Superb Super Bowl Cupcakes

If baking at home, Cupcake Project’s, “Beer Cheese Cupcakes with Bacon Cheddar Cream Cheese Frosting” is the ultimate way to go. The recipe calls for 1 cup of Bud Select, unsalted butter, grated sharp cheddar, brown sugar, sour cream, eggs vanilla, flour and, of course, baking soda.

Even if you choose to stick to chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, top them with your team colors. Or, better yet, play to your crowd and have guests decorate their own! Wilton’s “First Down” cupcakes (rated “somewhat easy” by reviewers) require Royal Blue and Kelly Green icing color, mint-flavored, football-shaped icing decorations and a few jumbo rainbow sprinkles. A simple butter cream icing recipe can be found on the Wilton website, with further directions on piping yard lines and placing additional decorations. To create a field of pull-out grass on top of its “Score Big” cupcakes, Wilton recommends using a disposable decorating bag and tip 233 ($1.69), with multiple openings for quick, but full coverage. Fun-to-use tools to decorate with can also be purchased from Kuhn Rikon. This brand from Switzerland offers the battery-powered, Frosting Deco Pen ($30.00), so that you can’t mess up with an unsteady hand, or make a mess (you’ll have chips and dip for that!).

You can get creative not only with your recipe, but with your bake ware, too! Nordic Ware advertised its new, nonstick ProCast™ Bakeware in Gourmet Insider magazine for 2011. By using its cast aluminum “Funny Face Treats” or “Filled Cupcake” pans, the true game-day gourmet can whip up dozens of snacks with surprise filling inside, and silly expressions to taunt your sofa rivals.

If your hors d’oeuvres trays are filled with fattening foods, try making mini cupcakes. The kicker being that mini cupcakes may be the same recipe, but those who are watching calories, “should just reduce the portion scooped,” advises Bobbie Lloyd of the famous Magnolia Bakery in New York City. And for all cupcakes, Lloyd says, muffin tins should be filled a little more than half full for best results.

If you prefer to buy your treats for the Big Game, check out the treats at Crumbs. Crumbs is the very first cupcake chain to expand nationally, with chains set for the football-fan cities of Denver, Dallas and Seattle. You can also scour your local listings for other bakeries (even vegan!) in your town.