Little Lamb Pull-Apart Cupcakes
- 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 pounds (2 boxes) confectioners' sugar
- Pinch fine salt
- 24 devil's food cupcakes
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 to 3 teaspoons almond extract
- Green food coloring
- 5 licorice wheels, such as Haribo
- Combine the butter, sugar and salt using an electric mixer on low speed until mostly incorporated.
- Add the milk and almond extract, increase the speed to medium-high and mix until light and fluffy.
- Take 3/4 cup of the frosting and reserve.
- Take 1 cup of the frosting and add 8 to 10 drops of green food coloring to make a grassy color and reserve.
- Fill a pastry bag or resealable plastic baggie with the remaining frosting and snip a 1-inch corner off the bag.
- To make the body: Place 5 of the cupcakes in a line.
- Nestle 4 cupcakes above the line and 4 more cupcakes below the line, making them touch so you have a rough oval shape.
- Top each cupcake with a swirl of white frosting from the piping bag.
- Then pipe smaller peaks to fill all of the spaces between the cupcakes.
- To make the head: Put 3 cupcakes together in an upside-down triangle.
- Spread with 1/2 cup of the reserved white frosting so that all of the cupcakes are connected.
- To make the ears: Cut 1 cupcake in half, paper and all.
- Set each half, cut-side in, on either side of the bottom of the triangle.
- Spread 1/2 tablespoon of white frosting on top.
- Cut 1 licorice wheel in half and place, cut-side in, on each half cupcake.
- Now, pipe little swirls all over the top third of the head and around the outsides of the licorice ears.
- Nestle the head into the shoulder.
- To make the face: Peel off a 3-inch strip of licorice.
- Pull apart into 2 strands and cut into 1-inch lengths.
- Place 2 of them on the head for eyes.
- Make a Y shape with 3 pieces and place so the bottom point is centered at the bottom edge of the face.
- Discard (or eat) the fourth piece.
- To make the legs: Put 2 cupcakes into the first and third gaps on the bottom row of the body.
- Spread some frosting on each cupcake.
- Top each leg with a whole licorice wheel.
- Cut another wheel in half place one half under each wheel for the hooves.
- To make the grass: Line the remaining 5 cupcakes horizontally under the legs.
- Spread half of the green frosting in an even layer along the cupcakes, covering and connecting them.
- Next, fill the reservoir of a garlic press with some of the remaining the green frosting.
- The frosting is easiest to work with at cool room temperature.
- Press, attaching the frosting to each cupcake, while pulling upward to create grass.
- Repeat using the rest of the frosting until all of the cupcakes are covered.
butter, sugar, salt, cupcakes, milk, almond, green food coloring, licorice wheels
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/little-lamb-pull-apart-cupcakes-recipe.html (may not work)