Happy, Happy Birthdays

This weekend my husband's family and I are celebrating the birthday of a very special lady. My husband's grandma, a very sweet little lady (who actually reminds me of my departed Gran Gran) is turning 80 years young!
And because of course you simply can't have a birthday celebration without some yummy food to eat I offered to bring an assortment of cookies. I decided on just the fan favorites. Classic peanut butter, chocolate chip. That sort.

But I also wanted to do something extra and a little more birthday related.
Because, well, why not?

So I racked my brain and thought, I'll do sugar cookies. And I'll decorate them like little birthday cakes.
But then I thought about it some more and realized that I resort to sugar cookies for everything. Don't get me wrong, they're delicious. Especially when they're decorated. But I make them all the time.
What could I do differently?

Maybe something with sprinkles?
So I started scouring Pinterest for a good funfetti cookie recipe. And once again, I found sugar cookies.
Arg!

I felt like maybe I was just meant to do darn sugar cookies. Phooey.

I was resigned. I made sure I had the extra ingredients on my shopping list and was set to make them on Friday. (Yes, I'm actually writing this in advance.) But I still really didn't want to make sugar cookies. No matter how much the person who created the recipe promised they wouldn't disappoint.

Then, the other day as I was pulling a cookie sheet out of my cupboard
(which I desperately need to organize better) I had to shuffle my square brownie tin out of the way.
Lightbulb!
I could make cupcakes! Square cupcakes!

Which I suppose would actually, in reality, be mini cakes. And I could still do funfetti. And I could still decorate them like little birthday cakes. Fun!

So I looked through my Pinterest board of baked goodies and found the vanilla cupcake recipe. Which you can find here: http://natashaskitchen.com/2012/06/29/perfect-vanilla-cupcake-recipe/

Time to get baking!

Oh these are going to be so good!

I really wanted to try my hand at marshmallow fondant for these little cakes. But I'm really not sure if I'll have the time to get it done right.
Should I still go for it?

I think... Yes!

I'll have to leave this for tonight, but rest assured I will continue this in the morning. I just can't leave you all hanging!