Fresh Ideas - June 4 - Recipe Ice Cream Cupcakes

Ingredients

• Cupcake liners
• 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup brewed coffee
• 1 container Blue Bunny Caramel Fudge Brownie Sundae, Vanilla or your favorite Blue Bunny flavor
• Decorations (such as sprinkles, cupcake skewers, cherries)

Preparation

1. To make cupcakes, preheat oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Add flour mixture, alternating with coffee. Beat until just incorporated. Fill cupcake liners about 1/3 full to allow for ice cream. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool. Using round ice cream scoop, scoop out rounds of ice cream and set on baking sheet in freezer. Once ice cream scoops are frozen, carefully place one into each cupcake and top with fun decorations.

Serves
Yield 18 to 20 cupcakes

Notes, Tips & Suggestions
Note: Though the recipe calls for brewed coffee, the cupcakes won't take on its strong flavor.

You can turn any summer day into a special occasion with a cool ice cream treat. From classic favorites to innovative new flavors, it only takes a scoop or two to bring out plenty of smiles.

For kids, summertime is about chilling out, and there’s no better way to enjoy this slowed down pace than with a refreshing, frosty treat. Celebrate birthday parties, holiday gatherings or days that end in “y” with special ice cream concoctions that are destined to create sweet memories.

Celebrate summer

Grab a spoon and dig into these scrumptious recipes, featuring delicious Blue Bunny ice cream flavors. These treats make it easy for everyone to customize to their own sweet preference, whether it’s pairing creamy Blue Bunny ice cream with the gooey goodness of freshly-baked chocolate cake, the buttery finish of a flaky pie crust or in a classic, richly adorned parfait.

Layer Up with a Topping Station

The sky’s the limit when it comes to the finishing touches of your favorite ice cream treats. Whether you’re indulging in a decadent parfait or simply dishing out a couple of scoops, it’s easy to get everyone involved in a topping soiree.

A topping station is the perfect activity for birthday parties or other kid-oriented summer celebrations. Just make sure the station is easily accessible — at their level — and place each topping in its own special bowl or serving dish along with a spoon. Also, be sure to label each topping in case anyone has a food allergy, especially when serving nuts and fruits.

The little ones will have a blast mixing different tastes for the perfect sweet combination. Here are some tasty topping ideas to take your ice cream topping bar to a whole new level:

• Colorful sprinkles
• Maraschino cherries
• Icing
• Mini chocolate chips
• Gummy bears
• Chocolate candies
• Strawberry slices
• Pineapple chunks
• Banana chunks
• Chopped pecans, peanuts or almonds
• Crushed cookies
• Crushed mint candies
• Fruit preserves
• Whipped cream
• Hot fudge or caramel

For other great ideas to cool down your summer days and nights, visit www.BlueBunny.com.