Cupcake Monday: Somewhere Over the Rainbow.....

No, this has nothing to do with Dorothy and her little dog too.  It's about the most delicious cupcakes I have ever made. 

I don't typically celebrate St. Patrick's day but, I have.  From the little bit that I did celebrate in my yester-years - I remember bars and beer.  I'm sure there's more to it than beer, but....that's what I (vaguely) remember (beer - lots of beer).  So, when I found this recipe I knew that it would be a perfect choice for my St. Patrick's Day Cupcake Monday post. 

Can I just say, THEE BEST cupcake that I have ever tasted in my life!  I thought my Mocha Chocolate & Red Velvet cupcakes were the be all to end all....I was SO WRONG.  

Mmmm-mmmm - Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Bailey's Buttercream Frosting

I followed the recipe with a few of my own additions and topped the cupcakes with a green candy wafer as a nod to St. Patrick's Day.  If you make these you could top them with shamrock shaped sprinkles, chocolate mints - I even saw cute Oreos with a green filling that would look purdy in them.   Not to leave the little ones out of all the cupcake fun, we also made 'A Pot of Gold at the End of a Rainbow Cupcakes'

I made these on a whim.  I used butterscotch candies and Rainbow Fruit Rollups to create the look of the rainbow and gold coins.  I piped on some cream frosting to make a cloud and iced the cupcake with yellow vanilla frosting.  If I had more time, I would have made actual pots out of dark chocolate and molded them inside of muffin tins.  I've even seen mini cauldrons during Halloween that could hold cupcakes in them.....(hmmm, note to self: keep an eye out for mini cauldrons to use for pots of gold SPD 2011).

Eh, It's not a perfect representaion of a pot of gold, but I think ya get the point ;)  Either way, The Little Diva and her baby brother enjoyed them and mom and dad paid for the sugar rush that ended around midnight.

For more cupcake fun, check out these adorable 'Cupcake Critters' from Avery.  You can download the templates and use the print outs a variety of different ways to create the type of look you want.  Looks like a great activity for an Easter party or Spring themed baby shower.

Check back tomorrow for budget friendly tips for throwing a kid's party  and Don't forget to enter to win a copy of Disney's Princess and the Frog DVD!