My sister, Laura, is getting ready to have her first baby, and I am so excited. Laura and I grew up together very closely, since we are two years apart. Though we look nothing alike, we have nearly identical mannerisms and ways of speaking. I love her so much and can’t wait to meet her little baby boy!
For the shower, I was responsible for some of the dessert-like food. I decided to do a variety of mini muffins. I also did some mini peanut butter brownie cups. I realized that the “mini” theme was suitable since babies are “mini”, but it wasn’t my original intention. I also made peppermint chocolate biscotti with a dark chocolate drizzle that was fabulous.
The mini muffins were…
Lemon Poppyseed, Cranberry Walnut, and Blueberry
The lemon poppyseed recipe I found here and I modified it by adding poppyseeds, which this recipe omitted. I added about 1.5 tablespoons. I definitely recommend making the glaze for these, it makes them extra delicious.
The cranberry walnut recipe was made using dried cranberries and a recipe I found for basic muffins – I’m not exactly sure where I found it, but a simple google search should bring it up. Also, since I only had dried cranberries and not fresh ones, I learned a new trick for plumping up dried cranberries – let them soak in hot water for about 20 minutes. It really works!
Finally, the blueberry muffins (which turned out great) were made using a simple box mix – thanks, Pilsbury! Hey, I had to take a shortcut for at least one of these.
The other mini treats were the Brownie Candy Cups which I found on Bakerella’s blog. These are technically not supposed to be all that mini, but since I didn’t have the right sized cupcake papers, I used mini muffin pans to make them. This works just as well, since the peanut butter cup fits perfectly inside.
I found the recipe for the chocolate peppermint biscotti on Google somewhere, but I can’t remember where…so, unfortunately, you’re out of luck for that one, too. I pretty much used a basic chocolate biscotti recipe, and added peppermint chocolate chips. For the glaze, I used dark chocolate chips and a tablespoon of shortening, which I melted in the microwave until smooth, then drizzled over top the biscotti with a fork.
Overall, the shower turned out great, and my sister was happy with all the great gifts she received. Just a few more weeks, and little Wesley will be here!
My sister and I are also nothing alike, but when we talk together, sometimes even I can’t tell which one of us is speaking. Your sister is glowing in that photo!
Comment by Irene — February 24, 2009 @ 11:42 pm |