It’s hard to believe that it is almost Easter and before we know it, our house will be filled with kids running wild on a sugar high.
This year, we are changing things up for Easter and the kids are going to be getting some homemade goodies in their baskets in addition to some traditional confections. To get the holiday festivities going, we are starting it off with this Easter Bunny Bark!
Making Easter Bunny Bark is so easy that my teenagers can do it!
To get started, you will need:
-Lots of Easter candy. M&M’s, Jelly Beans, and other pretty pastel candies.
-20 ounces of good white chocolate, like Ghirardelli squares.
Once your candy is procured, roughly chop the larger pieces of candy if you are using any.
After your candy is ready, line a 9×11 pan with parchment paper.
Next, it is time to melt your chocolate. When melting the chocolate its your choice which way you choose do it. You can either melt it in a microwave or in a double broiler style pot, we prefer to use the microwave in our house.
*If using a microwave start at 30 seconds stir and repeat until fully melted.
*If you’re using stove top keep temp. at medium range make sure you are stirring constantly
Pour melted chocolate onto parchment paper and spread.
After your chocolate is all poured out, start adding candy to it, however you like.
Let the Easter Bark sit for several hours until it hardens. We let ours sit in the fridge overnight.
Once your chocolate is fully hardened, transfer it to a cutting board and cut into pieces and enjoy.
One of my favorite Easter candies is Cadbury Eggs. I like the cream eggs, the caramel eggs, the chocolate creame eggs…..yeah…I like them all and so does Alex.
We are also big fans of cupcakes and chocolate and all the sweet sugary goodness they entail.
So you can imagine how much our mouths water at the thought of a Cadbury Egg Cupcake.
Yes, a chocolate cupcake with a delicious Cadbury Egg inside.
OMG!
Now doesn’t that look AMAZING?
If you want to make these deliciously sweet treats, here’s what you need and how to do it!
Chocolate Cupcakes
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temp
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups flour
1 Tsp baking powder
1/4 Tbs salt
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk, whole
Chocolate Ganache
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cup chocolate chips
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup or cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cups heavy cream
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare a cupcake tin with paper liners
In a microwave safe bowl, melt semi-sweet chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of milk for about 1 minute, stirring half way. Stir until chocolate chips are melted. Set to the side
Cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Now add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until combined.
Take the cooled melted chocolate and add to the creamed butter
Begin to whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, flour, baking powder, salt, and chocolate cocoa.
Add the dry mix into the wet ingredients slowly alternating with adding the milk while mixing with a hand or standing mixer.
Scoop batter into prepared cupcake tin, filling a little up to 3/4 of the way
Take your Cadbury eggs and place them in the center pushing it downs the cake mix covers it
Bake for 23-26 minutes, checking doneness by testing with a toothpick should be cake free
Allow to cool for 1 minute in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack. Chocolate Ganache
In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips with the heavy cream for about 1 minute, stirring half way.
Stir until smooth and all chocolate chips have melted.
Dip the cupcake in the bowl of ganache lightly twisting in motion to cover the whole area .
Allow the cupcakes to cool before frosting.
Chocolate Buttercream
Beat the softened butter on its own until smooth.
Add coca chocolate and powdered sugar alternately with heavy cream until a smooth, thick texture.
If frosting is too thick, add more heavy cream, if too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Use a piping bag fitted with a medium sized tip of your choice to frost, or cut the corner off a gallon size zip-top bag filled with the frosting.
To frost like a pro…
Place the cupcake on a flat surface in front of you. Grasp the pastry bag from the top pushing the frosting down as you slide your hand down the pastry bag. Once you start to see frosting come out of the dip twist the top of the pastry bag tight. Use a clip or a rubber band to secure the bag.
Now begin to frost the cupcake going around in one smooth motion do not stop!
Once you have completed the first circle begin the second one onto the first one as shown below.
Continue this process until you have covered the whole area. Now make a small peak at the top similar to how you would serve frozen yogurt a wee little twist and bam there it is a perfect frosted cupcake like a pro!
Drizzle with fudge or caramel, you can also sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles or even more chocolate chips. The more the better!
With both St. Patrick’s Day and Easter fast approaching, these Cotton Candy Rainbow Cupcakes are sure to be a hit at any holiday gathering you attend.
You will need the following list of ingredients to create your cupcakes. (You can print the recipe below)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg, plus 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup cotton candy
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and place to the side.
In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter, sour cream, egg, yolks, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir in the cotton candy until evenly distributed -do not over mix.
Get 3-4 small bowls scoop equal amount of cake mix in each bowl. Add 1 drop of food coloring to each bowl mixing until you get the desired color of choice. Using a large spoon add a scoop of cake mix from each color filling the cupcake holder. Do not over fill.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
FOR THE FROSTING
1 1/2 to 3 teaspoons heavy cream
1 ounce cotton candy
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened
4 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a bowl, pour 1 1/2 teaspoons of the heavy cream over the cotton candy to melt it place to the side
In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until thoroughly combined. Stir in the vanilla and melted cotton candy. Beat on medium high until light and fluffy add the remaining cream.
To Decorate
Get 3-4 small bowls fill with equal parts icing. Add food coloring to each of color of choice. Mix until completely blended to the color of choice.
Use a pastry bag and a LARGE Star tip: fill the pastry bag with scoops from each color of icing using your hand start at one spot on the cupcake ago around the edge with icing continue the motion building a cone shape and covering the whole cupcake.
Now place a small piece of cotton candy on top for decoration.
* This post is sponsored by TOMY. I received a promotional item in order to facilitate this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
As you may know from past reviews, we are big supporters of the TOMY brand. Just in time for Easter, TOMY wants to give you the chance to win the ultimate Easter basket valued at almost $500 and filled with products including a variety of products from Battroborg, Pokemon, Chuggington and More!
Head over to the TOMY Facebook page and enter for your chance to win the #TOMYEggHunt Easter Basket Sweepstakes.
