Buttercream Cupcakes

I finally took my friend Mary's advice to make my buttercream better.  Before I was putting SO much powdered sugar (like 6 to 8 cups for 24 cupcakes!) to get it stable enough to pipe.  This time, I let the mixer whip on the highest setting for about 8 minutes with only about 3 cups of powdered sugar for 24 cupcakes, and sure enough, it was a good consistency to pipe, and I could actually taste the buttercream instead of pure sugar!

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Worms in the Grass

In making some cupcakes for some friends from church, I was making pretty, swirly green cupcakes when I ran out of icing. So I pulled some icing off the other cupcakes, spread each of them down and added some leftover Easter candy - and voila! Worms coming out of the grass. The worms are sour patch worms.  My technique needs some work, but it will suffice for children I think. The cupcake plate is made using a hole punch and ribbon!.

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Best Cupcake Piping Tools

This post is dedicated to my friend Mary, who is almost as obsessed with cupcakes as I am.  After lots of ruined icing recipes, I discovered the part of the problem is in having good tools.  I've also discovered that's true with make up - it's the brushes that make the difference.  Anyway.  I use jumbo piping tools to make the big swirls.  I also started using reusable bags with the jumbo tools as when I tried to pipe through them using disposable piping bags, I blew the tip right through the bag.  I swore I would never use reusable bags as they are SO messy.  But, the reinforced tip gives you better control, they are much sturdier, you can refill them easier in the middle of icing a ton of cupcakes, and of course, more environmentally friendly.  They are a pain to clean though - you have to turn them inside out, and I put mine in the dishwasher after I've let them soak awhile.

To decorate cookies or cakes with a more defined look, or to write words, I use Duff tips. They are steel will not bend even if you hit them with a hammer (I read a blog that claimed this, so I tried it for myself - and surprise, it's true!)  Other tips I've used have bent with just the pressure of my fingers, so I was grateful to find these. 

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My first pretty cupcake!

I've worked long and hard to make cupcake icing that doesn't melt an holds it's shape. Below is my first success! The secret is adding a little meringue powder and almost always either doubling the sugar in the recipe or halving the stability element - in this case - lowfat cream cheese.

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The Obsession Begins

As if the background of this
blog wasn't nauseating enough...

My cupcake obsession began the day I brought my beautiful daughter home from the hospital. MK was not a preemie, but was so tiny that her newborn hats didn't fit. When I put a hat on her to take her home, the little pink hat sort of sank onto her and looked like cupcake frosting, and the little ball on top of the hat looked like a cherry topper.  From thence forward, she became mommy's little cupcake :) 

I had originally always wanted to start a blog on product reviews. I am a sucker for anything that claims to make your life easier, or make you burn more calories, the next greatest exercise that burns fat while you eat a Snickers or just looks cool.  There's no telling how much money I've spent on funky products.  Then, my obsession with cupcakes began...not just making cupcakes (which I don't really even eat by the way), but cupcake clothes, cupcake decor, cupcake crafts, etc.  Poor MK is going to despise all things pink and all cupcakes I'm sure.  Her room is so ridiculously pink that I am sure she will turn goth just to spite the pink.  But that's OK - I am sure I can find a recipe for black cupcakes.

So, here are my adventures on ridiculous (and some actually helpful) products, cupcakes, being a mom and other random musings.  You'll probably see lots of show-off pictures too, as I am one of those mom's who will stick a photo in your face before you can even ask.

BTW, I am sure you will find lots of errors - don't bother telling me about them.  I spend all day editing other people's work, and I don't feel like editing my blog too :)

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