I have some questions and am looking for advice from those of you that have made these.

I am wanting to do a round mound of dipped icing rather than the swirl dipped icing. I want it rounded so that I can decorate a monkey face on it. Does that make sense? I want to be able to ice a face, ears, and a birthday hat on it.

Also, do these need to be refigerated? What icing is best? Can it be dipped in candy melts or is there something better? Is is possible to pipe icing on this will chocolate piped on be better?

Sorry for so many questions, but my son really wants monkey cupcakes for his birthday, and this was the first thing that popped into my mind (without having a clue how to do it ).

Thanks in advance!!!
Mara

Have you seen the Wilton 2009 yearbook yet?? I believe they not only have wonderful monkey cupcakes, but directions on how to make them as well.

I also found this on Wilton's Cupcake Fun web site: http://www.cupcakefun.com/ideas/monkeymunchiecupcakes.cfm

Thank you, I have not seen the newest yearbook yet. I will have to check that out.

I did see that Wilton monkey. It's cute, and I think it might be my back-up. I'm really wanting the monkey to be a little more vertical, if possible.

Could you use SMBC for the frosting on Hi Hat cuppys?

I'm not sure what icing to use. I've not tried SMBC before. I may have to do some experimenting.

Have you seen the new book "Hello Cupcake?" They have ideas on monkey cupcakes as well. But if you are looking for a more 3-D cupcake (vertical), I believe that the same concept can be applied for a monkey as they do for their penguin cupcake. If you do not have the book or can not acquire it they have a website, www.hellocupcake.com.

I would use an ice cream scoop for the icing. I would use buttercream. I would dip it in ganache. No, they won't have to be refrigerated. I would use buttercream piped accents and some fondant as well.

That's how I'd do it anyway...

Thanks for the suggestions. I did recently get that book, and I hadn't though about doing it like the penguin.

I think I will try with the buttercream scoop dipped in chocolate. I'm not sure if buttercream or fondant accents will stick to the ganache. Hopefully the other parents won't kill me for feeding 3 & 4 year olds so much sugar!

yes the hi hats do have to be refridgerated.. not sure what you are thinking though on putting monkeys on them.. I'd love to see a pix whenyou are done..

wendy

I think I can picture what you are looking to achieve. Perhaps the tip 1A can help you make more of a giant dollup for a doom look. (However, I don't own this so I am not sure how large it actually is.

http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E3111C2-475A-BAC0-53E697EA2D3DE483&fid=3E332502-475A-BAC0-52CC3749ED9EFC2D

Thanks for the advice. I will finally try to experiment this week. I won't need them for the party until mid August. I will definitly post a picture when I've done the cupcake!

Thanks, Mara

Hi hat's aren't hard to do.. If you use an ice cream scoop it could fall off when you dip them. What I do is to use my #12 round tip and fill the cupcake with whatever I am using for the topping (usually chocolate mousse for a hi-hat) and when it's filled.. keep piping and give good pressure and keep piping until you get a nice mound. You can shape it with a spatula if you need to as well. Then pop them in the fridge to firm up. Are you covering them with ganache? If so.. make your ganache and let it cool, but still be dip-able then take your cuppies out of the fridge and dip them in the ganache and then pop them in the fridge to firm up again. Then you can add your monkey face to it. I have hi-tops in my photos and you can peek at them if you want.

That is a great idea about the filling. I want to do a banana flavored icing in a chocolate cupcake. I want to do ganache, but have never made it. I was thinking that if it didn't work for me, I'd have to use candy melts (although I'm not crazy about their after taste).

Your hi-hats look great (as do the rest of your photos)! I would have thought the ganache would drip down the side of the cupcake wrapper. I assume this is why you suggest cooling the ganache.

The chilled cupcake really helps, plus you hold it upside down until it isn't really dripping anymore. It works quite well. Ganache is really easy to make too. A good recipe is to take 1 cup of cream and bring it to a boil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Then remove from the heat and add 8 ounces f chopped dark chocolate and let that sit for about 3-5 minutes and then stir until smooth.. that's really all there is to it. When you take them out of the fridge let they may get some condensation on them, but it won't hurt your ganache. You could do a caramel banana SMBC as you filling.. that would taste really good and have a nice texture when it gets to room temp. Another idea would be to make a whipped cream cheese filling and add some banana to that. It would be mousse-like and need to be served cold.

Oh and you want to cool teh ganache some so it doesn't melt your filling.

When I make them I use Rich's Bettercreme for the icing. I then dip them into a chocolate mixture of one bag of chocolate chips melted with 1/4 c oil. I put the melted chocolate in a plastic margarita glass, its just the right size and depth. I put them in the freezer for a little while to set and then leave them in the fridge. I have had them sit out for a few hours and they have been fine.