Sweet Treats for Dad - Fathes Day Desserts

For Years I have been a BIG fan of the magazine FAMILY FUN so when they emailed us here at 24/7 MOMS suggesting we share with you some of their Fun and Kid Friendly Fathers Day Ideas we agreed instantly.

Today I selected 5 of the many YUMMY treats that Family Fun has on their site . Stop by Family Fun's web site to see more great recipes, craft ideas and video demos to help you celebrate Fathers Day this year.

Cupcakes for Dad

These sweet lawn mower cupcakes are a cut-above choice for Father's Day.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

Chocolate-frosted cupcakes
Coconut, flaked
Green food coloring
Hershey's Nuggets
M&M's
Frosting
Black licorice laces.

1. For each cupcake, mix a handful of flaked coconut with a few drops of green food coloring. Press a chocolate-frosted cupcake into the coconut to cover.

2. The mower is made with a dark chocolate Hershey's Nuggets body, brown M&M's wheels, and a red M&M's engine, held in place with dabs of frosting.

3. Shape the handle from a piece of black licorice lace, then insert the ends into the cupcake.

GRILLED BANANAS

Like s'mores, these bananas derive their gooey goodness from the heat of a grill or campfire.

They go nicely with stick-roasted biscuits: simply stretch and coil refrigerated biscuit dough around a bark-free stick and roast over the fire.


RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
Bananas
Brown sugar
Lemon juice
Cinnamon
Butter.

1. For each, cut a banana crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide slices and place the slices in the center of an 18-inch-long piece of aluminum foil.

2. Sprinkle the banana with 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, and a dash of cinnamon. Dot the banana with 1/2 tablespoon butter cut into pieces.

3. Bring the long edges of the foil together and fold them together. Crimp the short ends together above the packet to form a handle; make sure all seams are closed tightly. Use a long stick to place the packet on a warm grill or the coals of a campfire. Let it cook for 15 to 30 minutes.

Remove the packet from the heat, place it on a plate, and carefully open the foil. Let it cool. Top the banana with vanilla ice cream, if you like.


D.A.D. Cake

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 8-inch circular cake pan and one 8-inch square cake pan. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, then beat in the eggs one at a time.

2. Add the milk, melted chocolate, and vanilla, and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 25 to 35 minutes.

3. When the cakes have thoroughly cooled, remove from the pans. Cut the round cake in half to form two Ds. Starting at the top midpoint of the square cake, cut an A by making two diagonal slices (thus forming a triangle).

Spell the pieces out on a large platter, tray, or cookie sheet covered with tinfoil and frost with a favorite chocolate icing. Use brightly colored decorator's icing or cake decorations to outline D, A, and D.

Fun Shirt and Tie Cake

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
9-by-12-by-2-inch cake, store-bought or homemade from scratch or a mix
Pastel icing the color of dad's favorite shirt
Cardboard shirt box (ask at the drycleaner's), lined with waxed paper
White paper for making a shirt collar and two cuffs
Colorful frosting for the tie.

1. Bake a cake in a 9-by-12-inch cake pan, remove from the pan, cool, and place on waxed paper.

2. Start by lining a 9-by-12-inch cardboard shirt box with tissue paper. Cover with a larger piece of waxed paper and flip the cake over and set it bottom-up in the box.

3. Frost with a pastel-shirt colored icing. Cut a collar and two cuffs out of white paper. The collar is a strip, rolled into a ring and taped, with a small V cut out of the center. The cuffs are rectangles with candy cufflinks.

Clicker Cake for the TV Dad

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 baked 13- by 9-inch cake or brownie
Dad's favorite frosting
Gel icing
Various candies.

1. Slightly trim the long sides of a baked 13- by 9-inch cake or brownie to resemble a remote control.

2. Spread on a layer of Dad's favorite frosting, then press on various candies (we used Skittles, M&M's, and Spree candies) for control buttons.

3. Finally, use gel icing to add numbers, arrows, or other symbols to some of the buttons.

4. Add a colorful frosting tie below the point where the collar will be placed. Just before serving, trim away the waxed paper and add the collar and cuffs.