There's a new canoe in town

Do you have a “trademark” food that you make?

I do.

No really, I do.

I CAN cook.

Just not the whole, here is some dried corn, an orange and some parsley—make me dinner thing.

I am fully aware that the only reason they want me at church functions or attend any event at my home or invite me for dinner and tell to bring dessert is because of these:

But in case you are tempted to

call them this:

STOP

IMMEDIATELY!!

These morsels of marshmallow injected manna are:

~CANOE CUPCAKES~

you heard me….C.A.N.O.E.Cupcakes

And making them is apparently one of my few redeemable skills.

Other people store wheat and make life sustaining bread from it.

Ppfffttt

What makes me smile {even more than a sugared canoe overdose induced coma}

is the thought of how they came up with the name.

Someone looked at this:

And said, “Oh, look a twinkie pan”

And someone else said, “Don’t be ridiculous, that’s a canoe cake pan.”

I would like to hang out with that person.

In case anyone would like to be the dessert star of their social circle—here is a link to the store I bought it from:

Tell them Lisa, from Montana sent you—I swear they’ll treat you like a celebrity.

Sunday addendum:

(Don't say I didn't warn you)

Cream Canoe Recipes

Cake Ingredients:

1 yellow cake mix (I like Pillsbury-why, thank you for asking)

2 eggs

2 cups milk

1 lg pkg instant vanilla pudding

Cake Instructions:

Mix cake mix, eggs, milk and pudding together. Fill canoe wells and bake according to the cupcake directions on the cake box. Allow the canoe cakes to cool completely.

The VERY best Cream Filling:

2 tsps very hot water

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups of marshmallow creme (7 oz jar)

1/2 cup vegetable shortening 1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

1. Combine the salt with the water in a small bowl and stir until salt is dissolved. Let cool.

2. COmbine the marshmallow creme, shortening, powdered sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl and mix with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy.

3. Combine the salt solution to the filling mixture. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

The OTHER filling:

1 cup milk

5 TBSP flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup butter

2 tsps vanilla

Mix milk and flour together in a saucepan. Boil until mixture is thick. Cool. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Okay--now for the disclaimers and the reiteration of the fact that I know next to nothing about cooking. No Pioneer Woman here, my lovelies. I AM trying to limit the high fructose and trans fats in our diet but when it comes to playing with canoes, I am of the opinion that, if you have issues--don't make them. Don't leave shore without your paddle either--but that's a whole different post.

These are the few cooking related things that I have learned/noticed/thrown entire pans away about.

1-yes, you can use your favorite homemade cake mix but you have to still change out the liquids and oil for the pudding and milk if you want that"celebrity look alike" taste.

2-I have only made the Best filling. It tasted fantastic, so I never tried the other. I'm industrious that way.

3- You can use any flavor cake mix and pudding combinations. I tried pistachio pudding and yellow cake mix for St Pat's Day. Discovered that green canoes are not very appetizing. But maybe thats just us.

4- Don't let them cool in the pan very long--sticky issues. But, on the other hand--lots of taste testing opportunities, so I guess its a personal choice.

I think thats about it. Glad we had this time together. Come over anytime--I'll be glad to make you some. (I say that with the perfect knowledge that you will never find me here in my garage in the middle of the forest in the middle of nowhere Montana--but please--don't let that stop you)