Anise/Licorice Cupcakes With Fluffy White Frosting

Ingredients

• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 14 teaspoon salt
• 12 cup unsalted butter
• Room temperature
• 1 12 cups sugar (Try Flavored Sugar or Splenda using the anise)
• 1 cup milk
• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 cup
• licorice (or Good and Plenty
• soft
• chewy drops
• nonpareil jellies and soft panned licorice balls)
• 2 egg whites
• 1/3 cup
• 1 12 cups sugar
• 12 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 18 teaspoon salt
• 13 cup water
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12 teaspoon anise extract

Instructions

1. Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and sift on to wax paper, set aside.
3. Beat butter and sugar in a mixing bowl till smooth and well blended.
4. Stir in extract and milk add to butter mixture alternating with the flour mixture.
5. In a clean blow beat egg whites till stiff but still moist.
6. Fold in gently 1/3 of the white into the batter, continue to fold in the remainder of the whites.
7. Pour into cupcake tins lined with paper cupcake holders.
8. Pour 3/4 of the way.
9. Bake for 20 minutes.
10. Meanwhile prepare Fluffy White Frosting: Combine all ingredients except vanilla and anise in the top of a double boiler over boiling water.
11. Beat with electric mixer for about 7 minutes, or until mixture will stand in stiff peaks.
12. Beat in vanilla and anise extract.
13. Cool completely then frost with a white frosting and top with your choice of licorice candy.