Okay, here’s my take on sharing my baby shower dessert prep, blog-style:
Desserts for Baby Shower – My Sweet (and Slightly Stressful) Adventure!
So, my bestie is preggo, and naturally, I volunteered to handle the desserts for her baby shower. I envisioned a Pinterest-worthy spread. Reality? Well, let’s just say it involved a few flour explosions and a near-meltdown (pun intended!).
First, I decided on the menu. I wanted a mix of things: something chocolatey, something fruity, and something… cute. I landed on mini chocolate cupcakes with pastel frosting, lemon bars, and baby-themed sugar cookies. Seemed doable, right?
I started with the cupcakes. I grabbed my trusty box mix (no shame!), but I decided to doctor it up a bit. I added a spoonful of sour cream and a dash of extra vanilla. I mixed everything according to the instructions. Things were going smoothly…until I overfilled the cupcake liners. Disaster! Batter bubbled over in the oven. I quickly scrambled to clean up the mess while the rest baked. They turned out okay, a little wonky, but edible!
Next up: frosting. I whipped up a batch of vanilla buttercream and divided it into three bowls. I added a few drops of food coloring to each – pastel pink, blue, and yellow. I loaded each color into a piping bag with a star tip. I frosted the cooled cupcakes, attempting fancy swirls. Some looked decent; others, well, let’s just say they had character. I added some sprinkles for good measure. The overall effect? Adorable, but definitely not professional.
Lemon bars were next. I’ve made these before, so I felt confident. I mixed the crust ingredients and pressed it into the pan. Then, I whisked together the lemon filling. I poured it over the crust and popped it in the oven. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy! (Okay, maybe not that easy. I did almost forget the sugar!). They baked up perfectly golden brown. After they cooled, I dusted them with powdered sugar and cut them into squares.
The sugar cookies… oh, the sugar cookies. This is where things really got interesting. I found a cute baby-themed cookie cutter set. I mixed the dough and chilled it. I rolled it out and started cutting out the shapes. Baby bottles, rattles, onesies… I baked them until they were lightly golden. Then came the decorating. I made royal icing in various colors. I outlined the cookies and flooded them with icing. This took forever! My hand started cramping. Some of the icing ran. Some of the colors bled together. But hey, they were homemade with love (and a whole lot of frustration!).
Finally, everything was done. I arranged the desserts on a platter. The cupcakes looked cute with their pastel frosting. The lemon bars were bright and lemony. And the sugar cookies, well, they were… unique. Imperfect, but charming in their own way. It took me all day, but I did it!
- Lessons Learned:
- Don’t overfill cupcake liners!
- Royal icing is a beast.
- Start earlier than you think you need to.
- And most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for help!
The baby shower was a blast, and everyone loved the desserts (or at least they said they did!). And that’s all that matters. Now, I’m off to take a nap…and maybe swear off baking for a little while.
