easter

Are you ready for Easter?!?!  I am so ready.

I have lots of Easter-y stuff around to make a super, super cute Easter basket for Autumn. I had been hitting up the Target Dollar Spot and the local Dollar Tree to get lots of fun random things to include in her Easter Basket. Which might actutally be a bag, but you get the point. Lots of stickers, some barrettes, crayons, mini board books, and a flipping toy chick. And the ‘big’ toy is a pair of Doc McStuffin’s light up clogs. They are way too big but are super cute. I couldn’t resist because she loves to play dress up at daycare so, so much.

Plus, I picked up a bunch of eggs to dye with her this weekend. I’m sure it will be just one big mess but I think it will be a fun experience.

 

We painted some plaster eggs over the weekend and that was a great activity. Granted, she tried to crack them at first as we cracks the eggs for me when I make something. But once I explained they aren’t eggs to crack she got the point and got to painting. I’m going to have to keep those half painted eggs forever. So cute!!

Those eggs will last forever, but these Easter Chicks Cupcakes won’t!

These Easter Chicks Cupcakes are really Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes with some Green Vanilla Buttercream Frosting topped off with some green coconut ‘grass’ and Peeps chicks. But Easter Chicks Cupcakes sounds cuter.

I used a chocolate brownie cupcake base as I wanted the cupcake to look like the earth. The green frosting is the glue for the green coconut grass. And then the marshmallow Peep Chick finishes it off.

I used the traditional yellow Peeps Chicks but the Peeps Bunnies are just as cute.

I brought these cupcakes to daycare and the kids loved them.

Easter Chicks Cupcakes

Makes 24 Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes

• 1 pound semi sweet chocolate, use a bar that your break into pieces or chips
• 12 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 4 eggs
• 2 Cups dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 Cups all-purpose flour

For the frosting

• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 8 Cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• green food coloring

For the ‘Grass’

• 2 Cups shredded coconut
• green food coloring

• 24  Chicks Peeps

Process

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line your muffin pans with paper liners.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler. Set aside to slightly cool.
3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the brown sugar and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract.
4. Add the flour to the brownie batter and mix until just combined.
5. Evenly divide the brownie cupcake batter between the 24 liners.
6. Make for 25-30 minutes, or until the cupcakes are firm to the touch while the center is still moist.
7. While the cupcakes bake, make the ‘grass’. Put the coconut into a small bowl. Add about 10 drops of green food coloring and mix to color all of the coconut.
8. Make the frosting by beating the room temperature butter until it is light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat on slow speed until just together. Add the vanilla extract, milk, and enough food coloring to achieve a rich green color.
9. Once your cupcakes have baked and cooled, frost the cupcakes with just a bit of frosting. You want it to be a pretty thin amount over the whole cupcake.
10. Sprinkle the dyed coconut on the frosting. Insert a toothpick into the bottom of the Peep and then push the toothpicked Peep into the cupcake.

Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes adapted from The Cupcake, Frosting slightly adapted from  Buttercup Bake Shop Cookbook

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