GIRLIE BIRTHDAY PARTY CUPCAKES: On turning 6

My girl's 6 and here's the cupcakes I've made for her bday party!

Chocolate Quinoa Cupcake recipe:  I adapted by using coconut oil (melted) and all you need to do is dump all the ingredients in your food processor.  I used my VitaMix

So she's 6!  6 is groovy. She's old enough to go to school but still young enough to still want girlie cupcakes.  6 is a good year.  You can still sit on daddy's lap, and get your older sister in trouble by pouting and giving the "look".

I adapted the recipe again by adding 1/3 cup more cooked quinoa and ended up with 15 large cupcakes.  Baking time was approx. 35 minutes.

What girl doesn't love sparkly dragees?

The secret to a smooth, light frosting is beating the heck out of your buttercream.  5-7 minutes in a stand mixer will lighten it to a heavenly texture.

Just a dab of pink gel food colouring (don't use too much) will get you there

Using a disposable piping bag and a Wilton 1M tip

Work the buttercream outside in

Pretty yummy

Don't drop too many dragees on each cupcake.  3 should do ya

Moist crumb; not cloyingly sweet

Serve with pink and white Jelly Bellies! The white ones are birthday cake flavoured Jelly bellies

taa daa

BEST EVER QUINOA CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
adapted from Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood
Makes 15 large scrumptious cupcakes
2 1/3 cups cooked quinoa, cold (see note below for instructions to cook quinoa)
1/3 cup milk (or soy, almond or coconut milk)
4 large eggs (or egg replacer)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cups coconut oil, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups organic cane sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
*2 large-welled muffin tins (large cups, large cupcake liners).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the muffin tins with the 15 large-sized cupcake liners.
In a Vitamix, Blender of Food Processor, combine: milk, eggs, vanilla. Blend until combined. Add 2 1/3 cups of cold cooked quinoa and the melted coconut oil and continue to blend until smooth.
Dump in the sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the Vitamix. Blend well to combine.
Pour from the blender directly into the cupcake liners, evenly distributing the cupcake batter between the 15 liners. Gently tap the tin on the counter to ensure there are no air bubbles. Smooth the tops with a small spatula (or your finger!)
Bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 35 minutes.
Test the cupcakes for doneness with a toothpick or cake tester.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a rack.
Frost if desired with Swiss Meringue Buttercream using a 1M Wilton tip. Decorate with the chocolate lace hearts (see post above for the easy method I used). Bling it up with dragees if desired.
Cupcakes can be stored sealed in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month. But I don't think they'll last that long.

Note: Bring 2/3 cup raw, rinsed white or golden quinoa to boil in a heavy saucepan with 1 1/3 cups water. Cover, reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and leave covered saucepan on burner for another 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and allow the Quinoa to cool.
Rice Cooker Method: Cook rinsed quinoa as you would rice, following manufacturer's instructions and the indicator lines for appropriate water levels. I made 1 cup quinoa and found it had enough leftovers to make another dish.

GIRLIE PINK BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
6 oz (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 T milk
Place the softened butter in a large mixing bowl and gradually add the confectioners' sugar a little at a time to the butter, beating continuously. Continue until all the sugar is blended in.
Beat with the mixer until the icing is pale and fluffy. Beat in the milk until well combined
Use pink gel food colouring (not too much! a dab'll do ya) to colour the buttercream.
Scoop the buttercream into a piping bag with a "1M" tip (Wilton) and pipe swirls on the tops of the cupcakes.

Decorate with pink buttercream frosting (see below for recipe), and share the fun and have your loved ones sprinkle on the dragees, sprinkles, sanding sugar & dark chocolate shavings.




HOW TO SWIRL BUTTERCREAM

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