Dark Chocolate Cherry Frosted Brownie Bites

I made these cute little brownie bites to go with my Dark Chocolate Cherry Mini Heart Cupcakes, I posted about last week. These tiny little brownies and packed with fudgy, dark chocolate flavor and topped with a sweet, classic buttercream frosting, spiked with cherry extract for a festive Valentine's Day touch. 

Simple Chocolate Pretzel Coins

I love the salty sweet combo of those bags of chocolate or yogurt covered pretzel twists from the grocery store. They sweet melty chocolate coating crunchy pretzel, studded with specks of saltiness is a definite palate pleaser.

Giant Single-Serving Cookie Gift In A Custom DIY Valentine's Day Pouch

What better Valentine gift than to surprise your sweetie with something sweet, like a personalized, buttery, chewy, crispy GIANT chocolate chip cookie! This chocolate chip cookie is so simple to whip together, with no mixer required and is so much more fun to receive than a traditional batch of cookies.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes with Chocolate-Cherry & Cherry-Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Sometimes, less, really is more. Instead of making fancy intricate adornments for my cupcakes, I simply added a tiny little heart sprinkle on top of each one for a simple yet classy and sophisticated touch for Valentine's Day this year. I added a little cherry extract to the frosting for chocolate-cherry and cherry-vanilla flavored frostings. You can also try adding a little raspberry or strawberry flavored extract to my basic chocolate and vanilla buttercream recipe below, for a fun and festive touch!

Heart Shaped Raspberry Cream Patties

These little confections are a variation on my homemade peppermint patties and taste just like the real thing! They have a smooth cream filling and are coated in a rich dark chocolate. I made raspberry cream filling with raspberry extract and red food coloring making them perfect for Valentine's Day! They are a perfect 2 bite candy, great for parties, dessert tables or giving away as Valentine's. You can get creative and use any shaped cookie cutter you like to fit the season or party and create any flavor filling with extracts and food colorings paired with any type of chocolate you like!

Simple Valentine's Day Fudge (raspberry, strawberry or cherry)

Valentine's Day is a month away and I am so excited about all of the fun sweets and treats I have to share with you. I am starting off with a few simple recipes this week that are quick and affordable.  These little fudge bites are so easy to make and so versatile. You can use any type of chocolate you like, from dark to white and flavor them with a fun Valentine's themed extract like raspberry, strawberry or cherry! These are great to make for parties, work/school, or to give out as Valentine's day treats because they can be served and packages up so easily for a perfect little treat.

Fruit Flavored Hot Cocoa for 2 (with "adult" add-ins)

Here is one last post before we have to bid farewell to the (almost non-existent, here in LA) winter season. Chocolate pairs so well with so many flavors it was hard to narrow it down and decide which combo to share. I decided to do something a little more original than a mint or cinnamon infused cocoa, so today I am sharing some hot cocoa recipes with a fruity twist, that can also be spiked with coordinating flavored liquors for an "adult" variation.

Being a "Doll" in the kitchen

I cannot tell you how many pieces of clothing I have stained with oil or ruined during a leisurely Sunday afternoon baking muffins, a late night brownie baking session, frantically baking a last-minute birthday cake or running back and forth into the kitchen while hosting a get-together. After a while I finally learned the importance of a great apron, so my clothes are no longer covered in flour like this...

Food Network "Cupcake Wars" Season 2: Battle of the Champions Recap & Recipes

As many of you know, after a nationwide search for the country's top bakers, I was chosen to compete on the season 1 series premiere of the Food Network show "Cupcake Wars", in June 2010. And guess what?  I WON! And, I was chosen to come back and compete for the title of "best of the best" on a special Cupcake Wars Champions episode, in Dec. 2011 for season 2 !

Edible Football Stadium: "Snackadium"!

Football playoffs are in full swing and Superbowl is just around the corner! If your house is anything like mine, Sunday has been taken over by Football-day since the season began. So to surprise the guys who invade my living room practically every Sunday, I decided to surprise them with a SNACKADIUM! If you have never heard of a "snackadium" before, think of everything that encompasses a typical Sunday afternoon football game at home... chips, snacks, pizza and of course football.

Best of 2012

The Dollhouse Bake Shoppe Blog is officially almost 2 years old! I started this blog in January 2011 and cannot believe the overwhelming growth, feedback and joy it has brought me. Dollhouse Bake Shoppe wouldn't be what it is today if it wasn't for you, my readers, so THANK YOU... really, thank you! You have no idea what your continued support, sweet comments, and fan photos mean to me and how just a one email can put a smile on my face after a long day. I have been fortunate enough to partner with some fantastic big-name brands and have my work published in magazines and featured across the web. So, stay tuned for more small batch dessert recipes, baking 101 tips and tricks, bite size treat tutorials perfect for parties, special occasions, holidays and more in 2013! 

To wrap up the year, here are my most viewed recipes and treat tutorials of 2012...

Check out last year's roundup for the: Best of 2011

READERS CHOICE

Top 10 Treat Tutorials of 2012

10. Marshmallow Gingerbread Kid Pops
My no-bake gingerbread boys and girls were featured as the "Treat of the Month" in the December 2012 issue of Family Fun Magazine! I created a way to flavor, color, and assemble little gingerbread boys and girls our of some marshmallows and a sugar & spice mixture for a simple, no-bake treat!