Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake

Posted on September 26, 2012 by glitter&pearls

Because sometimes a rich chocolate cake is all you need …

Have you been to a cake-testing yet? Weren’t they all amazing? I think the hubby and I liked at least ten-to-twenty flavor combinations. We were overwhelmed, and slightly nauseous. But sometimes, when it really comes down to it, what’s classic, tastes amazing, and resonates well with the guests, it’s a traditional chocolate cake.

Original image via The Scoota Baker // Full Recipe (for chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream) here

Milk + Cookies: Dessert and Favors

Posted on July 9, 2012 by glitter&pearls

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There really is nothing like milk and cookies – it’s classic and adorable and always a crowd-pleaser. And when planning our own wedding, we knew we wanted to end the night on an extra sweet note. So we thought, milk and cookies, natch.

I’ve seen so many sweet ways to serve milk and cookies as an end-of-the-party nightcap or dessert, using shot glasses or martini glasses filled with milk. (And I really love the milk glasses dipped in chocolate and colorful sprinkles – double wow.)

We went with portable milk-and-cookie favors – homemade cookies in brown bags with old school paper milk cartons of milk – because we were pretty sure our guests would already be rolling out of the party as is (we were all about the food – so we went just a tad overboard … err, really really overboard). The cookies + milk also doubled as great, no-fuss, favors.

Via Ruffles & Pleats // Image Boards by Glitter Weddings // Via: Style Me Pretty // Martha Stewart Weddings // The Wedding Pickle // Offbeat Bride // Style Me Pretty // Project Wedding // The Sweetest Occasion // The Knot

Honeycomb Tissue Fans

Posted on June 4, 2012 by glitter&pearls

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Truth is, I’m a sucker for paper goods. And tissue paper, it’s so soft and bright and user-friendly. These honeycomb tissue fans are extra awesome because they’re so intricate and big and bright – all things I love! They would also really make a party wall or photo booth backdrop pop! (Already added to my next party “to do” list … my lists get long fast, trust me.)

Via That’s Happy // Tissue Wall Kits by Paper Tuesday

Donut Cake Pops

Posted on April 26, 2012 by glitter&pearls

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I heart donuts. I’m not sure why exactly. For starters, I am completely and utterly intolerant of sugar, so my donut eating involves a tiny nibble and a feigned “I’m satisfied after that measly one bite” smile. Also, donuts are probably one of the least sophisticated of desserts, and I love baking. But the mystery behind the fried dough deliciousness is much of the donut’s appeal as well. Plus, who doesn’t travel up the east coast for donuts? Oh, err, that’s just my family?

But I digress. Let me get back on topic (it only took me a paragraph today … not bad, self!) My mom and I had been oohing and aahing over cake pops for some time, and for my Poppy’s most recent birthday, we wanted to do something a little special as a party favor. The event was set to be a brunch, and that weekend quickly came upon us and homemade cake pops seemed just a tad daunting at the eleventh hour. So we thought and thought, and what goes better with brunch than donuts? So to Dunkin Donuts we went … begging for donut holes. (Let me just say, donut shops are not big fans of giving away their day’s supply of donut holes.)

What you’ll need …

donut holes (lots + lots of donut holes)
lollipop sticks
styrafoam or green foam board (to prop pops while they dry)
chocolate (we went with dark + milk)
edible glitter, spray paint, sprinkles, etc.

The instructions …

We set up our area first (because I’m totally anal like that) with everything in reach.
We melted the white chocolate and dark chocolate in two separate containers, microwaving in 30 second and then 15 second intervals until the chocolate was melted and could be mixed easily with a spoon. (You can always re-microwave for a few seconds if the chocolate starts to harden.)
One by one we pushed candy sticks about mid-way through one side of the donut hole. And as a cheat, to get the donut to adhere better on the stick, we dipped the tip of the stick in a bit of melted chocolate, then pushed the stick into the donut hole, and gently allowed each donut-on-a-stick to rest for a few minutes so that the chocolate would harden, holding the donut to the candy stick.
Then we rolled the donut-on-a-stick into the melted chocolate, using a spoon to pour chocolate on the parts of the donut that couldn’t easily be covered. Carefully, after rolling any excess chocolate off, we stuck the end of the stick into the styrofoam board and allowed each chocolate covered donut to cool and harden completely.
Once the chocolate-covered donuts were dry, we covered some in edible glitter and some we sprayed with edible metallic spray paint.
Once all of our pops were completely dry, we wrapped two per clear plastic candy bag and tied with a twist tie and a bow (not shown.)

The donut cake pops were a huge hit! Not only did the donut pops look great, but they tasted AMAZING (satisfied one bite of a donut lady, right here.)