Hot Cocoa Cupcakes With Peppermint Marshmallow Frosting

click here for recipe http://makebakecelebrate.blogspot.com/2012/11/peppermint-marshmallow-hot-chocolate.html

Pink Meringue Roses

Pink Meringue Roses

4 large egg whites

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon meringue powder

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or other extract you'd like to use

Pink Food Color

Meringue

Using a whisk combine egg whites, pinch of salt, sugar and meringue powder in a heat proof bowl, best to us is tempered glass or your stainless steel mixer bowl. Set the bowl over the pan with simmering water. Whisking constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot to the touch, about 5 minutes or so.

Transfer the bowl to your electric mixers, using wire attachment, beat the mixture gradually from low to high, until stiff peaks are formed.About 8-10 minutes. Add the flavorings and mix for a minute or so to incorporate extract.

Add a touch of pink food color and beat until no streaks are visible..

   

Preheat oven to 175 degrees. 

Piping Roses

Cut up small parchment squares about 2inches x 2inches.  

Large piping tip WILTON 125

Wilton Flower Nail Decorating Tool #7

piping bag

Easy to follow tutorial on how to make ribbon roses can be found here

In the tutorial they use a round tip to pipe the cone shape onto the flower nail. I use a petal tip to make the cone like shape.It doesn't have to be 100% perfect as it will get covered with the rose petal anyway.

I use parchment squares for this project, once I have piped rose  I place it directly onto the baking sheet. I find parchment paper better choice for baking projects.

It takes practice, don't get discourages if it doesn't work first time around. Believe me when I first tried making these roses I had no clue how to do it. Try to make somewhat similar size of roses.

When making a significantly different sizes, make sure you bake smaller ones and large ones on separate baking sheets as baking time will vary with different size of roses.

 Baking

175F 

Once you have all the meringue used up you can bake the roses .

I baked 2 sheets at a time,  at 175F, for about 2.5 hours, or until dried through. Baking times vary depending on the size of the piped meringue designs.

Once baked, let cool completely in the oven.

credit to http://www.hanielas.com                         

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Here’s a snappy idea which will lend a little whimsy to the next birthday party you throw for your child. Bake some cupcakes in ready-made ice cream cones. You can complete them ahead, and have the cupcakes ready for serving. Or you can bake and cool them in advance, leaving frosting and the decorating as an activity for that house full of energetic kids you're expecting.

wanna try to make a vogue cupcakes like these??? 

just take a very simple step...

u can watch it here

and here

Ingredients

• Store-bought or homemade cake batter of choice
• Ice cream cones
• Frosting of choice
• Sprinkles

Steps :

1. Make the batter for the cupcakes. Use a cake mix or your favorite scratch cake recipe. Prepare the batter as per directions.

2. Unwrap the ice cream cones slowly, being careful not to damage them as you remove any plastic coverings. Place each empty cone in a muffin tin, one per ungreased muffin cup

3. Pick up and fill each cone. Replace each cone in its muffin cup.

*** Leave a little room at the top for expansion (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch).

*** Do not overfill the ice cream cones with batter. An ice cream scoop holds about the right amount and lets you do a neat and trim job of filling. Aim for cupcakes which do not overflow the cones. These will be more attractive and will be easier to frost. The image of batter in the cone here will result in an unsightly overflow during baking:

4. Bake according to cake batter instructions. Bake for the same length of time you would bake regular cupcakes

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5. Prepare the icing or open up a store-bought icing mixture.

6. Place the sprinkles in a small bowl.

7. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool.

8. Frost the cupcakes using a knife or spatula. Try to let the frosting warm up a bit if you've been keeping it in the fridge, as some frostings are more difficult to work with when cold.

9. Dip the top of the cupcake in sprinkles. Dip fully or dip just one side for an artsy effect

10. Place each cupcake back into the muffin tin, or place in a serving dish with sides. Carry the muffin tin or serving dish very carefully; these cupcakes will be top heavy and have a tendency to topple

11. Serve and enjoy! :-)

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Cupcakes

Baking cupcakes isn’t necessarily difficult to do, however things can sometimes go unexpectedly wrong eg. they don’t rise well; they stick to the liners or pan, etc). However there are ways you can ensure you get the best cupcakes possible without having to do much extra work and the simple tips below will have you making mouth-watering cupcakes that leave everyone wanting more. And wanting to know your secret!

When trying out a new cupcake recipe, you might consider cooking a ‘trial’ cupcake in the oven first. Why? Because every recipe is different and not all batter will rise the same. Simply fill one cupcake liner halfway and see how much it rises. Then you’ll know if you need to keep it halfway full, lessen the amount, or increase the amount.

For those who don’t have time to look for a new recipe or simply have a cake recipe they really enjoy, you can use a cake recipe in place of a cupcake one. The only difference is that you use a cupcake pan in place of a cake pan. Also keep in mind you probably won’t have to bake them as long when divided into cupcakes.

Filling a cupcake pan can be rather messy. If you haven’t already discovered a cleaner way to fill them, consider using an ice cream scoop. If this doesn’t work, consider using a small funnel and simply place your thumb or finger over the end of the funnel until you’re ready to fill.

 A marvelous cupcake can be ruined simply from not being stored properly. That said, if your cupcake contains certain frostings, they need to be refrigerated. Such frostings include whipped cream, ganache, cream cheese, and butter cream, to name a few. Otherwise, storing your cupcakes in an airtight container will work out just fine.

 Always use cupcake liners when baking cupcakes. These not only make them easier to remove it makes them taste better. You also aren’t left with a messy pan if they decided to stick to the pan when you take them out.

 A majority of us fall in love with really moist cupcakes. Unfortunately they don’t always emerge from the oven this way. Here are some tips to help you achieve moist cupcakes. Enjoy!

  • Make sure your batter is light rather than really heavy.

 • Do not excessively beat or stir the batter.

 • Add a little extra liquid.

 • Opt for oil in place of butter.