Cupcakes add sweetness to Easter

Janet Tharpe
Janet’s Notebook
This Easter, why not spring into family gatherings with a smorgasbord of deliciously decadent cupcakes? So much goes in to making a memorable Easter feast – the yummy ham, creamy deviled eggs, all the savory sides – but at the end of the day, it’s always been the cheerful sweets that have caught my eye the most.  
This year, I’m really looking forward to providing a spread of those great Easter staples, along with a plethora of colorful, tasty and utterly decadent cupcakes from members on www.justapinch.com. It may sound daunting, but really cupcakes are the perfect sweet treat for serving up comfort without a ton of muss and fuss. Not only are they cute as a button, but they also come with their own portion-perfect wrappers!  (Gotta love a dessert that comes with accessories.) There is a flavor for every taste and every meal of the day.
Milwaukee’s Jill Drury gets our fanciful sweet feast off to a great start with her intriguingly named BMC2 Cupcakes. The abbreviated recipe name – short for bacon, maple, cream-cheese-frosted, apple cinnamon French toast cupcake – is every bit the a.m. darling the name implies. 
“I am the girl who hides in the kitchen corner eating cake for breakfast,” says Jill, whose cupcakes are as adorable as they are decadent.  “Never a huge lover of traditional eggs and bacon for breakfast, I was inspired to create this cupcake one year for Easter brunch. All your favorite breakfast ingredients in cupcake form! Who could go wrong with bacon, eggs, maple syrup, cinnamon and apples?”
I’ve been known to eat cake for breakfast myself.  Somehow, though, Jill has managed to elevate it to an acceptable art form with these delicious morning treats.  
“My cupcake quickly became a huge hit within my family,” Jill said. “One bite and you’re filled and ready to go. Soon, I was making them every Sunday. I have slowly turned my family into cake eaters for breakfast. I no longer stand in the corner alone!”  
Jill, on behalf of a.m. cake lovers everywhere, we salute you!
Another crafty cupcake concoction comes from Sheila Devor.  Her Pancake Cupcakes have been described as “pure pleasure.” If you ask us, that’s a pretty unbeatable endorsement, especially for a recipe that starts with a familiar morning staple.  
“Who would have thought you could make a cupcake from pancake batter, right?” Sheila jokes.
In fact, her recipe only gets better with the addition of her own apple buttercream icing.  This is another of those occasions where bacon really does make it better.  
“The sweetness of the frosting and that touch of bacon gives this cupcake the perfect trifecta,” Sheila says.  
Frankly, we couldn’t agree more.
At lunchtime, we love showing off our cupcake swagger with Megan Conner’s classy Boston Cream Cupcakes. Cream-filled and covered in ganache, these mini sponge cakes are jam-packed with all the gooey goodness you’d want for a special Easter luncheon or sweets table.  Made completely from scratch, you can practically taste the TLC that goes into the preparation.  
“These are a wonderful guilty pleasure,” Megan says. And one well worth a little extra effort.
Anyone up for a cupcake nightcap?  Andrea Runnells has just the ticket with White Russian Cupcakes.  
“‘I had people asking me to invent cupcakes of their favorite cocktails,” Andrea explains.  “Here is my cupcake spin on the White Russian. Unlike my margarita cupcakes, all the alcohol gets baked out of these, so feel free to have one for breakfast!”  
Cupcakes are a real legacy food that seem to magically capture the imagination and attention of kids of all ages.
With each bite of these crafty new recipes, I’m still transported back to those creamy, comforting cakes from my grandmother. What a wonderful Easter gift that is.
Classic recipes and creative cooks are a combination for the ages and for a truly memorable family experience.
All of these cupcake recipes are available at www.justapinch.com.
© 2011 Just A Pinch Recipe Club. Used with permission.