Pink Monday

Have a Pink Monday!  (with extra sprinkles)
Christina xx

February's Treat: Sprinkle Surprise Cupcakes

Hey everyone--

Surprise inside cupcakes are my favorite treat to make right now. I made these for Valentine's Day, but you can make them for any occasion! I love these cupcakes because they're fun and sprinkle-filled, need I say more? Follow these instructions to make some of your own!

Christina xx

Ingredients: 

Cake- cake mix, 3 eggs, 1 1/3 cup of water, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, sprinkles, cupcake liners, cute toppers

Frosting- 1 stick of butter, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1 two pound bag of confectioner's sugar, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, 1 teaspoon of salt, whipping cream 

Instructions: 

1. First blend dry mix, eggs, water and vegetable oil in a large bowl.

2. Place cupcake liners in  the cupcake/muffin tin cups.

3. Pour mix into cupcake/muffin cups.

4. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.

5. Bake for approximately 20 minutes at 325 degrees F.

6. Take cupcakes out and let them cool completely.

7. When cupcakes are cool, scoop out the center of the cake and create a deep hole.

8. Next, pour sprinkles into the hole.

9. You're now ready to mix your frosting. Begin by blending vanilla, vegetable oil and butter together.

10. Then, add in salt and powdered sugar.

11. Slowly start adding whipping cream to the mix (about 1 tablespoon at a time). Keep doing this until you reach the consistency you desire. 

12. When you're frosting is fluffy and blended well, frost cupcakes using a piping bag. 

13. Top cupcakes with a themed topper and you're all set! Now enjoy with loved ones and share the surprise!

November's Treat: Mini Pumpkin Pies

In honor of Thanksgiving week, I decided to make these adorable mini pumpkin pies. I knew I had to try these the minute that I saw them on the Little Bit Funky blog. Follow these steps to make your own mini pies!

Ingredients:

1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree, 2 eggs, 1 12 oz can of evaporated milk, 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice, 3/4 cup of sugar, 1/2 tsp of salt, 2 boxes of ready made pie crust, 1 cookie cutter (circle or heart shape), cooking spray, whipped cream

Instructions: 

1. First, spray muffin tin with cooking spray.

2. Unroll ready made crust and cut out shapes with cookie cutter.

3. Place cut out crust into each muffin cup. You will need to work with a bit to create the shape you want.

4. Combine the sugar, pumpkin pie spice, eggs, pumpkin puree and salt together. Once everything is combined, stir in the evaporated milk. 

5. When the mixture is combined, pour into each muffin cup. The mixture can reach almost to the top of the crust. 

6.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven. ( Mine were done a little after 30 minutes) You can check to see if they're done by putting a knife in the center, if it comes out clean they are done.

7. Let the pies cool and then garnish with whipped cream. The pies are now ready to enjoy and share with friends!

Christina xxoo

Cupcake of the Month: Candy Corn

Hey guys--

Today is National Candy Corn Day! I didn't plan to post this recipe because of that, but somehow it worked out perfectly. To celebrate a Halloween classic, follow these steps to make your own candy corn cupcakes!

Cupcake Ingredients: 1 box of vanilla cake mix, eggs, water and vegetable oil that are called for on the cake mix box

Frosting Ingredients: 7 cups of confectioners' sugar, 2 cups of butter, 3 tsp of vanilla extract, 6 tablespoons of whipping cream, orange food coloring, yellow food coloring, candy corn 

Frosting Instructions: 

1. This cupcake has 3 layers of frosting. They're all different colors, so make sure to use different bowls and piping bags.

2. You will make the yellow frosting first. The first step is to use a mixer to whisk together 3 cups of sugar and 1 cup of butter. Mix on a low speed until the mixture is blended and then increase to a medium speed for 3 minutes. 

3. Next, add 1 tsp vanilla, 2 tablespoons of whipping cream and yellow food coloring and continue to whisk on a medium speed for 1 minute.

4. The second frosting layer that you'll make is orange. Use a mixer to whisk together 2 cups of sugar and 1/2 cup of butter. Mix on a low speed until mixture is blended and then increase to a medium speed for 3 minutes. 

5. Repeat step 3 but add orange food coloring instead of yellow.

6. Now you're ready for the last layer, the white frosting. Repeat step 4.

7. Repeat step 3, but don't add any food coloring to your mixture.

Cupcake Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line cupcake tins with paper liners.

3. In a large bowl, use a mixer to mix together cake mix, eggs, water and vegetable oil.

4. Pour the batter into the cupcake cups, fill about 2/3 full.

5. Bake for about 15 minutes.

6. Take the cupcakes out and let them cool down before icing them.

7. When cupcakes are cool, put yellow frosting into a piping bag and frost the first layer of the cupcakes.

8. Next, put orange frosting into a piping bag and frost the second layer of the cupcakes.

9. Then, put the white frosting into a piping bag and frost the third layer of the cupcakes. 

10. Complete your cupcakes by garnishing each one with a little candy corn. Enjoy!

Christina xxoo

October's Treat: "Pumpkin" Candy Apples

This recipe was supposed to be posted yesterday, but I had to go to the hospital. Nothing serious, I'm just sick! Sorry for the delay. Anyway, I'd never made candy apples until these and I'd always wanted to. I thought that these were adorable. Give me any recipe that mixes apples and pumpkins during the month of October and I'm in. I hope you all enjoy these as much as I did! 

Ingredients: apples, large kabob or popsicle sticks, orange gel food coloring, green and orange frosting, 1 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of light corn syrup, parchment paper, candy thermometer 

Instructions: 

1. Prepare by washing the apples and laying down parchment paper onto the plate/container that apples will be placed on. 

2.  Remove the stems from the apples and stick the kabob/popsicle sticks into the center of the apples.

3.  In a pot on stove top, combine sugar, light corn syrup and water.

4. Stir mixture on high heat until it starts to boil.

5. Once mixture is boiling, stop stirring and place candy thermometer into the pot.

6. Once the mixture reaches 285 degrees Farenheit, lower the heat and put orange food coloring into the mix. (How much food coloring you should use really just depends. Start by adding 1/2 tsp and continue to add more to get the color you like.)

7. Dip apples into the candy mixture. Make sure each apple is completely covered. & Dip apples as quickly as possible.

8. Then, let the excess mixture drip off of the apple back into the pot.

9. Next, place the apple on parchment paper and let dry. 

10. Use orange icing to draw lines down the apple, to imitate that of a pumpkin.

11. Then, use green icing to draw a circle around the top of the apple, to imitate a pumpkin's stem and leaves. 

12. Let the frosting on the apples dry and you are finished! Enjoy your "pumpkin" apples with some friends and fall fun!

Christina xxoo