D.I.Y Treats Galore for Mother's Day

All of us want to show how much we love our mothers. We spend from few dollars to hundreds, even thousands of dollars, just to make and keep our mothers happy during Mother's Day. We bring them to a fancy restaurant. Unfortunately, the amount of money you have spent will not determine your mother's happiness. The saying," The higher the price, the better" never applies in a true mother's world.

However, the more effort you put in giving her a treat, the better. Do-it-yourself treats are best for mothers. Why? The keyword is effort. It is priceless. During making the treats, your thought will be lingering on your mother. And that what thrills mothers.

I have list down some easy-to-do recipes Mother's Day treats. For people who are known being very busy with their careers through out the year, these ideas are best for them. Let your mother knows that even though you are busy, you are still able to allocate time to make these treats for her. Such a good child!

Family Faces Cookies

250 grams butter or margarine

½ cup icing sugar or confectioner's sugar

3 cups cake flour

Vanilla essence

For decorations:

Icing sugar

2 egg whites

Food colourings

Cream the butter or margarine with sugar until fluffy. Add flour a spoon at a time until all the flour has used up. If the dough is still sticky or very soft, you may need to add some flour. Transfer the dough to a marble board. Roll it to 1.5cm thick. Use a big round cutter to make palm-sized cookies. Bake at 170C for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool the cookies on a wire. Meanwhile, prepare the sugar icing by beating the egg whites with fork till foamy. Then, add icing sugar bit by bit, until you reach sugar icing's consistency, tint it with food colouring. You may need to make a few batches for different colours. This is a very fun process, get your kids to help you, they will be delighted.

Finish it by drawing faces (cartoon) of your family members, such as, your sisters, brothers, father, husband and children. Let the icing set.

Your mother will have a hard time to eat these cookies. You just have to convince her that it symbolises the whole family will be "in" her forever.

Mom's Mega Cookies

250 grams butter or margarine

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup rolled oats

½ cup desiccated coconut

¼ cup sunflower seed

¼ cup black raisin

¼ cup chocolate chips

¼ cup self-raising flour

¼ cup cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Cream the butter or margarine with brown sugar until fluffy. In a big bowl, put in all the rest of the ingredients and mix it well. Pour the butter and sugar mixture into the bowl. Blend it well. Shape the dough into palm-sized cookies. Bake at 170C for 15 to 20 minutes.

This Mega Cookies is like mothers, packed with all the goodness!

Carrot Cupcakes with Cheese Filling

Dry Ingredients:

2 ½ cups self-raising flour

¾ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon powder

A pinch salt

Wet Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup corn oil

½ cup orange juice

½ cup grated carrot

½ cup chopped walnuts

Filling and Garnishing

120 grams cream cheese

Whipping cream

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix all the wet ones in another bowl. Pour the wet into the dry ones. Add carrot and walnuts too. Quickly mix it until well blended. Prepare the filling by blending cream cheese with ¼ cup of whipping cream. Use electric mixer for this. Put 1½ tablespoon of the cake batter in to each paper cake cup. Followed by a spoonful of cheese cream mixture. Then top it with cake batter. Make sure you cover all the cheese cream.

Bake at 180C for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool it before you pipe whipped cream on top of it.

This is quite a delightful cupcake. The filling is such a surprise!

Easy-to-make Chocolate Pie

1 roll ready-made pie pastry

1 packet instant chocolate pudding

2 egg whites

½ cup icing sugar (sifted)

Bake the pastry and prepare the pudding as instructed. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the sugar bit by bit until the egg become fluffy. Fill the pastry case with the chocolate pudding. Spoon the meringue (egg white mixture) on to the pudding. Do not smooth the surface. Bake at 160C just to brown the meringue edges. Cool it and put into refrigerator. Best served cold.

This pie looks very professional. Your mother will be impressed.

Happy Mother's Day!