Birthday Fun!

About a month ago I had the chance to try out a few fun ideas for my roommates birthday party!

We had a "Mexican Fiesta" for supper and, thanks to this idea from Darby, we had Petit Fours for dessert!


The Birthday Girl loves petit fours and I thought it would be an adventure to try out the recipe. They turned out pretty well!

I also took the opportunity to try out a Watermelon Peach Sangria Sorbet recipe and it was soooo good!

We added a little decor to the porch too.

I had seen the "make it yourself" kit for these at the craft store and then I found the directions on-line from Martha Stewart.

Here are the recipes:

Petit Fours:

1. 1 box white cake mix (plus eggs, oil, water)
2. Jar Lemon Curd (you can also make it if you are up for the challenge)
3. 1 recipe of icing found here from Darby

One box white cake mix. Follow the instructions on the box, but bake on two sheet pans lined with wax paper. The cakes should only take 15+ minutes to bake.

When cooled and turned out, I found it easiest to cut the cakes in half before doing anything else. If they are overcooked at all trim the tops off of the cakes (no brown!).

Spread Lemon curd (you can make it, but I bought it at Kroger) on one cake and carefully place another on top of it. Be careful! The cake is VERY crumbly. After the cakes are stacked in two layers, carefully cut them into squares.

At this point you should place the cakes on a cooling rack set over a baking pan.

Slowly pour the icing over each cake. You might have to stop and scrape up some of the fallen icing in case you run out.

You won't be able to coat each completely, but at least the tops and most of the sides.

After the icing has dried you can pipe designs on them with a decorator's frosting.

Watermelon Peach Sangria Sorbet:

• 2 medium peaches
• 2 ½ lb piece of watermelon
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 t grated fresh ginger
• ½ cup semi-dry rosé, blush wine, pink Zinfandel, (any slightly sweet wine)

Heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Stir until sugar is dissolved and liquid is completely clear, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Cut peaches and watermelon into 2″ chunks and puree in a food processor or blender.

Add the grated ginger and lemon juice. Pour into an airtight container and add the wine and cooled sugar water, and stir. Chill in a refrigerator 2 hours.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and follow your machine’s instructions for making sorbet. Freeze in an airtight container about 1 hour or so before serving to “set” the sorbet.

Makes 1 quart