Saturday 25 September 2010

Collingwood Cupcakes

My dad is a one-eyed Collingwood supporter. His grandfather was mayor of Collingwood, many of his aunts and uncles worked for the council. When I was young my brothers' teddies were named after Collingwood players. My little 2 year old nephew Cooper already knows his team. Though, I am the only one of my dad's children to live in Collingwood, I don't barrack for them but I do see an opportunity for cupcake decorating when his team gets into the grand final.

Sylvia and I went to Geelong yesterday to see my nieces. They had lept at my suggestion of cupcake decorating. Mum had already promised the cupcakes to a grand final gathering today so I focused on Collingwood's team colours: black and white.

I decided to get some liquorice to decorate some cupcakes with black and white stripes and make some numbers like the players wear on the back of their footy jumpers. Maddy did the research on numbers by consulting the household authority, my dad. It seemed from talking to everyone that Dale Thomas' number 13 was the popular one.

Grace can't eat liquorice so I had a think about a gluten-free option for her. Lorraine often makes cute cupcakes so I had a look at her list and found some panda cupcakes. It occurred to me how perfect they were, being black and white. Lorraine used fondant but I take delight in using lollies (or sweeties or candies depending on where you live). So Maddy, Grace and I went to the Yummy Mummy Lolly Shop to buy liquorice and some lollies to make pandas.

Back at my mum's we ate cheeseymite scrolls and pancakes while the gluten free cupcakes cooled. Then we set about trialling how the lollies looked on the little cakes before Grace and Ella mixed up the white icing. We used black raspberries for the eyes and ears. I cut them in half and used the flat bottom for the eyes and the bumpy top for the ears. I cut the whites of the eyes from milkbottles and we found some pink mini m&ms for the nose-cum-mouth.

I always buy more lollies than we use as I toss around lots of ideas in my head. We had bought some red raspberries so there was a rogue panda with blue eyes. I also bought some chocolate buttons but could not find decent chocolate in the right size. (I suspect I might find the right size at the Vic Market or other specialty shops).

Sylvia was more of a hindrance than a help and slowed me down a bit. Mum took her off for a play but eventually I had to put her down to sleep. We still had a few numbers to go so mum helped with these. Then I had time to get out a few of my dad's Collingwood paraphernalia for some photographs.

When Sylvia woke, we stayed and had a roast dinner and chocolate pudding with my family. As for the grand final result, it seems we might be making Collingwood cupcakes again next week. I wrote this post while watching the grand final (in between eating sausage rolls and putting Sylvia to sleep) and I thought I would end by announcing the winner but the score was a draw: 68-68. This means that Collingwood and St Kilda will return to the MCG next Saturday for another grand final. Stay tuned....

11 comments:

  1. Great idea, I love the panda ones especially!

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  2. They look adorable Johanna! You did a great job making them out of lollies too-and they're always so much more delicious to eat than fondant :)

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  3. How lovely, what a great thing to do. I bet your dad was touched having so many family members involved in cheering on the family team. I did particularly like the pandas.

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  4. They look fantastic! Especially the pandas.

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  5. That's not a rogue panda, Johanna! You made a red panda, my favourite animal! And you made it for me, I'm sure, subconsciously at least :)

    I can't get my head around the mad passion people have for sports... but I can get behind finger food and cheesymite scrolls :)

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  6. Cute cupcakes!
    Kids of all ages will surely enjoy that tasty treat! And next Saturday your team will WIN! Cheers!

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  7. What cute cupcakes, must have been fun to decorate!

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  8. Those pandas are too adorable! And how cool that your great-grandfather was mayor of Colingwood!

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  9. Love the pandas - nuff said about Collingwood :)

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  10. Thanks K

    Thanks Lorraine - I have only ever had shop bought fondant that tastes a bit like plastic so yes I prefer eating lollies!

    Thanks Choclette - I think it is more a matter of my dad being very successful at brainwashing quite a few members of the family :-)

    thanks Katerina

    Thanks Hannah - I have come to appreciate sports when I realised it is just about good finger food - an excellent excuse for sausage rolls! And of course the rogue - oops - red panda was for you!

    Thanks Dejta - sadly my team was defeated by collingwood before the grand final - nuff said (as cakelaw says)

    Thanks Nic - I always love some cupcake decorating with my nieces

    thanks Ricki - my great-grandfather was a colourful character

    Thanks Cakelaw - good luck with enduring another week of collingwood tragics :-)

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