St. Therese Cupcakes

The end of September marks the beginning of a full week of very popular saint feast days. While it's not very healthy to enjoy dessert every night, there are a few weeks where I make an exception and this is one. For St. Therese of the Child Jesus I always make white cupcakes with roses on top. At least with cupcakes, you can easily share with the neighbors, right?

“When I die, I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens, I will spend my heaven by doing good on earth.” -- Thérèse de Lisieux

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Just a note -- there are many more ways to top a cupcake with roses than by creating them with decorator frosting. If decorating just isn't your thing, try the baking aisle at the grocery store to see if they have candy roses for cake decorating. There is a candy store near my home that carries rose-shaped butter mints -- I think those will top my cupcakes this year. Wilton makes a rose mold for molding melted chocolate, and that's a great option. You can also make roses from fruit roll-ups, so there are lots of options and you are not to be put off by the roses!

White Cupcakes

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a 12-cup muffin pan and a 6-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
Finally stir in the milk and beat until batter is smooth.
Pour or spoon batter into the liners (I like to use an ice cream scoop filled about 2/3).
Bake 15-20 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick.
Cool and frost with desired frosting.

For the St. Therese cupcakes I used a traditional decorator frosting to frost the cupcakes and then make the roses (clear vanilla is not necessary, just use ordinary vanilla extract -- most of the other ingredients you probably have on-hand).

Makes 18 cupcakes.