get cracking

i've begun the kiddo's religious education by making him watch easter parade with me (which resulted in him donning his polka-dot bow tie and doing dance routines that involved a lot of falling down) and baking cupcakes with a springtime theme: eggs in a nest! the nests i made last week, and a good thing too, and this weekend was crazy (surprise party, charity event, 4th birthday party, etc.) and i never would have got done if i hadn't started early.

first off: meringues! seems the perfectly appropriate recipe for making eggs. i piped wee egg-shaped dollops on the cookie sheet, trying to stop them from getting too peak-y:




while those were in the oven, i worked on the batter for the cupcakes - here's a shot of the butterscotch being poured in:



the meringues look ready to hatch!



few things look or smell so lovely as cupcakes in the oven.




or fresh out of it! this recipe is another from the family circle cake & cooky cookbook.



i realized that my bittersweet chocolate wouldn't do for the icing - it had an allergy warning, and the kiddo's school is strictly "no nuts." so, i adapted my vanilla frosting recipe with a quarter-cup of cocoa. then, it was assembly line time: a healthy dollop of icing on each cuppy, a nest, another wee dollop of icing, and two meringue eggs.



here they are - my very own battery farm!




meringues

2 egg whites (at room temperature)
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
1 cup white sugar

combine first four ingredients. whisk like mad, gradually adding sugar, till it holds stiff peaks. spoon or pipe onto an un-greased cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. bake 1 hour at 275F.

n.b.: you can use the same recipe to make a shell to fill with fruit and whip cream - heavenly!

frosting

1 cup milk
3 tbs flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup butter, soft
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cocoa (optional)

whisk flour into milk and cook over low heat till thickened. stir in vanilla, and allow to cool.

cream together butter and sugar. if using cocoa, blend it in too.

beat cooled milk mixture into butter mixture. an electric whisk is great for this!

chill in the fridge till a little set before using to frost your cupcakes.