sweets that keep and are tiny

March 19, 2008 6:25 PM

I'm planning a birthday which I celebrate enthusiatically only once every 7 or so years...anyways...I'm planning on baking lots of sweet things and feeding all my friends. I need to start baking early to get it all done and would like suggestions for small(portioned) sweet treats that can be made in advance and transported easily.

I am, of course, making a cake(my favorite) that will be cut in little squares. I'm thinking about no-bake cookies and whoopie pies. Need other suggestions, something more exciting than basic cookies. recipes or links also very appreciated. please and thank you!

posted by beckish to food & drink (19 comments total)

You can cut rice crispy treats with cookie cutters.

Homemade oreos.

Gingered lemon bars.
posted by Juliet Banana at 6:52 PM on March 19, 2008

Cinnamon Bear Popcorn:

1/2 c. unpopped corn kernels
1/4 c. butter or margarine
1/4 c. brown sugar
12 oz. marshmallows
1-2 c. cinnamon bears

Pop corn and set aside. Combine butter, brown sugar, marshmallows in a saucepan over medium heat until marshmallows are melted, stirring frequently. Pour over popcorn, add cinnamon bears and stir to coat. Form into balls (if you want - I just put it into serving size bags).
posted by Sassyfras at 6:56 PM on March 19, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Rum Balls------the longer they age, the better the taste!

Rum Balls:

1 1/2 cups (140 grams) toasted pecans, finely chopped (hazelnuts, walnuts, or almonds can be used)

1 1/4 cups (120 grams) finely crushed shortbread or vanilla wafer cookies

1/2 cup (55 grams) confectioners sugar (powdered or icing)

2 tablespoons (12 grams) cocoa powder (can used Dutch processed or regular unsweetened cocoa powder)

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/4 cup (60 ml) rum

Garnish:

1/2 cup (55 grams) confectioners sugar (powdered or icing), sifted


To toast nuts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and have rack in center of oven. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for about 8 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool completely and then either chop up finely with a knife or place in your food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl.

Process the vanilla wafer cookies or shortbread cookies in the food processor until finely ground. Add the crumbs to the finely chopped pecans. To this mixture add the confectioners sugar and cocoa powder and stir until combined. Add the corn syrup and rum and mix well. Chill if necessary and then shape into 1 inch (2.54 cm) balls. Place the sifted confectioners sugar into a small bowl and roll the rum balls in the sugar.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. These are best if made several days in advance of serving to allow the flavors to mingle.

Serve at room temperature.

Makes about 4 dozen (48 rum balls).

Source:

Lovegren, Sylvia. Fashionable Food. MacMillan. New York:
posted by JujuB at 7:21 PM on March 19, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Are you insane? Cupcakes!
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:47 PM on March 19, 2008

Candied pecans

Macaroons
posted by LoriFLA at 7:53 PM on March 19, 2008

Meringue cookies
posted by porpoise at 8:02 PM on March 19, 2008

I'm of no help w/ the question, but I'm dying of curiousity: a birthday that is celebrated every 7 years? Enlightenment, please!
posted by davidmsc at 8:15 PM on March 19, 2008

Cupcakes are awesome, but unfortunately they're the opposite of "transported easily."

How do you feel about bars like brownies or conga bars? Or do you feel like they'd be too similar to your cake?
posted by booksandlibretti at 8:51 PM on March 19, 2008

Thanks for suggestions so far...everything sounds good. it's true about transporting cupcakes also I'm liking things that are smaller so people can try more stuff without getting sick.

I only celebrate my birthday enthusiastically every 7 or so years--the other years I am unenthusiatic to the point of completely annoying my friends and pretending my birthday is not actually happening or tricking them into forgetting it. not sure why this is...it works for me even though no one else seems to like it.
posted by beckish at 9:16 PM on March 19, 2008

You could make some pâte à choux and fill them with something scrumptious. Pudding or whipped cream are common but wouldn't keep so well. I would recommend filling them with anything you would put in a doughnut.
posted by jedicus at 9:19 PM on March 19, 2008

No Bake Donut Holes
=========

1 3/4 cups of almonds
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 vanilla bean, scraped (ie, the seeds inside the bean)
2 cups dried pineapple, chopped (preferably non-sweetened)
2 cups pitted dates
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup shredded coconut

Put the almonds, salt, and vanilla in a food processor. Process into a fine powder.

Slowly add chopped pineapple and dates, mix well.

Place in a large bowl and add 1/3 cup of shredded coconut. Mix.

Use an ice cream scooper or melon baller to form donut holes (or do it by hand). Roll holes in the extra 1/4 cup of coconut.

Will last in the fridge for a week.

Chewy Chocolate Freezer Fudge
======================

2 cups raw almond butter (one 16 ounce jar)
1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted to remove lumps
1/2 cup plus 2 tbs maple syrup
1 heaping tbs unrefined coconut butter (aka coconut oil--found at health food store)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp coarse sea salt

In a large bowl, combine everything, stirring well. (If you prefer, use a standing mixer w/ paddle attachment, but I prefer by hand).

Spoon mixture into little candy molds, flatten with a spoon, cover with wax paper or parchment paper. Or if you prefer and have room, line a cookie sheet with the paper and then place the fudge on the paper, flatten, and cover with paper as well.

Place in the freezer to set. If you're using the sheet/pan plan, take it out of the freezer after an hour or so and cut into squares before putting it back to finish.

Once set, store in an airtight container in the freezer.


The first recipe is from Ani's Raw Kitchen. The second is from Raw Food Real World.
posted by dobbs at 9:29 PM on March 19, 2008

Oh, and the shredded coconut should be unsweetened!
posted by dobbs at 9:31 PM on March 19, 2008

oreo balls or cake balls! (i don't know the real names, that's just what i call them)

for oreo balls crush an entire package of oreos in a food processor
dump into a mixer, add an 8oz (i think that's the size) brick of cream cheese
mix together.
stick in the fridge for a bit
take them out, roll them into balls, stick them back in the fridge
melt some chocolate in a double boiler, dip the balls in, back in the fridge.
try not to eat them all in one sitting.

cake balls

bake a cake
after it cools treat it exactly like the package of oreos.


they are deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious. you can mix/match the kinds of chocolate you cover them with and use any kind of cake flavor.
posted by thisisnotkatrina at 9:56 PM on March 19, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I like these turtle bars. They're pretty rich, so you can cut them in bite-sized pieces. Definitely make them a day or two before, because the chocolate takes awhile to set up. The recipe calls for milk chocolate bits, but next time I make them I'll use semi-sweet. I felt like the milk chocolate was too sweet with the caramel. They are very easy to make - the hardest part was cutting the cold butter into the flour. I used a pastry cutter.

TURTLE BARS

Ingredients:

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 3/4 cup cold butter
* 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
* 1 jar (12 ounces) caramel ice cream topping, warmed
* 1 package (11-1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.Top with pecans. Drizzle caramel topping evenly over pecans.
Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until caramel is bubbly. Remove to a wire rack. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let stand for 5 minutes. Carefully spread chips over caramel layer. Cool at room temperature for at least 6 hours or until chocolate is set. Cut into bars. Yield: 4 dozen.
posted by Kangaroo at 4:09 AM on March 20, 2008

Mini cream-puffs are awesome (see pâte à choux) recommendation above, and they keep pretty well in the freezer.

How about homemade milk caramels?
posted by that girl at 5:18 AM on March 20, 2008

Buckeyes! lost and lots of buckeyes! oh their peanutbuttery and chocolatey goodness
posted by meeshell at 5:45 AM on March 20, 2008

These probably seem basic, but if you, like me, love ginger-y, spicy things, I'd recommend these Tripe-Ginger Spice Cookies. The key is the fresh ginger, which gives the cookies an extra bite that goes beyond your usual gingersnaps. I get raves every time I make them, the recipe makes a ton, and they actually taste better after 2 days of sitting around. You can also make them any size you want--I use a melon baller for perfect portions of dough.

You could probably also add a thin chocolate ganache or vanilla glaze if you want to make them fancy. Or make them into sandwich cookies with lemon or vanilla filling.
posted by CiaoMela at 7:09 AM on March 20, 2008

Dulce de Leche cheescake bars are amazingly good and pretty damn easy. I totally wish I could claim the recipe as my own. I have used store bought dulce de leche instead of making my own as the recipe directs. The resulting cheesecake was much darker than pictured on the link. However, they were still super tasty.
posted by onhazier at 7:24 AM on March 20, 2008

I still need a couple more if anyone has anything else? thanks!
posted by beckish at 6:28 PM on March 20, 2008