Cupcake Ghosts

Bring a dessert to life with a simple technique from Karen Tack and Alan Richardson! In the book What’s New, Cupcake? Both of the authors implement a series of simple, plain, and unique alterations to cupcakes. With this dessert, I can emulate a finished piece, one that is creative and very easy.

These are the ingredients that I used:

1 can (16 ounces) chocolate frosting

2 containers (8 ounces each) frozen whipped topping, thawed in refrigerator

24 1 ½ - inch balls of ice cream (any flavor)

Multicolored candy-coated chocolate-covered sunflower seeds or chocolates

(Tack and Richardson 157).

I began this dish by prepping the cupcakes. I mixed the batter in with 3 eggs, a cup of water, and half a cup of oil. Then, after a few minutes of mixing, I placed it in the oven set to 325 degrees. After a set amount of time has passed, I had the cupcakes fresh and ready.

I began to approach the dish by carving out a spherical shape from the cupcake, not too far from the edges. Tack and Richardson suggested to sprinkle grounded cookies on top of the cupcake, but I decided to take a different route. I excluded that step, and, instead, I went on to filling the hollow portion of the cupcake with a small scoop of ice cream.

At this point, there were only a few more steps to put the final piece of the ghost together. I then coated the cupcake in a swirl-like fashion. As Tack and Richardson suggested, “Pipe a circle of the whipped topping around the base of the cone cake. Pipe a smaller circle on top of the ice cream and the whipped topping to cover the cake, then pipe a third layer of whipped topping, using a squeeze-release-pull motion” (157). This overall created a ghostly effect; the stacked swirls represent an animated outlook of how ghosts are shaped. At the end of this method, I peaked at the very uppermost portion to signify a ghost-like head.

I finished off the dessert by placing two sunflower seeds just below the very top of the frosted twirls to depict eyes. The finished piece was generally very simplistic, yet incorporates different flavors to achieve a desired effect both flavorfully and creatively. Through making this dish, I’m curious as to how else you can transform dishes like these. How do you bring your desserts to life?

Tack, Karen and Alan Richardson. What’s New, Cupcake? New York, New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Boston 2010

Cupcake Ducks

Remodel the world-known cupcake through a series of shapes and design!

Ingredients:

24 vanilla cupcakes baked in yellow paper liners

2 cans plus 1 cup vanilla frosting

Yellow food coloring

12 marshmallows

20 plain doughnut holes

14 orange fruit chews

48 brown mini candy-coated chocolates (M&M’s Minis)

(Tack and Richardson 129).

Cupcakes are usually uniform in its creation, but I decided to utilize variances of forms to create a duck replica. To prep the dish, I began to prepare all the individual parts. I began with the duck’s tail; shaping the spongy piece with both ease and difficulty. In Karen Tack and Alan Richardson’s example, the marshmallow is displayed so it angles like a tail of a duck. For stabilization purposes, I used two toothpicks to connect both the modified marshmallow and doughnut hole to the cupcake.

Following those steps, I got 6-7 tablespoons of frosting and added multiple drops of yellow food coloring in to a bowel. Mixing the paste eventually gave a nice, yellow hue. However, without having the proper tools, I had to figure out a way to dip it into the frosting. After I had the duck structured the way I wanted it, I coated it in the finished frosting look. According to Tack and Richardson, they suggested, “Holding the cupcake by its paper bottom, dip it into the yellow frosting just up to the liner” (131).

Finally, I added the brown coated chocolates to play as the eyes and placed it on the doughnut hole structure. Then, I used the orange fruit chews to act as the beak of the duck. Cutting them in half, I was then able to get the desired size. I flattened the pieces and bent it at an angle where it would resemble an open beak (131). Securing it onto the cupcake was a challenge, but eventually it was pinned in place with delicate pressure.

Creating this dish was a bit of a struggle but was overall had complementary pieces that sufficed. Manipulating the shapes offered a different take on making cupcakes, something I’d usually make with much more ease. Throughout making this dessert I began to wonder: What difficulty do you add to your hobbies?

Tack, Karen and Alan Richardson. What’s New, Cupcake? New York, New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Boston 2010

Cupcake Roses

An elegant dessert served with candy, frosting, and cupcakes require quite a bit of detailing! A cupcake rose is a savory snack with a simple touch to the world’s favorite cupcake! With a few key ingredients, this recipe can be mastered:

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 2 bags (10 ounces each) cherry candy fruit slices

• 6 green fruit chews (Tootsie Fruit Rolls, Jolly Rancher)

• 1 cup red decorating sugar (Cake Mate)

• ½ cup white decorating sugar

• 1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting

• 1 ½ cups small light green jelly beans (Jelly Belly)

(Tack and Richardson 123).

To start off my dish, I began to bake the vanilla cupcakes myself. The batter required a mixture of three eggs, a cup of water, and half a cup of oil. With the oven set to 325 degrees, I placed the new mixture inside the oven. While I waited for it to cook, I continued on with my recipe.

The more thorough portion of the recipe all came down to the cherry candy fruit slices. After opening up a package of cherry candy fruit slices, I used scissors to sever the candy and flattened it to become one single, smooth surface. Initially, sugar bits and pieces were pasted on to the candies, and after persistently washing it under water, they became a flat exterior.

I began to cut the small pieces so they rounded at the ends like flower petals. I would have the larger petals wrap around the smaller petals so that it would create a Russian-doll effect. According to Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, they state, “Add another strip of candy, continuing to roll up around the outside of the center, always pinching the bottom end to secure” (Tack and Richardson 123). Rearranging them so that they won’t overlap, I began to pull back the edges to give off a more rose-like effect.

Overall, this cute dish serves as a delightful sweet that brings the family together for any occasion! Going back in to routinely things after the holiday break sets an atmosphere of stress, so getting together with some sweets is a "treat" for all! What dessert lets you wind back?

Tack, Karen and Alan Richardson. What’s New, Cupcake? New York, New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Boston 2010

Cupcake Apples

Dive in to a savory dessert with a creative touch to the classic cupcake! Karen Tack and Alan Richardson composed a delightful dish for all made simple. The world-known cupcake has been transformed in to a unique dish through the inspiration of an apple. Surprisingly, the two makes a cuisine that has undeniable goodness. Just follow a few easy steps to achieve the cupcake apples.

These are the ingredients I used:

1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting

8 mini plain or chocolate-covered doughnuts

4 chocolate chews (Tootsie Rolls)

6 green fruit chews (Jolly Rancher, Tootsie Fruit Rolls)

(Tack and Richardson 121).

Also, I used red food coloring to create a vibrant hue of an apple. Starting off with making a red paste, I added multiple drops of red food coloring to five tablespoons of icing (121).

Leaving the paste to the side, I started to craft the vanilla cupcakes. Creating the batter required a mixture of three eggs, a cup of water, and half a cup of oil. Then, I set the oven to 325 degrees and placed the mixed batter in it. During the time I waited for the batter to cook, I set out to create the other features of the cupcake design.

Mini doughnuts illustrated the shape of the apple. To slim the look of it, I cut the mini doughnuts in half from the side. I then used the red paste from earlier to coat them to give off a shiny look. Shortly after the batter was done baking, I placed the set mini doughnuts onto the cupcakes.

Adding on to the more decorative portion of the apple, I used a tootsie roll and a green fruit chew to give off a more accurate depiction. These two played a role by creating stems and leaves for an apple illusion. According to Tack and Richardson, “For the stems, cut the chocolate chews in half lengthwise on the diagonal and shape each half into a stem” (121). However, I took this as a guideline and did my own take. I flattened out the tootsie roll as a first step instead, then cut and shaped it to my liking. On the other hand, the green fruit chews were a little more difficult to control. The green fruit chews were prepackaged with sugar, so washing off all of the excess bits took up more time than expected. Also, the chunky candies were more of a challenge to flatten and to trim. Fortunately, with enough caution, leaves formed.

 

To finish off the piece, I coated the cupcakes with red decorating sugar to mimic a gleaming apple. Overall, this dessert was delicious from the multiple sweets involved in it – all under the looks of an apple! It’s amazing how a mixture of chocolate, vanilla, icing, and candy toppings all in to one bite can be as just as savory as any of those alone. What do you think is the perfect dish combination?

Tack, Karen and Alan Richardson. What’s New, Cupcake? New York, New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Boston 2010

Cupcake Pies!!! :]

Take a bite in to a classic, sweet delicacy! With a few simple steps the mouthwatering dessert can be served; it’s as easy as pie!

Designed as the classic pie, Karen Tack and Alan Richardson utilized what the general audience desires and incorporated two ideas in to one. Cupcakes and pies, a global favorite, are combined as M&Ms and attuned frosting was applied to it. A few ingredients were needed in order to create the dish:

• A dozen vanilla cupcakes baked in silver foil liners

• 2 cans (16 ounces each) of vanilla frosting

• Yellow food coloring

• Unsweetened cocoa powder

• A cup of M&Ms
  (Tack and Richardson 49).

I started off by baking the vanilla cupcakes myself. I mixed the batter in with 3 eggs, a cup of water, and half a cup of oil. After a few minutes of mixing, I placed it in the oven set to 325 degrees. While I waited for the batter to cook, I continued on with the recipe and made the frosting portion of the cupcake.

Starting off with scooping 5 teaspoons of frosting in to a bowl, I added the necessary ingredients to give off a more golden hue. These ingredients included adding unsweetened cocoa powder and yellow food coloring to give the frosting an extra touch of color. Placing the new mix in to a Ziploc bag, I snipped a corner of the bag to give the impression of a decorating icing tube (19).

At this time the cupcakes were done, and I was ready to apply the pie design. Placing a thin layer of icing on the cupcake, I assorted the M&Ms so each color corresponded with a certain cupcake. “For the lattice crust, pipe 4 or 5 lines across the top of a cupcake, about ½ inch apart. Pipe 4 or 5 more lines, on the diagonal” (49).

Lastly, I gave the cupcakes a finishing touch with a beaded crust. My family and I have experienced a delicious take following the guidelines Tack and Richardson has provided. Overall, the unique cupcake has given me something different to try while offering a scrumptious touch. Upon making this dessert I began to wonder: Do you think combining two ideas of a dish would make any plate more interesting?

Tack, Karen and Alan Richardson. What’s New, Cupcake? New York, New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Boston 2010