![Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut](https://media.paperblog.fr/i/167/1671866/sometimes-you-feel-like-nut-L-rmzsSH.jpeg)
Do you remember this jingle from the 1970's for Almond Joy candy bars and its sister product Mounds (sometimes you don't)? Mars makes a candy bar here in France called Bounty (pronounced "boon-tee") which is its non-US version of Mounds and I find myself singing this little ditty any time I consume one. Of course, everyone thinks I am a nut when I do this as they never ran this particular ad campaign here.
Which also make me think of the "I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper, she's a Pepper.....wouldn't you like to be a Pepper too?" song for Dr. Pepper that dates back to the same era. My mom tells a story about how she was once offered a Dr. Pepper at a party and broke into song and everyone looked at her like, you guessed it, a nut! Guess it's a genetic thing.
Well, the challenge this month for Iron Cupcake: Earth is Nuts & Seeds. As soon as it was announced, I knew immediately what I wanted to make as an entry. But it's going to take some preparation work I still haven't had time to do yet. So here for your approval is an interim candidate, the Almond Joy cupcake. I made this as part of an order for a meeting I am going to this evening. The order was for 2 dozen cupcakes, the only stipulation being that some of them be Caramel Dolce. As for the others, it was up to me. Which is kind of a curse in disguise. You see the problem is when I am told "blue sky," I really do think blue sky in that there are SOOOOOOO many delicious cupcake flavors I could make and I spend hours debating the pluses and minuses of each. This is the one area of my life where I really do crave structure. It's shocking, I know.
So, what did I come up with? Six of each of the following flavors:
- After Eight : a mint chocolate cupcake with a mint chocolate buttercream topped with a slice of its namesake, an After Eight candy.
![Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut](https://media.paperblog.fr/i/167/1671866/sometimes-you-feel-like-nut-L-6NjY6O.jpeg)
- A cupcake similar to one I made earlier this week for my friend whose son is sick so it probably looks familiar to those of you who follow my blog : a mixture of vanilla and chocolate cupcakes topped with a light strawberry buttercream, a slice of fresh strawberry and drizzled in milk chocolate.
![Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut](https://media.paperblog.fr/i/167/1671866/sometimes-you-feel-like-nut-L-TpmxUD.jpeg)
- The requested Caramel Dolce : a mixture of vanilla and chocolate cupcakes topped with a caramel buttercream and gummy creme caramel candies.
![Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut](https://media.paperblog.fr/i/167/1671866/sometimes-you-feel-like-nut-L-BW3ib0.jpeg)
- And last but not least, the Almond Joy, my second entry for this month's IC:E challenge : a coconut and almond cupcake topped with a rich milk chocolate buttercream, sprinkled with shredded coconut and a grilled almond.
![Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut](https://media.paperblog.fr/i/167/1671866/sometimes-you-feel-like-nut-L-Gttzff.jpeg)
You can see what's up for grabs in this month's ETSY prize pack here. Voting will begin no later than Sunday, March 29 at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, and will be open through Friday, April 3 at 12 noon.
Here is the recipe for those of you who may want to try this at home:
Almond Joy Cupcakes
For 16 cupcakes:
4 ozs. unsalted butter/beurre doux, softened
1 cup sugar/sucre en poudre
1 large egg
1 tsp. baking soda/bicarbonate alimentaire
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. salt
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 ½ cups flour
1 cup buttermilk /lait fermente
¼ cup hot water
1) Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C. Grease or place cupcake liners into cupcake tins.
2) To make cupcakes, cream together sugar and butter until smooth. Add egg, vanilla, baking soda, salt and mix until well-combined. Add in coconut and almonds and mix again.
3) Alternate adding flour and buttermilk in 3 batches, mix well until smooth. Add hot water last and mix to combine.
4) Fill cupcake liners 2/3rds full.
5) Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from tin and let cool on wire rack.
Chocolate Buttercream:
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. cocoa/chocolat en poudre
1/4 c. plus 3 tbsp. warm milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (16 oz.) pkg. powdered sugar, sifted
Mash together softened butter and cocoa until well-combined. Add in vanilla and mix. Add the sugar and milk in batches until the consistency is not too liquidy but just thick enough to hold its shape or make peaks.
![Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut](https://media.paperblog.fr/i/167/1671866/sometimes-you-feel-like-nut-L-CrMeBm.jpeg)
Garnish cupcakes with shredded coconut, toasted almonds, whole almonds, chocolate covered almonds, etc. Whatever tickles your fancy and enjoy!