Christmas Cupcakes

These were so much fun to do. For those of you who are afraid to use fondant, don't be! It's like edible playdough for grown-ups. And with a few cookie cutters, it makes some really cute cupcake toppers! These cupcakes were for fun and practice, and I wanted some Christmas designs to feature on the blog, so my husband's staff at work had a really nice week! They are always so grateful when he brings in treats.

I made 4 designs, all using fondant. The gingerbread men (on gingerbread cupcakes) were cut out of fondant and I piped icing details on top. For the holly cupcakes (red velvet cake), I cut the holly leaves out of fondant and brushed them with a metallic green luster dust. The holly berries were red hot candies. The candy canes (on peppermint cookies and cream cupcakes) I actually rolled out of fondant (then decided a real candy cane would have been just as cute and much less work - but I'm playing with techniques here). And the poinsettias (on yellow spice cupcakes) I also cut from fondant and piped the yellow centers with icing. All the cupcakes got some festive sprinkles to give a little sparkle. They were a big hit, and the perfect way to get in the mood for the holidays!