Violet Candy Contest Finalists

OK, here we go!

From the dozens of submissions to the Violet Candy Contest, we have narrowed it down to three finalists.  It took us a few days to get them all made and photographed, but we’ve finally finished.  So, here are their submissions, in no particular order.

1.  Michael said, “First, I would make a fresh lavender cupcake. For the top, I’d make a lemon buttercream frosting. To decorate them, I’d crush some of the violet candies together with some fresh lavender to make a shiny/sparkly Violet/Lavender dust to sprinkle on top of the buttercream and top each with one of the violet candies. Mmmm, my mouth is watering.”

Here’s what we came up with:

2.  These cupcakes are Mickey’s suggestion.  She said: “What a neat contest! Those candies sure are elegant, just like their naturally beautiful origins! I think of spring and their cute little faces lighting up our walkway at our home i grew up in back in Wisconsin. On that note, you must highlight their delicate features and keep the little flower in tact. If it were me, I would make something that is reminiscent of spring- berries, lemon, fresh clean flavors come to mind, lightness…. Perhaps simply a meyer lemon cupcake with a subtle vanilla bean “buttercream”, maybe with a fresh strawberry filling secretly inside! The frosting would have to be perfectly smooth and rounded and place one little violet on top, maybe with a mini sprig of lavender or thyme behind it, to keep it in the garden-new life- spring is here theme. I like the idea of a pretty ivory top with the bold purple violet and a little green. cute! I can almost taste it…..

This is what we came up with for Mickey’s cupcakes:

3.  And, last but not least, Gertie said, “Golly, there are so many great ideas posted. I too think of lemon frosting over vanilla cupcakes. But here is an alternative idea: Violet candy reminds me of the cheap perfume oil I used to buy in New Orleans and wear to the bars. Red velvet rose-flavored cup cakes with orange-vermouth flavored icing (dyed orange), topped with a plastic king cake baby surrounded by violet candies. I also thought gold nonpareils and perhaps a streak of glitter would be a nice touch.

Well, Gertie, we found king cake babies, vermouth, rosewater, and edible glitter.  We couldn’t, however, find any gold nonpareils.  Sorry about that.  Hopefully we did justice to your cupcakes, anyway!

 

So, now we need your help!  Please go to the comments section of this post and let us know which entry you like the best!  Vote as often as you want until midnight on Sunday, March 13, 2011.  The winner will receive a batch of their cupcakes, baked by us and mailed to them.  Oh, and all the finalists will win a tin of the Violet Candies.

So please vote often for the next ten days, and we really look forward to seeing who wins!

Love,

Ian