Last Sunday was the last day of my kids’ weekly ski lesson program at the Dartmouth Skiway. There was a party to celebrate a terrific ski season and I brought these cupcakes. I set them on the table laden with goodies and they were literally gone in less than 5 minutes.

Hurry up and make these before we have to start thinking about the beach. They are not difficult to do, but you need to set aside a little chunk of time to do the hats.

So cute. You’ll love having all these snowmen sitting on your kitchen counter looking at you. Eye promise.

Snowman Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Your favorite cupcake recipe (or you can try the one I used printed below)
Buttercream Icing (your favorite or the one below)
24 Oreo cookies
24 Large marshmallows
Chocolate Candy Melts-about 3 cups to dip the hats
Black liquid candy color (.5 oz)
Pearl sugar decoration or white non pareils
Candy eyes (1/2 inch size)
Round cherry sour candies

Directions:

1. Bake Cupcakes.

2. Make Icing.

3. Melt candy melts and add the black candy color.

3. Cut the bottom quarter off of each marshmallow and attach it to an Oreo using the melted chocolate. Allow to set.

4. Dip the “hat” into the chocolate and place on a wax paper covered baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with pearl deco. (I found it very helpful to have a helper sprinkle the deco since my hands were a chocolately mess and I could keep them that way). Let them harden.

5. Pipe the icing onto the cupcake in swirls. Top with a hat. Add two eyes and a red nose.

6. Sing Frosty The Snowman even though it is almost spring.

Snowman Cupcakes from Confessions Of A Cookbook Queen

Tie Dye Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 pkg (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup mini M&Ms

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.

2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more.

3. Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners and scoop some M&Ms on top.

4. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool before frosting.

Makes about 24 (I got 30!)

Recipe from Cupcakes! From The Cake Mix Doctor

Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:

I lb butter, softened
8 cups confectioners’ sugar (you might need less)
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup milk

1. Put butter, milk and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer.

2. Mix on low speed until it just starts to come together, about a minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Increase to medium low speed and beat for about another minute.

3. Increase mixer speed to medium high and beat for about another minute or so.

4. Add 4 cups powdered sugar. Beat on low speed until sugar is just barely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and increase speed slowly to medium. Beat for about a minute. Add 3 more cups of sugar, a cup at a time and continue to beat.

5. At this point, you want to check your consistency. If icing does not hold its shape well enough to pipe, add more sugar and continue to beat until it is fluffy.

Buttercream recipe adapted from Confessions Of A Cookbook Queen.

There is more than one Colin in my life who also happens to be a King.

Here’s a c-c-c cupcake dedication to my beloved Mr. Darcy.

Think spring and sing about winter. Just for the cupcakes’ sake.
Billy Idol-Frosty The Snowman

By all means dance with your snowman if the urge strikes.
Fred Astaire-Top Hat, White Tie, And Tails

Cheers!