Stars and Stripes Mini Cupcakes

You can make this with the vanilla cupcake mixture below or leave out the vanilla and stir in 2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder,  ½ cup chocolate chips and the grated zest of half an orange and have delicious chocolate-orange cupcakes.

Ingredients1 stick unsalted butter or half cup soft margarine

½  cup superfine sugar

1 cup self rising flour

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Glace Icing
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Blue and red food colouring

Decoration
Mini white sugar stars or use white writing icing to make mini stars

Preparation1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put all the cupcake ingredients into a food processor and beat together until smooth.

2. Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners and fill each liner about two thirds full with the batter.

3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until well risen and the cakes spring back when you press them with your fingertips.

4. Mix the sugar with 3 ½ to 4 tablespoons warm water until you have a spreadable consistency—it should not be runny. You may need to add a little extra water.

5. Remove 1 ½ tablespoons of the icing and color it blue. Remove two thirds of the remaining icing and color it red.

6. Ice six of the cupcakes blue, 15 of the cupcakes red and nine of the cupcakes white.

7. Stick white sugar stars on the blue iced cupcakes or draw on stars using white writing icing and arrange the mini cupcakes in the design of the American flag.

Makes about 36 mini cupcakes (you will use 30 for the flag)

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Recipe from Complete Party Planner by Annabel Karmel published by Atria.

Plus: Have some Tomato Soup with a Smile with your Mice in Jackets!