Santa's Workshop Cupcakes

Created by our Test Kitchen home economists, these whimsical Christmas cupcakes are sure to charm young and old alike. And you can easily assemble these yummy goodies yourself following the simple, step-by-step directions here.

24 ServingsPrep: 3 hours

Ingredients

Cupcakes and miniature cupcakes of your choice
1 to 2 cans vanilla frosting (16 ounces each)
New paint brush, pencil, paper and waxed paper
BEACH BALLS:
Fruit Roll-Ups
Sour fruit hard candy balls
BLOCKS:
Alphabet cinnamon-graham cookies
Assorted food coloring
CAR PULL-TOY:
Life Savers Gummies and circus peanut candy
Candy-coated sunflower kernels
Red shoestring licorice
DOG:
Tootsie Roll Small Midgees
Fruit Roll-Up
Dragee
DRUM:
Fruit Roll-Up
Dragees
PRESENTS:
Fruit Roll-Ups
Starburst candies
TEDDY BEAR:

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Santa's Workshop Cupcakes (continued)

Ingredients (continued)

Tootsie Roll Small Midgees
Fruit Roll-Up
TRAIN:
Individual cream-filled sponge cake
Sprinkles of your choice
Candy-coated milk chocolate miniature kiss and black licorice coin
Vanilla wafer and miniature peanut butter-filled sandwich crackers
Dragees
SANTA AND ELVES:
White and chocolate candy coating
Ivory and blue paste food coloring
Red and green sprinkles
Red shoestring licorice
Candy-coated sunflower kernels
Starburst candies
Miniature marshmallows
Corn syrup
White nonpareils
Dots candies and milk chocolate M&M's
LIST:
Ready-to-use white rolled fondant
Food writing pen

Directions

For beach balls: Cut wedge shapes from Fruit Roll-Ups. Position on
each hard candy ball; press to attach.
For blocks: Attach four graham cookies with frosting to form the four
sides of a box; attach another cookie to the top. Using a paint
brush, brush food coloring over cookies to color as desired.
For car pull-toy: Using frosting, attach Life Savers Gummies to
circus peanut, forming tires. Insert a sunflower kernel into center
of each tire. For pull-rope, loop a 4 in. piece of shoestring
licorice; insert into peanut.
For dog: Place two Tootsie Rolls on a small piece of waxed paper;
microwave on high for 5-7 seconds or until softened. Break off
desired amount for body; roll into a rounded triangle shape. Roll
two smaller pieces into legs; press onto front of body to attach.
Roll another piece into an oval shape for head; attach two small
pieces for ears. Press head onto body; attach a small piece for
tail.
For collar, wrap a thin strip of Fruit Roll-Up around neck. Form

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Santa's Workshop Cupcakes (continued)

Directions (continued)

another strip of Fruit Roll-Up into a bow; press onto collar to
attach. Attach a dragee to center of bow with frosting. Pipe a small
amount of frosting for eyes.
For drum: Remove a miniature cupcake from paper liner. Place cupcake
upside-down. Spread frosting over the top and sides. Decorate drum
with thin strips of Fruit Roll-Ups. Using frosting, attach dragees
as desired.
For presents: Cut a Fruit Roll-Up into thin strips. Place two strips
widthwise around desired amount of Starburst candies; press together
at base to attach. For bow, form two Fruit Roll-Up strips into
figure eights; press together in center and press onto wrapped
candy.
For teddy bear: Place a Tootsie Roll on a small piece of waxed paper;
microwave on high for 5-7 seconds or until softened. Break off
desired amount for the body; roll into a rounded oval shape. Roll
two smaller pieces into arms and two pieces into legs. Press onto
body to attach. Roll another piece into a ball for head; attach two
small pieces for ears and one for nose. Press head onto body.
For bow, wrap a thin strip of Fruit Roll-up around neck. Form another
strip of Fruit Roll-Up into a bow; press onto ribbon to attach. Pipe
a small amount of frosting for eyes.
For train: Cut a thin slice from one end of sponge cake to allow it
to stand. Frost top and sides of sponge cake; coat with red
sprinkles. Stand on serving platter. Frost one cupcake; dip the top
in red sprinkles. Place cupcake bottom against the flat side of
sponge cake.
For smokestack, attach a miniature kiss to top of cupcake with
frosting. Attach licorice coin to center of cupcake. Attach a
vanilla wafer to sponge cake for large wheel.
For train cars, frost desired amount of miniature cupcakes; dip the
tops in sprinkles. Arrange on their sides behind the engine car.
Place a sandwich crackers at the base of each car. Pipe window and
wheel details with frosting; decorate with dragees as desired.
For Santa and elves: With a pencil and paper, draw a beard, mustache,
eyes, eye brows, ears and hair pieces. Melt white and chocolate
candy coatings in separate microwave-safe bowls; stir until smooth.
Divide white coating into three portions; tint one portion ivory and
another blue. Transfer each to a resealable plastic bag; cut a small
hole in the corner of each bag. Place waxed paper over the drawings.
Working quickly, pipe coating over designs. Using chocolate coating,
pipe a small dot into the center of each eye. Refrigerate until set.

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Directions (continued)

Frost a cupcake; dip the top in red sprinkles. For each elf, frost a
miniature cupcake; dip the top in green sprinkles. Tint a small
amount of frosting ivory. Using ivory frosting, frost a cupcake and
a miniature cupcake for each elf. Lay each ivory cupcake on its side
on top of each sprinkled cupcake; secure each with a toothpick.
Gently lift candy features from waxed paper; arrange on cupcakes.
Form smiles with shoestring licorice; use sunflower kernels for
noses.
For Santa hat, place four red Starburst candies on a small piece of
waxed paper; microwave on high for 3-5 seconds or until softened.
Place candies side by side, using a rolling pin, roll candies
together to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut into a triangle; form into a cone
shape. Press seam to seal; gently form around a small ball of
plastic wrap into a hat shape. Repeat for elf hats using three
candies for each hat.
For pom-poms, cut marshmallows in half; roll each half in corn syrup
then in nonpareils. Press onto the tip of hats and around brims.
Attach Dots candies, M&M's or additional pom-poms to elves to form
collars. Remove plastic wrap from inside hats; attach to heads with
frosting.
For list: Roll out fondant; cut a strip to form list. Write names
with food writing pen. Keep covered until ready to use.
Finishing touches: Arrange cupcakes on tiered serving platters.
Decorate with balls, blocks, cars, dogs, presents, teddy bears and
additional assorted candies as desired; gently drape list down
tiers. Yield: varies.

Editor’s Note: This recipe was tested with Newman's Own alphabet cinnamon-graham cookies.

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Santa's Workshop Cupcakes

Ingredients

Santa's Workshop Cupcakes (continued)

Ingredients (continued)

Directions

Santa's Workshop Cupcakes (continued)

Directions (continued)

Santa's Workshop Cupcakes (continued)

Directions (continued)