Use toasted coconut and Jordan almonds to create Bird's Nest Cupcakes.
Ingredients:
- 12 unfrosted cupcakes baked in brown paper liners*
- 1-1/4 cups chocolate frosting
- 1/2 cup vanilla frosting
- Yellow food coloring
- 2 cups flaked coconut, lightly toasted
- 1/2 cup thin pretzel sticks
- Jordan almonds
- 1 orange circus peanut
- 1 tube (4.25 ounces) black decorating frosting
*Brown paper liners can be purchased at Confectioneryhouse.com.
Tools:
- Scissors
- 1 freezer weight zip lock bag, 1 quart
For the cupcakes:
- Place the toasted coconut in a medium bowl. Spread the chocolate frosting on top of each cupcake to cover. Use the back of a spoon to make a shallow indentation in the center of the frosting. Roll the frosted cupcakes in the coconut to cover completely.
- Break several of the pretzel sticks in half and insert them around the outside edge of each cupcake nest to look like twigs.
- Add several Jordan almonds in the center of 8 of the nests to look the eggs.
For the chicks:
- Cut the circus peanut into 4 small beak shapes, about 3/4-inch in length.
- Tint the vanilla frosting with the food coloring to make yellow. Spoon the yellow frosting into the zip lock bag, press out the excess air and seal the bag. Snip a 1/4-inch corner from the bag.
- Pipe a small mound of the yellow frosting on top of the 4 cupcakes without eggs to make the chicks. Add the orange candy for the beak. Pipe the eyes with the black decorating frosting. Continue with the remaining cupcakes.
Serves 12