Groundhog Day Cupcakes

February 2: Groundhog Day/Candlemas/Feast Day of the Presentation of the Lord

In observance of the unusual American tradition of Groundhog Day, we made some cute yet creepy critter cupcakes resembling the woodchuck weather forecaster. Our candy “groundhog” appears to be bursting from a burrow of a chocolate cupcake iced with snow white frosting.

According to folklore, if a groundhog emerging from its underground home on February 2 is not frightened upon seeing its shadow, it will leave the hole, signifying that winter will soon end and spring will come early. But if the groundhog sees its shadow and goes back into hiding and hibernation, it is predicted that winter will continue for six more weeks.

This custom parallels some beliefs about Candlemas or the Presentation of the Lord Feast Day, when Mary and Joseph brought out baby Jesus to the temple 40 days after his Christmas birth after hiding in Egypt from the evil King Herod. Just as the groundhog is a sign for things to come, so is Jesus the Messiah. Temple Elder “Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.’” (Luke 2:34-35 NIV).

Who knew that Groundhog Day cupcakes could also be edible evangelism?

Recipe

Ingredients

Chocolate cupcakes (for the ground/burrow base)
Vanilla frosting (for the snow)
Oreo cookies (for the dirt)
Mini Almond Joy chocolate bars (for the groundhog’s body)
Chocolate chips (for the groundhog’s ears)
Mini chocolate chips (for the groundhog’s pupils)
White Tic-Tac breath mints (for the groundhog’s tooth)
1 tube white icing (for the groundhog’s eyeballs)
1 tube pink icing (for the groundhog’s nose)
1 tube chocolate icing (for the groundhog’s cheeks and assembly)

Directions

Bake and cool the chocolate cupcakes. Generously spread the tops of the cupcakes with vanilla frosting, pulling upwards to create fluffy points (this gives the illusion of the groundhog bursting up from its snow-covered burrow).

Groundhog Day Cupcakes

Put 3-5 Oreo cookies in a plastic bag, letting the air out as much as possible. Use a rolling pin to crush the cookies into fine crumbs. Sprinkle on top of the frosted cupcakes. Set aside. Create an assemly line to make the groundhog candy toppers by preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Groundhog Day Cupcakes

Dab a small amount of chocolate tube icing on two regular size chocolate chips and a Tic-Tac breath mint to secure the ears and tooth to the mound on the Almond Joy. Pipe two rounds of chocolate cheeks over the Tic-Tac breath mint. Use the white tube icing to make the eyeballs.

Groundhog Day Cupcakes

Place two mini chocolate chips, points down, on the white eyeballs to make the pupils. Complete the groundhog’s face by piping a small round nose with the pink tube icing. Add a toothpick to the bottom end of the groundhog candy topper. Insert it into the middle of the frosted cupcake. Present the Groundhog Day cupcakes on a platter to serve.

Groundhog Day Cupcakes

Notes

Punxsutawney Phil from Pennsylvania is the nation’s most popular woodchuck weather forecaster. Read more about the groundhog’s predictions for a late or early spring at PunxsutawneyPhil.com or Groundhog.org.
Substitute the chocolate chips for mini chocolate M&M’s to make the ears and cheeks of the groundhog. Or just pipe them in with the chocolate tube icing outfitted with a small round tip.

Baked Alaska with

White Chocolate Snowflakes

Baked Alaska

February 1: Baked Alaska Day

Islander’s Daddy would often make Baked Alaska birthday cakes for the family as a cool confection in hot Hawaii. He would personalize the cake and ice cream combinations according to individual preferences. Instead of birthday candles, however, Islander added white chocolate snowflakes to decorate her version of Baked Alaska because it is a winter wonderland right now in the 49th state. Baked Alaska is a relatively easy yet dramatic dessert to make for birthdays, seasonal celebrations or specifically on Baked Alaska Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Daddy)

Ingredients

cake (a sponge cake is traditional but use your favorite flavor)
ice cream, softened (we used Breyer’s brand lactose free vanilla ice cream)
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar, granulated white
½ cup water
white chocolate or vanilla candy melts

Directions

Bake a small cake from scratch or a boxed mix as a single layer and cool completely. Brush off any crumbs. Set aside. Use a freezer-safe container (an igloo or dome mold is traditional but use any shape to match the cake pan) and line it with plastic wrap. Fill it with softened ice cream. Smooth the top of the ice cream until flat. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the cake in the middle of it. Carefully remove the ice cream from the container and invert it on top of the cake. Return it to the freezer while making the meringue.

Baked Alaska

Make a simple syrup by boiling the sugar and water until it slightly thickened. Beat egg whites until light and fluffy. Pour the syrup into the egg whites and whisk until the meringue volume is increased and becomes glossy. Fill a pastry bag with the meringue. Use a large star tip to pipe decorations all over the cake and ice cream. Return it to the freezer to firm up the meringue which acts as an insulator for the ice cream.

Baked Alaska

Bake in a preheated oven at 450 degrees F on the lowest rack for about five minutes or until the meringue is slightly browned. Remove from the oven and immediately return to the freezer on trivets or protective pads with ample space around the baking sheet to prevent from burning other items. Meanwhile, print out snowflake patterns from a computer clipart collection. Lay the printed snowflake pattern on a clipboard with a sheet of wax paper over it. Melt the white chocolate or vanilla candy and fill a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip.

Baked Alaska

Trace the snowflake patterns on the wax paper. Refrigerate the snowflakes until firm. Carefully remove the snowflakes from the wax paper and place decoratively on the Baked Alaska. Freeze again until ready to plate and serve in slices.

Baked Alaska

Notes

For our Baked Alaska, a 6-inch round pan was used for the cake base to match a bowl with a 6-inch diameter. Wilton’s “open star” tip 4B was used to pipe the meringue while a round tip 5 was used to trace the snowflake pattern.
Highlander occasionally travels to work in Anchorage and Kenai, Alaska. Search our blog for Alaska-related recipe posts.

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HI COOKERY

02 February