Sugar Skull Minnie Mouse Cupcakes

Sugar Skull Minnie Mouse Cupcakes

By Erin

Sugar Skull Minnie Mouse Cupcakes

This is Halloween, everybody make a scene! If you’re looking for the perfect treat to celebrate Halloween or Dia de los Muertos with this weekend, this is it! How cute are these Sugar Skull Minnie Mouse Cupcakes? Perfect for Halloween at home. Enjoy some of these cupcakes and watch Coco, for a fun and tasty night in. These cupcakes of course would be fun to make anytime you are craving a sweet Disney treat. 😉 Happy Halloween!

How to make them:

Fondant Ears and bow

1 package of white fondant

1 package of pink fondant

1 wilton fondant bow mold

1 mini circle fondant cutter

1 package of edible markers (Make sure there is a black edible marker)

Directions

Sprinkle some powder sugar onto a cutting board.

Roll out the white fondant into 1/4 inch thickness and cut out 48
circles of the white fondant for the ears and set aside to dry out
overnight.

Powder your hands with powder sugar and mold the pink fondant into a ball.

Pinch off 1 teaspoon size ball of fondant and press it into the larger
bow size mold.

Make 22 bows then set aside to dry out overnight.

Next Day:

Using the black edible marker, draw out the outline of a skull.

Color in the outside of the skull in black.

Draw small circles inside to skull to create the eyes.

Draw out a line with stitching to create the mouth.

Using any colorful marker, draw floral on the skull.

Makes 22 Cupcakes.

Ingredients

1 box of french vanilla cake mix

3 large eggs room temp

1/2 Cup of softened unsalted sweet cream butter

1 Cup whole milk

cupcake liners

cupcake pan

Sky Blue, Red, Neon Green, and Pink gel food coloring

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Line cupcake pan with the cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, add the cake mix, butter, milk and stir until combined.

Divide the batter into 4 bowls and mix a few drops of each color into
their own bowls.

Using a small spoon, spoon in 1 spoonful of colored batter into the
cupcake liners.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full.

Bake in the oven for about 21 minutes.

Pull out the cupcakes and allow to cool before frosting.

Vanilla Frosting Ingredients:

3 Cup unsalted sweet cream butter, softened

6 Cup powdered sugar

5-7 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large piping bag with large star tip

Sky Blue, Red, Neon Green, and Pink gel food coloring

Directions

Using a standing mixer combine the butter, powdered sugar, heavy
whipping cream, vanilla, and mix on medium speed until combined and
smooth.

Using 4 bowls, scoop ¼ Cup of frosting into the bowls and mix a few
drops of color into their own bowls.

Using a butterknife, spoon each color in a stripe into the piping bag.

Scoop white frosting into the piping bag.

Pipe a dollop of frosting onto a plate to test and make sure that the
colored frosting comes through on the outside of the white frosting to
create a colorful swirl.

Decorating directions

Frost cooled cupcakes with the frosting.

Place Pink bow into the center of the frosting.

Place the ears on the side of the bow.

Enjoy!

Need more ideas? Try these!

Spunky Unicorn Cupcakes

Micky Mouse Cupcakes

Magical Unicorn Cupcakes

Instant Pot Apple Cider

Instant Pot Apple Cider

By Erin

Instant Pot Apple Cider

It is FINALLY starting to feel a bit like fall! Instead of this crazy 90-100 degree weather we have been having. It is now in the 70s for at least the next week or so. I love making this apple cider from scratch every year.  You only need a handful of ingredients to make this tasty homemade apple cider. Most of the ingredients you probably already have at home.

It couldn’t be any easier to make this Instant Pot Apple Cider. Just dump all the ingredients into the pressure cooker and push the start button. This is a super easy dump & start recipe and there is no fuss at all in the process of making it.

You can add any flavors you wish to this drink to suit the mood of Fall, Thanksgiving or even Christmas! Melissa’s Produce has all the fresh fruit and Cinnamon sticks you will need to create this delicious seasonal drink we like to savor and enjoy every year!

Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

  • 6 Apples, cored and quartered
  • 2 Pears, cored and quartered
  • 1 Orange, quartered
  • 1 Cup sugar or brown sugar
  • 2 Cinnamon sticks
  • 2 Star anise
  • Around 5-6 cups water (Enough water to cover the fruit).
Instant Pot Apple Cider Process

Directions: 

  • 1. Do not peel the fruit, the skin adds more flavor. Place all the ingredients into the Instant Pot. Close the lid and valve and set on high pressure for 17 minutes. 
  • 2. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Quick Pressure Release afterwards.
  • 3. When the Pin drops, open the Instant Pot Lid. Remove the spices with the tongs and discard.
Instant Pot Apple Cider Recipe Fall Drink
  • 4. Mash the fruit with a hand mixer or a potato masher. 
  • 5. With the help of a mesh sieve, strain the solids from the liquid into a tall pitcher. Discard the solids. 
  • 6. Pour them in glasses. Garnish with a cinnamon stick, star anise and serve.

Serve hot or cold as desired!

Notes: 

  • If you prefer your apple cider to be sweeter, peel the oranges before cooking them in the Instant Pot and reduce the sugar to ¾ cup. 
  • You can store it in an airtight container/mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
  • You can also add some lemon juice to make it more citrusy or some clove and cardamom to make it more spicy. 

Need some more drink ideas? Try these!

Dalgona Cinnamon Coffee Recipe

Red, White & Blueberry Sangria

Spunky Unicorn Cupcakes

Spunky Unicorn Cupcakes

By Erin

Spunky Unicorn Cupcakes for Halloween

It’s almost Halloween!  Who else loves spooky season? Halloween time is so much fun! I love all the treats and goodies of the season. So of course I had to kick off my Halloween celebrations with unicorns! These Spunky Spooky Unicorn treats are made with ingredients you may already have in your pantry and are quick and easy to make! Who doesn’t love a cute Halloween cupcake on Halloween? Enjoy these fun cupcakes!

Here’s how to make these sweet yet spunky unicorn cupcakes!

*Makes 24 cupcakes

*Prep time 20 minutes

*Bake time 22 minutes

*Decorating time 10 minutes

French Vanilla Cupcakes Ingredients:

1 box French Vanilla cake mix

Ingredients as listed on the back of the cake mix box

Muffin pan

cupcake liners

Purple and orange gel food coloring

Directions:

Preheat oven as per directions on the box,

Put the liners in the muffin pan. Set aside.

Following the directions add ingredients.

Mix all ingredients as instructed.

Divide the batter into two bowls

Mix in a few drops of purple food coloring into one bowl

Mix in a few drops of orange food coloring into the second bowl

Alternate between the purple batter and the orange one, scoop  about 1
TBSP of batter each into the cupcake liners until â…” full

Put in the oven and bake for 22 minutes.

Check for doneness. ( Insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake,
it should come out clean.)

If they are not done, check again every three minutes until they are done.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.Transfer to a cooling rack and
allow to cool completely before frosting.

Vanilla Frosting Ingredients:

3 Cups unsalted sweet cream butter, softened

6 Cups powdered sugar

5-7 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Neon Green gel food coloring

1 disposable piping bag with medium star tip

1 medium ice cream scoop

1 small bowl

Halloween sprinkles

Decorations

Wilton Unicorn icing decorations (Found at Walmart stores)

Frosting Directions :

Using a standing mixer combine the butter, powdered sugar, heavy
whipping cream, vanilla, and mix on medium speed until combined and
smooth

Mix  in a few drops of neon green gel food coloring and mix until combined

Scoop 1 Cup of frosting into the piping bag

Decorating Directions :

Using the medium ice cream scooper, scoop some frosting onto the top
of the cupcake

Using a butterknife, lightly spread the frosting into a thick smooth disk

Pour the halloween sprinkles into a small bowl and entire frosting
into the sprinkles

Using the piping bag, pipe a dollop of frosting into the center of the cupcake

Using the Unicorn Horn icing decoration, place it into the top middle
of the frosting

Place 1 “Ear” on both sides of the horn

Spunky Unicorn Cupcakes

Enjoy!

Need more ideas? Try these!

Magical Unicorn Cupcakes

Mickey Mouse Cupcakes