Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday! To start off the new year right, today I am featuring this darling NEW YEAR’S EVE THEMED BABY SHOWER submitted by Miranda Konieczny of Whimsically Detailed! Such a fun and unique theme for a baby shower, don’t you think! I love it!
Here is what Miranda said about planning the party- “3, 2, 1… The Countdown Has Begun! My vision behind the New Years Eve Baby Shower was lots of glitter in silver and pinks with clocks and top hats. I wanted a theme that could be done not only a baby shower, but as well as a bridal shower or even a New Years Eve Party. I first took my sewing table, some modge podge and a foam paint brush and covered the top with silver glitter. On top of that table went the drinks. Since it was for new Years you of course need champagne. I added the rock candy for a little extra effect, flavor and color. The other milk bottles held pink lemonade. I created the glitter effect on the bottle of those glasses with painter tape and then sprayed spray adhesive on them, followed with the pink glitter. My main dessert table held the pink pillow cookies, macarons, cupcakes, strawberry pudding, cake pops and Top Hat favor boxes. The New Years babies were made by Sugar High and she created exactly what I had envisioned. I wanted a cute little baby with a clock and top hat and tall enough to make a statement. I also placed one on top of the ruffle cake. Much Ado About Cookies created the pillow like cookies with the silver pearls. I wanted to stick with a bit more simple design with the cookies and got too “cutsey”. I did mini cupcakes it the bell jar and add the smaller version of the cupcake wrappers onto them. The clock frames were a simple touch to the whole table as well. The Top Hat favor boxes were another favorite of mine. I added the pink satin ribbon to each of them as well. They added the perfect touch to the table. The cake pops were made local and covered in disco dust. I then added the paper straws and flags with rhinestones as well to make them pop a bit more. They sat on a frame that was glitterized with pink cardstock in place of a picture. The cake was my first attempt at a ribbon cake. I wanted to add one of the baby fondant toppers to it and added just enough ruffle to be able to place the baby on top. I added a bit of silver disco dust for added effect. My idea for the balloons hanging came from Wants and Wishes. I didn’t want to use big balloons so opted for the 12″ in pink, silver and white pearl. For the backdrop I created a 20×30 image to mirror the invitation. The beautiful fringe garland came from the Fringe Exchange and was made to match my design. The table cloth was pretty pink satin fabric purchased from from Hobby Lobby. I sprinkled a bit of the silver glitter onto the top as well for added effect. I made glitterized spoons for the mini cups that were dipped in pink chocolate and pink pearls. Strawberry pudding was placed inside. The macarons were made local and for an added touch I place pink pearls around them. I truly enjoyed getting to create this table and had so much fun thinking outside the box for a theme!”
Vendors and Credits:
New Years Eve Baby Fondant- Sugar High Inc.
Today I am featuring some fabulous HOLIDAY DESSERT IDEAS from Bella Baker, also known as Lauryn Cohen! Bella Baker just released a magazine called ‘Sweet Gifts’. The lovely recipes I’m sharing with you today are straight from the magazines pages…darling Santa hat cupcakes, an edible Menorah & a New Years Eve clock made out of cupcakes! Hope you enjoy all the recipes as much as I did!
“HI, I’M LAURYN, and if there is something to celebrate, count me in! I am the girl who starts thinking about Halloween costumes in April. I’ve declared my half birthday an official holiday. I would celebrate Arbor Day if I could get a crowd together. Once, in preparation for a “pink” themed party, I actually painted the walls of my apartment hot pink and would not allow guests to enter unless they were wearing something pink. Sound crazy? Well, maybe just a little. But whether it’s a birthday, dinner party, game day, movie night, or even just an ordinary Tuesday, I can find a reason to turn it into a celebration. And nothing spurs my pursuit of party throwing more than the winter holiday season. It’s my favorite time of the year and I am always looking for ways to top my ideas from the previous season. As a professional baker, food blogger, and self-proclaimed sweets addict, my focus is always on dessert. Though I never envisioned myself a professional baker when I was growing up, I can say without a doubt that I’ve always had the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I know. As a child, I would gladly skip a meal in favor of a cookie, much to my dentist father’s dismay. I remember developing a ranking system for doughnut flavors with my friends (glazed doughnuts still rank #1!) and fighting with my brother over who would get the last piece of apple cake. I began baking with my grandmother when I was six, and I fell in love with creating confections all by myself.”
Mini Espresso Cupcakes
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¹⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
½ cup brewed strong coffee
1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 24-cup mini muffin tin with mini cupcake liners. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large measuring cup or bowl, mix together the milk, coffee, espresso powder, and vanilla; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Slowly add half the flour mixture, followed by the entire coffee-milk mixture, and finally the remaining half of the flour mixture. Give the batter one final stir, and then divide the batter into the cupcake liners using an ice cream scoop. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool. Makes 24 mini cupcakes.
Espresso Mascarpone Icing
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons instant
espresso powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup milk
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and mascarpone on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Reduce mixer speed to low and add confectioner’s sugar, one cup at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in espresso powder and vanilla. Finally, add the milk a little at a time until the icing reaches a spreadable consistency.
Assembly
6 ounces chocolate chips
Squeeze bottle
Frost the completely cool cupcakes using a small spatula. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in thirty-second intervals, stirring vigorously with a spoon between intervals, until chocolate is completely melted. Transfer to a squeeze bottle. Arrange 12 cupcakes into a circle, and, starting with the first cupcake to the right of the one at the very top of the circle, pipe the Roman numerals from I to XII as they would appear on a clock.
(You will have 12 cupcakes left over to frost and eat any way you wish!)
Thanks so much for sharing, Bella Baker! LOVE your Holiday dessert ideas!