My Homemade Circus Animal Cookie Balls

I made these for a friend's birthday this weekend since she has a history of loving Circus Animal Cookies. They were super easy to make, very similar to the Oreo Balls or Cake Pops. 

First I threw 3/4 of the cookies into a food processor until they were very finely chopped.  I added about half a brick of cream cheese and mixed that until it was dough-like.  Then I rolled them into evenly sized balls and stuck them in the fridge for about an hour.

Using pink candy melts, I fully covered each ball and topped them with matching nonpareils. 

I used the remaining cookies as a garnish.

I put everything in this cute jar which gave it a very rustic homemade look. 

Apple Bacon Caramel Pie

Some friends hosted a Pie Contest so I frantically tried to think of something fun to make that could maybe stand out.  I have only made a few pies in my life so I am not that well versed in the field.  This "ABC Pie" is not the one I submitted, but should have.  There were NO Apple Pies in the running!  I went with a Triple Cookie Pie, which was good, but this was better.

This was the first time I've ever candied Bacon, I'll never go back.

Bourbon Soaked Apples, Bacon, Caramel Sauce and Cinnamon.

It turned out really well, a great twist to a classic Apple Pie.

I used my extra Pillsbury Pie Crust to make Pie Pops.  They looked cute but it's hard to get the filling to crust ratio even.

Highlights from the Pie Contest.

There were so many various types of pies: fruits, meats, vegetables, creams and even a cow pie.

The Dessert Bloggers' Great American Bake Sale

Last week I went to The Great American Bake Sale, which sold desserts baked by various bloggers to benefit childhood hunger.

There were SO many things to drool over...








I chose these:


Macarons by Daydreamer Desserts - Mojito, Coconut and Cake Batter


Nutella Handpie by ShowFood Chef


S'Mores Cookies


Apple Pie Pop by Adventures In The Kitchen



The Couch Potato Cookie by Budget Foodie - Chocolate Chip, Pretzel and Caramel


And best for last... Salted Caramel Chocolate Bars by Kitchen Runway.

Sweet E's Cake Pops

I first saw Cake Pops made by Bakerella, but now I see them popping up everywhere, no pun intended. These are pops from Sweet E's Bake Shop which is currently just a truck roaming around the city, but I heard they are opening a store near by! That is something I am eagerly awaiting, because these things are addicting!

The Red Velvet

The outter shell was made of white chocolate, which threw me off a little since I'm so used to a cream cheese frosting here.

The Sweet E's Truck at Fashion's Night Out

Mint Chocolate Chip Cake Pop and Cookie Dough Cupcake

The Mint Chocolate Chip Cake Pop, my favorite item of theirs, and one of my new favorite desserts of all time. I tend to be more skeptical with chocolate cake when it comes to cupcake like items (usually vanilla is a safer way to go), but this was so moist and rich and you could really see the frosting bits mixed into the cake. I also loved how just the shell was mint flavored so it wasn't too overpowering.