St. Patrick's Day Desserts: Two Times the Irish Cupcakes!!

Oh dear, the luckiest day of the year is fast approaching and I feel as if we have been totally ignoring it!  St.Patrick's Day is right around the corner, and just in case you are looking for a few treats to get you in that holiday spirit, we've got you covered!

Here are two of my absolute favorite cupcake ideas; so super yummy and lots of fun too!  The first comes from The Fickle Pickle and they are just the cutest and most clever little things...topped with Air Head Extremes, no less, to make a rainbow!

RAINBOW CUPCAKES


Ingredients:
~ Food Coloring
~ Air Heads Extremes Rainbow Belts (you can find these at Target)
~ Rolo Candies
~ Frosting
~ White Cake Mix
~ Marshmallows for clouds (or you can use frosting!)

Directions:
1.) The airheads are usually a little soft and don't hold their shape when they're fresh out of the package.  Open up the package and let them sit for a day or two before putting them on your cupcakes!

2.) Use any kind of cupcake you fancy; bakery-bought, made from scratch, or even a box of pre-mixed cake batter (you can even divide up the white cake batter and make rainbow cakes if you like!  See how to do this HERE:)

3.) If you do decide to make your frosting at home, here is an simple & tasty recipe for you:

Easy Butter Cream Frosting:

1/2 cup butter (room temp)
1 lb. powder sugar (about 4 cups)
3 TBS milk
2 tsp. Vanilla

Cream butter til light and fluffy.  Add sugar 1 cup at a time mixing well in between.  Add milk and vanilla.  Then whip until it's light and fluffy...really, keep whipping!  Spoon th frosting into a quart sized baggie, snip one corner of the bag and pipe the frosting in swirls on top of the cupcake.

(photo courtesy of The Fickle Pickle)

These next tasty treats are from the woman herself, Betty Crocker, and just turn a favorite childhood breakfast cereal into a fun way to find your inner-leprechaun . . .

LUCKY CHARMS CUPCAKES

(were going to go the easy route on these guys:)

Ingredients:

~ 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow or devil's food cake mix

Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

~ 1 container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting

~ 3 cups Lucky Charms® cereal

~ Green edible glitter

Directions:

1.)  Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.

2.) Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

3.) Frost cupcakes with frosting. Top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons cereal; sprinkle with glitter. Store loosely covered.

(image via http://cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com)

Aren't those fun and worth staying up late for?  See you tomorrow!!!

Yay, It's Friday!!! Flashback: Shamrock Shakes!!

I couldn't be more thrilled that the weekend is here . . . Juneberry Lane has been downright swamped with invitation orders galore.  So while we spend this weekend answering e-mails, catching up, packing, & shipping I thought today would be just as good as any to send the recipe for delicious homemade Shamrock Shakes your way!!!

Drink up & enjoy and we will see you on Monday for all sorts of new Creative & Crafty fun!!

Shamrock Shake Recipe (courtesy of Craving Comfort):

~2 cups vanilla ice cream
~1 1/4 cups milk
~1/4 - 1/2 Teaspoon Mint extract
~9 drops green food coloring

Optional pretty stuff:
~chocolate syrup (optional glass decoration)
~whipped cream (optional topping)
~green sugar (optional decoration)

Directions:

Blend all ingredients together until smooth and yummy.  Drizzle some chocolate syrup around your glass.; pour Shamrock Shake into the glass; top with whipped cream and green sugar...ENJOY!!

St. Patrick's Day Delicious: MIni-Guinness Cupcakes!!

Can you believe it is almost March already?!  And you know what this means...St Patrick's Day is fast approaching.  And just in case you are looking for a fun recipe to bring to the office or whip up for your Shamrock Shindig that is sure to inspire an Irish-type of chuckle, well look no further!

These yummy cupcakes from Sugar and Charm will fill all of your friends, guests, or co-workers with a bit o' leprechaun mischief and make for the perfect conversation starter too!  See for yourself . . .

St. Patty's Day Mini-Guinness Cupcakes:


Ingredients :
~ 1 Cup Guinness Extra Stout
~ 1 1/2 Sticks Unsalted Butter
~ 3/4 Cup(s) Unsweetened Chocolate Chunks ( I used one 4oz unsweeted Ghirardelli bar)
~ 2 Cup(s) All Purpose Flour
~ 2 Cup(s) Sugar
~ 1/2 Tablespoon Baking Soda
~ 3/4 Teaspoon Salt
~ 2 Large Eggs
~ 3/4 Cup(s) Sour Cream

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.) Bring stout and butter to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Do not boil.
Add unsweetened chocolate chunks to hot stout/butter mixture. Whisk until chocolate melts. Turn heat off and let cool.

3.) Add sugar to chocolate mixture and whisk to combine.

4.) Sift flour, baking soda and salt.

5.) In a stand-alone mixer with a whisk attachment, combine the eggs and sour cream on medium speed.
Add stout-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and combine on medium-low speed until incorporated.
Slowly add flour mixture in thirds to chocolate mixture with whisk attachment. Scrape the sides with your whisk to make sure you get all the dry ingredients combined.

6.) Place mini cupcake papers in mini pan and divide batter into cups evenly. Fill about 2/3 of the cup.
Bake for 8 minutes and do not over cook or they will turn out dry.

7.) Let cool on wire rack before frosting.

Frosting Ingredients: 
~ 1 Cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
~ 2 1/2 Cups Sifted Powder Sugar
~ 1/4 Cup Milk
~ 1/2 Whole Scraped Vanilla (I left this out though ;))
~ 1/2 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
~ 1 Cup Guinness Beer

Directions:
1.) In a sauce pan, simmer Guinness on low heat for 10-15 minutes, until stout becomes reduced and a little thicker in consistency.

2.) In a stand alone mixer, cream butter for 1 minute.  Slowly add powder sugar in thirds, alternating with a little milk each time until mixture is creamy.  Add vanilla extra and vanilla beans

3.) Slowly add reduced Guinness a little at a time. Taste test to desired flavor. You may or may not use all the Guinness reduction... I did!

**Quick Tip
~ Make sure to beat the frosting on high until it's thicker and smooth. At first my frosting started to curdle, especially when I add the beer, but it just needs to be whipped on high to become fluffy again.
My beer never became a thicker consistency, but I still used it and it worked great.
Undercook the mini cupcakes because they will continue to cook when you take them out of the oven. If
you cook them too long they'll be dry!

Isn't that fun?  Hope you have a fantastic week!!