Danika’s Card Making Party

This year was Danika’s last big birthday party - we only give big birthday parties for the first 7 years. She wanted to have a Princess party... again! So we asked her if she won’t consider something else, since the last TWO parties were Princess parties.  

She choose a card making party.  

Heidi-Mari and I made each of the 8 birthday friends a pre-cut card making set, the same as the sets we made Danika for a birthday present - they just had to assemble the cards. 

Heidi-Mari painted every girl’s stamped image to fit the colours of the paper.

They enjoyed it so much, as did the mothers!

Look at some of the beautiful cards:

By now the girls were hungry and thirsty!

We didn’t bake a cake this time, only small, sweet, girly treats which Danika chose from the Cupcakes for Princesses recipe book. 

Princess Cupcakes, Rocky Road Brownies, Princess Doughnuts and Princess Heart Butter Cookies. 

Rocky Road Brownies

(makes 18 slices)

350 g Digestive biscuits (we used Tennis Biscuits)

125 g plain chocolate, broken into pieces (we used 85% Lindt Chocolate)

225 g butter

4 tbsp honey

2 tbsp cocoa powder

85 g mini marshmallows

85 g white chocolate chips

• Put the biscuits in a bag, seal the bag and using a rolling pin, crush the biscuits into small pieces.
• Put the chocolate, butter, honey and cocoa in a saucepan and gently heat until melted.  Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
• Stir the crushed biscuits into the chocolate mixture until well mixed.  Add the marshmallows and mix well then finally stir in the chocolate chips.
• Turn the mixture into a 20 cm / 8 inch square cake tin and lightly smooth the top.  Put in the refrigerator and chill for 2-3 hours, until set.  Cut into slices before serving.

Princess doughnuts

We made our own doughnuts in our Panasonic bread machine, using the basic dough cycle.  We then rolled out the dough about 10mm thick and pressed out small circles with a glass and put on a baking tin.  Leave at a warm place until double in size.  Make holes in the middle of the circles (we used a clean thick colouring pencil).  Fry in vegetable oil until brown at both sides.

For the topping:

2-3 tsp water

2-3 drops pink food colouring

200g icing sugar, sifted

decorating sprinkles

• Make the icing by gradually adding the water and food colouring to the sugar until you create a smooth but thick consistency.
• Use the back of a teaspoon to spread the icing over the tops of the doughnuts to make an even, smooth coating.
• Sprinkle your chosen decorations over them and let the icing set for about 30 minutes.

Princess Heart Butter Cookies 

(This recipe is wheat-, diary- and sugar free)

3 1/3 cups spelt flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

250 g butter (at room temperature)

1 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 egg yolk

• In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Using a whisk, a handheld beater, or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the honey and vanilla until fluffy.
• Beat in the egg and egg yolk.
• Sift the flour mixture over the butter mixture.
• Combine with a wooden spoon - don't’ beat it with a handheld mixer at this point, it’s too stiff - or the stand mixer with the paddle attachment just until it’s well combined and there’s no loose flour.  If you’re using a stand mixer, start on slow speed so flour doesn’t fly around, then increase to medium speed and beat for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, if forms a cohesive mass, and your hear the motor straining.  
• If there’s any loose flour on the bottom of the bowl, fold it into the rest of the dough with a silicone spatula and combine for about 15 seconds more.
• The dough can be stored, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator.
• When the dough is cold, cut it into shapes with cookie cutters and pull away the excess dough.
• Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees F or 180 degrees C.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until very pale brown.  

Danika also chose a very delicious homemade Strawberry and Cream Milkshake! 

(serves 2)

175 g frozen strawberries (we used canned strawberries and put it in the fridge)

125 ml single cream (sorry, it isn’t diary free!) but we used raw organic cream.

175 ml cold milk (we used rice milk - which gave it an extra vanilla flavour)

1 tbsp castor sugar (we used honey)

• Put the strawberries, cream, milk and sugar/honey into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

• Pour into glasses and serve (can be decorated with mint leaves)

They enjoyed the party so much!