Holiday Holly Tree Cupcakes

Curved fondant holly leaves add dimension to this tree-shaped arrangement of mini cupcakes. Candy-coated chocolates are used for the colorful berries.

Ingredients:

• Brown Icing Color
• Kelly Green Icing Color
• Lemon Yellow Icing Color
• Ready-To-Use White Rolled Fondant
• Gum-Tex™
• White Sparkling Sugar
• Buttercream icing
• Mini candy-coated chocolates
• cornstarch
• Favorite cupcake recipe

Makes:

Each cupcake serves 1.

Techniques Used:

• Fondant Leaves

Tools:

• Mini Muffin Pan
• White Mini Baking Cups
• Holiday Mini Metal Cookie Cutter Set (holly leaf used)
• Rolling Pin
• Roll & Cut Mat
• Brush Set
• Confectionery Tool Set
• Shaping Foam
• Flower Former Set
• Nesting Star Cutter Set
• Cake Board
• Silver Fanci-Foil Wrap

Instructions:

step 1

Add 1/2 teaspoon gum-tex to 6 oz. of fondant. Tint 1 oz. yellow and 5 oz. green.

step 2

Roll yellow fondant 1/8 in. thick and cut with medium star cutter from set. Lightly brush star with water and sprinkle with white sparking sugar; let dry on cornstarch-dusted surface.

step 3

Roll green fondant 1/8 in. thick and use holly cutter from set to cut 60 leaves. Place leaves on thin shaping foam and use veining tool to imprint lines on leaves. Let leaves dry on small flower former dusted with cornstarch.

step 4

Bake and cool 26 mini cupcakes. Ice 4 cupcakes with brown buttercream and remaining 22 cupcakes with green buttercream. Position 3 holly leaves and 3 mini candy-coated chocolates on each cupcake; attach with buttercream.

step 5

Position cupcakes on board and position star on cupcake.