We have had some FANTASTIC weather around here for the first part of December – 70 degree temperature-sunshiny-beautiful weather, and I love it.  The girls are still playing outside, we were able to decorate the outside of our house for Christmas without getting frostbite, and I’ve yet to really break out my winter coat.  In December.  Unreal.

However, when I was photographing these adorable little cupcakes this evening, I found myself looking out the window at the beautiful day and hoping that we actually get a little bit of snow this year.  Last year was a big ol’ bust for sledding and snowballs – I think it snowed once and it lasted about three minutes before it all melted.

I am certainly not a cold-weather kind of girl, I like my heat and humidity, but there’s something so cozy and peaceful about a good snowfall.  When it snows I love to open up all of the shades and curtains on my windows and just watch it all come down – while, of course, cooking, baking and sipping hot coffee.

{Feel free to remind me in a few weeks when I’m whining about the frigid temperatures that I was being all winter-nostalgic today.}

So, enough about the weather, here’s the thing about these cupcakes.  They’re kind of amazeballs.  But snowballs.  Well, not really snowballs, but they’re supposed to look like snowballs, and they taste amazeballs.

Anyone know what an amazeball is?  I’m not really sure, but I’ve been saying it for a few years because it makes me feel hip.  Except that I’m pretty sure that it’s one of those “that’s so fetch” types of sayings – you know, “Gretchen, stop trying to make fetch happen – it’s NEVER going to happen.”  {Name that movie.}

I also like to say totes.  But I’m totes not cool enough to pull that one off.

See?

Wow.

Back to snowball cupcakes.

 These are a fantastically delicate almond cupcake  – actually adapted from Martha Stewart’s white cupcake recipe, one of my favorites.  They have a very tender crumb and a subtle but just-right almond flavor.  They’re topped with a light and fluffy almond buttercream, and garnished with an Almond Snowball Cookie {recipe is here} and a dusting of powdered sugar.

Dusting?  Ok, maybe a smidge more than a dusting.

And PS?  Lots of powdered sugar is probably what makes them amazeballs.

I know, I know.  I’m just exuding hip-ness.  I can’t help it.

 Hope you enjoy these.

I’m going to go watch Mean Girls.  Totes.

And I apologize for this post.  Trying to be hip is hard. 

Snowball Cupcakes

 

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Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

18 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Delicate almond cupcakes topped with whipped almond buttercream and garnished with Almond Snowball Cookie and lots of powdered sugar.

Serves: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

White Almond Cupcakes

• 3 and ½ cups cake flour
• 1 and ½ tablespoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 and ¾ sticks (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 and ¾ cups sugar
• 5 large egg whites at room temperature

Almond Buttercream

• 1 cup unsalted butter at cool room temperature
• 1 pound confectioners sugar
• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

Garnish

• 24 Almond Snowball Cookies
• ½ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

For cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Prepare two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Stir almond extract into milk.
4. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream butter until smooth.
5. Slowly and gradually add sugar, and beat again until pale and fluffy.
6. Reduce speed to low, and add flour and milk alternately, beating until just combined after each addition. First add ⅓ of the flour, then ½ of the milk, then half of the remaining flour, then the rest of the milk and then the rest of the flour.
7. In another medium sized bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold ⅓ of the egg whites into the batter, then fold the remaining whites into the batter in two batches, taking care not to deflate the whites.
8. Fill each cupcake tin ⅔ full. Firmly tap filled tins on countertop to release any air bubbles.
9. Bake 18 to 20 minutes.
10. Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth and fluffy.
2. Add powdered sugar, cream and almond, and beat slowly to combine.
3. After combined, beat on medium-high speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
4. If necessary, add additional cream or powdered sugar to desired frosting consistency.

Assembly:

1. Frost cupcakes as desired. Place an Almond Snowball Cookie on top of each cupcake, pressing down slightly to adhere.
2. Sprinkle each cupcake liberally with powdered sugar.

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Cupcake recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes.  Almond Buttercream and concept is a LS original.

I am entering this recipe in the Creative Holiday Recipe Contest hosted by Confessions of a Cookbook Queen and Cookies and Cups!