Chick and Egg Cupcakes

I did it!!!  I was able to successfully make an Easter related recipe and post it before the actual holiday!  If you don't mind, I'm going to give myself a little pat on the back!  :-)

I found this recipe on the Food Network website - and thought they were really cute.  Little Miss Sunshine LOVED them - no surprise there! 

The original recipe had its own frosting calling for Marshmallow Fluff. I'm not a big fan of "Fluff", but made it anyway to see if this particular frosting would help the overall cupcake look better.  I honestly think a simple buttercream would work just the same, or even a store bought frosting would be fine - just make sure you mix in the food coloring (I used a neon blue food coloring which are on the store shelves now due to the holiday).  I thought the frosting was horrible, and it turned hard after a short period of time.  Not a fan of that!

What ever Easter means to you, regardless how you celebrate, I hope this cute little dessert will help make your day a special one!

Chick and Egg Cupcakes
Original Recipe from Food Network Kitchens

Ingredients

1 vanilla cupcake, recipe follows

White frosting + blue food coloring

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

Yield: 3 3/4 cups

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.

Please click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy

Enjoy and live with gusto!
Carina

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life" - John 5:24a
As we celebrate Easter, may you be blessed in mighty ways!!