Colossal Apple Spice Cake Pops

I wanted to incorporate my love of baking into my wedding somehow, but I knew that preparing the cake & desserts would add just a little too much stress for me on my special day. Instead I thought it would be a particularly special touch to create the favors. I was able to prepare them ahead of time and box them up in a cute way. For 40 cake pops, I multiplied the recipe below by six.

Shrimp & Chorizo Dumplings

Since dumplings require some patience, I rarely make them but they are so worth it. The dumpling filling alone is delicious, but it pays off the make the dumplings. They are great for an appetizer or a main entree.

Gnudi with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Gnudi (which means “naked” in Italian) are similar to gnocchi, but instead of preparing with potatoes, you use ricotta. These little dumplings of love are lighter than gnocchi and much easier to prepare. I served them with roasted with tomatoes & garlic but they would be really good with pesto or bolognese.

Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan pie is one of my dad’s favorite desserts so I decided to make these for father’s day. They were so delicious that I made them again the following week for a family reunion. They are buttery, nutty, and will quickly disappear.

Birthday Cake Truffles

I recently made way too many cupcakes for a party. I knew having a dozen frosted cupcakes in my home was dangerous so I decided to do something creative with them; I’m a big fan of “repurposing” leftover desserts. I made these fun cake truffles out of the cupcakes and brought them to work. Delicious!

I actually used my Vanilla Cupcakes with Fluffy Vanilla Frosting but you can use any cake and frosting you’d like.