Cupcakes in Blossom

     For my last go-around with these cupcakes, I want to try something a little different. So, I took on Karen Tack and Alan Richardson's version of a "Mother's Day" cupcake which are simply a bunch of flowers.

Ingredients include:

• Vanilla Cupcakes
• An Array of Colored Decorating Sugars
• 1 Bag Flavored Mini Marshmallows (Assorted Pastel Colors)
• 1 Bag Mini Marshmallows
• 1 Can Vanilla Frosting
• Pastel - Colored Licorice Pastels (Optional)

     This recipe was another quick, 3 step process that came out beautifully. To begin, you were to separate each color of decorating sugar into its own bowl. Next, to create the petals for each cupcake you must cut 22 like-colored marshmallows in half by the diagonal; allowing each of the pieces to fall in your desired color of sugar. You would then shake the bowl and press the cut side into the sprinkles to get coated. Next, a thin coat of frosting is spread along the cupcakes. Following this, you would place your petals first along the outside edge of the cupcake and slowly make your way towards the center (Tack and Richardson 138). To present these on Mother's Day, the authors suggest to, "Arrange  the flower cupcakes on a serving platter. [Buy and] trim green licorice twists to look like stems and place on the platter" (Tack and Richardson 138).

I personally really like the color scheme.

     Once again, a recipe for such great looking cupcakes doesn't get any easier, especially with the intricate help from the authors. As I said in an earlier post, even with the most basic skills needed to complete these cupcakes, Karen Tack and Alan Richardson are ready with their tips and tricks to help you, which is great when you strive for perfect cupcakes to present.

Since these are a Mother's Day - themed treat, I think I may have to make these come May 14th. Will You?

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

Hungry Hungry Hippos

     Time for another cupcake recipe! This time, I've got my eyes set on these crazy simple (yet super adorable) hippos which are part of a whole jungle themed design by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson.

Ingredients include:

• Vanilla Cupcakes
• Blue Decorating Sugar
• 1 Can Vanilla Frosting
• Nutter Butters
• Mini Chocolate Chips
• Orange Froot Loops

     For these little guys, there are only 3 simple steps.

     First, you must "Place the blue sugar in a small shallow bowl" (Tack and Richardson 79). You are then to set aside some of the vanilla frosting into a ziplock bag and tint the rest of the icing into a deep shade of blue using food coloring. You must then spread this on top of the cupcakes and roll the edges in the blue sprinkles. Lastly, to form the hippo heads, you are to press a cookie into the frosting of each cupcake allowing one third of the cookie to hang over the edge, and use the bagged icing as glue to add the hippos chocolate and cereal features (Tack and Richardson 79). 

Hey, that's pretty good.

     Easy right? Nothing too crazy with these steps at all. To make matters even better, these authors have written tips to help you with almost every aspect of their recipes. For example, they can take you step by step on how to roll your cupcakes in decorating sugar, use a ziplock bag to pipe designs, or even just on how to frost a cupcake. All of these tips are created to help us, the students, achieve the best possible outcome, which is an aspect I've come to love about these authors and their book.

I made these hippos for my 1-1/2 year old cousin to enjoy. Who would you gift these cupcakes to?

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