I’ll admit, I’m not the greatest ever baker – but I can make things look cute. So, in the spirit of the holiday season, I created these lovable snowmen cupcakes (which were actually delicious). Being a slightly handicapped baker, I teamed up with Ina Garten, whose Barefoot Contessa mixes are fabulous. Seriously – you can’t go wrong with them. I used the mix for coconut cupcakes, since I used shavings to emulate snow, but you can whip up any sort of batter you’d like.
For the snowmen, you’ll need:
Normal-sized Marshmallows
Chocolate Sprinkles
Orange Slice Candies
Chocolate Candies (optional)
Toothpick (or a wooden kabob stick – I was desperate)
A Witness to Observe Your Greatness (hence boyfriend’s cat)
Warm water
1. After your cupcakes are in the oven and your frosting is made, you can start on the fun part. Each snowman consists of two marshmallows. For the heads, you’ll want to cut about 1/4th of the marshmallow off. Dab frosting on the cut end and secure to a whole marshmallow.
2. Taking your toothpick (because you’re a prepared baker with a well stocked kitchen), poke holes for eyes and buttons. The spike is bound to get sticky, so run it under warm water after you’ve created each hole. Insert a sprinkle into the holes for buttons and eyes.
3. For the nose, you really only need a few orange candies (for ten cupcakes, I only used ½ of one). Slice an orange candy in half and then begin making long triangular pieces. When you’re ready to put them onto the faces, cut off the end that is coated with sugar to reveal the gelatin bit – that’s what sticks to the marshmallows (quite well too).
4. I found these chocolate candies that sort of looked like berets. This was my guinea snowman. Cute for sure, but I wasn’t completely sold on the idea, so he’s the odd man out.
5. After frosting the cupcakes, stick a snowman on top of each and sprinkle a blanket of fluffy snow – er – coconuts shavings around each.
So there you have it: adorable cupcakes that are totally delicious and super simple to make. Furthermore, they’re so cute that kids of all ages love them, making them a perfect option for any holiday gathering!
About the Author:
“Katie Straw” is the writer at Cheesecake.com, which provides an epic cheesecake experience, and currently resides in Manchester, New Hampshire.