Gingerbread and chocolate are two of Hello, Cupcakes! favourite flavours. The almost instant ganache (made by zapping store-bought icing in a microwave) makes it easy to get the sophisticated candy-coated sheen. It might take a little practice to get the white frosting to bridge the gaps between the cupcakes, but if it breaks just go back to the broken end and start piping again. The still-soft frosting will melt into itself and heal the break.
Directions
- Spoon the vanilla frosting into a ziplock bag. Spoon the chocolate frosting into a 2 cup microwave safe glass bowl or measuring cup. Microwave the chocolate frosting in the measuring cup, stirring frequently, until frosting is the texture of slightly whipped cream -- about 20 to 30 seconds. Hold cupcakes by the paper liner and dip the tops, one at a time, into the thinned chocolate frosting just up to the paper liner. Allow the excess frosting to dip off. Invert and let stand. Reheat the frosting for several seconds in the microwave, stirring well, if it begins to thicken.
- Arrange a group of 7 cupcakes each to make 3 gingerbread boys. Make sure the cupcakes are lightly touching each other (see photo) on a serving platter or cookie sheet (3 cupcakes placed in a vertical row to make the head and body, 2 on either side of bottom cupcake to make the feet, and a cupcake on either side of the second cupcake to make the hands).
- Snip a small corner from the bag with the vanilla frosting. Pipe the outline of the gingerbread boy along the outer edge of each the cupcake group. Pipe 3 dots of vanilla frosting down the center of body cupcakes and add the spice drops to make the buttons. Add the green candies for the eyes. Pipe a vanilla frosting mouth.