All posts by Melissa

Funfetti Hamantaschen

Cookies,

Funfetti Hamanstaschen | Lil Miss Cakes

It’s no secret that I love baking hamantaschen.  I have made some fun combinations like cookies n’ cream, peanut butter and jelly, and pina colada, but nothing beats my classic recipe.  With the funfetti trend going around I thought it would be fun to jump on board.  I’ve seen a ton of funfetti deserts going around, but I hadn’t been in Purim mode so I never put the two together until I saw Chanie’s (Busy In Brooklyn) Funfetti Cake.  I immediately grabbed my recipe and raided my sprinkle cabinet and I’m so happy with these-they are like a party!  I highly recommend trying my recipe for hamantaschen dough because it’s so easy to work with;  and the cookies come out tender, soft, with just the right amount of sweetness to balance with the jam center.  But…you could always just use your personal favorite recipe and add in some sprinkles!

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Funfetti Hamantaschen
Author: 
Serves: About 6 Dozen
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup honey
  • ½ cup shortening
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ cup rainbow sprinkles
  • Jam filling (I used Baker's Choice Strawberry)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the honey and shortening until smooth.
  3. Add in the eggs, one at a time.
  4. Then with the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes together. Do not mix too much or the cookies will be tough.
  5. Carefully mix in the sprinkles.
  6. Wrap the dough and chill for at least an hour.
  7. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll the dough out thin.
  8. Using a round drinking glass, or round cookie cutter (2½ to 3 inches in diameter), cut out the cookies.
  9. Using a spoon or pastry bag fitted with a plain tip, fill the cookies with the jam filling.
  10. Pinch 3 corners together and bake for 8-10 minutes until light brown.
  11. Allow to cool-the filling will be extremely hot! Enjoy!

 Check out my video for tips on forming the perfect hamantaschen!

Cookies n’ Cream Hamantaschen

Cookies,

Cookies n' Cream Hamantaschen | Lil Miss Cakes

Sometimes I get a dessert idea that is too good to be true.  After seeing Melinda’s (Kitchen-Tested) Black and White Cookie Hamantachen I immediately got inspired.  Melinda used black and white bakery cookies to make a cookie butter filling.  Then all at once I thought-cookie butter filling is genius…chocolate sandwich cookies…cookie crumbs in the dough…cookies n’ cream hamantaschen!  This idea went from my mind to my oven in less than 24 hours.  I couldn’t stop thinking about it.  I really really wanted this cookie to work-and it did!  I made my own cookie filling that comes together so fast,  it’s only 2 ingredients! I clearly love baking hamantaschen; and I love coming up with fun combinations such as Peanut Buttter and Jelly, and Pina Colada, but I think this is my best idea yet!

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Cookies n' Cream Hamantaschen
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 dozen
 
Ingredients
Cookie Dougn
  • ½ cup shortening
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2½ cups flour
  • ¾ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 Tbs. soy milk
  • 3 chocolate sandwich cookies, finely crushed
Chocolate Cookie Butter Filling
  • 12 chocolate sandwich cookies
  • ¼ cup liquid non-dairy whip topping, defrosted (such as rich's whip)
Instructions
Prepare the dough
  1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the shortening with the sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and mix until combined. Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and slowly mix on low speed. Pour in the soy milk and mix until a dough is formed. Sprinkle in the cookie crumbs and mix until evenly distributed. You can use the dough right away. If the dough is too sticky, wrap and chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.
Prepare the filling
  1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, crush the 12 sandwich cookies until finely ground. Pour in the ¼ cup of defrosted whip topping and process until smooth. Refrigerate if it is too runny-it will firm up. Filling can be made in advance and stored in the fridge.
Form the hamantaschen:
  1. On a lightly floured surface, or on a floured sheet of parchment paper, roll out a piece of the dough until thin. Use a round cutter (2½ to 3 inch in diameter) and cut out circles of dough. Fill each round with a ¾ tsp. of filling and pinch the seams together to form a triangle. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet and bake in 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool and enjoy!
  2. * The filling puffs in the oven so if you overfill, you will lose your perfect shape, but they will taste even more amazing! The filling settles in once the cookies are cooled.

 If you need help forming the hamantaschen, check out my handy video!

Jack In The Box Birthday Cake

Celebration Cakes

Jack In The Box Birthday Cake | Lil Miss Cakes

Happy first birthday Jack!  For Jack’s first birthday, his party theme was “Jack In The Box”-so cute!  I was tasked with making the cake.  I had a few parameters, it needed to be square and it needed to be colorful.  I wanted to keep the cake elegant but still appropriate for a kids party.  I think I achieved that goal!  I kept the cake simple, clean, cheerful and fun.

Fondant Cake Bunting | Lil Miss Cakes

I covered the cake board with tons of colored wedges of fondant and let that dry overnight. I rolled out different colors of fondant and used different textured mats to create some interest on the triangle bunting pieces.  After adding the texture I cut out lots of triangles.  I used a clay extruder to create the twisted rope and attached it to the cake with some sugar glue.  I used a shell border fondant mold to make the borders all around the cake.  I think it gives the cake a really authentic, childlike, old fashioned cake look.

Fondant Jack In The Box | Lil Miss Cakes

I added some texture to the “number one” before cutting it out of blue fondant.  The Jack In The Box was really fun to design.  I just made him up as I went, trying to keep him cute and playful.  I made his collar from 2 blue fondant star shapes.  I used a clay extruder to make the hair, but I twisted each piece before attaching it to his head.  Happy first birthday Jack!