DIY Saturday #98 – Sandra Lee’s Recipes: Summer Carnival NYC (Video)

Entry #1150, May 5, 2012

Happy Cinco de Mayo and Happy DIY Saturday! Last week when I attended Sandra Lee’s – Summer Carnival in New York City we had an amazing brunch! We had a delicious spread of food, cocktails and desserts! I thought since today is Cinco de Mayo and this holiday is known for celebrating – why not share these recipes with you and I pulled a Food Network video showing one of the tasty treats we had at the Blogger Event.

Summer Berry Salad

Sandra was nice enough to share with us the recipes for the Summer Carnival menu with us. Here are a few of my favorites… including some cocktails… Whe hew… Happy Saturday!

Eggstra-special Eggs

We had these delicious eggs at cocktail time!

Eggstra Special Eggs

Sandra Lee – Food Network – Deviled Egg Recipe Video

Summer Berry Salad

Summer Berry Salad

Summer Berry Salad recipe

Sandy’s Sliders

Sandy’s sliders

Sandy’s sliders recipe

Snickerdoodle Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce

Snickerdoodle Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce recipe

Prep 30 minutes

Bake 40 minutes

Cool 2 hours

Chill 2 hours

Oven 350°F

Makes 10 servings

Nonstick cooking spray

1 package (21 ounces) snickerdoodle cookie mix with spice packet, Krusteaz®

1⁄2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened, Philadelphia®

1⁄4 cup packed brown sugar, Domino®/C&H®

3 eggs

3⁄4 cup caramel topping, Smucker’s®

3⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon extract, McCormick®

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine snickerdoodle cookie mix, half of the spice packet from the cookie mix, and the butter, stirring until mixture comes together. Press mixture into bottom and up side of the prepared springform pan; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, brown sugar, and the remaining spice from packet; beat with an electric mixer on medium until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour into cookie crust.

4. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until set with a soft-looking center. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

5. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat caramel topping over medium-high heat until boiling; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer about 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat; stir in cinnamon extract. Cool to room temperature.

6. Cut cooled cheesecake in wedges. Pour cooled caramel mixture over cheesecake. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

Beehive Cupcakes

How cute are these beehive cupcakes?

Prep 40 minutes

Bake 15 minutes

Cool 30 minutes

Stand 30 minutes

Oven 350°F

Makes 24 cupcakes

1 package (18.25 ounces) butter recipe yellow cake mix, Betty Crocker®

11⁄2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened

3⁄4 cup water

1⁄2 cup plus 3 tablespoons honey, Sue Bee®

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable shortening, Crisco®

8 cups powdered sugar, sifted, C&H®

5 drops yellow food coloring, McCormick®

1⁄4 cup heavy cream

1 tube (4.25 ounces) yellow decorating icing, Cake Mate®

48 black jelly beans, Jelly Belly®

96 sliced almonds, Planters®

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line twenty-four 21⁄2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, 1⁄2 cup of the butter, the water, 1⁄2 cup of the honey, and the eggs with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Scrape down side of bowl; beat for 2 minutes on medium. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.

3. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups; cool completely on rack.

4. For yellow frosting, in a large bowl, beat shortening and the remaining 1 cup butter with electric mixer on medium until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, the remaining 3 tablespoons honey, and the yellow food coloring. Beat until combined. Add cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat on high until desired thickness.

5. To create beehives, insert a large round decorating tip into a large pastry bag. Fill pastry bag with yellow frosting. Pipe a small cone of frosting in the center of the top of each cupcake. Starting from the outer edge of each cupcake and working inward and upward, pipe frosting to form a hive shape.

6. To create bees, pipe yellow decorating icing in thin horizontal lines on black jelly beans. Let icing stand for 30 minutes. Insert two striped jelly beans on each frosting hive. For wings, insert an end of a sliced almond on each side of each striped jelly bean.

Recipe excerpted from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Bake Sale Cookbook by Sandra Lee

Copyright © 2011 Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade www.sandralee.com

California Lemonade

California Lemonade cocktail recipe

Makes 1 drink

2 ounces orange juice

3⁄4 ounce vodka, Smirnoff® No.21™

1⁄4 ounce gin, Tanqueray®

1⁄4 ounce cognac

1⁄4 ounce grenadine

1 splash lime juice

1 splash sugar syrup

Ice cubes

Half-slices lime or lemon

Fresh raspberries

In a cocktail shaker, combine orange juice, vodka, gin, cognac, grenadine, lime juice, and sugar syrup. Cover and shake vigorously. Serve in an ice-filled glass. Garnish

Hula Girl

Hula Girl cocktail recipe

Makes 4 drinks

2 cans (12 ounces each) guava nectar

2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice

4 shots of Vanilla Vodka

1 package (16-ounce) frozen strawberries

1⁄4 cup sugar

3 cups crushed ice

crushed ice

fresh raspberries

In a blender, combine guava nectar, pineapple juice, and frozen strawberries. Add the 3 cups ice. Blend until smooth. Serve over additional ice. Garnish with raspberries.

Now this should be enough recipes to have the perfect party at your home!!  — I expect an invitation! 🙂

To read about my entire trip to NYC with Sandra Lee, click here.

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