Happy Easter! Chick and Egg Cupcakes

 

This year I wanted to do something fun for Easter. Last year I dyed hard boiled eggs with mixed results. So, when I saw this recipe, I knew what I had to do.

My friend Sarah, has a family get-together she is going to this weekend, and she wanted to make these sweet treats too. I am taking mine to my fellow co-workers who have to tend to the aged, sick and afflicted at the hospital, instead of watching General Conference.

I loved cooking with Sarah. She knows a lot about cooking like I do. It was great to bounce ideas off her and get her opinions as well.

We departed from the recipe when we made our cupcakes, using cake mix with a package of pudding for extra favor and density. We made both chocolate cupcakes and yellow cupcakes. To the yellow mix along with the pudding we added almond extract (one of my favorite smells, and flavors). We lined our muffin tins with paper cups and baked them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. When thy were done, we put them outside to cool.

On to the frosting. The butter was frozen, so we threw it in the microwave to thaw and soften. then we put it in the mixer along with 10 cups of powdered sugar (we were doubling the recipe). After the butter and powered sugar were combined, we turned the mixer on high and let it run for 7 minutes to make the mixture fluffy. Then we added a jar of marshmallow fluff and incorporated it. last came the milk and vanilla and another good 1-2 minute whipping. We added the food coloring at the end. It turned out a nice eggshell blue.

Another departure we took from the recipe was coloring the coconut. Sarah just added the food coloring strait to the coconut and did not add water. Nor did we bake it, because the coloring was staying on, so we did not feel the need to add one more step.

When we decorated our cupcakes, Sarah showed off her skills with the frosting and a Ziplock bag snipping the corner and piping the frosting on. I will definitely be taking that tip home. I followed behind her with the coconut grass, then we both placed peeps and eggs in the middle of our cupcakes.

They turned out so cute!!!!! If you don't know what to do for Easter this year and are thinking about dying some hard boiled eggs. STOP. Make these cute cupcakes instead.

Here is the recipe for your cooking district:

Chick and Egg Cupcake

From Food Network Kitchens

Ingredients

• 1 vanilla cupcake, recipe follows
• About 1/3 cup White Fluff Frosting, recipe follows
• Green coconut grass, recipe follows
• 6 small candied malt balls (2 yellow, 2 pink, 2 white)
• 1 yellow chick peep
• White Airhead candy

Directions

Frost a cupcake with fluff frosting. Press a circle of coconut grass on top. Nestle the malted eggs on top of the grass. Gently press the peep onto the center of the grass. Cut the white Airhead into a 1/2 oval shape; trim one side so it has a cracked egg jagged edge. Place egg next to chick.

Vanilla Cupcakes:

• 2 2/3 cups sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups cake flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup cupcake tins with paper liners. (To avoid cupcakes sticking if they overflow slightly, lightly spray the tops of the pans.) Put tins on a baking sheet. Set aside.

Process sugar and butter in a food processor until very creamy, scraping sides as needed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, pulsing after each addition. Add the milk, water, and vanilla and process to blend.
Whisk both flours, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients, in 3 batches to the wet, pulsing, and then scraping batter off the sides of the processor as needed after each addition. Process until the batter is very smooth and pourable like pancake batter, about 2 minutes.
Evenly pour the batter into the prepared cups, filling them 3/4 of the way full. Bake until the cakes are just firm and spring back when gently pressed, and the tops are golden, 18 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly in tin, and turn out of tin when cool enough to handle. Cool cupcakes completely on a rack before frosting.
Yield: 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy

Fluff Frosting:

• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 5 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
• Pinch fine salt

Whisk the milk and vanilla extract together in a small bowl.

Slowly beat the butter and sugar, in another medium bowl, with an electric mixer until incorporated. Raise the speed to high and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula.) Add the fluff and salt and reduce the speed to low. Add the milk and vanilla mixture, scrape the bowl down, and mix until fully incorporated. Raise the mixer to high and beat briefly until fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Frost cupcake immediately.
Yield: 3 3/4 cups
Copyright 2009 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

Coconut Easter Grass for Cupcakes:

• 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 to 2 teaspoons liquid green food coloring
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon liquid yellow food coloring

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a mesh rack on top, if available.

Put coconut in a shallow bowl. While tossing with a large spoon, add food coloring drop by drop until the desired color is reached. A little more green than yellow makes a pretty grass color. Add a few tablespoons water to moisten the mixture and help disperse the color evenly. If the color is too dark, add additional water, as needed, to dilute to the desired color. Drain the coconut in a sieve or strainer.
Spread the coconut in an even layer on the rack, or directly on the lined baking sheet. Place in the oven until dry, about 10 to 15 minutes. Use immediately, or store in covered container for up to 3 days.
Cook's Note: Food coloring can be messy and can stain your skin. To prevent this, wear latex gloves. You may find it easier to color the coconut in a large zip top plastic bag, tossing it to color evenly.
Yield: 2 cups coconut grass