LION AND LAMB CUPCAKES

Lion and Lamb Cupcakes image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Yield Makes 24

Number Of Ingredients 11

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Swiss Meringue Buttercream for March Cupcakes
Pink food coloring
2 1/2 tablespoons chocolate chips, melted
Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing
2 ounces mini marshmallows, halved crosswise
6 full-sized marshmallows, halved lengthwise, then diagonally to create lamb ears
24 brown mini candy-coated chocolates
3 pieces pink bubblegum, cut into 12 small triangles
Toasted Coconut
12 white gumdrops, halved
1 bag licorice laces, cut into 1-to 1/2-inch lengths

Steps:

Measure 1/2 cup buttercream, and tint with pink food coloring to desired shade; transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip; set aside. Divide remaining buttercream equally between two bowls. Into one bowl, stir melted chocolate; set aside.
Frost half of the cupcakes with the plain buttercream for the lambs, and half with the chocolate buttercream for the lions: set aside.
For the lamb cupcakes: Arrange the halved mini marshmallows around the perimeter of each plain-buttercream cupcake, in two concentric circles. Leave room for ears on the edges, and an empty circle in the center for the face. Place halved full-sized marshmallows in reserved spots for the ears. Place two mini chocolate candies in upper half of each empty circle to make the eyes, and a bubble gum triangle for the nose.
For the lion cupcakes: Press coconut into the edge of the chocolate-buttercream on the cupcake to create a mane. On each cupcake, pipe a small dot of pink buttercream in the center to form a nose, then arrange two gumdrop halves on either side of the nose for cheeks. Stick three licorice pieces into buttercream on either side of cheeks for whiskers. Place two mini chocolate candies over gumdrops for eyes.