Leprechaun Hat Cupcakes for Saint Patrick’s Day

We just got another monumental dump of snow, like a foot of it.  How can that be?  It’s MARCH?!  I’ve been trying to think up of fun spring things to make and it’s so hard when I don’t remember what grass looks like.  I think we need to move.  Somewhere southern.  I need a Leprechaun to grant me my wish to move.

Leprechauns, according to Irish folklore, are a fairy type creature in the form of an old man, usually up to mischievous acts.  According to Wikipedia, “Leprechauns spend all their time busily making shoes, and store away all their coins in a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. If ever captured by a human, the Leprechaun has the magical power to grant three wishes in exchange for their release.”  Listen Leprechaun, I need sun.  I need heat.  I need real Vitamin D!   Get me that, please! 

I’d like to announce now that I have Irish in my blood, so don’t attack me with a righteous claim that I am being stereotypical, or somehow making fun of Irish traditions.  Because I know I am.  And I can.  I’m one of you. 

Besides, do you really think that I would go chasing after a little green fairy man in order to beg for the snow to disappear? 

Yes, yes, I would.

Leprechaun Hat Cupcakes

Ingredients
prepared cake batter
mini ice cream cones
black, green and yellow melting chocolate/candy
yellow sprinkles
Oreos

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350F. Place 2-3 teaspoons of cake batter into mini cones and arrange cones in an aluminum foil topped cake pan. Cut a small “+” into the foil for the cone to sit. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

While cupcakes are baking, melt yellow chocolate and place into a piping bag. Squeeze a small amount out at a time in a small square shape for the buckle on the hat. While chocolate is still wet, sprinkle yellow sprinkles on top.

Melt green chocolate in a heat proof bowl.  Coat Oreos in green chocolate and set on parchment paper to harden.  Dip the bottom of each cone into the green chocolate and turn cone upside down to harden on parchment paper. 

Melt black chocolate in a heat proof bowl.  When green chocolate on Oreo’s and cones has hardened, dip the naked portion of the cone into the black chocolate, right up to the line made from the green chocolate. Let a little bit drip off, and then place directly on top of Oreo. While black chocolate is still soft, attach the yellow buckle. Allow to harden completely.

Notes:

I got the mini cones at WalMart.  I haven’t had any luck finding them anywhere else, but maybe you will!

For making cake pops etc, I use Merckens wafers, and I get those at Bulk Barn.  You can also use Wilton ones, or any other brand.  I use Merckens because it is available in bulk in my small town. 

If you can’t find black wafers, use brown.  It looks pretty much the same.  I did my practice cupcakes using brown, and they turned out just fine.

To melt the wafers, I use 60 second intervals in my microwave at 50% power.  Stir after each minute, and when they start to liquify, decrease the time to 30 seconds.  You don’t want to burn the chocolate!

When you set out to make these cupcakes, you want to have everything organized ahead of time.  There is a lot of waiting for chocolate to harden in this project and it’s easier if you have things ready in an assembly line.   Bake the cupcakes first, make the buckles for the hat, cover the Oreos next, and when the cupcakes are cool you can start working with them. 

And go away snow.