Sheep Cupcakes

froglet's Note:

I mixed a few ideas to makhttp://www.recipezaar.com/members/subm/editr2.php?sid=4664933e these cupcakes, and they went down a storm at the Findon Sheep fair in Sussex, UK. You could use what ever chocolate you can find for the head, ears and legs. I thought that they looked pretty cute with just the eyes, but you could add a red icing smile or tongue, and nostrils. You can also use a little tubes of writing icing for the white and black of the eyes.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 12 cupcakes

For the cupcakes

• 225 g self-raising flour
• 175 g caster sugar
• 175 g butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons milk

To Ice

• 250 g butter, softened
• 500 g icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon hot water
• 1 tablespoon vanilla essence
• 2 cups mini marshmallows or 3 cups medium marshmallows
• 12 chocolate-covered brazil nuts
• 12 dark chocolate melts (or 12 small chocolate coins)
• 24 small chocolate chips
• 12 chocolate sticks (like Matchmakers)

Directions:

1. Baking:
2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius/350 degrees fahrenheit.
3. Sift the flour.
4. Mix all ingredients slowly, then fast, for 1 minute, until pale and creamy.
5. Spoon into muffin-sized paper cases and bake for 15-20 minutes.
6. Decorating:
7. Mix first 4 ingredients and beat until pale and creamy.
8. Pipe or spread a quantity of icing onto each cupcake, to cover the top, keeping back a small quantity to do the eyes.
9. Place 1 chocolate-covered brazil nut onto each cupcake where you would like the head to be.
10. Snap a chocolate button or coin in half and place on either side of the head as ears.
11. Snap the chocolate sticks into 4 pieces and insert each piece into the cupcake where you would like the legs to be.
12. Place marshmallows all over the rest of the icing.
13. Place 2 blobs of icing onto each brazil nut for the eyes (Or use ready-made white icing squeezy writing tubes).
14. Place a tiny chocolate chip(or a blob of black icing) onto each white eye.

Reviews

[mummamills]

these were great! had the cupcakes, large size, and two 5 yr olds to help stick on the marshmallows! we used a chocolate clinker for the face, and used melted chocolate to glue on the eyes. I got chocolate "bullets" for the legs, but ended up with a few "leg-less" sheep, as the kids said they didnt like licorice. They went down a treat at the 3 years old's party. next year I want to try the insects! they look good too!

[Milkman's Daughter]

These are adorable! I wish my children were smaller to try them out on (teens and twenties)....I may just have to do it anyway. I know they will love them. Thanks for posting.