Nesting Baby Bluebird Cupcakes Food

NESTING BABY-BLUEBIRD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until light brown, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating pan once. Set aside to cool.
• Lightly frost cupcakes with 1 cup chocolate buttercream; set aside. Tint 2 tablespoons reserved buttercream pale yellow; place in a pastry bag fitted with a #349 Ateco leaf tip; set aside. Tint remaining buttercream light blue; place in a pastry bag fitted with a #11 Ateco plain round tip, and pipe three bluebird heads, 3/4 inch in diameter, onto each cupcake. Using leaf tip, pipe yellow beaks. With a toothpick, add melted-chocolate eyes. Form each nest with 2 tablespoons toasted coconut.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FOR BABY BLUEBIRD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Combine sugar and egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Place over a pot of simmering water; whisk until hot and sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Transfer bowl to mixer stand, and beat on high speed until cooled, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Replace whisk with paddle attachment, and set mixer on medium-high speed; add butter, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, until incorporated. Beat in chocolate. If not using immediately, refrigerate buttercream in an airtight container for up to a week. Bring to room temperature, and rebeat or stir vigorously before using.

BABY BLUEBIRD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Toast the shredded coconut in a medium skillet over medium/high heat, transfer to a shallow dish, and let cool completely.
• Level the cupcakes if necessary with a small paring knife.
• Lightly frost each cupcake with a thin layer of chocolate frosting, if desired. Some of my cupcakes had some of the 'tres leches' still on top so I just covered that in toasted coconut and advanced to step 4.
• Using a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip, pipe a ring or two of chocolate frosting around the top edge of each cupcake to form the border of the nest.
• Sprinkle a large amount of toasted coconut over each cupcake, gently pressing it into the chocolate frosting. Shake off the excess.
• Color some of the white frosting light blue. Using a pastry bag fitted with a wide round tip, pipe three mounds of frosting into the center of each nest to make the birds' bodies. If there is a little peak on the top of the mounds, wait a few minutes until the icing begins to set and then gently smooth it down with a toothpick or finger.
• Color the remaining white frosting yellow, and fill a pastry bag fitted with a small "V" tip. Pipe a beak onto each bird.
• Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, in 20 - 30 second intervals until completely melted. Dip a toothpick into the chocolate and then dot eyes onto each bird.

NESTING BABY-BLUEBIRD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until light brown, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating pan once. Set aside to cool.
• Lightly frost cupcakes with 1 cup Chocolate Buttercream; set aside. Tint 2 tablespoons reserved buttercream pale yellow; place in a pastry bag fitted with a #349 Ateco leaf tip; set aside. Tint remaining buttercream light blue; place in a pastry bag fitted with a #11 Ateco plain round tip, and pipe three bluebird heads, 3/4 inch in diameter, onto each cupcake. Using leaf tip, pipe yellow beaks. With a toothpick, add melted-chocolate eyes. Form each nest with 2 tablespoons toasted coconut.

NESTING BABY BLUEBIRD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Reserve 1 teaspoon melted chocolate for decorating. Fold remaining chocolate into 2 cups buttercream with a flexible spatula. Using an offset spatula, spread chocolate buttercream in a smooth layer over each cupcake.
• Tint 1/2 cup remaining buttercream bright yellow with gel-paste food color. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small V-leaf tip (#349). Tint remaining buttercream blue. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip (#11).
• Pipe three small blue mounds (about 3/4 inch in diameter) for bluebird heads onto each cupcake. Pipe tiny yellow beaks on each head. With a toothpick, paint on melted-chocolate eyes. Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow frosting to set. Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 1 day in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before proceeding.
• To finish, form each nest with 2 tablespoons toasted coconut, patting it into frosting around edge of cupcake with your fingertips.