Birthday party favorites - includes recipes

Ebony, March, 1992 by Charlotte Lyons

One of the most exciting and fun-filled activities for children and parents alike is the celebration of your child's birthday. And it's also one of those celebrations that allows you to involve the entire family. During the planning stage, make a list of things that need to be done to make the party a success, then involve as many family members as possible by giving them certain duties to perform.

A birthday celebration is also a time to enjoy some special fun food, especially the birthday cake. There is no need to purchase a cake because there are some excellent package cake mixes that will allow you to create some delicious confections. just add a few extras, like candy sprinkles, and you can make your cake even more special. For example, give our Confetti Birthday Cake a try. And, as part of the party's activities, you might also allow the children to make their own Pizza Faces.

There are several other tasty treats you can serve to make your child's birthday party even more memorable. On the following pages are recipes for some easy-to-make party foods that will be a hit at your celebration to remember.

CONFETTI BIRTHDAY CAKE

  CAKE:
1    18.5-ounce package pudding-included
        white cake mix
3/4  cup water
1/2  cup sour cream
2    eggs
1/4  cup multicolored candy sprinkles
  FROSTING:
1    16-ounce container ready-to-spread
       vanilla frosting
1    8-ounce package cream cheese,
       softened
     Food coloring

Heat oven to 350 [degrees]. Grease and flour two 9-inch, round cake pans. Combine cake mix, water, sour cream and eggs in large mixer bowl and mix at low speed until moistened; beat 2 minutes at highest speed. Gently fold in candy sprinkles. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely.

Combine frosting and cream cheese in small bowl; beat until smooth and fluffy. Frost cooled cake. Tint remaining frosting the color or colors of your choice. Fill pastry bag with colored frosting; using star tip, decorate cake.

Yields 1 cake

ICE CREAM CLOWNS

Place colored frosting in pastry bag. With large tip, make a 3-inch ruffly circle of frosting on baking sheet covered with waxed paper. Place ice cream ball on frosting. Top ice cream ball with ice cream cones. Decorate clown face with various candies and frosting. Freeze until firm.

PIZZA FACES

1/2  cup tomato sauce
1/2  teaspon dried oregano
2    English muffins, split in half
1/2  cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2  cup shredded cheddar cheese
2    pimiento-stuffed or pitted black
       olives
4    slices canned pimiento

Heat oven to 425 [degrees]. Mix 1/2 cup tomato sauce with 1/4 teaspoon oregano. Place muffin halves several inches apart in ungreased jelly roll pan. Pour about 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce on each muffin and spread to the edge with rubber scraper. Sprinkle each with about 2 tablespoons mozzarella cheese for a face and about 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese around the edge for hair. Use the olive and pimiento slices to make the eyes and mouth. Put jelly roll pan in hot oven. Bake pizzas until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.

Yields 4 servings

FLOWER BISCUITS

2    tablespoons butter or margarine
1    10-ounce package refrigerated
      biscuits
   Your favorite jam or jelly

Heat oven to 400 [degrees]. Melt butter in small saucepan. Place biscuits 2 inches apart on ungreased cooking sheets. To make the daisy design, use the kitchen scissors to make 5 small cuts around the edge of each biscuit. Do not cut aU the way to the center.

Press your thumb into the center of each biscuit to make a hole. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite jam or jelly into center of each biscuit. Put cookie sheet into hot oven. Bake biscuits for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Brush with melted butter.

Use hot pads to remove cookie sheet from oven. With pancake tuner, lift biscuits off cookie sheet and onto a serving plate. Serve warm. Yields 10 biscuits

FUN SALADS

Smiling Bug: Put a canned peach half on a lettuce-lined plate. Use raisins for eyes, cherry stems for antennae but do not eat) and half a maraschino cherry slice for mouth.

Friendly Dog: Place a canned pear half on a lettuce-lined plate. Cut a stewed prune lengthwise in half and remove the pit. Place each prune half at the large end of the pear half for the ears. Use raisins for the eyes. Place a cherry half at the top of the narrow end of the pear half for the nose. Garnish Salads with carrot curls.

HOT DOG CHEESE MELT

2    tablespoons butter or margarine,
       softened
4    slices bread
4    slices American cheese
4    hot dogs

Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place buttered side down on a baking sheet (to prevent sticking). Put a slice of cheese on each bread slice. Top with a hot dog diagonally across each slice of cheese. Heat oven to 375. Fold the opposite corners of the bread over each hot dog. Insert 2 wooden picks through the bread and into the hot dog to keep the comers around it. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes or until hot dogs are hot and cheese is melted.