Easy Last Minute Christmas Dessert: Gingerbread Cheesecake Bites

So you've waited until the last minute to plan your Christmas dessert. Have no fear! Lola Pearl is here! These little guys are so yummy, your family will be fighting for the last one. 

The pairing of gingerbread and lemon is something that is super close to our hearts. We have many fine memories of our Grandma Lola pulling gingerbread out of the oven and serving it with lemon sauce. 

Here, we incorporate the two flavors in a new modern way! Watch the video of Lindsay making this dessert on "Winging it, Buffalo Style" last week! 

Recipe after the break!

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Art Imitating Life: Lovely Snowy Gingerbread Christmas Tree Cookies

It's awesome to be able to turn to nature for inspiration when decorating cookies. The swirling snow outside becomes apparent on gingerbread pine trees with royal icing scrolls. Lovely!

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Cute Alert: Gingerbread Toy Soldier Cookies

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Snowflake Cupcakes: A Haiku

snowflakes on the ground 

cupcakes with fondant snowflakes

snowflakes in my mouth

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'Tis the Season for Holiday Baking - love, crumb and pies

Yes, the crust on pies is delicious. But it's hard to argue that a pie topped with crumb isn't a wonderful thing. If you've never made it at home, worry not. As long as you don't mix the three easy ingredients just until it is crumbly. Any more, your chunks will be too big! 

What you need: 

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar 

1/4 cup butter, diced

Once your filling and bottom layer is ready to go, place a sheet of parchment paper over a baking sheet. You can put the crumb on top by scooping and heaving. You want it to look like you've added it too high. The filling (especially if it's apple) will shrink in the baking process. 

Happy Baking!

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Mustache Cookies // Movember Madness

Question: 

What's more fun than custom-made mustache cookies?!

Maybe.... mustache cookies on a stick!  :)
Make some and send us a photo... Happy Baking!

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Gobble Gobble // Turkey Cupcakes

Today's word of the day is rafter.
A rafter is a group of turkeys.

Rafter rapture is what happens when you see these cupcakes with an empty stomach and sweet tooth!
Happy Thanksgiving!

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Incredibly Cute Monsters, Inc. Cupcakes

To make these beautiful cakes, you need a little bit of fondant, and a lot of patience. 

An absolute treasure: Disney's Mike Wazowski & Sully cupcakes are stars of the show!

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As Seen on TV: Vampire Brownie Bites // Easy Halloween DIY Recipe

Looking for something fun and festive to make for your Halloween party? Try your hand in these vampire brownies! It's super easy and kid-friendly - perfect if you're looking for something quick and impressive!

What you need:

Brownie mix

Chocolate sandwich cookies

Nerd candies

Candy Corn

Knife

Prepare brownies according to package/recipe.

Let cool and cut into even rectangles.

Trim off the edges of sides of rectangle to resemble a coffin (trim short edges on one side, longer edges on opposite)

Cut off the white tip of the candy corn. Cut the white piece in half so that they are even in size.

Twist off one of the cookies, leaving one cookie with cream filling.

Mark with a knife a triangular peak on the top of the cream.

Place two nerds of the same color as eyes.

Construct the fangs beneath the eyes near mouth.

Secure onto brownie coffins with frosting or cream cheese buttercream. 

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Spotted: Spooky Halloween Cupcakes and Treats on set of "Winging it, Buffalo Style"

Halloween is a cupcake decorator's dream holiday. The more gross, the better! Case in point, the Lola Pearl Bake Shoppe Halloween segment on "Winging It, Buffalo Style" this morning. Here are some snapshots of our favorite gross-out treats. 'Tis the season!

For full video, click here bit.ly/1f0wLDG.

"Bat's eye view" of the bloody eyeball red velvet cupcakes

Caramel "earwax" marshmallows

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Who's your "mummy" [Halloween] cookies

You've got to love a cookie cutter that can be tansformed into different things. 

Case in point: The gingerbread cookie cutter that was once voodoo dolls can also be spooktacularly awesome mummy cookies! 

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Voodoo Doll Cookies

What's better than taking revenge on an ex by eating the head off a voodoo doll cookie?! 

So clever!

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Spooky Halloween Cupcakes

Frankenstein Monster Cupcakes

We love Halloween! But we love Halloween cupcakes more! Which one is your favorite? 

 

Death By Chocolate Cupcakes

Red Velvet Brain Cupcakes

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Mini Cupcakes = Bite-sized beauties

While shoving your face into a dessert is one of our favorite pastimes, once in a while it's fun to pop in a mini dessert. Case in point: these bite-sized beauties.

But the question is: If you could have just one, which would you choose?

Cinnamon cake with cream cheese frosting?

 or

Funfetti cake with vanilla frosting and sprinkles on top? 

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Spider Cupcakes - Ready for Halloween!

Along came a spider......

These Halloween cupcakes are all dressed up and ready to scare!

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Perfectly Pink Birthday Cupcakes

Nothing says birthday special like cupcakes with pink buttercream and rainbow sprinkles. 

The star tip is the most classic of the swirls and gives a celebratory scream worthy of any birthday! 

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Stairway to [cupcake] heaven

Word on the street is that cupcakes with mile-high frosting pave the way to buttercream heaven...

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Onesie cookies are perfect for baby showers!

When planning the arrival of a new baby, showers and announcements haven't been sweeter since the creation of the onesie cookie cutter.  

These onesie cookies are adorable!!

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Minion Cupcakes Invade Buffalo's Winging It!

Minion cupcakes are as easy as they are adorable. You do not have to be a professional cupcake decorator to create these at home. They are perfect for back to school or a birthday party. 

Here is the step-by-step instructions as seen on CW23's "Winging It, Buffalo Style"!

What you need:

Twinkies

White Cupcake mix (eggs, oil, water)

Black frosting

Sugar Eyeballs

3 plastic piping bags

Buttercream frosting

1 pound of powdered sugar

4 sticks of butter, at room temperature

2-4  tablespoons of Heavy Cream

2 tablespoons of vanilla

                Blue food coloring

Blue Buttercream + Eyeballs  + Twinkies
= The Secret to Minion Cupcakes

Instructions:

-Prepare the cupcakes according to the mix.

-While the cakes are baking and cooling, make the frosting.

How to make homemade buttercream frosting:

1. Using the paddle attachment, beat butter for about 3-4 minutes on medium speed.

2. Add sugar by the cup, starting at a slow speed.

3. Combine vanilla and heavy cream, while increasing the speed to medium high until it reaches your desired consistency.

(Add blue food coloring either to the mixer, or an additional bowl with a spatula, and fill a piping bag with the blue frosting.)

Minion cupcakes on set this morning at "Winging It, Buffalo Style"

How to prepare the minions:

1.    Unwrap Twinkies and lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

2.    Cut about 1 1/2 inches off one end of cakes

3.    Fill 2  pastry bags with black frosting, cut one 1/3th of an inch and another 1/8^th of an inch

4.    With the piping bag that has the bigger end cut, pipe a line across the top of the Twinkie (about 1.5 inches from the top)

5.    Place the sugar eyeballs onto center of the line

6.    With the smaller cut piping bag, pipe a smile and hair onto the Twinkie

7.            Secure the minion onto the frosted cupcakes Pin It

RECIPE ALERT: Blueberry sauce/compote

If you love blueberries, hopefully you've already tried our recipe for this delicious compote. The fragrance of the berries while they pop and release their juices is, by far, worth the very little effort needed.

Next comes the hard part: deciding what to put them on! Pancakes, cupcakes, ice cream, all would be a dream companion to this quick and easy summer staple. Pin It

The Story of the Ultimate Wedding Cupcake

Once upon a time, there was a tiny cake. It was baked in a liner of white and dressed in the finest paper crown. On top, a dollup of frosting was covered in fondant.

But wait, there is more!

Adorned with a gumpaste carnation, the cupcake had a pattern of swiss dots surrounding the edge.

Et voila: The Ultimate Wedding Cupcake

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Mighty Cute Minion Cupcakes

"Descpicable Me" cupcakes made easily with Twinkies and some imagination!

Click here to learn how to make these little guys!

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Dora the Explorer Cookies!

A party with Dora the Explorer cookies is a party that has many smiles! These cookies are piped with royal icing, and filled in with color flow (watered-down royal icing). Stay tuned for a DIY lesson we will share soon! 

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Paradise Pina Colada Cupcakes

Lemon cupcakes are a perfect match for homemade coconut buttercream. If you use coconut extract, be careful to slowly add the extract. You do not want your buttercream to taste like a bottle of tanning oil.

Lemon zest is a baker's best friend when baking lemon cupcakes, so save some from when your mixing your batter to sprinkle on top with some toasted coconut! Pin It

Happy Birthday - Flamingo Cake!

Fact: A summer birthday party is more fun with a cake adorned with hot pink flamingos! 

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Sugar Alert: Fluffernutter Cupcakes

What do you get when you combine peanut butter buttercream, fluff and peanut butter cookies? 

Fluffernutter cupcakes! YUM

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Spotted: Elegant Wedding Cupcakes + Matching Cake

Isn't she lovely?

There's no need to get a fancy cupcake tower. These metal cupcake trees that hold cupcakes are popular and widely available at any craft or hobby store. 

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One Fish, Two Fish... [Dr. Seuss Cupcakes]

Dr. Seuss is an ever popular birthday party and baby shower theme. Rightfully so. The primary colors allow for decorating with ease. Nothing is as easy as an edible image! These cupcakes look great. The coordinating sugar and sprinkles are super cute.

One, two, three. How many cupcakes do you see? 

 

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Pink Roses + Wedding Cupcakes

The wonderful world of weddings includes cupcakes, edible glitter, and beautiful pink roses. Add a tranquil setting, a lovely couple - you've got all you need!

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Cupcake Tip: Avoid Zombie/Vampire Mouth

It would seem to be common knowledge that when you eat a heavily pigmented frosting, that your mouth would turn into that color. When you make or order colored cupcakes, you must be prepared for zombie mouth and a party of well-fed vampires. So be kind to your guests, and if you must color your cupcakes, choose pastels!

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DIY cupcake party ideas

When it comes to cupcakes and parties, it's a trusted LP theory that the more choices people have, the happier the party is!

Need a little guidance? 

Make a batch of chocolate and a batch of vanilla cupcakes, and mix the frostings. Rim the sides with different sprinkles, crunched cookies, cereal or candy. Fruity Pebbles or Cocoa Krispies would be an awesome cupcake addition!

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peace, love, and chocolate [cupcakes]

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Easy 4th of July Dessert

When we welcome summer, we also welcome berry season. Blueberries, strawberrys, raspberries abound. The 4th of July is a perfect holiday to celebrate the Earth's sweet bounty and create patriotic desserts for those you love. 

You may even luck out and find mini brownie bites already baked and packaged for you in the bakery department of your grocery store! Even if that is not the case, and you want to whip up a batch of brownies or mini cupcakes for your 4th of July bbq, be sure to grab a pint of strawberries and blueberries to add a festive touch without the red and blue mouths (from food coloring). That being said, we were eager to share our ideas and be a part of Karina Lopez's summer soiree spread in this month's Buffalo Magazine. 

 Pick up your edition of this month's 

Buffalo Magazine today!

Cheers! Have a safe and happy 4th of July! xo

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As Seen on TV: DIY "Cronuts", Buffalo-Style!

“Cronuts” are a deep-friend croissant that is filled like a donut. People are lining the streets of New York City to pay $5 a pastry for these bad boys. Whether you call them a cronut or a "doissant", these are super fun to make. 

Behold:  the DIY version.

What you need:

2 cans Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits

¼ cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups heavy whipping cream

Instant pudding mix: strawberry, chocolate or caramel

1 ½ inch cookie or biscuit cutter

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Celebrate National Splurge Day with Snickers Cupcakes

When you have caramel buttercream over chocolate cupcakes, drizzled with caramel, chocolate ganache and sprinkled with honey roasted peanuts - do you need another reason to splurge?! 

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Spotlight on: Classic Chocolate Buttercream + Cupcakes

It's simple. Paring white cake with chocolate butteream will hit it out of the park each time.

Here's an LP favorite:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. 
2. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
3. Add small amount additional milk, if needed.
4. Stir in vanilla. 

Yeilds about 2 cups frosting. 

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Fondant Baby Faces = Perfect for Baby Shower Cupcakes!

Whoa. How adorable!

What you need:

1. Skin-toned fondant

2. Pink royal icing

3. Two circle cutters (one tiny, for ears; one larger, for heads)

4. Edible markers 

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