Pink Hazelnut and Coconut Cupcakes

Submitted by swirlycinnacakes

"Cute! Found this on a food blog :P"

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 12

ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons hazelnut extract
• 1⁄2 cup hazelnuts, finely ground
• 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3⁄4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 cup low-fat milk, plus
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 drops pink food coloring

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). line a muffin pan with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the flavouring and pink food colouring. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the milk until batter is smooth, then fold in the ground hazelnuts. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups.
3. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.
4. After you've allowed the cupcakes to cool, whip up a quick batch of string icing, which is just 3 tablespoons milk mixed with about a cup of powdered sugar. Make sure there are no lumps. Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the icing, allowing any icing drips to fall back into the bowl. Once iced, dip into a flat tin with a wide opening full of the prepared coloured coconut.
5. To tint your coconut, you'll need dessicated coconut (available in most grocery store bulk sections) and a couple drops of food colouring. Put about a cup of coconut into a ziplock bag, and then add a drop of food colouring. Close the bag and smush it around until the colouring is fully dispersed. Add more food colouring as needed.