Star Butterfly's Magic Wand from "Star vs. the Forces of Evil"

          Hooray! Today is the official premiere of the new Disney XD show "Star vs. the Forces of Evil" by the awesome Daron Nefcy! I've watched the first two episodes (comprising four stories) several times now on the Disney and Disney XD apps and COMPLETELY LOVED THEM and I'm so excited that the season is officially starting now. I love the character designs and Star's outfits, of course, and the opening and closing music, and the humor, and such sparkly, random, wild magic! Magical girls fahevaah!

          Star's wand looks the way it does because it transformed according to her personality. Check out this video from Disney XD with Daron Nefcy and the cast of "Star vs. the Forces of Evil" talking about what their wands would look like. Mine would probably look like a whisk with sparkles or like a swiss army kitchen tool or something. Or simply what's pictured in this post. I mean, it's completely edible. Yeah, my wand would probably be food and it sadly wouldn't last very long. ((How about a pepperoni personal pan pizza wand that grew back every time I took a bite?))

Star Butterfly's Magic Wand

---

Ingredients (per wand):

2 Circle Sugar Cookies, cooled, either from a mix or homemade

1 Pretzel Rod

~1 Cup Purple Candy Melts

EZ-Dipping Aid/Paramount Crystals (optional)

5 Tiny Pink Heart Sprinkles

Cookie Frosting (optional)

Fondant

Yellow

Light Blue

Dark Blue

Marshmallow Rectangle (recipe here) about 1/2" thick x ~6" long x ~3.5" wide 

Important Items:

Parchment Paper

3 Circle Cookie Cutters of slightly descending size (the largest being the same size as your cookies)

Wing Cookie Cutter (I made my own. Please check out the note on last week's post for info on making your own cookie cutters)

2 Star Cookie Cutters, 1 smaller than the other, making sure the larger star is about the same size as the small circle cutter.

Small Heart Cookie Cutter

Directions:

1. From the marshmallow, cut a circle the same size as your cookies. Cut one wing & then flip the cutter over & cut a second wing. Using the base (non-feather side) of the wing cutter, cut a notch on either side of the marshmallow circle, near the bottom, & then fit/gently press the wings into those notches so you end up with a circle with wings that is all one layer (I'll add pictures of this soon, I realize that it might be a little confusing to visualize). Place the pretzel rod on the center of the circle, wings on either side, about 1/4" down from the top edge. Cut around the rod & then lift up the rod & remove the cut marshmallow form underneath (go ahead & eat it). Cover the winged marshmallow circle with non-stick sprayed plastic wrap until ready to use.

2. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper on a flat surface. Heat the candy melts in either the microwave at 30 second intervals or on the stove in a double boiler, adding a little bit of EZ-Dipping Aid to make the melt more dip-able. Dip the tops & edges of the cookies into the melt & gently tap to let the excess melt drip off. Place on the parchment paper to harden. Hold the pretzel rod over the bowl & spoon several layers of candy melt up & down its length, not worrying about the part you are holding. Lay the coated rod on the parchment to harden as well.

3. Pick which coated cookie you'd like to be the bottom & flip it over, coated-side down. Spread a small amount of candy melt on it & then place the winged-marshmallow-circle on top (prettiest side of the marshmallow facing up). Dip the as-of-yet un-dipped end of the pretzel rod into the melt & then fit it into the notch you cut earlier in the marshmallow circle. Spread a little more melt over the top of the circle & rod & then affix the second dipped cookie to top it all off. Let it all sit for a few minutes to solidify & then spoon/spread a little purple melt around the edges of the marshmallow center so no white is left showing. Let sit again to harden.

4. Roll the yellow fondant to about 1/16" thickness & cut out the large star & medium circle. Use a small sharp knife to cut out a three pointed crown shape & set it aside to harden a little. Use the small star cutter to gently press in the middle of the large star cut-out, making sure to not go all the way through–you just want to make an indentation. Look at the images in the post & use a toothpick to replicate the lines you can see pressed into the star. Next, using melt or some cookie icing, attach the yellow circle to the top of the cookie wand. Cut a small piece of yellow to wrap around the bottom tip of the wand, securing it with more melt or using cookie icing. Roll a small "rope" of yellow fondant to wrap around the edge of the piece you just put on (please see the pictures in this post for a visual).

5. Roll the light blue fondant to the same thickness & cut a circle using the smallest cutter. Secure that on top of the yellow circle. Break off a small piece of light blue & fashion it into a flat butterfly/bow shape & attach it to the pretzel rod just under the cookies (see pictures). Cut out a small heart & let it harden a little.

6. Roll out the dark blue fondant & place the large star on top of it. Cut around the star from point to point, creating a pentagon. Affix the pentagon on top of the light blue circle & then attach the large star on top of that. Cut 5 little triangles from the dark blue & then attach them around the star as shown in the pictures.

7. Using melt or icing, stick the 5 tiny pink hearts on each of the dark blue triangles. Use melt to affix the crown to the top of the wand, holding it in position for a minute until it solidifies in place. Make an indentation in the yellow fondant at the bottom of the wand for the little light blue heart to nestle nicely, & then use cookie icing to "glue" the heart on. You'll need to prop it up to it will stay in position as the icing dries (or, I suppose, if you had a tiny bit of yellow melt you could use that to speed up the process). Now your wand it done & you are ready to fight evil and create laser-eyed puppies!

Make sure you tune into Disney XD tonight to catch this amazing show!

Chocobo Marshmallow 'Peeps' for "Final Fantasy"

          Kweh! Celebrate Easter with Chocobo peeps! Most often large and helpful, sometimes small and adorable, Chocobos, speculatively inspired by Morinaga's malted chocolate balls plus mascot, Miyazaki's Horseclaws from Nausiccaa, and ultimately the Cenozoic Era bird Gastornis, have appeared in almost every game in Square Enix's "Final Fantasy" video game franchise, even getting they're own spin-off series. I chose to go the cutesy route with my design for these treats.

Note: For this recipe you will need to make a Chocobo cookie cutter. There are several ways you can do this, but it all starts with a Chocobo side silhouette template which you can download here. To make the cutter I used  a cookie cutter kit that I got on Amazon which consists of metal ribbon (a long, thin strip of metal), adhesive, and shaping tools with a board to work on. In leu of getting this set (though it does make things easy and straightforward) you can follow these instructions by Jessie Olson on Craftsy using materials purchased at a hardware store OR these instructions on WikiHow using the metal from a disposable lasagna pan.

Alternate Treat Idea: Make marshmallow pops! Follow steps 2 and 3 below to make the marshmallows, but instead of coating with yellow sugar, coat with yellow candy melts. Stick one lollipop stick per Chocobo through the bottom of the marshmallow shape & up into the neck (sounds kinda gruesome!) and then lay the marshmallows onto a wire cooling rack with a sheet of foil underneath. Spoon melted candy melt over the marshmallows until no marshmallow white is visible and let the excess melt drip onto the foil below (you can reuse this if needed to complete the candy coating). Tap the rack on the counter a few times to help with the spreading/dripping process. Let solidify and then squeeze on the blue eyes as described in step 5 below.

Chocobo Peeps

---

Ingredients:
1 Cup Baker's Sugar/Fine Granulated Sugar
Yellow Food Color Gel (+ other colors if you want to make the different Chocobo breeds)
1/2 Cup Water + 1/2 Cup Very Cold Water
2 Packets (~2 Tbsp. total) Unflavored Gelatin
2 Cups (regular granulated) Sugar
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Vanilla
Light Blue Candy Decorating Pen (which is simply candy melt in a squeeze tube)

Important Items:
Food Processor or Blender
Fine Mesh Strainer
Chocobo Shape Cookie Cutter (see note above)

Directions:
1. Pour the baker's/fine sugar into a medium container with a lid & squeeze in several drops of yellow food color gel. Close the lid & shake vigorously to distribute the color (alternately, you can stir with a spoon) until you have vibrantly yellow sugar. Line a large tray with paper towels & pour the colored sugar onto it, spreading it out evenly. Let sit overnight to dry.
2. Line a 9"x13" baking dish with plastic wrap & spray with non-stick spray. Combine the gelatin & 1/2 cup cold water & let sit for about 10 minutes. In a medium pot over medium heat, stir together 1/2 cup water & the regular granulated sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the now solidified gelatin mixture & bring to a boil until the gelatin dissolves too.
3. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl & add the salt & vanilla. Beat on medium high for about 10 minutes or more or until the mixture is white, fluffy, and doubled in size. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the plastic wrap lined dish (previously sprayed with non-stick spray) & spread out evenly (should be about 1/2" thick). Spray another large sheet of plastic wrap with non-stick spray & lay it, spray side down, onto the marshmallow mixture, with as few wrinkles as possible. Let the mixture sit out for about 4 hours to solidify.
4. Break the sugar apart & place/pour it into a food processor or blender & pulse until there are no more chunks. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of the sugar through a fine mesh strainer onto a large plate (discarding any large bits of sugar left behind in the strainer). Using your cookie cutter, cut into the solidified marshmallow mixture & carefully lift the Chocobo shape onto the plate of sugar. Sift more sugar through the mesh strainer onto the top of the cut marshmallow. Use your hands to cover the marshmallow completely with sugar so no white spots remain, & then place the coated Chocobo peep onto another plate. Continue this cutting & sugar-coating process until you cannot cut anymore Chocobos (cut the marshmallow remnants into bits, toss in powdered sugar or cornstarch, & use for cocoa etc.).
5. Pour enough water into a medium pot to submerge the candy decorating pen & heat until the pen/tube is soft (this means the candy melt inside is melted & ready to squeeze). Remove the tube from the water & dry it off. Squeeze one little blue dot onto each Chocobo head, near the base of the beak, to become the eyes (a toothpick comes in handy for this step). Let your peeps sit for a minute until the eyes are hardened & then they are ready to serve! Or, if you'll be using them later, store in an airtight container. And don't worry, there is no pungent odor to these Chocobos, only a nice whiff of sweet vanilla.

Spicy Brain Noodles | iZOMBIE

          CW's "iZOMBIE" premieres tomorrow night and, though I'm usually not into zombie stuff, this show looks like it'll be interesting and fun and full of intriguing characters. And being about a zombie struggling to maintain her humanity, consumables (to brain or not to brain, and then how to brain) will play a major role.

          "iZOMBIE" is loosely based on the Vertigo comic (DC  Comics imprint) series of the same name by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred. The show version centers on Olivia "Liv" Moore (love it) putting a drastically different version of her life together after suddenly becoming a zombie. Different though it may be, how lucky is she to have medical experience and can get a job as an assistant coroner for easy access to bwains. (In the comics the main character is Gwen[dolyn] Dylan who works as a grave digger.)

"The Bits!" (Fry Bits) from "Steven Universe"

          To celebrate #StevenBomb this week and tonight's two part "Steven Universe" special, I want to share this recipe for fry bits! In the second episode of Rebecca Sugar's awesome Cartoon Network show "Steven Universe", the main character Steven, along with one of his Crystal Gem caretakers, Amethyst, hungrily (and good-naturedly) demand the remnants of french fries at the ordering window of the local fast-food joint, Beach Citywalk Fries.

"Give him the bits!"

"The bits! The bits! The bits! The bits! The bits!"

"I can give you actual fries if you want."

"Just the bits please!"

          Somehow, "The bits! The bits!" has worked its way into random conversations in our little family since the episode aired, whether it's playing video games, in the kitchen, or in the car. Oh, the impact of food from great shows on our daily lives!

Note: If you have a little deep fryer that keeps one temperature throughout cooking, you can certainly use it for the recipe below to double cook the potato pieces, but using a pot and thermometer is nice because you can control and change the temperature. If you have a really nice deep fryer that lets you change the temperature though, totally use that!

"The Bits"

---

Ingredients (per 1 serving):
1 Russet Potato
Cold Water
1 Tbsp. Corn Starch
Salt, to taste
Seasoning, to taste (optional. I used Old Bay)
Oil for deep frying (like, peanut, vegetable, canola, or even melted shortening)

Important Items:
Large Pot
Kitchen Thermometer (like a candy thermometer)
Wire Cooling Rack
Paper Towels
Brown Paper Lunch Bag (optional)

Directions:
1. Pour about 2 inches worth of oil into the large pot & begin to heat to 325ºF. Place a paper towel on top of a wire rack near your work area (if you don't have a wire rack, that's okay, you can use a tray or something). Peel the potato & cut it into about 1/4" thick x 1/2" long pieces (it's not really a big deal though, as we're making bits). Put the pieces into a medium bowl of cold water (enough to cover the pieces) & swirl them around with your hands. Drain the water & place the potato pieces on another paper towel & pat dry. Dry out the bowl you just used & plop the potato pieces back in & toss with the cornstarch. Lay the pieces on the clean paper towel on top of the rack & wait for the pot of oil to finish heating up.
2. Using a slotted metal or silicone spoon, lower the potato pieces into the hot oil & cook for about 4 minutes. Remove the pieces to the paper towel/rack & let rest for a minute or two while you increase the temperature of the oil to 375ºF. Lower the pieces back into the oil & cook for about 2-3 minutes more, until a little bit deeper in color & crispy. Discard the old paper towel & place a new one on the rack. Remove the potato bits from the oil & place them on the clean paper towel. If you have a paper lunch bag, put the bits inside & sprinkle a little bit of salt & optional seasonings in & then close it & shake to coat the bits. Roll the bag edges down & enjoy! If you're not going the bag route, simply round the bits into a little pile & sprinkle with salt & seasoning, & then toss them to coat.

* Also check out my Cookie Cat Ice Cream Sandwiches and Together Breakfast! *

Mabel's Sweater Cookies for "Gravity Falls"

          In celebration of Alex Hirsch's "Gravity Falls" coming back on Disney XD tonight (it seems
like it's been forever! even though we did have one episode last month), I took my first step into royal icing cookie decorating and made some cookies that I've had in mind for a good while now: Mabel's sweaters! I definitely need more practice, but this first try has given me confidence to do more decorating with royal icing in the future (the ideas, they just won't stop!).

Note: You can separate a portion of the icing below & make it black to outline the sweaters (using a #2 icing tip), to give it more of a cartoon look. You can use the black to outline the collar too, as well as the ribs–or collar lines–and then fill it in with a little pink. I'm going to make these cookies again at some point and give the black a go, and then post another picture or two so you can see. You can also make more colors to make different Mabel sweater designs (lord knows there are plenty to choose from!) but I wanted to keep it simple for my first time and go for the most memorable/common Mabel sweater.

Mabel's Sweater Cookies

---

Ingredients:

Cookies Homemade Sugar Cookie Dough (recipe here)   OR 17.5 oz Sugar Cookie Mix +      1 Tbsp. Flour      1/3 Cup Butter, room temperature      1 Egg, room temperature Royal Icing 2 Tbsp. Wilton's Merengue Powder 1/4 Cup Water (more as needed) 3 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted

Food Color Gels (I use Americolor brand) Red Deep Pink Purple/Violet Yellow Green Orange

Important Items:
Sweater Cookie Cutter (I found mine on Amazon)
Parchment Paper
2 x Plastic Baggies or Decorating Bags
#2 Icing Tip, with coupler parts
#3 Icing Tip, with coupler parts
Toothpicks

Directions:
1. Cookies: Preheat your oven to 375ºF. If making homemade cookies, make as directed. If using a package mix, whisk together the cookie mix & flour & then add in the butter & egg until fully combined, soft dough forms (you can stir or use a stand mixer). Roll the dough out to 1/4" thickness on parchment paper. Cut sweater shapes at least 1/2" apart & remove the excess dough to roll out for the second batch. Place the parchment with the cutouts on a large baking tray & bake for about 5-6 minutes or until just beginning to brown on the bottom. Carefully lift the parchment paper up by opposing corners & place on a wire cooling rack or towel to cool. Roll the rest of the cookie dough on another piece of parchment & repeat the process. Let the cookies cool completely before decorating.
2. Icing: Mix all of the royal icing ingredients together with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer until the icing is glossy, smooth, & a pipe-able consistency (add more water, a little bit at a time, if it's too thick). Scoop out about a cup & a half to a separate bowl & cover what's left in the mixing bowl with a damp towel. A little at a time, squeeze drops of red & pink, with one or 2 drops of purple, into the icing you scooped out, until you get the dark pink, magenta-ish color of Mabel's sweater (see pictures). Snip the tip of one of the decorating bags & attach the #3 icing tip with the coupling parts (base & ring). Put a piece of tape over the hole of the tip. Put the bag in a tall cup, icing tip down & fold the opening of the bag down. Scoop the dark pink icing in & then fold up the edges & twist. Separate the remaining icing into 4 small bowls & color 1 yellow, 1 purple, 1 green, & 1 orange. Just as you did for the pink icing, prepare a decorating baggie with the #2 tip & scoop in the yellow icing.
3. Decorating: Using the pink icing, outline 1 cookie at a time, leaving a little space around the edge, & then fill the outline in, using a toothpick to push the icing around to fill in any spaces. While the icing is still wet, carefully pipe on a yellow star, using a clean toothpick for fine tuning if needed. Next, dip another clean toothpick into the purple & carefully draw a curved line from the right side of the star (see pictures). In the same manner, make a line of green under the purple, & then a line of orange under the green. Repeat these steps until all of the cookies are decorated & then let them sit for about 10 minutes or so to harden a little.
4. Use the pink icing to pipe on a collar & sleeve cuffs (the cuffs are optional) for each sweater. Let the icing sit for about 5 minutes or so & then use a toothpick to gently press indentation lines on the collars & cuffs to give them a ribbed effect. Let the cookies set for 30 minutes or so before serving or gifting.

* For more "Gravity Falls" food, try my Gnome Puke Cupcakes & try-at-your-own-risk Mabel Juice! *

Sandwich of Death from "Regular Show"

          As a continuation of the "Regular Show" episode "Death Punchies" (s.1, ep.4 ) in which Mordecai and Rigby cause the closure of sensei Sensai's Death-Kwon-Do dojo, "Sandwich of Death" (s.4, ep.13) sees Sensai with a new business; Death-Kwon-Do Pizza & Subs.

"Eat it right, or you die."

          Poor Benson, unaware of this warning and wanting revenge on Mordecai and Rigby for eating his Cheezers Grilled Cheese Deluxe in season 1, episode 7 (recipe here), takes a bite of the Sandwich of Death and suffers the adverse effects. Thankfully the boys, with the help of Sensai and after an awesome 70s and 80s American martial arts movie inspired action montage, find the cure; the Sandwich of Life, consisting of orange cheese slices, lettuce or kale, and sliced tomato on organic multigrain bread (so, if you do eat the Sandwich of Death wrong, you know how to make the cure).

Sensei Sensai's Sandwich of Death

---

Ingredients:
1 Cup Spaghetti Sauce or Pizza Sauce
1/2 Cup BBQ Sauce
Split Top Sub Rolls, cut lengthwise
Package of Sliced Sandwich Pepperoni
Package of Small Sliced Canadian Bacon
Meatballs
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 lb. Ground Turkey
4 oz. Prosciutto, chopped
1 Egg
1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan
2 Tbsp. Plain Bread Crumbs
1 Tbsp. Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp. Salt
Pinch of Ground Black Pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Spray a large baking dish with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, use your hands to squish together all of the meatball ingredients until well combined. Roll into balls (about ping pong size) & place them in the baking dish in a single layer. Cover with foil & bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the meatballs to a container & discard the juices from the baking tray.
Alternate cooking method: Place the uncooked meatballs in a greased slow cooker & pour the sauce mixture on top. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4, until fully cooked.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the spaghetti or pizza sauce with the BBQ sauce, & then spread the mixture on the cut open sub roll. Fold several slices of sandwich pepperoni & Canadian bacon in half & lay them alternately across the bottom half of the sub roll. Top with a row of meatballs & optional extra shredded parmesan &/or chopped fresh parsley, & then close with the top half of the sub roll. Eat wearing cut-off jeans & a mullet and DO NOT LEAVE SANDWICH UNACCOMPANIED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

* Try the Cheezer's Grilled Cheese Deluxe, also from "Regular Show"! *