Confetti Affairs

Jul 17, 20207 min read

A Week's Worth of Recipes Worth Celebrating

It's been another exciting week for the Craig Crew filled with Lily & Layla's visit, LolliPop Adventures, teaching, planning, and cooking up all kinds of deliciousness in the kitchen! We've had so much fun with the girls and can't wait for our next visit! With all those tasty treats, we have discovered that our new favorite exercise routine is chasing two precious little toddlers! No "Lolli"gagging around here!

We thought y'all might enjoy having the recipes for all the delectable delights we've featured on the Confetti Affairs Facebook & Instagram pages this week. We can't wait for you to start cooking so you can see what all the hoopla is about!

Lily and Layla's Strawberry Pop Tart Cupcakes

We started the week with a special cupcake for breakfast for Lily & Layla.

Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp. fine sea salt

1/2 cups frozen strawberries

1/4 cup whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

2 large egg whites

2 strawberry pop tarts, crushed

12 mini pop tarts for garnish

Strawberry Frosting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with liners.
In small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
With a mini chopper, puree the strawberries until smooth. Move to a small bowl and stir in milk and vanilla.
Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy, around 3 minutes. Reduce to low, add the egg and egg whites one at a time, and beat until creamy.
Slowly add half the flour mixture, followed by strawberry mixture, then the remaining flour mixture, mixing until just blended after each addition.
Fold in the crushed pop tarts into the cake mixture.
Pour batter into cupcake pan and bake for 22 - 24 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting with strawberry frosting and mini pop tarts.

Yield: 12 cupcakes Strawberry Frosting Ingredients: 1/2 cups frozen strawberries 2 cups unsalted butter, softened 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt 7 cups powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract Directions:

In mini chopper, puree strawberries until smooth.
In bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, around two minutes.
Reduce speed and gradually add powdered sugar and beat until creamy.
Add vanilla and strawberry puree and beat until blended.
Pipe cooled cupcakes with frosting and top with mini pop tarts.

Peach Pound Cake

We certainly found the right cake and dessert plates for us to enjoy this delicious pound cake!

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups sugar

2 cups unsalted butter, softened

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

6 large eggs, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups diced frozen or peeled fresh peaches, divided

1 cup peach preserves, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a tube pan with shortening.
In a large bowl, beat flour, sugar, buttermilk, eggs and extracts with a mixer at low speed for 1 minute, scrape sides and bottom of bowl. Increase speed to medium, and beat for 2 minutes; fold in 2 1/2 cups peaches. Spread batter into pan.
Bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
In a medium bowl, stir together preserves and remaining 1 cup peaches; spoon onto cake just before serving. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Pop's Baked Spaghetti

This baked spaghetti recipe has long been a family favorite!

Ingredients:

1 large box of spaghetti

2 - 3 lb. lean hamburger meat (our family prefers their spaghetti meatier) or if you are in a time crunch, use a package of precooked frozen Italian meatballs.

2 jars favorite spaghetti sauce

1 8 oz package Italian Blend Shredded Cheese

1/2 package Mozzarella Shredded Cheese

I jar crushed garlic

Italian Seasoning, Salt, Pepper and Serendipity Seasoning

1/2 white onion, diced

Olive Oil

Directions:

Brown ground meat along with 1/2 white onion diced, adding salt, pepper, Italian seasonings, Serendipity Seasoning to your preferred taste along with 1 Tbsp. diced garlic. Drain when ground meat is browned.
Add ground meat back to skillet along with the two jars of spaghetti sauce. Add additonal seasonings if needed (salt, pepper, Italian Seasonings). If using frozen meatballs add to spaghetti sauce in skillet and cook to desired heat.
While spaghetti meat mixture is cooking, bring a pot of water to boil. Add box of spaghetti along with 1 Tbsp. crushed garlic, salt and Italian seasoning to boiling water. Boil for about 6 to 8 minutes until it is al dente, or firm to the bite. Don't overcook or pasta will become gummier.
In a casserole pyrex 9x13 pan or cast iron skillet (I prefer) spray with vegetable oil to keep spaghetti from sticking. Add drained spaghetti to pan. Toss spaghetti with olive oil. Add 1 tsp. crushed garlic, 1 tsp Italian Seasoning, and 1/2 package of Mozzarella Shredded Cheese. Toss until all combined.
Add meat sauce mixture or meatball sauce mixture to the top of the pasta.
Generously add a layer of the Italian Blend Shredded Cheese to the top of meat sauce mixture.
Bake in a preheated oven of 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

Serve with garlic bread and an Italian Style Salad. We prefer our salad topped with tomatoes, black olives, sliced purple onions, and whole Pepperoncini Peppers. If time allows, marinate salad toppings in Zesty Italian Dressing for two hours. Drain from marinade and add to lettuce, tossing to coat lettuce with dressing. Top with Italian Blend Shredded Cheese and croutons.

Celebration Crescent Rolls

Lily and Layla had no trouble learning that each and every day should be celebrated!

Ingredients:

1 roll of Pillsbury 8-count Crescent Rolls

24 oz Chocolate Almond Bark

Your choice of sprinkles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Separate dough into 8 triangles. Roll dough loosely.
Place rolls point down on parchment paper.
Bake 10 to 12 minute or until golden brown.
Allow to cool completely on a wire baking rack.
While crescent rolls are cooling. melt chocolate almond bark in a double boiler or microwave whichever you prefer.
Take cooled crescent roll and dip into chocolate melted mixture. Set on a baking rack with baking pan underneath to catch access chocolate.
Coat chocolate with your choice of sprinkles. Allow to dry completely before serving.

Strawberry Pound Cake

This Strawberry Pound Cake was inspired by Paula Deen's Southern Baking Cookbook that we picked up in Branson last week while visiting her Family Kitchen Restaurant.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar, divided

3 large eggs

3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all- purpose flour

1 3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sour cream, room temperature

1 pound fresh or frozen strawberries, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray with flour; line bottom of springform pan with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment , beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, around 3 minutes. Be sure to scrap sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
In a medium bowl , whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until combined after each addition.
Reserve 6 to 8 strawberries. Chop remaining strawberries, and fold until batter. Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake for 30 minutes. Carefully remove from oven. Cut reserved strawberries in half, and arrange, cut side down, in top of batter. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 50 minutes to 1 hour.
Let cool completely in pan before removing from springform pan. Before releasing pan, lightly loosen edges with knife.

Sweet Orange Marmalade Breakfast Rolls

These sweet rolls are another Paula Deen inspired recipe with a Confetti Affairs twist.

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 (0.25-ounce) package instant yeast

1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup hot water (120 degrees to 130 degrees)

1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs, room temperature

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. orange marmalade, divided

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 Tbsp. orange juice

2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

In bowl of stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine flour, granulated sugar, yeast and salt. Add 1/4 cup hot water (make sure it is at the right temperature) and beat at low speed until combined. Add sour cream, melted butter, eggs and beat until a soft dough forms. Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at low speed for 8 minutes. If necessary add additional flour by 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes.
Spray a large lcast-iron skillet with baking spray with flour.
In a small bowl, stir together softened butter and 2 Tbsp. orange marmalade.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle. Spread butter and marmalade mixture on dough; sprinkle with brown sugar onto butter, gently pressing into butter. Starting at one long side, roll dough into a log, pinching seam to seal. Using a knife, cut log into 10 to 12 slices (about 1 1/2 inches thick), and place cut side up in prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with foil, and bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and brush with remaining orange marmalade.
In a medium bowl, whisk together cream cheese and orange juice. Gradually add powdered sugar, whisking until smooth. Spread onto warm rolls; serve immediately.