First Birthdays Make Memories
(Family Features) - A child's first birthday is a milestone. While it might not be remembered by the child, parents, grandparents, older siblings and other family and friends will treasure the celebration for years to come.
Photos and/or videos of the day will become cherished family mementos that will eventually be shared with the birthday boy or girl. Whether you make it simple - a cake or cupcakes with pre-made decorations - or an elaborate themed party, the highlight of the day will be watching the little one dive into the cake.
The cake experts at Wilton have hundreds of ideas for creating fantastic first birthday parties. For something simple, bake "Take One Cupcakes" in re-usable, easy to clean, silicone baking cups. Spatula ice them with white icing, then top with cut-out cookies in the shape of a number "one." Ice the cookies with colors to coordinate with the baking cups, and pipe dots for decoration. To save time, use the #1 candle instead of the cookie.
Other theme ideas ... princesses and palaces, pirate ships and treasure chests, mischievous monkeys in the jungle, even Noah's ark ... are detailed in the First Birthday Bash section of the Wilton 2010 Yearbook of Cake Decorating. Step-by-step instructions guide even a novice decorator to dazzling results.
For more first birthday party ideas, tips and supplies for baking, decorating and celebrating any occasion, or to share your family's first birthday photos and memories, visit www.wilton.com/celebrations/1st-Birthday/.
Take One Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Royal Icing*
- Sky Blue, Rose, Leaf Green, Lemon Yellow Icing Colors
- Favorite cupcake recipe or mix
- 1 can (16 oz.) White Decorator Icing
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla and almond extracts. Combine flour and baking powder; add to butter mixture, 1 cup at time, mixing well after each addition. The dough will be very stiff; if necessary, blend last flour in by hand (if dough becomes too stiff, add water, a teaspoon at a time). Do not chill dough.
- Divide dough into two balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle about 12 inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick. Dipping "1" cutter into flour before each use, cut out cookies. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet; cool completely.
- Divide and tint royal icing as desired. Pipe tip 3 icing outline around cookie edges; let dry. Thin remaining icing and flow in between icing outline to cover; immediately overpipe tip 2 multicolored dots with thinned icing. Let dry.
- Spray baking cups with vegetable pan spray. Bake cupcakes following recipe instructions; cool completely. Spatula ice cupcakes with white decorator icing. Insert cookies.
Serves
Each serves 1
Notes, Tips & Suggestions
*Recipe available at www.wilton.com.
Wilton Products:
A-B-C and 1-2-3 50 pc. Cutter Set
Cookie Sheet
Round Decorating Tips # 2 and 3
Silicone Baking Cups
SOURCE:
Wilton Industries, Inc.
Also check our Kansas City Birthday Party Planning Guide!