Hydrangea Cupcakes To Brighten Your Day - 9/11 Remembrance

Beverly at How Sweet The Sound hosts

Pink Saturday.

This Saturday will be September 11th

and Beverly suggested remembering 9/11

for our Pink Saturday posts.  She said she would

be featuring roses to remember by.  That got

me thinking.  I wanted to do flowers too, but

something edible.

I had seen these flower cupcakes on the cover of

the August 9th Woman's World magazine.

I set that one aside, knowing I wanted to try

them.

They turned out spectacularly.

They tasted even better.

We served them to the family over Labor Day weekend.

From this angle they really do look like a bouquet of flowers.

I remember when I heard about the Twin Towers.  We were

out on our houseboat at Lake Powell.  Our friends drove their

boat up to tell us.  We thought they were pulling our leg.  It

sounded too much like a movie.  We were able to watch

the video the next day.  It was surreal.

My heart broke for those who lost their loved ones.  I had

the chance to go and visit ground zero a couple of years

after.  It was very moving to see all of the flowers and

notes from loved ones. 

I remember once praying and my prayers went something

like this, "Why couldn't this have been prevented?  Why

couldn't you have minimized this?"  I heard in my mind

as clear as a voice, "I did.  Remember all the miracles of

people who didn't go to work that day, of people who

were late."  I quickly repented of that prayer and saw

the Lord's hand in the miracles of lives saved that

day not just lives lost, even though so many

tragically lost their lives and people lost their loved ones.

  I hope we always remember

so that we can strive to make this world a better

and safer place more filled with love than hate.

I am glad Beverly asked us to remember this

September 11th.

To make your own bouquet of flowers to give to someone

you love, make your favorite cupcake and your favorite

icing.

Use a drop flower tip.  A drop flower tip has a little

bar welded into the center of the flower.

This one is Wilton's #140.  Begin

at the outside and pipe in concentric circles, having the

petals touch.  Continue until you have filled the cupcake.

Then add one more in the middle for some height.

Attach leaves if desired.  I used peppermint leaves from my

garden.  They used gumdrops rolled out and cut into

flower shapes then cut in half.

White Chocolate Almond Frosting

3/4 C. butter, soft

4 C. powdered sugar

1 tsp. almond flavor

1 T. Torani's White Chocolate Flavoring

(found near the coffee section)

1-2 T. water, or enough to make the

frosting soft and fluffy.

Beat the ingredients together, adding just enough water

to make it fluffy.  Use a little frosting on your finger and

push it through your tip.  It should go through easily but

then keep its shape.  Add water only 1 T. at a time.

The Torani's Flavoring made this frosting not only

delicious but really glossy. 

Use gel coloring in pink, purple and blue to make

authentic colors.  I also put some white in the pastry

bag along one side and then filled with pink to get

the pink and white hydrangeas. 

I will of course be posting this on

Pink Saturday. 

I will also be posting this with Michael Lee West

on Designs by Gollum's

Foodie Fridays.

Thank you to both of these wonderful hostesses. 

Take some time to visit their blogs and see the

wonderful posts there.  It is really a lot of fun!