Cupcake Party for Littles

I've been so blessed that despite moving to this new state less than a year ago, I've made a wonderful group of friends. I can count on them for wonderful company, making me laugh, listening to all my stories, and best of all - for countless playdates that entertain me and my children. Score! In fact, we've fallen into a routine of meeting at each others' places weekly. I had a fun idea to host a cupcake decorating playdate and so this party came along. The littles had so much fun decorating their cupcakes and even more fun eating all the sweet treats meant for decorating!

We had such a blast with this cupcake party, I'm sure you will too. Here's how I pulled together this super sweet cupcake decorating party.

Fruit Platters - How To

Today, I'm excited to share the newest video addition to my blog. I shared this iftar dinner party a few months back and a few of you requested a how-to for the pretty fruit platters I made for the event. Since I learned how to make them from my younger sister, Hajerah, I decided it was best for her to show you how to make them herself. Keep reading for a guest post on these scrumptious and eye-catching from the woman herself, my talented baby sis!

Hey all!

  

It's Hajerah, Wardah's younger sister. Today, I'll be sharing my method of cutting/arranging fruits with you all. Growing up, my older sisters were always the ones in charge of making beautiful and delicious baked goods for family gatherings. That left me with the one task they knew I wouldn't mess up (lol), which was cutting. Whether it was prepping the veggies for a dinner item, or cutting fruit to serve with dessert, it was always my job. 

And it was something I enjoyed. I'm really meticulous and somewhat of a perfectionist by nature (my closet is organized by style AND color), so I found satisfaction in slicing fruits to equal widths and chopping up veggies in uniform cubes. I also realized I could line them up on the serving plate and they wouldn't look half bad. Over the years, I got better at making fruit platters, and a lot faster at it, too. Now, even though I've learned how to bake a cake or two, most of our family and friends still know me as the cutting expert. 

Which brings me to today's post. When Wardah was visiting CA a month ago, she convinced me to let her film the process of making a few platters. Let's just say, it was an agonizing hour of sitting on the kitchen floor right in front of our backyard doors (for better lighting, apparently) and working really slowly (so she could capture what I was doing, change angles, etc). Wardah actually did the most work though, including filming, putting up with my complaining, and then going home to edit and create this wonderful video. 

I hope you all enjoyed the video and are motivated to create a fruit platter of your own. Your guests will ooh and aah at your elaborate presentation while you'll smile inside, knowing it wasn't hard at all. And who knows, maybe you're like me and will find the process to be therapeutic!

'Til next time, folks (maybe I'll teach you how to organize scarves, another one of my specialties haha).

Watch the video here.

Easy Watermelon Basket and Watermelon Coolers

Summer is here and if you're looking for a great summer party, potluck, or bbq appetizer, look no further! This easy watermelon basket is a great item to take any party and will definitely wow your guests. 

Brunch for the Chocolate Lover

I am married to a chocoholic.

I am not a huge fan of chocolate, not even a big one. I merely like it and only on occasion, too much is just too much.

So it was a really romantic gesture when I planned this chocolate themed brunch as a surprise for the hubby. ;) He absolutely loved it and I was so excited to share it with ya'll.

Gift this to the chocoholic in your life and I'm sure they'll love it too.

Here's what was on the menu- chocolate crepes served with whipped cream and bananas, chocolate dipped heart strawberries, hot chocolate as drinks, and chocolate "croissants." To balance off the sweet, chocolate-y items, I included two savory items, mini asparagus and mushroom tarts and mini heart shaped tomato tarts.

Brunch for the Chocolate Lover

(Serves 4; or 2 with lots of leftovers)

You can make the crepe batter and dip the chocolate strawberries the night before so there are less things for you to do in the morning. This is the recipe I used to make the crepes. Make sure to half it if its just two of you! Make the crepes morning of while your tarts and pastries are in the oven.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

To dip the strawberries, wash and dry 10-15 strawberries completely. Melt 1/3 cup of chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli's milk chocolate chips) in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Line a baking pan with parchment paper to set the dipped strawberries on. Instead of dipping the strawberry once, dip it on each side slightly at an angle to achieve a heart shape. Decorate using sprinkles or melt white chocolate chips and drizzle it across the strawberries. I used a ziploc bag with a snipped corner to make it easy and mess free. Leave it in the fridge to set overnight.

Tarts and Pastries 

These tarts are absolutely delicious! My favorite were the mini tomato tarts. They tasted like little pizzas but were more elegant somehow. And the presentation was fabulous. 

You'll need:

1 box puff pastry, defrosted overnight in the fridge

1-2 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 asparagus bunch 

4-5 baby bella mushrooms, sliced

Swiss or gruyere cheese block

grated Parmesan cheese

fresh basil chiffonade, for topping

1/4-1/2 cup milk chocolate chips 

1 egg beaten

1 tbs olive oil

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

You will use both puff pastry sheets to make all of the pastries so divide it as you like. I made 5 chocolate pastries, 4 asparagus tarts, and finished off the rest of the puff pastry with 8 tomato hearts. 

Tomato Tarts- 

Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out medium sized hearts from the pastry dough. Brush the dough with olive oil and add grated swiss cheese to the center. Put a slice of tomato on top, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top it off with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. The tomatoes may slide off as the pastries back so keep an eye on them, you may have to slide them back on halfway through, no worries. Sprinkle some basil chiffonade on before serving.

Asparagus and Mushroom Tarts-

Optional (Leave this step if you don't want mushrooms on your tarts)- Sautee mushrooms in olive oil until fully wilted. Season with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you like.

Cut 4 rectangles of puff pastry dough and use your fingers to flatten and spread it out a little. Using the flat side of a knife, make a groove 1/4 inch along the edges of the tart. This will from the crust. Poke holes in the tart using a fork and brush with beaten egg for an egg wash. Place sliced swiss cheese in a single layer in the center of the tart. Trim asparagus to the size of the tart and line them in a row on the cheese. Arrange sautéed mushrooms on the asparagus. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20-25 min or until golden brown. Serve with basil.

Chocolate "Crossaints"-

Cut equal sized rectangles from the puff pastry dough. With the rectangle in hamburger orientation, place 2 strips of chocolate chips on the third and two third lines. Do not over fill. 

Fold the right side over to the center and lightly press to secure. Fold the left side over to the right side and press to secure. Carefully turn pastry over so seams are on the bottom and place on a parchment lined baking tray. Give it an egg wash and bake for 14-16 minutes, until tops of pastries just start to turn golden. Let them cool till just slightly warm before serving.

Make hot cocoa to top it off (or any other chocolate drink, chocolate milk, milkshake).

Don't forget to set the mood with some beautiful roses and a clean home! :) Enjoy and good luck in the kitchen!