Very Cherry Pound Cake

Very Cherry Pound Cake

2 cups flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter

1 package of cream cheese (8 ounces)

1 1/2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp (or more) of almond extract

1 jar of maraschino cherries, drained and halved (I use more because we like lots and lots of cherries)

1/4 cup flour for dredging cherries

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease and flour tube pan.

Mix flour, baking powder & salt - set aside.

Cream together the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time then add extract. Beat in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Dredge cherries in 1/4 cup of flour, then fold into batter and spread into pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 10 min. and turn onto a wire rack and cool completely.

I make a glaze with some of the cherry juice, almond extract and powdered sugar and drizzle on the cake while still slightly warm.

Valentine's Cookies

Chocolate roll-out cookies on a stick - with brush embroidery ruffle trim

Brown Sugar Roll-Out Cookies and Chocolate Chip Roll-Out Cookies

Chocolate Chip Roll Out Valentine's Cookies

SugarBaker's Chocolate Chip Roll Out Cookies via SweetSugarbelle

One of my first attempts at piping lace and brush embroidery.

Piped "lace" and brush embroidery on LilaLoa's chocolate roll-out cookies

Valentine Cookies

Roll out chocolate cookies from LilaLoa

Sugar cookies from The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle

Cake Balls for Christmas

Devils Food and Confetti Cake Balls

Five Layer Neapolitan Cake

I made this five layer cake with strawberry buttercream for my sister's birthday in November - it was a big hit! It was inspired by Rosie at Sweetapolita If you want to try it out, the recipe and instructions are at the link provided. 
The layers are dark chocolate, vanilla and strawberry and between the layers is strawberry jam.
It was a lot of work but it was delicious and pretty.

Snowflake Sugar Cookies

These are the snowflake sugar cookies that I made for an order - they were for the staff of the Christian Elementary School my cousin's kids attend. They were picked up and delivered Dec. 21st. I hope they were well received. The first cookie order - obviously I was nervous and concerned whether they would be "good" or "good enough."
The cookie recipe and royal icing recipe came from the cookie Queen, Sweet Adventures of Sugar Belle. She has the most awesome resources on her website complete with tutorials. I also got some great advice/tips from Lime Juice Sweet Treats.
The links provided should give you all the info you need to make these yummy treats - of course you can make all kinds of amazing cookies using many different cookie cutters and decorations. Roll, cut and decorate!