Cute as a Cupcake

I'm in charge of doing a cupcake class for Relief Society (church women's group) in two weeks. While I thought I knew how to make a cupcake, the cupcake craze has launched these buttery little gems to a new level, and I'm overwhelmed with all of the amazing possibilities out there!

So, this is where you come in.....

If anyone out there has a cupcake recipe to die for or a great idea, simple or complex, I'd love to hear about it! I am going to cover decorating and filling the cupcakes also, so any secret concoctions or techniques will be enthusiastically welcomed. (You can email me at jangle.boo@gmail.com) Oh, and if you'd like the recipes I use in my presentation, let me know.

I'll admit, it's kind of fun immersing myself in this devilish and diet-wrecking endeavor, all in the name of culinary art. That's what I'm telling myself it is. The mean little bathroom scale will be lonely for a couple weeks because I have more important work to do! For example, I spent this afternoon perfecting my frosting technique, a la the famous Magnolia Bakery cupcake. (I was going to include a video of the Magnolia frosting technique, but I haven't learned how to put it in the post, so you can click here instead). Really, it's just frosting on a cupcake, but with a little twist it's a bit more than just slathering it all over the top - and slathering is the only method I've known about until this little project. Now, I've found there are piping bags and decorator's tips and a whole slosh of new ideas. And most of them make the whole process easier and more slick to boot. Now there's something to sing about.

So, here's a shout out to cupcakes. Think rich chocolate, think butter yellow, think lemon cream cheese, think fluffy buttercream and sprinkles, think....think....think. Isn't it fun? A little indulgent? Who cares! Think peanut butter-filled with thick chocolate ganache piped on top. Think raspberries, whipped cream, and dust clouds of powdered sugar. And may you have sweet dreams!