Icing Innovation

When I made cupcakes for the first Vintage Fair, I went to town.
There were four different tea infusions, champagne and then three liqueur infusions, as well as vanilla butterfly cupcakes for the kiddies.
That was a lot to keep on top of and required a lot of organisation!

So this week, I wanted to go back to basics somewhat.

What I mean is - chocolate and vanilla - was all I had energy for!

But, I did go to town when it came to the icing.
And that was so much fun ... and honestly, so easy.

First, you have to bravely spend time in the chocolate aisle in the supermarket - and pick out some favourites.

I went with Oreo cookies, Crunchies and Peppermint Crisps.

With my best friend, the food processor, we blended each separately, then stored them in a Tupperware.

I made a huge batch of butter icing, and then split that into three, adding to the prepared chocolate and cookie crumbles ...

The icing then took on the flavours of the chocolate, and even the colour to some degree - ok, I added some green food colouring to really differentiate the peppermint crisp ones!

And once I'd piped on the icing, I sprinkled a little of the crumbled topping over them so that I was sure I knew which was which.

Of course a little gold dust goes a long way too.

These ones were Peppermint Crisp flavour - obviously.



Crunchie



And Oreo Cookies - so pretty.



For the purists, I did keep some plain chocolate


and vanilla.



Oh yes - and for those who were watching their waste lines (although to be fair, there weren't many - when it comes to cupcakes it seems part of the indulgence is the guilt of consumption!) I made a fat free option.

Not completely fat free, as they still had sugar and eggs in them, but fat free in that there was no butter, margarine or oil added at all. All you do is substitute the margarine with apple sauce.
And there it is - guilt free at just 2.5 Weight Watchers points each.



I hate to think how many points are in the other ones.
So I won't.
I'll just enjoy them.
Hope you do too.


Which one would you pick?

Keep reading ...
Nicky