Instructions on Building Cupcake Characters

Yes, I thought I would show instructions on how I built these only because I think I did them a little wrong, but I am learning while I go... so we can all help each other. Yes, I gave up when it came to Big Bird. (My kids don't care! Why should you!) Ok, here we go....

I baked half the brownies in paper cups, and the other half straight in the pan because you have to throw away the paper anyways. So that just skips that step of having to take the paper off. You need two cupcakes to assemble the characters together, one on top of the other.

So I frosted the top of the cupcake in the paper cup and stuck a toothpick in for added 'stability' and then put the other cupcake upside down on top of this one. (This is the part where I wasn't sure if it went on upside down or right side up.) Mom will have to correct me on this!

Then I took my sharpest, thin knife (Cutco peanut-butter knife) and cut out the mouths. The bigger the cut, the happier the smile!

Since they all have big gaps in between, I gave them all a collar of icing that a piped through a big piping tip so it went fast. Then I added a little more on the side and blended it all smooth. (Somewhat smooth!)

You don't have to add more to the side, but I did so that the hair would stick onto the cupcake better once I started to pipe it on.

Here it is smoothed up the sides. It also helped form the body better.

I added a big drop to the top to give it a more round shape to the head, but seriously, who are we kidding? If its made of sugar, and cute, the kids love it. (I'm just anal -no need to tell me!)

Then with piping tip #233 I piped all the hair on. I will be honest, it takes forever. Also, I don't know the best frosting to use yet, and making red is a pain in the butt - and stains everything! So I have used regular vanilla icing, whipped icing, and cream cheese icing from the store, all of which are too soft. Then I made my own royal icing, and bought 'decorators' icing from the craft store, both of which were freaking too hard!

I used a normal round piping tip to make the white of the eyes, and mini-chocolate chips for the pupil. I also bought a tube of black icing and put a round tip on the end, screwed it on, and the kids loved piping their own eyeballs. The nose here is an awful orange, but I didn't want to buy one from the store, now I wish that I had! (Anal - I know!)

But my kids loved it, and after giving up control (to some degree), I let them make their own. No, I cannot bring myself to share pictures of those, besides, I forgot to take them! But we delivered all of them to the neighbors because it seems everybody, except for the kids are on a diet here! But the kids loved sharing them and the neighbors loved eating them!

I loved Cookie Monster - no nose - no uni-brown - no tongue. Quick and easy! But I used a star piping tip, and the frosting was way to soft and creamy, (this is the cream cheese one) so this just looks gooey. But I think Cookie Monster was still stinkin' cute, and I think my favorite! My kids want to make more so we may have updates soon! Fun & Yum!