Shards of Glass Cupcakes

As someone who was a kid at one time, I pretty much consider myself to be a kid expert.

Seriously, I have years of experience at being a kid.

So I can tell you with quite a bit of authority that you had probably better not let your little ones watch any scary movies until they are twenty eight or so.


Maybe a little later, depending on their maturity level.


Because sometimes, parents think it’s okay to let their little kids watch scary stuff.


But you know what? That is so dumb.


That is really dumb.


Let me tell you a story about a little girl who once saw the movie Psycho. 

This little girl was scarred for life.


And when I say scarred, what I mean is that she was SUPER scarred. Sure, she was smiling and happy and really cute and well dressed on the outside, but on the inside, she was an emotional train wreck.


All because of that stupid movie.

It was even worse than the Thriller Debacle of ’85. And that had been bad.


Because for at least a month after seeing the Thriller video, this girl was totally convinced that Michael Jackson hid in her closet at night, waiting for her to pop her big toe out from under the covers. 

At which point he would turn into a wolf man and attack her.

And this poor, sweet, lovely girl with really good hair would lay there terrified. And she would be sure that she saw something glittering behind her closet door and she just knew it was Michael’s  glove, waiting to reach out and claw her face off. Which is just sad because for a month of her life, that video robbed this fabulous young lady of her ability to love glitter.


Anyways–the effects of Psycho were way worse. 

Because that movie stayed with her for YEARS. 


Years and years, actually.


And it wasn’t even the shower part that scared her so bad. It was that hole in the wall with Norman’s eye peeping through it.


For real. That was just so messed up.

Peeping through a teeny hole in a bathroom wall really should most definitely be ILLEGAL.

Wait….it is illegal.

Man, that dude was seriously messed up.

Anyhow, this poor girl (woman, now–sort of) still checks bathroom walls for holes. 

That’s how bad it was. 

So basically the moral of this story is:

1. Children cannot handle scary movies even if they say they can.

2. Just because a werewolf can dance, that doesn’t make him any less scary. He’s still a werewolf.

4. Even a girl with really good hair can experience feelings like pain, sadness, and fear.


3. An aversion to glitter can never last very long. It is simply impossible.


Another thing that is not appropriate for small children is these cupcakes. 


Because they could get cut by the glass and that would be a very bad thing.


Okay, I’m lying. It is not real glass. But still, these are kind of scary and the candy “glass” still has sharp edges. So save them for the older kids.


I saw these cupcakes in a magazine, Yum For Kids, and they were so cool I could hardly even stand it. I had to make them.


So I did.

(click here for printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS

24 cupcakes (any kind), frosted (with canned or homemade frosting)

Sugar Glass:

Nonstick spray
2 cups water
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar


Blood:


14.5 oz can of dark cherries in water (water, not syrup)
1/4 cup superfine sugar (you can find this in the baking aisle)
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1 Tablespoon cornstarch

To Make the Glass: 


Line a large cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray. You want to spray the pan at least 30 minutes prior to using it.


Mix together the water, sugar, corn syrup and cream of tartar in an old saucepan and bring to a boil with a candy thermometer inserted. Let the mixture boil, stirring continuously, until it reaches 300 F. Pour the mixture very quickly and carefully into the lined and oiled pan and let cool.


When the mixture has cooled completely, carefully pop it out of the pan and peel off the foil. Tap it in the center with a hammer or meat mallet to crack it into shards.


To Make the Blood:


Pour the can of cherries (with juice) in a food processor or blender and mix just enough for the cherries to be mostly broken up but not completely smooth. Pour the cherry mixture with the rest of the blood ingredients into a heavy saucepan and heat on medium. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly.


Reduce to a simmer and heat until the cherry mixture has thickened. Allow to cool.


Spoon a blob of “blood” on the center of each cupcake. Dip an edge of a “glass shard” into the blood and insert in the center of the blood.


This recipe in the magazine was actually a feature from the cupcake book, A Zombie Ate My Cupcake. 


If you are interested in the book, or the magazine Yum For Kids (such an awesome magazine), here are the links:


A Zombie at My Cupcake: 25 Deliciously Weird Cupcake Recipes

Yum For Kids

Both are a lot of fun and very reasonably priced.

Have a fabulous day!!

**I’m linking these up to Hoosier Homemade’s Cupcake Tuesday. Head on over and check out all the awesome cupcakes and link up some of your own!!