A few weeks ago I was a lucky guest at a most beautifully executed baby shower. Our hostess had covered all the shower essentials: yummy food, good company and wonderful entertainment…plus she had decorated her home beautifully for the occasion. One highlight of this impressive shower was a large platter of cupcakes – decorated to look like bright blooming chrysanthemums!
I have quite a sweet tooth, so naturally I zeroed in on those gorgeous cupcakes and immediately began asking about how exactly their creator had made the impossibly delicate looking petals. I was floored to find out just how simple they were to create…all you need are mini marshmallows and colored sugar! I knew I’d be trying them out in my own kitchen before too long.
After the shower, as I was mulling these little beauties over, I realized the sweet little petals would make perfect poinsettias for a seasonal baby shower. I got right to work, and I was really pleased with the results – the cupcakes take a good bit of time to assemble, but it is a simple process, and the end-result is well worth the effort.
(And of course, don’t forget to add some cupcake wrappers from Big Dot!)
Marshmallow Flower Cupcakes
To create the round center of my poinsettias, I cut a mini marshmallow cross-ways and dipped them in yellow sugar. The cupcakes at the shower I attended had a few little pastel-coated licorice candies at their middle. You could also use a small dollop of frosting or other small candies to create a look you like…or simply build rows of petals all the way to the center of your cupcake, forgoing any center decoration.
24 cupcakes, baked but not frosted
1 cup white frosting
1 (10.5 oz) bag miniature marshmallows
Colored sugars
Small candies (optional)
In a saucer, pour a small pool of colored sugar. Working with one cupcake at a time, spread the top with a thin layer of frosting and set it aside. Slice a few marshmallows in half on the diagonal. Dip the cut side of each half marshmallow into the colored sugar and then affix them immediately to the frosted cupcake, forming concentric rings beginning with the outer layer. Work toward the middle of each cupcake, cutting and dipping a few marshmallows at a time so they don’t dry out (making it difficult to pick up sugar.) When you reach the middle, put your center decoration in place and set your cupcake aside to let the frosting dry. Continue with frosting and “marshmallowing” the next cupcake. Once the frosting sets, the marshmallows should hold fairly tight, but it’s best to handle the cupcakes gently and cover them loosely if you’ll be storing them.
Enjoy!
Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla blogger