Conversation Heart Cupcakes

 
DISCLAIMER: This is actually my idea, no one elses, but my camera's broken (waaah!) and I still wanted to have a picture for the post. This beautiful photo is from the lovely Kristan who blogs over at Confessions of a Cookbook Queen (love the name!). She made some Conversation Heart Cupcakes, looks to die for yum! Go check out her blog!

So, I really didn't want to call these conversation heart cupcakes. Because that's already been done by Kristan. Because really, these are just strawberry cupcakes. The cupcakes aren't special. I'm not posting cupcakes, I'm posting buttercream.
 Conversation Heart Buttercream.
The best buttercream in all the land.

When I first saw this candy cane buttercream from Sally, my mind basically exploded with ideas. Because this can be replaced with basically any hard candy.

So now let's talk about my love of conversation heart candies. OMgosh why don't they make those all year? They are so good!

Last year I bought a lot of them for a Valentine-y project that I did. No, it wasn't those Valentine race cars you see everywhere

No, I made some candy Ipods!


It was super cool, all my friends said so!

Anyways, so I haven't had these conversation hearts for over a year. So when I bought some, my first instinct was to just eat the whole box. But then a little voice inside my head said "Wait, no you're supposed to make stuff for the blog with these. Don't want to let those fake readers down."

So I obeyed the voice in my head.

I am so glad I did. So glad. And now you can be glad too.

Conversation Heart Buttercream
Frosting made from crushed conversation hearts, this is sure to be one of your favorite icings.
Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (1.5) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2.5 – 3 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, SIFTED
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk
• 1/2 cup conversation heart dust, SIFTED (about 8-10 candy canes pulverized in a food processor)

Directions:  Beat the butter for 1 minute with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Add 2.5 cups of sifted powdered sugar and slowly mix on low speed. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 1 Tablespoon of cream/milk.  Beat for about 1 minute.  Manually stir in conversation heart dust.  If your buttercream needs to be thicker, add more powdered sugar.  If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk/cream.  If frosting is too sweet, add a pinch of salt.

Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

 
One thing about this, obviously the hearts are different colors. If you want your cupcakes to be pretty, you have to crush each color heart separately. If your just eating them for the taste, then you can bipass this step, but if your bringing it to a party or something, you need to crush them separately and then mix them into the frosting separately.

Photo Credit: Confessions of a Cookbook Queen