Recipes — Cupcake Kid Cafe

Almost Healthy Snowman Cupckaes!

Photo by SkinnyTaste.com

These adorable cupcakes, from SkinnyTaste.com are low fat, easy to make and as you can imagine – the kids love them! A fun afternoon activity to get ready for the holidays.

The face is made up of jellybeans, mini chocolate chips, mini-marshmallows and a few colored sprinkles. Standard Duncan Hines cake mix was used for the cupcake – but contain a healthy twist.

The mix was mixed with 6oz.fat free Chobani yogurt, egg whites and water for the low fat option. Take away the oil and butter and you have a healthier option.

The icing was made from powdered sugar with a little melted butter and water.

Ingredients:

18.25oz. cake mix
6 ounce fat free Chobani yogurt
1 1/3 cup water
2 large egg whites
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp. melted unsalted butter
1 tsp clear vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp. boiling waiter
M&M’s
Jellybeans
Sprinkles
Mini marshmallows

For the full recipe and instructions visit SkinnyTaste.com

Filed Under: Baking, Christmas, Holidays, Mom's Cafe

Kid’s Birthday Cakes That Will Bring Smiles!

A child’s birthday party is a day to show them they are special! These cakes will do just that! Creative and eye-catching, these unique birthday cakes will be sure to bring smiles to the birthday boy or girl and your guests.

Credit: One Charming Party

Credit: Sweetapolita

Credit: Doughmesstic

Credit: Savory Sweet Life

Filed Under: Baking, Mom's Cafe

St. Patty’s Day Treats My Friends Would Love

Every kid likes Oreo’s right? These Shamrock Mint Oreos from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen are a great idea for a class party! I know my friends would love them, just wish we had time to make them.

Here is the recipe in case you find some time to whip up a batch:

Cookies:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (I used Hershey Special Dark cocoa powder)

Filling:
1/2 envelope (1 teaspoon plus heaping 1/4 teaspoon) unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon mint extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Green food coloring

What to do next:

Preheat oven to 325. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter. Add the egg, water and vanilla and beat until smooth. Beat in the flour and cocoa until well combined; the dough will be very stiff.

Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, about the size of a walnut. Place the balls on prepared baking sheets and flatten each to about 1/8 inch with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. I also cut my cookies with a round cutter after flattening to ensure that they would all be the same size, but this step is not necessary.

Using a very small heart cookie cutter, or a paring knife, cut shamrocks into half of the cookies.

Bake cookies for 18 minutes. If cookies begin to look too dark or you smell scorching chocolate, remove baking pans from oven immediately. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Make filling:

Soften the gelatin in a cup containing 2 tablespoons of cold water, then place the cup in a larger dish of hot water and leave it until the gelatin is completely dissolved and the liquid is transparent. Remove the gelatin from the hot water and let it cool until it’s room temperature but hasn’t begun to set.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the shortening, then beat in the vanilla and mint extract. Add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, beating until mixture is creamy. Beat in the gelatin.If the mixture seems to dry, add a couple teaspoons of hot water and beat until it is the right consistency. Add green food coloring, a few drops at a time, until desired color is achieved.

Sandwich the cookies, placing a small ball of filling on top of a cookie, and flattening it with another cookie top.

and now – ENJOY WITH FRIENDS!!!

Filed Under: Baking, Cooking With Kids, Rachels Cafe, St Patrick's Day

Nutella Chocolate Cobbler – In Honor of World Nutella Day!

As you may or may not know, today is World Nutella Day! A day to celebrate Nutella and it’s many uses! Rachel at Cupcake Kid Cafe loves Nutella just sandwiched in between 2 pieces of bread – and I think she has had that same lunch every day since school started!

But when I started looking around – I was amazed at the amount of recipes that actually use Nutella.

Here is a what looks like a delicious recipe over at Savory Sweet Life for Nutella Chocolate Cobbler. They were inspired by a recipe found at Tasty Kitchen.

Photo: Savory Sweet Life

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons abaking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cocoa powder, divided
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Nutella
6 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cup hot tap water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, and 1/2 cup of white sugar. Stir in milk, Nutella, butter, and vanilla. Mixture will be thick like the texture of peanut butter. Spread mixture into an ungreased 8-inch baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 cup white sugar, brown sugar, and remaining cocoa. Sprinkle mixture evenly over the batter. Pour the hot water over everything and do not stir. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the center is slightly firm but not fluid like liquid. Spoon mixture into small bowls and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

What can the kids help with?

Let them be a part of the fun, if they are old enough let them measure out the ingredients and even use the mixer if they are up for the challenge. but here are the more simple things that the little ones can do!

1. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, and 1/2 cup of white sugar

2. Spread mixture into an ungreased 8-inch baking dish

3. Spoon mixture into small bowls and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Filed Under: Baking, Mom's Cafe Tagged With: chocolate, dessert, nutella

Licorice Cupcakes

We know that somewhere in your family is a licorice lover! I happen to be that one person in our family…but if you have a licorice lover these are the cupcakes for you! The recipe comes from a website called Kayotic so we want to give them a big shout out for such a unique recipe with such drool worthy images!

INGREDIENTS:

Cupcakes:

1 stick butter (115 gr)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 oz soft sweet liquorice
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp water
2 eggs (room temperature)
1/2 tsp salt

Peppermint Frosting:

4 oz cream cheese
2 cups confectioners sugar
25 soft peppermint pillows (or 1 tsp peppermint extract)

DIRECTIONS:

Cream the butter and sugar for 4 or 5 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs—one at a time— and beat until it’s creamy.

Put the liquorice in a pan and add 2 tbsp water.

Melt the liquorice over low heat while stirring occasionally. When it looks too dry, add 1 or 2 tbsp water. I used a total of 4 tbsp water.

Add the melted liquorice to the sugar butter. Along with the baking powder and salt and beat until it’s a smooth brown concoction. Add the flour and stir until just combined.

Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners and fill them 2/3 of the way with the batter. Bake them at 350F (175C) for 18 to 20 minutes.

For the icing combine the (soft) cream cheese with the peppermint powder (or 1 tsp extract) and 2 cups confectioners sugar. It will look grainy at first…but will then transform into a firm and creamy frosting!

Now ice your cupcakes and ENJOY!

For the full recipe and an adorable printable recipe card visit Kayotic Kitchen’ s Licorice Cupcake Recipe

All images courtesy of Kayotic Kitchen.

Filed Under: Baking, Featured, Mom's Cafe

Resolution Cookies – A Great Way To Ring In The New Year

You would love to ring in 2011 with your kiddos, but staying up past midnight just isn’t in the cards.

Celebrate instead by making New Year-themed fortune cookies together. The kid-friendly take on the classic comes courtesy of local foodie Rebecca Coleman. Her blog, Cooking with My Kid, documents the family kitchen hijinks (she’s got two wee ones), so you can expect the recipe to be as easy as three … two … one.

New Year’s Resolution Cookies
Makes two dozen

Ingredients
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 egg whites
1 c. superfine sugar
1 c. all-purpose flour, sifted
1 pinch salt
3 tbsp. heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Gel food coloring
1 tbsp. multicolored nonpareil sprinkles

1. Write resolutions on three-by-half-inch paper strips using food-safe ink.

2. Preheat oven to 400°.

3. Prep two baking sheets with Silpat or nonstick cooking spray.

4. Melt butter; set aside to cool. In an electric mixer, combine egg whites and sugar for one minute. Mix in flour and salt, beat. Mix in butter, heavy cream, and vanilla; beat until smooth.

5. Divide batter into two bowls. Mix multicolored nonpareil sprinkles into one batch. Add a drop of food coloring to the other.

6. Place teaspoon-size scoops of batter at least four inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using the back of the spoon, smooth batter into even rounds about three inches in diameter.

7. Bake eight to ten minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven.

8. Working quickly, slide a spatula under one cookie, lift, and flip over onto a dishtowel. Place one resolution message in the center of the cookie. Fold cookie in half and pinch at the top to form a loose semicircle. Place the folded edge on the rim of a coffee mug and pull each point down, one to the inside of the mug and one to the outside.

9. Place folded cookies in a muffin tin to hold their shape until firm.

10. Crack one open, discuss, devour, repeat.

For more kid-tested recipes, go to cookingwithmykid.com.

Filed Under: Baking, Mom's Cafe, New Year's

Easy Cookie Desserts for Thanksgiving

Here is a few more fun desserts that the kids will love to make as much as love to eat! Keep them busy while you are cooking with these easy recipes!

Turkey Cookies from Pillsbury

INGREDIENTS

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
1 container (16 oz) chocolate creamy frosting
Candy corn
Orange decorating icing
Black decorating gel
Miniature candy-coated chocolate baking bits

DIRECTIONS

1Heat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies as directed on roll. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
2Spoon chocolate frosting into resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut small hole in bottom corner of bag. On each cookie, pipe frosting on outer edge of half of cookie. Arrange candy corn over frosting for feathers.
3Pipe orange icing onto each cookie to resemble turkey face and feet. Use orange icing to attach baking bits to turkey face for eyes. Pipe black gel on baking bits for centers of eyes.

View the full recipe at Pillsbury

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A Flock of Turkeys from Taste of Home

Photo Courtesy of Taste of Home

INGREDIENTS

48 sugar cookies (3 inches)
1 package (12 ounces) chocolate and marshmallow cookies
1 can (16 ounces) chocolate frosting
1 cup vanilla frosting
Yellow and red paste food coloring

DIRECTIONS

Using a serrated knife, cut 1/2 in. from one side of 24 sugar cookies. Using a sharp knife, cut marshmallow cookies in half vertically. Spread chocolate frosting over the bottom of each marshmallow cookie half; align cut edges of a marshmallow cookie and a sugar cookie, and press together to form each turkey body and feathers.
Spread chocolate frosting over the cut edges of each turkey; position and attach near the back edge of a whole sugar cookie.
Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag. Insert a #12 round pastry tip; fill bag with 3/4 cup chocolate frosting. Pipe a neck and head on each turkey.
Tint 1/2 cup vanilla frosting yellow and 1/2 cup red. With a #3 round pastry tip and yellow frosting, add eyes, beaks and legs. With #3 round tip and red frosting, pipe snood and tail feathers. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 2 dozen.
Editor’s Note: This recipe was tested with Nabisco Pinwheels.

View the full recipe at Taste of Home

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Photo Courtesy of Taste of Home

Shortbread Turkey Cookies

INGREDIENTS

40 fudge-striped cookies
1/4 cup chocolate frosting
2 packages (5 ounces each) chocolate-covered cherries
20 pieces candy corn

DIRECTIONS

Place 20 cookies on a flat surface, solid chocolate side down. With frosting attach a chocolate-covered cherry to the top of each base cookie. Position another cookie perpendicular to each base cookie; attach with frosting.
With a dab of frosting, attach one piece of candy corn to the front of each cherry for the head. Let stand until set.

View the full recipe at Taste of Home

Filed Under: Baking, Holidays, Mom's Cafe, Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Desserts The Kids Will Love!

Thanksgiving is about togetherness and being thankful for family and friends and all the things that make your life special!

Of course your children love to take part in the Thanksgiving celebrations and now you can even have them further involved by letting them be a part of the cooking fun with these great ideas!

How about a Handprint Pumpkin Pie? An adorable home cooked pie with a cut out of your child’s hand print that is then made into a turkey shape! We love this idea!

Then we have the Gobbling Good Cupcakes! These adorable cupcakes are filled with goodies that make them look just like that Thanskgiving turkey. Perfect for dessert for the kids or even class room parties.

Last but not least is an adorable Marshmallow Pilgrim Hat! Made of scrumptious Marshmallow, striped shortbread cookies and yummy chocolate these unique desserts are sure to be a huge hit and your kids will love helping to make these!

Filed Under: Baking, Holidays, Mom's Cafe, Thanksgiving

Cupcake Cuties

Cupcake Cuties is a great idea! You can create custom cupcakes without spending a lot of money.

You can order a kit from Cupcake Cuties that will include everything you need! The bunny is perfect for Easter and the kit comes with face which is a sleeve that slides over the cupcake holder and the pipe cleaners for the ears.

Another great example is the Santa Face which comes with 24 Santa face sleeves, white jimmies, red food coloring and marshmallows.

Aren’t they neat?

You can view more of their great ideas at Cupcake Cuties!

These would make a great gift for any little baker like me – and I know my friends at school would love to have these at their next class party!

Filed Under: Baking, Rachels Cafe

Frozen Lemonade Pops

A great way to boost your kids’ self esteem is to allow them to help you in the kitchen! Expert Michelle Karam is a professional chef and TV culinary host that educates families on how to create fun and healthy meals with your kids!

Here she will teach you how to make fresh Frozen Lemonade Pops with your child! A healthy treat that the whole family can enjoy!