Heather Baird's Blog, page 59

DIY Edible Almond Pinecones for the Etsy Blog!

We are just days away from Thanksgiving and even though I'm not doing the bulk of the cooking this year, I've got a hefty menu of desserts to make. I'm looking forward to going to my parent's house for the feast. Mom always has a lovely place setting for her dinner guests with colorful leaves and other natural elements. That's what inspired these almond pinecones. You can use them as edible decor at each place setting or bag them as takeaway gifts. Or you could just serve them on a dessert tray next to the pumpkin pie.
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Apple Cider Donuts Gallery for Food Network

This fall I began a new tradition of ordering myself a batch of apple cider donuts from Vermont. I could make them myself (and I have) but the cider mill that produces them "the old fashioned way" makes the luxury too affordable to pass up. They are delicious as-is, but I've found a few new ways to amp up their cinnamon-spiced goodness!
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Celestial Sweet Sixteen Cake

Hello friends and Happy Weekend!

November seems to be slipping by so fast! Things have been quiet on the blog lately because I've been immersed in new projects. One of those projects was this Sweet 16 cake! I made it for a relative that lives in Atlanta, and so when it came time for cake delivery we both drove about 2 hours to meet in the middle. I'd never delivered a cake that required more than a 40 minute drive, so this was a real nail-biter for me! After the cake was handed off for another 2 hour drive I said a little prayer, which I believe worked. It arrived at its destination relatively unscathed.
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Skeleton Pinata Cake

We're just days away from Halloween, which doesn't seem possible because I haven't carved the first pumpkin! I guess I've been too busy baking up loads of spooky treats like this scary-good skeleton cake. When it's sliced you'll find an eye-popping red velvet interior and a cache of candy bones inside. It makes a frightful centerpiece for those party-throwers with a macabre theme.
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Monster Popcorn Balls

How funny are these guys?! I decided to give my favorite popcorn ball recipe a monster makeover. If you have a microwave, the green marshmallow coating can be made in just 2 minutes! I had these salty-sweets whipped up in a flash and they taste like a popcorn version of Rice Krispy Treats.

And what about those toothy grins? Just add plastic vampire teeth for instant monster madness.
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Pumpkin Biscuits

Buttermilk biscuits are the house specialty here at... well, my house. I hardly ever deviate from my grandmother's tried-and-true recipe, but ever since I made these pumpkin crescent rolls, I've been itching to try a pumpkin biscuit recipe.

These were such a nice change for us. The biscuits have mild pumpkin flavor and I adore their happy golden-orange hue. And boy, are they ever fluffy! If you need an easy scratch-made breakfast for overnight guests (say for Thanksgiving out-of-towners), then this could be it!
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Chocolate Spider Cake

Remember when I told you I had Halloween party treats covered? I wasn't kidding! I've been prolific with my spooky sweets-making this year. This chocolate spider cake turned out to be one of my recent favorites. It's absolutely RICH and delicious and it'll double as a centerpiece for your party buffet.

I think we can all agree that Mr. Spider is more cute that creepy. I'd assumed the chocolate sprinkles would make him look hairy and scary, but honestly he looks more like a furry stuffed animal.
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Stranger Things Eleven Cake

Confession. I'm such a huge nerd for the creepy new Netflix original series Stranger Things . I love the sci-fi genre anyway, but throw in all of the 80's period specific detail and I'm a total fangirl! Its visuals evoke feelings of 80's movies past: E.T., The Goonies, Stand By Me, and so many others. I recommend watching it if you're into nostalgia and don't mind being creeped out. Plus, Winona Ryder's constant panicked face gives me LIFE.
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Four Easy Halloween Treats for HGTV!

How on earth is it already mid-October!? That means Halloween is just around the corner. Are you ready? I still need to buy bags of candy for handing out to mini specters, but as for cute Halloween party treats - I'm so ready! These four no-bake sweets are easy to make and they'll bring plenty of cute spooky fun to your table.
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Cola Candy Apples

The arrival of autumn always seems to spark my creativity and experimental nature in the kitchen. Lately I've been tinkering with my favorite hard candy recipe. It's difficult to improve upon the classic candy apple but I'm over-the-moon excited about this new soda pop twist. The flavor is oddly addictive, and I don't think I've ever eaten so many candy apples consecutively!
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