Cookie Monster Cupcakes

I was invited to a 3 year olds birthday party this week. I wanted to bring a treat for the kids that would be something fun and something they hadn't seen before. I had seen these Cookie Monster Cupcakes online before and always thought they were super cute.

I decided to go the extra step and make homemade cookies as well. (the cookie monster is supposed to look like he is eating the cookie - not everyone got that one, haha). I used the recipe from my last cookies but used chocolate chips instead of the Nutella, bacon and pecans. The trick is to make the cookies really small and flat so they fit in the mouth (I had to cut them off).

1. I used a simple vanilla cupcake recipe and added blue food colouring at the end. You need to get the blue food colouring gel from a baking shop (or Michaels).

2. When the cupcake had cooled down, I cut a slit in the top and added in the half cookie and make it stick with some icing (Nathan's idea)

3. Then I frosted it with blue frosting (used store bought cream cheese frosting and added the blue food colouring gel)

4.  I then took blue coconut (dyed blue with the gel also) and sprinkled it all over.

5. Then for the eyes... I wanted to use the big white choc chips but we couldn't find them nearby. So I just used the white icing and tried to make an eye. I don't like how they turned out but better than nothing. Then I  used a chocolate chip for the middle of the eye. Cookie Monster usually has googly eyes, so try to make them looking googly. (is that a word??).

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using electric mixer on low speed, mix in butter, milk, eggs and vanilla; beat on high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
2. Spoon into 12 paper-lined or greased muffin cups, filling about three-quarters full. Bake in centre of 375°F (190°C) oven until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Transfer to rack; let cool completely. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 2 weeks.) Variation: Chocolate Cupcakes - Reduce flour to 1 cup and baking powder to 1/2 tsp. Add 1/2 cup cocoa powder and 1 tsp baking soda to dry ingredients. Sift before adding butter and wet ingredients.

Here is a link to one with better eyes and frosting as fur... http://completedeelite.blogspot.ca/2009/03/who-stole-cookies-from-cookie-rack-who.html

How To Bake Rainbow Cupcakes

After moving from Toronto to Vancouver last May, I am only able to make the trip back home once or twice a year. When I made my first trip back last summer, I decided to have a baking fun day with my 4 nieces and make rainbow cupcakes. I had made a rainbow cake in the past and it was a big hit with my new friends in Vancouver (now I'm officially the 'rainbow cake girl').

Since I was baking with 4 extremely impatient little ladies, I decided to use the good old pre-mixed cake batter. It works out well when you are working with kids and want to speed up the process. You can use any plain white/vanilla cake mix for this recipe. (I used 2 boxes) Or you can always use make the batter from scratch. For the cake I made, I used a coconut cake recipe and then topped it with a cream cheese coconut icing... so good!

Make sure you get the food colouring 'gels'. They are the only ones that give this vibrant colour. They can be found at Michaels Craft Store in Canada. Not sure about the US... 

The girls each had their own colour to mix up and pour into the muffin trays.

We made them like a real rainbow and went: purple, blue, green, yellow, orange and red.

Things got a little hard to manage at some points... "No Anna! Not the blue icing!"

Very careful! 

Messy, messy, messy, but fun!

When the cupcakes went in the oven, the girls pulled up chairs to watch them bake. SO cute.

Enjoying the finished cupcakes! I used whipped cream on top which was a good short term icing. For longer lasting cupcakes, use a nice vanilla icing on each one.

Happy Niece... (or "Stop taking our pictures Auntie Kate")