Hello Cupcake

Cupcake mania has swept in and taken a stronghold on Americans lately. Every city has sprouted at least a few specialty shops with an array of cupcakes that are varied in size, shape and flavor. They can be as mundane as a vanilla cupcake or as outrageous as a gin and tonic cupcake. They also vary in size; some are exquisitely frosted and bite-sized while others may be fairly large with a mountain of icing that is likely to send blood sugar levels shooting straight up.

In February ( My son Neil's 9th birthday) I baked 2 dozen cupcakes for his class. I asked him to pick a flavor for the cake and a type of frosting. Being an out and out chocoholic he picked a chocolate cupcake off course. He seemed to have his heart set on a marshmallow frosting for the chocolate cupcakes so the decision was easy. Needless to say marshmallow frosting is extremely sticky and I was getting a fair bit of it on my face, hands and all over the counter tops. The cupcakes looked lovely and the frosting was sensational. I have a pet peeve about overly sweet confectionery and so was pleasantly surprised that marshmallow frosting has just the right amount of sweetness. The tricky part was - cleaning up. I made sure to include a few extras for his teacher to soften the blow- I could see her trying to clean up the classroom after this treat ! Nevertheless Neil came home happily to report that all his friends ( and his teachers)loved the cupcakes and licked their fingers clean.

Cupcakes are versatile,portable and they suit almost any occasion. No party or celebration is complete without them and these days it is not uncommon to bring them back home as a party favor. I feel compelled to post a picture of these adorable cupcakes made by Shabnam, sporting fondant pacifiers, foot prints and cuddly babies, perfect for my friend Abon's baby shower. Similarly there are themes to match every conceivable event or celebration and there are entire websites dedicated to keeping it fun and creative.

Recipe for Marshmallow Frosting:

To cover 12 cupcakes

2 egg whites

6 Tablespoons water

1 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup marshmallows( mini)

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

pinch salt

Set a large bowl over a saucepan of boiling water( the bowl should not touch the water). Whisk together in that bowl everything but the vanilla and the marshmallows. Whisk till the mixture is at 160°F and the sugar is melted. Beat the mixture with a hand held mixer till it forms soft peaks. Add in the marshmallows and vanilla and beat on low till it is smooth. Use immediately.