thebeTTerME: Let's decorate some cupcakes!

Another weekend! Another reason to treat yourself and your little sweethearts with some yummy activities and sweet treats :)

Today I'll share with you the basic buttercream recipie and techniques to pipe a gorgeous rosette. So, lets pipe some deliciously catchy swirls on chocolate cupcakes. I'm sure you and kids will love it!

You need four basic ingredients to whip up this classic icing;

1/2 cup of soft butter ( at rom temperature )
1/2 cup of vegetale shortening ( there are different brands avaible but Crisco is the best. You can get it from Tamimi. Goody and Mazola are also good alternatives. You can easily get them from oil and ghee section of any superstore. Shortening yeilds stiffer and whiter icing which helps in getting better colours and consistency! You can use another half cup of butter if vegetable shortening is not available. Margerine can also be used incase you want to avoid butter.

4 cups of sifted icing sugar
2 to 3 table spoons of milk (you can add more to adjust the consistency.)
1 table spoon of vanilla powder or few drops of vnilla essence

What to do?

Beat shortening and butter with electric beeter or hand whisk till light and fluffy. ( It takes two minutes if you use electric mixer.)
Gradually add sifted icing sugar and keep on beeting. Cover your bowl with damp kitchen towel, otherwise everything lying close to your mixer including you will bathe in sugary dust.
Add milk and beat till its fluffy and incorporated.
Tint it with your desired colour though it looks gorgeous in its ivory hues.

There are different brands and colour types are avilable. One in the picture is gel colour.

Dip a toothpik in gel colour and then apply to buttercream.

How to pipe a rosette or swirl?

What do you need?

You need a piping bag or gun or a simple parchment cone made of wax paper.
Close star tip. They are part of almost every icing set and look like this;

(One shown in picture is Wilton's 2 D. You can get it from any outlet of Tavola.)

What to do?

Put your 2D or close star tip inside the icing bag.

Put your icing bags inside a glass by inverting it on the edges.
Fill in icing with the help of a spatula or butter knife. Fill only 3/4th of bag. Otherwise icing will aqulched out and it will be messy to work with it.
Once bag is filled, push forward any remaining icing. Twist the open end of bag and hold it in your hands.
Hold cupcake in your left hand and icing bag in your right hand.
Keep bag in an upright position making 90 degrees angle. With steady pressure start squeezing in an anti clockwise position. Keep piping till your entire cupcake is covered. Now stop pressure and slowly pull away.

Your gorgeous rosette is there. Decrote it with edible pearls or simply sprinke hundreds and thousands. Crushed oreos, kitkat, m & ms are also yummy options.

Its a part of our series ' How to be a better Mom in 31 days! '

http://bettertheme.blogspot.com/2013/11/how-to-be-better-mom-in-31-days.html

Day One: COMPASSION!

http://bettertheme.blogspot.com/2013/12/compassion.html

Day two: Be Prepared

http://bettertheme.blogspot.com/2013/12/be-prepared-day-2-of-how-to-be-better.html

Day three: Be there!

http://bettertheme.blogspot.com/2013/12/be-there-day-three-of-how-to-be-better.html

Day four: Watch your expectations

http://bettertheme.blogspot.com/2013/12/watch-your-expectations-day-4-of-how-to.html

Day five: Let's bake some cupcakes!

http://bettertheme.blogspot.com/2013/12/lets-bake-some-cupcakes-d.html