That Little Something Sweet

These little gems are about a quarter the size of a regular cupcake.

The holidays at our home are celebrated with lots of family members and big dinners.  Even though their tummies might be full, it seems like everyone desires that "little something sweet" to end their meal.  With that in mind, I decided to experiment with mini-cupcakes.

Using devil's food and white cake mixes makes this an easy prep dessert.  Mini-cupcake pans are available in cooking supply stores and the papers can be found in most grocery markets.  They cook in about 14 minutes and freeze beautifully. 

The two favored flavor combinations for this Christmas included the chocolate one featured above with chocolate frosting and a chocolate covered espresso bean.  The second one was white cake with white whipped frosting and crushed lemon drop candies sprinkled on top.  Toppings can include any small candy appropriate for the holiday such as crushed candy cane, little jelly beans at Easter, fresh berries, or candy corn at Halloween. 

The lemon candies give a little crunch along with a burst of lemon flavor.

Each box of cake mix made between 48-54 cupcakes.  To freeze them, I set the unfrosted baked cupcakes on a sheet pan and put them in a freezer until solid.  After, I stored them in a ziplock bag until needed.  I used premade frosting to save time and piped it onto the cupcakes with a simple flourish.  One or two bites are all you need after a big supper.

Each mini-cupcake with 2 teaspoons frosting and a bit of candy is between 90-95 calories.

- Kim Fielding