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Friday, July 31, 2015

Star Wars Party!

 

I really can't take the credit for this. This is an amazing party that my sister threw for all of her nieces and nephews, but her ideas were just so cute that I had to share them (and the recipes) as well. Be sure to check out her blog post regarding this party, because it is beyond awesome (besides the recipes, she had obstacle courses for the "younglings" to pass in order to become Jedi, and she also had a movie preview starring all of the cousins). Check out her blog here. Oh, and be sure to check out the movie preview she created for the kids. They loved it! You can find the move preview here.

 

Han-Burger Sliders

Ingredients:

1 medium onion
1 1/2 pounds 90/10 ground beef
1 large egg
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Freshly ground black pepper
6 slices American cheese, quartered
24 thin plum tomato slices from 2 to 3 tomatoes)
24 dill pickle slices
24 mini potato buns
4 large iceberg lettuce leaves, cut into 24 even pieces
Ketchup and yellow mustard, for serving

Directions:

Special equipment: a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the onion in half, and shred each half on the large holes of a box grater. Squeeze the shredded onion dry between 2 towels, and scatter around a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet.

Put the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, and mix gently, just enough to incorporate evenly. Drop mounds of the mixture all around the baking sheet, and press them into an even layer without disturbing the onions too much (but expect some of the onions to move around and peek through the meat). Brush the top of the meat with the vegetable oil, then season it evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of fresh pepper. Score the meat into 2 squares, cutting completely through with a spatula.

Bake until browned and no longer pink in the middle, 8 to 9 minutes. Put a small square of cheese on each patty, and return to the oven to melt, about 30 seconds. Let rest a few minutes, then recut along the scores to separate.

Top each patty with a slice of tomato and pickle. Slide a spatula into the pan and let guests serve themselves. Serve alongside a platter with the buns and lettuce. Don't forget the ketchup and mustard.

Yield: 8 servings (3 sliders per person). 

Source: Originally posted on our blog here. This is a Food Network recipe that you can find here.

Notes: These are great and so easy. I always skip the onion in this recipe though since my boys wouldn't eat it.

 

Pretzel Lightsabers

Ingredients:

1 bag pretzel sticks
1 bag blue candy melting wafers
 1bag yellow candy melting wafers
Wax paper
Cookie sheet

Directions:

Melt candy in a double boiler or microwave according to package instructions.

Dip pretzels about 2/3 of the way into melted candy.

Twirl around pot until covered. Shake to remove any excess.

Place on cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

Place in refrigerator until set.

Source: Pottery Barn Kids. However, it appears that it isn't online anymore (or at least I couldn't find it).

Notes: Basic, but really cute.

 

Jabba's Juice

Ingredients:

1 package (4 ounces) lime Kool-Aid mix, sugar-sweetened
1 cup warm water
20 assorted gummy creatures
3 cups crushed ice
3 liters sparkling water, chilled
1 can frozen limeade with pulp, defrosted
Green food coloring, optional

Directions:

In a large punch bowl, combine the Kool-Aid mix with 1 cup warm water and stir until dissolved.

Wet the undersides of the gummy creatures with warm tap water and set aside, wet side up, to become sticky.

Add the ice to the punch bowl and slowly pour each liter of sparkling water into the bowl, stirring to combine. Add the limeade and stir. If desired, add a few drops of green food coloring for a more dramatic color. Stick the gummy creatures to the outside and the inside lip of the bowl. If they do not adhere, rewet and set aside until "gummier."

Makes about 4 1/2 quarts.

Source: This came from a Star Wars cookbook that my sister has. I'm pretty sure it is this book.

Notes: This was a tasty drink and the kids thought it was a lot of fun.


Watto-Melon Cubes

Ingredients:

1/2 large seedless watermelon
Blue decorating sugar

Directions:

Cut the watermelon into 2-inch-wide round slices. Trim away the rind. Cut the melon into s-inch-square cubes.

Gently dab each side of each cube on a paper towel to dry them slightly.

Pour the blue decorating sugar onto a plate.

Dip two sides of each cube into the sugar and place on a small plate, four cubes per serving.

Serves about 4.

 

Source: This came from the same cookbook that the Jabba Juice came from.

Notes: You know, watermelon is great...but dip it in decorating sugar and it is a magical thing. This was really good.

 

Star Wars Sarlacc Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

Caramel Bundt Cake:

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

Biscoff Madeleines:

2 large room temperature eggs
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground Biscoff Cookie crumbs
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of cinnamon (or more, to your taste)
8 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

Decoration:

1 package Biscoff Cookies (8 oz)
Your favorite salted caramel sauce
Your favorite vanilla frosting
Handful of raw slivered almonds

Directions:

Caramel Bundt Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and grease your bundt cake pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

With an electric mixer and paddle attachment, beat the softened butter with both sugars until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time until each is well-mixed. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add vanilla and mix some more.

On low, add the flour mixture alternating between the dry ingredients and the buttermilk. Start with the flour and end with the flour. Mix until just combined.

Pour into bundt cake pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool in pan for about 20 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Biscoff Madeleines:

Start by setting oven to 375 degrees F.

Lightly grease and flour your madeleine pan.

In a food processor, blend package of Biscoff Cookies into crumbs. Set aside.

Beat eggs and sugar together until thick.

Beat in vanilla and salt.

Sift flour, Biscoff Cookie crumbs, cinnamon, and baking powder into bowl and fold together until mixed.

Stream in melted butter while mixing on low.

Spoon a tablespoon of batter into each cavity.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Be careful to not overbake.

Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing.

Make sure pan has cooled before baking the next batch.

Cookie Tentacles:

Pour some of the madeleine batter into a small ziplock bag and snip off the corner.

Pipe tentacles on parchment paper or a greased cookie sheet. Don't make them too thick because the batter spreads as it bakes. One thin line should do.

Bake at 375 degrees F. until golden brown.

Assembly:

Once the cake has cooled, drizzle the entire cake with caramel sauce.

Cover the cake with the Biscoff Cookie crumbs.

Using the raw almonds, create the spikes or teeth on the interior walls of the pit.

Fill the pit with frosting and cover with the Biscoff Cookie crumbs.

Using a small piping tip (or a bag with tip snipped off) create teeth along the outer edge of two madeleine cookies. Place cookies inside the pit.

Surround the beak with the cookie tentacles.
 
Source: We found the idea on Pinterest. It comes from a website called Yummy Crumble. You can find it here. She got the bundt cake recipe from Go Bold With Butter. You can find that original recipe here.

Notes: Our sarlacc pit wasn't as successful as Yummy Crumble's, but it was still a lot of fun! Our tentacles didn't work (they crumbled apart). So, be sure to check out Yummy Crumble's pictures. They are awesome. While our cake wasn't as awesome, it still got the point across and was still a lot of fun for the kids.

Honestly, this cake sounds like too much work to me (my sister made it though, not me). I would have used a yellow cake mix, topped it with caramel topping and Biscoff Cookie crumbs, done my best with the sarlacc monster using store-bought cookies and frosting and called it a day. :) This was delicious though!

  

Above: Oops...it looks like the sarlacc got some sand stuck on its teeth...oh well...

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