Enjoy this creative, perhaps even divine, recipe from our friends at Hello, Cupcake!
Directions
- Draw a 3 inch leaf shape on a piece of paper. Line several cookie sheets with wax paper. Place the template under the wax paper. Arrange 12 of the vanilla wafers, flat side up, on one of the cookie sheets.
- Place the candy melts in a ziplock bag. Do not seal the bag. Microwave for 10 seconds to soften. Massage the candy in the bag and return to the microwave. Repeat the process until the candy is smooth, about 30 seconds. Press out the excess air and seal the bag. Snip a 1/8 inch corner from the bag. Pipe an outline of the template. Fill in extra lines of the melted candy inside the outline to create the wings. While the candy is still wet, sprinkle lightly with some of the table sugar. Repeat to make 26 pieces (they are fragile so make extra). Place in the refrigerator until set, about 5 minutes.
- Reheat the candy if it becomes too firm for several seconds in the microwave. Pipe a dot of candy in each of the vanilla wafers on the cookie sheet. Place the end of a pretzel stick into the candy, then sandwich together with another vanilla wafer, flat side down. Refrigerate until set, about 5 minutes.
- Tint 1/2 cup of the vanilla frosting yellow with the food colouring. Tint 2 tablespoons of the vanilla frosting red with the food colouring. Spoon each colour and the chocolate frosting into separate ziplock bags. Press out the excess air and seal the bags.
- Trim the tops of the standard cupcakes to make level if necessary. Spread some of the remaining vanilla frosting on top of the cupcakes. Place the cookie on top and invert. Add a dot of frosting and add the mini cupcake, top side down (this is the body). Spread a thin layer of frosting over the stacked cupcakes to cover. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
- Spoon the remaining vanilla frosting into a ziplock bag, press out the excess air and seal the bag. Snip a small corner from the bag and pipe a wavy line, about 3/4 inch wide, along the bottom edge of the cupcake at the base.
- Sprinkle the work surface with some of the yellow sugar. Flatten a yellow spice drop and roll out in the yellow sugar to a 1 1/2 inch circle. Repeat with the remaining spice drops. Cut the spice drops into 1 1/4 inch semi circle crescents to make the halos.
- Sprinkle a clean work surface with some of the white table sugar. Press 10 of the white spice drops together and roll out with a rolling pin, coating with more sugar if necessary, to make a 6-inch circle about 1/16inch thick. Repeat with the remaining sugar and spice drops. Use a clean pair of decorative scissors or plain scissor to cut a decorative edge on each circle for the hem. Reroll the scraps with more sugar and cut out twenty-four 2-by-2-by-1-inch triangles for the sleeves.
- Using a round toothpick, poke a small hole in the centre of each spice-drop circle. Place 1 circle on top of each set of stacked cupcakes, hole at the top, and make soft folds in the spice-drop gown. Press down slightly to secure. Using a serrated knife, cut a 3/4 inch length from each end of the bread sticks. You will have 24 pieces. Place a dot of vanilla frosting at the top of each triangle-shaped sleeve and attach to the gown at shoulder level, one at each side, pointed end toward the back. Use a dot of frosting to attach the bread-stick ends under the edge of the sleeves, rounded side out.
- Snip very small corners form the bags with the coloured frostings. Pipe the eye lashes with the chocolate frosting and a small “O” for the mouth with the red frosting. Pipe a wavy edge of vanilla frosting around the top of the gown for the collar and on the edge of each sleeve. Insert the vanilla wafer head, pretzel end down, in the top of the cupcake, leaving a 1/4 inch of the pretzel exposed to make the neck.
- Pipe curly hair with the yellow frosting all over the vanilla wafer. Add the yellow spice drop on top the top as the halo. Pipe small dots of vanilla frosting and add the dragee if desired.
- Gently peel the candy wings form the wax paper. Reheat the bag of candy melts in the microwave, massaging the bag, until smooth. Pipe a dot of candy on the back of the angel body. Add 2 candy wings to the candy, holding or propping the wings until candy is set. Add another dot of candy to secure. Repeat with the remaining candy and wings.