Chocolate Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream Flowers - Featuring Russian Piping Tips

Have you heard of Russian Piping / Icing Tips before?  They are my latest discovery and obsession!  Think about it, for someone who is not very good at decorating with buttercream and frosting, I actually managed to create these gorgeous flower cupcakes!  It’s got to be a foodie blogger’s dream comes true!



The piping tips are quite easy to use and the results are simply stunning!  Look at these cupcakes for a second, aren’t they gorgeous?  I say they are definitely the most beautiful cupcakes that I’ve ever created!  



The icing/piping tip set that I’ve got online comes with 10 metal tips, and one plastic tip that allow you to put 3 different colored icing in 1 pastry bag.  In this recipe and video tutorial, I’m only testing 2 of them and the rest have got to wait for another time.  The 2 piping tips I used for this post are the roses and tulips shaped ones.  The buttercream flowers that I created using these piping tips are simply breath taking!  If I can do it, anyone can definitely do it as well!



Besides trying out new icing tips, I’m also testing out these “Color Cups” cupcake liners for the very first time.  I’m definitely in love with them.  As you can see, the cupcake liners truly stay vibrant even after baking!  They are just as easy to use when compared to everyday paper cupcake liners.  They are only slightly more expensive than the regular liners. In my humble opinion, they are totally worth the extra bucks especially if you’re baking for parties and gatherings!



These cupcakes are simply scrumptious!  The cupcakes are dark chocolate cupcakes using my favorite Valrhona Unsweetened Cocoa Powder for the deep chocolatey flavors.  The cupcakes are super easy to put together and they are moist and fluffy!



The cupcakes are topped with Vanilla Bean Swiss Meringue Buttercream that are smooth and silky!  I dyed it into 4 different colors using some store-bought all-natural food coloring.  You can see all the products that I used in today’s video tutorial above and I’ll also list them out at the end of this post for your convenience!  If you’re not sure about creating your own gorgeous cupcakes for your next tea party or for someone’s birthday, think again!  These Russian Piping Tips definitely boosted my confident in cake/cupcake decorating and I can foresee more cupcakes in my kitchen in the near future!



Thank you so much for stopping by today!  Remember, Eat, Drink, and Be Happy!  See you all next week with another fun recipe!

Tools and ingredients used:
Cupcake Pan (Click here for more information)
Color Cups Cupcake Liners (Click here for more information)
Valrhona Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (Click here for more information)
Cake Flour (Click here for more information)
Ice Cream Scoop (Click here for more information)
Whisk (Click here for more information)
Russian Piping Tips Set (Click here for more information)
Wilton #67 Leaf Piping Tip (Click here for more information)
Disposable Piping Bag (Click here for more information)
All Natural Food Coloring (Click here for more information)
Organic Vanilla Extract (Click here for more information)
Measuring Spoons Set (Click here for more information)
Stand Mixer (Click here for more information)
Cooling Racks (Click here for more information)
Baking Sheets (Click here for more information)
Kerrygold Butter (Click here for more information)
Heat Proof Measuring Cups (Click here for more information)



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How to Make Unicorn Poop Rainbow Sour Lemon Meringue Cookies 檸檬彩虹蛋白曲奇:

Are you ready for another magical and whimsical recipe?  A recipe that involves a mysterious, fascinating, and imaginary create!  Yes, I'm talking about the Unicorn! After all, everything associated with the Unicorn has been so gorgeous and adorable, even with its byproduct such as... its poop!?



Sorry, I just couldn’t help it!  I had so much fun making these Sour Lemon Meringue Cookies with my Little Girl.  We were laughing, joking, and goofing around in the kitchen as we bake and enjoy each other's company…and these cookies, of course!



If you haven’t watched my video tutorial yet, you’ve got to check it out.  I guaranteed that you won’t be disappointed! I’ll show you step by step procedures on how to create the perfect rainbow swirls that shaped these cookies.  They are actually easier than you think.  Plus, you’ll get my tips and secret on how to make the perfect meringue cookies!        



These rainbow colored Sour Lemon Meringue Cookies are made from all natural food coloring deprived from fruit and vegetables (I’ll link my food coloring tutorials below this post).  If you don’t have the time to make your own coloring, I’ve found out that my local health-food store/supermarket do carry some all natural coloring options.  I’ll list the product links below this post so that you can check them out as well. 



If you’ve baked meringue cookies before, you know that they don’t like moisture!  So, we bake them at low temperature for a long time.  Plus, we need to be careful on the flavoring option as well.  Since I made these in lemon flavor, I use lemon zest to give these cookies the refreshing lemony aroma.  But for the tartness, I used citrus acid (which is really sour and in powder form) instead of fresh lemon juice.  That way, I won’t be adding too much moisture into the batter. 



These cookies are so light, crispy, and packed with lemony aroma.  The sweetness and tartness is perfectly balanced!  Give them a try and you’ll fall in love with them.




I hope you enjoyed today’s post and recipe!  Remember, Eat, Drink, and Be Happy!  Stay tuned for more fun recipe next week!




Ingredients and Tools Used:
All Natural Food Coloring (Click here for more information)
Wilton 1 A Round piping tip (Click here for more information)
Citrus Acid (Click here for more information)
Edible Gold Leaves (Click here for more information)
Disposable Piping Bag (Click here for more information)
Silver Dragees (Click here for more information)
Freeze Dried Strawberry (Click here for more information)
Stand Mixer (Click here for more information)
Cooling Racks (Click here for more information)
Corn Starch (粟粉) (Click here for more information)
Edible Gold Stars (Click here for more information)
Baking Sheets (Click here for more information)
Silpat (Click here for more information)

How to Make All Natural Blue Food Coloring Tutorial:
https://goo.gl/8nT8Sm

How to Make All Natural Red Food Coloring Tutorial:
https://goo.gl/zTcc2h

Disclosure: uTry.it is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Tea Flavor Cookies - 4 Ways (Original, Matcha Green Tea, Earl Grey, and Rose)

My Little Girl and I love tea parties.  We often host our own “party” at home for afternoon tea.  From savory sandwiches, petit fours, French Macaron, hot chocolate, to classic English tea, you name it and we’ve tried them all!  One of our favorites got to be these Tea Flavor Cookies!  Not only they are quite easy to prepare, they are also very delicious!  The bonus is that they are super adorable, don’t you agree? 



Today, I’m going to show you how to make them, not just 1, but all 4 flavors.  I’ll show you how to turn 1 basic cookie dough into 4 different flavors: the Original flavor, Matcha Japanese Green  Tea, Earl Grey, and Rose.  If you have some other tea that you enjoy more other than those that I listed,  by all means, substitute with the tea or tea bags of your choice.



If you haven’t check out my video tutorial yet, go ahead and watch it.  I’ll show you step-by-step on how to turn your cookies into these cute little tea bags shapes.  Best of all, there’s no special cookie cutters required!   But of course, you can use your favorite cookie cutters to stamp out the dough as well.   







These Tea Flavor Cookies are crispy, buttery, and elevated with a hint of tea flavor.  I kept the tea flavor to the mild side because that’s how My Girl likes them.  If you prefer a stronger tea flavor, check out my recipe notes below and I’ll show you how to do that as well.






Out of the 4 flavors, I have to say, my favorite one is the Rose Tea flavor cookie!  The floral tone is simply beautiful and elegant in these tea cookies!  You’ve got to give these a try to see for yourself.  So, what is your favorite tea to enjoy?  Have you tried other treats that are also in tea flavors?  I can’t wait to hear from you!  Stay tuned for another yummy recipe next week!   



Ingredients and Tools used:

Rose Tea Buds (Click here for more information)
Rose Extract (Click here for more information)
Matcha Powder (Clickhere for more information)
Cookie Stamp Set (Click here for more information)
Stand Mixer (Click here for more information)
Kerrygold Salted Butter (Click here for more information)
Cooling Racks (Click here for more information)
Organic Vanilla Extract (Click here for more information)
Measuring Spoons Set (Click here for more information)
Powdered Sugar (Click here for more information)
Rolling Mat (Click here for more information)
Pizza Wheel (Click here for more information)
Rolling Pin (Click here for more information)
Silpat (Click here for more information)
Heat Proof Measuring Cups (Click here for more information)







Disclosure: uTry.it is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Strawberry Matcha Daifuku Mochi 草莓抹茶大福

This Sunday is Mother’s Day!  How do you celebrate?  I know I’ll be spending time with my family, and I'll likely make some homemade cake and treats as well!  And if you haven’t figured out what to make yet, maybe try this Strawberry Matcha Daifuku Mochi 草莓抹茶大福 recipe!  After all, we are in the strawberry season right now.



Daifuku Mochi or Daifuku, is a Japanese confection (Wagashi 和菓子) consists of a small round mochi (glutinous rice cake) stuffed with sweet filling.  The sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans is usually a common filling to use.  I’ve shared a homemade recipe of the red bean paste in the past and I’ll list it at the end of the post .  Otherwise, it’s widely available in most Asian supermarkets.   Since it’s the peak season for strawberries now, I can’t help but to incorporate the sweet and juicy strawberries as part of my Daifuku fillings.



In my version of Daifuku, I covered the refreshing strawberry with a layer of sweetened white bean paste, which has a milder flavor compared to the red bean paste.  It’s all encased in a thin layer of earthy match mochi skin for a contrast of colors and flavors.



As you might have noticed, I also topped the Daifuku with edible gold star sprinkles for a whimsical touch.  I’ll link the ingredients used at the end of the post for your reference.  Are these Strawberry Matcha Daifuku gorgeous?  They tasted just as delicious as they look!  I hope you enjoyed today’s blog post and recipe.  I want to wish you a wonderful celebration this weekend and Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there!