Happy Birthday Cupcakes.

Earlier this week a good friend of mine had a birthday. It just happens we play softball together too. So, I thought I'd do something nice and bake some cupcakes for her. Me, being nice? I know, but I can be sometimes. I decided to do something fun and make them fancy. Years ago...and I mean 30 years ago....I made cupcakes with gum drop flowers decorating the tops.

See...here is proof...this is me in Eric's parents back yard in the summer of 1979 with a plate full of cupcakes for him. Must have been trying to impress someone or something.

Anyway, I thought I'd show you how to make cupcakes with gum drop flowers. First you make the cupcakes. You can be fancy and make them from scratch or just go and buy a stinkin' box of mix like I did. I wasn't being that nice.

Mix 'em and bake 'em and try not to eat them before you get them decorated. Thank you.

For the decorations you need big gum drops, sugar, a surface to roll them out on, and a rolling pin. Easy enough.

Put lots of sugar on the surface that you will be rolling them out on. I used a washable cutting board because it can get sticky. Set the gum drop in the sugar...

...then flatten it a little bit with your hand.

Put some sugar on the top after you've flattened it.

Then press it down a little with your rolling pin. It looks like I am whapping it, I'm not, just was using one hand for the camera.

Roll it out a little at a time, putting sugar on the top pretty often. If you roll it out too fast it will stick to the rolling pin and you'll wonder why you had decided to be nice in the first place.

Roll a little, sugar a little, roll some more...

until you have a nice oblong shape.

When it's all rolled out, cut it in half the long way....not the wrong way, the long way.

Each half will get rolled up into a rose shape.

Roll and pinch as you go. It gets sticky but that's what holds it together. Don't pinch too hard or the bottom will come off. Um...that sounded bad.

Repeat as often as you want with whatever colors you want until you have as many flowers as you want. But don't use the black gum drops...because...yuck, that's why.

See...look at all these....I must have really been feeling nice.

Then you roll the green ones and cut them into triangles for leaves. Just pinch the short flat side of the triangle around the stem and you're good to go. I would have taken a picture of that, but I forgot. Oops.

Frost your cupcakes...I did take a picture of that but it was blurry....and then stick a flower or two in the top. Happy Birthday Gum Drop Flower Cupcakes. That's what I'm calling them.

They were a hit! And since I'm being so nice I won't show a picture of everyone chowing down on cupcakes after our game. You're welcome.

Hope you had a Happy Birthday Kris!