6.022 x 10^23 cupcakes

Happy Mole Day! Today, the 23rd of October is the date that chemists all around the world celebrate as the day of the mole. Except, rather than the animal mole (as seen in the cupcake that I baked above) they are celebrating Avagadro's number, or 6.022×10²³.  The best way to think of a mole is to think of it in the same way that we think of a dozen. Except a mole is absolutely gigantic. There is no unit for a mole because it is just a number. I can have a mole of people or a mole of bananas or a mole of eggs, just like I can have a dozen of eggs. Except a mole is huge-huge, the full number written out is 602,200,000,000,000,000,000,000. A mole is typically used in chemistry because it is able to represent molecules, atoms, and formula units, in tangible sizes. With that being said we typically run into problems with moles when we have moles of things that are not microscopic. For example a mole of average sized house cats would reach the moon and back 557,081,997,780,000 times. And a mole of blueberries would fill 8,912,560,000,000,000 olympic size swimming pools. Moles are pretty cool, especially when they give you an excuse to eat cupcakes in class. 

–

Mole Cupcakes

– The Cupcake –

Directions:

Buy a box mix from the store and bake cupcakes. (I know I know, it's sacrilege, but I was lazy and since the decorating was going to take a while I just bought the generic box mix for dark chocolate cupcakes)

– Icing –

Ingredients:
1 lb powdered sugar
½ cup softened butter
¼ cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
¾ cup Hershey's coca powder

Directions:
Mix until light and fluffy
If it gets too dry add a bit more milk
(I used a bit off food coloring to make it a darker brown)

 – Decorations –

Ingredients:
Oreo Cookies
Hersheys kisses 

Directions:
1. Unwrap a Hershey's kiss and place it in the middle (This is important to do before the 'dirt' as to let the kiss stick to the icing.
2. Remove the filling from the Oreo and put both sides of the cookie part (about one sleeve) in a ziplock bag.
2. Crush them up into little pieces so that it looks like dirt (careful not to get a hole)
3. Shape little balls with the fondant (instructions below) and put it on top of the Hershey's kiss.
4. With a larger ball shape this into tiny little hands. Place the finished hands on a tray that is covered in nonstick wax paper and put in the fridge for a bit to harden up, then put them next to the kiss as if your mole was coming up out of the ground. 

 – Fondant –

Ingredients:

(Note, for this recipe I ended up with a TON left over so I'd recommend halving it)

¼ cup softened butter

¼ cup light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla 

½ tsp salt

16 oz sifted powdered sugar (about one pound)

Directions:

1. Mix butter, suryp, vanilla and salt until smooth

2. Add powdered sugar and mix on low, gradually increasing the speed to medium until the mixture forms a ball

3. If you feel that it is still too runny add more powdered sugar, or corn starch.

4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.