party ideas

Cake dougnuts

 Yield Makes 20

Ingredients

• 2 quarts canola oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 packet active dry yeast, or 0.6 ounces cake yeast
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons nonfat buttermilk
• 1 extra-large whole egg
• 2 extra-large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups nonmelting or confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Heat oil in a low-sided six-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until a deep-frying thermometer registers 375 degrees. Lightly dust a baking pan with all-purpose flour, and line a second one with paper towels; set both aside.
2. Meanwhile, place sour cream in a heat-proof bowl on top of a double boiler; set over a pan of simmering water. Heat until warm to the touch. Remove from heat; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Make a large well; place yeast in center. Pour warm sour cream over yeast, and let sit 1 minute.
4. Place buttermilk, whole egg, egg yolks, and vanilla in a medium bowl; whisk to combine. Pour egg mixture over sour cream. Using a wooden spoon, gradually draw flour mixture into egg mixture, stirring until smooth before drawing in more flour. Continue until all flour mixture has been incorporated; dough will be very sticky.
5. Sift a heavy coat of flour onto a clean work surface. Turn out dough. Sift another heavy layer of flour over dough. Using your hands, pat dough until it is 1/2 inch thick. Using a 2 3/4-inch doughnut cutter, cut out doughnuts as close together as possible, dipping the cutter in flour before each cut. Transfer doughnuts to floured pan, and let rest 10 minutes, but not more.
6. Carefully transfer four doughnuts to hot oil. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Turn over; continue cooking until evenly browned on both sides, about 2 minutes more. Using a slotted spoon, transfer doughnuts to lined pan. Repeat with remaining doughnuts.
7. Gather remaining dough scraps into a ball. Let rest 10 minutes; pat into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Cut, let rest 10 minutes, and cook.
8. When cool enough to handle, sift nonmelting sugar over tops; serve immediately.

Photo Bouquet

• Materials 
  Craft foam sheets in a variety of colors suitable for flowers and leaves
  Assortment of family photos which can be cut, sized to fit in the center of a flower (if you don't want to cut your photos, you can always scan and print them)
  Green pipe cleaners
  Dimensional paints (sometimes called "puffy paints")
  Small terra cotta or plastic flower pot
  Piece of floral foam sized to fit inside the flower pot
  Craft glue
  Piece of ribbon long enough to tie a bow around the flower pot
  Scissors

Step 1: Cut the photos so that the person's face is centered in a circle shape. An easy way to do this is to use a small cup or other clear glass or plastic round object or stencil so that you can see the person's face and center it. Trace the circle onto the photo with a pencil and use scissors to cut the photos. These will be the centers of the flowers.

Step 2: Draw or trace flower shapes onto the craft foam sheets, sizing them to work well with the photo centers cut in step 1. Draw on the back of the sheet so that you don't have to worry about pencil lines showing on the front of the finished flower. Then, use scissors to cut out the flower shapes.

Step 3: Use craft glue to attach the photo to the center of the front of the flower. Allow to dry.

Step 4: Twist two pieces of green pipe cleaner together to provide added strength for the stem then attach to the back of the flower using craft glue. You can then use a green circle of craft foam to cover where this attached on the back to add a more realistic look. Allow to dry. Then, add a few leaves to the flower's stem, either by using bent pipe cleaners or by using pieces of green craft foam cut into leaf shapes. You can simply twist the leaves onto the stem if using pipe cleaners, or use craft glue to attach foam leaves. Allow to dry

Step 5: Use dimensional paint around the edges of the photo center to decorate the flower. You can also add details to the petals with the paint if desired. Then, using the paint, decorate the terra cotta or plastic flower pot as well. Allow all the paint to dry completely before doing the final bouquet assembly.

Step 6: After everything is completely dry, it is time to assemble the bouquet. Place a piece of florist's foam in the flower pot. Then, stick the ends of the photo flowers into the craft foam, tie a bow around the flower pot with a piece of ribbon, and enjoy a beautiful bouquet of friendly family faces.

Quick Handmade Baby Shower Favors

 Materials:

•  Medium-sized Swirl Lollipops
• Craft Foam
• Pipe Cleaners
• Googly Eyes
• Tape or Glue
• Ribbon

Directions

 Purchase flat swirl lollipops, one per guest. Choose lollipops with more blue hues for a boy, or more pink hues for a girl. The lollipop will become a baby face.
 Attach the googly eyes to the face of the lollipop using either tape or glue. Set them about 1 1/2 inches apart.
 Use a dime to trace a circle on the craft foam. This is the baby's nose. Cut out the circle and glue on the lollipop, just center and below the eyes.

Draw an oval, with a flat top and bottom on the craft foam. This is the base of the baby's pacifier. It should be about 3 inches from one side to the other. Cut out, but don't attach just yet.

Draw a circle about 3 inches around on the craft foam, to become the handle of the pacifier. Cut it out, as well as the center, leaving a large ring.

Cut a pipe cleaner in fourths. Using one piece, put it through the center hole of the pacifier handle.

Push the pipe cleaner through the oval to attach the pacifier handle to the pacifier. Twist the pipe cleaner ends together on the back of the pacifier. Glue or tape the pacifier to the baby in the position of the mouth.
Make a bow from the ribbon and attach it to the top. (If favors are for a boy, omit this step.) The bow should be on the top, off side. Tape or glue to attach the bow.