your mom to come and tell you what to do.

Yeah, last weekend I had a few of those days.

Most of it centered around this treat. Or, more accurately, what this treat should be.

I knew I wanted to do another patriotic post. I've known for weeks. I would say I had baker's block, but that wouldn't be true.

I had way, way, way too many ideas.

Pie. Cookies. Something with leftover blue buttercream. Pie again. Bananas? No. Strawberries! No. Maybe cookie pie. Marshmallows.

AHHHHHH!

So many times I wanted to take out the dual personality that is my baker self and give her a large slap.

"Make up your mind, baker self!" I would have yelled at her. "Make a choice!"

So I finally did. {Make a choice I mean. Not yell and slap myself. I'm not quite ready for the loony bin yet. Close, but not until Jordan' a teenager. Then I'll revisit that issue.}

~Read More~

Blueberry Pie Fudge

Do you ever get an idea that you are really excited about; one that you really, really want to try out? One that you'll be so excited about it if it works (highlights, yay!) or really bummed if it doesn't (lace jacket? Not in any era, people.)

This recipe is one of those ideas.

Fudge, that tastes like blueberry, that looks like a pie. I have no idea where this idea came to me. Possibly when I was out running, because that's what I do to get through the torture. {I think about fabulous desserts so that by the time I get home I'm totally famished and scarf poptarts because, hey, I just went for a run.}

Then I got an email from a company called Lucky Leaf. Have you heard of them?

They make premium pie fillings for fruit and cream pies, as well as applesauce and apple juice. They make PIE FILLING, yo. I mean, could it have been a more perfect fit? I responded to the email so fast I think I got carpel tunnel.

~Read More~

Biscoff Pretzel Toffee Bark

My mom is awesome. Really, she is. She's taught me so much and I'm so thankful for her.

Enter this list:

Everything I Ever Needed To Know About Life I Learned From My Mom

1. Not to sweat the small stuff. (That's what Dads are for.)

2. To always be nice. (Obviously.)

3. To be confident. My mom was a great example of confidence. After all, she was always right! (Ha, just kidding mom.) I'm not too good at this one yet, but I'm trying.

4. To love myself. Because if I don't, who will?

5. To always question everything. Like, say, if there is a sign at an amusement park that says "Don't push the red button!" you should always press it, just to see what happens. (Like, maybe you'll get water squirted in the face, but hey, it's okay.)

{That actually happened. Have you ever been to the Flinstone's RV Park near the Grand Canyon?}

6. She taught me what a good marriage is (and thanks to my dad for that, also).

7. To always try new things.

Like Biscoff. Or Speculoos Cookie Butter.

8. She taught me to follow rules. And to be imaginative. And good at math.

Did you know that Biscoff + White Chocolate = Liquid Gold?

Now you're a mathematician too!

9. She taught me that nothing is ever too sweet.

Not even saltine toffee that has biscoff (or TJs cookie butter) white chocolate gold all over it.

10. She taught me how to laugh at myself and how not to take oneself too seriously...although I'm still working on those too.

That's not all my mom taught me. She's taught me way more things. Like how to bake a cake. And how to eat an entire box of See's Candy in one sitting.

You know, all the important things. ;)

Love you mom!

~Read More~

Kiss my Cookie Bark {Coconut Edition}

Last weekend Jordan and I went to run errands together. We went to the dollar store and the grocery store.

We've been trying to (remember) to pay her an allowance, in return for doing some extra chores around the house. She gets $5 per week that she puts in her piggy bank and I try to remember to make her pay for extra stuff, like those awesome toys you can get at Dollar Tree.

She's not too good yet about understanding saving her money or waiting to spend it until she has enough for what she wants. (Case in point: a few weeks ago she paid me $5 so she could style me for the day.)

But in the car on our way to shopping she asked me what it meant to "save up for something." So I told her that it meant she saved her money in order to buy something more expensive than what she has. I used the example that the Lego set she wants is $50 (side note: can we say outrageous?)

"How many 5's does it take to get to $50?" she asked me.

I made her count by five's to get to fifty. "Ten," she answered herself.

It was quiet for a minute.

"Mommy," she said, "you know what would be easier? ... If you paid me $10 instead of $5."

Smart kid. Future Donald Trump? Or she'll win an award for being the lead of her sales team.

Either way, when I'm old and poor, I hope she'll be able to afford to keep me in Hershey's Kisses.

As soon as I made this version of this bark at Christmas, I knew I was going to make it with my favorite Kisses of all time.

Coconut Creme. Oh, how I love you.

This bark starts with macaroons. You can buy them at the store or make your own. I cut down the recipe so it only makes 13. You need 12 for this bark. Do what you will with the 13th. I'm not telling where mine went.

Chop up the good stuff.

Lay out a lake of chocolate.

And top it with the good stuff. I added toasted almonds too.

Now we just need to start a petition to get the Coconut Creme Kisses in full-year rotation. Maybe I'll get Jordan on that. She can talk anyone into anything.



~Read More~

Cheesecake Truffle Pops

Twice a week I take a class at the gym. It's the perfect class for me because it's only 25 minutes.

(Sure, I take the hour long classes sometimes. But usually about halfway through I am feeling like I'm going to be sick and I stare at the clock willing it to move faster, which it usually mocks me by...not. So a 25 minute class is perfect for me.)

The class is called Core and More. I think it's like pilates. It's a half hour of abs, arms, and legs, working hard while keeping that belly button kissing the spine!

The instructor rotates the workouts and I guess recently she's been feeling like she needs to find new material. So she's been searching YouTube for great new workouts.

Bad idea, people. Bad. Wrong.

Yesterday she had us balance on the big exercise ball. On all fours. For two counts of 10. While asking us politely to please not face plant, lest management get peeved.

I don't think the instructor likes me very much; I'm known to laugh out loud when she explains some of the moves we'll be doing. I can't help it. It just comes out because, while she comes from the planet SuperCore where they can all levitate themselves using only their stomach muscles, I am just a lowly earthling afraid that her expensive orthodontia may be compromised while balancing on a ball.

Balancing aside, the last two classes have filled me with confusion. Because one of the things she learned from the sadistic instructor on YouTube was the push-up roll. You do two push-ups with one leg looking like a dog is having it's way with a fire hydrant, then you lay flat and roll, hot dog style, to the other end of the mat and do two more push-ups. Then you roll back and repeat.

I didn't even try the roll. There are just some things that you intrinsically know about yourself; like how horizontal stripes are not okay or trying to do a cartwheel will put you in traction. I know, deep down, that if I was to roll across my mat I would have be nauseous for the entire day and I would have needed a coke and a Big Mac to make it go away.

Which kind of defeats the purpose of taking the class, no?

So why is it that everyone else could do them? I can't be the only one who can't roll. Heck, I can even do a neck roll without needing to sit for a minute for the room to stop spinning. Please tell me I'm not alone.

Now, if I did attempt the roll, I could choose to eat these truffle pops instead of a Big Mac. They'd achieve the same purpose, but still probably defeat the purpose of even going to the class. Or wait, maybe I do the class so I can eat the cheesecake? Hmmm...

The method for these pops comes from Bakerella. I made my favorite cheesecake without the crust (gasp). Scoop equal sized balls into graham cracker crumbs and roll. Then I chilled them overnight, to make them easier to dip.

Oh, and the really awesome thing? I only wanted about 24 pops, so I froze half my cheesecake. Now I have half a cheesecake in my freezer for the next time I make truffles...or for a gym emergency.

Instead of using lollipop sticks, I put these on straws. These super cute straws came from Cupcake Social, the same place I got the rainbow ones.

Once the balls are chilled, they are super easy to dip. I used the same method I use for my cake balls, which is to dip the straw, stick it into the truffle, then dip the whole thing into the chocolate. Make sure the chocolate is deep enough to cover your truffle. It makes it easier to cover and the less you move it around the better it stays on the stick.

Then you add your sprinkles (or you could use more graham cracker crumbs or anything else that makes you happy).

And there you have it.

The perfect roll-inducing, nausea eliminating, gym workout wasting cheesecake truffle pop.

Enjoy!

Cheesecake Truffle Pops

by Crazy for Crust

Inspired by Bakerella, Cheesecake from here

Keywords: cheesecake chocolate truffle

Ingredients

For the Cheesecake:

• 3 – 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 5 eggs, at room temperature
• 16 ounces sour cream, at room temperature
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

For the Pops:

• Chocolate Melts
• Graham crackers, crushed in the food processor, about 1 sleeve for a whole cheesecake
• Lollipop sticks or paper straws
• Sprinkles or other decorations, if desired

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line the bottom of a 9” springform pan with a circle of parchment for easy removal.
2. Beat cream cheese on low speed until fluffy using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the sugar and mix on low until creamy. Add one egg at a time, mixing in between each addition. Add the flour, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the sour cream and beat well.
3. Pour the mixture into the pan. Bake for one hour and 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and prop open the oven door. Let the cheesecake sit for one hour. Remove from oven and cool completely. Chill 24 hours before making pops.
4. To make the truffles: place graham cracker crumbs in a bowl. Scoop equal sized balls of cheesecake and drop into crumbs. Use the crumbs to help you roll them into balls. Place on a wax-paper lined cookie sheet and chill until hardened or overnight.
5. To dip them: Melt your chocolate according to package directions. Make sure your chocolate is deep enough to dip your truffles into. Dip the end of your stick or straw into the melted chocolate, then insert into chilled cheesecake ball. Dip the entire ball into the chocolate. Do not swirl. Remove from chocolate and tap gently to remove excess. (I like to hold the pop with my left hand and gently tap my left wrist, not the stick.) Place on a cookie sheet and let harden. Store in the refrigerator.
6. Note: you can freeze the cheesecake if you want to make your cheesecake pops in the future. I cut my cheesecake into quarters and froze each separately. Each quarter makes about 12 pops.

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Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts, Creative Monday (Clairejustineoxox), Mix it Up Monday (Flour Me With Love), Things that make you say mmmm Monday (Cooking with Karyn), Mop it Up Mondays (I should be mopping the floors), Show me what you got (Our Delightful Home). Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training), Trick or Treat Tuesday (Inside BruCrew Life), Let's Do Brunch (My Sweet & Savory), One Stop Shop Linky (The Southern Product Queen). Wednesday: Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party (Mrs. Fox's Sweets) Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks, Cast Party Wednesday (Lady Behind the Curtain), Famous Linkz Par-tay (Made-Famous-By), Bakes with Bizzy (Bizzy Bakes), Whip it Up Wednesday (Crockpot Ladies).  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy), Tastetastic Thursday (A little nosh), Sweet Temptations (Talking Dollars and Cents), Taking a Timeout Thursday (Mom on Timeout), Things I've Done Thursday (BearRabbitBear), (RHW Recipe Round-Up) The Real Housewives of Riverton, BFF Open House (The Answer is Chocolate), Recipe Round Up (Eat, Pray, Read, Love). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home), Latest & Greatest Friday (Days of Chalk and Chocolate), Bacon Time, Fusion Friday (Jane Deere Blog), Foodie Friday (Not Your Ordinary Recipes), Dwell on Joy, Fun Finds Friday (Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons). Saturday: Country Mom Cooks, Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos), You inspire me (Polka Dot Pretties). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Strut your Stuff Saturday (Six Sisters' Stuff), I am addicted to recipes, Recipe Party (The Sweet Spot), Seasonal/Occasional Linkys: Moms Crazy Cooking, Southern Mom Cooks, Cheap Crafty Momma, Susie QT

Cookies 'n Birthday Cake Fudge

Last week at Walmart I was walking to the checker when I saw these:

It was like the sky opened up and the heavens glowed and angels sang.

I knew I had to make some thing with them. Otherwise I would eat the whole package at once.

So I made fudge. Because making fudge is the obvious way to avoid eating an entire package of cookies.

I've never made cooked fudge before. I've always been all "pshaw...why would I make boiled fudge and have to use my candy thermometer when I could just make it easy, those people who do all that work have way too much time on their hands." (Totally thought without judgement. I'm not that kind of person. No really, I'm not.)

And then I made this fudge. And I apologize. For the way I thought about cooked fudge. I am eating my humble pie now.

It's awesome. It's great. It's sweet and good and all that is right with the world.

And I can eat a ton of it. Because I made it with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, so it has less fat and calories and I can add a bag of Birthday Cake Oreos and eat 17 pieces and not feel sick.

**The giveaway is now closed**

Recently the people at I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! contacted me. They wanted to give away some cool stuff to my readers.

Of course I said yes. I love my readers. They deserve cool stuff.

The Acadamy Awards are on Sunday. Are you going to watch? I love award shows, all of them. I can get a little obsessed. It doesn't matter the only movie I saw was the Help.

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! is throwing a Red Carpet Viewing Party on Facebook on the big day, this Sunday the 26th.  There's going to be a roundtable discussion with some of Hollywood's biggest stars and a food and wine expert "known for her delicious recipes."

I have no idea who the star is. I'm hoping for Bethanny. Or Rachael Ray. Or Martha. Who doesn't love Martha??

If you want to follow along with the party, be sure to check out the chatter on Twitter at #ToastRedCarpet.

**UPDATE: Don't miss the show! It's a red carpet event hosted by Brooke Burke, Carson Kressley, and Molly Sims and Katie Lee! It's from 3:00-4:30 PST this Sunday on the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Facebook page. Click here for the link.**

It's a really cool prize pack. A silver tray, four champagne flutes, some "toast" coasters (they really look like toast!) a cheese spreader, and a coupon for a free tub of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Pretty cool prizes, if you ask me. I hope you'll enter!


Contest runs through Monday, February 27th. Winner will be announced Tuesday the 28th. US entries only, please.


**The giveaway is now closed**


How to enter:

1. Leave a comment here. Something sweet and nice. 
2. Do you follow me? Leave me a separate comment and tell me how you follow (GFC? RSS? ABCD? Just kidding on that last one. LOL)
3. Follow me on Twitter (@crazyforcrust) and come back and leave a separate comment telling me you do.

This fudge would be a great addition to your Academy Awards party, if you're having one.  Or, you know, you could just be like me and eat handfuls of it while watching The Amazing Race or The Biggest Loser.

Just a suggestion.

(Oh, in case you missed it...**The giveaway is now closed**)

Cookies 'n Birthday Cake Fudge

by Crazy for Crust (Recipe adapted from Kraft)

Keywords: oreo white chocolate fudge

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Ingredients

• 3/4 cup I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! spread (or regular butter)
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 ounces (2/3 cup) evaporated milk
• 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
• 1 package (12 ounces) white chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 package Birthday Cake Oreos

Instructions

1. Line a 9x9" pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. (If you like a thinner fudge, use a 9x13" pan.) Coarsely chop your Oreos.
2. Add sugar, evaporated milk, and butter to a large pot over medium heat. Bring to a rapid boil and cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly (234 degrees on a candy thermometer).
3. Add marshmallow creme and white chocolate. Stir until melted. Add vanilla and chopped cookies. Pour into prepared pan. Chill until hardened and cut into squares.

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Fine print: this giveaway is sponsored by I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! They sent me the gifts I am sharing with you. My idea for the fudge and opinions of it are all my own! Unfortunately I cannot ship international with this giveaway, so sorry about that. But you love me anyway, right?

Have a Linky Party you want me to join? Add it HERE.

These are the fabulous parties I link to each week:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts, Creative Monday (Clairejustineoxox), Mix it Up Monday (Flour Me With Love), Things that make you say mmmm Monday (Cooking with Karyn), Mop it Up Mondays (I should be mopping the floors), Show me what you got (Our Delightful Home). Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training), Trick or Treat Tuesday (Inside BruCrew Life), Let's Do Brunch (My Sweet & Savory), One Stop Shop Linky (The Southern Product Queen). Wednesday: Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party (Mrs. Fox's Sweets) Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks, Cast Party Wednesday (Lady Behind the Curtain), Famous Linkz Par-tay (Made-Famous-By), Bakes with Bizzy (Bizzy Bakes), Whip it Up Wednesday (Crockpot Ladies).  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy), Tastetastic Thursday (A little nosh), Sweet Temptations (Talking Dollars and Cents), Taking a Timeout Thursday (Mom on Timeout), Things I've Done Thursday (BearRabbitBear), (RHW Recipe Round-Up) The Real Housewives of Riverton, BFF Open House (The Answer is Chocolate), Recipe Round Up (Eat, Pray, Read, Love). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home), Latest & Greatest Friday (Days of Chalk and Chocolate), Bacon Time, Fusion Friday (Jane Deere Blog), Foodie Friday (Not Your Ordinary Recipes), Dwell on Joy, Fun Finds Friday (Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons). Saturday: Country Mom Cooks, Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos), You inspire me (Polka Dot Pretties). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Strut your Stuff Saturday (Six Sisters' Stuff), Recipe Party (The Sweet Spot), Seasonal/Occasional Linkys: Moms Crazy Cooking, Southern Mom Cooks, Cheap Crafty Momma, Susie QT

Cupcake Topped Rainbow Cupcakes

Kind of a mouthful for a title, isn't it?

Will you indulge me while I wax poetic for a moment?

My daughter turned seven yesterday. Seven. As in, three years from being double digits. Halfway to being in High School. Just over ten years from now? I'll be kissing her good-bye as she leaves for college (unless I can convince her to live at home forever and allow me to still put pigtails in her hair and dress her in separates from Carter's).

Seven years ago I was given a precious gift. One I cherish every single day. I know I bitch about her a lot because, in all fairness, she does drive me crazy, but I still can't believe I get to be her mom. She's truly our little miracle (and boy, does she know it).

I get a little sad thinking about how fast it all goes. How fast I want it to go when I'm in the middle of it, because ohmygodIcan'tstanditonemoresecond. But then I blinked and she's a kid. How did that happen?

So, Happy Birthday to my sweet baby. 'Cuz no matter how much you scream at me "I AM NOT A BABY!!!" you still are, to me.

Okay, let me clear my throat, wipe my eyes, and we can move on.  Let's talk cupcakes, shall we?

This cupcake topper idea comes from one of my favorite blogs to stalk read, Confessions of a Cookbook Queen.  She used  Reese's. I wanted rainbow colors. And I was going to do just solid candy, but Jordan had other ideas. She wanted cake balls.

I used my candy cup mold (from Michael's). I wanted them to be somewhat flat, so I only used about 1/4 teaspoon of cake ball. This is a great way to use up some of those cupcakes stored in your freezer. Fill the candy mold with a little candy, top with a cake ball, and then add more candy. Level it off, tap to settle, and freeze until hardened. Repeat to get all the rainbow colors. (I used some colored candy melts, some white candy melts and Wilton candy color. You can use whatever you have.)

I'm sure you've seen these cupcakes before. They were in Family Fun Magazine a few years ago for St. Patrick's Day. They take a lot of steps, but are totally cool.

You start with cake mix (I used two). Divide it equally into 6 bowls and color each with food coloring.

Then layer them into your cupcake liners. I used quart-sized Ziploc bags to make the piping and clean-up easier. FYI, one cake mix will not make 24 cupcakes using this method, as it normally does. It'll make about 18 or so.

I frosted the cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting. Place your mini cupcake cake ball on top and frost it with more frosting. A cupcake topper for a cupcake!

I had a little left over of each color, so I took my silicone muffin pan and made one of each color (see bottom right picture). That will get turned into the cake.

The finished cupcakes are brilliant in color. If you don't mind the whole eating food coloring thing. No one at this party seemed to mind, which was good. Because everything had food coloring in it.

With those extra cupcakes, I made Jordan her own "little" cake. The "7" is a fruit roll-up, cut with a cookie cutter.  And the inside of the cake?

A rainbow! I surprised her with the cake and she loved it. (I had to use a lollipop stick as a dowel.)

These cupcakes (and the cake, too) would be great for St. Patrick's day. I love how that day is not just green, but all things rainbow.

Thanks for reading!

Cupcake Topped Rainbow Cupcakes

by Crazy for Crust (Idea from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen)

Ingredients

For the Rainbow Cupcakes

• 2 boxes white cake mix, prepared with eggs, oil, and water called for
• Food coloring: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple (you can use the regular grocery store kind and mix the colors, but gel food coloring works best for vibrant colors)
• A double batch of Marshmallow Frosting, or your favorite white frosting

For the Cupcake Toppers

• Candy Melts in rainbow colors OR white candy melts with candy coloring
• Cake pop mixture (I used a few cupcakes I had in the freezer and some canned icing)
• Candy Cup Mold

Instructions

Make the Cupcakes

1. Mix the cake batter according to the recipe or box directions. Line your muffin tins with cupcake liners. (Recipe makes 32-36 cupcakes.)
2. Divide your batter evenly among six bowls, about 1 1/2 cups of batter per bowl. Add food coloring to each bowl, one for each color of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple). Stir to combine.
3. You are going to layer the cupcakes into the liners in a reverse rainbow, so the purple is on the bottom and the red is on the top. To make this easier to do, place each color in a separate quart-sized Ziploc bag. Seal the bag almost all the way, leaving about 1/2" open for air to escape. Snip off a tiny corner and place a small amount in each cupcake liner, starting with purple (use just enough to cover the bottom of the liner). Repeat with the remaining colors in this order: blue, green, yellow, orange, red.
4. Bake according to recipe directions. Let cool completely. Frost with white frosting, to resemble clouds.
5. Note: if you want to make a mini rainbow cake, you can do it by baking separate colors in muffin tins. Place about 1/2" of batter in each muffin tin hole (one for each color). Stack up like a rainbow, frosting in between each layer. A 4" lollipop stick makes a good dowel.

Make the Cupcake Toppers

1. Melt your candy melts according to package directions. Fill the candy cup mold about ½ full with one color. Place about ¼ teaspoon of cake ball mixture on top and cover with more candy. Tap to release air bubbles and freeze until hardened, about 5 minutes. Remove from mold and continue until all the colors you want are finished.
2. Alternately, you could make these pure candy, no cake ball inside. Or, fill with anything: peanut butter, chocolate, just plain frosting, whatever you can dream of!

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