Poinsettia Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Grease and flour muffin cups or spray with baking spray with flour. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and 1/ teaspoon salt; set aside
• In large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually add granulated sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl occasionally. Beat 2 minutes longer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture, about one-third of mixture at a time, and milk, half at a time, beating just until blended. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each with about 3 tablespoons batter or until two-thirds full.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter and the shortening with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon salt. On low speed, beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, scraping down side of bowl occasionally. Add 2 tablespoons milk; beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. Frost cupcakes.
• In small microwave bowl, microwave 2 candies uncovered on High 10 to 15 seconds or until warm enough to be pliable. Cut candies in half. Form each half into flower petal, 1 1/4 inches long. Use toothpick or paring knife to make marks on petals to look line veins. Repeat with remaining candies.
• On each cupcakes arrange 5 candy petals in shape of poinsettia. Using leaf tip, pipe green icing between some of the petals for leaves. Using round tip and yellow icings, pipe dots in center of petals for stamen. To form wreath, arrange 12 cupcakes in circle on serving platter. Serve remaining cupcakes on another platter.

Steps:

• Combine the butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld electric mixer). Mix on low speed until mostly incorporated. Add the vanilla; increase the speed to medium-high and mix until smooth. Adjust the consistency with milk as desired. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature and mix on medium-high until smooth.
• Put 1/3 of the frosting into a medium bowl and the remaining 2/3 into a second bowl. Color the smaller amount of frosting with the green food coloring and stir to combine. Color the larger amount of frosting with 5 to 10 drops of red food coloring - until a dark red color is achieved. Transfer the green buttercream to a disposable piping bag fitted with a #63 leaf piping tip. Transfer the red buttercream to a disposable piping bag fitted with a #366 leaf piping tip.
• Pipe a dollop of red buttercream on the tops of each cupcake and smooth with a small offset spatula to cover the tops.
• Pipe red buttercream on top of each cupcake creating petals in a star shape. Pipe a second star shape pattern on top of the first but offset the points so they are in between the first layer of petals. Pipe the green frosting with the flat side of the piping tip facing towards the cupcake and make leaves in between each of the bottom layer of petals. Pipe a cross shape with the red frosting in the center of the flowers. Sprinkle the centers with silver dragees.