Faux Marble Poured Sugar Centerpiece Recipes

LILY'S MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Butter and flour a straight-walled 10-inch tube pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to mix well. Add the eggs 1 at a time and beat until incorporated.
• In a bowl, whisk together the milk and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Reduce the mixer's speed to low. Alternately add the flour and milk mixture until a smooth batter is formed. Continue mixing for 5 minutes. (It's important to mix for the full 5 minutes.)
• Transfer 1/3 of the batter to a bowl and whisk in the cocoa powder. Stir the coconut into the remaining batter.
• Pour the coconut batter into the pan; then spoon the chocolate batter around. Run a knife through the batter, cutting the batters together to create a marbled effect. (Do not stir.) Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Let the cake cool in the pan. Invert the cake onto a stand or plate, slice, and serve.

SUGAR CUBE HOUSE (TABLESCAPE CENTERPIECE)

Steps:

• Draw a 7 by 7-inch square in the center of 1 piece of the foam core board as a guide for the foundation of the house. Start gluing the sugar cubes around the outline with either the hot glue or royal icing. Make sure to leave a space for the door and once you get to the third level of cubes, leave space for 2 windows on each side. Once the sides are 5 to 6 inches high, arrange the sugar cubes in a pyramid pattern on 2 ends of the house to form the pitched support walls for the roof.
• Cut the second piece of foam core to form a 10 by 10-inch square and score it down the middle. Bend it in half to form a peaked roof and glue it to the top of the house. Decorate the roof with the marshmallows or round white candies.
• Fill the pastry bag or resealable bag with some of the frosting and use it to fill in any gaps in the house or on or around the roof.
• Use any remaining sugar cubes, round white candies, white chewy candies, or marshmallows to adorn the house or make decorations (trees, bushes, fences, or snowmen) around the house on the foam core board. Use extra icing to create snowdrifts around the house. Place the battery operated votive light inside the house to illuminate it.

POURED CARAMEL

Steps:

• Set the butter in a large saucepot over medium heat. When it's halfway melted, add the sugar and salt. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is dark golden brown. It will look grainy and the fat will separate from the sugar and then come back together.
• Remove from the heat and add the evaporated milk while whisking. Be careful! The caramel will bubble up. Scrape up any sugar that's stuck to the bottom of the pan. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Set over low heat and cook, whisking often, until very smooth and creamy, about 1 hour. Remove from the heat and cool completely, stirring occasionally.

MARBLED SUGAR COOKIE CUTOUTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• In large bowl, mix cookie mix, flour, melted butter and egg with spoon until soft dough forms. Divide dough into 3 pieces. Place 2 pieces of dough into 2 small bowls. Tint 1 bowl green, 1 bowl red by stirring in food colors.
• On floured surface, drop scant tablespoons of each dough in random pattern to make large rectangle. Dough pieces should be just touching together.
• Push dough toward center on all sides to make 6x5-inch rectangle. Roll dough 1/4 inch thick to create marbled pattern. Cut with 3-inch cookie cutters. Lightly press back of cookie spatula in flour, and slide under cookie dough; place cutouts 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Press any leftover scraps together, and reroll on floured surface to make more cookies.
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.