Dinner Parties Archives - Page 40 of 70 - Garden Seeds and Honey Bees

Graduation Cap Straws

Cap

Black Card Stock
Round Paper Punch
Black Straws
Paper Cutter
Scissors, optional for cutting
Glue Gun
Glue Sticks

I used a 12 x 12 inch piece of black card stock, cut a 2 inch strip and then cut the strip again into 2 inch squares. Punch a hole in the center of each square. (Cut as many as desired, we made 8)

Now cut 1/2 inch strip of black paper from the 12 x 12 paper and then cut the 1/2 x 12 inch strip into 5 1/2 inch Strips, for the cap-head part of the cap. Make an oval shape with the 5 1/2 inch strip, over lapping 1/2 inch and glue.

Attach the oval shape by placing glue on one of the edges of the oval and then glue it to the top hat square.

Allow drying and insert straw into hole. Add tassel if desired.

Tassel

Embroidery Floss, in school colors or college colors
Gold Wire, thin, like a 26 gauge crafting wire (Note: My wire was thicker, so yours would wrap around smoother than mine.)
Optional: Glue Gun, glue sticks

Cut 6 – 6 inch strands of floss, put them together matching all the ends and fold in half. (making a looped end)

Cut another strand about 10 inches long, fold in half, matching the strand ends and add to the above looped floss and matching the strand ends. (This strand should loop taller above the other loops.)

Cut yet another strand of floss and tie all the strands together, making a tassel with about a 1/2 inch loop opening where folded and there will be 1 taller loop for hanging the tassel.

Optional: Wrap gold crafting wire around where the tassel is tied together (wrap around about 4-5 times) or wrap with another piece of embroidery floss securing with glue.

Also see Graduation Cap Pops

Enjoy!

Lindy

Hot Cross Buns made with White Wheat Flour. This is part two to Hot Cross Buns Made with raisins and Cinnamon. We cut this recipe in half and made half of them Plain White Wheat Cross Buns and the other half raisin and Cinnamon.

Also see Hot Cross Buns (Raisin Cinnamon)

Hot Cross Buns

*Recipe is for Plain White Wheat Hot Cross Buns and Raisin Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns

*2 1/2 teaspoons Instant Yeast

*1/2 cup warm Water

*1/8 teaspoon granulated Sugar

*1 1/2 cups Milk or reconstituted Instant Dry Milk

*1/2 cup Extra Light Olive Oil

*1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

*2 cups White Wheat Flour

*3 cups All-purpose Flour, more if needed

*1/2 teaspoon Salt

*1 teaspoon Baking Soda

*1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

Yeast:

In small bowl combine (the above three ingredients) warm water, yeast and teaspoon granulated sugar. Stir (I liked to stir with clean finger) and let rise until bubbly.

Mix by hand in bowl or use a stand mixer on low with dough hook if desired and mix together adding: Milk, oil, sugar, 2 cups White Wheat Flour and Bubbly yeast mixture.

Whisk together in a separate bowl 3 cups all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

Add the whisked dry ingredients slowly into the dough mixture, (adding more flour if needed) mixing on low or kneading by hand, forming a slightly sticky dough ball.

Sugar Filling Mixture:

*1/4 cup granulated Sugar

*1 teaspoon Cinnamon

*1/4-1/2 teaspoon Cardamom

*1/2 cup Soft Raisins, (I like to soften raisins in with 2-3 tablespoons water in the microwave for a couple of 30 second intervals.)

Combine sugar, cinnamon and cardamom in small bowl. Then roll out the dough or with floured hands spread out dough and sprinkle with sugar mixture and raisins on top of dough, then fold the dough in half closing up mixture topping again sugar mixture and raisins and repeat fold again.

With a pastry cutter, cut 2 ounce pieces of dough forming them into a ball shape. Place formed dough balls onto a Silpat covered 1/2 baking sheet or spray baking sheet with Pam cooking spray.

Bake in pre-heated 400*F. oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes about 30 rolls

Option 1: For making a cross on the buns, mix 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water to make a paste. Paint on (with a pastry brush) a cross with the paste on raised buns just before baking.

Option 2: For shine glaze on rolls, use 1 egg white with a splash of milk, whisked and brush dough rolls with pastry brush, this will give a shiny glaze on the rolls.

Frosting Glaze:

*Recipe is for half the above dough recipe. Double for using the full recipe above.

*1 cup Confectioners’ Sugar

*1 tablespoon Butter, melted

*pinch Sea salt

*1/8 teaspoon Imitation Vanilla

*Milk, small amount, add until desired consistency for piping cross on rolls.

Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and salt, slowly adding milk, melted butter and vanilla until smooth.

Pipe on frosting using a Zip-loc sandwich sized bag filled with frosting glaze, cutting off bottom corner of the bag or use a pastry bag.

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Women