HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Cherry Almond Cupcake

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Hey! Let's Talk Turkey...


I was recently asked to help a Brownie troop earn their "career badges". So these Brownies learned about cake decorating by creating thier own little turkey cupcakes. We all had loads of fun making these, but they didn't last long. As soon as the finishing touch was on, they asked permission to eat them. Below are the instructions to make your own turkey cupcakes.
Supplies Needed

White and Chocolate fondant
small amount of yellow fondant

Fondant roller/ board

3" Garret Frill Cutter (raise middle cutter)

1" frill cutter

Spatula

Toothpicks

dozen cupcakes

Chocolate Buttercream

Red and Yellow Buttercream

Piping Bags equipped with couplers

#14, #9 piping tips

Knead 2 parts white to 1 part chocolate fondant together, but do not fully incorporate colors.


Roll out to about 1/8" thick and using the frill cutters, cut out 6 large and 6 small.


Center the small cutout over the large, then cut in half, as shown, creating the tails.


Using side of spatula, make indentions over the tails.


Set aside to firm up.

Roll out a 1" size ball of chocolate fondant into a sausage and fold the end over to create the head.

Insert a toothpick into the other end and set into styrofoam.


Roll out a small amount of white fondant and cut two circles, using the #9 piping tube.

Roll out two tiny balls from chocolate fondant and place over white to create eyes.

With a 1/2" ball of yellow fondant, make a cone for the beak.
Afix eyes and beak to the head of the turkey.


Using the red buttercream with the #9 piping tip, pipe the turkey's wattle under the beak and to the top of one side of the beak as shown.


Pipe decorations onto the tail with the red and yellow buttercream using the #14 tip.


Crumb coat the cupcakes. Using the #14 tip, pipe chocolate buttercream stars over the cupcake.


Set tail in place and build up stars on the back side to afix into place, then push head into cupcake.


Last, pipe wings over the sides, using chocolate, yellow and red buttercream.

Here is the "glammed up" version.

Instead of colors, simply use chocolate buttercream , gold dragees for the eyes and tail, and highlight the wattle with gold luster dust.

****


Tutorial and Photos by Jacque Benson, 2009, all rights reserved.

Tutorial may not be reproduced without written permission from the author.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

A Trip to the Museum

<div>FW Museum Illus. by T. Gilleon
***
One of the highlights of my life, both as a child and as an adult, was and is a trip to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. No matter how much time one spends at this museum, there is always more to see.


Aside from the many fabulous interactive exhibits, vistors can view the galaxy in Noble Planetarium or see the latest film in the Omni Theatre. I have always walked away from this museum with such a sense of wonderment of the world, both past and present, around me.


The FW museum was established in 1941 and was the first Children's museum in Texas. It is an independent, non-profit institution relying solely on the support of the community.
Recently, the museum had been going through changes.



image from Legorreta + Legorreta- architect's drawing
It is being remodeled and enlarged, with the addition of a wonderful Lantern, lit 24/7, that will be the new entry point. As the remodel nears completion, the excitement is really gearing up as well.

Recently, the staff and their families were given a big "Thank You!". The museum threw an Employee Appreciation Party, and I was afforded the honor of making a Museum Replica cake for the celebration!! It was a fun and wonderful project!



This is the Lantern Entry which will be lit 24/7.
It was chocolate cake, ganache filling, iced in chocolate buttercream and topped with lighted poured sugar
glass.


A View of the Energy Exhibit with a cantelivered roof.
 The windows are poured sugar- the landscaping made of sugarpaste. The cakes were different flavors and fillings, iced in buttercream with decorative overlays of white chocolate fondant.


A sugarpaste relica of the Climbing Turtle on the Museum grounds.

A bird's eye view of the cake taken by a very kind gentleman who was several feet taller than myself and offered his help!!

So, for a memorable and very fun day, schedule a visit the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.
It's a sweet experience!

"God gave us our memories so that we might have roses in December." ~J M Barrie