August 1, 2013

Back to School Cupcakes

Posted by HI Cookery under 08 August | Tags: , , , |
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Back-to-School Cupcakes

Back to School Cupcakes

August: Back-to-School Season

Students and teachers alike are preparing for the new academic year this month and it seems that summer has gone by too fast (it always does!). Brighten up their back-to-school blues with colorful cupcakes!

Here are some school-themed sweet treats that we decorated and donated to the students and staff at Islander’s brother’s school. We looked at different Google images, studied how others decorated their cupcakes and made an educated guess on how to create our own. We got an A+ from the appreciative recipients.

Learn how to make back-to-school cupcakes by following the photo tutorial below. Decorating them is fun and as easy as ABC and 123!!!

Recipe

  • Cupcakes
  • Frosting
  • Miniature chocolate bars
  • Chocolate fudge frosting (we used Hershey’s S’mores dessert icing)
  • White tube frosting
  • Red round candy
  • Green tube frosting
  • Colorful sprinkles (optional)

Directions

Prepare the batter and bake the cupcakes in colorful paper liners. Cool completely.

Back to School Cupcakes

Generously ice the tops of the cooled cupcakes with brightly colored frosting. Unwrap the mini chocolate bars. Outline the back edges with chocolate fudge frosting. Write letters and numbers using the white tube frosting.

Back to School Cupcakes

Position the “chocolate chalkboards” slightly off-center on top of the cupcakes. Place a red round candy by the chalkboard. Pipe a small leaf using the green tube frosting to complete the “apple.” Sprinkle colorful nonpareils on top (optional).

Back to School Cupcakes

Notes

  • These cupcakes are perfect for parties with an education theme.
  • Search our blog for other cupcake decorating ideas.
 

January 1, 2013

Chocolate Earl Grey Cupcakes

Posted by HI Cookery under 01 January | Tags: , , , , , |
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Chocolate Earl Grey Cupcakes

 Chocolate Earl Grey Cupcakes

January: National Tea Month

Host a happy new year’s day tea party with a platter of decadent desserts, such as Chocolate Earl Grey Cupcakes. These royal treats are rich, aromatic, fluffy and moist. The cupcakes are also crowned with a luxurious chocolate glaze with flecks of tea leaves for a unique texture and taste. Serve Chocolate Earl Grey Cupcakes for a sweet start to the new year and for a celebration of National Tea Month!

Recipe

(Adapted from Real Simple)

For the Chocolate Earl Grey Cupcakes

  • 3 Earl Grey tea bags
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
  • 1 egg, large or jumbo
  • 1 cup sugar, granulated white
  • 2 ounces (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate (we used Baker’s brand)
  • 1 cup flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch salt
  • ¼ cup plain yogurt

Directions

Steep the Earl Grey tea bags in water for five minutes. Discard the tea bags. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in the egg. Melt the chocolate and cool slightly.

Chocolate Earl Grey Cupcakes

Add the melted chocolate into the creamed butter mixture. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir into the batter until smooth. Pour in the tea.

Chocolate Earl Grey Cupcakes

Mix in the yogurt. Scoop the batter into a muffin tin lined with a dozen cupcake papers. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Earl Grey Cupcakes

For the Chocolate Earl Grey Glaze

  • 1 2.47-ounce Earl Grey chocolate bar (we used Dolfin brand) or 2 ½ squares (2 ½ ounces) semi-sweet chocolate
  • 4 teaspoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons corn syrup

Directions

In a glass bowl, place the chocolate, butter and corn syrup. Microwave for 1 – 1 ½ minutes. Stir until melted and smooth. Dip the tops of the cupcake into the frosting, swirling around for even coating. Let the frosting set on the cupcakes at room temperature.

Chocolate Earl Grey Cupcakes

We decorated our Chocolate Earl Grey Cupcakes with leftover fondant flowers. Arrange the flowers on top of the cupcakes. Dab a dot of white icing gel (we used Wilton brand) on the flower center. Drop a silver dragée (we used India Tree brand) on top of the gel, positioning it with a toothpick if necessary. For fondant flower photo tutorials, refer to our posts on Chocolate Cupcakes and Cherry Blossom Cake.

Chocolate Earl Grey Cupcakes

Notes

  • The final food photo of the Chocolate Earl Grey Cupcake features our fine china from our wedding registry, albeit a discontinued pattern (Noritake Sterling Cove).
  • Search our blog for other tea time treats.
 

October 31, 2012

Vampire Bite Cupcakes

Posted by HI Cookery under 10 October | Tags: , , , , , |
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Vampire Bite Cupcakes

Vampire Bite Cupcakes

October 31: Halloween

Sink your fangs into a fruit-filled dessert for Halloween. Vampire Bite Cupcakes are easy to make and have an impressive visual impact on a party platter. It looks as if Count Dracula got the first bite and sampled the sweet treats himself! They are just basic white cupcakes with a blood clot-like cherry filling and iced with vanilla frosting from which red gel oozes out. For a bloody-good Halloween dessert, make Vampire Bite Cupcakes.

Recipe

(Based on Google Images)

For the cherry-filled cupcakes

  • 1 box white cake mix (we used Duncan  Hines brand Classic White flavor)
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 cup oil
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ can cherry pie filling, slightly drained

Directions

Bake the cake mix according to the directions on the box, using egg whites, oil and water.  Use paper cupcake liners (we used red foil) to make the cupcakes.

Vampire Bite Cupcakes

Remove from the oven and cool completely. Core the center of the cupcake, reserving the top. Or use a sharp knife to cut off a little bit of the center of the cupcake, reserving the top. Insert some of the cherry pie filling into the cupcake center. Replace with the reserved cupcake piece that was cored/cut out.

Vampire Bite Cupcakes

For the vanilla frosting and bloody decoration

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3-6 cups powdered sugar
  • 2+ tablespoons milk or water
  • 1 teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring (we used Wilton brand)
  • red tube gel icing

Directions

In a mixer or mixing bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar while still mixing. Stir in the milk/water and clear vanilla and mix until a spreadable consistency is achieved.

Vampire Bite Cupcakes

Frost the top of the cupcake, being careful not to remove the covered filling center (we used tip 1M in a swirling motion to decorate our cupcakes but it can be smoothly covered with a spatula). Use a toothpick or skewer to pierce two holes in the cupcake. Squirt red gel icing from the tube to look like dripping blood. Chill the cupcakes in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Vampire Bite Cupcakes

Notes 

  • Complement this Dracula-themed dessert  with Vampire Bite Cookies.
  • Cupcakes may be filled with strawberry or raspberry jam instead of cherry pie filling.
 

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