Anise/Licorice Cupcakes With Fluffy White Frosting

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, Room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar (Try Flavored Sugar or Splenda using the anise)
• 1 cup milk
• 3 egg whites, 1/2 cup

Garnish

• licorice (or Good and Plenty, soft, chewy drops, nonpareil jellies and soft panned licorice balls)

Fluffy White Frosting

• 2 egg whites, 1/3 cup
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon anise extract

Directions

1. 1

   Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and sift on to wax paper, set aside.

2. 2

   Beat butter and sugar in a mixing bowl till smooth and well blended. Stir in extract and milk add to butter mixture alternating with the flour mixture.

3. 3

   In a clean blow beat egg whites till stiff but still moist. Fold in gently 1/3 of the white into the batter, continue to fold in the remainder of the whites.

4. 4

   Pour into cupcake tins lined with paper cupcake holders. Pour 3/4 of the way. Bake for 20 minutes.

5. 5

   Meanwhile prepare Fluffy White Frosting: Combine all ingredients except vanilla and anise in the top of a double boiler over boiling water. Beat with electric mixer for about 7 minutes, or until mixture will stand in stiff peaks. Beat in vanilla and anise extract.

6. 6

   Cool completely then frost with a white frosting and top with your choice of licorice candy.