Bakin' with Bacon: A Special Father's Day Treat

When I think about foods that are always a hit with the fathers in my life, one of the first that comes to mind is BACON. What dad doesn’t love this salty breakfast staple?

I came across this recipe for Maple Bacon Cupcakes, and I knew my kids and I needed to make them for my husband as a special Father’s Day treat. One of the best things about this cupcake is that the cake base is straight from a box! So easy! The maple buttercream frosting was a fun way to let my kids have some hands-on experience with kitchen gadgets, which they always love. My daughter eagerly sifted the powdered sugar while my son beat the butter with a handheld mixer.

The result? A cupcake that tastes like a stack of pancakes with a side of bacon. Yum! Some of my four kids loved the cupcake as is, while others wanted to pick off the bacon crumbles. To each his or her own!

Dad’s verdict? He said, “Wow! This tastes like one of those cupcakes you would buy in a specialty cupcake shop.” Mission: accomplished.

Are you cooking up anything special for your dad this Father’s Day? We’d love to see what you’re baking. Tag us on Facebook or Instagram @ittybittybakers.

Blooming Brownie Bites

Summer outdoor celebrations are starting up, and your kids can help bring something to the party! With more free time approaching, this activity will give their idle hands something to do with an adorable, delicious end result.

To get started, first decide your Brownie Baker Level.

Level 1: Store-bought tub of pre-made brownies like these here.

Level 2: Store-bought brownie mix that you will make and bake, like this one here.

Level 3: Brownies baked from scratch with raw ingredients, like this recipe here.

So, what level are you? For my son's backyard, end of baseball season pool party, I went with Level 1 (pictured above - ain't no shame in the store-bought game). If your Brownie Baker Level is 2 or 3, just make sure they are baked in a well-greased mini muffin pan in order for them to be little bites and not big squares.

Once you've got your brownie bites, it's time for kids to decorate them!

You'll need a bottle of white cookie icing, some M&Ms, and pastel candy corn. I bought my pastel candy corn at Sugar in Crestline Village, but you can also buy them from Amazon.

Steps:

1. Have kids place a drop of icing in the center of the brownie bite, and then place one upside-down yellow M&M on top.

2. Have kids arrange candy corn in whatever color or pattern they like around the M&M. For these brownie bites, 8 candy corn fit perfectly.

Voilá! A hands-on activity and colorful, fun treat! If you try this at home with your kids, we'd love to see pictures! Post in the comments below or tag us on Instagram: @ittybittybakers!

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Strawberries are in season right now, so we're celebrating Strawberry Week at Itty Bitty Bakers! We are sharing a recipe for Strawberry Shortcake Cookies from last year's summer camp. The kids (and teachers) devoured these soft cookies. The combination of cream cheese, fresh strawberries, and white chocolate morsels truly makes this cookie taste like a strawberry shortcake.

If time permits, make sure to let the strawberries dry on paper towels before adding them to the cookie dough. Fresh strawberries have lots of water, and this can help prevent the cookie dough from being too wet.

Even if you can't make it to a u-pick farm, many local farmer's markets or nurseries, such as Andy's Market or Burnette Farms, carry fresh strawberries from local farms.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Yield: about 24 cookies

Ingredients:

10 tablespoons butter, softened 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla 2 cups all-purpose flour 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder 1⁄2 teaspoon salt 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup white chocolate morsels 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese.

3. Once creamed, add in the sugar, egg, and vanilla and mix until blended.

4. Turn off the mixer, and add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

5. Using a rubber spatula, work in the dry ingredients until a dough forms.

6. Fold in the white chocolate morsels and strawberries.

7. Drop cookie dough by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet.

8. Bake for 10-14 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.