Circus Party

1. Place the cereal and sprinkles in a large mixing bowl. Grease an 8” round cake pan (bottoms and sides) and set aside.
2. Melt the butter over low heat in a large saucepan. Add the marshmallows and cook until melted, about 10 minutes.
3. Pour the marshmallow mixture over the cereal and work quickly to combine with a plastic spatula. Pour it into the greased cake pan and press down with the spatula or your fingers to ensure an even surface. The cereal mixture should fill the entire cake pan.
4. Let the cake sit, uncovered, for 1 to 2 hours.
5. Slide a butter knife around the perimeter of the cake pan to loosed the cake and invert it onto a cake stand.
6. Fill two piping bags with the red and yellow icing, and fit them with a star tip (#32). Pipe alternating stars around the top and bottom edge of the cake.
7. Decorate with candles or cake topper.

1. Set the cupcakes out on a large work surface.
2. Score a small circle in the centre of each cupcake. Cut a cone shape from the cupcake by inserting the knife at an angle as you go around the circle. Remove the cone from the centre of the cupcake.
3. Using a large round tip placed inside a piping bag (or alternatively a large Ziploc bag with a hole cut in one corner), pipe icing into the cavity of the cupcake and continue over the cupcake to make a head shape.
4. Place a small dollop of icing on the top of the cones and cover it in sprinkles. This is the clown hat. Set aside.
5. Fill two piping bags with the red and blue icing. Fit each with a #10 tip (or alternatively use small Ziploc bags and cut a small hole in one corner) and pipe blue and red dots around the ‘clown head’ to make a ruffled collar.
6. Place the hats on the clown head, pipe a small red dot for the nose and insert the yellow sprinkles for the eyes.
7. To make the Big Top cupcake, place one cupcake minus the clown hat and face decorations in the centre of your cake stand. Make a paper cocktail umbrella using red and white striped paper and insert into the cupcake. Add a flag to the top if desired.

1. Place three mini donuts into a small paper or plastic bowl.  Make up as many bowls as there are guests in attendance.
2. Set out the chocolate and caramel sauce, as well as the sprinkles, and allow guests to assemble their own donut dessert.

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, or using a hand mixer, beat the butter on high speed for 2 minutes. Add the sugar and beat for another 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla. Beat for another minute.
3. Stop the mixer and add half of the flour mixture. Beat on low speed until most of the flour has been absorbed. Add the remaining flour and beat until all of the flour has been absorbed and the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into two balls. Shape each into a disk and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to two days.
5. Let the dough stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Roll it out on a well-floured surface with a floured rolling pin to 1/8” thickness.
6. Preheat an oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Dip small animal cookie cutters into flour and cut out the shapes. Continue until all of the dough has been used.
8. Bake the cookies until very light golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the cookies cool to room temperature.

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
2. Cut pizza dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each into a rectangle.
3. Scatter the cheese and pepperoni over the dough and brush one of the long sides with a little egg wash.
4. Starting with the long side away from you, roll the dough into a log and tuck the ends under. Slice the ‘log’ into bite-sized pieces and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Brush the pizza pretzels with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle with oregano and coarse salt. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
6. While the pizza pretzel is baking, warm the tomato/pizza sauce in the microwave or in a small saucepan set over medium heat.
7. Serve the pizza pretzel bites with the sauce hot or at room temperature.

1. Set a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the meat until it is slightly browned. Add the cumin, chili powder, salt, tomato paste and water and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the meat is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Place a small amount of the meat mixture into each of the scoop-style tortilla chips. Add assorted toppings as desired and place the tiny tacos on a large serving platter.
3. These can be served hot or at room temperature.

Good to Know: The meat mixture can be made up to two days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Serve these with assorted fruit skewers (in circus-themed colours) and a large veggie platter with dip.

1. Using spray adhesive or a glue stick, attach a piece of patterned or coloured paper to a piece of parchment paper (for stabilizing and waterproofing).
2. Trace the Mason jar lid around the paper and cut a piece to place inside each rim.
3. Using a hole punch, make a slot for the straw to slip through.
4. Draw a moustache template on a piece of black cardstock and cut it out. Or use this printable PDF template on white cardstock.
5. Trace the template on another piece of black cardstock making as many moustaches as needed. Cut them out.
6. Glue the moustaches to the straws and place the paper lids inside the rims.
7. Fill the mason jars with lemonade. Attach the lids and slide in the straws.