April Fools Cupcakes

There is one thing my kids love to eat:  Spaghetti and Meatballs.  I could probably serve it several times a week and they would not tire of it.  I would though, and besides, what would I put on my blog?  I found this picture from last year and I will revisit this for April Fools Day this year. It is my kids’ favorite food as a dessert: Cupcakes topped with frosting (piped like spaghetti) and Ferrero Rocher balls (as meatballs) drizzled with warmed strawberry jam (as spaghetti sauce). Now this they love even more than Spaghetti and Meatballs.  My mom taught me not to play with my food, but sorry Mom, this is WAY too fun!!!

I got this idea from a wonderful book on baking cupcakes and making them for special occasions: Hello Cupcake.  I think you will want to pick a copy up from yourself as well.  Here is my adaptation: I didn’t tint the frosting and I used chocolate cupcakes because I had a chocolate cake mix in the house.  Also I like foil cupcake papers. I find them easier to peel.

April Fool’s Spaghetti and Meatballs

Source: Hello Cupcake p 34-35 Copyright 2008

• 10 vanilla cupcakes, baked in white paper liners
• 1 can (16 oz) vanilla frosting
• 1/2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, opitonal
• 3 drops yellow food coloring, optional
• 10 hazelnut chocolates (Ferrero Rocher), unwrapped
• 3/4 cup low sugar strawberry preserves (low sugar has the best color)
• 2 Tbsp. grated white chocolate, plus to garnish.

Directions:

1. Tint the frosting with cocoa powder and food coloring and frost the cupcakes with a thin layer.  (I didn’t tint the frosting, but it would have looked better I think if I had). Put the cupcakes on a platter so they are touching.
2. Spoon remaining frosting into a plastic baggie.  Press the bag to remove the air before sealing.  Snip a 1/8 inch corner from the bag.  Form “spaghetti” by piping the frosting all over the cupcakes, making a pile of spaghetti.  Don’t worry if it looks messy — it is supposed to be isn’t it?
3. Put a chocolate ball on top of each cupcake and drizzle with strawberry jam (I find it is more runny if you heat it up a little)
4. Grate white chocolate over the tops for “Parmesan cheese”.  Enjoy!

NOTES: My kids loved having this version of Spaghetti and Meatballs!  Hello Cupcake really is a cute book with lots of great ideas for decorating.  You can readily find a copy at stores like Target or Wal-mart.

Printable Recipe

Pasta Kabobs

While I was away on my retreat, I received an e-mail from my husband.  My 13 year old daughter had cooked dinner and made Pasta Kabobs.  See what I started letting the kids watch Iron Chef America and other shows on the Food Network? lol I thought it was cute though.  Here it is:

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, who can resist them?  With Valentines Day coming up. Here is a favorite that I make several times a year.  They also make beautiful presentations if you skewer them on bamboo skewers and present them like long stem roses.

The recipe is originally from allrecipes.com one of my favorite web-sites.
Don’t buy the overpriced chocolate dipped strawberries in the stores – they are so easy to make and delicious!  Makes about 3 packages of strawberries.  If you have chocolate left over use them to drizzle over cookies, or dip other fruit.  Very good.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Ingredients

• 16 ounces milk chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1 pound fresh strawberries with leaves

DIRECTIONS
1. Insert toothpicks into the tops of the strawberries (washed and completely dried!).
2. In a double boiler (bowl over hot water in a pan), melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Holding them by the toothpicks, dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture.
3. Turn the strawberries upside down and insert the toothpick into styrofoam for the chocolate to cool. (or in this case, I used cupcake papers and just put a berry in each.  Enjoy.

Printable Recipe