Congratu-OREO-lations!

I made these for an elementary school graduation but they would be great for ANY graduation! You can dress them up with the kind of liners you buy and the decorations (sprinkles) you use! They're black and white, they can look sophisticated but can easily be made fun with some colorful sprinkles or sequins! The greatest part is the OREO truffle surprise in the middle =] The beauty of stuffed cupcakes is no one knows they're stuff until they bite into them! I was shocked how the whole OREO, including the cream center, easily turn into dust-like crumbs... That's what makes these so easy! Plus, WHO DOESN'T LOVE OREOS?!

Cookies and Cream OREO Truffle Stuffed Cupcakes

Adapted from Love From the Oven

Yields 24 Cupcakes

For the OREO Truffles

Ingredients:

• 1 Family Size Pack OREO's (it comes with 5 roll packs, you'll use 3 roll packs for these truffles and 2 for the frosting)
• 1 8oz block Cream Cheese, room temperature

Directions:

1. Empty 1 roll pack of OREO's in a blender or a food processor. Make sure the lid is secure and pulse the cookies until they turn into dust (crumbs). You may need to stir some of the cookies around a couple times because they can get stuck, but they crumb very easily and quickly. Empty crumbs into medium bowl.
2. Repeat step 1 with 2 more roll packs of OREO's and empty into the same bowl.
3. Put the block of cream cheese into the bowl with the cookie crumbs, and on medium-low with an electric mixer, mix the crumbs and cream cheese will until they make what looks like dough. I like to use dough hooks so it doesn't get stuck in the regular mixers.
4. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop a little less that 1 scoop of the dough and roll into 1 1/2 inch balls. This should be just enough for 24 truffle balls. Put truffle balls on a cookie sheet and freeze for at least 20 minutes. Keep in freezer until you need them =]

For the Vanilla Cupcake 

Ingredients:

• 1 Box VANILLA cake mix
• water
• oil
• eggs (all as indicated on box)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake pans with 24 cupcake paper liners. Set aside.
2. Prepare the Vanilla Cake batter as instructed on box.
3. Put a bit of the batter in each cupcake liner – enough to cover the bottom.  Then add in your OREO truffle balls.
4. You can now cover the truffle balls in the liners with the rest of the batter. 1 heaping tablespoon or 1 ice cream scoop should be enough. This should be just enough for the 24 cupcakes.
5. Bake according to package directions or until the top of your cupcakes are a golden very light brown.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool in cupcake pan for at least 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

For the Cookies and Cream Whipped Frosting 

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

•  2 roll packs of OREO's (leftover from Family Pack you used above to make the OREO truffles), blended into crumbs (Step 1 on OREO truffle directions)
• 1 (.25 ounce) package unflavored gelatin
• 4 teaspoons cold water
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons clear imitation vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Mix gelatin and cold water in a small saucepan, and let the mixture stand until gelatin thickens. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat, and let cool; do not let set.
2. Whip cream, sugar, and vanilla until slightly thickened. Continue beating slowly, while gradually adding the gelatin. Whip at high speed until stiff.
3. Carefully fold in 3/4 to ALL of the crumbs into the whipped frosting (to your desired taste), until well mixed.
4. Refrigerate until ready to pipe onto cupcakes.

For the Mini Cupcake Toppers

You will need:

• 24 Mini Reese's, unwrapped BUT dark brown paper left on to look like a cupcake liner
• 1 cup Whipped Cookies and Cream Frosting
• Piping bag
• Wilton Tip 12 (small, round)
• Edible Pearls or your favorite sprinkles

Directions:

1. Pipe frosting on each mini Reese's using the piping bag with the Tip 12.
2. Top with favorite decoration!

NOW TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER!

1. Pipe frosting on each COOLED cupcake, using a large piping bag and a Wilton 1A tip.
2. Top with your Mini Cupcake Toppers!
3. Refrigerate until serving and ENJOY!

Radiator Springs in the Palm of Your Hand!

I'm a home nurse for kids and these were for one of my little angel's 9th birthday. It was important to me to make these as fun to eat as possible. At first I was going to use paper Lightning and Mater's on cupcake picks, even though I hate putting things on top of my cupcakes that aren't edible. BUT THEN, the Dessert Goddesses blessed me with graham cracker CARS 2 characters in the supermarket aisle! I used a very interesting icing for this cupcake. I didn't want the standard chocolate buttercream. I wanted something lighter in color and also in texture to even out everything that was going on, on top. It worked out perfectly! Everyone loved them at the party and there wasn't one left over. =]

CARS 2 Cupcakes

For the Red and Blue cupcakes:

Ingredients:

• 1 box WHITE CAKE mix
• water
• oil
• eggs (all as indicated on box)
• red and blue food coloring

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard cupcake pans with 18-24 cupcake papers (again, depending on how fluffy you like your cupcakes).
2. Prepare white cake batter as indicated on box.
3. Separate batter evenly into 2 medium bowls.
4. Add red food coloring in one bowl and blue in the other and mix, until desired shade of colors is achieved. Make sure you don't over do it with the food coloring or else they can actually give your cake a weird taste. You shouldn't need more than 10 drops of each color.
5. Put one scoop (or one heaping tablespoon) of each colored batter to each cup in cupcake pan. 
6. Bake 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool about 5 minutes on pan and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For Light and Fluffy Brown Sugar Chocolate Icing:

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions
Pour the heavy cream into a medium bowl, and whip with an electric mixer. Add sugar, vanilla and cocoa powder; whip until stiff and spreadable. Refrigerate until needed. 

Other things you need: 

• 1 box of honey graham crackers 
• 1 box vanilla wafers
• green candy melts
• small sheet (12" by 12" should be ok) wax paper
• small candy making bottle
• black fondant
• corn starch
• yellow writing icing
• character graham characters

1. In a large Ziploc bag, put about 1/2 the package of honey grahams and 1/2 the package of vanilla wafers inside, together. Use a rolling pin or meat tenderizer and just go at the bag to make all the crackers and wafers into dust (crumbs). Set aside.
2. Use a ceramic bowl and melt the green candy melts according to the packaging. Carefully pour the melted green chocolate into the candy making bottle. On the sheet of wax paper, make lots of little cacti by squeezing a small amount of the melted green melts and kind of spreading and drawing it into the desired shapes and sizes. Make sure to make the stems a little longer so when you put it into the icing, it will stand up well without sinking too far in that you won't know what it is anymore =] put the wax paper in the fridge until needed to allow the cacti to harden.
3. I used Duff Black Buttercream Fondant (purchased at Michael's in a large bucket). I grabbed small handfuls at a time, and rolled them out on a surface sprinkled with cornstarch with a rolling pin to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut straight strips (as many as you have cupcakes) about 3/4 inch wide and 3 inches long (long enough to go across the cupcake).

NOW TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER! 

Make sure to decorate one cupcake at a time!

1. Evenly spread the icing on each cupcake using a butter knife or frosting spreader. It doesn't need to be perfect or pretty =]
2. Lay one of your black fondant strips through the center of the cupcake. Trim any excess fondant hanging too far off the edge.
3. Get little scoops of the cracker and wafer crumbs on the tips of your fingers and gently pat on the frosting on each side of your black fondant road. Dust off any crumbs that get on the fondant with a dry napkin.
4. Use a tiny bit of frosting to cover the bottom edge of the character graham cracker, and stand in the middle of the black fondant road.
5. Use the yellow writing icing to make dotted road lines on the black fondant on each side of the character cracker.
6. Get your cold little cacti out of the fridge and stand in frosting wherever your heart desires on the cupcake.

I know it's tough to imagine some of the directions without pictures, but I never thought I'd be making this blog, so I'll be sure to take lots of pictures of many-step cupcakes such as this one. Again, ANY QUESTIONS are welcomed!

I've Got You Covered!... with Chocolate, that is...

I made these on Easter Sunday since it's  relaxing day for us in my house, There were some chocolate covered strawberries in my fridge and some extra strawberries so I decided to utilize it ALL. You know, I didn't want anything to spoil and go to waste... hehehe! =]

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes

For chocolate cupcakes

Adapted from Hello, Cupcake!

Ingredients:

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 1 cup buttermilk (instead of water)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard cupcake pan with 18-24 cupcake papers (depends on how fluffy you want your cupcakes)
2. Beat together all of the ingredients with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until almost all lumps are gone
3. Divide batter evenly among cups (I like mine fluffy, I add about 1/3 cup of batter to each cup, usually about 3/4 full) and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
4. Allow cupcakes to cool slightly and then move to wire rack to cool completely.

For Strawberry Buttercream

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp strawberry puree (approx 8 fresh strawberries)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Puree strawberries with a food processor (my Magic Bullet worked just as well =] )
2. In a bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together butter on medium speed until light and fluffy
3. Reduce speed of mixer and slowly add confectioners' sugar, and beat until well combined
4. Add vanilla and strawberry puree, and mix until just blended (If frosting is too thick, add more puree, if it's too liquidy, add more sugar)

AND OF COURSE, PIPE ON COLD STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM AND TOP WITH A CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY... AND ENJOY! =]