Lizzy's Cookie Monster Cupcakes

I promised my 11-year-old niece, Lizzy, these Cookie Monster Cupcakes months ago, ever since she used a Cookie Monster cupcake as a profile pic for her Facebook.

That version of the cupcake used a muffin, blue-coloured grated coconut, and a particular type of sweet for its eyes which isn't available in Singapore.

Therefore, I had to improvise.

I debated with whether to go ahead with muffins or a cupcake, but since it was her birthday, I decided to go with a cupcake base.

I used my chocolate cupcake recipe and a light buttercream frosting I found online.

Light Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

5 tbsp Flour

1 cup Milk

1 cup Unsalted Butter (227gm)

1 cup Fine Sugar (NOT icing sugar)

1-2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Method:

1. Whisk together in a saucepan the flour and milk to make a roux. Cook over medium heat for a minute or two until the mixture thickens. Be careful not to let the mixture stiffen. (Mine did - and it created lumps in the frosting later, which made it very difficult to pipe as the starchy bits got stuck in the holes. I had to run the entire frosting through a sieve before I was able to make use of the frosting.)
2. Run the roux mix through a sieve to get rid of lumps.
3. Beat the butter and sugar until the butter lightens in colour. Beat in the cooled roux about 2 tablespoon at a time, until the buttercream is well mixed.
4. Add the vanilla extract.

Cookie Monster Cupcakes

Assemble:

Mentos sweets (enough for 2 eyes for each cupcake)

Chocolate chips (one for each Mentos)

Chocolate chip cookies, one for each cupcake

Non-coloured buttercream frosting

Blue-coloured buttercream frosting

Grass piping tip

Method:

1. Begin by baking the cupcakes. Allow it to cool before preparing for frosting, otherwise the heat in the cupcake will melt the buttercream frosting.
2. Whilst waiting for the cupcakes to bake/cool, make the Cookie Monster eyes. Attach a chocolate chip with a bit of non-coloured frosting onto the Mentos, making sure to put it off-centred.



3. Once the cupcakes are cooled, make a cut into the cupcake, remove a cavity large enough to hold a chocolate chip cookie comfortably.



4. Make blue buttercream frosting by adding enough blue colouring to the buttercream frosting. Spread some frosting into the cavity for the cookie, so that it can hold the cookie well.



5. I bought the grass piping tip from Phoon Huat (Wilton #234), to pipe the fur. Make sure to pipe under the cookie as well.




6. Put the eyes close together. For really cute Cookie Monsters, try not to place the pupils of the eyes too evenly. Cookie Monster goes a little crazy when he has a yummy cookie in his mouth. ;P

I'm happy to report that Lizzy was happy with her little Cookie Monsters. They were a hit with everyone. =)