Yanke-Doodles: Blue Hi-Hat Cupcakes

Hi-Hat Cupcakes seem to be a hit whenever I make them. Their unique little hard hat chocolate casing and sweet, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth meringue filling is a deadly combination for a great tasting cupcake. I made these blue hi-hats for a work double-bday celebration back in April (yes, I know I’m a little behind on this post), and to say the least these were the first of two cupcakes to go! Now you’ve waited long enough for this recipe, so let’s just get to it…

For the cupcakes, I once again resorted to my “quickie cupcake” recipe because I was a bit time pressured to get these done. After baking the cupcakes, lay them out on a cookie sheet to prep them for icing – make sure they are 110% cooled off before icing – this is VERY important. Now the real trick for these cupcakes is the cooked meringue icing which is then dipped in chocolate, so let’s dive into the meringue icing:

• 3 large egg whites
• 1 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (to make the icing a lovely white color)
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Now this is where the steps become very important:

• Place the three egg whites in a heat resistant bowl and whip using a blender on high speed for one minute until the eggs become frothy.
• Set the bowl over a pot filled with simmering water (keep on stove stop with simmering heat). Continue to whip the egg whites and slowly add in the sugar, water and cream of tartar. Whip until the mixture becomes glossy and forms soft peaks – this takes approx. 12 minutes.
• Remove from heat, add in the vanilla and continue to whip for two more minutes.
• Now the icing should be ready for piping onto the cupcakes. Now as a warning, this is a VERY STICKY process, but it is easy to wash off.
• For the piping bag, I used a Wilton Round Decorating Tip (bigger the better). Once you’ve iced all the cupcakes, place into the freezer for approx. 15 minutes.

While the icing is chilling, you can get the chocolate coating ready. Take 2 cups of blue melting chocolate chips (I got mine from the Bulk Barn, but they can be found at Michael’s as well) and stir in 3 tbsp of vegetable or canola oil. To melt the chocolate, you can use a double broiler or melt in the microwave (approx. 1 min) and stir until the chocolate is smooth. Pour the chocolate into a glass or bowl that will allow your cupcakes to be dipped in upside down. The chocolate should have about 15 minutes to cool down to allow it to be an appropriate heat for the cupcakes to be dipped in.

Once the chocolate is out, you can start dipping the cupcakes into the chocolate. After dipping them, place them immediately inside the fridge. Let the chocolate set for at least 30 minutes. Serve cold. They can stay fresh inside the fridge for up to 3 days!