Cupcake Toppers

Cupcakes are the cutest of desserts: a mini cake that you don’t have to share. Because when it comes to dessert, sharing isn’t fun, it’s stealing. One thing I love seeing lately are cake toppers. They are such a cute way to add a little extra something special to a cake. A cherry on top, if you will.

However, I haven’t really been seeing anything that goes on top of cupcakes. I mean there are those cheap plastic rings that grocery stores put on top of their cupcakes, but those don’t really count. So I thought to myself, “wouldn’t it be fun to make a little something for the top of cupcakes.” And because this thought seemed rather rational compared to my other ones (ie “is a banana still edible if you spray paint the outer peel and then eat the inside?” or “if the sun was black would the sky be black or just a darker blue?”) I decided that I should make a few cupcake toppers!

The star is a classic shape, & when you make the star gold you can channel your inner Rachel Berry, from Glee, because she puts a gold star on everything she likes. Plus, I’m assuming she likes cupcakes, so we’re actually just helping the Rachel Berry cause. I also thought we could get more intricate and make a trendy leaf heart shape.

And aren’t these cupcakes just absolutely gorgeous? We partnered on this post with our fab friend Hunter, of Vivian & Me, who writes a blog about allergy-friendly food recipes. I can not wait to try out these insanely gorgeous basil infused pink grapefruit cupcakes that have a vegan buttercream frosting and candied grapefruit on top! So be sure to stop by her blog for the cupcake recipe &  more amazing, mouthwatering, insanely yummy recipes (buffalo chicken dip, anyone?). And tell her we said "hi!"

Directions for toppers:

With the brand new, awesome Cricut Explore (it's on sale right now!): 1. Insert a picture of a star to your Cricut Design Space (we drew our own in Photoshop so it would look kind of rustic and imperfect). If you would like to create our heart & leaf shape, we’ve attached the file below so that you can upload it to your Design Space 2. Print it out on your paper of choice - of course we chose glittery gold! 3. Hot glue the shape to a toothpick 4. Let it dry 5. Then decorate your cupcake until it looks like a masterpiece - maybe Hunter at Vivian & Me has some tips on piping icing that we'll share soon ;)

xo ~chloe

Candy Lollipops, Part 2

We're back with more lollipop ideas! We had so much fun making glitter lollipops, that we decided to get even sweeter this time around with candy lollipops. They're easy to make (see the recipe here) and you just add in the candy you like - so we chose red hots and candy hearts for Valentine's Day. This time around we decided to use  candy molds which gave our lollipops the perfect round shape. Our friend, and newbie blogger Christy at The Bourbon Blush {be sure and show her some love} lent us her candy molds, but you can find them here: balloon sucker molds or round sucker molds.

Have fun cooking up a sweet treat and enjoy your candy lollipops!

Glitter Lollipops, Part 1

As a lover of all things Etsy, all things gold, and anything glittery that doesn't make a mess, it was true love when I discovered Sweet Caroline Confections glitter lollipops. Of course, the first thing that popped in my head was, "I could make those!" Typically, you know the drill, about 50% of our DIYs never make the pages of our blog, but make good stories for Chloe and I to laugh about… later. Once we get over the frustration of having tried to recreate something. But these glitter lollipops are fun and easy to make, and color customizable like our Marshmallow Pops.

Even if our Glitter Lollipops aren't the perfectly round, clear perfection we saw on Etsy, ours are perfect for Valentine's Day (or just change the glitter color and customize them for any occasion, from weddings to prom parties to baby showers, reveal parties, and bar mitzvahs). The possibilities are endless, which is what we adore about the this glittery confection, besides the fact that it only has a few ingredients and is simple to make once you master the technique of the what I prefer to call the "slow pour."  So let's get started!

Ingredients:

2 cups white sugar 2/3 cup light Karo corn syrup 1/4 cup water edible glitter of your choice {you will also need lollipop sticks, a candy thermometer, and a bowl partially filled with ice water set aside}

Directions:

1. Prepare your work area since it is important that once your candy has finished cooking you can work quickly:

a. If you have granite or marble countertops, lay parchment paper directly on them in long strips. We found this the best method to work quickly. If not, then use cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. (Note: we tried using Silpat, but ended up with a pattern on our lollipops from the sheets. Yours may not make a pattern, so feel free to try it!)

b. Sprinkle your glitter in 3" circles about 3" apart in 2 rows so that lollipop sticks can face in opposite directions and lay completely flat. If you are using candy, then you can place candy into the lollipops after pouring.

2. Place sugar, corn syrup and water in a saucepan with a pouring spout. Stir until the sugar is dissolved while bringing to a boil.

3. Once boiling, place your candy thermometer in the pot and use a pastry brush to wash down the sides so crystals don't form.  Do not stir, but boil until mixture registers 300 degrees to 310 degrees (hard-crack stage) on a candy thermometer, about 5 - 7 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and set in the bowl partially filled with ice water for 15 seconds. It will steam loudly! You want most of the air bubbles to be gone, but don't want the mixture to cool off to much because then it won't pour well - and it cools very quickly!

5. Pour very slowly in the middle of each glitter circle until a circle is formed and press in lollipop sticks. Let sit until completely cooled.

Note: I did re-warm the syrup over the lowest heat to soften it slightly when it began to harden. Also, clean-up is easy if you soak everything in very hot soapy water.

Recipe adapted from MarthaStewart.com 

And, if you noticed the title, it says Part 1, so yep, we had so much fun making these, that we'll be back for more ideas after we order a few supplies (hint-hint) for more Glitter Lollipop goodness!

xox, Kim

IF YOU ENJOY THIS: check out our Calligraphy Made Easy & Drink Stirrers