Hello, Cupcake! I Love You Pictogram

Hello, Cupcake! I Love You Pictogram


What you need:

12 cupcakes in Reynolds® Baking Cups (Red and Pink Foil, Pink Damask Baked for You™)
2 cans (16 ounces each) ready-to-spread vanilla frosting
Red food coloring
1 tube (4.25 ounces) brown decorating frosting
4 green sour gummy rings
4 mini chocolate kisses
1/2 cup red, white and pink heart sprinkles
4 thin pretzel sticks
4 sugar coated gummy hearts
16 chocolate taffies, (Tootsie Rolls®)
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 red fruit chew
1 tube (4.25 ounces) black decorating frosting

Instructions:

DIVIDE the frosting between 3 bowls. Tint one bowl bright pink with a few drops of red food coloring, one bowl light pink with a drop of red food coloring and the remaining bowl leave white. Keep the bowls covered to prevent drying.

MAKE the EYE

  1. Spread the top of 4 of the cupcakes with the bright pink frosting and make smooth.
  2. Press the pointed end of one chocolate kiss down into the center of a green sour ring. Turn over and fill-in spaces with a dot of the chocolate tube frosting.
  3. Arrange the EYE on top of the frosted cupcake.
  4. Pipe eye lashes with the chocolate tube frosting along the top edge of the sour ring.
  5. Repeat with the remaining 3 frosted cupcakes.

MAKE the LOVE

  1. Place the heart sprinkles in a small shallow bowl.
  2. Spread the tops of 4 cupcakes with the light pink frosting and make smooth.
  3. Press the edge of the cupcakes in the sprinkles to coat.
  4. Press a pretzel stick into the flat side of the sugared heart for support. Insert the pretzel stick into the cupcake, trimming if it is too long, to support the heart candy on top of the cupcake.
  5. Repeat with the remaining 3 cupcakes and hearts.

MAKE the EWE

  1. Cut the marshmallows in half crosswise with clean scissors.
  2. Cut 8 of the Tootsie Rolls in half lengthwise to make the legs. Heat the remaining 8 Tootsie Rolls in the microwave for no more than 3 seconds to soften.
  3. Press 2 Tootsie rolls together and shape to make the head and ears.
  4. Repeat with the remaining Tootsie Rolls.
  5. Soften the red fruit chew in the microwave for no more than 3 seconds. Cut into 4 small pieces. Shape each piece into a small 1/2 inch bow.
  6. Working on one cupcake at a time. Spread the vanilla frosting on top of a cupcake. Arrange 4 pieces of the Tootsie Rolls to make the legs of the sheep slightly over hanging the side of the cupcake.
  7. Press the cut marshmallows, cut side down all over the cupcake to cover.
  8. Place the Tootsie Roll head on top, securing with a dot of vanilla frosting if necessary and pipe the eyes and nose with the black decorating frosting.
  9. Add the red bow to the top of the head.
  10. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes and candies.

Makes 12 cupcakes, or 4 sweet messages

Image and instructions courtesy of Karen Tack and Alan Richardson of Hello, Cupcake! and What's New, Cupcake? Books