Hello Cupcake Tips
The Search for
Circus Peanuts
We finally found them! In white!!
Bulk Candy Store as in
www.bulkcandystore.com
has white circus peanuts available in smaller packages. I know it is mail order and I really wish I could just send you to the gas station for a small pack like the good old days. But at least we now have a reliable source for you to purchase smaller amounts on-line!
We really hate it when candy companies go and change a great candy. We used orange, white, and chocolate marshmallow circus peanuts for horse heads, clown feet, rabbit feet, and more in our book, Hello, Cupcake!. Now they stopped distributing them in white and chocolate. We were very concerned you wouldn't be able to find them for your cupcake projects so we did some research and found sources for them on the internet. Some crafty readers also wrote to say that they had been dipping the orange ones in white or brown chocolate to coat them. If it works we say go for it. That's what makes cupcaking so much fun.
Other circus peanut sources:
Circus Peanuts
We finally found them! In white!!
Bulk Candy Store as in
www.bulkcandystore.com
has white circus peanuts available in smaller packages. I know it is mail order and I really wish I could just send you to the gas station for a small pack like the good old days. But at least we now have a reliable source for you to purchase smaller amounts on-line!
We really hate it when candy companies go and change a great candy. We used orange, white, and chocolate marshmallow circus peanuts for horse heads, clown feet, rabbit feet, and more in our book, Hello, Cupcake!. Now they stopped distributing them in white and chocolate. We were very concerned you wouldn't be able to find them for your cupcake projects so we did some research and found sources for them on the internet. Some crafty readers also wrote to say that they had been dipping the orange ones in white or brown chocolate to coat them. If it works we say go for it. That's what makes cupcaking so much fun.
Other circus peanut sources:
Bloomer Candy
www.bloomercandy.com
Zanesville, OH 43701
740-452-7501
George Howe
www.georgehowe.com
Grove City, OH 16127
724-458-9410
On their website that they have smaller bags available at $2.75/lb
Dutch Valley Food
www.dutchvalleyfood.com
Myerstown, PA 17067
717-933-4194
So check out these sources and let us know if you have trouble finding any other candy.CLICK HERE to join our BLOG and get even more cupcake tips!
Medium Size Offset Makes Fast Work of Spreading Frosting on Big Batches of Cupcakes and for Frosting CakesWhen it Comes to Frosting More is More!
Don't be shy with your frosting. It is a good idea to use a large blob of frosting from the start and spread it out to the edges of the cupcakes. This way you can glue down all those pesky crumbs and keep them from getting into your smooth frosting finish. You can always shape the top and remove any excess frosting after you have the entire top of the cupcake covered!
We use an offset spatula for spreading the frosting. They come in a variety of sizes and the offset angle built into the blade keeps your fingers out of the frosting while you push, pull, and swirl the frosting. We use the small size offset for most of our decorating and the medium size comes in handy if you are frosting large batches of cupcakes or for cakes. Offset spatulas are available at some grocery stores and baking supply stores. If you are having troubling finding them try the AMAZON links below for an on-line source.
Small Size Offset is Our Favorite Tool for Frosting and Decorating Cupcakesjga fhvhvvnmnbjj
Runny Frosting -
and the Hello, Cupcake! solution.
There is nothing more frustrating than spending time making cupcakes and then having the frosting be too thin and runny to hold the candy in place. We are often asked what frosting we use. We use store bought frosting and rely on Duncan Hines Homestyle frosting for most of our cupcake designs. It is consistently thick and creamy and tastes great. No matter what brand you choose stay clear of whipped frostings and low fat or low sugar frosting, they just won't hold up on your cupcakes.
Meanwhile if you are having trouble with store bought frosting we suggest that you try the Almost Homemade Buttercream Frosting on page 227 of our book Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make
. Our Almost Homemade Butter Cream frosting is made from marshmallow fluff and
butter, with vanilla extract and confectioner's sugar for flavor and sweetness. It is really
simple to make, tastes great, and has the body and texture you need to
hold your candies in place for all of our designs. We know it adds an extra
step when you just want to get started on your cupcake designs but we think it is worth the effort,
especially if you are making a cupcake masterpiece for your loved ones.
Give it a try and we promise to keep you updated on the frosting front.
I buy my candy at the gas station. Don't you?
and the Hello, Cupcake! solution.
There is nothing more frustrating than spending time making cupcakes and then having the frosting be too thin and runny to hold the candy in place. We are often asked what frosting we use. We use store bought frosting and rely on Duncan Hines Homestyle frosting for most of our cupcake designs. It is consistently thick and creamy and tastes great. No matter what brand you choose stay clear of whipped frostings and low fat or low sugar frosting, they just won't hold up on your cupcakes.
Meanwhile if you are having trouble with store bought frosting we suggest that you try the Almost Homemade Buttercream Frosting on page 227 of our book Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make
. Our Almost Homemade Butter Cream frosting is made from marshmallow fluff and
butter, with vanilla extract and confectioner's sugar for flavor and sweetness. It is really
simple to make, tastes great, and has the body and texture you need to
hold your candies in place for all of our designs. We know it adds an extra
step when you just want to get started on your cupcake designs but we think it is worth the effort,
especially if you are making a cupcake masterpiece for your loved ones.
Give it a try and we promise to keep you updated on the frosting front.I buy my candy at the gas station. Don't you?
Decorating cupcakes is fun! And using candy right off the shelf makes it easy too. Grocery stores and convenience stores have great selections of candy, but when you are getting your next fill-up don't forget to check out the wide array of candy available at the gas station. We can't tell you the number of times we have used a candy on a design and had someone call us to say...
"we found it at the gas station!"
Our Favorite Cupcake Tool?
The zip lock bag!
Let us count the ways zip lock bags make cupcaking fun and easy. We use them to fill the paper liners with cupcake batter.
Filling the liners 2/3 full
We use them like a piping bag with frosting to make fur, leaves, and petals on our cupcakes.
Piping with zip lock bag with snipped cut for fur
And we also use them to draw the chocolate decals we use for decorating cupcakes. The best bag for cupcaking is the freezer-weight bag. It holds up to pressing, squeezing, and microwaving. Quart size bags are especially useful because they can handle both the big and the small jobs with ease. If you plan to do some serious cupcaking you will want to have plenty of these on hand.
Click on a link below
to purchase
What's New,
Cupcake?
Click on a link below
to purchase
Hello, Cupcake!
Filling the liners 2/3 full
We use them like a piping bag with frosting to make fur, leaves, and petals on our cupcakes.
Piping with zip lock bag with snipped cut for fur
And we also use them to draw the chocolate decals we use for decorating cupcakes. The best bag for cupcaking is the freezer-weight bag. It holds up to pressing, squeezing, and microwaving. Quart size bags are especially useful because they can handle both the big and the small jobs with ease. If you plan to do some serious cupcaking you will want to have plenty of these on hand.
Click on a link below
to purchase
What's New,
Cupcake?
Click on a link below
to purchase
Hello, Cupcake!
