Apple Cupcakes

If you guessed apples, you were right! The kids thought these apples are the best kind. They are sweet and bright. They are messy. Next time, I am going to skip the mini doughnut and just make rounded tops. I think it would be easier just to cut out a little in the top to make the apple shape. It probably didn't help that my husband ate the glazed mini doughnuts and I had to settle for the powdered doughnuts. They weren't as easy to frost. I'm thinking he was pulling an April Fool's prank on me. I hope you have a great April Fool's Day with only fun pranks.

Apple Cupcakes
12 spicy apple cupcakes with red cupcake liners
6 mini glaze doughnuts, cut in half horizontally if using
1 cup white frosting
6 drops of red food dye
1 small package of fruit roll ups
6 tootsie rolls, cut in half vertically
gummy worms as suggested by my kids

Directions:

1. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before assembling. 
2. Cut out a small section on top of the cupcakes to place the doughnuts.
3. Cover the cupcakes with a thin layer of frosting to seal in place.  
4. Heat the remaining frosting in the microwave for 45 seconds.
5. Mix the white frosting with the drops of red food dye to the preferred color.
6. Carefully dip the cupcakes into the red frosting. Allow the excess frosting to drip off.
7. Shape half of the tootsie roll into a stem.
8. In the center of the doughnut, place the tootsie roll stem.
9. Cut out leaf shapes from the fruit roll ups.
10. Pinch one end of the fruit roll up leaf to gather it.
11. Next to the tootsie roll stem, place the pinched end of the leaf.
12. Decorate with gummie worms if desired.

Recipe adapted from Hello, Cupcake! cookbook.

One year ago.............................I made Hamburger cookies.
Two years ago...........................I made Candy Eggs.
Three years ago.........................I made Spaghetti and Meatball cupcakes.

No green fruit roll ups so blue and purple had to do!

Did you already know..............
-Tootsie rolls were created by Austrian immigrant Leo Hirshfield.
-Mr. Hirshfield had a candy store in New York city.
-In 1896, he named the candy after his daughter Clara's nickname.

Spicy Apple Cupcakes

Alright, this post is a hint for the April Fools post for Wednesday. Maybe it has something to do with the Fall? Spices? Apples? Red items? My kids picked the post for Wednesday. I will say these cupcakes are so delicious. I will be making these cupcakes again. I offered a cupcake to my kids unfrosted, they thought they were muffins. They tried very hard to eat them for breakfast. I didn't give in even though I wanted one too.

Spicy Apple Cupcakes
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 small apples, shredded

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
5. Add the vanilla and mix for a minute.
6. Add the egg and combine until incorporated.
7. Add the flour mixture with the buttermilk. Mix until incorporated.
8. Fold in the shredded apples. 
9. Evenly distribute the batter between the cupcake liners.
10. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (My cupcakes took 25 minutes.)
11. Allow to cool completely if frosting.

Recipe adapted from The Chow.

One year ago.......................I made Vanilla Wafer Cookies.
Three years ago...................I made Chicken Spaghetti.

Did you already know............
-In the color spectrum, red has the longest wavelengths.
-In a rainbow, red is the top color.
-About 6% of the male population have deuteranopia. They are unable to see red-green.