Construction Party Cupcakes

Construction Chocolate Cupcakes

**Grandma Weston’s Chocolate Cake or Cupcakes

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

Makes 18 cupcakes or 1 oblong cake pan cake

**Preheat oven 350*F. Then turn down to 325*F. when adding cupcakes.

Ingredients:

*1 and 1/2 cups Butter, slightly softened 

*1 and 1/2 cups Brown Sugar

*2 cups All-purpose Flour

*1 teaspoon Soda

*2 tablespoons Cocoa Powder

*1 cup milk

*1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 

*1 teaspoon Lemon Extract

*Pinch of Kosher Salt

Instructions:

In a stand mixer add the butter and brown sugar and cream together.  Then add the eggs, adding 1 egg at time until incorporated.

In a bowl sift the flour and baking soda and cocoa powder, set aside. 

In a 1 cup glass measuring cup, add the milk, vanilla extract, lemon extract and salt.

Add to the creamed mixture 1/2 of the flour mixture and 1/2 of the milk mixture mix until combined.  Repeat with remaining flour and milk, mix just until all ingredients are incorporated. 

In a muffin/cupcake pan with cupcake liners, Scoop batter into cups using a 2 tablespoon  cookie scoop/dishes or fill 2/3 full.

Bake in 325*F. oven for 18-22minutes. *See above

Remove from oven and allow cupcakes to cool before frosting.

Fudge FrostingOption One

*1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

*1 cup Sugar

*2 ounces Semi-Sweet Bakers Chocolate Squares, cut into small pieces

*1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

*1 teaspoon Lemon Extract 

*1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions:

In a Saucepan on medium low heat add the cream, sugar, chocolate and cream of tartar. Heat until the edges start to bubble and turn to medium heat and bring to a boil, boil for 2 minutes remove from heat, add lemon and vanilla extract, stir, and allow to cool.  Then add Saran Wrap right on top of fudge frosting mixture and refrigerate until set 30- 40 minutes. Then remove for fridge and beat with a hand mixer about 2 minutes or until slightly dull color.

Decorating:

Add frosting to pastry bag with a closed Star Tip, and pipe on frosting on cupcake.  Start with the edge of the cupcake and pipe in a circular motion making a cone shape.  

Add toppers of choice. We found these Construction toppers on Amazon

Chocolate Frosting Option 2: We used this option for these cupcakes.

Ingredients:

*24 ounces Milk Chocolate Chips, like Ghirardelli

*2 cups Malted Milk Powder

*2 cups Heavy Cream

*1 cup Butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces, almost room temperature

*2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

*Pinch of Sea Salt, literally

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan add cream and malted milk powder adding slowly and whisking for less clumping warm up cream mixture just before until bubbling around the edge of the pan.

Then add chocolate chips to a bowl and pour the hot cream mixture over chocolate chips and place a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Then remove plastic wrap and stir until smooth and glossy. Cool Completely. Add vanilla, pinch of salt and couple of tablespoons of the butter to the chocolate mixture and beat together with hand mixer on low just until incorporated, continue adding 2 tablespoons at a time until all the butter has been added. Then beat on medium speed until thick and creamy. Note: If frosting seems to soft place bowl in an ice bath or fridge until frosting is cooled and then beat until thick and creamy.

Also See Construction Birthday Party

Enjoy!

Jessica and Lindy

Witch Chocolate Muffins

Witch Chocolate Muffins

Special Supplies

*You can also use a chocolate cake mix, bake according to directions on box Or below muffin recipe

*Pink Frosting, bought or use recipe below

*Oreo Cookies, centers removed, witch hat base

*Hershey Kiss Oreo Hat, attach Hershey kiss with pink frosting piped on to the middle of the Oreo cookie base 

*Stick Pretzels, legs

*Tooties Rolls, molded into feet and added to one end of the pretzel

*Pink Melting Wafers, melted for dipping pretzels, optional but I didn’t want the pretzel legs to get soggy in muffin/cupcake/frosting

*Decorating bags one with small round decorating tip or end cut off very tip decorating bag and large round decorating tip or cut about 1/2 inch off decorating bag.  

Note:  Make the witches legs, hat and frosting before making muffins/cupcakes

Chocolate Avocado Zucchini Muffins

Preheat oven 350*F.  Bake 18-20 minutes

Makes:  1 Dozen using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop

Cupcake/Muffin Liners and Pan

Ingredients: 

*1/2 cup Mashed Avocado (2 medium), blend in a blender or small food processor until smooth

*1/4 cup Almond Milk 

*1 Egg, room temperature

*2 tablespoon Extra Light Olive Oil, must be extra light or Vegetable Oil

*1/3 cup Brown Sugar

*1/3 cup Granulated Sugar

*1 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

*1 cup peeled and finely grated Zucchini

*1 and 1/4 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

*1/2 cup Jet Black Cocoa Powder or Dark Cocoa Powder

*1 teaspoons Baking Powder

*1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

*1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

*1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

*1/8 teaspoon Cardamom, optional

*1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, a mix of mini and regular, for topping

Instructions:

In a medium mixing bowl add the blended Avocado, milk, eggs, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, zucchini and vanilla.  Whisk to gather until totally incorporated.

In a separate bowl sift together, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, Cardamom and salt.  Add a cup at a time to the avocado mixture, stirring until combined.

Scoop the batter into each cup and top with Chocolate chips.  Bake as directed above.

Cool completely.  Enjoy!  

Note:  You can double bag muffins and place in freezer for later date, will keep up to 2-3 months.

Recipe source from Food Network

Plant Based Cream Frosting

Recipe for 12 cupcakes or 1 layer cake, double if desired.

Ingredients:

*1 cup Earth Balance Vegan Butter, leave out of the fridge 30 minutes

*2 and 1/2 ounces White Chocolate Chips, Melted

*3 cups Powdered Sugar

*2 tablespoons cup Country Crock Plant Cream, room temperature

*1 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

*Pinch Sea Salt

*Pink Gel Food Coloring, like Wilton’s 

Instructions:

In bowl add the butter and using a hand mixer, beat until a light yellow color about 2-3 minutes.  Add 1/2 the powdered sugar.  Then slowly add the melted white chocolate chips.

Add the remaining powdered sugar, cream and vanilla extract.   Beat on medium speed for about 2- 3 minutes.  Mix in pinch of salt.

Fill piping bags with frosting, you could also use Wilton piping bottles.

Pipe on frosting onto Muffins/Cupcakes, place the frosting filled piping bag (2/3 full) with the tip placed in the center muffin/cupcake squeeze bag make sure the open end is twisted tight and push/press out frosting making a mound of icing, refrigerate frosted muffins/cupcakes for 10 to 15 minutes.  Then add your Oreo witch hat,  add a small amount of frosting to attach to cupcake frosting body.  Then add pretzel legs with tootsie roll feet.  See above.

Enjoy!

Lindy