Marshmallow Flower Cupcakes

                For my 2011 finale, I wanted to show you my favorite cupcakes!

                The idea comes directly from the book “What’s New, Cupcake?” which is the sequel to “Hello, Cupcake!”  The ideas are so cute and some are easy to implement (some are actually a bit difficult, sadly).  But this one is really easy!

                Make whatever cupcakes you like.  I’m a big fan of chocolate or red velvet, myself.  Once they are cool, gather the following things:

Ingredients

Icing

Bag of mini marshmallows

Cutting board

Sharp knife

Individual bowls of colored sugar

                Frost the top of one cupcake with a minimal amount of icing.  You don’t need too much because its main purpose is to hold the marshmallows on.  Because the marshmallows are white, I usually use a white frosting, but there’s no rule that says you have to!

                Now, take one mini marshmallow and cut it in half along the diagonal (as shown in the diagram below).  

                Drop both halves in the colored sugar.  Be sure that the sticky inside of the marshmallow has a lot of sugar stuck to it.  Place the marshmallow half on the outer edge of the cupcake.  Continue to add marshmallow halves dipped in sugar all around the edge.  Once the edge is complete, start a new circle of marshmallow halves just inside the first circle.  Make as many circles as you can.

                For the center of the flower, I cut a marshmallow in half directly across the middle (as shown in the diagram below), dip it in sugar, and stick it on.

                The cupcakes come out gorgeous!  So gorgeous, in fact, that if you enter them in a baking contest, people will be too scared to eat one (true story).  I’ve made many versions of these – all the pictures are below.  Enjoy!!

Pink Champagne Cupcakes

                These are fabulous and easy to make.  Also?  No need for them to be pink – you can make them any color!

                The recipe can also be found on Betty Crocker’s website (linky).

Cupcakes

1 box Betty Crocker white cake mix

1 ¼ cup champagne

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 egg whites

4 – 5 drops red food coloring

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Line baking pan with paper baking cups. (I bought some fun ones from KitchenKapers.)

In a large bowl, mix dry cake mix and champagne.  Add oil, egg whites and food coloring.  You are really free to make the cupcakes whatever color you want – the batter is white and a blank slate!

Fill each cupcake liner ~ 2/3 full.

Bake 17 – 22 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  Place on baking rack to cool.

Icing

Betty Crocker offers a champagne frosting based on butter, powdered sugar and champagne.  I’m super duper picky about icing and really think that only cream cheese frosting should exist.  I purchased some cream cheese frosting because I was in a rush, but several recipes are out there to make your own! 

I added a few drops of red food coloring to the frosting and mixed until it was nearly the same color as the cupcakes.

Then, I used a pastry bag with a star tip: 

I have a mechanical pastry bag (like this) from Target, but it’s more trouble than it’s worth.  I only break it out for certain things and would much prefer a real pastry bag.  You can even make your own star tip by cutting the tip of a Ziploc bag.  

Anyway, I started from the outside of the cupcake and moved in a spiral inward.  To give it a nice tip at the end, I held the bag upright in the center, pushed a bit more icing out, stopped and pulled directly upward.

I then sprinkled clear sugar on the pink icing as a finishing touch!

Eat me.

An Alternative Christmas Tree

                 My husband and I live in a two bedroom apartment.  Unfortunately, our little piece of the world is nestled within the skyscrapers of our large city where living square footage is inversely proportional to proximity to the city center.  We live five blocks from the city center.  You can guess how big our two bedroom apartment is.

                It’s a losing battle trying to keep this place under control.  I’m constantly rearranging our things and throwing away stuff we don’t need, touch, or remember why we own. 

                A few weeks ago, I found our artificial Christmas tree.  It was a three foot, potted decoration that I covered with lights and surrounded with cinnamon sticks.  In a fit of rage, I demanded my husband throw it out.  It was dusty, large, and in the way.  Why do we need that thing?  He confirmed with me several times that I was, indeed, thinking clearly.  Finally, he set his face in a stern “My wife is insane” grimace and marched our Christmas finery to the trash room.

                Don’t get me wrong – I don’t regret throwing it away.  But, our apartment should be festive for the holidays.  All the sweet smelling candles purchased at Bed, Bath and Beyond (whether you went in there for lotion and walked out with six soaps or not) can’t create a tree.

                So, I went where we all go in times of confusion and crises: Google.

                I found some really cool ideas.  Here’s a blog that lists various alternative Christmas tree ideas called The PaintedSparrow.  

                One stood out to me: the tree made out of lights on the wall.  Simple.  Elegant.  Did not require me to store a large tree for 11 months out of the year.  WIN.

                We have black and white pictures hanging on this wall normally so I took them down and used the nails to create the tree.  It is one string of lights.  How many times did I have to hang them to get the best effect?  Four.  But, I think it was worth it!

                I decided simple was better for the decorations.  I wanted to make really fancy paper snowflakes, but let’s be real – I’m not a snowflake cutting expert.  I haven’t done it since I was six so I did the best I could (here's a fancy tutorial if you want to learn!).  The paper came from The Paper Source and I strung them with thread.  They’re hanging on the lights.

                All in all, I think it came out okay!