Black and Red Wedding Cake

I was thrilled when I got asked to make this wedding cake.  It was for some good friends of mine who decided to have a wedding at hunting camp!  No, that's not your usual setting but the couple wanted to surprise everyone and knew the family was already planning on being at camp!

The wedding turned out beautifully and I was just happy to play a small part.  Below I'll give you some quick tips on how I made this cake...

Boy's First Birthday Cake plus Smash Cake

When a friend asked me to make this cake for their little boy's first birthday, I thought the idea was so cute! With the colors, and basic stars and circles, this cake just screams "little boy!"  The cake consisted of marbled fudge and vanilla cake layers with buttercream frosting, and is covered in homemade marshmallow fondant.  For tips on how to frost, stack and cover cakes in fondant go HERE!

And for the first time, I made a matching smash cake that the birthday boy could have all to himself.  It's a nice idea so that the birthday kid can smash around in their own cake while not contaminating everyone else's cake.  The smash cake was frosted with lots of buttercream.  Fondant would be hard for those little hands to dig through.

Hamburger Cookies (Fudge Filled Tea Cookies)

This is another Christmas favorite of my family.  My grandma would make these every year!  They are a soft tea cookie filled with delicious fudge.  And they look like cute little hamburgers.  Does it get any cuter than that? 


Follow along as I show you how to make these tasty treats:

German Pfeffernusse (Pepper Nut) Cookies

It's always fun to make traditional cookies that have been in the family for years.  This is my grandmother's Pfeffernusse cookie recipe.  The Pfeffernusse cookie is a German pepper nut cookie containing several spices such as allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon along with anise extract that makes a tasty cookie that goes wonderfully with tea or coffee.  This is a well known Christmas cookie among Germans. 

I crave these now every Christmas.  I couldn't wait to get my batch made for the holidays!   One batch makes approximately 100 cookies and these will last all month on the kitchen counter in an airtight container.  They actually taste (get this) BETTER after sitting on the counter for a few weeks.  

Follow along as I show you how to make these tasty, spiced Christmas cookies:

Traditional Pumpkin Pie with Braided Crust

My 7 year old has an obsession with Pumpkin Pie, so we have to have it around during the holidays.  The rest of us like it too of course!  This is a traditional style pumpkin pie made with a Classic Pie Pastry Crust. It's always a hit at a family gathering.

If making a regular pie crust, make a single-crust Classic Pie Pastry for this pie or use a store bought crust.  If making a decorative pie edge or using cut-out decorations, make a double-crust Classic Pie Pastry.  Follow along and we'll learn how to make it:

Cherry Cranberry Pie

This Cherry Cranberry Pie has the perfect blend of sweet and tart with that holiday cranberry flavor we love.  This pie works great for Thanksgiving or Christmas and it's simple to make.  You only need 4 ingredients for the filling.  I made this pie with a Classic Pie Pastry, recipe found HERE, or just use your favorite pie crust.  Follow along as I show you how to make this tasty pie:

Classic Pie Pastry (Crust)

 This pie pastry is simple, takes very little time, uses only four ingredients and tastes great!  This is a very dependable crust recipe that could accompany nearly all your favorite pie flavors.

This recipe covers how to make a single-crust pie or a double-crust pie.  Follow along as I show you a few tips and tricks to making this tasty, flaky pie crust!  Come back in a few days when I post the recipes for these tasty looking pies pictured above: Cherry Cranberry Pie and Classic Pumpkin Pie!