Holiday Cupcakes (Sandra Lee)

Prep Time: 45 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Ready In: 55 Minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

white cranberry juice

1 container white icing

4 cupcakes

royal icing, recipe follows

4 blue colored candy canes, u shape broken off to make a cup handle and straight part broken into small pieces

4 cupcakes

1/2 container white icing

6 large marshmallows

4 small thin pretzel sticks or tooth picks

royal icing, recipe follows

cake decorating dots

orange slice jelly candy, cut into tiny wedges for the nose

4 cupcakes

1/2 container white icing

4 large yogurt covered pretzels

8 blue candy covered chocolates or blue jelly beans

fruit roll-up (recommended: fruit by the foot)

4 red gum drops

2 large egg whites or 5 tablespoons meringue powder

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

food coloring, if desired

Directions:

1. For the cupcakes:
2. Bake according to package instructions for cupcakes, adding 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract to batter and substituting white cranberry juice for water.
3. For the Peppermint White Hot Chocolate CUP cakes:
4. Fill a zip top bag with icing. Snip a small corner of the bag and pipe icing onto each cupcake to look like whipped cream on top of the cup .
5. To add peppermint handle for the cup :
6. Poke a small hole in the side of each cupcake using a chopstick or tooth pick and fill the hole with royal icing. Insert one end of the U shape candy cane piece into hole and the other end into the icing to make your cup cake. Sprinkle with crushed candy cane pieces.
7. For the Snowman Cupcakes:
8. Using a butter knife or spatula, lightly frost the cupcakes.
9. Flatten a large marshmallow on waxed paper with the palm of your hand. Cut a second marshmallow in half horizontally, then stack the first half flat on the first marshmallow to form a torso then the second on it's side for a head. Thread a pretzel stick or toothpick through the bottom to secure marshmallows and stick into cupcake top.
10. Use royal icing to attach cake decorating dots as eyes and buttons. Add a wedge cut from an orange slice candy for a nose.
11. For the Reindeer Cupcakes:
12. Using a butter knife or spatula, lightly frost each cupcake.
13. Break the pretzels in half, and insert into the top of each cupcake for antlers. Use blue candy covered chocolates to make eyes. Cut fruit by the foot to make a mouth and place the red gumdrop in the center for the nose.
14. With a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the lemon juice or extract until frothy. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, smooth, and shiny. Turn to high and beat approximately 5 minutes until stiff and glossy. Add food coloring, if desired, and transfer to a pastry bag to pipe onto cookies or cakes.

By RecipeOfHealth.com