Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Ladybug Cupcakes

I found these little beauties on Parenting.com. They are super adorable and I definitely plan on making them for Everleigh's 1st birthday! (Which isnt for another 6 months, but hey it doesn't hurt to plan ahead right?!)





Ingredients:



•1 can (16 oz) vanilla frosting

•Green food coloring

•12 unfrosted cupcakes baked in green paper liners*

•½ cup green decorating sugar

•12 green gumdrops

•3 Tbsp granulated white sugar

•Red food coloring

•½ cup red decorating sugar

•12 Mallomars

•½ can (1 cup) chocolate frosting

•24 brown M&M's Minis

•1 Tbsp chocolate sprinkles

*Green paper liners.



What you'll need:


•A rolling pin or a heavy bottle

•Kitchen shears or scissors

•1 resealable sandwich-size plastic bag (Ziploc)


For the leaf cupcakes:


1.Tint 1 cup of the vanilla frosting green with the green food coloring.

2.Spread the green frosting evenly on top of the cupcakes.

3.Place the green decorating sugar into a small bowl. Roll the edge of each cupcake in the green sugar to coat.

4.Using a rolling pin or a clean, heavy bottle, roll out the green gumdrops in the granulated white sugar to flatten. Using kitchen shears or clean scissors, cut each flattened gumdropinto 2 leaves. Arrange the leaves on one edge of a cupcake. Repeat with the remaining gumdrops and cupcakes.


For the ladybugs:


1.Tint 1 cup of the vanilla frosting with the red food coloring.

2.Spoon the red sugar into a small bowl.

3.Cover each Mallomar with red frosting. Roll each frosted Mallomar in red sugar to coat completely.

4.Place one sugar-coated Mallomar on each leaf cupcake.


For the decoration:
1.Spoon the chocolate frosting into a resealable plastic bag and snip a small corner of the bag. Pipe a line of chocolate frosting down the center of the red cookie; pipe an oval onto the front of the red cookie for the ladybug's head.

2.Place 2 brown M&M's Minis on either side of the chocolate line; stick 2 chocolate sprinkles upright into the ladybug's frosting head.

3.Continue with the remaining cupcakes.


Cake Anatomy:

Happy Baking!

In The Stillness...

...Right before I fall asleep...laying here listening to my husband breathe and hearing my baby girl thrashing around in her crib I think about how thankful I am that we can sleep in our comfy bed, in a safe home, and with full tummies. So many parents around the world are struggling to provide for their families. They live in poor countries with little access to jobs, education, health care, food, and even clean water. As you go to bed in the next few days, take a moment to be thankful for what you have and to pray for those around the world who are struggling. Here are some organizations who are doing great things to impact the lives of impovrished people around the world...

Clean Water Project

International Justice Mission

 World Vision

Fruited Plains

Global Health Ministry

Doctors Without Borders


 Challenge yourself to give; make a difference in the life of another person...you won't regret it =)