Baby Shower Cupcakes

A friend had a baby shower last week, and I made these for it.  They are from the Hello, Cupcake! books (I have both, and I forgot which one, lol).  I think these were mostly eaten by the kids at the shower, but oh well.  Just take off the Nilla Wafer and you've got a delicious cupcake underneath!  

I opted for a simple version of these; no dipping nillas in melted frosting.  I just put the faces right onto the "naked" cookie.  The mouth is frosting, the eyes are nutella, and the dark hair is Nutella.  The pink noses are large sprinkles, and the brown noses (haha) are chocolate-covered sunflower seeds.  The yellow hair is also frosting.  You stick the faces onto a frosted, mini cupcake.  Pretty easy.  For any piping (Nutella, frosting), I just cut a tiny bit off of the corner of a ziplock snack-sized bag.  

A few days before the shower, a friend came over and we made lumpia together (to be fried right before the party), and then this diaper cake, below.  She did all the hard work; all I did was hold the diapers together occasionally while my baby climbed onto her lap and wouldn't leave her alone, while she was trying to work, because he loves her.  

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

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.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **



Goldfish Cupcakes

After making the Spaghetti & Meatballs cupcakes recently, I thought that I really needed to make more cute cupcakes from that book!  Actually, I have both the "Hello, Cupcake" book, and the sequel, "What's New, Cupcake".  These Koi Goldfish are from the second book, "What's New, Cupcake?"  I've had the newer cupcake book for almost a year and haven't made anything from it, so I thought it was high time I did!  I picked this recipe because it was both cute and looked easy.  I made these with the kids yesterday afternoon when it was a no-school day.  I used the same delicious vanilla cupcake recipe I used before.  (At the bottom of that post).  They turned out really well and the kids had a ton of fun making them.  (BTW, that orange circus peanut candy tastes really gross- like bubble gum, but the kids seemed to like it!!!  I just took it off of my cupcake when I ate one). 

Koi Pond Cupcakes

from What's New, Cupcake?

15 vanilla cupcakes baked in blue paper liners

1-2 cups vanilla frosting

Blue food coloring

30 orange circus peanuts
30 orange peanut butter-filled candy-coated chocolates (Peanut Butter M&Ms)
15 orange cereal O’s (Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks (we used Cheerios))
30 brown mini candy-coated chocolates (M&Ms Minis) or chocolate chips

1. Spoon 1/4-1/2 cup of the vanilla frosting into a small plastic zip lock bag, press out the excess air, seal and set aside. Tint the remaining can of vanilla frosting pale blue with a few drops of the blue food coloring. Cover and set aside.

2. For the fins, place 15 of the circus peanuts on their sides and cut lengthwise into 2 slices, to make 30 slices. Lay each slice cut side down and cut each in half on the diagonal. For the bodies, place the remaining 24 circus peanuts flat side down and make a diagonal cut from one end, removing no more than ¼ inch (you'll set the eyes on this flat cut).

3. Spread the tops of the cupcakes with the light blue frosting and smooth. Place 1 of the circus peanut bodies on top of each frosted cupcake. Arrange fins, cut side up and pointed ends out, 2 at the uncut end of each circus peanut body and 2 on either side in the middle.

4. Snip a small (⅛-inch) corner from the bag with the vanilla frosting. Pipe a large dot of frosting at the cut end of the circus peanut body. Press 2 orange candies into the dot of frosting for the eyes and 1 cereal O for the mouth. Pipe small dots of vanilla frosting on the orange candies and add the brown candies or chocolate chips for the pupils. Repeat on all of the koi goldfish bodies with the remaining frosting and candies.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

April Fool's Day

I had fun making these cupcakes today.  Once again, I had my little 4-year old helper in the kitchen with me when I made these- he LOVED it!!  (We did these while the older kids were at school, to surprise them when they came home).  Thanks to the book, "Hello, Cupcake", I have access to tons of cute ideas for creative cupcakes, and so many ideas for April Fool's!  These are "Spaghetti & Meatballs" cupcakes- but everything on them is made of something sweet- there's a cupcake, topped with "spaghetti" frosting, strawberry jam for the tomato sauce, a Ferrero Rocher chocolate for the meatball, and white chocolate grated with my microplaner for the Parmesan cheese on top!  (A cheese grater would also work, I think). 

Vegetarian cupcake eater?  Have picky eaters in your house, who prefer to just have plain spaghetti with parmesan?  (No sauce, and no meatballs?)  Well, we have cupcakes for those eaters, too!  (See below.  Actually, I just ran out of the chocolate "meatballs", lol, and was too lazy to do more jam). 

Spaghetti & Meatballs Cupcakes

from "Hello, Cupcake"

10-12 vanilla cupcakes (a recipe suggestion is below)

2 cups vanilla frosting (you will have some leftover)

1/4- 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder (add smaller amount first, and add more if needed)
3 drops yellow food coloring
11-13 hazelnut chocolates (Ferrero Rocher), unwrapped
3/4 cup strawberry preserves, warmed for 5 seconds in microwave and whisked
2 tablespoons grated white chocolate (I just grated some over each cupcake)

1. Tint the vanilla frosting with the cocoa powder and yellow food coloring and spread a thin layer on top of the cupcakes. Arrange the cupcakes on a serving platter so that they are touching.

2. Spoon the remaining frosting into a ziplock bag.  Press out the excess air and seal the bag. Snip a 1/8-inch corner from the bag.  (Or, use a piping bag and tip.  I used a small Wilton tip, I think it was number 3.  It was either 2 or 3; use what looks right to you (how big you want your spaghetti to be).)  Pipe the frosting all over the cupcakes to make the spaghetti, piling it high and allowing some of the spaghetti to hang over the edges.

3. Place the hazelnut chocolates and the strawberry preserves in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Spoon some of the preserves on top of the cupcakes. Place 1 hazelnut chocolate on each cupcake and 1 on the platter (if desired... I didn't have enough). Top the cupcakes with the remaining strawberry preserves. Sprinkle with the grated white chocolate.

I used this recipe for the cupcakes only, and left out the lemon so I would have vanilla cupcakes.  I was out of sour cream, but I did have some plain, full-fat Greek-style yogurt on hand, so I used that.  These cupcakes were just delightful.... light, flavorful, great, soft texture, etc.  This might be my go-to recipe for vanilla cupcakes from now on, and I love the use of yogurt.  I have made the recipe stated the original way, with lemon zest and lemon frosting, and they're wonderful that way as well.  When I made these today, I cut the recipe in half, and it still made 15 cupcakes!  Lol.  Double the recipe below if you want 30.

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. 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Almost too corny....

I love corn chowder, and have tried many recipes, but I decided to create my own the other night, based on some of the recipes I have tried. It was really good, and even better the next day; as the smoky bacon flavor had permeated the soup. I usually don't use half-and-half so much, but I had some in the fridge that needed using, so I incorporated it into this soup. I like using center-cut bacon, as if is "meatier" and has less fat than regular bacon. If you make soup a lot, I highly recommend a handheld blender, or stick blender. Using a regular blender to puree hot soups is just dangerous, if you ask me. ;)

Simple Corn Chowder
by What a Dish!

8 slices center-cut bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped (over 1 cup of chopped onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups chopped Yukon gold potatoes
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup half-and-half cream
1/3 cup 1% milk
2 1/2 cups frozen sweet corn
1 can (about 14 or 15 oz) creamed corn
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
chopped green onions or chives, for garnish

1. Cook the bacon in the microwave, or however you wish to cook it. Cool and crumble.

2. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot, and add onion. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and cook for about one minute. Add thyme, potatoes, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Add half-and-half, milk, and frozen corn, heat for about 5 minutes. Using a stick (hand-held) blender, puree part of the soup. Add the can of creamed corn and crumbled bacon, and heat through. Garnish as desired. Serve with rolls or crackers.

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I recently bought the book "Hello, Cupcake" from Amazon and was so excited to try something out of it. I chose a recipe that looked easy enough, but most importantly fun. We made "corn on the cob" cupcakes. I used the vanilla cupcake recipe included in the book. They turned out a bit dry, but maybe I over baked them. We made this a family affair and all got involved decorating, and then eating them. It was so fun! Next is either the mini petit-four cupcakes, or spaghetti and meatballs!

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **