Creepy Critter Cupcakes

My latest cooking class is composed of children between 4 and 14 years of age so flexibility in use of materials and expectations runs the gamut during our 3/4 hr each week. As always, they did an excellent job with these "creepy critter cupcakes," in honor of Halloween. I loved the colors and their imagination and creativity.

Countdown to Christmas Recipe 1: Snowman Cupcakes

I am on a quest to find the cutest and most tasty Holiday treats for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Today's sweet Snowman cupcakes comes from allyou.com, and I absolutely love them! 

Snowman Cupcakes from allyou.com

Ingredients:

• 12 cupcakes, baked in colored foil liners, cooled
• 1/4 cup each red and green decorating sugar
• 24 mini vanilla wafers
• 1 can (16 oz.) vanilla frosting
• 4 orange fruit slices
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate frosting
• 1 cup white decorating sugar
• 6 each red and green licorice twists
• 24 pink large sprinkles
• 24 mini brown M&M’s

Directions:

1. Place the red and green sugars in separate shallow bowls. Spread a thin layer of vanilla frosting on top of the mini vanilla wafers to cover. Press the top of 12 wafers into the red sugar to coat. Repeat with the remaining 12 wafers and press into the green sugar. Set aside.

2. Cut 12 1-inch triangles from the orange slices to make the noses. Spoon the dark chocolate frosting into a freezer-weight ziplock bag. Spoon 1/4 cup of the vanilla frosting into a freezer-weight ziplock bag. Place the white decorating sugar in a shallow bowl. Spread the remaining frosting on top of cupcakes and make a smooth mound. Roll the tops of the frosted cupcakes into the white sugar to cover completely.

3. Add the cut orange candy as the nose in the center of the cupcake. Add the chocolate candies as the eyes. Snip a very small corner from the bag with the chocolate frosting and pipe a mouth. Add the pink sprinkles as cheeks.

4. Cut the licorice twists into 12 6-inch lengths for the bands of the earmuffs. Insert the 2 cut ends into either side of the cupcake for the headband. Snip a small corner from the bag with the vanilla frosting. Pipe a dot of vanilla frosting on either side where the licorice enters the cupcake. Add the like colored vanilla wafers as the muffs. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.

Skillet Chicken and Potatoes a la Weight Watchers

Yes, folks, I have finally pulled out the old Weight Watchers cookbooks and have rediscovered a wealth of great, healthy, lower-cal recipes that are (gasp) actually helping me lose a bit of my poundage. So, of course, I have to share these with YOU!

Chicken and Potato Dish with slight modifications

Skillet Chicken and Potatoes

(from the Weight Watchers Meals in Minutes Cookbook)


Here's a dish that is actually a meal in a skillet. It's tasty, filling and has everything from vegetables to meat to potatoes in it! As such, by the old plan, it has 2 Protein Exchanges, 1 Bread Exchange, 2 1/2 Veggie Exchanges, 1 Fat Exchange and 25 Optional Calories The calorie count stands at 275 calories: 19 g protein; 10 g fat; 28g carbohydrate; 88 mg calcium; 578 m,g sodium; 55 mg cholesterol; 4 g dietary fiber.


Ingredients

• 6 oz thinly sliced, pared all-purpose potatoes
• 2 tsp olive or vegetable oil
• 5 oz ground chicken, or as I prepared it, the equivalent amount of finely diced boneless, skinless chicken
• 1 tbsp whipped butter
• 1/2 c each diced onion (I used green onions), diced green bell pepper and sliced carrots (I used baby carrots, finely sliced)
• I used a mixture of freeze-dried garlic and peppers from Winco - 2 tsp.
• 1 can diced Italian tomatoes (with liquid) - approx. 12 oz.
• 1 tbsp parsley, freshly chopped or dried
• 1/4 tsp each thyme, salt and pepper

Preparation

Not really green in color, just how the photo turned out!

1. In 10-inch skillet, heat oil.
2. Add potatoes and chicken and cook over high heat, stirring constantly until chicken is lightly browned (about 2 minutes). Transfer to bowl.
3. In same skillet, melt butter; add onion, bell pepper, carrots, and garlic. Saute over high heat until tender-crisp (2 - 3 minutes).
4. Return potato/chicken mixture to skillet; add tomatoes, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cook until mixture comes to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors blend and potatoes are tender (approx. 10 minutes)

Note: You can also use substitute left-over turkey or pork for this dish.

Gems & Jewels Cake

We are making this beautiful cake at my Let's Cook kids' class this week. To simplify this recipe for a 3/4 hour class, I have some "star shaped" mini cake pans in which to pre-bake the individual cakes for my students. The children will be decorating their own Gems & Jewels Princess Stars. They are pretty excited about this. Note: you can buy gold and silver decorating sugar/non-pareils at WalMart and most JoAnn's, Wiltons or Michaels stores! Here, for your decorating pleasure is:


Gems & Jewels Cake (from The Cake Mix Bible)

The perfect crowning touch for a Princess Party!

Ingredients

• 3 packages (about 18 oz each) lemon cake mix, plus ingredients to prepare mixes
• 3 tubs (16 oz each) white frosting
• 9 drops lemon extract
• Yellow food coloring
• 1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant lemon pudding and pie filling mix
• 1 3/4 c milk
• Assorted candies for decorations

note: I believe you can now buy frosting starter and lemon flavor packages at most grocery stores if you would rather use that than white frosting and food coloring/extract

Directions

1. Prepare cake mixes according to package directions. Spray baking pans with cooking spray ("Pam spray for baking" works best). Divide batter among 3 cake pans: one 10x2 inch round; one 8x3 inch round and one 6x2 inch round. Bake according to directions, allowing additional time for larger cake to bake completely. Test with knife inserted in thickest part of cake: if it comes out clean, it's done. Cool in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Remove from pans by inverting over waxed paper; cool completely on wire racks.
2. Combine frosting, lemon extract and food coloring in a large bowl and stir until well blended. Alternately, use frosting starter and lemon flavor packs. Prepare pudding mix according to package directions using 1 3/4 c milk.
3. Trim tops of 2 larger cakes so tops are flat. Leave smallest cake slightly rounded. At this point you may freeze the cakes to make the next steps easier. Cut each cake in half horizontally to make 2 layers. Brush away any crumbs. Spread 1/3 of the pudding on bottom half of each cake; replace top layer. 
4. Place largest filled cake on large serving platter. Frost entire cake. Top with medium cake; frost entire cake. Top with smallest cake and frost entirely.
5. Decorate tiered cake with assorted candies and/or packaged sugar flowers as desired (see photo).

Note: Tiering and decorating a cake can be difficult. Most professionals use a skewer stuck through the middle of the entire tiered cake to keep it in place once it's put together. You can also use cake boards to hold the cake steady and give some support. You will be serving the cake tier by tier. 

Star Cakes - my design :)

Chocolate Cub-Cakes

Here's a cute recipe that I used with my cooking class last Saturday. I found it in a wonderful cookbook called The Cake Mix Bible. The kids really enjoyed creating (and eating) these:


Chocolate Cub-Cakes

Ingredients:

• 1 chocolate cake mix (we used chocolate fudge)
• 1 can chocolate frosting (we used classic chocolate)
• chocolate wafer cookies (cut in quarters for ears) - 2 pieces per cubcake or use a decorated cookie as the photo shows
• chocolate shot
• chocolate non-pareils
• cinnamon candies for eyes and nose (we used skittles and milk duds!)
• black gel frosting for mouth

Directions

1. Prepare cake mix as for cupcakes (one box made about 18 med/large)
2. Frost with your choice of frosting
3. Place cinnamon candies (or skittles or milk duds) as eyes
4. Place cut cookies on top as ears - they can stand up or lie down, your preference
5. Place nose in position
6. Using gel frosting, pipe a line under the nose (muzzle) and smile on your cubcake
7. Using chocolate non-pareils, fill in muzzle (as shown in photo) and use shot as "fur"
8. Enjoy!

Consensus in my class was that it was "the best!" 

Note from the kitchen: Frosting anything, from cakes to cupcakes, is easier if they are frozen. Less crumbs, less mess.