Make this Fourth of July shine with these fun and festive star cookies. Start by using our “No Fail Sugar Cookies” (see recipes section). Bake and cool cookies as directed. Now for the shimmer! Using varying shades of gold luster and sparkle dust (found at fancyflours.com) you can get this shimmery look with ease! Just mix luster or sparkle dust in a small ramekin with a few drops of a clear alcohol-based extract or use a clear spirit. This will create a “paint” for your cookies. Using a paint brush or pastry brush, paint each cookie with luster dust. Use varying shades to achieve this look. Also try using red or blue luster dust for a truly patriotic theme. If you want to frost your cookies before using luster dust, simply ice with a royal icing, or any other icing that will dry fairly hard and smooth. Wait until icing is completely set, and paint over with desired colors of luster and sparkle dust. Your cookie will be almost to good to eat…almost!

*Tip, to get varying star cookie shapes, please check out: http://www.fancyflours.com/cookie-cutter-set-stars.html for a great star cookie cutter set.

Create these darling Beach Cupcakes in minutes with a couple simple tips!

Using brown sugar, create a beach sand scene atop each cupcake. Just sprinkle and pat in brown sugar to ensure it sticks into frosting.

Use Sugar Fun in the Sun Assortment (http://www.fancyflours.com/sugar-fun-in-the-sun.html) to top each cupcake with a fun sugar decoration that is sure to please!

Treat your dad with some delicious sports ball cupcakes for Father’s Day! Pick his favorite sport or use several as shown in the photo. Use any cupcake recipe, then decorate accordingly: Orange frosting for basketballs, white frosting for golf balls, soccer balls, and baseballs. Yellow for tennis balls. Give you cupcake a little shine, with Fancy Flours shimmering sparkling and sanding sugars, available at www.fancyflours.com. Add the finishing touch with royal icing lines and stripes to create the look of a sports ball! Use your imagination here. Try using red licorice ropes for baseball lines and brown m&m’s for soccer balls. Go a step further and slip your cupcakes into a sports themed cupcake liner before or after baking (@ fancyflours.com).

These cupcake cones are sure to be a hit! Use them for any occasion…birthdays, showers, childrens’ school treats and more!

To make Cupcake Cones you will need:

Plain Ice cream Cones (about 24)

Your favorite Cupcake Recipe

Frosting to cover 12- 24 cupcakes

Quins or Sprinkles

Mix cupcakes as directed on recipe. Pre heat oven as directed.

Use cupcake pan to sturdy icecream cones, and place one cone into each spot on the pan.

Pour batter in to cone until about 3/4 full.

Bake as directed. 

If cones begin to get browned on the edges you may carefully place aluminum foil around the edges to prevent any burning.

Let cool. Frost as desired and decorate with any assortment of quins, sugars or sprinkles, available at www.fancyflours.com

Perfect for a Memorial Day or 4th of July get together, this cupcake tower is sure to WOW any crowd.

You will need 1 large styrofoam cone (at a local craft store) and around 24 3-6″ wooden dowels, plus toothpicks for the fruit.

Fresh fruit (red and blue berries, preferred)

Cupcakes can be baked and frosted as usual, however a more dense cupcake will work better for attaching to the tower. Try using a pound cake, chocolate cake or carrot cake for best results.

Affix cupcakes to tower by first sticking the wooden dowels firmly into the styrofoam tower. Place them evenly apart, making sure to be able to affix fruit in between each cupcake. Attach cupcakes to wooden dowels by pushing cupcake onto dowel (you may need to cut a small hole in the bottom of the cupcake wrapper (or don’t use any wrappers to avoid this step). 

Now affix each strawberry, blueberry or other piece of fruit to a toothpick and push toothpick into styrofoam, in between each cupcakes. You can make fruit kabobs as well and place a few pieces of fruit onto each toothpick.Make sure to completely fill up styrofoam tower so there is no syrofoam showing.

Summer is here! Why not spruce up an ordinary round cake and turn it into a darling basket of flowers! This cake can be made with a standard two layer 8-9″ cake pan recipe. 

After baking and cooling your cakes, apply a layer of frosting on the bottom layer. Place top layer on top of frosting layer. To get the look of a basket handle, use a serrated knife to cut a triangular shaped piece out of each side of the second layer (as seen in the photo). Discard or (eat!) the cut-out pieces. 
Apply additional frosting to the entire cake. Make sure all sides are covered.

Next, using additional icing attach an assortment of sugar and royal icing flower decorations to “fill up the basket”. Find several edible sugar and icing flowers at www.fancyflours.com.  For the green “grass”, mix coconut in a bowl with a small amount of green food coloring. Apply to cake to fill up basket.

For the final touch use a fork to create the basket weave on your frosting. Run the fork horizontally in a 1-2″ section. Then move down and run it vertical in a 1-2″ section. Continue this pattern until the entire cake has the basket weave.

Display on cake plate and enjoy!

The fabulous new book Hello! Cupcake, by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, is available at www.fancyflours.com. This cookbook is stuffed full with fantastic photos of cupcake creations and wonderful recipes and ideas. A must-have for all those cupcake die-hards out there; it is sure to get your imagination stirring and stomach grumbling! To view/purchase this item at the Fancy Flours online store, please click here. Happy Cupcaking!

Just in at Fancyflours.com: Cake Stand Wrappers!! These gorgeous wrappers can be used to add pizazz to any cake plate, cupcake stand or tray in merely minutes! Simply connect the wrapper pieces, affix to cake plate and watch other “ooh” and “ahh” over your fabulous display! These wrappers come in several designs and colors perfect for many party occasions including Weddings, Valentine’s Day and Spring! To view our complete line of Cake Stand Wrappers please visit www.fancyflours.com. Don’t forget to check out some of the coordinating Cupcake Wrappers to match your Cake Stand Wrappers at: http://www.fancyflours.com/site/paper-goods.html.

These beautiful butterfly eggs are as simple as can be. They would be perfect on a tray for your easter get together, or use them on your table at each plate and pipe on a name for a place card setting. You will need the Butterfly Assortment Wafer Paper set at fancyflours.com, as well as an egg shaped cookie cutter and royal icing mix.

1. Simply cut out and bake cookies as usual.
2. Let cool and then ice with royal icing.
3. Cut out wafer paper shapes using small craft scissors.
4. Apply thin layer of corn syrup to back of wafer paper design and affix to the top of each cookie.
5. Flip cookie upside down on waxed paper for about 30 minutes (this will ensure the transfer dries flat).
6. Flip cookie over and add any additional piping as you wish.

Be the first to know about these exquisite cake stand wrappers! Not only does fancyflours.com currently carry a wide assortment of cupcake wrappers (shown above in white filigree), but coming soon to our online store are Cake Stand Wrappers! Available in approximately two weeks, these gorgeous wrappers will make any old cake stand, a unique beauty! Cake stand wrappers will be available in the design shown above as well as other fun & festive styles. Check our online store @ fancyflours.com for availability.