April Fools Day

Corn on the Cob Cupcakes


I've been waiting for so long to make these cupcakes, and I thought April Fools was the best day to make them (for obvious reasons). They are in the book, Hello Cupcake, which is the cutest book ever. If you've never seen this book, you HAVE to take a look next time you go to the book store. There are some really cute cupcakes. These were good for a beginner (like me) because all you have to do is press jelly beans on the icing.

Ingredients:
24 vanilla cupcakes baked in white paper liners (I used the pale yellow liners)
1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting (I made the Wilton's icing.... recipe below)
Yellow food coloring
3 and 1/2 cups small jelly beans (Jelly Bellys) in assorted yellow, cream, and white colors (I used pina colada, coconut, and banana flavors... the popcorn flavor would look good, but I can't imagine popcorn mixed with tropical flavors. Ick!)
4 pieces yellow fruit chews (Laffy Taffys or Starbursts
1 Tablespoon each black and white decorating sugars
8 sets of corn holders (optional)

Directions:
Tint the vanilla frosting pale yellow with food coloring.

Working with 3 cupcakes at a time, spread yellow frosting on top of each. Arrange about 5 rows of jelly beans, close together, on each cupcake. Place the remaining cupcakes, frosting, and jelly beans.

Cut the fruit chews into eight 1-inch squares, and soften the edges slightly by hand so that they look melted. Place 1 square on top of each group of 3 cupcakes. Sprinkle with the sugars. Insert 1 corn holder, if using in each end of the cupcakes.

These are all packaged up and ready to be given away!

Wilton's Classic Buttercream Icing
I halved this recipe

Ingredients:
2 c solid white vegetable shortening
2 sticks unsalted butter, soften
2 tsp flavoring (vanilla, almond or butter, add more if you want)
2 T water (only add to produce a thinner consistency)... I added 1 teaspoon
2 lb. confectioners sugar (about 8 c.)
2 T meringue powder
2 pinches salt (optional, salt adds flavor to the buttercream and reduces the sweetness)

Directions:
Cream shortening, butter and flavoring. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Blend an additional minute or two until creamy.
Medium Consistency: add 1 T of water and mix thoroughly
Thin Consistency: add 2 T of water and mix thoroughly

Source: Kim's Kitchen