Easter Chick Cupcakes

Do you remember those chocolate nests I made last Sunday? Well, they hatched.

Okay, maybe they didn't hatch per se, but if they actually did wouldn't that be just about the greatest thing ever? You slave over the world's simplest (and easiest) cookie recipe to make a batch of chocolate nests full of candy eggs and head off to sleep, only to wake up the next morning to find that your eggs have hatched into a bunch of cute baby cupcake chicks.

If only, if only.

Mama Chick is protecting her precious eggs from the dangers of nature (and sneaking fingers). Be careful; she might peck you if you get too close.

Once the little peepers hatch, they get hungry. Feed them gummy worms to stop the chirps. Now that I think of it, that might look too adorable (is there such a thing?). In any case, I'll caution you on this one. Do it at your own risk. Cute overload is a real threat.

I love the little chick on the left; he looks like he's puckering up for a big kiss.

These chicks remind me of the song Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep. It's probably best that you don't ask me why I know all the lyrics.

If your little chicks are growing up too fast for your liking (they were tiny peeps just a moment ago!) and start to fly the nest, you can always lock them up. Keep them safe from the dangers of the world (and hungry stomachs) for just a little longer.

This is also effective in keep wandering hands from touching your afternoon snack.

In my biased opinion, I think these chicks are just too cute. I literally squeal in delight whenever I see them and then proceed to coo and peep at them for several minutes until I come back to my senses. Then, I eat them. They are cupcakes after all.

I played around with the size of the cupcakes when making the mamas, papas, and little peeps, which I think made all the difference. These Easter chicks are surprisingly easy to make. Young children could tackle the baby peeps with relative ease (they might need a little help on the beaks) while the older ones could try their hand at the big chicks. The bigger chicks are formed by molding marshmallows and attaching them to the cupcake with frosting.

I've always been hesitant to try out elaborately decorated cupcakes because the steps were long and complex or I didn't have all of the ingredients on hand (like colored candy melts or certain fruit chews). With that said, I can assure you that you most likely have all the ingredients for these chicks in your pantry already. You could decorate a flock of these chicks in a half hour's time (instead of an entire afternoon) without breaking a sweat. These Easter chicks are cute and practical; what more could you ask for?

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Devil's Food Cake

There is something to be said about a simple chocolate cake. No frills, no fuss, no mountains of too sweet buttercream to spoil the treat—just chocolate and cake.

Growing up, I didn't like chocolate. I didn't like the way it looked, the way it smelled, or the way it tasted. I avoided brownies, chocolate ice cream, and chocolate cake like the plague. I'd snub my nose at candy bars. On my birthday, I would insist on eating strawberry shortcake—chocolate wasn't going to grace my special day. I was too cool for it and I wanted everyone to know it. Chocolate was the enemy.

On occasion, I would gobble down as many chocolate chip cookies as possible. I loved chocolate chip cookies. I was probably too naive to understand the brown spots were chocolate. Or, better yet, I knew they were chocolate but I had a tough girl I-don't-eat-no-chocolate image to uphold. I don't remember much from this stage in my life (perhaps I am blocking it from memory because I cannot fathom a life without chocolate), but this is what my mother tells me. And we must believe our mothers.

You can see my opinion on chocolate has certainly changed. Over 1/3 of the recipes on this website prominently feature chocolate as one of the main ingredients. I can't help myself. Chocolate is my vice; it corrupts me. I can't handle this level of decadence on my own, so I'm bringing you down with me.

I hope you don't mind.

This devil's food cake is the quintessential chocolate cake. It is dense and rich with chocolate. It is thick and sticks to the roof of your mouth. It is satisfying in the only way chocolate cake knows how. The frosting is a dark chocolate frosting. Made with brown sugar and unsweetened chocolate, it's dark, rich, and intense. This frosting isn't playing around. Combined with the devil's food cake, this is a lethal (and delicious) combination. You need this chocolate cake.

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Vanilla Almond Cupcakes

This past weekend I took some time off to be with family to go skiing. It's a spring break tradition we started when I was younger and have kept it up since. This year's destination was to Red Lodge, Montana. It's a small tourist town with the quaintest little main street you've ever seen, surrounded by mountains perfect for skiing or snowboarding (and hiking in summer).

The weather was perfect. It was bright and sunny with little wind and I couldn't have asked for anything better. With few clouds, the view from the top of the mountain was unbelievable. The mountains and country seemed to extend on forever. My sister thought she could easily see far enough to reach into the next state. I agreed.

Though the sun was shining, I still bundled up like I was headed into the arctic for the next year. Three layers on the bottom, five on the top, and a neck warmer that covered everything but the tip of my nose (which was the only part of me that sunburned, by the way. Call me Rudolph). Though, it was worth it. There are few things more exhilarating than skiing down a mountain as fast as you can.

After a long day on the slopes, nothing seems better than a plate full of food. The main street is full of original shops and restaurants, including Bogart's (our favorite restaurant). Order the giant plate of nachos. And a margarita (or two). It's the best you'll ever have.

 

The town is also home to the Montana Candy Emporium. It is a renovated movie theater turned candy shop. It sells just about every discontinued or old-timey candy you can imagine, holding it all in rows of barrels. With vintage signs and paraphernalia, this place is really a sight.

We stayed in a small cottage at the base of the mountain. Even though it was without internet (gasp), we found a way to entertain each other. Sometimes it just feels good to get a break from technology and reality, for just a little while.

These cupcakes are light and subtly sweet. The vanilla almond cupcake has vanilla tones with sliced almonds right in the mix. The cake is barely sweet to allow the almond to shine. The frosting is a basic vanilla frosting with a hint of almond extract to cut the sweetness. The flavors in this cupcake really shine—neither the vanilla or almond outshine each other. These cupcakes are perfect for afternoon tea.

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