Drumstick Cupcakes

 

I’ve had my new car for less than a week now.

It’s been wonderful.

However, the only wonderful part is having the car, driving the car, and being in the car. When I tell people about the car, somehow, their common sense shuts off like a steel trap and they turn stupid and start telling me things I obviously didn’t know before I purchased a CAR.

Things like:

“You’ll be paying that off for years!” I thought I just had to sit through four hours of negotiations for a free car!

“Say hello to a new car payment!!” Hello!

“Your insurance went through the roof, didn’t it?” Your last bowel movement was intense, wasn’t it? (can we get any more personal, people?!)

“You better keep it clean!” Awh, but I was planning on throwing intense raves in my back seat with some chimpanzees. 

“You oughta change the oil every 3000 miles/rotate the tires/wash it five times a day.” I really had planned on slashing my own tires, replacing the oil with kerosene and driving it into a ditch full of mud. 

Laaaast time I checked, when someone excitedly tells you they got a brand new car and are beaming with joy that they no longer have to drive an air-conditionerless, horrible, dying Chevy anymore, the last thing you should say is something that’s, well, kinda sorta stupid.

I mean, I’m pretty sure I was aware of all of this when I dedicated three hours of my life in buying the car, much less signing the ridiculous amount of paperwork to buy the car. But, you know, thanks for the advice. Any other unsolicited information you’d like to give me? Make sure I brush my teeth? Remind me when I need to pee next? Lock me in a dark closet for my life since I’m obviously incapable of understanding life?

That’s what I thought.

Anywho, after feigning off stupid comments from friends, family and others, I’ve finally made it home in my spotless, NOT FREE car and was excited to tear into several of these cupcakes.

Summertime is a time for ice cream, and Drumsticks are my family’s favorite ice cream treat of choice. The crunchy sugar cones, the sweet and salty nuts + chocolate shell combo, the creamy ice cream… it’s all awesome together and I could (very easily) eat an entire box. It’s hard to keep ’em around since suddenly, we lose all self-control when that royal blue box makes its way in our freezer.

I wanted to pay tribute to one of my fave treats, and these Drumstick Cupcakes definitely went above + beyond my expectations. But, in playing on being obvious, they are not actually Drumsticks, but they are the next best thing–and that’s even more apparent, methinks 🙂

Drumsticks Cupcakes

1 box vanilla cake mix
1 small box sugar free/fat free vanilla instant pudding mix
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 boxes sugar cones
1/2 pkg milk chocolate almond bark
About 1 cup chopped peanuts (the sundae topping kind)
Vanilla Buttercream (recipe & ingredients follow)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with about 14-16 liners and set aside. Take a sugar cone and gently shave off a good inch or so of the top of the cone with a serrated knife. Put the shaved off pieces into a food processor and leave the now mini cones off to the side. Pulse the cone pieces in the processor until finely ground. Mix together the ground cone pieces + the melted butter until blended.
2. Press a heaping Tablespoon of cone “crust” into the bottom of each muffin cup. Meanwhile, prepare cake mix according to package directions, stirring the dry pudding into the cake batter. Portion batter evenly among muffin tins, filling about 3/4 full. Bake the cakes for approx. 15-18 mins or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Vanilla Buttercream

2/3 cup butter, softened
1 Tbsp milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, milk and vanilla until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, about a cup at a time, until frosting is thick yet fluffy.
2. Pipe the frosting high onto cooled cupcakes. Freeze the frosted cakes for about 30 minutes to harden and set the frosting.

Assembly

1. Melt the chocolate bark until smooth and melted (about 1 minute). Dip the top of each frosted cupcake into the chocolate bark, allowing excess to drip off. Immediately sprinkle the coated cupcakes with peanuts.
2. Take your reserved mini cones and lightly dip the mouth of the cone in chocolate, then gently press the dipped cone into the cake. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes. Serve immediately. These will keep for another day in the fridge, but the cones will get quite soft. Best served the same day.

You could most certainly put the classic chocolate in the center of these cakes; just prepare some chocolate pudding, core the cupcakes after baking, and put a spoonful of pudding in the center, then prepare as normal. Easy!

These taste awesome! My favorite part is–hands down–the chocolate and nut combo. SO good. I hope you enjoy!

xo, Hayley