I was asked to review New York Baking company’s silicone baking buddies. New york’s Baking Company was kind enough to send their very bright silicone cups in exchange for my honest opinion of the baking buddies. I have baked 3 batches of cupcakes using the silicone cups, I found the cups released with ease and handled the heat of my oven, however if you are planning to give/and or sell your cupcakes you need to use cupcake liners. The baking buddies are guaranteed for life;  unless you want give away the silicone cups. The cups would be  great for chocolate caramel cups, jello shots, and almost anything you could think of. A wonderful bonus is the easy clean-up, even the caramel cups!

Although cherry blossoms are not in bloom yet I couldn’t resist using my new baking buddies for cherry blossom cupcakes with flowerpaste cherry blossoms and fondant fortune cookies for good luck. In March, the cherry blossoms bloom along the Tidal Basin in D.C.  The beauty and the intoxicating aromatic splendor has made the tidal basin a favorite between residence and tourists alike. Sydney has never missed the blooms of the wonderful cherry blossoms that line against the water.

Fondant Fortune Cookies:

Equipment:

• Circle cutter
• 24 gauge white wire
• A-ceto knife
• wire cutters
• Straight ruler

Materials:

• Sugar water, edible glue
• Edible marker
• Fondant, color of choice
• Fairy Pink lustre

Find supplies and cherry blossom extract.

Prepare your mise en place.

We find it works best to create the embellishments prior to baking the cupcakes or cake.

Knead your fondant, add your color of choice and knead until amalgamated, roll the fondant thin enough to fit in the pasta machine (if you do not a pasta machine roll the fondant by hand until the fondant is 1.59mm or 1/16-inch). Cut  24 circles, 12 at a time. Once your circles are ready cut a piece of 24 gauge wire the diameter of the circle, thread the wire through the centre of circle, with wire facing you fold the top half to the middle, glue the flap down loosely , and repeat the same process on the other flap.

 

Turn the rectangle (that was once the circle) over so the flaps are facing the mat, lift the rectangle in one hand, place your thumb in centre, push gently as you bring the two wire sided toward the middle, and carefully cut the excess wire.

We choose to use petal lustre to add a pop, but this optional. Allow the fortune cookie to dry before inserting the message.

Personal Message:

Equipment:

• 90º Triangle ruler
• Straight ruler
• A-ceto knife
• Tweezers

Materials:

• Gumpaste, marbled or white
• Sugar-water
• Edible marker

For the personalized message inside the fondant fortune cookie:

Knead white gumpaste, we choose to color some, marbleize some, and some are pink. Roll the gumpaste, either place it in a pasta machine or roll fairly thin to mimic a piece of paper. Cut a long skinny rectangle, using an edible pen or edible marker write a special message, gingerly place the gumpaste message inside the fondant fortune cookie. You will want the end of the message to be inside, and the words to facing you reading left to right. (Okay stop laughing it is an easy mistake to make!)

Place movement, bend in fortune cookie  the paste and allow to dry.

 

Flower Paste Cherry  Blossoms:

Equipment:

• Cherry blossom cutter, OP
• Cherry Blossom veiner, CR
• Celcup
• Wire cutters
• Stamens
• Tweezers
• Triangle spatula

Material:

• Gumpaste white
• Petal dust
• Petal lustre
• Sugar-Water
• Cornstarch
• Crisco
• Vivia paper towel

Prepare your mise en place.

Knead white gumpaste, Roll gumpaste to 3mm/ 1/8-thick; either place the gumpaste in a pasta machine or until to roll by hand until the gumpaste is see through and thin. Sprinkle your mat with a little cornstarch(it is important the gumpaste is mobile) using you OP cherry blossom cutter cut out various sizes of cherry blossoms, lift the blossom with a triangle spatula, place in the double sided veiner, close, and vein. If you cannot find or do not have a cherry blossom veiner use a textured celstick or cocktail stick and without frilling ad textured lines. Pinch the petals, place the blossom in celcup or use an egg crate with viva paper towel to add movement, and place a small whole in the centre. Allow to dry and petal dust.

Using a tooth pick to dab a tiny amount of sugar-water to the centre of the blossom and using your tweezers add one stamen at a time.

 

Cherry blossom fortune cupcakes are not just adorable they taste amazing.

Enjoy!