While I was home in L.A. for Spring Break, I was expecting to spend the majority of my time outside. This did not happen. For the whole week, the rain poured and poured. I received numerous texts from my friends who live up in the North West, bragging about the lovely sunshine and how they were even getting a tan. This was all so wrong.
So what did I decide to do? What always makes me happier? Obviously being in the kitchen. I busted out my Hello Cupcake! recipe book and began baking vanilla cupcakes with Nutella buttercream frosting and transformed them into miniature pies. I highly recommend both editions of this book. Blueberry, cherry, lemon, apple, and peach pie galore! My fingers were covered in frosting by the end of it and the Nutella jar was licked and scraped clean. My sister Claire, who don't ask why, insisted during our European travels that Nutella was gross. Well I can proudly say by the end of this project, I had completely changed her mind. Even she was dipping the crunchy little M&M morsels into the Nutella to add that nutty, buttery hazelnut taste.
Look at all the butter. BUTTER, BUTTER, BUTTER, and more BUTTER. Yep, this is what goes into buttercream frosting. Powdered sugar and vanilla extract. I decided to add the Nutella for two reasons. One is that I ate so much of it in Rome, it was a good excuse to buy some more. Another, because it is the perfect way to die the frosting a slight beige, brown color, mimicking that of an actual pie crust.
And there you have it. The beautiful peaks of homemade Nutella buttercream frosting. I wish you could see a picture of what my fingers looked like at this point. I tried to document it but when I reached for my camera, I realized it probably wasn't a good idea to get it all sticky.
Separate each color of M&M into their own baggy. The Hello Cupcake! book only uses red and blue, but I thought all the colors made for a more festive presentation. Plus, they all taste the same, so why not use everything you've got?! This is also a great gift to give, or if you're ever invited to a picnic, I highly recommend these little pie cupcakes.
I'm not gonna lie. Piping is difficult to say the least. Once you get the hang of it though, it's a very fun and creative way to make designs on any dessert of pastry. Here I smeared a light layer of the frosting onto the already cooled cupcake. Then I placed the desired color of M&M's on the top, pressing it into the frosting so they could stick. Make sure to leave a little room around the edges so that you can pipe the edges of the crust before attempting the lattice.
And here is the finished product. Cute little cherry pies with a slightly different flavor and texture. If you're looking for a snack that's a sugar overload then don't hesitate to make these! I also promise that if you aren't a huge fan of Nutella, the flavor is incredibly light. When combined with the crunchy, chocolate bite of the M&M's, it is far from overwhelming.
Ingredients for the Vanilla Cupcakes
18.25 ounce box of cake mix (Vanilla or French Vanilla)
1 cup of buttermilk in place of the water that is called for on the box
Vegetable oil (amount on the box)
4 large eggs (don't use the number specified on the box)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
Using substitutions above, follow the box instructions to mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at low to medium speed until moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and beat until thick, 2 minutes longer.
Spoon half of the batter into a zip-top bag. Snip a ¼-inch corner from the bag and fill the paper liners 2/3 full. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from baking pans, place on a wire rack . Cool completely.
Nutella Buttercream Frosting
3 sticks of unsalted butter
1 cup of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
16 oz. jar of Marshmallow Fluff
1 cup of Nutella (or however much you need to create the desired color for the crust)
Directions:
Combine the first four ingredients until the mixture is perfectly smooth. When ready, add the Nutella and mix in.
Don't forget to buy both editions! I promise you won't be disappointed.
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