Cupcake follow-up

Well, friends, it was quite the evening of cupcake making.  As you may recall, I set out to make 2 different kinds and endeavor upon a bunch of new techniques.  Some of them happened and some of them didn't (ahem, ganache...I apologize that I did not have the energy for you.  Another night, I promise.)  After getting chocolate EVERYWHERE, it was finally accomplished and the evidence destroyed the next day at school by students and student teacher. (It was her last day.)  I must say, I enjoyed myself overall.  I may have cursed at the double boiling technique of melting chocolate and then again at chopping chocolate (come ON, there HAS to be an easier way to do that.)  I may have also talked smack (to my kitchen) as I did something well.  Special thanks to Katie for helping document and clean up along the way.  

This is how it all started.  Also, a picture of melting that stupid chocolate.  (I've since been converted to this technique but I thought it was pretty annoying at first.  And also shouted, "You suck!" to my pan but whatever.)

 Katie, the faithful observer, eating her chocolate popsicle.  Counter-sitting company is always a must during these adventures.

The attempts at icing with the new decorating "tips".  WHY?  Why do they have to be called that?

The next 2 are of me completely losing it after reading my decorating "tips" manual.  Let me just quote it so you can understand.  

"Hold tip straight up and down to surface of cupcake.  Pipe a spiral of icing, beginning at the outer edge and working inward.  Stop pressure, pull tip away.  Pipe a second spiral on top.  End spiral by increasing pressure at center, stop pressure, pull tip away."  

Hahahahahahahahahahaha.  I mean, read that with my dirty mind and then you'll understand why I giggled hysterically for literally 10 minutes.  And then got out the "tips" and played finger puppets with them while rereading the manual in different voices.  Maybe I was tired.  Or maybe that's just me.  (Probably the latter because I just laughed again as I typed that out.)

 One of my best efforts!

Hurrah!  I did it!  (And I have chocolate all over my arm!  And in my hair!  Because I get everything in my hair! Yay for exclamation points!)

P.s. Filling a cupcake with raspberry filling was surprisingly the easiest part of the job.  Especially if you have a good tip.  Hahahahaha.
P.p.s. I'm not convinced I can tell the difference between made-from-scratch chocolate cupcakes and from-a-mix.  So that was a fun realization after 50 steps of making them.  Oh well.