Custom Made Fondant Princess Crown Cupcake Toppers

I'm back!  I'm back!!  I'm back!!!

After a year and a half absence, I don't know who, if anyone, is reading this, but I'm so happy to be posting an entry once again.  I've missed this so much.

A lot of happened since I last blogged on Life Is Sweets.  Shortly after my last post, my husband was in a pretty bad car accident with a fairly long recovery.  He did remarkably well and has returned to work and a normal life with, really, no lasting effects or troubles.  We are so thankful.  We also took a bit of time for traveling, moved into a new house, and, finally, have a new routine that has allowed me to get back to what I love - baking and creating in the kitchen!

Okay, so let's get to it.  One of my favorite four year old girls was having a birthday party to celebrate and the theme was "Ariel" and princesses.  I wanted to create something to incorporate both elements, while at the same time not obligating me to tackle the actual making of Ariel, which I accept is outside of my current skill set!

I'm pretty new to the fondant game, but it's more fun to work with than I expected and I'd like to do more with it.  I have done some fondant projects in the past, such as these cow cupcakes, but I've held onto to this idea that everything on a cupcake should not only be edible, it should be tasty and delicious.  If you have to peel off or remove items, what's the point?  Well, maybe just being pretty is point enough!  With all that said, here's how I made these cute princess crown toppers.

To begin, I rolled out some waxed paper and used painters tape to secure it.    You will be working with a smallish amount of fondant, so if you don't have tape, use a generous piece of waxed paper and anchor it with heavy objects at either end for stability.  That will work just fine.

I purchased a crown cookie cutter measuring approximately one inch tall.  I bought Wilton branad pre-made fondant at Michaels craft store in hot pink and and rolled it out in a fairly thick layer, keeping mind I wanted to insert a toothpick through the bottom.  Next, I began to cut out the crown shapes.  (To prevent the fondant from drying out, keep what you are not using wrapped in plastic so it will remain pliable.)

I worked on about 4-5 crowns at a time.  Once they were cut out, I inserted the toothpick.

If the toothpick is showing through the backside of the crown, "patch" it with a very small amount of fondant flattened with your fingers.  Gently spread it on the exposed area to create a seal.  If the crowns have already begun to dry and the fondant does not stick, use a very small amount of water to permanently secure it.

I wanted to give some visual interest to the crowns and decided to add some "pearls" to the tips.  I thought Wilton Pearlized Sprinkles would be perfect for this.  Since the fondant I chose was pink, I went with white sprinkles.

Cute!  Yet...I thought something more was needed.  I set the crowns and a layer of paper towel (to absorb moisture and leave them nice and stiff) and moved on to something else.

Then it came to me!  Ages ago I purchased a cookie stamper set with tiny little letters.  How cute would they look on the crowns?  I chose my friend's first name initial, "K".

Adorable!!  I was very pleased.  Very simple with clean lines and a splash of "bling".

The next day, however, I still had these crowns on my mind.  While shopping for supplies, I didn't really know where I was going with this, so I purchased some plastic crown rings to put on the top of the cupcakes as toppers in case my ideas didn't work out.  I REALLY hoped not to use them and was glad I didn't have to for that purpose.  BUT, I had some inspiration about using them as stampers on the fondants.  Would that be effective to create more of a "crown" effect?

I lined a ring up and rolled it back and forth, pressing firmly but not so firm as to flatten or distort the shape.

Voila!

I stamped a "K" in the middle of the heart.

Perfect!  Would some "pearls" be too much?  Of course not!

To secure the sprinkles, press one into each point of the crown making sure there is a semi-circular indent for the sprinkle to rest in.

Using a small paintbrush (that's never been used for painting - I have a supply reserved for food projects only), apply a trace amount of water in each indent and them apply the sprinkle.  Once dried, the sprinkle should be totally secured to the fondant.

Here is the progression of the crowns as I made them.  I loved the final version with the ring impression so much I redid all of the crowns for the birthday party cupcakes.

Now, to take a plain frosted cupcake and transform it into something fit for a Princess on her birthday!

I found these adorable castle cupcake wrappers and knew I wanted to use them, too, for the final product.

All done!

But then again...what about some sparkles by adding a layer of edible disco dust?

Or maybe securing an edible sugar heart in the middle of the crown.  Perhaps a fun jewel sticker for some sparkle?  The possibilities are endless!  Color combinations and and array of sprinkles, quins, edible glitter, stamps, etc., will allow you to make your own specialized cupcake topper for the Princesses in your life!

Stay tuned for the second part of this particular party...Mermaid Tail Cupcakes!  I will post a tutorial detailing the steps to make these cutie cupcakes.  Thanks for stopping by Life Is Sweets!!

Hershey's Kiss, Kiss "Dah-ling" Cookies

I must be watching too many episodes of the Real Housewives Franchise because, while putting these together, "Kiss, Kiss, Dahling" (in the voice of Lisa Vanderpump or LuAnn De Lesseps) kept going through my head.  Despite this, I had so much fun making these!!  I first spied the idea on Pinterest here at Munchkin Munchies.  They looked so adorable I had to try them myself.  Since we are fast approaching February 14th, I decided to mimic the hues of the Kiss wrappers found in the Hershey Kiss Valentine's Day packages.  So cute.

I have an absolutely favorite cut-out cookie recipe that I always use, but it contains lemon juice and zest.  I planned to use melted Kisses for some of the cookies instead of icing, however, which didn't seem to appealing to combine with lemon.  Also, I wanted to flavor some of the dough with almond (to create a faux Hershey Kiss Almond candy) and some with cherry (for Hershey Cherry Cordial Kiss cookies).  Neither would be tasty with a lemon based cookie.

For a new sugar cookie dough recipe, I turned to The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle, since she makes some of the most amazing cookies I have ever seen.  It only stood to reason that her basic cookie recipe must be delicious, too, right?  I made a few slight changes but was VERY happy with this recipe.  I will most definitely be using it again.

Before baking the cookies, be sure you have your decorating supplies ready:  Unwrapped Hershey Kisses (save the "Hershey Kiss" tag from each), food coloring in the shade of each wrapper you are turning into a cookie, and edible sprinkles in the corresponding icing colors.

Basic Sugar Cookies

adapted from The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle

1 cup (2 sticks) of real butter (I used salted)

1 1/2 cups of confectioner's sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons flavoring extract (I used Almond)

2 1/2 - 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together butter and sugar.  In a separate bowl, combine the egg and flavoring.  Combine butter and egg mixtures and beat until fully incorporated.  In another separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients and add to butter an egg mixture in three intervals.  Mix until dough is pliable but not sticky.  Roll out dough* and cut into desired shapes.  Bake for 7-8 minutes.  Let cool completely before icing.

To make the Kiss shape, I used a small heart cookie cutter.  I tried to smooth out the top of the heart into a straight line for the bottom of the Kiss.  Some were more successful than others.  Last night I picked up a small metal heart cutter and flattened the cutter itself for the future.

Next, I mixed up some icing - confectioner's sugar mixed with water to a thickish consistency.  To test the thickness I run a knife through the icing and count to five.  If the line disappears before 5 seconds, I add a bit more sugar.  If it takes 5 seconds for the line to disappear, it's exactly how I want it.  I just eyeballed the amount of icing, making as much as I thought I'd need for the amount of cookies I had.  Then, I split the icing into three parts dyeing the first one gray, the second light pink, and the third red.

Working with one color at a time, I poured the icing in a plastic piping bag fitted with a #3 tip.  Outline the Kiss with icing and fill the inside.  You can use a toothpick to nudge fill out the icing completely inside the outline.  Immediately after icing a cookie, take one of the Hershey Kiss tags and, again using a toothpick, push it into the icing so it will be secure once the icing sets.  After the tag is applied, immediately pour the sprinkles that match the icing color onto the cookie.  (TIP:  Pour the sprinkles over a coffee filter.  When you are done sprinkling, use the filter to pour the unused sprinkles back into the container.  Not my original idea, but it's genius and works like a dream!)

I started with gray icing and sprinkles:

Then I rounded out the Valentine collection with pink and red:

Once I completed the icing/tagging/sprinkling process, I melted down the unwrapped Hershey Kisses in the microwave in one minute increments at 30% power until they were melted.  I poured the melted chocolate into a piping bag, snipped off a TINY bit of the end, and made a triangle of chocolate on each cookie:

 

Using a toothpick, I pushed the chocolate into a kiss shape and did my best to create that iconic swirly flourish at the top!  I can definitely use more practice with that:

They are not perfect, but I *love* them.  :)

I think these might be a new favorite of mine.  I will make them for every Holiday and event coming because WHO doesn't love a Kiss?  Happy Valentine's Day!

Red Velvet Cupakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is the second dessert I'd set to be automatically posted while I was on vacation, which did not post after all.  Oh, well, better late than never!  

This trip brought us to the Caribbean so we could take a break  to escape the icy temperatures in the Northeast.  We go on a cruise each January to spend a week in warm sunshine, which helps break up these cold months of lingering winter.  Since we've been doing this for many years we've had the opportunity to visit several different islands.  This trip, however, we only left the ship once in 9 days.  I had no phone, computer and never turned on the TV.  It was great to disconnect and just relax.  I read four books, slept, and seem to have finally beaten my never-ending cold.  But, I missed baking!!  I'm looking forward to trying some new recipes this week.

Before we left, I had to make Red Velvet Cupcakes for a customer order.  Again this brought up the issue of dense or light cake and hint of chocolate vs. obvious chocolate taste, which I wrote about in my Black Velvet Cupcakes post.  I can't tell you how many Red Velvet Recipes I went though, reading reviews, recipe alterations, debates.  In the end, I went with the cupcake described as moist and on the lighter side.  It is said to be a Sprinkles copycat recipe.  Recently, Sprinkles opened a shop in Manhattan, but I haven't gotten there yet.  When I do, I'll be able to compare.  I really loved these, though!

Sprinkles Copycat Red Velvet Cupcakes

Followed to a "T" from Carrot Top Mom

2 1/2 cups flour (I used all-purpose)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch processed)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

2 1/4 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup buttermilk (or milk with 2 teaspoons lemon juice)

1 ounce red food coloring

4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. 

Do not overbeat. Spoon batter into 24 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting: With a high powered mixer (stand up mixer if you have one) beat cold cream cheese, butter, sour cream and Pure Vanilla Extract in large bowl until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl, and beat again. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Once smooth, turn beaters to high (I use my Kitchenaid) and whip on high for 5 minutes, until very fluffy. I am frequently asked how I get the piled high frosting. I do this with a piping bag, or a Ziploc bag with a 1 inch hole cut out of the corner will work perfectly. I always pipe the frosting on, instead of spreading it with a knife. That is how I get the tall pile of frosting. IF you do want the tall pile, I recommend doing 1 1/2 the recipe for frosting, to make sure you have enough.

Frost the cupcakes generously, and serve at room temperature! 

**Note from Carrot Top Mom:  In response to the comments who have had trouble with the frosting…These are the exact proportions I use. I do not add more sugar, or it will be very sweet, but it is important that the cream cheese and sour cream are cold. If the frosting is too runny, I recommend putting the frosting in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before piping it on. Also, your cupcakes MUST be totally cooled. The frosting may seem a little too moist at first, but if you can get it to form a pile, and leave the cupcake uncovered for 1 hour or so, it will form a slightly dry crust (not a bad crust, I promise), so it won’t seem so gooey.

Cream Cheese Frosting (This has been revised to show the cream cheese and butter cold, resulting in a less runny frosting.) If you want the piled high frosting, like the picture, make 1 1/2 the recipe of frosting and pipe it on with a piping bag or ziploc bag (do not try to spread it with a knife).

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cold
• 1/4 cup butter, cold
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
• 16 ounces confectioners’ sugar

These cupcakes were as moist as promised!  The color is just gorgeous.  And the icing piled up just as it was supposed to!  Half way through frosting them I did put the icing back into the fridge to firm up a bit, then continued topping the remaining cupcakes.

I am not a huge fan of cream cheese frosting, but this recipe is great!  I had two taste tester friends give them a try in an exchange for an honest review.  While they do prefer a denser red velvet cake, the icing was an unqualified success!  They each had a second cupcake this morning, which is good sign (they even commented the icing was better the next day)!  I received a text from the Birthday Girl's sister (who ordered the cupcakes) and they raved about this recipe.  I highly recommend it!

Ice Cream Cones That Won't Melt In Your Hands!

I had some leftover cake pop mixture left over from last week and wanted to find something to do with it.  Of course,  I turned to Bakerella and found these amazing ice cream cone cake truffles.  I could not wait to give them a try myself!  Certainly they did not turn out nearly as perfect, but, as the title clearly states, I am a beginner and proud of my first attempt!

To start, you need some cake truffle mixture.  Click here for instructions to assemble it.  Next, find a box top  or something similar for a makeshift cone holder.  I used a candy box.  Taking a knife, I cut "X" shapes to set the cones into after dipping so the chocolate could set.

It is best to prepare this before assembling the cones so you are not stuck when you begin dipping.  Now, roll the cake mixture into balls and press into the cones.  Be somewhat firm so the balls will not fall out while dipping them into the chocolate.  Place them in the refrigerator for an hour or in the freezer for 10 minutes or so.

A few minutes before your pops have chilled and are ready to be dipped, begin melting the chocolate.  I used Wilton melting chocolate, which can be purchased at craft stores.  I heated them in the microwave for 30 second intervals on power level 2.  Repeat until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

Next, the dipping.  Coat the cake with chocolate and don't worry about imperfections, a bit of a rough texture creates more of an ice cream scoop effect and the drips look completely natural for ice cream.

I had to dip the white chocolate cones twice, because the chocolate cake showed through the coating.  I also made some pink ice cream cones, but I didn't like those as much.

Once the "ice cream" coating dried completely, I melted a small amount of chocolate to make "hot fudge" for the cones.  I melted a bit of red to make the cherries.  You can embellish the cones with sprinkles or jimmies, anything that suits you!

This is a more forgiving process than actual cake pops, since drips and drops actually work in the design, so you might want to give them try!

Summer may be over, but these ice cream cones will be a great treat all year 'round!  Enjoy.