Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes

I made Brownie cupcakes topped with chocolate buttercream and fondant flower for a cake sale I had recently. These brownies were very popular and sold like hot cakes at the cake sale. The recipe is from my favorite magazine Donna Hays Kids annual Issue 08.

Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes

200g dark chocolate, chopped
250g butter, chopped
1¾ cups (310g) brown sugar
4 eggs
⅓ cup (35g) cocoa powder, sifted
1¼ cups (185g) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
¼ teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 160°C (325ºF). Place the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat and stir until smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
Place the sugar, eggs, cocoa, flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add the chocolate mixture and mix until combined. Pour into a 20cm-square slice tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake for 50 minutes or until an inserted skewer withdraws clean. Allow to cool slightly in the tin. Once cooled frost with chocolate Buttercream.

Chocolate butter cream

• 250g butter, softened
• 2 cups (320g) icing sugar mixture, sifted
• ½ cup (50g) cocoa, sifted
• ¼ cup (60ml) milk
• Beat the butter until pale and creamy. Add the icing sugar, cocoa and milk and beat until fluffy. Fill pipping bag with buttercream and pipe onto cupcakes.
• I used a large pastry tip for these cupcakes.

I made mini brownie testers for the customers.

Oreo Pop's

These Oreo Pops were a hit at my recent Bake Sale, they would be great for a kids party for the dessert table or as a favour.


Oreo Pops

One package of Oreos (12 cookies)
1 bag of Wilton Chocolate Candy Melts
12 Skewer sticks
Sprinkles

Carefully twist apart all of the Oreo cookies. Using one of the sticks, make an indentation in the white filling of each cookie. Melt the Candy Melts in the microwave 30 second, stirring until completely melted and smooth. Dip the end of one stick into the melted chocolate, drizzle a little in the center of the white cookie filling and then gently press it into the indentation made. Place the top of the cookie back on and allow chocolate to harden (5 minutes or so), cementing the cookie back together with a stick inside. Holding the stick, lower the entire Oreo into the bowl of melted chocolate, spooning it over the top and sides to cover it completely. Allow the excess chocolate to drain off and gently place covered Oreo on a piece of baking paper to harden. Top with sprinkles immediately before the chocolate hardens.

Caramel Corn

Here's the recipe for the Caramel Corn I made for my first Bake Sale.

Caramel Corn

Adapted from Donna Hays Original Recipe.

1 tbls vegetable oil (I used canola oil)

1/3 cup popcorn kernels

15g butter

1/4 cup (90g) honey

1/2 cup (110g) caster (superfine) sugar (I used normal Granulated sugar)

1/4 tsp baking soda

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the popcorn, cover and cook, shaking the pan, for 2-3 mins or until popped. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl. Place the butter, honey and sugar in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the butter is melted, Increase heat to medium and stir until butter is melted. Increase heat to medium and bring to a boil for 3-4 mins or until thickened and golden. Remove from heat stir through the baking soda. Working quickly, Pour the honey mixture over the popcorn. Mix to combine, you can spoon mixture into well greased 12x 1/2 cup capacity muffin tin and allow to set to make popcorn clusters or you can spread the mixture on a baking tray covered in baking paper and bake for 10 mins, mixing half way through to combine all the caramel. Once done let cool then break up into small pieces, great for a sweet snack or to put in school lunches. 

A few tips: Cooking popcorn in a non-stick wok is a lot easier then a saucepan and makes clean up a brezze. Make sure all the sugar has dissolved before pouring over the popcorn. Combine mixture in a bowl not on the baking tray, as the mixture is to hard to combine otherwise.  You could also add a few pinches of salt to the mixture to make salted caramel popcorn yum!.

Bake Sale

I had my first Bake Sale this weekend at the local Marae to Celebrate Matariki (Maori New Years). It went really well and I sold most of my product. I made sure that everything was nicely packaged and a good portion so they were easy for people to take home and enjoy later. Out of all the things I made the Oreo pops where really popular with the children and adults.

Heres some of the treats I made.

Lemon Cupcakes

Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes

Caramel Corn

Oreo Pops

Free Brownie Bite Testers for the customers.