Flower Pot Cupcakes

These cheery garden cupcakes have delicious raspberry cream filling
and fun flowers made of M& Ms!!!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!!  This bit of cheer goes out especially to my mom this week.  I’m so far from home this year, that we will have to celebrate from a distance.

Aren’t these the cutest cupcakes ever?  I cannot take credit for the M&M flower idea, it was an idea I originally saw on a cute blog called Sara’s Shoebox.  She was copying the idea from a cookbook called “What’s New Cupcake“.  I do not own this cook book, but it is a sequel to one of my favorites, “Hello, Cupcake!”, by the same author.  In any case, Sara made hers with mini Oreos and I simply could not get mine to work with those..?  SO, I had seen marshmallows in pink lemonade flavor (who can walk by THAT without picking up a bag?) and I decided to use them instead.  They were a tiny bit too small, so I am going to recommend that you use full-size marshmallows for these.  I had to fiddle around with them awhile to get them to all stick.  I’m positive they will be easier on a full-size marshmallow!!

The cupcakes are an original though- I used a pink velvet cake mix, but you can use any flavor you like!  I filled them with a yummy raspberry cream and topped them with scoops of butter cream and either coconut or Oreos (um…I had a few of those left over from the flower attempt!)  Are you ready for a recipe for these???  Here you go: (printable version)

INGREDIENTS:

• One boxed cake mix (in any flavor, with oil, water and eggs to make according to box)
• One packet of Dream Whip
• 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup of berry jelly or jam
• 2 sticks of salted butter (at room temp)
• 2 sticks of unsalted butter (at room temp)
• 3 cups of powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• 2 cups of shredded coconut (died green with food coloring) -OR- 2 cups of crushed Oreo Cookies
• 24 pretzel sticks
• Pastel M&Ms
• 12 marshmallows
• 1/2 cup of white Wilton’s candy melts

DIRECTIONS:

Flowers: I recommend making these ahead and storing them covered until you make your cupcakes.  They aren’t hard to make, but a little time consuming.

• Take 12 marshmallows and cut them in half with clean kitchen scissors. Lay them on the counter with the cut side up to keep them from sticking to things.
• Take a pretzel stick and wiggle it up into the side of each marshmallow.  
• Melt candy melts in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between until completely melted and smooth.
• The technique that worked best for me here was to lay my M&Ms out in a flower pattern (minus the center) on parchment paper, cover the sticky side of the marshmallow with candy melts and lay it (candy melt side down) on the flower until it dries.  Then I used a little of the candy melts to stick my center on.  Here’s some photos.

Just let those cute little flowers dry, and you are all set to make your cupcakes!

Cupcakes:

• Make cake mix according to box and divide batter among 24 cupcake liners in muffin tins.
• Bake according to box, remove from oven and cool completely.
• Make filling by putting Dream whip powder and whipping cream in a bowl.  Mix on high until stiff peaks form.
• Add jam or jelly and beat until well combined.  Place filling in a large zip top bag and keep refrigerated until use.
• Core cooled cupcakes with a small knife or a cupcake corer.  I HIGHLY recommend the corer- it is super cheap and will save you time!
• Cut a corner off the filling bag and squeeze filling into each cupcake.  
• Place top of “core” that was removed back on top of cupcake.

• Make buttercream frosting by beating butters, powdered sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl on high until it is light and fluffy and smooth.
• Use a scoop to place a mound of frosting on each cupcake.
• Turn cupcake upside down in either coconut or crushed Oreo to coat the frosting.
• Now pop a cute flower in, and you have an adorable treat for all sorts of occasions!!

My thoughts:  These brought smiles to so many faces!  I often share my blog creations with various families and organizations here on the Navajo Nation.  These went to the Easter party at the Senior Citizen Center here.  I got many hugs and thank yous (Ahéhee’) from the recipients.  I also got to watch almost 100 seniors literally running to a huge Easter egg hunt!  So fun!!!

On a recipe note:  These are little time consuming, but so worth the effort!  I made my flowers ahead and I was glad I did.  I really hope you enjoy these!

And to the best mom ever: a bouquet of M&M flowers!  I love you!!!!  ~r

Other recipe ideas for Mother’s day: