Almost from the moment I decided what I was going to do, the ideas started rolling in. Usually, my creative process...stalls a bit, so I knew I was really on to something with this. I wanted to dive right in, but I also didn't want to overwhelm myself, and end up fizzling out within a month. So I decided to start small scale, and with two personal favorites that I figured everyone could get behind. Cookies and cupcakes.
Right away I was thinking of ways to try and make these cookies and cupcakes stand out above the rest. A friend had mentioned to me a cupcake cookbook she'd recently bought and all sorts of fun, unique ideas it had, so I set out in search of 'Hello, Cupcake!', and when I found it, my excitement seemed to triple. The ideas in this book are fantastic! So creative, and things I probably would have never thought to do with a cupcake on my own. So I bought it, along with a few others and couldn't wait to try out the first recipes.
With nearly 50 different designs to choose from, I narrowed it down to 3 for my first go. Check me out being all ambitious! They seemed to be easy enough. Basic vanilla cupcakes, dressed up in their "fun clothes". Of course it was their dressings that would end up giving me the most trouble. Thinking that I could get away without using most of the "essential tools" listed in the front of the book, I ended up having to get pretty creative with ziplock bags, toothpicks, and the smallest kitchen knife I could find. It wasn't easy, but I DID get it done! Next time though, I'll be well prepared.
"Buttered Popcorn"
I didn't make quite enough to fill the box, but you get the idea, right? I "dyed" the yellow marshmallows myself with food coloring rather than buy an additional bag of multi-colored (and flavored) marshmallows, and risk a funny little taste throwing off what could have otherwise been a yummy cupcake. That aside, these were really easy to make and came out adorable. I unfortunately never got to try one, but I heard they were tasty, too.
"Pandamonium"
These suckers were tricky, I'm not gonna lie. The picture in the book was so deceiving! A lot more went into these than I originally thought. Then again, had I been a little more prepared (and not started so late at night), it probably would have gone much smoother. So learn from my mistakes! These cupcakes were definitely worth it. I substituted the chocolate-covered sunflower seeds, with icing tinted black and mini chocolate chips for the eyes, and Oreo O's (do they even make those anymore?? impossible to find!) with brown M&M's for the ears. They worked just as well I thought. If you're going to tackle these, I might suggest using a toothpick to support head on the body, as one of the Panda's got decapitated in the move from one counter to the other. :(
"Sunflowers"
Now, they may not look so grand, but these were my FAVORITE. The petals look a little wilted, because again, I wasn't fully prepared to take on this project, but I was certainly determined. Regular and miniature Oreos, plus red M&M's for the "ladybugs" were the only adornments necessary. Icing tinted green for grass, and my own personal touch of leftover crushed Oreo crumbs from the Pandas for "dirt". These tasted great, and I think they would have looked much prettier if I had an actual pastry bag and decorating tips versus the ziplock bag and scotch tape I had to put together. But, this is how we learn.
'Hello, Cupcake!' has been my favorite baking book thus far, and I definitely recommend it if you're wanting to try decorating outside the box. Though as a bit of a 'warning', I would definitely find my own cupcake recipes before trying the ones they offer. I found that they dried out within a day and a half, and I ended up having to throw away a lot of the extras that I had left over. But their chocolate frosting recipe is delicious, and I use it for just about everything else.
With love ♥,
the Mydnyte Baker
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