Popcorn Cupcakes!

It's become somewhat of a tradition at my house to invite friends over each year to watch the Oscars. Of course, it wouldn't be an Oscar party without a red carpet and lots of yummy treats! I made these fun little treats in celebration of the 84th Annual Academy Awards.

The great thing about these cupcakes is that anyone can make them. There is very little skill involved; one would almost have to make an effort for them to NOT turn out cute. The downside is - I found them to be fairly time consuming. Do not attempt these if you are in a hurry!

So, how were these cupcakes made?

First of all, I have to admit, they weren't my original idea (I wish they were!) I found the idea on another blog. The ones I saw online used cupcake wrappers cut out of red and white striped scrapbook paper. Since I didn't have any on hand, and was unable to find any at the craft store near my house, I decided to make my own. I designed the cupcake wrappers on photoshop and printed them at home off my computer. They were then taped to the outside of the plain, white liners I baked the cupcakes in. Note: I found it easier to tape the wrappers around the cupcakes before decorating them. Please check back in about a week or two for a FREE DOWNLOAD of the cupcake wrappers I designed! (The dimensions need a little adjustment, otherwise I would post the link right now)

To decorate these cupcakes...

Frost with your favorite buttercream frosting. I added a touch of yellow food coloring and Wilton brand butter flavoring to make the frosting extra buttery. Use a generous amount of frosting on top - enough to stick the "popcorn" to.

About the popcorn...

Okay, it's not actual popcorn on top. They are actually mini-marshmallows, cut in half, with the ends squished back together. This is the most time-consuming part of the whole process. I recommend doing this while the cupcakes are baking and cooling. You can put the finished "Popcorn" kernals in an airtight bag until the cupcakes are ready to decorate. It takes a lot of marshmallows! I used about 1 1/3 bag just to make 24 cupcakes. Place the "popcorn" on top of the buttercream icing.

The final step...

Mix a couple drops of yellow food coloring with some vodka. Use a food-safe brush to paint coloring over the top of the marshmallows to create that buttery look.

Enjoy!

Valentine - I like you "Bots and bots"!

This year, for Valentine's day, I made robot cookies. After seeing some super-adorable cellophane robot bags at Target, I needed an excuse to create something robot-shaped to fill them with! :)

For years, I have made these same sugar cookies... But, never before have I frosted them with royal icing. I'll admit that the thought of doing so sort of scared me. I've always been such a fan of buttercream frosting on sugar cookies. It's all about the taste for me. However, there are some advantages of using royal icing instead of buttercream. For one - they're much easier to transport. I've made much effort in the past trying to figure out new ways to package and transport buttercream-frosted sugar cookies. Truth is, I never really have found a great way to package them without them turning into a giant, goopy, ugly mess. In the end, I've always resorted to giant, pink boxes. This means that the cookies take up a lot of room! In comparison, cookies with royal icing can be packaged in almost any way imaginable. This makes them ideal for small gifts, favors, and valentines.

It should be noted that this was my first time EVER working with royal icing. Everything I've learned about the subject so far, I've found online. One resource I found especially helpful was http://sweetopia.net. This website is loaded with helpful tips ad tricks for baking. In fact, the royal icing recipe I decided to try was found at: http://sweetopia.net/2012/01/royal-icing-recipe-free-illustrated-recipe/. The recipe worked well, but in my experience, it requires more water than is called for. Work with it a little bit until you reach the desired consistency. You may use a thicker icing to outline, and a runnier icing to fill. I opted to go with something in between, to both fill and outline. Doing it this way, it may be necessary to shake the cookie gently to allow the icing to spread a little. It is also important to allow the bottom layer to dry completely before icing details over the top. I used regular disposable piping bags, but next time I think I will try plastic squeeze bottles. I hear that they are easier to work with and are easier to control.

To get the shimmer-effect, use sparkle or pearl dust mixed with a drop or two of the alcohol of your choice. I used vodka. Some people use everclear. The higher the alcohol content, the better so the icing won't melt. Don't worry - the alcohol evaporates! Once the icing on the cookie is completely dry, brush over the top with the sparkle/pearl dust - vodka mixture, using a food-safe brush. NOTE: I got lazy and decided to brush over the cookie after it was entirely iced (details and all). I would NOT recommend this. Instead, brush the pearl dust on just after the first main coat of icing has dried - THEN add the icing details. This works better, because you don't want the colors to smear. Also, the dust tends to puddle along the detailed areas.