We like to call these ornaments our press-and-play project because there's nothing tricky here. No frosting to pipe, no complicated candies to shape, no melting anything. They are as easy as frosting the cupcakes, rolling them in sugar, choosing fun candies, and then pressing them into place to make beautiful designs. It’s that easy. Make a batch for a holiday dessert or put them in gift boxes for a sweet party favor or holiday gift.
- 8 Duncan Hines Red Velvet cupcakes baked in red paper liners
- 8 Duncan Hines Red Velvet cupcakes baked in green paper liners
- 8 Duncan Hines Red Velvet cupcakes baked in white paper liners
- 2 cans (16 ounces each) Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Classic Vanilla Frosting
- 1/2 cup each green, light green, red, yellow and white decorating sugars
- 24 yellow spice drops
- Black licorice laces, cut into 1 1/4 inch pieces
- 24 thin pretzel sticks
- 1 cup mini candy coated chocolates (e.g. Mini M&M’s)
- Red hots or candy decors
- Red licorice laces (e.g. Strawberry Peel n’ Pull)
- Assortment of colored fruit chews and fruit leather (e.g. Laffy Taffy, Air Heads, Starburst, Fruit by the Foot)
- Spoon 1/2 cup of the vanilla frosting into a ziplock bag; set aside.
- Place the colored sugars into separate small bowls. Spread the tops of cupcakes with the vanilla frosting to mound slightly. Roll the tops of the cupcakes into one of the different colored sugars and coat completely.
- Cut the black licorice laces into twenty four 1 1/2" pieces. Poke a hole on either end of the spice drops with a toothpick. Bend the licorice laces in half and insert the ends into the flat side of the spice drop to make a loop. Insert an end of the pretzel stick in the rounded end of the spice drop. Press the spice drop assembly, inserting the pretzel stick all the way into the sugared cupcakes to make the top of the ornament.
- Flatten the fruit chews on a piece of wax paper with a rolling pin to a 1/8 thickness. Use clean craft scissors or regular scissors and cut the fruit chews and leather into decorative pieces. Arrange candy pieces on top of the cupcakes to make stripes and lines. Snip a small corner from the bag with the vanilla frosting and pipe dots randomly over the cupcakes and on top of the fruit chews. Press the candy coated chocolates into the frosting to secure.
- Place cupcakes in another paper liner and place into small boxes or serving platter.
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webmermaid (2 discussions) on Oct 12, 2011 at 08:49 PM
I made these last year for the first time and they were fun to make. Pretty easy! The only thing I had a problem with was the licorice hooks. They take some doing to work them in the gum drop and then they didn't want to stay in.
I used a 2" piece of licorice like the video suggested and worked them in with a toothpick since fingers didn't seem to do it.
I'd like to make them again this year. Any tips for getting them to stay in?
Thank you! =)
I used a 2" piece of licorice like the video suggested and worked them in with a toothpick since fingers didn't seem to do it.
I'd like to make them again this year. Any tips for getting them to stay in?
Thank you! =)
No Rating
Jahosacat (1 discussion) on Dec 27, 2010 at 04:26 PM
Not everyone watches the videos and remembers the instructions. I was planning to save the recipe to my PC for use next year. The lack of detailed instructions has changed that plan; I'll skip saving it.
Rating:
andielea (1 discussion) on Dec 14, 2010 at 06:05 PM
These look yummy! I think I'm going to make them for my daughter Christmas party at daycare. For those who are concerned with the lack of instructions. Click on the video link at the top right of the recipe and it shows how they decorate them. The pretzel sticks are for anchoring the spice drop hanger in the cupcake.
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lovesfood (1 discussion) on Dec 21, 2009 at 04:43 PM
I made two vanilla cake mixes. I filled 24 paper cupcake as full as I could and baked the leftovers in a small cake pan. I didn't modify the store bought cake mix like it was suggested in the video. I did use store bought frosting and I had plenty of color sugar. We don't like black licorice so we used red. An impressive recipe.
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K8e1919 (1 discussion) on Dec 17, 2009 at 01:30 PM
To make them more rounded I would make about 20 cupcakes instead of 24, making them each a little more full. After you frost them (be fairly generous with frosting, making a mound in the center), you will coat them in the sprinkles. When coating in sprinkles you can almost "shape" the top into the desired rounded look. Give it a try, it's really pretty simple!
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TurtleKreek (1 discussion) on Dec 6, 2009 at 09:18 AM
I would love to try to make these but, it seems like there are instructions missing.... How did they get the muffins so round to start with? or was there some trimming.... I don't know but, I can't figure out the instructions... too bad, would have been a nice Christmas table addition
Comment by: tylerjschmidt (no discussions) on Dec 11, 2010 at 11:20 AM
I think there are instructions missing too. I totally want to make these for a holiday party. I don't understand what the pretzel sticks do?
Comment by: sweetestangel1022 (no discussions) on Sep 13, 2011 at 03:50 PM
i think the thin pretzel sticks are used to hold the spice drop into the cupcake.
