Do you ever start thinking about how people write whole giant books and just get totally overwhelmed?
Like seriously. How do so many people do it?
Especially books like Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is just a mom like me. How did she think of all that stuff?
I mean, the story itself isn’t that hard to think of but it’s all the details that blow my darn mind. The owls and the Horcruxes and the Sorting Hat and the Golden Snitch and…Butterbeer??
Crazy. Town.
If you want to know the truth, it sort of makes me feel like a loser. Because really, I struggle to think of what to write about for blog posts and they are real life things.
Plus, I always wanted to be a writer AND I sort of (really bad) want to be a wizard, so….I figure that Harry Potter was actually probably almost MY idea, and she just beat me to it.
That’s what I tell myself when I’m trying to justify a purchase or something, anyways. I say, “Kristan, you almost invented Harry Potter for goodness sake, you totally deserve those shoes”.
It works.
Anyways, my friend Kristen recently got the chance to take her family to Universal Studios where they got to explore the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
And she drank Butterbeer.
And I got jealous and cried.
As if that weren’t enough, she came home from her adventure and decided to make her OWN Butterbeer. And that’s when I decided that Butterbeer cupcakes needed to happen.
Do you concur?
(click here for printable recipe)
INGREDIENTS
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup cream soda
3 eggs
1 stick melted butter
Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 muffin cups with liners.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cake mix, soda, eggs and butter on low speed for about a minute. Increase speed to high and beat for another minute. Fill cups 2/3 full and bake about 15 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched.
Remove to cool on cooling racks.
Frosting:
1 stick butter, softened
3 Tablespoons cream soda
3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons butterscotch ice cream topping
Beat butter and soda until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until just combined. Add butterscotch and beat on high for about 2 minutes. Frost cooled cupcakes.
Brooms:
Pretzel sticks for handles
Laffy Taffy for brush
Flatten Laffy Taffy and divide in thirds. Using scissors, cut fringe in bottom 2/3 of strip. Wrap uncut end around pretzel stick. Done!!
Don’t forget–the last Harry Potter movie comes out July 15th. Which means that I have exactly 40 days to buy a black robe and Harry Potter glasses and beg my son to wear them to the theater.
And by beg, I mean bribe. Shamelessly.
Have a happy Monday!!
**I’m linking these up to Mingle Monday on Add a Pinch and Southern Fairytale’s Mouthwatering Monday. Head over and link up something YOU’VE made too!
So cute! My daughter will want these soon. Maybe I'll have to make some when the movie comes out next month.
Ok, so I have never seen/read anything Harry Potter and have no idea what butterbeer is… but I can tell an adorable cupcake when I see one! :)
Blessings-
Amanda
These are great! I'll have to forward this post to a friend of mine who is nuts for Harry Potter. I'm sure she'll be doing a theme weekend before the movie comes out. :)
You are just so funny, and all your posts crack me up! Haha. These cupcakes look great.
Ah! Adorableness. Could you please move to TN so we can be BFF's already?! I saw the butter beer recipe on Kristen's blog and can't wait to try it out… but eating it in cupcake form sounds even better!
Never read Harry but would gladly eat your cupcakes. Shocking, right?!
Wow, those look fabulous! Nicely done :)
Totally concur! And I agree, thinking about writing makes me feel like a total loser. Sometimes I have the feeling, "I should write a book about that!" Then I realize that I am lazy and that will not happen. So I say, "I should sell someone else that idea!" My husband laughs. Excited to try these cupcakes!
Totally loving these. Let's have butterbeer and cupcakes TOGETHER! Shall we? Yum!
Hey these are GREAT! My daughter isn't into Harry Potter but at times I am SURE she thinks I am a witch so these brooms will go in our house just fine! THANKS!
Really, this has got to stop. I've had butterbeer cupcakes from foodgawker bookmarked for a while now. Your's look amazing and once again your one step ahead! Haha!
Two tidbits for you: There's a bar in my town that created it's own butterbeer concoction! For real!
Did you know that there is an (unofficial) Harry Potter cookbook filled with all of the real food recipes from all of the books? It even tells you were to find the mention in which book. Interesting, no?
They have a candy edition coming out shortly.
Okay, that's enough of the sharing from me…
Your recipe sounds delish!
I would have cried with jealousy too! Butterbeer sounds so yummy! You are so creative and you've done a fabulous job with these cupcakes – as always! Thanks for sharing :)
These are adorable!! I love Harry Potter. I actually just went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter a few weeks ago and had my own Butterbeer experience. Yum!
I must, must try these!
I cannot wait for the last movie. My kindergartener was Harry Potter for Halloween and he wore his costume to see Deathly Hallows 1. Yes, I took my kindergartener. LOL
I freaking love this!!
Anything that has to do with Harry Potter is the most wonderful thing ever created; therefore, these cupcakes = the most wonderful cupcakes ever created.
you are hilarious !! love your writing style….im so excited to see the last part ! your creativity is awesome…its always a pleasure seeing pretty desserts ;-)
That is such a brilliant recipe! I reckon its the other way round- J K Rowling is probably right now, kicking herself for not inventing these wonderful little HP treats! And also treating herself to shoes as consolation for having almost created them!
Such an enjoyable read, as always!
These broomsticks are the cutest! Love your imaginative mind.
Looks delicious! You have no reason to be jealous – every post is a delight and some people want to be YOU!
OMG! I am the biggest HP nerd and these look awesome! I live pretty close to WWoHP, so if you ever come you can stay with me! lol
this looks great!!!
My son will lurve these! And yes, I agree – how in the world do they think of all the details. I'm with ya!
aww coolness. I can't wait til we have kids so I can dress them up in cute little outfits and force them into public! :) Love the cupcakes!
I'm so glad someone else understands the feelings of gross inadequacy that arise from thinking about the writing of such wonderful books. But you are just as awesome. Know why? You gave us BUTTERBEER CUPCAKES. Please do not underestimate this contribution to our lives.
I'm totally baking these for the July premiere. Not that I'm overly excited about that or anything…
Oh my gosh! I almost made up Harry Potter too!
I'm getting sort of totally pumped for the next movie. I think I'm gonna make treacle tart. You know, Harry's favorite food. I know this because I'm so cool and not at all a Harry Potter nerd.
Those are sooo adorable!!
Oh, and by the way, I made my brother dress up as Harry Potter to go to the last movie and he ended up winning $50 worth of prizes for having the best costume (and I made him share because if it wasn't for me, he would have been pretended like he was too cool to do it).
I have yet to go to Harry Potter World! But I'll have to just make these for now :-) Thanks for sharing!
Those look delicious!! I'm counting down the days for Harry Potter!!! These will make a great snack and idea for many HP fans!!
I found these on another blog earlier this year while looking for a beer flavored cupcake that wasn't chocolate. I decided to do these with a dark beer instead of rootbeer. Sooo good it's my new favorite flavor! Big hit for St Patrick's day.
Hi Kristan!
I have a date with your blog tonight. I just discovered it today and I can't stop reading! :)
Aikko
I have a friend who's a HUGE (I cannot emphasize that enough) HP fan, so I have bookmarked this to make for her birthday later this year. So fun!!
Great cupcake recipe, look forward to making for premiere night! We are having a big before and after party, will be a lot of fun, full dress-up affair.
I love reading your blog, and do so religiously. However, most days, I look at the incredible creativity that you exude and am honest with myself that I won't actually make many of the wonderful creations you show us.
This however, this I will give a go. I can't wait to try these.
As always, thanks for your amazingly wonderful blog postings – they are still the highlight of my day.
I LOVE the way you write!! You make me laugh!! I've been reading your blog for a few months and I just love your posts!!
P.S. Your recipes aren't half bad either!!! ;)
Seriously, are you sure we aren't the same person? Well, except you are clearly funnier.
We scrimped and saved and were able to go to Disney World this past spring. I made sure we did a side trip to Universal Studios to see the Harry Potter stuff. Awesome. Crowded, but awesome. BTW frozen butterbeer is heaven. Pumpkin juice, on the other hand is like drinking a liquid pumpkin pie. It sounds good if you like pumpkin pie, but after a few swigs it is not so appealing.
These are darling! Please share your fun and delicious recipe with our readers by linking it up at Muffin (and Cupcake) Monday. Thanks!
http://www.talkingdollarsandcents.net/muffin-monday-vanilla-soy-milk-and-sour-cream-muffins
My Mom recently asked if I was going to "fess" up to being a "lurker" on your blog… This is me fessing up… I love your blog! Your humor & wit are as addicting as your recipes and pictures! I only started following a couple of weeks ago, but have shared you with several of my friends, including my Mom (who, quite honestly didn't know much about what a blog was). I check back often because truth be told – baked goods and funny short stories make me smile & lord knows we gotta find our smiles somewhere…
Thank you for doing what you do!
P.S. Last night I made your Peanut Butter Marshmallow Brownie recipe for family & friends it was a huge hit! :)
Oh & I meant to ask- who do you bake for? If it wasn't for my co-workers I just couldn't bake as much I like to because there's just no way my immediate family can eat the dozens of cakes, cookies, & other sugary treats that get produced every week!?
Oh my word. I love it. Thanks for sharing. Can you send some my way, I'm too hot to turn on my oven to bake them. k. Thanks.
Aimee
Pretty much this makes you my hero. I usually buy a giant bag of sour candy to get me to through the midnight showings of Harry Potter…but this time I think I'll have to make these!
These are super cute. I am thinking all Halloween on these too! :)
Thanks for sharing!
very, very clever Kristan – i might be breaking out my wand and whipping these up next month . . . and then i'll fly around my kitchen doing a happy dance on my broom . . . oh, you didn't know i was a . . . ?
These are SO freaking adorable! And, I bet they taste awesome too. I need to make another butterbeer cake so I can make these cupcakes to go along with it!!
great blog you have! :D
Like I told Kristen, I feel like I must be missing out on something seriously good! How have I never heard of butterbeer before?
I love all of your recipes so I am now following you.
All the best,
Voe.
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http://pearlwhisk.blogspot.com
I think you were better destined to be a Cookbook Queen because I SO love reading your blogs and your recipes are so awesome! I have always loved collecting recipes and you have some great ideas. Keep sharing! This one sounds YUMMY!
I want a scale of how much you like each recipe you come up with. I'll start a petition. Each new recipe sounds better than the next =)
LOVE these! So fun. Suddenly I'm craving butterbeer… And, I've never had butterbeer before.
Yes, please!!!
OKAY, best cupcake ever. I'm sending this link to my friend. We're both super harry potter fanatics and I'm sure she'll LOVE these!
how did your friend make the butterbeer? :) cool website, btw. :)
I am a HUGE harry potter fan and I made these cupcakes last night to bring to work and everyone loved them. They thought they were the cutest thing.
You are hilarious and I like your writing style! I’m thinking this recipe will have to happen, and probably also my shamelessly eating the entire batch. Maybe. Thanks for sharing!