Perfect Frosting a.k.a. Flour Frosting

I know, it sounds weird doesn't it?  But honestly, when I saw the picture of this frosting over at Our Best Bites I knew it was worth a try.  These girls don't mess around with mediocre food so even though I was worried a little bit I moved forward confident that they wouldn't steer me wrong. 

 I love frosting, but I am not good at making it.  So attempting yet another recipe that is supposed to be easy and tasty made me a bit nervous (my track record is not good, not good at all!)  Then there were the ingredients--I was leery of the flour, would the final product taste like raw cookie dough?  I was leery of the granulated, yes granulated, sugar, would the final product be gritty?  The answer was no to both.  I got a light, fluffy, creamy frosting that wasn't overly sweet and doesn't crust up like some butter creams do.  It was the perfect topping for my 4th of July cupcakes.

 Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Filling

Recipe Source: ourbestbites.com

**Cook's Note: I am very generous with my frosting as you can see from the pictures.  If you are like me, you may want to double your recipe in order to have enough for all of your cupcakes. 

3 T Flour

1/2 C milk (whole milk is best, but I used non-fat when it's all I have and it's actually fine)

1/2 C real butter

1/2 C sugar (that's granulated sugar, not powdered sugar)

1 t vanilla extract, or other flavor if you wish.

Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. This is the critical point for any of you who have had problems with this recipe.  Let it cook, while stirring, until it looks like pudding (you should be able to see the bottom of the pan when you stir it).  Push through a strainer to remove any lumps and allow to cool completely.  If you don't, it will melt your butter and sugar mixture.

In an electric stand mixer, using a whisk attachment, beat the butter and the sugar until well combined and fluffy.  Then while beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla. Beat on the highest speed you can (it may look strange at first as the flour mixture and butter start to combine, but just let your mixer keep working for you and it will all come together) for at least 7 minutes. It may take longer, but I found the longer it mixed the fluffier it became.

Tips from Our Best Bites
1. Use real butter, and a good name-brand. Cheap butter does weird things. (**Cook's note, my butter was fine, it was a store brand and the cheapest I could find)

2. If you beat for the 6-8 minutes and the mixture still looks strange, beat longer and at a higher speed if you can. It should come together, but it takes a little patience!

3. Store at room temperature in a sealed container. Frosting may separate in the fridge, but you can store it overnight if left at room temp and in a well sealed container.

Total Cost-$.69!
Butter $.54

Flour $.02

Sugar$.05
Milk$.08
Vanilla Free