Fun-in-the-Pool
Cake
Serves: 12
Bake it any time of year
to bring back some of that summer fun. You'll be so impressed with your
handiwork, you might have a hard time slicing it!
Planning Tips:
- The cake layers
can be wrapped and frozen up to 1 month. The cake can be prepared through Step
4 up to 3 days ahead. Cover with a bowl and refrigerate.
- If you can't find the same candies wee used, improvise with others.
Ingredients:
Two 8- or 9-in.
cooled, baked cake layers, frozen at least 2 hours for easier cutting
Tiles: Tiny Size Chiclets (any colors you wish)
1 box (4-serving size) berry blue gelatin
Pool furniture, diving
boards and accessories (see Tip):
Lounge chairs (Candy Blox)
inner-tube floats (gummi rings)
striped raft (cream-filled red licorice bite)
low diving-board base and beach ball (fruit chews)
high diving-board base (candy stick)
diving boards and beach towels (striped stick chewing gum)
diving-board railings (gummi rings, cut in half)
Teddy Grahams cookies
Palm trees (green belt candy and Life Savers)
Blue, red and yellow food color
1. Cut a 5 1/2-in.-diameter round
from middle of 1 frozen cake layer (you won't need the round). Place other cake
layer on a serving plate; spread top with 1/2 cup frosting. Spoon 1/2 cup
frosting into a bowl, cover and reserve.
2. Place ring of cake on top of
frosted layer. Carefully frost inside and outside of ring (be sure entire
inside is coated), then frost sides of both cake layers. Set tiles around pool
with fingers or tweezers.
3. Remove 1 Tbsp frosting from
reserved 1/2 cup frosting; set aside. Tint remaining frosting blue. Spread with
a small metal spatula into waves around bottom layer of cake. Refrigerate at
least 1 hour to set frosting.
4. Prepare gelatin as directed on box
for speed-set. When ice cubes are removed, use a 1/4-cup measure or small ladle
and slowly fill the pool up to about 1/4 in. from the top. Refrigerate 2 hours
or until gelatin is very firm.
5. Using the cover photograph as a
guide and about 1 tsp of the remaining 1 Tbsp frosting as glue, assemble the
diving boards and lounge chairs; set aside to dry. Cut towels from gum sticks;
warm a fruit chew in your hand and roll it into a beach ball. For striped raft,
trim red licorice bite and glue a red strip in place for pillow. Set aside.
6. Bears: Divide remaining frosting
among 3 cups and tint blue, red and yellow. Using a toothpick or small
paintbrush, paint bathing suits and features on Teddy Grahams. Set aside to
dry.
7. Palm trees: For each tree, cut
green belt candy into a 2-in.-long strip. For fronds, make five 1-in.-long cuts
at one end. Roll up strip; set uncut end into a green Life Saver.
8. Up to 1 hour before serving: Set
diving boards, furniture, accessories and bears in place; refrigerate.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Makes: 3 cups
Planning Tip:
May be refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen up to 1 month. Bring to room
temperature and beat before using.
Ingredients:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 jar (7 or 7 1/2 oz) marshmallow cream (such as Marshmallow Fluff or Creme)
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Beat butter in a medium
bowl with mixer on medium speed until creamy.
Beat in marshmallow cream.
When well blended, beat in
confectioners' sugar and vanilla.
Increase speed to high and
beat 3 to 4 minutes until fluffy.
Fun-at-the-Beach Cake
Serves: 12
Time:
Varies with Skill
Our pool cake was so
popular, we decided to create an encore with this Fun-at-the-Beach Cake. Get
creative by using your favorite candy.
Planning Tips:
- The cake layers may be wrapped and frrozen up to 1 month. The cake can be
prepared through Step 4 up to 3 days ahead. Cover with a bowl or pot and
refrigerate.
- If you can't find the same candies wee used, improvise with others.
Ingredients:
Two 8- or 9-in.
cooled, baked cake layers, frozen at least 2 hours for easier cutting
Beach sand: 10 vanilla wafer cookies, crushed to fine sandlike crumbs
Blue, green, yellow and red food color
Crystal sugar (optional)
Decorations for side of
cake:
Sea sand
(multicolored nonpareils)
Seaweed (sugared green sour stick candy, cut with scissors)
Seashell-shaped candies
Fish-shaped crackers
1 box (4-serving size) berry blue gelatin
Decorations for top of
cake:
Lifeguard's chair
(4 thin pretzel sticks and 1/4 graham cracker cut to 1 1/2 x 1 in. for chair
back, 1 x 1 in. for seat; red sour belt candy for red cross)
Volleyball net (green apple Air Heads bar, net marked with back of a knife,
ends pressed around pretzel sticks)
Volleyball (white gum ball)
Beach balls (striped round peppermint candies
Life preservers (gummi rings)
Pail and shovel (spice drops cut to shape; licorice-lace handles)
Red raft with pillow (strawberry Air Heads bar shaped with fingers)
Beach towels and surfboard (striped stick chewing gum, cut in half for towels;
trimmed to shape for surfboard)
Teddy Grahams cookies
1. Ocean: Starting 1 1/4 in. from
edge of 1 frozen cake layer, cut out a kidney-shaped piece of cake about 2 1/2
in. across in the middle, cut all the way through cake. Reserve cutout piece of
cake. Place uncut cake layer on a serving plate; spread top with 1/2 cup
frosting. Set cake with cutout ocean on top. Spoon 1/2 cup frosting into a
bowl, cover and set aside.
2. Mound for beach: Cut an oval about
3 in. long, 2 in. wide from reserved cutout cake. Trim mound to about 1/2 in.
high.
3. Carefully frost sides of cake,
inside of ocean (be sure entire inside is coated) and top of cake near inner
curve of ocean. Set mound in place at curve. Cover with frosting, spreading
frosting so it slopes down to top of cake. Shield rest of cake, then carefully
sprinkle beach sand on mound. Press sand gently to adhere.
4. Transfer 2 Tbsp frosting from
reserved 1/2 cup frosting to a cup; cover and set aside. Tint what's left of
the 1/2 cup frosting blue. Spoon 1 Tbsp blue frosting into a sturdy
ziptop bag. Spread remaining blue frosting with a small metal spatula on
unfrosted border on top of cake and into waves around upper sides of cake.
Sprinkle top with crystal sugar. Press to adhere.
5. Decorations for side of cake: Dip
a toothpick into blue food color and dot eyes on fish crackers. Press other
decorations and fish in place. Cut tip off corner of bag with blue frosting.
Pipe bubbles coming from fish (save a bit of frosting in bag).
6. Prepare gelatin as directed on box
for speed-set. When ice cubes are removed, use a small ladle to slowly
fill ocean to about 1/4 in. from top. Refrigerate cake 2 hours or until gelatin
is very firm.
7. Use about 1 tsp of the reserved 2
Tbsp white frosting to frost back of lifeguard's chair and to glue red cross in
place and assemble chair; set aside to dry.
8. Teddy Grahams: Divide remaining
reserved frosting among 4 cups; tint each a different color. Dip a toothpick into
blue food color; dot eyes on vanilla bears. Pipe blue frosting left in bag for
eyes on chocolate bears. Using a toothpick or small paintbrush, paint bathing
suits and features on bears. Set aside to dry.
9. Up to 1 hour before serving: Set
bears and decorations for top of cake in place; refrigerate
Camping-at-the-Lake
Cake
Serves: 12
Time:
Varies with Skill
Planning Tip:
The cake layers may be wrapped and frozen up to 1 month. The cake can be
prepared through Step 6 up to 2 days ahead. Cover with a bowl or large pot and
refrigerate. Make Decorations up to 1 day ahead. Place on cake up to 1 hour
before serving.
Two 8- or 9-in. cooled,
baked cake layers, 1 layer frozen at least 2 hours for easier cutting
1 16-oz tub each chocolate and vanilla frosting
Green, blue, yellow and red food color
Flowers:
Tiny flower sprinkles
3 small ziptop food bags
1 box (3 oz) berry blue gelatin
Teddy Grahams cookies
Bumblebees:
Yellow jelly beans, almond slices
Ladybugs: Mini red M&M’s
Tent:
Two 1/4 graham
crackers, 2 yellow Starburst or LifeSavers Fruit Chews, 2 thin pretzel sticks
Trees: large green gumdrops or spearmint
jelly-candy leaves and thin pretzel sticks
Sun: yellow and orange Starburst or
LifeSavers Fruit Chews
Canoe: 3-in.-long piece strawberry Air Heads
bar (see Tip), pretzel stick, licorice lace and small piece caramel candy
Flower basket:
Small gumdrop, licorice lace and tiny flower sprinkles
Campfire:
Red and yellow Starburst or LifeSavers Fruit Chews
Rocks:
Buncha Crunch (Nestlé) or chocolate-covered raisins
Lilypad:
Thin slice of green Jolly Jellies gummy candy and tiny flower sprinkles
1. Using photograph (above) as a
guide, cut out lake through the frozen cake layer, leaving a border between
11/2 and 2 in. around edge. (You won’t need cutout piece of cake.) Place uncut
layer on a serving plate; spread a 11/2-in. border around edge of layer with
chocolate frosting. Set layer with cutout on frosted layer.
2. Using vanilla frosting, carefully
frost inside of lake (be sure entire inside is coated).
3. Grass: Spoon 1/4 cup vanilla
frosting into a ziptop bag; add green food color (about 10 drops if using
liquid), seal bag and knead until blended. Dragonflies: Put 1 Tbsp vanilla
frosting and blue color into a ziptop bag; seal bag and knead in color. Teddy
Grahams: Transfer 2 Tbsp vanilla frosting to a cup; cover and set aside. Cover
frosting left in tub; reserve to use as glue.
4. Spoon 1 Tbsp chocolate frosting
into a ziptop bag; seal bag. Use remaining chocolate frosting to frost sides of
cake and border around lake.
5. Snip tip off corner of bag of
green frosting; pipe grass and stems for flowers around base of cake (save some
frosting for top of cake). Pick up flower sprinkles with moistened tip of a
toothpick; place on stems. Snip tip off corner of bag of blue frosting. Pipe
dragonflies near flowers.
6. Prepare gelatin as directed on box
for speed-set. When ice cubes are removed, use a small ladle to slowly fill
lake to about 1/4 in. from top. Refrigerate cake 2 hours or until gelatin is
very firm.
7. Teddy Grahams: Divide reserved 2
Tbsp vanilla frosting among 4 cups; tint each a different color. Using a
toothpick or small paintbrush, paint clothing and features on bears. Glue piece
of licorice lace with vanilla frosting “marshmallow” onto hand of 1 bear. Let
dry.
8. Bumblebees and Ladybugs: Cut slits
on sides of yellow jelly beans; insert almond-slice wings. Snip tiny tip off
corner of bag of chocolate frosting. Pipe lines and eyes on jelly beans. Pipe
dots on mini red M&M’s. Let dry.
9. Tent: Cut both pieces cracker to
13/4 in. long. Place end to end. Roll both fruit chews together into a 3-in.
log. Roll with a rolling pin until large enough to cover crackers; trim edges.
Glue onto crackers. Fold in half to form a tent. Glue pretzel sticks at ends,
letting 1 in. extend from bottom. Let dry.
10. Trees: Working with 1 gumdrop at a
time, place on a sugar-coated work surface and roll out until about 3/16 in.
thick. Cut in pine-tree shapes. Press or glue each against a pretzel stick,
letting about 1 in. of pretzel extend from bottom.
11. Sun: Roll yellow and orange fruit
chews into 2-in. squares. Cut a circle from the yellow square and sun rays from
the orange. Press rays onto circle.
12. Canoe: Bend up sides of strawberry
Air Heads bar; pinch ends together. Press pretzel-stick seat in place. For oar,
press caramel onto piece of licorice lace; place in canoe.
13. Flower basket: Stick licorice lace
for handle into flat side of gumdrop. Glue on flower sprinkles.
14. Campfire: Roll or press yellow and
red fruit chews flat. Snip to make flames. Press together, alternating yellow
and red.
15. Up to 1 hour before serving: Press
pretzels extending from bottom of tent and trees into cake. Press sun into
frosting on side of cake. Pipe tufts of grass and add remaining decorations.
Refrigerate.
Dinner-on-the-Grill Cake
Makes: 24 servings & 9 cookies.
Prep:
Cakes 10 min
Cookies According to skill
Bake: Cakes 70 min each
Cookies 11 min per batch
Decorate: According to skill
Planning Tip:
The cookies can be made up to 5 days ahead and stored tightly covered at room
temperature. Bake the cakes 1 day before frosting (not more than 2 days before
serving). Refrigerate loosely covered with waxed paper. Assemble day of
serving.
Cookies:
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 rolls (18 oz per roll) refrigerated sugar-cookie dough (save remaining
half for another use)
1/2 tsp sesame seeds
Red, brown, violet, yellow and green paste food colors
Cakes:
2 boxes (1 lb, 2.25 oz each) devil’s food cake mix
2 2/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 large eggs
1. Cookies: Knead flour into cookie
dough until blended. Have cookie sheets ready.
2. Hamburgers: Divide 2/3 cup dough
in 16 equal pieces. Roll into balls, then flatten to 1 1/2-in. disks. Place 1/2
in. apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle 8 with 1/4 tsp sesame seeds (bun
tops). Knead red and brown food color into 1/3 cup dough until brownie-colored.
Divide in 8 equal pieces; roll into balls; flatten to 11/4-in. disks (burgers).
Place on cookie sheet.
3. Hot dogs: Divide 3 Tbsp dough in 6
pieces. Form each into a 2-in. log (bun). Press a drinking straw lengthwise on
logs to form a trench for hot dogs. Place on cookie sheet. Knead red and brown
food color into 1 Tbsp dough until color of hot dogs. Divide in 6 pieces, roll
each 2 in. long and place in buns.
4. Onion slices: On plastic wrap,
press 2 Tbsp dough into a 7 1/2 x 1 1/2-in. strip. Mix a little violet and red
food color with 1/2 tsp water. Brush on strip. Flip, colored side down, on
wrap. Roll up from a narrow end into a tight cylinder. Wrap and freeze 20
minutes or until firm enough to slice. Trim ends; cut in 6 slices. Place on
cookie sheet.
5. Tomato slices: Knead red color
into 1/4 cup dough. Divide in 8 pieces. Roll each into a ball; press into 1-in.
disks. Place on cookie sheet (will decorate later).
6. Corn on the cob: Work yellow color
into 3 Tbsp dough and green into 1 Tbsp. Divide yellow dough in 4 pieces; green
in 8. Form each yellow piece into a 1 1/2- to 2-in. ear of corn. Pat each green
piece into a 2-in.-long oval, then press one on both sides of the ears, bending
down 1 green husk. Press a sharp knife into ears to mark rows of kernels.
7. Stems for eggplants and squash:
Work green food color into 2 Tbsp dough.
8. Eggplant: Work violet and red food
color into 1/4 cup dough. Divide in 4 pieces. Roll into balls. Form each into
an eggplant. Divide 1/2 Tbsp of the green dough in thirds. Shape each piece
into a cross; drape 1 over top of each eggplant. Pinch up center of cross for
stem. Add to cookie sheet.
9. Zucchini and yellow squash: Color
1/4 cup dough for each variety. Divide each in 6 pieces; form in squash shapes.
Pinch off bits of green dough (Step 7); press into tops for stems. Add to
cookie sheet.
10. Grill handle: Form remaining dough
into a half-doughnut. Place on cookie sheet.
11. To bake: Heat oven to 350°F. Make
grill marks on hot dogs, corn, eggplant and squash. Bake 1 cookie sheet at a
time, 8 to 11 minutes, until cookies are firm to touch and pale golden
underneath. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to
cool completely. Store tightly covered.
12. Cakes: Heat oven to 350°F. Grease
a 12-cup ovenproof bowl (about 9 in. across top).
13. Make cakes 1 at a time. For each
cake, mix 1 box cake mix, 11/3 cups water, 1/4 cup vegetable oil and 3 eggs as
directed on package. Pour into prepared bowl. Bake 60 to 70 minutes until a
pick inserted near center of cakes comes out with moist crumbs. Cool on a wire
rack 20 minutes; invert, remove bowl and cool cake completely. Cover cakes
loosely with waxed paper and let stand overnight to become firm enough to
support decorations.
14. Day of serving: Spoon 2 Tbsp
vanilla frosting into a gallon-size plastic ziptop bag. Add yellow food color;
knead bag to make mustard. Stir green food color into remaining vanilla
frosting until emerald green. Spread over rounded parts of cakes. With a broad
spatula, transfer 1 cake to corner of serving tray. Top with grill handle.
Using 2 broad spatulas, flip other cake, flat side up, to another corner of the
tray.
15. Cutting 2 in. from edge of cake
with a pointed knife, cut 1 in. deep all around cake. Spoon out center to form
a shallow bowl. Spread inside of bowl and the 2-in. border with milk chocolate
frosting.
16. Scatter red and black licorice
bites in bowl as coals. Lay licorice strings 1/2 in. apart for grate, pressing
ends into frosting.
17. Place cookies on grill. Snip a
tiny corner from bag with mustard. Squirt on hamburgers and hot dogs. Squirt
red gel for ketchup. Finely chop green and white gumdrops for relish and
onions; add to hot dogs. Flatten spearmint leaves for lettuce; place on a small
plate. Squirt triangles of red gel on tomato slices. Use tip of a toothpick to
pick up and drop sesame seeds in place for tomato seeds. Place tomatoes on
lettuce along with onion slices. Thread marshmallows on poultry skewers.
Lightly toast on stovetop. Cool, then place on grill.
Big
MacCake
Serves: 18 to 20
Time:
Varies with Skill
Our most asked-for recipe
ever! There have been more than 6,000 requests for this recipe since we first
published it. It's a lot easier to make than you might think
Ingredients:
3 boxes (16 oz
each) poundcake mix
6 plain flat round cookies (each 3 1/2 to 4 in. in diameter)
2 cans (16 oz each) ready-to-spread vanilla frosting
Red and yellow food color
2 brown M&M's candies
2 large marshmallows
1/4 cup sugar
20 or more spearmint jelly-candy leaves
1 can (16 oz) ready-to-spread milk-chocolate frosting
1 can (16 oz) ready-to-spread chocolate-fudge frosting
1 box (2 1/2 oz) chocolate-snap cookies, coarsely crushed
About 30 pignoli (pine) nuts
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease two
8-in. layer-cake pans and one 2 1/2- to 3-qt metal or ovenproof glass mixing
bowl with a rounded bottom.
2. Prepare 1 double batch cake batter
as directed on package, using 2 packages cake mix. Then prepare 1 single batch.
Fill each layer-cake pan 2/3 full. Scrape remaining batter into prepared bowl.
Bake pans 30 to 35 minutes and bowl 55 to 60 minutes, or until a pick inserted
in centers of cakes comes out clean. Cool on wire racks, 15 minutes for pans
and 30 minutes for bowl. Invert cakes on racks and let cool completely.
3. Tomato slices: Place plain cookies
on wire rack set over waxed paper. Put 1/2 cup vanilla frosting in a small
saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir
in red food color (and a bit of yellow if needed) until frosting is
tomato-colored. Brush or spoon on top and sides of cookies. Let stand at least
30 minutes, until firm to the touch.
4. Mustard: Spoon another 1/2 cup
vanilla frosting into a small bowl. Stir in yellow food color until
mustard-colored. Cover to prevent drying.
5. Eyes: Use a dot of vanilla
frosting to glue M&M's pupils on marshmallows.
6. Lettuce: Sprinkle sugar on work
surface. Working with 1 at a time, place spearmint leaf on the sugar and roll
with a rolling pin until flattened and edges are jagged.
7. Put remaining vanilla frosting in
a medium bowl. Stir in milk-chocolate frosting and red and yellow food color, a
little at a time, until frosting is the color of a hamburger bun.
8. To assemble: Place 1 cake layer on
serving plate. Cover with bun-colored frosting. Arrange lettuce on top and
around edges. Place remaining cake layer on waxed paper. Cover with
chocolate-fudge frosting. Press crushed chocolate-snap cookies into frosting to
simulate a hamburger patty. Using pancake turners, lift patty onto
lettuce-lined bun. Spoon mustard about 1 in. from edge of top of burger,
letting some run down sides. Top with tomato slices.
9. Trim hump (where cake has risen)
off bowl cake. Place cake trimmed side down on waxed paper and frost with
remaining bun-colored frosting. Lift onto tomato-topped burger. Glue eyes in
position with frosting. Press pignoli nuts in place.
Keep On Truckin' Cake
Serves: 12
This
cake was designed and sent to us by a reader, Pam Bolz of Nebraska. Great for
Birthday or going-away parties
Ingredients:
2 frozen poundcakes (10.75 ounces each), thawed
2 cans (16 ounces each) ready-to-spread vanilla frosting
Blue paste food color
3 whole graham crackers
Wheels:
4 round chocolate-sandwich cookies
Side rails and
tailgate:
2 whole graham
crackers
Headlights, license
plate and door handles:
assorted "liquorice"
Allsorts candies
Windshield outline:
1 black licorice lace
Cargo:
candy corn
1. Have ready a serving surface at
least 11x5 1/2 inches.
2. Cut cakes as shown .
3. Frosting: Reserve 3/4 cup plain
frosting for "windows." Scrape remaining frosting into a bowl and
tint a deep blue (color will deepen slightly as it stands). Reserve 1/2 cup to
use as "glue" and spoon 1/4 cup into a pastry bag fitted with a small
writing tip.
4. Break 1 whole graham cracker in
half. Sandwich the 2 whole crackers and halved crackers with frosting. Line up
crackers in middle of serving surface. Top crackers with dabs of reserved
frosting.
5. Use some reserved blue frosting to
glue front of truck to body and "cab" in place. Set truck on stacked
crackers as shown to elevate (frosting will hold it in place). With small
spatula, frost windows with plain frosting. Spread truck with remaining blue
frosting.
6. Cut 1 graham cracker in half
lengthwise. Press half into frosting on each side of cargo bed. Cut remaining
graham cracker in half lengthwise, then trim to 3 1/2-inch-wide rectangle and
press in place for tailgate. Glue cookie "wheels" in place. Glue on
Allsorts headlights, license plate and door handles.
7. With frosting in pastry bag,
outline fenders, cab, windows, doors and side rails. Write "truck" on
license plate. Place licorice outline on windshield. Fill cargo bed with candy
corn.
Sunflower Cake
Serves: 14
Prep: 5
min
Bake: 40 min
Frost and Decorate: 30 min
Total
Cost: $7.52
All this sensational cake
requires is 4 ingredients and 1 hour of your time. To boost your confidence,
pipe a few trial petals onto a sheet of waxed paper before decorating the cake.
Ingredients:
2 boxes (16 ounces each) poundcake mix
3 or 4 chocolate wafer cookies
8 to 10 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
2 tubs (16 ounces each) ready-to-spread chocolate frosting
1 tub (16 ounces) ready-to-spread vanilla frosting
Green and yellow paste food colors
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and
lightly flour two 8- or 9-inch layer-cake pans. Have ready 3 disposable
decorating bags and 3 piping tips: a medium rosette (star) tip, a plain tip
with a small round opening and a medium leaf tip.
2. Prepare both boxes of cake mix
together as directed on package. Pour half into each prepared pan.
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until a pick
inserted near center of cakes comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10
minutes. Invert cakes on rack, turn right side up, and cool completely. Trim
tops of cake layers, if necessary, with a serrated knife until flat.
4. Leave all wafer cookies whole.
Twist sandwich cookies apart to separate; scrape off cream filling. Cut a few
in half; leave remaining scraped cookies whole. Cut 1- to 1 1/2-inch circles
out of remaining scraped cookies using a cookie or biscuit cutter.
5. Place one cake layer on a serving
plate. Tuck 3 or 4 strips of waxed paper under edges of cake to keep plate
clean while frosting.
6. Put 1/2 cup of the chocolate
frosting into a small bowl and reserve. Spread 1/2 cup chocolate frosting on
top of cake layer on plate. Top with second cake layer and frost top and sides
with remaining chocolate frosting.
7. Put 1/2 cup vanilla frosting into
a small bowl. Stir in green food color until leaf green. In another bowl, stir
yellow food color into 11/2 cups vanilla frosting until sunflower-petal yellow.
8. Fit a plain tip into one
decorating bag; fill bag with reserved chocolate frosting. Fit star tip into
another bag; fill bag with yellow frosting. Fit a third bag with the leaf tip;
fill bag with green frosting.
9. Using photograph and diagram as a
guide, arrange whole 
cookies on top and sides of cake.
Place a few cut halves, round sides up, around base of cake. Place other
halves, cut ends meeting, on top and sides of cake. Press cookies lightly into
frosting.
10. Using chocolate frosting, pipe a
border of dots about 1/4 inch from edge of larger cookies, 1/8 inch on smaller
cookies; fill in centers.
11. Using yellow frosting and starting
at edge of chocolate dots on each cookie, pipe petals by squeezing frosting
from bag while slowly pulling past edge of cookie underneath and gradually
releasing pressure on bag. Continue around edges of cookies.
12. Pipe green leaves at edges of a
few flowers. Pull out waxed-paper strips.
13. Refrigerate cake in a cake keeper
or covered by a large pot or bowl. Or insert a few wooden picks in top of cake
and refrigerate until frosting is firm. Then drape plastic wrap over picks and
cake.
Per serving: 744 cal, 5 g pro, 113 g car, 31 g
fat, 61 mg chol, 458 mg sod. Exchanges: 2 starch, 5 1/2 other car, 8 1/4 fat
Cassie Caterpillar
Serves: 8
Prep:
30 min
Chill: At least 8 hr
Decorate: According to skill
Total
Cost: About $6.00
She's got wacky antennae,
amazing eyes and colorful gumdrop spots. Even better, you can whip up this
cute-as-can-be crawler without turning on the oven.
Planning Tips:
- Can be prepared through Step 4 up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate caterpillar.
Store gumdrop spots in a container at room temperature. Assemble no more than 3
hours before serving.
- To set Cassie in her natural habitat,, surround her with a bed of
crushed-chocolate-wafer dirt.
Ingredients:
1 tub (12 oz) frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
1 tsp almond extract
Yellow and red liquid food color
1 pkg (9 oz) chocolate wafers (Famous)
Antennae:
2 strands (strings) from cherry Pull-n-Peel Twizzlers, 1 strand uncooked
spaghetti or linguine
Body spots and mouth:
red, orange and green gumdrops
Eyes and nose:
1 marshmallow, 2
blue and 1 orange M&M's
Hair and feet:
black licorice string, licorice lozenges
1. Scrape topping into a large bowl.
Stir in extract, 8 drops yellow and 4 drops red food color to tint peach color.
2. Spread 1/2 Tbsp on each wafer.
Make 4 stacks (see diagram A), 10 wafers in each. Lay stacks on serving
platter, attaching them to each other (topping will act as glue). Curve as
shown (B). Then frost with remaining topping. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight
before decorating.
|
A. |
B. |
|
|
|
3. Antennae: Tie a knot at 1 end of
each string from Pull-n-Peel Twizzlers. Place 1 knot at 1 end of the spaghetti
strand. Starting at knot, tightly wrap string around spaghetti toward middle of
spaghetti. Pinch end of string (it will stick to itself). Repeat with other
string from opposite end (C). Break pasta in half (uncovered ends will be
inserted in head).
|
C. |
|
|
4. Spots and mouth: Warm gumdrops
between hands to soften. Roll out with a rolling pin on a sugar-sprinkled
surface, turning gumdrops often to coat, until 1/8 in. thick. Cut in 1 1/2-in.
circles. Trim red circle for mouth.
5. Eyes and hair: Slice marshmallow
in half; press blue M&M's onto cut sides. Cut licorice string in four 2
1/4-in. and eight 3/4-in. pieces.
6. Up to 3 hours before serving:
press eyes, nose, mouth and spots in place, and insert long hairs and antennae
behind eyes. Stick short hairs into body at random. Push lozenge feet in place
along both sides of body.