Pink & Purple Birthday Cake

I volunteered to make the cake for my niece's first birthday and it turned out really cute.  I made a larger cake to serve the guests and then a smaller cake for my niece to dig in to.  Here are the pictures:

 The majority of the cake is frosted with buttercream, but I did make the flowers out of fondant..........

Cinnamon Roll Waffles

Kaycie brought this recipe home from college.  Apparently these were a frequent menu item in room B202 at the Eccles Living Center (a.k.a. dorms) at SUU.  Which reminds me...

...did you you know that it's not politically correct to say that you live in "dorms" any more?  According to my highly educated daughter, the word DORM has a negative connotation, so they are called "living centers".  I had to break the news that every parent's worst fear is that their child will grow up and have to live in a "center".

Anywho... my younger children LOVE this recipe.  All you need is a refrigerated tube of cinnamon rolls and your waffle iron.

 Tips from a highly educated college student:

1) Don't use Grands cinnamon rolls, jut get the smaller, regular kind (the Grands turn out doughy).
2) Don't worry if you get a little scared the first time you pop open a tube of refrigerated dough.  Everyone gets scared the first time.
3) Slap the little rolls on the waffle iron and cook them until they are brown.  Frost with the frosting that came with the rolls.  Leave the maple syrup in the cupboard.  It isn't good.  They tried it.
4) Clean your waffle iron well after making this recipe.  Otherwise, sugary black stuff will burn on to your waffles the next time you use your waffle iron.  Sugary black stuff is gross.
5)  Finally, clean up after yourself.  The motto in B202: "Dishes are like boys.... don't let your friends do them."

Chocolate Croissants

Reader, let me introduce you to Chocolate Croissant.  Beautiful outside, deliciously decadent inside. Love-at-first-sight AND love-at-first-bite.  This is the easiest, most beautiful, most delicious dessert I've ever made.  When your husband says, "You MADE these!?" (because he actually thought you bought them at Kneaders)....and then eats two....it's a good day. Here are the step-by-step instructions.

Here is the finished product beautifully served on my great grandma's china plates.

You will need puff pastry and mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese).  Puff pastry is found in the refrigerator section by the frozen dough and pie crust. I get my mascarpone cheese at Trader Joes or Harmon's - I can never find it at my neighborhood grocery store.

Get out the two sheets of puff pastry and let them sit on your counter for about 35-40 minutes.

In a bowl, mix 1 cup mascarpone (or cream) cheese, 1/2 c. sugar, 1 egg, a handful (or two) of chocolate chips and a dash of vanilla.  Beat it all together.

After thawing, unfold the first sheet of puff pastry (it will be tri-folded) and cut it in to four equal squares.  Repeat with 2nd sheet of pastry.  This will give you 8 large squares.

 Put a dollop of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each square.

Quickly beat an egg and brush around the edges of each square with egg wash.  Fold the dough over to create a triangle and then press the seams together with a fork to seal. Fold the tip of the triangle up and over just a bit (as seen in next picture).

Place the unbaked croissants on a baking sheet (use parchment or spray with cooking spray).  Cut a small slit or two in the top to vent.  Use the remaining egg wash and brush on the top of each croissant (don't skip this step or they won't brown and look beautiful).

Bake at 400 degrees for about 18-20 minutes or until perfectly golden brown.

 For the finishing touch, I threw a handful of chocolate chips in a Ziploc baggie and microwaved it for about a minute. I squished around the melted chocolate chips in the baggie until it was smooth. You may need to microwave the chocolate chips a little longer if they haven't melted.  Cut a small, small slit in one corner of the baggie and then drizzle melted chocolate over the top of each croissant.  Serve warm or cooled.  Makes 8 large croissants.