Nostalgic Popping Candy Cupcakes Recipes

POPPING ROCK CANDY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Place foil or paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Fold in 1/4 cup candy. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling about two-thirds full.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Lightly frost cupcakes with frosting. Pour 18 pouches candy onto small plates (use separate plates for each color or mix colors together); roll frosted cupcakes in candy.

MATINEE IDOL CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 2 dozen mini-cupcake pans with paper liners and spray with oil spray. Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an upright mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and shortening on medium speed, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat on medium until fluffy, 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the whole egg and egg whites, and beat until incorporated. Turn the mixer to low. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the water, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low. Using a small ice cream scoop, fill the prepared pans three-quarters of the way full with batter and bake until baked through, about 9 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely. Set aside for assembly.
• For the buttercream: To melt the chocolate, place it in a double boiler over simmering water on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally until completely smooth and no pieces of chocolate remain. Remove from the heat and let cool until lukewarm, 5 to 15 minutes.
• In a medium heavy-bottomed pot, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the half-and-half and milk and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 20 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter; mix until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and white chocolate and continue mixing until combined. If the frosting is too soft, put the bowl in the refrigerator to chill slightly, and then beat until it is the proper consistency. If the frosting is too firm, set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat with a wooden spoon until it is the proper consistency.
• For the meringue: Place the sugar, cream soda, corn syrup, salt and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. Place the pan over boiling water, being sure that the boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. (If this happens, it could cause your frosting to become grainy.) Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
• For the popcorn: Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan on medium-high heat. Put 3 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover the pan. When the kernels pop, add the rest of the popcorn kernels in an even layer. Cover, remove from the heat and count 30 seconds. Return the pan to the heat. The popcorn should begin popping soon, and all at once. Once the popping starts in earnest, gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner. Try to keep the lid slightly ajar to let the steam from the popcorn release (the popcorn will be drier and crisper). Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid and dump the popcorn immediately into a wide bowl. If you are adding butter, you can easily melt the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then, toss the popcorn in the butter and add salt to taste.
• For the idol envelopes: With the edible ink marker, print on the white fondant paper the words "the winner is" in 1-inch squares. With scissors, cut out the squares and reserve to the side for assembly. Measure the red fondant with a ruler into 1-inch squares; trace and cut. With the marker, draw a triangle from the top left corner to the center to the top right corner to give the appearance of a fold in an envelope. With a moist paper towel, wet the back of the red square without the marked fold. Then stick the white square to the red square with the writing facing out.
• To assemble: Fill each cupcake with the buttercream. Generously frost the top of each cupcake with Swiss meringue. Adorn with freshly popped popcorn and an idol envelope.

DAISY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Using kitchen shears, snip off a thin strip from the side of a marshmallow to make a petal. Work your way around the marshmallow to snip off more petals. Repeat with 23 more marshmallows. (You'll need 10 to 12 petals per cupcake.)
• Snip a thin round from the top and bottom of the remaining 6 marshmallows. Press the 12 rounds cut-side down in the yellow nonpareils to coat.
• Arrange the marshmallow petals on the cupcakes, then place a nonpareil-covered marshmallow in the center of each.

SOUR CANDY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, soda, lemon juice, eggs, canola oil, gelatin and if desired, lemon oil; beat on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18-21 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, combine butter, confectioners' sugar, gelatin, lemon juice and food coloring; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes. If desired, in a small bowl, stir together sugar and citric acid; dip cupcakes into sugar mix. Store in the refrigerator.

CANDY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the sugar, water, oil, eggs, vinegar and vanilla until combined. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually add to egg mixture until blended. Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full., For filling, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg, salt and food coloring. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls into the center of each cupcake. , Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cake part of cupcake comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and food coloring. Add enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Frost cupcakes. , Poke shoestring licorice pieces into marshmallows to create antennae; insert into cupcakes. Use candies to decorate alien faces. Store in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE-CANDY CANE CUPCAKES WITH WHIPPED TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 30 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Beat cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil, water, and eggs for cupcakes with a mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium speed for 2 more minutes.
• Stir in chopped chocolate and 2 tablespoons of the crushed candy canes. Reserve remaining crushed candy for the topping. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20 to 23 minutes. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Melt chocolate square for topping in a microwave-safe bowl in a microwave, 10 to 20 seconds.
• Frost cooled cupcakes with whipped topping. Drizzle with melted chocolate and top with remaining crushed candy canes.