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Friday, June 15, 2012

Alligator Cupcakes and Cookie Pops

Do you have an alligator lover in your life? Ever since we went on an airboat ride, the kids wanted to see an alligator again. So I made alligator cupcakes and cookie pops!


I'll start with the cookie pops since they're less time consuming.
HINT: If you are going to make both, make extra alligators (minus the sticks) for the cupcakes. It took me about 3 hours from making the cupcakes to finish decorating.

ALLIGATOR COOKIE POPS


For the Cookie Pops, you will need:
  • Nutter Butter Cookies
  • Green Candy Melts (Candy coating wafers you heat up to mold candy or coat confections)
  • Cookie/Lollipop sticks
  • Brown or Black Candy Melts
  • White Candy Melts
  • Circus Peanuts (I love these! I bought the big bag so I wouldn't eat all the raw materials.)
  • Decorating bags or Ziploc bags (for piping on eyes, nostrils, and teeth)
  • Foam block
  • Wax paper


Directions for Cookie Pops:

    1. Cut a horizontal slit in one end of a circus
         peanut and prop open. This will be the 
         mouth. Let dry for 30-40 
         minutes. I propped mine open with a 
         cookie stick.
    2.  Cover cookie sheet with wax paper.
    3.  Melt green Candy Melts. (see package 
         for directions.)
    4.  Take apart the cookie. Dip one end of 
         stick in the Melts and place on cookie. 
         Top with the other cookie side. Set on 
         cookie sheet. 
    5.  Place cookies/sticks in the fridge for 
         10 minutes to allow the Candy 
         Melts to set.
    6.  Next, dip the circus peanut in the Melts. 
         (I used a toothpick to dip them in.) Allow 
         any extra to drip off. Place peanuts on
         wax paper to set. Once they are set, you
         can use a sharp knife to trim any extra
         coating off the edges.
    7.  Once the cookies/sticks have set, dip into 
         the Candy Melts. Allow any extra coating
         to drip off. Place in foam block to set,
         then place in the fridge for 10 minutes to
         help the Candy Melts set faster.
    8.  Place Circus Peanut head onto the cookie pop. 
         You can either place head on before Melts set, 
         or use some melted Candy Melts to attach.
    9.  Melt white Candy Melts and pipe on small 
         circles for eyes. 
    10. Pipe on teeth using white Candy Melts.
    11. Melt brown or black Candy Melts. Pipe on 
          pupils and nostrils.
    12. Let set.
    13. Enjoy!

    Alternatives:
    • Eyes: 
      • Use melted white and dark chocolate chips to pipe on eyes and teeth. 
      • Buy white Candy Melts and color yourself using Candy Colors.
      • Use mini chocolate chips (pointed side down) to create eyes.


    ALLIGATOR CUPCAKES

    You will need:
    • 1 box white or yellow cake mix (plus ingredients listed on back of box)
    • Blue cupcake/muffin wrappers
    • Blue icing (or color your own white icing with blue food coloring or gel icing coloring to get the shade you want)
    • Blue sugar sprinkles, optional
    • Green sugar sprinkles, optional
    • Swedish Fish (or other gummy fish), optional
    • Candy Eyes
    • Nutter Butter cookies
    • Circus Peanuts
    • Green Candy Melts
    • White Candy Melts
    • Brown or Black Candy Melts
    • Green Fruit Loops
    • Wax Paper
    • Decorating bag or Ziploc bag

    Directions for Cupcakes:
    1. Line muffin pan with blue cupcake or muffin wrappers.
    2. Mix cake mix according to box directions.
    3. Fill wrappers with batter.
    4. Bake and cool cupcakes.
    5. Ice cupcakes and set aside.
    6. Make alligators.
    7. Sprinkle blue sugar sprinkles on the cupcake icing, if desired.
    8. Place alligators on top of cupcakes.
    9. Enjoy!

    All done! Just kidding...I have directions for the alligators below!


    Laying Down Alligator:
    1.  Cut a horizontal slit in one end of a circus 
         peanut and prop open. This will be the 
         mouth. Let dry about for 30-40 
         minutes. I propped mine open with a 
         cookie stick.
    2.  Cover cookie sheet with wax paper.
    3.  Melt green Candy Melts. (see package 
         for directions.)
    4.  Dip the circus peanut in the Melts. (I used 
         a toothpick to dip them in.) Allow any extra 
         to drip off. Set on wax paper to set. Once 
         they are set, you can use a sharp knife to 
         trim any extra Melts off the edges.
    5.  Dip Nutter Butter cookie in Melts. (I used a 
         fork.) Allow any extra to drip off. Place on 
         wax paper to set.
    6.  Attach head to cookie with melted Candy 
         Melts. You may need to prop up while
         it sets.
    7.  Pipe on eyes, nostrils, and teeth using
         white and brown/black Candy Melts.






    Alligator With Fish: (This one is my favorite!)










    Front part of cookie trimmed.
    1.   Trim one end of your cookie. This part is 
          optional, depending on what you want
          your alligator to look like. I did a few
          trimmed and a few not.
    2.   Take apart Nutter Butter cookie.
    3.   Cover cookie sheet with wax paper.
    4.   Melt green Candy Melts.
    5.   Dip each half of cookie into the Melts. 
         (I used a fork for dipping.) Allow any 
         extra to drip off. Place on wax paper to 
         set. Once set, you can use a sharp knife
         to trim any extra candy off the edges.
    6.  Add green sprinkles to the top (ridges 
         showing) of a cookie piece, if desired. 
         This will be the top of the head.
    7.  Let set.
    8.  Dip bottom of Fruit Loop in green Candy 
         Melt. Attach to cookie, towards the back
         to create an eye. Repeat for other eye.
         Let set.
    9.  Attach Candy Eye to Fruit Loop using
         melted green Candy Melts. Let set. I had
         to prop my Candy Eyes up using a
         toothpick so they dried in the right place.
    10. Smear a little melted green Candy Melt
          at the front of the bottom piece of
          cookie half and set gummy fish on.
    11. Smear a little Candy Melt on top of fish.
    12. Smear some melted green Candy Melt
          at the back of the bottom piece of
          cookie half.
    13. Place top of head on (the one with
          sprinkles). You may need to lightly hold
          or prop it for a minute until the Candy
          Melt starts to set.
    14. Pipe on nostrils and teeth using Candy
         Melts.



    Alligator Head In Water:

    1.  Dip cookie in Candy Melts. Allow extra to drip off. 
    2.  Set on wax paper and allow to set.
    3.  Cut in half.
    4.  Decorate: Pipe on eyes or use Candy Eyes and pipe on nostrils.
    5.  Place on cupcake.
    6.  Spread additional icing around the head to cover the cut mark.

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