Sweet Birthday Cakes!

So I've been researching themes, cakes and party ideas for my baby's first birthday...my baby who won't be born until September. And I should mention that I have no idea whether I'm having a boy or a girl. Is there something seriously wrong with me? Wait, don't answer that.

What can I say, I just can't help myself when it comes to cake. Maybe it's all the first birthday cakes I've been making recently. I guess I still have some time to go before the little guy or girl in my belly turns one, but for now I'll live vicariously through all these adorable cakes I've made!

Here's a farm animal first birthday cake that's sweet and cute for any gender.

This Pretty in Pink cake makes me want a girl! I am in love with this cake!

There's no monkeying around about how adorable this cake is!

And this bright, yellow, flowery cake is just perfect for summer!

I even recently made a baby shower cake for someone having a boy! I just love making cakes for the lil' ones!!!

Soft and Chewy Homemade Granola Bars

I'm past 22 weeks now and I've been spending my spare time obsessing about baby furniture and baby names and doing anything and everything I can to get ready for baby. Every night I scour pinterest and mommy blogs and baby naming apps and stress about room colors and gliders, nicknames and initials and name spellings. Then I tell myself I can't get so worked up over these things, so I hit the yoga mat for a prenatal yoga class. I zen out for an hour and a half in class and go back to being my happy, calm self...which lasts about another hour before the zen wear off and I stress some more about changing tables and strollers and diaper bags. It's a vicious cycle.

When I can't make it to yoga class, another way to get to my happy place is by baking. I love making my own granola bars, and they are a great, healthier alternative to cupcakes and brownies when I'm craving something sweet (which is, like, every second of every day). I can customize them with any ingredient under the sun, and I can healthify them to my liking as well. These guys have organic unsweetened coconut, dried cranberries and raisins, and they get their sweetness from agave and just a few tablespoons of brown sugar.You wanna add chocolate chips? Go for it! Dried apricots? Yum! If you're a peanut butter lover, you could stir in a tablespoon or two of PB. The possibilities are endless with this recipe, plus you can make them in minutes. Which is great when this pregnant girl is craving something sweet and chewy to help me chill out!  So if you see me walking down the street chanting Ohms and carrying a fistfull of granola bars in my hand, you might want to stay away. Consider yourself warned.

Soft and Chewy Granola Bars

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups  old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup whole walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup agave
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup organic unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line bottom and sides of a 8-inch or 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil. Add oats and walnuts to a small baking sheet and bake 5 minutes, stir and bake another 3 to 5 minutes until lightly toasted. Check frequently to make sure they don't burn! Transfer to a large bowl.

Combine coconut oil, agave, brown sugar and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until coconut oil melts and the sugar completely dissolves.

Pour sugar mixture in to bowl with toasted oats and walnuts. Mix well. Let cool about 5 minutes then add the coconut, cranberries and raisins. Stir to combine. Transfer oat mixture to lined pan then use a rubber spatula or your fingers to firmly press the mixture into the pan. (Press hard here, this way the bars will stay together once cooled and cut). Cover then refrigerate at least 2 hours. Remove block of granola mixture from pan then peel away aluminum foil. Cut into 12 bars.

Blueberry Crumb Cake

When you're pregnant, every day is a new adventure. Some days I feel full of energy and ready to take on the world, but other days I just feel, well kinda crumby. Luckily I've had many more of the good days, but you never know when a crumby day is going to strike. Yesterday I hit the 20 week mark, so I am at exactly the half way point of my pregnancy! In a way it feels like the time has flown by, but I can't believe I've still got 20 more weeks to go before I meet this baby! I haven't found out if it's a boy or a girl yet and I can't stop thinking about who is in there!!

In the meantime, for those crumby days, I've got just what the doctor ordered...this fantastical blueberry crumb cake.

With spring in full swing now, the blueberries are getting mighty sweet and juicy around here. And hey, it's important to eat a lot of fruit when you're pregnant. Fruit inside cake counts too, right? I love the thick, luscious batter of this cake and the sweet, addictive crumb topping I could seriously eat on its own. This is the perfect sweet treat to serve for Mother's Day brunch, or any old day of the week if you ask me!

Blueberry Crumb Cake

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup buttermilk

2 cups fresh blueberries

For Topping:

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.  Heat oven to 375°. Cream 4 tablespoons of butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar; add egg and vanilla and beat until well blended. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture alternately with 2/3 cup buttermilk, beating until smooth. Stir in blueberries. Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan. For topping, combine topping ingredients and blend well to form crumbs. Sprinkle topping crumbs over batter and bake the cake for 30-35 minutes.

Triple Chocolate Espresso Biscotti

Being pregnant means there are a whole new set of rules for what you can and cannot eat. Say goodbye to alcohol, sushi, deli meats, lots of cheeses and some types of fish. Then there's the list of things that should be eaten in moderation. That list is the most confusing to me. I mean, what's moderation? Once a month, once a week, once a day? One thing on that moderation list is my beloved coffee.  You guys know how much I love my coffee, but I obviously want to be safe and do what's best for baby. Sooooo, I've cut down significantly on my coffee intake, and when I do drink it, I only have one small cup (and I little tear when it's done, wishing I could have a second cup -- boohoo). 

These cookies are a great way to enjoy a hint of coffee flavor in cookie form. With only 2 teaspoons of espresso powder in the whole batter, they are safe to eat and eat and eat some more. I love that these biscotti are still slightly soft, especially right out of the oven. The intense chocolate flavor from a triple threat of cocoa, bittersweet and white chocolate, plus the added kick from the espresso, is the perfect way to satisfy my sweet and coffee cravings at the safe time!!!! Now excuse me while I go eat some cookies!! :)

Triple Chocolate Espresso Cookies

Makes 24-30 cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoons salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs 

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

3/4 cups bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup white chocolate, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with the rack in the middle. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

1. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
2. In another large bowl, beat the butter with a stand mixer or a hand mixer at medium speed until it is light and fluffy.
3. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and pale.
4. Beat in the eggs, one by one, incorporating one completely before adding another. Beat in the espresso.
5. Switch the mixer speed to low and mix in the dry ingredients, beating only until incorporated. Don't overwork the dough.
6. Stir in the chopped chocolates with a rubber spatula.
7. Using moistened hands, halve the dough and form 2 loaves on the baking sheet, spacing the logs 3 inches apart. 
8. Bake in the preheated oven until it is mostly firm to the touch, about 25 mins.
9. Take the sheet out of the oven and cut the logs crosswise with a sharp serrated knife into 1/2-inch slices. Place the slices on the second baking sheet, cut side down. Bake until firm and crisp, about 5 mins on each side.
10. Transfer the cookies to a rack and cool. Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper. 

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies aka "The Pregnant Cookie"

Chocolate chip cookies stuffed with oreos. I mean, seriously. These cookies and I were meant to be together. Chocolate chip cookies are by far my favorite cookie to bake from scratch (probably my favorite dessert to eat of all time) and Oreo cookies are my favorite store bought cookie. So put them together and I am in heaven. I've been craving both of these cookies in a big way lately, so I figured I'd try these cookies out and see what all the buzz is about!

But there's another reason I thought it would be perfectly appropriate to make these cookies....when I see that Oreo nestled inside the chocolate chip cookie, I can't help but think of the little sweet treat I've got nestled inside my belly. So I thought it would be the perfect way to announce my own big news...

THERE'S A BELLA BAKER BUN IN THE OVEN!!!!


Yep, I am pregnant!!! Evan and I are so thrilled, and aside from the crazy cravings and the constant feeling that I could fall asleep at any time of day (standing up if I had to!), I'm feeling pretty good!

So that's my exciting news! Get ready for lots of sweet recipes as I share my journey to motherhood with each of you! I still can't believe I'm going to be a mom!!

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

originally found on Picky Palate

Ingredients

2 sticks softened butter

¾ Cup packed light brown sugar

1 Cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla

3½ Cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

10 oz bag chocolate chips

1 bag Oreo Cookies

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350. Cream the butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Fold in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips. Using a small cookie scoop take two scoops of the dough. Place one scoop on the top of an oreo and one on the bottom. Mold the dough around the oreo until it is totally encased in cookie dough. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 11 – 15 minutes. Cool and serve. Enjoy!

Lighten Up: Vegan Coconut Cupcakes

First let me apologize for my lack of posting lately. I have some exciting news to share with you all next week, and something tells me that when you hear the news you'll forgive me for being a slacker.

In the meantime, I will try to make up for it with these cupcakes. These are truly the best coconut cupcakes I have ever tasted, and the fact that they are vegan is just an added bonus! Moist, fluffy and flavorful, these are a MUST MAKE for your Easter celebration this weekend! And they're low in fat and dairy free, so you can eat as many as you want without feeling guilty. Right? I'll agree with that!

I particularly love the toasted coconut topping, to add a little to the texture and just give a tiny bit more sweetness to each cupcake. You could also skip the toasting and dye the coconut in Easter friendly colors just by adding a small drop of food coloring to your coconut and mixing until evenly coated.

I really hope you enjoy these cupcakes as much as I did. I will be making these again very soon because I just could not get enough! Have a fabulous weekend!! xoxo

Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes

1 3/4 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons coconut flavored tea leaves, ground into a fine powder

1 cup coconut milk 

1/2 cup canola oil

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Fluffy Coconut Frosting

1 cup coconut oil, kept in solid form

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-5 tablespoons coconut milk

Fluffy Coconut Topping

2 cups shredded toasted coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake trays with paper cups.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda and powder, tea powder and salt. 

In a separate bowl mix together coconut milk, oil, vanilla, and vinegar. Add wet mixture to dry and stir until combined, don't over mix the batter. 

Scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake in oven for 16-18 minutes, check with a toothpick. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

To make frosting, beat coconut oil with a handheld mixer until smooth. Add in powdered sugar while mixer is blending, add in vanilla, and one tablespoon of coconut milk at a time, until you have the desired consistency. Pipe your frosting onto your cupcakes or just smooth frosting on with an inverted spatula.

Sprinkle toasted coconut flakes on top and enjoy!

Oscars Movie Themed Desserts!

If you're hosting an Oscars watch party and you're looking for a way to incorporate the movies nominated for best picture...look no further!  I've got lots of desserts just for you inspired by some of the 2013 best picture nominees! I'm giving you 5 recipes all in one post, because that's just the type of person I am.  A person you wants to make it easy for you to celebrate the Oscars in style! And I know what you're thinking right about now...you like me, you really like me!

Les Miserable

Gotta go with something French here! Even though Fantine wouldn't have been able to afford a chocolate croissant, I know she thought about buying one after she sold her hair. Chocolate croissants are oh so French and oh so delish. I took a short cut and rolled chopped chocolate into store bought puff pastry. So easy, so awesome!

Chocolate Croissants

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (I used Pepperidge Farm), defrosted

1/2 cup dark chocolate, finely chopped

1 egg, beaten

a sprinkle of fine sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Unfold the puff pastry sheet and place on a lightly floured surface.  With a lightly floured rolling pin, gently roll out the puff pastry, extending the dough about 1 inch on all sides.  

Make one vertical cut down the center of the puff pastry using a pizza wheel. then make three horizontal cuts, giving you six squares. Finally, cut each square in half on the diagonal, giving you 12 triangles.

Place chopped chocolate about 1/2-inch above the wide part of the triangle.

Carefully roll the chocolate end toward the point, pinching the dough together at the beginning of the roll to ensure that the chocolate doesn’t ooze out during baking.  Once rolled, curl the ends toward the center slightly.

Place the 12 small chocolate croissants on a lined but not greased baking sheet.  Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle each top with a pinch of sea salt.

Place in oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden and puffed.

Life of Pi 

PI(E) POPS!!! This movie is sweet and heart warming...so make your pie pops in the shape of hearts!

Find my Pie Pop recipe here!

 Zero Dark Thirty

30 Dark Chocolate Donuts! Get it?? Fine, this one is a bit of a stretch, but your guests will be psyched to gorge themselves on mini donuts, so just go with it!

for donuts:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder

2 tspn baking powder
1/4 tspn salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup whole milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp sour cream
1/2 tspn vanilla extract

for ganache: 
3 oz. dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa), chopped
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
chocolate sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease donut pans. In a small bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg and sugar.  Then add milk, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract, whisking until thoroughly combined.  Gently stir in the flour mixture, stirring until there are no lumps. Carefully fill each donut indentation 3/4 full.  Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean.  Transfer donuts to a cooling rack and let cool completely. 

To make ganache: Place chocolate in a medium-sized heatproof bowl and set aside.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate.  Allow to stand, without stirring, for 60 seconds. Then, stir gently with a spoon until smooth and combined. Ad butter pieces and continue to stir until incorporated. Allow ganache to cool for about 10 minutes, which will thicken it slightly.  Dip the top of each donut into the ganache and top with chocolate sprinkles.

Lincoln

Top Hat Cookies! These babies are no bake! 

Ingredients:

24 chocolate-striped shortbread cookies

12-ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

24 marshmallows

1 lollipop sticks

Instructions:

Melt the chocolate in a microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring vigorously in between intervals.

One at a time, stick the lollipop stick into a marshmallow, dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate, and promptly take your cookie and slide it through the bottom of the lollipop stick so that your marshmallow is resting on top of your cookie. Wiggle your lollipop stick gently back and forth until it is released from the marshmallow.

Silver Lining's Playbook

I made Philadelphia Cream Cheese Cheesecake Bites in...you guessed it...SILVER LININGS! You have to use Philadelphia Cream Cheese here since the movie took place in Philly!

Graham Cracker Crust:
1 1/2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 12 sheets; use a mini chopper or food processor)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar

Cheesecake:
2 pounds (32 oz.) Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line mini muffin tins with silver foil liners. Stir together ground graham crackers, butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar. Press 1 tablespoon crust mixture firmly into bottom of each lined cup. Bake until set, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer tins to a wire rack to cool. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. With mixer on low speed, add remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar in a steady stream. Add salt and vanilla; mix until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined after each. Spoon 3 tablespoons filling over crust in each cup. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Refrigerate (in tins) at least 4 hours (or out of tins up to 5 days in airtight containers). Remove from tins just before serving. 

Tuxedo Cake Pops

In preparation for the Oscars on Sunday, I had to get my cake pops red carpet ready! So I dressed them up with some snazzy tuxedos. I think they are looking mighty handsome, if I do say so myself!

I am also in love with these stripy straws. They are a touch of elegance and sophistication to the pops, which is just perfect for the Oscars. Make these cake pops for your Oscar night watch party. I bet they will win the awards for cutest dessert!

Tuxedo Cake Pops

Chocolate Cake 
11⁄2 cups all-purpose flour 
1⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
1 teaspoon baking powder 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1  cup sugar
2  eggs

To make the cake, preheat the cake to 350 and spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with nonstick spray; set aside. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl; set aside. In a measuring cup, mix together the buttermilk and vanilla extract; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Reduce mixer speed to low and add half of the dry ingredients, followed by the buttermilk and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl; then add the remaining dry ingredients, beating until well incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool. 

Chocolate Frosting 
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 
1 cup confectioner’s sugar 
1⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
3 tablespoons whole milk 

To make the frosting, mix the butter, confectioner’s sugar, and cocoa powder in a bowl; add the milk one tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches a smooth, creamy consistency. 

Note: You can use store-bought chocolate frosting instead of making frosting from scratch. 

Assembly 
16 ounces white candy melts 

8 ounces chopped dark chocolate

50 6-inch lollipop sticks 

Break the cake into a large bowl. Using your fingers, crumble up the cake until no large chunks remain. 
Stir the chocolate frosting into the bowl of cake crumbs, 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time, until the consistency is thick and the mixture can be rolled into balls easily. If it is too dry or too moist, you will not be able to roll the mixture into balls, which is why it’s important to add the frosting slowly. 
Form the cake mixture into 1 1⁄2–2 inch balls with your hands. I often weigh the cake balls so they are uniform in size; they should weigh 0.6 to 0.7 ounces. Place balls onto baking sheets. Chill in the refrigerator for about an hour. 
Put the white candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring vigorously with a spoon between intervals. It should take two or three 30-second intervals for the candy melts to melt completely. 
Remove the cake balls from the refrigerator. Working one at a time, dip the tip of the lollipop stick in the melted white candy melts; then insert it into the cake ball until it’s about halfway through. Holding the stick, dip the cake ball into the white melted candy, rotating to coat evenly. Tap the lollipop stick gently against the side of the bowl to remove any excess candy melt, then place cake pop onto parchment paper to dry, so the lollipop stick is upright. Repeat until all cake pops are complete. 
Melt the chopped dark chocolate in the microwave.  Dip just the bottom of each cake pop in the melted dark chocolate, holding the pop in a diagonal direction and dipping it into the coating until half covered.  Remove and dip the other side in the opposite diagonal direction to form  black V-shaped jacket. Place the pop, ball side down, back onto waxed paper.  Use a toothpick to dot three small chocolate buttons into the V to create the effect of buttons on the tuxedo shirt.  Finally, cut  pieces of chocolate into triangles to use as bow tie. Adhere to cake pop with a small amount of melted chocolate. Makes about 50 cake pops. 

"Popcorn" Cupcakes

This Sunday is the Oscars, or as I call it, Superbowl for girls! It is the night I look forward to all year long, and you can be sure to find me glued to the tv, checking out all of the gorgeous dresses and rooting for all of my favorite movies to win.  This year I am all about Silver Linings Playbook. Seriously it's the best movie I have seen in a long time, plus anything with Bradley Cooper in it is totally worth watching in my opinion.

Oscars Sunday is the perfect occasion for a get together with my ladies.  After all, I need to have my girls around to dissect every fashion choice and "ooh" and "ahh" and "what was she thinking?" with. And when a Bella Baker party is being thrown, there are obviously desserts to be made!  I thought these cupcakes would be a fun way to do a play on popcorn by using mini marshmallows and painting them yellow in bits and pieces to resemble actual pieces of popcorn.



There is one other component, a secret weapon if you will, that makes these cupcakes extra special.  I made a buttered popcorn pastry cream that I filled in the center of the cupcakes. Yes, you read that correctly. A butter popcorn pastry cream. This pastry cream is so out of control good that I ate about half of it with a spoon and had to restrain myself to save the rest for these cupcakes. Biting into this cupcake with that pastry cream is like eating a mouthful of buttery salty popcorn in cupcake form.

"Popcorn" Cupcakes

Ingredients
3 cups cake flour
1 tablebspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F . Line 2 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter for 3 minutes on medium high speed until the butter is light and creamy in color. Stop and scrape the bowl. Add the sugar and beat until fully incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Stir vanilla into the buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Mix just until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans. Bake cupcakes for 18 - 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cupcakes cool completely before filling and frosting.

While cupcakes are cooling, make the Popcorn Pastry Cream

Popcorn Pastry Cream

Ingredients

1 bag microwave popcorn, popped

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

1/8 cup cornstarch

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Place popcorn in a medium sized bowl. Bring heavy cream and milt to a boil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once boiling, pour it over the popcorn and let the mixture infuse for an least 20 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a food processor (my mini prep wrks great for this) and blend for 2 minutes until smooth. Strain the mixture to get rid of any remaining lumps and kernels.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk and cornstarch. Combine the popcorn milk mixture and the sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Once boiling, whisk in the cornstarch egg mixture. Let it return to a boil until it is thick and smooth, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and pour into a heat proof bowl. Whisk in the butter, vanilla extract and sea salt. Pastry cream can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Additional Ingredients:
vanilla icing 
1 10 ounce bag mini marshmallows
yellow food coloring
small paint brush

To assemble your cupcakes:

Cut a cone into the center of your cupcakes to hollow out the center, taking care not to cut all the way down through the bottom of the cupcakes. Fill the hollow center with popcorn pastry cream. Cut the base off the cone of cake (feel free to eat that piece!) and place the top back on to the cupcake. Top each cupcake with vanilla icing using an offset spatula. Cut mini marshmallows in half and then smush them together so they resemble pieces of popcorn. place marshmallows on top of cupcakes so they cover the entire top of the cupcakes. Mix one drop of yellow food coloring with a tablespoon of water in a small bowl, then use your paint brush to tab yellow color here and there on marshmallows to enhance the popcorn coloration.

Sweetie Pie Pie Pops

Trust me on this. Nothing revs up the romance like homemade desserts. Sexy lingerie ain't got nothin' on a home baked sweet treat! So I'm here today to play cupid. If you put these Pie Pops in front of your Valentine's Day crush, you will woo them in no time. That's a promise. 

We see so many chocolate dessert recipes for Valentine's Day, but I wanted to make sure your pie lover is covered too. The thing is, when you're baking for two, a whole big pie is just not necessary. I mean, I could probably polish off most of a whole pie in one sitting. It runs in my family -- my dad has won several pie eating contests in his life -- but that is a whole different story. But for those of us who don't participate in pie eating contests, these mini pie pops are the perfect way to celebrate!

I even added little "sweetie pie" paper tags to the lollipop sticks. I simply printed out my message on card stock and used my handy dandy scalloped paper punch to make them look pretty.

If you’re not into baking from scratch you can easily sub in store-bought pie crust and filling, and don’t worry, it will be our little secret (and the pops will still be just as adorable!) For those of you taking the "from scratch" route, my recipe is below! Enjoy, and HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Flaky Pie Crust
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold (or frozen) and cut into 48 small pieces
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
6 - 7 tablespoons ice water

Instructions:
Put flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and combine.  Add the butter and shortening and pulse until mixture resembles coarse peas or cornmeal.  There will still be chunks of butter and that is fine.  Sprinkle the water, one or two tablespoons at a time over the mixture and pulse a couple of times in between each addition of water.  Test the dough by pinching it.  If it holds together it is ready, if not, add some additional water until the mixture begins to clump together.  Remove the dough from the food processor bowl and lightly knead it into two flat disks.  Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  Dough can be made and refrigerated up to 3 days ahead of time.

After the dough has chilled, remove it from the refrigerator.  Sprinkle flour onto a clean work surface and, using a rolling pin, gently roll out your dough, lifting the dough from underneath and sprinkling additional flour if the dough begins to stick slightly onto your work surface.

Once the dough reaches 1/4 inch in thickness, use a 2 or 3 inch round biscuit cutter or a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut shapes out of the pie dough.  

Cherry Filling
Ingredients:
5 to 6 cups fresh pitted cherries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 - 2 teaspoons lemon zest
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:
In a saucepan over medium heat combine all ingredients except for the vanilla extract.  bring to a boil, then reduce heat and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes.  Stir in the vanilla extract, remove from heat and cool before using.

To make your pie pops:
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Place half the dough circles or hearts onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Place a 6 inch lollipop stick on top of each circle, pressing gently so it sticks into the dough circle, going about half way up the circle.  Add about a teaspoon of filling to each dough circle or heart and place another dough circle or heart on top.  Use the tines of a fork to carefully crimp together the edges of the dough.  It is important to make sure that your dough it securely closed around the entire circle so that your filling does not leak out.

Egg Wash
Ingredients:
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream

Instructions:
Beat egg and milk (or cream) until combined and brush on the top of each pie pop.

Bake pie pops in oven for 10 - 12 minutes.  Crust should look golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool completely, then decorate with personalized tags, like the “Sweetie Pie” ones I made, ribbon or fabric.