Colorful and fun desserts for kids for special days

There’s no concrete evidence for this, but around the social media mill, there’s a trend that shows the world through the eyes of a kid vs adult. Let’s just say that it does not look all dandy in Adultville as compared to the colors a typical kid sees. So, as winter Day rolls near, why not try these fun desserts for kids and fill your home with warmth: a batch of jumbo cookies speckled with Cadbury Gems and rainbow sprinkles, plus rainbow cupcakes with a cloud of vanilla frosting?

1. Jumbo Cadbury Gems Sprinkle Cookies

(Makes 22 cookies)

Ingredients

• 315 gm all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp salt
• 115 gm unsalted butter, softened
• 100 gm granulated sugar
• 115 gm cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅓ tsp almond extract, optional
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 120 gm rainbow sprinkles
• 100 gm Cadbury Gems

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line baking trays with parchment paper.
2. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl, whisk and set aside.
3. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat softened butter and sugar until creamy and pale, about three to four minutes.
4. Add cream cheese to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated.
5. Add the egg and the vanilla and almond extracts, and beat until fully combined.
6. Begin adding dry ingredients gradually, about one cup at a time, mixing between each addition until just combined.
7. Continue mixing until dough forms - it should be soft but firm enough to handle. Test by rolling a small amount; if it sticks to your palms, gradually add one to two tbsp flour at a time.
8. Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, portion dough into equal-sized amounts.
9. Roll each portion into smooth balls.
10. Add the rainbow sprinkles to a shallow bowl. Roll each dough ball in sprinkles until coated. Lightly roll the ball between your palms to make the sprinkles stick better.
11. Place sprinkle-coated balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1-inch apart.
12. Using a glass bottom, gently press each ball to either of these two thicknesses – 6 mm for crispy cookies or 12-18 mm for soft, cakey cookies. These cookies won't spread.
13. Gently push down the Cadbury Gems on the surface of each flattened cookie, then bake for 10-12 minutes until set. Baking time varies based on thickness and size
14. Let cool on the baking sheet for five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

2. Rainbow Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

(Make 24 cupcakes)

Ingredients

For Cupcakes:

• 225 gm butter, softened
• 470 gm sugar
• 5 egg whites
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 375 gm flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 370 ml milk, room temperature
• Gel food coloring (color of the rainbow)

For Frosting:

• 227 gm butter, softened
• 480 gm powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp clear vanilla extract
• Tiny pinch of salt
• 45 ml milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C, then line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. In the stand mixer bowl, cream butter, and sugar for two to three minutes until the mixture is pale.
3. Add egg whites and vanilla, and beat until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
4. Add salt and baking powder into flour in a separate bowl, and mix to break down any lumps.
5. If the milk is cold, warm in the microwave for 30 seconds to bring down to room temperature.
6. Start with 1 cup of the flour mixture and add it to the egg bowl, mix, then add ½ cup of milk and mix. Continue alternating until the milk and flour bowl contents are used up and mixed in.
7. Divide batter equally among six bowls and add the food coloring to each bowl (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple).
8. Mix each color thoroughly until no streaks remain and go for either of the layering methods:

Option 1: Transfer each colored batter into separate piping bags

Option 2: Use small spoons for layering the batter

9. Using whichever method you picked, layer the colored batter in each cupcake liner. Start with purple at the bottom, then blue, green, yellow, and orange, and finish off with red on top. Make sure you fill each cupcake just about ⅔ full, otherwise they will spill while baking.
10. Bake 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centers, comes out clean.
11. Remove from the oven, let them cool in the pan for five minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
12. While the cupcakes cool, let’s prepare the frosting. Using a stand mixer or handheld one, whip butter for one minute until pale. Then add the vanilla extract and mix.
13. Add 1 cup sugar, and mix on high for 1 minute. Add 1 tbsp milk and continue alternating and mixing, until all sugar and milk are used up. You should have a whipped cream cloud.
14. Fit a piping bag with closed star tip, and fill it up with the frosting.
15. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe decorative swirls onto each cupcake. Top with the sprinkles or Cadbury Gems.