Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Tasty Tuesday!

This past Saturday was Mister Man's half birthday, and yes, these are occasions that we celebrate in my house. It isn't done up all the way like a full birthday party, but the half birthday child chooses the dinner and also a type of cupcake. Cakes are for full birthdays, and cupcakes for half birthdays in my house.

Mister Man requested a chocolate cupcake with chocolate chips. And strawberry frosting. Uh-huh. Mommy doesn't like chocolate cake, so it's possible that someone tried to talk him into a different type of cupcake and failed miserably.

So instead, I did my darndest to make a type of chocolate cake I could eat. And enjoy. I had intended to puree and strain strawberries for the frosting but when I bought strawberries at the store, I forgot I was buying them for my mom for her Easer salad and neglected to get any for myself.

Instead, I got creative with a half package of strawberry Jell-O. The flavor was good, albeit somewhat crunchy. If I did that again, I'd heat the milk slightly and stir the Jell-O until dissolved instead of adding it into the frosting with the powdered sugar.

No one complained though. In fact, my dad had three. I'd say that's a ringing endorsement!







Double Chocolate Cocoa Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

Cupcake:

Ingredients
2 c chocolate chips (or about 3/4 c chocolate chips left in the bag and a bunch of panic until you remember the milk chocolate melting discs that you chop to make up the remainder -- it was GOOD with two kinds of chocolate melted in the cupcake)
3/4 c butter, room temperature
1 1/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c cocoa
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c milk

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (don't skip this step or shortchange it!). Beat in eggs and vanilla until well mixed.

Add cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Mix until well combined. Add 1/3 c milk. Mix again. Add 1/2 c flour. Mix until just combined. Add the remainding 2/3 milk and mix well. Add the last 1 c flour and stir until about halfway mixed in.

Add the chocolate chips and stir with a spoon until just mixed in.

a) Fill ice cream cones about to the first lip of the cone where it starts to get wide (this makes about 28 cones) or b) fill greased muffin tins with the batter until about 3/4 full.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. If you do cones, it will take longer. Be patient. It's worth it.

Frosting:

Ingredients
1/4 c butter
1/3 c milk, heated
1/2 package strawberry Jell-O (or be good mom and puree about 1/3 c strawberries and strain them)
3 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla

Cream the butter. Heat the milk until simmering, then add the Jell-O and stir until the Jell-O is dissolved. Add the milk to the butter and beat to combine. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar (slowly) and mix until well combined. If you're adding strawberry puree instead of Jell-O, add it at with the milk (not heated).

Wait until the cupcakes are fully cooled before frosting.



(And, yes, Donald Leopard and Sizzy joined us for the cupcakes, too)

Go check out this week's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday with Blessed With Grace!

Enjoy!

19 comments:

Kelly Deneen Raymond April 14, 2009 at 8:49 AM  

What a sweet idea for a half birthday! I love it! :)

Kori April 14, 2009 at 8:55 AM  

I need to send you my cupcake pan. I have never used it. It makes cupcakes in the shape of icecream cones.

Amy April 14, 2009 at 9:06 AM  

Looks wonderful to me.
Yeah on your win.

Brenda April 14, 2009 at 10:55 AM  

Looks like a lot of fun! and no mess

septembermom April 14, 2009 at 11:25 AM  

You're very creative in the kitchen! Sounds like you had a happy bunch of partygoers enjoying your baking ideas. Glad Mister Man had fun too:)

Cupcake Dessert April 14, 2009 at 11:32 AM  

i need to try this.. i hate washing my cupcake pan

Angela April 14, 2009 at 12:19 PM  

You get the gold medal for the jello idea! I only have two kinds of frosting that I actually know how to make from scratch and they are both chocolate. I do not know what I'd have done with no strawberries. Awesome quick thinking!

Sheryl April 14, 2009 at 12:26 PM  

I love your cupcakes and the time you put into them. As much as I would like to say I'm domestic, not so much. I would buy a box of mix and a container of frosting. Kuddos to you.

Have a great day.

Heather April 14, 2009 at 5:30 PM  

What a cool mom to celebrate half birthdays!

Aunt Julie April 14, 2009 at 7:51 PM  

You know, I'm going to have to give up blogging if I want to give my diet any chance to work at all! These look so delish!! And thanks for the deer abatement tip. We might get a kick out of a sprinkler like that!

Live.Love.Eat April 14, 2009 at 8:33 PM  

These look so cute and sound amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sherry @ Lamp Unto My Feet April 15, 2009 at 7:50 AM  

What a cute idea and they sound delish!! :D

Tami April 15, 2009 at 10:58 AM  

what a handsome little dude!

Tulsi April 15, 2009 at 1:03 PM  

Wow. Thanks for the recipe's

Cookie April 15, 2009 at 9:04 PM  

That's creative to use the jello!
They look fabulous!

Unknown April 15, 2009 at 10:03 PM  

Wow - you are WAY on top of things if you can remember your kids' half-birthdays. Kudos to you! That will be something they can always recall as they grow up :)
Thanks for visiting my blog...I've never made sushi before but I might have to take a shot at it.

Michelle April 15, 2009 at 10:19 PM  

Kelly - I'm sure there was no pun intended there... right?

Kori - That sounds SO cool. WHERE did you get that? I need to find one!

Amy - They taste pretty good. I have a few left in the freezer :)

Brenda - The no mess is actually one of my favorite parts of it. I hate cleaning dishes!

septembermom - Creative? Ha! I think that's the first time someone's ever said that to me.

Cupcake Dessert - Given your name, I think you definitely do. Have you really never tried ice cream cone cupcakes?

Angela - I'm glad you approve. I was a little nervous about it. Granted, the other half of the Jell-O was used when one of my August birthday people wanted a strawberry cake and I couldn't find one that doesn't use Jell-O.

Sheryl - Honestly, it's really not much more time or effort than a box. They come together so quickly!

Heather - I'm glad you think so. My husband doesn't believe in them!

Veggie Mom - Oops, sorry :) But hey -- at least I helped with the deer!

Live.Love.Eat - Glad you think so. They're totally worth it!

Sherry - They totally are. Try 'em!

tt millers - Awww, thank you! I think so, but I know I'm biased.

Tulsi - You're welcome. I hope you enjoy.

Cookie - Yeah... I think creative is about right. Fortunately, it turned out ok!

Courtney - Half birthdays are easy. Remember, they're at the age when going from 5 to 5 1/2 is a big deal!

angela | the painted house April 19, 2009 at 8:15 PM  

I have never thought of that combo before: choco cake and strawberry frosting! My kids would explode with excitement if I baked cupcakes into ice cream cones. I'll have to try that this summer and become mom of the year in their eyes! :)

Michelle April 20, 2009 at 7:54 PM  

Angela - Cupcake ice cream cones are way easy and fun! And yep, the kids think they're pretty neat. They're also (score) slightly less messy to eat than normal cupcakes. Leave it to Mister Man to come up with a new combo....

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