Birthday Baking or “No Bake” Goodness

It’s time for another #yummybday roundup. I know the real reason I have twitter followers is because people want to see the treats I share each day. Fine. Here’s the latest greatest hits for you. It can help you with upcoming birthdays and all those holiday potlucks coming up too. You’re welcome.

For the Chocolate Lover

And because I can’t believe I missed last week’s National Chocolate Day:

These tantalizingly named Cookie Dough Billionaire Bars make the cut with their shortbread, salted caramel sauce, cookie dough and chocolate ganache layers.

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Or a double dose of goodness with @mindoverbatter’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:

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@BeyondFrosting gives us this No-Bake Snickers Icebox Cake, which I love for the “no bake” part:

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For the gluten-free, some fudgy, gooey brownies from @Texanerin:

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Fruit Lovers Unite!

Combine fruit and funnel cakes with @grandbabycake’s Strawberry Shortcake Funnel Cakes:

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Lindsay of @Life_Love_Sugar provides us this Banana Pudding Ice Cream Cake:

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Lemon’s a fruit too…Thanks @WillCook4Smiles for this Lemon Oreo Cheesecake:

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Hand-held Yumminess

OK, this one tackles two favorites: eating with our hands and S’mores. Check out @shugarysweets’ Ooey Gooey Hand Pies:

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Also with marshmallows…I’m weak in the face of fluffy whiteness. Thanks @spoonforkbacon for these Salted Gingersnap Mallomars:Screen Shot 2016-10-28 at 4.11.45 PM.png

Plus one more from @shugarysweets who often makes my #yummybday tweets — Birthday Cake Fudge.

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Finally, another of my favorite ingredients from a familiar fellow blogger @cookierookiebec. How about Loaded Salted Caramel Soft Batch Cookies?

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Can you believe I held off an entire year before sharing all that yumminess in one blog? I need to do this again more often. I also welcome suggestions. Or, if anyone wants me to do some taste testing of sweets recipes, let me know at @BirthdaysBest…I’m willing.

#yummybday? Yes Please.

One of the fun parts of writing about birthdays is definitely the curating of #yummybday. There are so many creative bakers out there coming up with delicious recipes to share with the world. In thanks for their mouth-watering work, this week I’m highlighting some of the ones that have made me wish I had more birthdays to bake for!

A summer birthday party would become even more special with these uber-cute Mini Ice Cream Cone Cake Pops by Endlessly Inspired.

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Source: Endlessly Inspired

Or how about Host the Toast’s Birthday Cake Remix Brownies? These look scrumptious and festive at the same time!

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Photo source: Host the Toast.com

For a full-on cake birthday batter experience, I’ve been wowed by The Busy Spatula’s Funfetti Cake Batter Cake.

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Source: Busy Spatula

My husband would love these Red Velvet Brownies with Oreo Cream Cheese Mousse and Chocolate Ganache from Domestic Gothess.

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Source: Domestic Gothess

Whereas I’m more interested in a straight-up chocolate option such as Sprinkle Bakes Chocolate Therapy Cake.

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Source: Sprinkle Bakes

Or chocolate paired with salted caramel too — such as Sugar Hero’s Salted Caramel Chocolate Mousse.

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Source: Sugar Hero

One more awesome option I can’t resist sharing? Cookie Batter Salted Caramel Banana Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody.

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Source: Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

You know you want to get in the kitchen now, right? Or at the very least you want someone to ask you to taste test some of these recipes. Enjoy and check out #yummybday from @birthdaysbest while you’re at it.

Donating a Birthday

When I go to lunch at my son’s school one of the typical topics of conversation is birthday parties. Who is having one. Who will be invited. Where the party will be held. What awesome presents the excited child can expect. This conversation happens even when no one at the table has a birthday party for another six months!

Yet there are kids who do not have a home at which to celebrate a birthday. It’s not that their families don’t want to give the child a special day — they can’t.

That’s where a well-intentioned organization such as Birthday Blessings comes in. According to their site, their goal “is to bring joy, recognition and support to homeless children and families during difficult times in their lives.” Birthday Blessings is local to Charlotte where I live. A student in one of my classes researching a non-profit introduced me to the organization. Then, my son’s school hosted a Birthday Blessings party, too. What a joy it is to help homeless children celebrate and feel special!

Another organization with a similar goal that I recently encountered is Celebration Cakes Ministry in Kentucky which bakes birthday cakes for children referred by social workers and other agencies.

Is there a birthday-themed organization where you live? I’d love to learn about more of these great ideas!

Profile photos by: D Sharon Pruitt of http://www.pinksherbet.com

Photo by: D Sharon Pruitt of http://www.pinksherbet.com

Data, Schmata. Where’s my cake?

I have discovered that my 42 birthday candles this year will produce 42 BTUs or 10,584 calories of heat. Paul Sadowski’s Birthday Calculator then tells me I “can boil 4.80 US ounces of water with that many candles.” Since I can be sure to be enjoying a Chai Latte on my birthday, I can predict right now it will not be heated using my birthday candles. I’m more of a 16-ounce chai drinker. Plus, it’s my birthday. Why am I trying to boil water over candles?

Let’s just eat the cake!

 

The calculator, though, has a lot of neat details. I learned my ruling planet (Venus), celebrities who share my birthday (Elizabeth Shue!), and that I was born on a Friday to be a rat according to the Chinese Zodiac. That and Marigold is my birth flower.

Courtesy of burpee.com

(Photo courtesy of burpee.com)

Oh, and the top songs of that year included one I’ve always liked when performed by the Holly Cole Trio. But, while looking for that video, I found a cool one by a performer that leaves me amazed every time. Enjoy Bobby McFerrin using only his voice and body, plus his audience, to perform the song.