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~ChocolateBananaPops

• 1 banana per child
• 1 can Hershey's chocolate syrup
• Chopped walnuts or pecans
• Popsicle sticks

Pour chocolate syrup into a large bowl. Dip the top of the banana into the syrup.

Cover the bottom of a large cake pan with a layer of finely chopped nuts. Gently roll the chocolate covered banana in the nuts to cover the top.

Lay bananas on a cookie sheet and chill. Serve when chocolate is slightly hardened.

~EdibleCookieBuildings

Template: Old Mc Donalds Barn

Chocolate chip cookie dough:

6 cups all-purpose flour.
1 tablespoon baking soda.
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter (softened),
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar.
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extra.
4 large eggs
1/2 cup milk.
4 cups mini chocolate morsels
Rectangular cake board

Icing:
6 tablespoons meringue powder
8 cups confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract Red paste food colorings
food colorings (red, green,stc)

*NOTE It is recommended that the dough and icing sets overnight.

Make the cookie building:


Measure all ingredients and set aside.
Place the flour, baking soda,and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir with a wire whisk to combine.
Add butter,white and brown sugars and vanilla into a large mixing bowl.
Using a handheld electric mixer, mix all ingredients on medium speed until smooth.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for 20 seconds after each addition.
Add the milk and beat the mixture for another minute.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Slowly add the dry ingredients until combined.
Add the chocolate chip mini morsels and mix with until thoroughly combined
Place a handful of flour on the work surface, turn the dough out onto the flour and sprinkle the top of the dough with a bit more flour
Divide the dough into three parts,
Form into flat discs wrapping each with plastic wrap, and chill the dough 4 to 6 hours or overnight.

Cut out the templates
Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place a disc of chilled dough onto a floured piece of parchment paper,
Sprinkle the dough with more flour and cover with another piece of parchment paper.
Roll the stiff dough out until it is about 1/3-inch thick.
Place the paper template onto the dough and using a small sharp knife, cut out shapes of the barn.
Carefully lift the barn pieces and place onto the parchment paper lined baking sheets.
Leave about 1/2 inch in between each piece.
Place the baking sheets into the freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375'F.
Bake the dough in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until it is firm and golden brown.
Remove from the oven and place the templates on top of the hot dough.
Using a small sharp knife, carefully cut around the templates once again (Since the dough will have spread slightly).
Cool the dough completely.

(Let the kids eat the cooked scraps of cooked dough).

Carefully remove the barn piece from the parchment paper.

Icing:
Place the meringue powder and 6 cups confectioners' sugar into a large bowl and whisk until blended.
Combine the water with the vanilla extract using a hand held mixer on low speed,
Slowly pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Mix until combined.
Increase the speed to high and beat until smooth and silky.
The icing should be a thick constancy, enough to spread with a spatula, but thin enough to pipe from a pastry bag.
If it is too thick, add a few droplets of water,If it is too thin, add confectioners' sugar.
Place the Icing in an airtight container until ready to use.

Note: experiment with the varying thickness of the icing.
When it is just , the icing should dry to a nice even sheen without seeing the stroke marks made by the spatula.
Piping should flatten out somewhat, but not spread.
It should not be as thick as the familiar cake decorating frosting.

Paint the barn:
Choose the color you would like to use.
You can made a traditional red barn.

Divide the icing in half, placing each in medium bowls.
Leave half white, and color the other half.
Using the tip of a spoon, stir the coloring into the icing until blended.
Add enough color to achieve the shade that you want but remember that food coloring tends to intensify or "bloom" as it stands.
Place the pieces of the barn on a flat surface, brushing the excess crumbs away.

Paint the four side walls of the barn and the two barn doors with your colored icing using a small
spatula to spread the royal icing onto t e surface. Next paint the four roof panels with the white royal icing. Leave overnight to completely dry and harden. GROWN-UPS:

Using a handheld mixer, mix in enough reserved confectioners' sugar to each icing to make it a bit stiff (stiff enough to pipe and "glue" the sides of the barn together)
Place each of the icings into large pastry bags fitted with 1/4-inch plain tips.

Assemble the barn:
Hold one of the four walls in one hand and pipe a thick line of icing along the bottom edge and along the inside side edges.
Place the piece up on the rectangular cake board.
Have your helper hold this in place or use a can or bottle to support it
Do the same with the remaining three sides, joining the sides at angles.
Press to attach.
At this point the structure will sup­port itself.
Remove the can or bottle.

To attach the roof, pipe a very thick line of white icing along the slanted top edges of the barn sides.
Hold the narrower roof piece in one hand and pipe a thick line of icing along the top inside edge and bottom inside edge.
Gently press the roof piece onto the very top of the barn.
Repeat with the other side of the roof.
Next take the wider roof pieces and place below the tops of the roof.
There should already be enough icing to glue the pieces together.
Trim the barn doors with white icing and then pipe some red icing onto the sides of the doors and glue them into place.
Decorate the "farm" as desired, covering the rectangular board with crushed chocolate wafer cookie (for soil),
colored coconut (green for grass).

Note: Spread a thin layer of icing on the cake board to help glue the soil and grass in place.

~CREAMFILLEDCHOCOLATECUPCAKES

Chocolate cupcakes:
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
5 large eggs
I 1/2 cups un-sweetened non alkalized cocoa powder
3/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
3 1/4 tablespoon baking soda
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Creamy filling:
3 3/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup hot water
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

White decorating icing
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons hot water

Make the chocolate frosting:
Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl.
Place the heavy cream in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for one minute.
Using a whisk, stir until smooth.
Refrigerate for two hours.

Make the cupcakes
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350'F.
Spray 24 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
In the 4 1/2 quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, using the paddle attachment,
beat the sugar, oil and eggs on medium-low speed for 8 minutes.
In a medium bowl mix together the sour cream, buttermilk and vanilla extract.
Sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour and baking soda.
Alternately add the dry and wet ingredients to the egg mixture, starting with the dry ingredients and ending with the liquid.
Fill the muffin tins three quarters full and bake for 20 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out dry.
Cool the muffins in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes.
Remove from the tins and let cool completely.

Make the cream filling:
In the 4 1/2 quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer using the paddle attachment,
combine the sifted sugar, salt, and shortening and mix until blended, approximately 5 minutes.
Add the hot water slowly, then add the vanilla.
Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes.

Make the white decorating icing:
In a small bowl whisk together the confectioners' sugar and hot water until smooth.

Assemble the cupcakes.
Place the cream filling in a pastry bag fitted with small plain tip
Gently poke a 1/2 inch in depth hole through the bottom of each cupcake.
Fill each cupcake with the cream.
Ice the top of each cup­cake with the chocolate frosting.
With another pastry bag fitted with a small, plain tip, pipe the white decorating icing on top of the chocolate frosting in a decorative pattern.

~EarthWormsPuddingCake

Garnish:
6 paper fs
Gummy worms

Eating utils:
6 toy garden trowels
6 small plastic planters

Place the chocolate wafer cookies into a large zip-lock bag and seal. Place a kitchen towel over the bag. Using a rolling pin, crush the cookies into fine crumbs to make approximately 2 cups
.
Place the heavy whipping cream in an electric mixer. Using the wire whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until slightly thickened. Add the sugar and beat on high until soft peaks form.
Pour the milk into a large bowl. Add the pudding and using an electric hand mixer, beat for 2 minutes.
Once the pudding begins to thicken, using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream and the Oreos cookies.

(Make sure to thoroughly clean the plastic planters and toy trowels)

Spoon half of the pudding mixture into the six plastic f pots. Sprinkle each with 1/2 cup of the chocolate wafer cookie crumbs, spreading it around to cover the entire layer. Spoon the remaining pudding mixture into the pots and top with the remaining cookie crumbs. The "cake" should come to the top of the pots. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.

before serving, decorate each cake by placing a f in the center. Insert the gummy worms into the cake to look like earthworms emerging from the "soil". and be sure to serve the cakes using a new toy garden trough, just like you were digging for earthworms! (Don't eat the f.)

~Yummers

You will need:

• 1 cup of grated cheese (any kind and the kids can use the grater themselves).
• 1 cup of crushed cereal (rice krispies are suggested) but I use whatever is left over. (Cereal can be crushed in a zip lock bag with a wooden hammer or use hands)
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1/2 cup flour (add more flour if needed)

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and then form into balls. Put on cookie sheet at 375 for 10 minutes. (Can be cooked in a Microwave 5 minutes on High but doesn't get brown.)

~Hot Dog Octopus

• A hot dog
• Sharp knife