Do It Your Freaking Self - Recipes Archives

Minty Meringue Cookies

on March 15, 2019

Make these minty meringue cookies for any season. These cookies are light and crisp with just a hint of peppermint for discerning taste buds.

Ya’ll remember when I bought myself a Kitchenaid Mixer? Me too… and I’ve been trying all the things! One of the things that I’ve wanted to try FOREVER has been meringue cookies. Those light, crispy, airy cookies that are notoriously finicky and need a great deal of mixing…. and hand mixing, even with an electric mixer, is not going to happen.

I am by no means an expert, but I hope to share my trials and attempts with you guys as we go along. And before you ask, I have not attempted macarons. They scare me a little too much right now.

Okay, so I made these a few times and had varying degrees of success…. and a lot of failure.

ByChelsea

Oscars Gold Champagne Cupcakes

on February 20, 2019

Make these gold champagne cupcakes for your next hollywood party or girls day! They are sure to impress with their classy but light flavor!

Oscars week is upon us and I can honestly say I’ve seen like… 2 movies that are nominated. Its kinda sad, but then again, the movies I like are never up for awards. – Shout out to you tho Black Panther!!

Anyway, in LA, Oscars week means street closures, worse traffic than usual and all gold everything – because we’re classy that’s why. If you, like me, are attending an oscars party and are responsible for the desserts, these gold champagne cupcakes always go over as a hit! They’re light and fluffy with just the right amount of decadence. The chocolate man though, thats what really makes it! And if you’re looking for a ballot, my girl Jillian over at Shortandloud has you covered!

Oscars Gold Champagne Cupcakes

Cost: $15 or less
Time: 1-2 hours
Suggested Viewing: all the awesome movies that weren’t nominated!

ByChelsea

“I like your butt” Heart Cake

on February 14, 2019

This heart cake hack will make you wonder why you’d never thought about it before! And this “I like your butt” heart cake is perfect for when you don’t want to be subtle!

I like your butt heart cake

A few nights ago, my friend Karolyn and I were talking about conversation hearts and what we would like for them to say if we had them. Mine were mostly Geek and Craft related. Seriously, if my (hypothetical) dude came home and said, “I got you yarn” I would swoon. Karolyn’s suggestion? “Butts” Yes folks, my friends are awesome and possibly Tina from Bob’s burgers.

Anyhoo… I kinda took that idea and ran with it? I’ve been wanting to make a conversation heart cake for a while, but couldn’t decide on the right thing to put on it. This is just the right side of inappropriate to work.

I also didn’t want to buy a special pan or anything for this cake because homegirl has a plan. So… this here project uses 2 pans. A circle and a square. Thats it. If you want to get a heart pan you can get it for like $5 at Michaels with a coupon. However, in the land of sparking joy (and also function) I knew it wasn’t something I’d use often and really didn’t have the space for an extra pan.

I like your butt heart cake

I would also like to point out that my friend Amanda taught me this technique of how to make a heart cake without a special pan about 12 years ago when we made a heart cake that said “I love you more than a fat kid loves cake”….. in german.

So. Here’s to being blunt and telling it like it is… and liking butts.

“I like your butt” Heart Cake

Time: 2 hours including cooling time
Cost: $5-10?
Suggested viewing: Bobs Burgers!

ByChelsea

Mimosa Cupcakes Recipe

on January 8, 2019

Highlight your brunch with these light these light and fluffy Mimosa Cupcakes! Bring these to a bridal shower and you’ll be the hit of the party!

Ya’ll… I can’t tell you how many of my friends posted about being pregnant or adopting or getting engaged or really, any number of big life moments over the holidays. Me? I’m just over here like, same crap different day. I mean, sure, I’m super happy for my friends and all the good stuff they have happening. I just feel like I’m in the middle of the beginning of another story – if that makes sense.

MAKE IT: Crochet Cactus Hat Pattern

I didn’t really do much new year planning this year. I’m maybe in the middle of it, but I did a lot of reflecting. 2018 was hard… and a bit of a dumpster fire if we’re all on the level. But I feel like I actually accomplished something and I need to give myself credit for that.

My goals for 2018 were to basically survive. At the beginning of the year I was working 3 jobs, trying to figure out my blog and going back to school for the first time in nearly 10 years. It was a rough start. Then, the week before my Winter semester finals… I came down with strep from one of the kiddos I watched at the time. If you’ve ever known me, that is the one disease I never, ever want to get. And of course, I had it. YAY

Over the course of the year, I had my ups and downs. Reflecting on it all, it had to happen that way. I learned a lot about myself. In giving myself credit for things, in letting things go. AND YES This is my pat on the back for finishing out the year with a 4.0 GPA. I have 4 classes left until I can apply for nursing school and then we’ll see where everything goes.

If you came here for cupcakes, this is probably where you should start.

Make it: DIY an Infinity Loom Knit Scarf

Mimosa Cupcakes

ByChelsea

Orange Cranberry Sugar Cookie Bars

on December 3, 2018

These Orange Cranberry Sugar Cookie bars with orange cream cheese frosting are a delight for all seasons and holiday gatherings.

Say hello to my new friend! Pardon the photo quality – I was just so excited and didn’t really take a ton of pictures of it in a professional setting… or any at all.

I finally bought myself a Kitchenaid mixer and ya’ll…. LIFE CHANGING. Seriously though. The things I hate doing – like creaming butter and sugar, making cream cheese frosting and whipping egg whites… I don’t have to do anymore! It doesn’t have a name or gender yet, but I figure you guys can give me some suggestions.

Make It: Sassy Christmas Clutch with Cricut

Okay, so tis’ the season right? I for one am all about the rich chocolates and caramels and of course peppermint is my absolute favorite flavor profile. I am seriously the person that drinks Peppermint mocha year round. Fight me on it. Okay, so why doesn’t this have any of those things in them? I honestly don’t know. I just wanted to experiment with some lighter seasonal flavors. I will say that they turned out delicious and my anatomy class (whom I bring all my baking to these days) RAVED about them.

These Orange Cranberry Sugar Cookie Bars are great for bake sales, cookie exchanges and any number of things. I like that they’re easier to cut into at the end instead of trying to measure out or scoop cookies to be the right shape.

Orange Cranberry Sugar Cookie Bars

Time: 1 hour or less
Cost: $10? I had most of this stuff on hand
Suggested listening: Come Out and Play – Billie Eilish

ByChelsea

Patriotic Ice Cream Sandwiches

on June 26, 2018

These patriotic ice cream sandwiches use home made cookies and your choice of ice cream to really wow at this year’s 4th of July cook out or any other USA event!

I took an extra day off this week and I’m feeling so much more centered. Usually I get one day off and that is for laundry and meal planning and you know… adulting. So it was nice to not have too much planned – I did purchase a knitting pattern of which I know nearly none of the stitches so that will be an exciting journey!

Okay seriously though, the summer is upon us and that means the 4th of July is near. Ya’ll I don’t know about you, but I get ridiculously excited about the summer section at Target and all of the cute red, white, and blue stuff. I think it’s mostly because I am ready for the cookouts and the full day of community and friends that the 4th usually brings for me. Whether it’s a church cookout, neighborhood thing, pool party, friends getting together – I LOVE IT! With everything that is going on in the world I really think we could use some more togetherness and remember what is really important.

Patriotic Ice Cream Sandwiches

Cost: $10 or less
Time: 20 minutes
Suggested Viewing: Independence Day – Because it has the best movie speech of all time

ByChelsea

Pastel Coconut SnoBall Cupcakes

on March 29, 2018

Gear up for spring with these Pastel Coconut SnoBall Cupcakes! Great for a spring table, Easter brunch or just because!

I don’t know about you guys, but usually I’m super excited for all things spring. The new styles are coming out, things are in bloom, kids can go outside without me worried they’ll get a million different sicknesses…. but this year…. this year, I have midterms and I realized I’m stress baking. In between crying over chemistry problems and trying to figure out “the impact of language” I’m over here making cupcakes and trying not to gain a million pounds of sugar and stress weight. Basically, I’m trudging through thankyouverymuch.

One of the things I’ve been craving (because I stress bake AND eat okay?!?) has been coconut and marshmallows. It may be that its spring and almost Easter and I really want to make a bunny cake with the kiddos – it’s gonna happen, I swear! Theres gonna be a mess of coconut and jelly beans and sugar blasted kids and I am HERE FOR IT.

MAKE IT: DIY Tassel Basket for Easter

In the mean time, I made these Pastel Coconut SnoBall Cupcakes. Luckily I was smart and took them to class with me to be eaten by my Communication Studies class who were all super grateful for the latenight pick me up. YAY! More fridge space for more goodies and more… stress baking? It’ll end soon… I hope.

Okay, so what is a snoball? If you’ve never had one, they’re these hostess snack cakes that are essentially marshmallow filled chocolate cake covered in (sometimes neon pink) coconut shreds and cream and they are so. stinkin. good. You can make them any color you want simply by mixing in a drop or so into 1 cup of coconut shreds! Pretty awesome right?!

ByChelsea

Leprechaun Peppermint Fudge Recipe

on March 7, 2018

A fun and festive dessert for Saint Patrick’s day? Minimal time in the kitchen? Yes please! Check out this super Easy Leprechaun Peppermint Fudge Recipe!

You guys! I finally had a day off – no school, no work, no laundry – okay, I had laundry, but I didn’t do it. I made fudge instead. Because well, I bought these really cool Fancy Sprinkles and they were begging to be used and I wanted chocolate. Also, as you know, peppermint is my favorite flavor.

The story:

I tried making fudge over the holiday season. I had exactly one batch come out passable. The rest? Not so much. I was a bit pissed at myself for the kitchen fail. I had PLANS for that fudge. I didn’t make anymore because I didn’t want to go back to the store so I called it a day.

MAKE IT: Edible Glitter Valentines Pops

Fast forward 4-ish months and I decided to give it another go…I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED BY CHOCOLATE! Okay, maybe that was a little bit eggagerated but you get the picture. This Peppermint Fudge recipe only has 4 ingredients and is pretty much fool proof. Well, maybe not totally but I’ll get to that in a minute.

Easy Leprechaun Peppermint Fudge Recipe

Cost: $10
Time: 20 minutes plus cooling time
Suggested Listening: Brian Fallon’s Sleepwalkers – because it has been on REPEAT and it is so good!

Ingredients:
12 oz chocolate candy melts (1 bag)
12 oz white chocolate candy melts (1 bag)
2 tsp peppermint extract (1 for each color)
2 tsp vanilla
2 cans (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
Green food coloring
Fancy Sprinkles in Pot of Gold (optional but definitely recommended)

Supplies:
Microwave safe bowl
Spatula
Pan
Parchment paper
Kitchen Scale (optional if you are weighing chocolate)

Start by lining a pan with parchment paper. This is going to make removing the fudge a breeze.

** If you are using almond bark or candy quick, use 13 to 14 oz of chocolate instead of 12. I made this mistake with my top layer and it was super gooey. Alternately, you can use less sweetened condensed milk.

Bottom Layer
1. Place chocolate candy melts and 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk into a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minute. Stir.

2. If chocolate is not all melted, heat in 20 second intervals, stiring well in between.

3. Once all of your chocolate is melted, stir in 1 tsp peppermint extract and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

4. Pour and spread it into your prepared pan. Cool in refrigerator for 1 hour or until mostly solid.

Top Layer

1. Repeat the same process for your top layer as you did the bottom layer.
2. Add a few drops of green food coloring until you get the desired color.
3. Pour and spread it on top of your cooled chocolate layer and top with sprinkles. Cool for 1 hour.

Once your fudge is completely cooled, you can pull it out, cut it into small squares and enjoy! I am willing to admit that I ate a lot of this while taking these pictures and I maybe paired it with coffee and baileys – because… reasons.

SaveSave

ByChelsea

Edible Glitter Valentines Pops

on February 9, 2018

Sweeten up your Galentines or Valentines gifts with these bright Edible Glitter Valentines Pops! Add a candy flavor for even more variety!

3 Things I do on Valentines Day

I buy my room mate a giant bag of candy and a flower – even though she won’t eat the candy and gets mad at me that I got her something.
I still buy valentines cards for my nanny kids
I wait until the day after to buy ALL THE CHOCOLATE

I’m sure theres more but thats the general census of my life on Valentines day – during the whole season really. I used to hate it because I was single and had no one – until I stopped caring. I love the hearts and the pink and purple, and cute things…. so I just grew to accept that Valentines meant something different to me than the typical lovey dovey stuff. And I’m cool with that. I freaking LOVE it!

This year, I wanted to make some fun Edible Glitter Valentines Pops for my valentines. They’re super easy and super customizeable so lets get going!

Edible Glitter Valentines Pops

Cost: $15 or less – makes a ton!
Time: 1 hour including cooling time

ByChelsea

Stranger Things Eleven’s Eggo Cupcakes

on October 24, 2017

Sweeten up your Stranger Things party with these delicious Eleven’s Eggo Cupcakes! Cinnamon nutmeg cake topped with maple syrup buttercream and a mini waffle!

MAKE IT: Magical and Delicious Boozy Butterbeer Cupcakes (that might get you drunk)

I fell into the upside down. Okay that might be a bit of a stretch, but like most of American I am completely in love with Stranger Things. I try really hard not to go on Netflix binges – One because I really don’t have the time and two because I’m scared I’ll turn into a vampire because I won’t see light for 3 days. BUT it happened. I binged. More than once, I binged. And then I bought the games, and the merch, and I even designed my own logo. Pretty sweet huh?

So here’s the thing. I feel like I’m not allowed to say that it makes me feel nostalgic because while I am definitely a baby of the 80’s (hands up 1987!) I am a child of the 90s. That’s not to say that I didn’t grow up watching The Goonies and Care bears, jut that it doesn’t actively remind me of my childhood. What Stranger Things does, however, is make me feel like I’m rediscovering something. Like when my dad kept us up late at night listening to his records – I’d grown up listening to that music but actually going through it with him was a completely new experience. Maybe it’s like a time capsule the previous generation buried? Maybe? Hit me up if there is an actual term for this. I feel like I’m really confused in general as to whether I’m actually a millenial or not.

Okay, enough exposition. Let’s make some cupcakes! I kinda love these because I can totally lie to myself and say they’re also breakfast… because ya know eggs, milk, butter, waffles … syrup. Breakfast.

MAKE IT: DIY Zelda Pixel Heart Statement Necklace

Stranger Things Eleven’s Eggo Cupcakes

Time: 1 hour
Cost: $10 or less
Chance of getting sucked into the Upside Down: IDK, maybe like 3?

Stranger Things Eleven’s Eggo Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix
1 tblsp Cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
3 Eggs
1/2 cup butter - softened
1 cup buttermilk

Maple Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter - softened
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350º and line cupcake pan with liners
Combine ingredients into large mixing bowl and mix until fully combined
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full or use a large ice cream scoop for perfectly even cupcakes every time
Bake for 15-20 min or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
Let cool

For the Frosting

Whip butter, syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla until creamy
Slowly add in powdered sugar until you have the desired consistency
Pipe onto cooled cupcakes with a #1M decorating tip

Add Waffles

Toast waffles until they're rigid, let cool and place on each cupcake.

https://www.doityourfreakingself.com/eggo-cupcakes/

ByChelsea

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