by Sunny
follow me on Twitter @Sunnylooksleaps
Don’t you just love to get back from a relaxing, rejuvenating vacation only to find that one of your major appliances in malfunctioning? Nothing kills that post vacation glow like an added home expense. We ordered a new heating element for our oven that wouldn’t preheat, but unfortunately we got the wrong size. There was no way we would get a new one in time for the holiday baking frenzy. Luckily, our stove top and broiler still worked. We also have a “babycakes” that helped us to be creative with our treats. Here’s how we ended up with a house full of sweets even without a working oven!
No Bake Cookies – This is the obvious solution. These cookies can be tricky, though. It’s more like making candy than cookies because of the boiling technique used. Here’s my recipe. Ours turned out on the gooey side this year. I think I’ll blame it on the spring like temperatures.
No baking required.
Pudding Pies – These are super easy, adorable, and yummy. I bought pre-made individual size graham cracker crusts in the baking aisle. I filled them with instant cheesecake pudding (use 1/2 cup less milk than it calls for on the box) and then topped them with cherry pie filling. Store them covered in the fridge. Chocolate would be delicious, too!
Yes, I did put them in the shape of a Mickey head on purpose.
Babycakes – MJ found this little treasure while we were browsing a local furniture consignment shop. It was new, in the box, pink, and made tiny cakes…what’s not to love? It actually works pretty well. I’ve used it to make mini muffins and mini cupcakes. We bought red and green cake mix in the baking aisle as well as red, green, and white frosting. I love the Betty Crocker Cake Frosting in the cans with the decorative tips. I have used these for YEARS when making sugar cookies. So easy, good consistency, and no mess…well, minimal mess. We made dozens of babycakes and had fun decorating them with the frostings. Some festive sprinkles would have also added a nice touch.
And if your oven does work, try Wendy’s Punk Rock Carrot Cake – always a crowd pleaser!