Mickey Mouse Oreo Cookie Pops

November 18: Mickey Mouse’s Birthday

Happy birthday to Mickey Mouse, the iconic cartoon rodent and the official mascot of the Disney empire. Co-created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, Mickey Mouse first appeared in screen tests for “Plane Crazy” on May 15, 1928. But his official debut in the animated short “Steamboat Willie” on November 18 of that same year catapulted Mickey into megastardom! Now he rules his (Magic) Kingdom, the entire (Disney) Land and the whole (Disney) World!

We enjoy visiting Mickey Mouse and his friends at the theme parks in California and Florida. We are entertained with his Disney-Pixar-ABC-produced movies and TV shows. We shop for mouse ears and more merchandise for our family and friends’ children (and sometimes ourselves!) at the Disney Store in the malls. And we like to eat Mickey Mouse-shaped fun foods, like sandwiches, cookies, rice cereal-marshmallow treats and pops.

Learn how to make Oreo sandwich cookies into magical chocolate-covered pops featuring his famous ears below. These delicious Disney-inspired desserts are great for serving at kids’ parties and for celebrating Mickey Mouse’s birthday!

Recipe

(Based on Google Images)

Ingredients

• Oreo Cookies (regular size, with or without “Double Stuff”)
• Mini Oreo Cookies
• White tube frosting (we used CakeMate brand)
• Semi-sweet chocolate, melted (we used Baker’s brand)
• Colorful non-pareils (we used Wilton brand)

Directions

Twist and separate the mini Oreo cookies for the mouse ears. Scrape off the filling and set aside. Twist and separate the larger Oreo cookies for the face. Squeeze white tube frosting to act as an adhesive for the ears and lollipop sticks. Position two mini Oreo cookies and press in place a lollipop stick.

Cover with the other half of the larger Oreo cookie, using additional white tube frosting as necessary. Push the other end of the lollipop stick into a styrofoam base. Continue assembling other cookie pops. Refrigerate until firm. Melt the chocolate and keep warm. Carefully coat the cookie pop with chocolate, gently tapping off the excess chocolate. Sprinkle with colorful non-pareils. Return to the styrofoam base and refrigerate until the chocolate has set. Serve as is or cover each cookie pop in a treat bag and tie with a decorative ribbon.

Notes

• The font we used on the final food photo above is called “Walt Disney Script” and can be downloaded free from Fonts 101.
• We recommend using at least a 6-inch lollipop stick as the weight of the cookie is heavy.
• Instead of colorful non-pareils, try sprinkling the cookie pops with Mickey Mouse edible confetti.
• Read about Mickey Mouse at Time online magazine.  For even more Mickey, go to the Disney website.
• Try our Oreo turkey cookies for a Thanksgiving treat. View our video on YouTube or see our regular blog post.

Poi (Taro) Bread

November 17: National Homemade Bread Day

We took a drive down to the “Southernmost Bakery in the USA” when we went to the Big Island of Hawaii with Islander’s ohana (family). Punaluu Bake Shop was where we all stopped for snacks and stocked up on sweet breads. We loved all of their light, fresh-baked fluffy loaves—traditional Portuguese and guava and taro flavors.

Having made “mainland” poi for an earlier blog recipe post, Islander decided to use up the leftovers and bake bread inspired by the one from Punaluu Bake Shop. It turned out to be a tasty taro bread with a pretty purple hue!

Prepare poi (taro) bread in a machine for a sweet and simple loaf with a tropical touch. It is a unique and onolicious way to observe National Homemade Bread Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from the Polynesian Cultural Center via Food.com)

Ingredients

• ½ cup poi (or mashed taro paste)
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 ¼ teaspoon yeast
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon purple food coloring
• 3 ¼ cup flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

In the container of the bread machine, place the water, yeast, sugar, butter and egg. Spoon in the poi. Add the purple food coloring, if desired. Top with flour and salt. Place the container in the bread machine.

Set the bread machine to a large (2 pound) loaf, as this bread rises high. Select the cycles for sweet or white bread with a light crust. Press to start. Notice that the purple color blends nicely into the dough. Let the bread machine continue kneading, rising and baking. Remove the baked bread from the container. Cool completely before slicing.

Notes

• See our post on poi and poi pancakes on National Pancake Day on September 26.
• Hawaiian sweet breads make excellent French toast! Prepare them pain perdu style with our recipe. Or cook them into a casserole for breakfast on National French Toast Day on November 28.

Crabmeat St. Martin

November 11: Feast Day of St. Martin of Tours and U.S. Veterans’ Day

What a coincidence that the feast day of St. Martin of Tours falls on Veterans’ Day in America. St. Martin, the patron saint of soldiers, once served in the military like his father, a veteran officer. This fourth-century soldier in the Roman army then became a soldier for Christ. St. Martin made it his mission to help spread the gospel and build the Church. A relic of his military cloak used to be carried into battle by succeeding kings; the military priests who cared for his cloak (cappa Sancti Martini) were called cappelani (translated in French as chapelains, from which the word chaplain is derived).  St. Martin is also the patron saint of the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps.

For the feast day of St. Martin, we combined crabmeat with a creamy sauce to serve with crackers. It is also appropriate to serve ths appetizer at patriotic parties to honor our military members on Veterans’ Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Cooking with the Saints by Ernst Scheugraf via Chef John Folse and Company)

Ingredients

• 1 cup (8 ounces) crabmeat
• ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
• 2 tablespoons onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream, heated
• 1 tablespoon white wine
• ½ tablespoon lemon juice
• dash Tabasco sauce
• salt and cayenne pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons red pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Directions

In a saucepan, melt the butter on low heat. Saute the onions, celery, green onions and garlic until soft but not browned. Mix in the flour. Whisk in the hot cream until slightly thickened.

Let simmer before adding the white wine, lemon juice and Tabasco sauce. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Add the crabmeat, red pepper and parsley. Stir until well blended. Spoon into ramekins. Serve with crackers.

Notes

• The island of St. Martin (St-Martin/St Maarten) in the Caribbean was named Isla de San Martín by Christopher Columbus who first sighted it on November 11, 1493.
• Learn more about the history of Veterans’ Day from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
• The Bible has many military metaphors. Soldiers for Christ are mentioned in the New Testament.
• God bless all our American military men and women today, including Islander’s Daddy (U.S. Navy-Retired), Lisa L. (U.S. Navy-Reserves) and Lisa’s son, Darby F. (U.S. Air Force-Active Duty). Thank you to all our veterans for fighting for our freedoms!