Eat Your Veggies!

These cupcakes were so fun to make!!  My daughter had friends over, so all of the kids got involved in decorating these.  We did "Peas and Carrots", "Mashed Potatoes", and "Corn on the Cob".  The peas are Chewy Sweet Tarts that I bought locally, the carrots are orange Starbursts, quartered, the mashed potatoes are just white frosting, the butter is a yellow starburst, and the gravy is purchased caramel sauce! 

Thanks to the Hello, Cupcake book for all of these ideas- love that book!  This book has also provided awesome recipes for Goldfish Cupcakes, Spaghetti & Meatball Cupcakes, and my 1st attemp at Corn Cupcakes (scroll down).  On the Corn Cupcakes, the kernels are Jelly Belly Buttered Popcorn flavor with a handful of other yellow flavors thrown in, the butter is a yellow Starburst softened in the microwave, and the "pepper" (on the mashed taters, as well) is black sugar I had on hand from a Halloween sprinkles kit. 

I used my favorite cupcake recipe for these- using Greek yogurt.  It's the same one I've used for other cupcakes I've made from this book.  The recipe makes 15 cupcakes.

Mashed Potatoes Cupcakes

from Hello, Cupcake

For each cupcake:

cupcake, baked in silver foil liner

3 Tablespoons vanilla frosting

1 yellow Starburst candy

Storebought caramel syrup

Black sugar, optional

1.  Spread vanilla frosting on cupcake, mounding it slightly. Use a small spoon to create a well in the center of the frosting. Place cupcake in aluminum baking tray, if desired. Place yellow fruit chew in the well at an angle. Drizzle caramel sauce on top of cupcake so that it fills the well and spills over like gravy.  Top with black sugar "pepper" if desired.

Peas and Carrots Cupcakes

from Hello, Cupcake

For each cupcake:

3 orange fruit chews, such as Starbursts®, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons Vanilla Frosting
Green gel food coloring
2 tablespoons green candies, like Chewy Sweet Tarts, Skittles or M&M’s

1.  Color vanilla frosting with green food coloring and spread on top of cupcake. Arrange orange fruit chews and green candies on top of cupcake, pressing them into the frosting. Place cupcake in aluminum baking tray (if desired).

Corn on the Cob Cupcake
from Hello, Cupcake

cupcakes, baked in pale yellow liners
pale yellow frosting
white and yellow Jelly Belly jelly beans (buttered popcorn flavor works well)
yellow Starburst
black decorating sugar

1.  For each ear, press rows of jelly bean kernels onto three frosted cupcakes. Line up the cupcakes and sprinkle decorating sugar across the tops.

2.  To make a candy butter pat, microwave a Starburst for about eight seconds, stretch it into a melted-butter shape, then set it on top of the center cupcake.

3.  Add a corn holder to each end of the cob, and serve.  (I could not find my corn-cob holders, but these were fine without them.)

Yogurt Cupcakes
Adapted from Allrecipes
Makes 15 cupcakes

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain, Greek-style yogurt, or sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 15 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with Greek yogurt sour cream (batter will be thick). Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Easy Butter Frosting
by What a Dish!

1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1 pound powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
milk, as needed for desired consistency (1-4 tablespoons)

1.  With electric beaters (or in stand mixer) combine first three ingredients.  Gradually add milk, beating until desired consistency is reached.

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