I was bored, so I whipped up some santa cupcakes. Be forewarned, this is not my average healthy dish. The strawberry is the only healthy part of this, but that's OK because Christmas doesn't count! I saw a version of santa hat cupcakes and whilst making these, I decided I wanted to make a whole santa face cupcake and this is what i came up with. I think the chitlins would approve, don't you? The best part is that they can help you make these. It's a simple boxed cupcake recipe, with candy and fruit for toppings. These would work great at a Christmas themed party or just a night in desert.
Ingredients:
Two large eggs Any boxed yellow cupcake mix or your own recipe. (Makes 12)
12 fresh strawberries. Don't use the frozen strawberries, they melt all over the place.
2 bags of m&m's or enough to make 2 eyes and 1 nose for 12 faces. (36) I used an off brand and made only 4 cupcakes.
Vanilla frosting, any kind. I used Duncan Hines.
Silver and white cupcake liners. I wish i could have found red. Definitely get red if you can. the cute factor would go up. They should make santa suit cupcake liners!
1 bag of shredded coconut
1 bottle of peppermint sprinkles
2 bars of thin white chocolate. (Room temperature so it's easier to cut) I used Lindt. Maybe even go with 3, in case you make mistakes. You need enough to make 12 small triangular beards.
Recipe:
Follow the directions on the cupcake box and put the cupcakes in the fridge.
After about an hour, take them out and apply a generous slab of frosting on each. Make sure to cover the whole top and crevices.
Take out your room temperature white chocolate and cut small beard shaped triangles. This can be tricky. I broke a few trying to get it just right. A trick i figured out from doing my Halloween project, is to heat the knife under hot water and then cut.
Once the triangles are shaped and ready, take out your strawberries, wash them, and cut the stems off so that they take the shape of a santa hat.
Apply the strawberry santa hats in the middle of the cupcake, so that they don't slide off. Then apply the M&M eyes and noses.
Then, apply the white chocolate beards. Use the frosting as a glue to adhere it to the cupcake.
Carefully put some peppermint sprinkles and shredded coconut around the whole cupcake, avoiding the eyes and mouth.
Lastly, put a dollop of frosting right on the top of the strawberry santa hat, to mimic fur.
Put the cupcakes back in the fridge and let everything stick to itself. Give it about an hour or so. Enjoy!
If the white chocolate becomes too difficult to cut the shape accurately, you may want to try marshmallow.
