Holly Cupcakes with Cranberries and Rosemary

These sugared cranberries and rosemary holly cupcakes are not only delicious but beautiful as well. They would be a hit at any holiday party!

Hello and welcome to the 12 Days of Christmas hosted by my friend Shirley from Intelligent Domestications!  On this fourth day of Christmas, we are sharing a holiday party food. I made some delicious sugared cranberries and rosemary holly cupcakes. I think these cupcakes are the most beautiful food items I have ever made! They almost look too good to eat… almost! 😉

You can find the recipe below and at the bottom of the post, check out all the yummy recipes from the many talented bloggers we have joining us for this blog hop.

If you want to check out any of the other 11 days, you can find them here:

• Day 1 – DIY Ornament | Wooden Bead Christmas Trees
• Day 2 – DIY Cone Christmas Trees
• Day 3 – Abstract Snowman DIY
• Day 5 – Dollar Store Craft | Sparkly Gem Christmas Tree
• Day 6 – Christmas Gift Exchange Ideas
• Day 7 – Disney Inspired Hot Cocoa Bar
• Day 8 – Hot Cocoa Peppermint Cookies
• Day 9 – DIY Christmas Magnolia Wreath
• Day 10 – Silver and Gold Christmas Tablescape
• Day 11 – Christmas Front Porch Decor
• Day 12 – Silver, Gold and Light Green Snowy Christmas Tree

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Welcome to the third annual 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop!

Stop by every day from December first through the twelfth for new ideas you can use to make your season brighter!

Meet Your Hosts

They have all been busy as Elves creating, decorating, cooking and crafting tons of new ideas for you to try this holiday season!

Shirley~Intelligent Domestications I Alli~An Alli Event I Michelle~Our Crafty Mom

Marie~DIY Adulation I Erlene~My Pinterventures I Beverly~Across The Blvd.

Debra~Shoppe No. 5 I Victoria~Dazzle While Frazzled I Jenny~Cookies Coffee & Crafts

Michelle~Michelle James Designs I Amanda~Domestically Creative I Megan~C’mon Get Crafty 

Deborah~Salvage Sister & Mister I Jeanie~Create & Babble I Sherry~Olives & Okra

Jenny~Cookies Coffee & Crafts I Emily~Domestic Deadline I Bonbon~Farmhouse 40

Leanna~Of Faeries & Fauna I Pam Larmore~P.S. I Love You Crafts I Kelly~North Country Nest

Marie~The Inspiration Vault I Gail~Purple Hues and Me I Lynne~My Family Thyme

Karen~Dragonfly and Lily Pads I Trisha~Blowing Away Out West I Sam~Raggedy Bits

Terri~Christmas Tree Lane I Lorrin~Embrace The Perfect Mess I Cyn~Creative Cynchronicity  

Valeria~Val Event Gal I Yami~The Latina Next Door I Jeannee~Centsably Creative

Tania~Little Vintage Cottage I Lauren~Wonderfully Made I Vanessa~DIY 180 

Kimberly~A Wonderful Thought I Kim~Everyday Parties  I Dru~Polka Dot Poplars

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I was inspired to make these cupcakes by some naked cakes I have seen on Pinterest with sugared cranberries and rosemary. They looked so beautiful and I thought that I would be able to arrange the cranberries and rosemary on top of the cupcakes so it looks like holly cupcakes. I think they turned out pretty well, how about you?

How to Make Sugared Cranberries

I had never made (or tasted for that matter) sugared cranberries before so I had to look up how to do it. Turns out they are super easy which I kind of figured would be the case anyway. Honestly though, I have to say I was not the biggest fan of the taste of them and neither were my kids. Ha! They are really, really tart and have a funny aftertaste! I thought that the sugar would help tone down the tartness but it did not. I know some people love them but they were not for us. However, they are pretty and make for great decoration! 🙂

To make the sugared cranberries you will need:

• 12 oz bag of cranberries
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup water
• Parchment paper

Combine water and 1/2 cup sugar in saucepan and heat over medium high heat until sugar is dissolved. Add the cranberries and remove from heat. Stir to coat cranberries thoroughly.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the cranberries.

Lay the cranberries on some parchment paper. Let them dry for 1 hour.

Put the rest of the sugar (1.5 cups) in a bowl and add in the cranberries a little at a time. Stir to coat the cranberries with sugar.

That’s it! Super easy, right? Now you have some gorgeous (and tasty to some people) sugared cranberries! 😉

Add the Rosemary to make Holly Cupcakes

So I cheated a little for the cupcakes and used a cake mix! However, the frosting makes up for it! This is a homemade delicious buttercream frosting. It is whipped and creamy. Also it is not too sweet like some buttercream frosting can get. So yummy!

After you pipe on the frosting, add some sugared cranberries and some sprigs of rosemary to give the look of holly. I also added sugar to the top of the frosting for a pretty effect.

I think these cupcakes would be a hit at any party. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary Holly Cupcakes

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 32 minutes

These sugared cranberries and rosemary holly cupcakes are not only delicious but beautiful as well. They would be a hit at any holiday party!

Print

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1 vanilla flavored cake mix (and ingredients on box)

Frosting

• 1 cup butter, softened to room temp.
• 1 cup shortening (I use Crisco)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp milk

Instructions

1. Make cupcakes according to directions on the box
2. Cream butter, shortening, and extracts until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes
3. Add flour to creamed fat mixture
4. Beat until thoroughly combined
5. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time sifting it as you add, beating until combined
6. When all sugar has been added and combined, add 2 Tbsp milk
7. Beat for an additional 6-8 minutes on medium speed

Notes

Add sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs on top of the cupcakes

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 320Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 221mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 0gSugar: 32gProtein: 1g

See you tomorrow for the fifth day of Christmas!

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Be sure to visit our fellow 12 Days of Christmas Bloggers below for even more creative ideas this holiday season!

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