Snow Nice to Eat You

EOPLE WHO SAY "I don't eat sweets" don't make sense to me. It doesn't make me think they're better or healthier or that they have more self control. It actually makes me feel sorry for them because they don't seem like happy people. And because I love desserts. They're good when I wake up, they're good supplements to my meal, and they're especially good right before I pass out in my bed. 

The smallest nibble of a cookie or mouthful of cake can comfort me when no thought, person, event, or form of therapy can. I've seen people who seem like they would never be friends smile over a cupcake, which makes me wonder... why do people even act like peace isn't possible? And these people who allegedly do not eat sweets, do they know what they're missing?

As you might be able to guess, I had a craving one week and a perfect occasion not to gobble them up all by myself. I made some chocolate cupcakes and used festive Christmas toppers I received last year to adorn them. Dust on some powdered sugar and voila!—snow wonder they're so cute, right? It's like staring at a miniature Winter Wonderland.

Pine and dandy Christmas cupcakes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup butter, slightly softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• powdered sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
2. Combine butter and sugar with a mixer at medium speed for 4 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, then alternately add dry mixture and buttermilk to sugar and butter mixture.
3. Bake at 350° for 17 minutes, then remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Lightly sprinkle powdered sugar (I like to use a tea strainer for this if you don't own a sugar duster) over cooled cupcakes. Yields 12 cupcakes. The "snow" may "melt" a little so it might work better if you spread some buttercream frosting on them first.

Happy Feasting!

Margaret