Dinosaur Cupcakes

• 24 One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes (page 152)
• Swiss Meringue Buttercream (page 304)
• Gingerbread Cookie Cutouts (page 320)
• 24 rolled-paper lollipop sticks (4-inch)
• Orange and brown gel-paste food colors
• Green gummy candy, such as Swedish fish
• 72 candy-coated chocolate eggs

1. Make gingerbread cookie cutouts, using a 5- to 7-inch dinosaur-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes, and placing a lollipop stick under each shape, in the center (press lightly to adhere), before chilling and baking as directed.
2. Using gel-paste food colors, tint 1 cup buttercream pale orange, 1/2 cup deep orange, and the remaining pale brown.
3. Transfer pale orange buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip (#7), and dark orange to a pastry bag fitted with another small plain tip (#3).
4. Using an offset spatula, spread pale brown buttercream over each cupcake.
5. Insert the stick of a cookie into each cupcake.
6. Pipe small pale orange spikes along the top ridge of each dinosaur cookie (squeeze out a dot of frosting, then release while pulling up to end with a pointed peak), and pipe tiny deep orange spikes alongside, at the point where the larger ones meet.
7. With a paring knife, cut grass from green gummy candy, with some spears longer than others.
8. Arrange 3 candy eggs beside each dinosaur cookie, and stick a few pieces of candy grass in among the eggs.
9. Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow frosting to set.
10. Cupcakes are best served the same day they are decorated; keep at room temperature.

chocolate cupcakes, swiss meringue buttercream, cutouts, rolledpaper, orange and, green gummy candy, chocolate eggs

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/dinosaur-cupcakes-389910 (may not work)