Hanukkah Cupcakes

Our Hanukkah celebration at church was postponed a week, so we’re celebrating this weekend.  In honor of Hanukkah, I made cupcakes, natch.  🙂  It seems it’s what I do, and I’ve discovered that I really, really like to make cupcakes.  No one ever frowns at you when you present them with cupcakes.  They break out in wide, happy smiles like kids at a birthday party.  I love that.  🙂

I gave a little flavor boost to these by adding equal parts (1.5 teaspoons each) of vanilla and almond extracts to classic white cake mix.  The house smelled like a Danish while they were baking, mmmm!  It’s not too strong, just a hint of flavor, so that’s good.  I didn’t want anything overpowering.  I let the kids have 2 each – my taste testers, since I don’t each cupcakes anymore. 

I used most of 2 tubs of frosting – one I left classic white, and one I tinted blue, but I didn’t add any extracts to the frosting. 

And I managed to find some blue and white cupcake liners.  Not specifically Hanukkah, but a pretty match with the colors.

Speaking of cupcake liners, I got tired of the mess accumulating in my baking box.  So I found a handy dandy way to organize them with those empty frosting tubs I love so much.  Plus I got to use my label maker, too.  Yay! 

How about you, what sorts of things do you take to social get-togethers?

Cherry Bombs

We have a new girl in the office where I live.  I wanted to welcome her, so I made cupcakes.  Hey, it’s what I do.  🙂 

Remember that cherry extract I got a few weeks ago?  Yeah, it rocks in the plain white cake mix.  I used 2 teaspoons.  Also, because it’s Autumn and I wanted to play a little – I’ve been in a mood, not sure why – I added some food coloring.  McCormick has these Fall Colors that are really nice.  I used 10 drops of the burgundy in this batch.

They looked okay going in, and the kids said the batter tasted good.  But I still kept my fingers crossed anyway. 

And they turned out okay!  Whew!

I added 2 drops of regular yellow food coloring to plain white frosting and mixed it up right in the little tub.  I was going for an ivory look.  I thought that might have more of an Autumn feel than stark white. 

And of course, I had to use the Autumn cupcake liners and sprinkles I picked up recently, too.  🙂

I let the kids have one, testing purposes you know!  They said they turned out awesome, yay! 

But wouldn’t you know, when I took the cupcakes over to the office to meet the new girl and say hello, it was her day off!  *facepalm* 

Oh well.  The other ladies said they might leave her some, lol.